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February 2023
Program Planning
Legislative Interviews
Advocacy Interest Groups
LWVC Convention 2023
Post Board Summary
President's Letter
Dear League Leaders,
What a tragic beginning 2023 offered. We in the League of Women Voters offer our deep sympathies to the families, friends, and communities of those who were killed or injured in the mass shootings of mid January and by the weather of early January. We once again find ourselves horrified by the senseless murder of a Black man at the hands of police officers and offer deep sympathies to his family and community. The League is committed to supporting gun safety laws and police practices reform.
As early 2023 unfolds the LWVC is focusing on planning for the program and advocacy for the future.
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Program planning meetings are underway to help us prepare for the upcoming Convention and the next two years. The LWVC Board will compile your reports and make recommendations based upon them. Speaking of reports, please remember your reports are due on February 27, 2023. Click here for further information and links to help your Leagues plan for the future.
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Legislative interviews are also underway as they are each year in the first month of the legislative session. The information gained from the interviews is valuable in setting up the LWVC advocacy in the legislature. This is also a good opportunity to bring your members into contact with advocacy in general. Click here for further information, the interview kit, and the link to the report form. The response form is due February 27, 2023.
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I thank all Leagues for their participation in program planning and interviewing legislators. You are helping to define the League work of the future.
Important dates to share with your members:
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All Hands Training for LWVC Interest Groups February 16, 2023 at 7:00 PM. This training is for all existing and prospective members of LWVC Advocacy Interest Groups that are formed to discuss particular issues. Click here for complete information on the Interests Groups, their functions, and the link to register for the training.
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The LWVC Convention is scheduled for May 19-21, 2023 in San Francisco. Please join your fellow League members as we explore Power and Possibility in the League. We have a great website dedicated to the Convention details such as delegate and hotel registration. This site will be updated as planning is finalized. Click here for more information: https://lwvc.wordpress.com/
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Also happening in San Francisco during the convention is Drag for Democracy, our celebration of people exemplifying the values and strength of our democracy through their work in advocacy and activism for LGBTQ+ people, rights, and equality. People who are not part of the dominant culture, have always been at the forefront of efforts to build power, create possibility, and expand our democracy to include all people. So with much fanfare, glitter, and glam, we will honor community members making democracy work. Check out the website to learn more about this celebration. Join us -- tickets now available!
And finally big news! The League and our partners released The Promise of Fair Maps, a report on the 2020 redistricting process in local governments. The FAIR MAPS Act which governed the process was cosponsored by the League and shepherded through the legislature and the governor’s desk. The League didn’t just walk away when the law passed; the League followed implementation of the Act. Thank you to all League members who observed and reported on the process, who filled out our survey, and who participated in the webinars discussing what we saw. Expect to see legislation to reform and strengthen the Act introduced in this legislative session.
As always I salute and thank League members for their passion, their hard work, and their dedication to this organization. It sometimes takes a long time to see positive results from what we support and do, but we know empowering voters and defending democracy is worth it all.
Carol
Program Planning
The LWVC program planning process occurs every two years in advance of our state Convention. It is part of what makes the League a grassroots organization; each League member has the opportunity to influence the selection of issues on which the League will focus time, talent, and money. It takes the enthusiasm and interest of our members to keep our program vital.
The Program Planning Toolkit is here. The Program Planning Google Group is a great place to share ideas and information. Email jrodriquez [at] lwvc.org () to join. Remember the report of your League’s recommendations is due on February 27, 2023.
Legislative Interviews
In the legislative interviews you will ask questions about five topics: the voter participation gap, education, water, the legislator’s priorities and plans, and whatever is pertinent to your district. This is the League’s opportunity to show that members are constituents. This is especially important because almost one third of the legislators are new to the Legislature. It also helps LWVC plan for the legislative session, identifying likely bills and planning to respond accordingly. Please do not share the interview questions before the interviews– we want an open discussion without talking points.
The Legislative Interview Kit is here. It contains background information on the questions plus information on how to conduct the interviews. The response form is here and is due on February 27, 2023.
Advocacy Interest Groups
Interest Groups include members of multiple local Leagues who are interested in a specific topic. They provide a forum for members to support each other in exploring advocacy and educational work around their specific topic of interest, always in line with California League advocacy positions and the One Voice policy. Members of an interest group can find and share resources, discuss experiences, and best practices, and provide support across local Leagues.
Advocacy Interest Groups are growing in the areas of Criminal Justice Reform, Healthcare, Housing and Homelessness, Climate Change, Water, and Immigration. Most recently, a Criminal Justice subgroup was formed to focus on Sheriff transparency, accountability, and oversight to support local Leagues with tools to ensure robust implementation of League-supported criminal justice legislation.
Participation in Interest Groups is governed by the LWVC Interest Group Guidelines for Online Discussion Forums and Listservs and Netiquette & Tips for Success in LWVC Online Discussion Forums and Listservs. Please send Amaris an email (alebron [at] lwvc.org) for assistance in joining a group.
Please join us and register for an All-Hands Interest Group Training on Thursday, February 16 at 7 PM. At this training you’ll learn more about the purpose of interest groups and important new guidelines for participation.
LWVC Interest Groups include members across the state who are interested in a specific topic, such as water, housing and homelessness, criminal justice, and climate change. Interest groups provide a forum for California League members to support each other in exploring advocacy and educational work around their specific topic of interest, always in line with California League advocacy positions and the One Voice policy. Members of an interest group can find and share resources, share successes and best practices, and provide support to local Leagues. For more information about the variety of groups available check here. Please feel free to contact Amaris LeBron with any questions at alebron@lwvc.org.
LWVC Convention 2023
Convention this year will be held in-person at the Hyatt Regency Downtown SOMA Hotel in San Francisco from May 19-21, 2023. Due to cost and contract limitations, this will not be a hybrid event and none of the events will be recorded.
Registration will open on March 1. For schedule and hotel lodging information, please visit the convention website at https://lwvc.wordpress.com/. It will be useful to bookmark this site because this is where all Convention related information will be posted. It will be updated as specific planning is completed.
Delegates
It is a bit too early for your League to decide who will be a delegate for the LWVC Convention. The number of delegates permitted for each League is determined by the LWVUS membership numbers on January 31. A League with 1-50 members receives two delegate spots (the president and one delegate). When membership reaches 51 voting members, the local League receives one additional delegate, then one additional delegate added for each additional 50 members. Please refer to the LWVC bylaws for more details about representation.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
One of the League’s priorities is to foster a more inclusive culture and increase the diversity of our organization and our leadership. Our DE&I Task Force have decided to prioritize increasing the racial and age diversity of our Leagues, with plans to expand our work in the near future. One of our initiatives is to diversify delegate participation and have a more representative decision-making body at the LWVC Conventions. We hope your League also takes this into consideration when selecting your delegate representatives.
The DE&I Task Force will also review and award scholarship recipients. LWVC has set up a scholarship fund to help reduce financial barriers for those who would otherwise be unable to attend the convention. The number of recipients is dependent upon donations we receive from individual contributions. We hope that you will consider donating to the scholarship fund, so we can award as many applicants as possible. Please use this link to donate.
January 2023 Post Board Summary
LWVC/LWVCEF Boards of Directors Meetings
January 21, 2023 – Electronic Meetings
IMPORTANT DATES TO CALENDAR:
- February 16, 2023 – All Hands Advocacy Training – 7:00 p.m., Registration Required
- February 27, 2023 – LWVC Program Planning Online Response Forms Due
- February 27, 2023 – LWVC Legislative Online Interview Response Forms Due
- May 19 to May 21, 2023 – LWVC Convention 2023, Hyatt Regency San Francisco
LWVC MEETING SUMMARY
The LWVC Board of Directors met virtually and acted as follows.
GOVERNANCE AND ADMINISTRATION
Ratification of LWVC Special Meeting Actions
- December 13, 2022 – 12:00 Noon – Executive Committee Meeting – Personnel Matters
- December 13, 2022 – 6:00 p.m. – Executive Committee Meeting – Personnel Matters
- January 11, 2023 – Executive Committee Meeting – Committee Appointments
LWVC Appointments
- Debra Barger (LWV Butte County) to the LWVC/EF Development Committee
- Maya Paley (LWVC Director) to the vacancy on the 2021-2023 LWVC Nominating Committee.
LWVC Program and Advocacy
- Adopted the Climate Action Policy Update
- Adopted the Climate Smart Agriculture and Food Action Policy
- Adopted a motion to support the ballot proposition that is created by SCA 2 to repeal Article 34 of the California Constitution.
Finance
- Received and filed the LWVC Balance Sheet as of November 30, 2022; Budget by Class July 2021 to November 30, 2022; and Budget vs. Actuals July 2021 to November 30, 2022.
LWVCEF MEETING SUMMARY
The LWVCEF Board of Directors met virtually and acted as follows:
GOVERNANCE AND ADMINISTRATION
LWVCEF Appointments
- Debra Barger (LWV Butte County) to the LWVC/EF Development Committee
Finance
- Received and filed the LWVCEF Balance Sheet as of November 30, 2022; Budget by Class July 2021 to November 30, 2022; and Budget vs. Actuals July 2021 to November 30, 2022.
Caroline de Llamas
LWVC/EF Secretary
cdellamas [at] lwvc.org
