LWVSC Observer Corps Getting New Energy

At our September unit meetings, attendees discussed the League’s long-standing Observer Corps. For those unfamiliar with the program, the basic idea is to let our local officials know we are paying attention. The League’s publication, “Observing Your Government in Action,” provides guidance for the program.

At the Greenhaven/Land Park unit meeting, several long-time League members shared their experiences from years past, but the program is not currently active. Even if members do attend (or watch) public meetings to observe their government at work, they have not had a process for sharing that information with the League until recently.

This year, members of our Criminal Justice Reform Committee have attended several public meetings and have submitted their Observer Corps reports to the Board. We expect the committee will continue to observe and report given our current priorities.

In the coming year, we expect other members will be tracking county and city redistricting activities to address the 2020 census data. Observing this redistricting activity is especially important since California enacted the Fair Maps Act this year. This act requires affected counties and cities to develop districts in an open, nonpartisan process, to actively seek public input and to prioritize intact neighborhoods and diverse communities.

If you are interested in being a part of our newly energized Observer Corps, we would like to help you get started. Please contact us at lwvs [at] sacramento.org for information. In the next few months, we will be working to develop effective ways to share these Observer Corps reports with our members and the public. There are several other Leagues in California and throughout the country that can help guide our development.