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October 2021
Table of Content
Advocacy and Program
Reforming California Recall Elections
Post Board Summary
President's Letter
Hello League Leaders,
Thank you all for the time and energy spent during the last few months on behalf of the LWV. Between educating Californians about how the Recall Election works and educating your communities on how to participate in the redistricting process, your Leagues demonstrated commitment to empowering voters and defending democracy.
Here’s a quick review of what LWVC has been doing the last few months:
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The LWVC EF created a Recall Election Toolkit that many of you used to educate and engage voters, as well as counter mis/disinformation leading up to the Recall Election. Thanks to our partners, Asian American Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus and NALEO, for assisting in translating the Toolkit into nine languages. Given our broad preparation for scalable voter education and engagement, the LWVC EF was in the perfect position to apply for and use grant funding to create a get out the vote campaign focused on youth and historically under-resourced communities. We placed in-language nonpartisan voter education messages in 21 primarily Asian media outlets with a combined circulation of over half a million people; sent Spanish language postcards to Spanish speaking voters in the Central Valley; engaged hundreds of thousands of 18-24 year old voters on Snapchat with voting lenses and filters; and had 40 League members text banking to engage young Black voters across the state. This project is a fine example of good partnerships; of the diversity, equity, and inclusion lens in our voter education work; and diligence in acquiring funding to increase our impact.
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The League advocated on over 65 bills and co-sponsored two bills in the recently ended legislative session, making important progress advancing our legislative priorities. Twenty-five bills that LWVC supported were signed by the Governor. One League co-sponsored bill, AB 796 which makes significant improvements in voter registration at the Department of Motor Vehicles, passed and was signed. The second, the Racial Justice for All Act, will be taken up in the upcoming session. See the Advocacy Report for details.
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The work of redistricting continues at a faster pace with the release of California’s Official Redistricting Database on September 20 and a deadline of December 27 for final map submission. Leagues across the state are doing fantastic work in promoting and encouraging Californians to participate in public hearings at the state and local levels. Several League members are serving on their city or county citizens redistricting commissions. Hats off to them!. Our indefatigable members Helen Hutchison and Chris Carson are spending many hours a week monitoring the state Citizens Redistricting Commission, coordinating with LWVUS’s work, and offering education and advice to local Leagues. Our thanks go to them.
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The Fair Political Practices Commission recently released its Digital Transparency Task Force Report and Recommendations. The LWVC was included in this important work with League members Jennifer Waggoner and Katie Zoglin representing LWVC on the Task Force. The intent is that the legislature will use these recommendations to improve or create disclosure laws that address the ever growing and ever changing practice of digital political advertising.
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The LWVC Board of Directors discussed recall election reform during its last meeting. The LWVC has positions and general principles that support reform. Much investigation and research is needed to determine what and how recall elections can be altered to make sure that California has a reasonable, rational governmental system that carries out the will of the voters. Careful consideration of any reform idea is necessary and will be conducted using the League’s process for assessing any bill or Constitutional amendment. See the Recall update for more detail on the positions and process.
Advocacy interest Google groups are increasing with the addition of a Health Care Working Group. These groups are open to people who are interested in the areas. See this list of groups for more information on how to join.
The Criminal Justice Committee has several upcoming webinar events coming up in later October and November. Please share the information with interested people.
Speaking of webinar events online, please remember that all Leagues can access and use recordings of the workshops of the recent LWVC Convention. There is valuable substantive material and toolkits within the workshops entries. Take advantage of the generosity of fellow League members that share their work with all of LWV to inform and expand your League’s knowledge and work.
National issues and politics have local impacts. LWVUS issued talking points on culturally inclusive history curriculum that can be used locally. The Freedom to Vote Act is now a focus of LWVUS. It establishes national standards for voting and elections in ways similar to the For the People Act (HR 1). And don’t overlook the LWVUS site’s blog that addresses current federal issues of interest to all Leagues, including a call on the President to address voting rights, a discussion of reproductive freedom, and money in politics.
I began this letter with thanks to local Leagues and League members for their work in this challenging, but fascinating time. I want to end this letter with an appreciation for Crownie Billik who has been a mainstay of the Local League Coaches (formerly the MTA program). Her wisdom, experience, and diplomacy helped sustain local Leagues for 30 years. She is retiring from this part of League life and we thank her for everything she did to keep Leagues strong and vibrant.
Yours,
Carol
PS - We are excited to announce that the LWVC EF 2020 Youth Get Out the Vote Campaign using TikTok and Snapchat just won 2 national ¡Bravo! awards from the Hispanic Public Relations Association (after receiving 4 national awards from the Public Relations Society of America!). These awards recognize the LWVC EF effort as best in class nationally in the categories of Social Justice Campaign and Public Affairs Campaign.
Advocacy and Program
Legislation
Despite another year of restrictions due to the pandemic, the California Legislature continued its work — and so did our own LWVC Advocacy team.
The deadline for the Governor to sign bills has passed and of the 836 presented to him, he signed 770 and vetoed 66. Here’s where the LWVC’s advocacy work stands for this cycle.
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The LWVC took positions on 68 bills.
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Of the 64 bills we supported, 25 bills have been chaptered (signed by the Governor) and are now law, 4 were vetoed, and 35 will have an opportunity to move forward in January 2022.
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We co-sponsored two bills
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AB 796 (Berman) which was signed by the Governor and will make significant improvements to the Motor Voter registration processes at the DMV.
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AB 256 (Kalra), the Racial Justice Act for All which will return in 2022 as a two-year bill. This bill would allow retroactive implementation of the Racial Justice Act of 2020, which we also co-sponsored.
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We opposed four bills - the Governor vetoed one and the other three may return in 2022.
The LWVC successfully advocated on key legislative priorities in other areas as well. To see the status of bills on which the League took positions, and read our letters, check the LWVC Bill Status Report, which can always be found on our “Legislative Work” page at lwvc.org/our-legislative-work. Watch for a more detailed end-of-year 2021 Advocacy Wrap-Up highlighting information on key bills in each of our advocacy areas.
Other Advocacy Work
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The League continues to monitor the work of theState Citizens Redistricting Commission, with Helen Hutchison and Chris Carson leading that effort. LWVC and coalition partners filed an amicus letter asking the California Supreme Court to grant the Commission’s request to extend the deadline in light of unprecedented Census delays. The Court declined to allow the requested time for citizen input to the draft district maps. As a result, there will be only a short time for input after the November 15 deadline for draft maps and before the December 27 deadline for submission of final maps to the Secretary of State.
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Kudos to Jenny Waggoner (SF League) and Katie Zoglin (Los Altos/Mountain View) for their work on the Fair Political Practices Commission’s Digital Transparency Task Force and its recently-issued Report & Recommendations.
Advocacy Interest Groups
A growing number of active and engaged League members focus on policy issues and support our advocacy work. Discussions, resource-sharing, and expertise is growing as these interest groups meet online and have robust discussion forums.
New groups include the Healthcare Working Group and a new Immigration group, while our Advocacy Google group, as well as Criminal Justice, Climate Change, Housing and Homelessness and Water groups have been active for some time. Check here to find out more and join the discussion.
Often, some of these Advocacy Interest Groups will have virtual meetings with guest speakers and programs for education. For example, the Criminal Justice Reform group has several upcoming events in October and November open to all League members:
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October 21 Noon-1 PM, National Workshop on Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement.Register in advance here.
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October 26, 5:30 PM, LWVC Criminal Justice Reform group monthly meeting. Guest speakers from the California Attorney General’s office, whose CARE office wants to work with community groups on law enforcement oversight. To access the meeting click the October 26 Zoom link at the top of this document. Agendas are updated about two weeks before the meeting.
- November 23 Noon, LWVC Criminal Justice Reform group monthly meeting.The Bay Area Sheriff Accountability Coalition will be the guest speaker. To access the meeting click the November 23 Zoom link at the top of this document. Agendas are updated about two weeks before the meeting.
Reforming California Recall Elections
Recall reform is a hot topic after this September’s gubernatorial recall election. There will be legislative hearings to explore proposals for change, a Hoover Commission hearing on October 14, and the California Constitution Center at Berkeley Law has already hosted a Post-Mortem: Should the Recall be Recalled or Reformed?
The LWVC Board of Directors explored the positions of the state League to determine how, and under which positions, LWVC may act on recall reform. The state League will monitor the ongoing process carefully and be prepared to act through our positions supporting reasonable government systems that promote public trust. Positions that could be used to support reform of the recall process, excerpted here, are:
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LWVC Electoral Process “LWVC promotes an open governmental system that is representative, accountable and responsive. We encourage electoral methods that provide the broadest voter representation possible…. The LWVC believes in representative government. The League supports electoral systems that elect policy-making bodies...that proportionally reflect the people they represent. We support systems that inhibit political manipulation (e.g. gerrymandering) ….
The League supports election methods that:
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Promote sincere voting over strategic voting
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Require the winner to receive a majority of the votes for executive and single seat offices…"
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LWVUS Position on Voter Representation/Electoral Systems “…the League supports electoral methods that…
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Promote sincere voting over strategic voting and implement alternatives to plurality voting…."
October 2021 Post Board Summary
LWVC/LWVCEF Boards of Directors Meetings
October 2, 2021 – Electronic Meetings
IMPORTANT DATES TO CALENDAR:
- November 2, 2021 – Local Elections
- Happy Holidays during remainder of 2021!
- January 31, 2022 – Local League Membership Counts due to LWVUS
- LWVUS Convention – June 23-26, 2022
LWVC MEETING SUMMARY
The LWVC Board of Directors met virtually and took action as follows.
GOVERNANCE AND ADMINISTRATION
Ratification of LWVC Executive Committee Actions
- August 4, 2021, Executive Committee Meeting – Amicus Brief Authorization – Redistricting.
Local League Coaches Program (LLCs)
- Accepted the resignation of Crownie Billik (LWV Los Altos/Mountain View) as the Northern Coordinator of the Local League Coaches Program.
- Appointed Susan Morris Wilson (LWV Redding) as the Northern Coordinator of the Local League Coaches Program.
LWVC Board Committees and Task Forces
- Board Assignments were confirmed for the 2021-2023 term. See list following this report.
LWVC Governance Committee
- Approved the revised Charter of the LWVC Governance Committee.
FINANCE
- Received and filed the Treasurer’s Reports: LWVC Unrestricted Net Income and Financial Statements for the period ending July 31, 2021; and the Year-End Reports for July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2021.
- Authorized LWVC to enter into a funding agreement to support LWVC education and advocacy within the Housing & Homelessness Issue for Emphasis through June 30, 2021.
LWVCEF MEETING SUMMARY
The LWVCEF Board of Directors took action as follows.
FINANCE
- Received and filed the Treasurer’s Reports: LWVCEF Unrestricted Net Income and Financial Statements for the period ending July 31, 2021; and the Year-End Reports for July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2021.
Caroline de Llamas
LWVC/EF Secretary
cdellamas [at] lwvc.org
