Dora Rose, Deputy Director California LWV
by Petti Van Rekom
This weekend, the League of Women Voters of California gathered for our Biennial State Convention. It was an energizing, empowering, and urgent time. A single moment brought the (virtual) room to a standstill and sparked what may have been the first-ever Zoom standing ovation.
Dora Rose, LWVC Deputy Director and Chief Lobbyist, delivered one of the most powerful speeches we have ever heard from the League. She laid out what we are up against:
The foundations of American democracy are under attack. Not in the abstract. Not someday. But now. Today.
With military force deployed against civilians in our own backyard. We are witnessing a full-scale effort to erode the very principles that have guided this country for over two centuries. One person, one vote. Equal justice under law. Government by and for the people.
She continued, calling out a particularly egregious example of violent suppression of free speech:
And just last week, we saw how far this administration will go. Senator Alex Padilla, California’s first Latino senator, a man who has dedicated his life to public service, was forced to his knees, thrown to the ground, and handcuffed by federal agents. All for asking a question about immigration enforcement affecting his constituents. At a press conference. In a federal building where he had every right to be. As Senator Padilla pointed out, if they’ll do this to a U.S. Senator, in broad daylight, on camera, in front of reporters, what are they doing to farm workers, to cooks, to day laborers when no one is watching?
Just hours after Dora’s speech, the United States launched military strikes overseas. The escalation of global conflict has only deepened the anxiety and grief so many of us are already carrying. It is natural to feel afraid in times like these. We all are.
But moments like this also remind us of our history, and of our responsibility for California to lead. More than a hundred years ago, when the United States entered World War I, suffragists were told to step back. To wait. To pause their demands for democracy until the crisis had passed.
They refused.
They stood outside the White House with banners that asked, Mr. President, how long must women wait for liberty?
They were arrested, assaulted, and vilified. Still, they kept going.
This is the legacy we inherit. And it is the same legacy we carry forward in California today.
And, this is why our work in California is so critical. In a time when democracy is being threatened across the world, California is both a target and a beacon. The attacks here are real, and so is the opportunity to lead. At the state League, we are not just defending against rollbacks. We are advancing a vision of inclusive, transparent, and equitable democracy. One where every voice counts and every vote is protected. And the nation is looking at us to lead. Dora says it best:
Here in California, we’ve seen bills straight from the Project 2025 playbook meant to roll back our progress. Bills to end universal vote-by-mail, repeal the Voter’s Choice Act, require strict voter ID, demand documentary proof of citizenship, and reject ballots not received by Election Day, even if mailed on time. And we have worked to kill every one of them.
Dora’s words reminded us that this moment demands more than resilience. It demands resolve.
California must lead. And the League of Women Voters of California is leading.
We are defending the rights of millions. We are expanding access, advancing equity, and building a democracy that serves all of us. For the full speech click here:
