LWV Upper St Croix Valley Expands Jurisdiction 

LWV UPPER ST CROIX VALLEY was recognized as a local League in 2015 and is already re-evaluating the boundaries of its jurisdiction, which at present include the upper St Croix Valley counties of Polk and Burnett. Recently, citizens from Hudson and the New Richmond area in western St. Croix County to their south have expressed interest in the League’s work and wondered if they should become Members-at-Large, join LWV Upper St. Croix Valley (LWV USCV), or perhaps organize as a branch of the LWV USCV. In a meeting attended by all parties including staff from LWVWI, LWV USCV resolved the question by proposing to drop “Upper” from their League name thereby extending the southern border of their jurisdiction. They’re now preparing to recommend a name change to their membership, have appointed a board liaison for St Croix County to nurture and monitor this development and will be redesigning their website to reflect their extended reach.  LWV USCV is also exploring a neighborly partnership with Minnesota’s LWV St. Croix Valley with an interest to combine forces in an expanded push for voter registration on both sides of the St. Croix River.  

LWV USCV’s story is a reminder to all local Leagues to regularly evaluate not only how well you’re providing League services within your established jurisdiction but also to assess if you're prepared to expand your jurisdiction to be more inclusive geographically and of service to more Wisconsin voters.