Featured letter: Beloit League helping to make democracy work

• Bill Barth.  Opinion page March 2, 2020. Written by Gayle Hotchkiss

 In February 2020 the League of Women Voters (LWV) celebrated its 100th anniversary and the Beloit League joined more than 700 other local and state chapters to celebrate this historic milestone.

When a member joins their local League of Women Voters they also become part of a larger network in their state and nation. The League of Women Voters was founded on February 14, 1920, six months before the ratification of the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote. Local and state organizations followed by organizing the local chapters as they joined the national organization.

The League of Women Voters of Beloit organized and was founded in March 1945, becoming a member of both the LWV of Wisconsin and LWV US. As League members look to a vibrant future on their threshold of our next 100 years, the League is excited that dedicated members in Beloit, Wisconsin and the nation continue to steadily attract significant numbers of activists who share the League’s commitment to making democracy work.

The League of Women Voters membership is open to women and men, 16 years of age and older, who are interested in improving our systems of government and impacting public policy through education and advocacy. The League’s historic commitment to register, educate and mobilize voters is not only stronger, but more effective than ever, utilizing such tools as VOTE411.org, a cutting edge election information website utilized by millions of voters each election cycle.

On a national level the League will continue to fight voter discrimination and to keep secret money out of our elections to ensure that our elections are fair, free and accessible. There will be a continued push for improved access to health care as well as recognizing that climate change is a scientific reality that must be addressed to ensure a sustainable planet for everyone. The state league will continue to address the issue of fair and impartial redistricting. The Beloit League members have many interests in these topics as well as recently learning more about issues affecting the homeless and various aspects of local education.

One hundred years after the League was founded in 1920, members of the League are proud of the great progress achieved when it comes to truly making democracy work.