By Lunell Haught, President, LWVWA, and George Erb, Secretary, WCOG 

After discussing what to do about the redistricting situation in Washington with the Washington Coalition for Open Government (WCOG), LWVWA president Lunell Haught (also a member of the WCOG Board) co-authored an opinion article with George Erb, WCOG secretary, that appeared in the Seattle Times. WCOG is considering a suit to take before the Washington Supreme Court. Meanwhile, the League’s work in redistricting continues with Alison McCaffree’s redistricting project.  

The opinion piece included the following points: 

The Washington State Redistricting Commission flouted the open meeting law. That isn’t half of what made the commission’s actions so egregious. During their final public meeting on Nov. 15, the four voting members of the bipartisan commission hid their discussions and actions—at times deliberately—from citizens and the press. 

The commission’s shenanigans began shortly after Chair Sarah Augustine brought the Nov. 15 online meeting to order and called roll. All four voting commissioners were present: Democrats Brady Walkinshaw and April Sims and Republicans Joe Fain and Paul Graves. 

Commissioners approved the minutes from the previous meeting and promptly disappeared behind closed doors for a series of deliberations. Unfortunately, they seemed to know just enough about the state Open Public Meetings Act (RCW 42.30) to dance around it by meeting in groups of two—one less than a quorum. Minutes before the midnight deadline, commissioners held a series of public votes on documents that observers never saw. Then the commissioners quickly voted to adjourn without elaboration. They scheduled a press conference for the following morning, which they later canceled. 

Because of the commission’s secret discussions, citizens were unable to judge for themselves anything about the process  or even if their comments were considered.  

Now the state Supreme Court will draw the lines for legislative and congressional districts.  

The four redistricting commissioners had a difficult job. Their work depended on the census, a contentious and complex process resulting in late data. Commissioners had to deal with technological challenges of mapping, criticism, and decisions about how voters are grouped, boundaries drawn, and terms of office set. There is no question this is a difficult task. One wonders how the Washington Supreme Court will do, with their already full schedule. 

We, the people, designate representatives to do our business. In order to accomplish that, Washington state has adopted the Open Public Meetings Act, which states: 

The legislature finds and declares that all public commissions, boards, councils, committees, subcommittees, departments, divisions, offices, and all other public agencies of this state and subdivisions thereof exist to aid in the conduct of the people's business. It is the intent of this chapter that their actions be taken openly and that their deliberations be conducted openly. 

The people of this state do not yield their sovereignty to the agencies which serve them. The people, in delegating authority, do not give their public servants the right to decide what is good for the people to know and what is not good for them to know.  

The people insist on remaining informed so that they may retain control over the instruments they have created. The highlight of the act requires that deliberations be conducted openly. The public should know what happened to all the testimony and how it was used in the final districts submitted to the Washington Supreme Court. 

The public has an interest in what is done in its name. This situation is about the public’s interest in their government. Closed meetings and private dealings have two consequences: 1) they waste taxpayer money, and 2) they deprive legislators of public support to counter outside influence that may not be in the best interest of communities. We have studies proving both arguments.  

The public, by attending, observing, and commenting on public business conducted by elected or appointed officials, can balance the interests of those who are paid to represent a particular viewpoint or project. Citizens in open meetings support the public interest when that is almost impossible to do if the public isn’t there. 

Washington has a good Open Public Meetings Act. Let’s use it.  

LWVUS Leaders Stand Up for Voting Rights 

On Nov. 17, LWVUS President Deborah Turner and some 200 people were arrested at the White House advocating for President Biden to stand up for voting rights. Among those also arrested were LWVUS CEO Virginia Kase Solomon, LWV board members and staff, and League members from across the country.  

Since the League launched its No More Excuses actions in August, an estimated 265 activists have been arrested. In these peaceful demonstrations, our activists purposely risked arrest to deliver the critical message to the White House that time is of the essence for voting rights. 

Voting rights legislation continues to remain stagnant in the Senate as we engage in the critical work of redistricting and begin the countdown to the midterm elections. We will not give up until voting rights are restored and expanded. 

Please continue to contact your elected officials, particularly senators, and encourage them to pass the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. Make the effort to sit down with them or their staff during the upcoming holiday break and deliver the League’s message of empowering voters. 

The LWVUS Submits Comments on Environmental Regulations 

In mid-November, the LWVUS submitted comments regarding the Council on Environmental Quality's rulemaking on the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The Trump administration made modifications to NEPA, which was finalized on July 16, 2020. The LWVUS supports the complete restoration of the NEPA to its essential form. Read the League’s full letter to the Council on Environmental Quality. 

By LWVWA Nominating Committee 

Diversity is the key to the LWVWA’s future. It is important to look around the table or a meeting and see other voices other than your own—voices that bring life and work experiences, beliefs, and education backgrounds that add to an organization’s depth.  

The LWVWA’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policy states the following:  

The LWV is an organization fully committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in principle and in practice. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are central to the organization’s current and future success in engaging all individuals, households, communities, and policymakers in creating a more perfect democracy.  

We will actively work to remove barriers to full participation in this organization regardless of gender, gender identity, ethnicity, race, native or indigenous origin, age, generation, sexual orientation, culture, religion, belief system, marital status, parental status, socioeconomic status, language, accent, ability status, mental health, educational level or background, geography, nationality, work style, work experience, job role function, thinking style, personality type, physical appearance, political perspective or affiliation and/or any other characteristic that can be identified as recognizing or illustrating diversity. 

As an organization, the League needs to provide a welcoming and inclusive environment that includes safe places to speak and discuss ideas and policies as well as meeting times and virtual meeting capabilities to accommodate different life schedules. 

Under the LWVWA DEI plan, as an organization the LWVWA recruits members, leaders, and advisors from diverse and underrepresented groups. As a Nominating Committee, this is an important goal and one we are reaching toward. One of the ways we are doing this is by publishing in The Voter to reach our supporters, like you.

How are we taking all of this into consideration as we recruit and consider candidates for the LWVWA Board? By doing the following:

• Encouraging all who are interested in serving on the LWVWA Board to speak to a Nominating Committee member (nomcom@lwvwa.org) or to apply. 

• Transforming the recruitment process. Information is available in the For Members section of the website. Members have the ability to nominate others and apply directly on the webpage.  

• Outlining our plan for the nominations process and publicizing it to LWVWA members. 

• Doing broad outreach—contacting local League presidents, and speaking with local League boards and interested members. 

• Articles in both The Voter and This Month in the League that include our supporters and members in our outreach and education efforts. 

• Hosting meet-and-greets on Thursday, Dec. 9 at 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. We are offering this opportunity at two different times to accommodate League members’ schedules. 

• Discussing other opportunities to educate our membership on what it means to be a LWVWA Board member. 

You may be interested in joining the League and serving in state leadership or you may know a current League member you feel would be a great state leader. Either way, the Nominating Committee would like to have a conversation with you. If you are a current League member and you are interested in serving at the state level, we would like to speak with you too. If you’re interested, attend one of the informal information sessions on Dec. 9. The Zoom information can be found on the LWVWA Events page or by contacting nomcom@lwvwa.org. 

by Carol Sullivan, Program Host, LWV of Snohomish County 

Ready to act once the legislative session begins . . . but want more information on issues and legislation that the LWV of Washington supports? On Monday, Jan. 3, at 10 a.m., grab a second cup of coffee and join other League members and guests statewide for the first Action Coffee Time (ACT) via Zoom session! 

ACT via Zoom (facilitated by LWV of Snohomish County member Carol Sullivan) will meet on Mondays at 10 a.m. between Jan. 3 and March 14, 2022. The goal is to provide the background you need on a wide array of relevant topics to become a better citizen advocate. 

With knowledge from League, state, and community resources willing to share their expertise on a topic or on specific legislation, you’ll have an informal setting where you can ask questions as we explore issues ranging from carbon pricing, public banks, or current legislation, and much more. 

Then, when the weekly LWVWA Legislative Newsletter appears in your inbox, you’ll be ready to act! To join the affinity group, contact Carol Sullivan. 

By Susan Fleming, Lobby Team Portfolio Director, LWVWA 

The LWV of Washington’s annual Lobby Week, which is Monday, Jan. 24–Thurs. Jan. 27, 2022, will both give you an opportunity to communicate directly with your legislators and also educate you about important issues coming up this legislative session. You’ll also get a mini-class about effective lobbying.  

As in previous years, Lobby Week is sponsored by Fix Democracy First and the LWVWA. The week will be entirely virtual: 

• Monday, Jan. 24, 5 p.m.-8 p.m.: Monday evening program 

• Tuesday, Jan. 25-Thursday, Jan. 27: Virtual meetings with your legislators 

• Thursday, Jan. 27, 6 p.m.-7 p.m.: Wrap-up and celebration 

The program on Monday includes: 

• Democracy issues, including current topics such as the Voting Rights Act and campaign financing. 

• Climate, land use, and housing, with Futurewise and the LWVWA climate and housing Issue Chairs. 

• Moderated discussions with leaders of both parties about legislation they expect to see this session. 

• “How to Lobby,” presented by the LWWA Lobby Team, including contacting legislators, following bill progress, and developing talking points (includes a Q&A). 

You will have an opportunity to meet with your legislators to discuss upcoming legislation; our staff will schedule the meetings based on legislative districts. The meetings will be scheduled for Tuesday through Thursday afternoon and Zoom links will be provided for you. Our goal is to make it easy for you to participate in our Washington state government, and to help you prepare for effective interactions with your legislators.  

Registration for Lobby Week will open soon on the LWVWA website Events page. A $5 donation is requested to help cover costs; additional donations to Fix Democracy First or the LWVWA are appreciated. 

Hope to see you there! 

The delegates to the LWV of Washington Convention are responsible for helping guide the advocacy program by setting priorities for the upcoming biennium. Each local League elects delegates to the convention, and their opinions express the interests of their members—the grassroots.  

In a recent survey using ranked choice voting, the delegates identified their top five priorities based on the state positions the LWVWA uses to ground its advocacy work. The top five priorities were: 

1. Global climate change: The LWV of the United States' 2019 recommendations—17% marked this as their first choice. 

1. Education: Public education funding and content, early childhood access—10% marked this as their first choice. 

1. Representative government: Campaign finance, election methods and procedures, initiatives and referendums, redistricting, and the state legislature—9% marked this as their first choice. 

1. Housing and the homeless: 8% marked this as their first choice. 

1. Health care / state tax policy: Tied for fifth place with 7% marking as their first choice. Health care includes controlling system expenditures and providing universal access to affordable health services with seamless coverage regardless of one's health status. The state tax policy includes the tax structure and property taxes.  

The survey also includes the least important priorities: port districts, privatization, waste management, education, and economic diversification.  

Several interesting aspects of the survey reveal that education is both the most and least important issue (including early childhood education). Privatization includes the public bank, which the League has been working on for the past few years. This is a situation in which the numbers form part of the input for the legislative priorities. Board and Issue Chair input is considered, along with input from the people who want to work on the issues.  

Fortunately, there are a number of advocates for these issues, and others. Members and friends will learn more about these priorities and more at the Action Workshop, Dec. 4.  

By Katherine Murphy, LWV of Kittitas County 

Registration is open for the latest Cultivating Civic Conversations: About the State of Our Democracy seminar group. This free 10-week series, being held Thursdays Jan. 6–March 10, 2022, will have both morning (11 a.m.) and evening sessions (5 p.m.) to accommodate different schedules.  

The meetings offer participants an opportunity to step back and use a “beginner’s mind” when discussing civic education and engagement. If we want to encourage our friends, co-workers, and family to participate in our democracy, then sometimes we need a fresh approach—one that makes fewer assumptions about what “everyone knows” about our history and government. 

The seminar uses the LWVWA’s elementary civics textbook, The State We’re In: Washington, as the anchoring framework. The book is available online for free or in hard copy (ordering information will be included in the registration materials). The course creator and facilitator, Katherine Murphy, adds content from diverse sources to expand each week’s discussion.  

Each week’s assignment includes up to 25 pages of text to read and a podcast to listen to (there is usually a transcript) as well as reflection questions to consider. The Zoom sessions are one hour and include additional content as well as discussion. The Sutra Spaces discussion platform is used to manage and keep all the group materials in one place.  

Participants in the previous Cultivating Civic Conversations have said: 

• "This excellent class opened my mind and my heart to new ways of learning and thinking about our country's history and acting to address injustice." 

• "I am astounded at how much I learned and the resolve I now have to make a positive difference." 

Katherine Murphy (LWV of Kittitas County) and Wende Sanderson (LWV of Skagit County) developed the Cultivating Civic Conversations (CCC) program to meet the need expressed by community and League members who want “to learn how everything works in government.” Since that is a tall order, we decided to use a seminar format and tackle one theme at a time because we believe that it is easier to learn, grow, and thrive within a community of learners. Research shows that long-term civic engagement is built on personal one-on-one connections, and we focus on this approach. 

We've built a structure that tries to answer part of the larger question, "How do we learn how to have transformative conversations about what it means to be human and, as humans, to constructively participate in our civic affairs?" We hope that Cultivating Civic Conversations: About the State of Our Democracy will help you to: 

• Discover new voices, historical context, viewpoints, and resources. 

• Reflect upon and reframe your place in your community. 

• Encourage and expand your capacity for civic engagement. 

• Nurture humor, insight, joy, and perspective. 

For more information and to register for the free seminar, visit the CCC webpage on Sutra.  

If you have questions or want to be added to the mailing list for future sessions, email Katherine. 

By Kate Lunceford, Program of Work Leader, and Joan Smith, LWVSC Natural Resources Committee, LWV of Snohomish County 

As a response to the climate crisis, the LWV of Snohomish County launched a program of work to protect and enhance the urban tree canopy in Snohomish County. Our Tree Campaign includes calling on our county officials to craft and deliver good government, helping the public understand the function of tree canopy, and seeking partnerships to share the responsibilities of urban forest stewardship. We are lobbying the Snohomish County Council to adopt a new urban tree policy into the County Comprehensive Plan Update. We are educating the public with several YouTube videos, including two lectures scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 9 and Tuesday 16. These Evergreen Tuesday Evenings feature leaders from the state and county agencies. We are partnering with the Delta Neighborhood in the city of Everett to plant trees on private property, using a grant from the Henry M. Jackson Foundation to purchase trees. 

Environmental journalist Julie Titone of the Everett Daily Herald gave a boost to our efforts with a three-part series on the importance of the urban tree canopy. Titone “looks at how climate change threatens our urban trees and highlights their value in helping us cope with it.” Part two of the series, “League of Women Voters Has a New Mission: Defend Urban Trees,” featured the League’s work. (Julie Titone’s stories are supported by the Herald’sEnvironmental and Climate Reporting Fund. Please consider contributing to this essential reporting at HeraldNet.com/climatedonate. 

The urgency to protect trees has taken a back seat to development in Snohomish County. No regulation in the county building code effectively protects trees and habitat in the unincorporated urban growth area. Significant trees are sacrificed! Permits with required planting are issued but without oversight. The goal for the environment espoused by the Puget Sound Regional Council Vision 2050 says, “The region cares for the natural environment by protecting and restoring natural systems, conserving habitat, improving water quality, and reducing air pollutants. The health of all residents and the economy is connected to the health of the environment. Planning at all levels considers the impacts of land use, development, and transportation on the ecosystem.” The details of Vision 2050 live in county code.  

For more information, contact the LWV of Snohomish County at info@lwvsnoho.org.

By Cynthia Stewart, Transportation Issue Chair, LWVWA Lobby Team  

Climate change is upon us. And we have a need for more affordable housing, which means greater density in our urban areas. We also have an aging population. Transportation is the greatest single contributor to climate change. Our transportation system is congested. What will help all of these things is a massive increase in transit service. 

Some of the solutions to climate change do not address these other problems. For example, a proliferation of electric vehicles—even with subsidies to make them somewhat more affordable—will not alleviate congestion and will require large additional investments in new infrastructure. 

Right now, people don’t use transit in many areas because the service levels are insufficient. We can’t get where we need to go conveniently or quickly, so people say, “why bother?”. But if we had big investments in transit and service levels were adequate, many more people would leave their cars and use the bus. 

A robust transit system is cheaper for us all than our current transportation system. Busses and support facilities cost far less than new roads. And data indicates that the average car owner spends $10,000 annually on payments, maintenance, insurance, and fuel to own and operate a car. Riding the bus would save thousands of dollars per year for most people. 

So, for the benefit of the climate, for people who are aging out of being able to drive, for people who can’t afford to operate a car, and to reduce congestion, please advocate for the state to make new, massive investments in transit.  

Please visit the It Takes Transportation website to take action by writing a message to your legislators and then sharing it with others on social media.  

Taking Action on Voting Rights 

On Wednesdays Nov. 10 and 17, the LWVUS will again take action to demand that President Biden protect the freedom of millions to vote. On Nov. 10, civil and voting rights activists, religious leaders, and League members will make their voices heard in Lafayette Park in Washington, D.C. Help the League take action, check for event updates, and review previous events on the LWVUS website. 

(Congress)women Power Democracy 

The LWVUS hosted a panel discussion among four women in Congress to discuss the challenges facing the U.S. democracy. Representatives from all parties were invited to participate. Panelists included the following congresswomen:  

• Terri Sewell 

• Jackie Speier 

• Lauren Underwood

• Nikema Williams 

You can watch the discussion, which covered redistricting, mis- and disinformation, voting rights legislation, and more.  

The LWVUS at the Glasgow Climate Conference 

The LWVUS is attending the United Nations Climate Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland, which is going on through Nov. 12, 2021. Eleven local league members are excited to be representing the League. On Nov. 5, the League is co-sponsoring an event with McGill University and Human Rights Watch, entitled “Disability-Inclusive Climate Action: Challenges, Opportunities & Pathways.” The event will review the challenges, opportunities, and pathways for promoting disability-inclusive climate action at the international, national, and local levels and the role of disability rights in making climate mitigation and adaptation policies more effective, accessible, and equitable. This event is the first in the 30-year history of COP to focus on disability issues considering climate change. Look for daily updates via Twitter @LWV_UN_Climate and on the League’s Google groups: LWV Climate Change and LWVUS-UN.