by Aly Welch, LWV Pullman

The League of Women Voters of Pullman is hosting its second annual art contest for Whitman County students, with the theme, "eARTh Art: Civics and the Natural World." This was inspired by a passage from the elementary edition of The State We're In: Washington, which reads:

We think of our government as being "of the people, by the people, for the people." But government is also for the birds, bees, bears, and beavers. They can't vote, but their homes, families, and futures depend on what governments do or don’t do. In fact, the whole web of life is affected by decisions our elected leaders and government agencies make. We govern all the land we walk on, the air we breathe every day, and every drop of water. Decisions our local, state, tribal, and federal governments make affect every forest, every mountain, and every lake and river.

LWV Pullman has also organized volunteers to give in person presentations about the intersection of civics and the natural world. LWV Pullman hopes students will be inspired to participate and learn more about how civics are connected to everything around them.

If you are interested in learning more about how LWV Pullman created this contest, contact LWV Pullman at lwvpull@yahoo.com.

by Miriam Kerzner, LWVWA Board

I hope you're getting excited for Convention- although May seems far away, make sure to get it on your calendar, because we have great programming you won't want to miss, including some special fun- read more below!  

Silent Auction & Raffle

We will have a silent auction for local League curated baskets, and the Benton-Franklin League will be raffling off a quilt!

Sales Area

Local Leagues: have items for sale? Bring them with you! Sell your League aprons, Observer Corps buttons, and more to your fellow League members! 

Fun for Everyone

Bringing family or friends with you for a mini-vacation is a great idea and we have some excellent programs planned, including three "field trips" to get everyone outside:

• Friday, 5/5: Columbia Mammoth Dig
• Saturday, 5/6: Guided walk of Badger Mountain
• Sunday, 5/7: Guided bird walk 

by Lunell Haught, Miriam Kerzner, Helle Andersen, Maren Halvorsen, and Samantha Dilday, LWVWA Awards Committee

At the 2023 LWVWA Convention in Pasco we will again recognize local Leagues for their excellent work, members who contribute to a welcoming culture, and remember those who made the League what it is today.

We so often rush from one thing to the next, without stopping to acknowledge our successes, so by submitting nominations you help us honor and acknowledge our work and the people who make it possible. We look forward to your submissions.

League Awards

The "Empowering Voters. Defending Democracy" Awards reflect the League's vision for a democracy where every person has the desire, the right, the knowledge, and the confidence to participate. You can nominate your local League for any or all of the following categories:

Strengthening Democracy

This category is to showcase the work of Leagues that activate their grassroots network to empower voters and advocate change around key issues such as protecting voting rights or increasing voter registration and turnout.

Community Connection

This category aims to highlight how Leagues have leveraged issues affecting their local community to engage new voters and/or protect voters' rights, especially among underrepresented communities.

Effective Member Engagement and Recruitment

This category is for democracy-building and voter-empowering programs and activities that are innovative and have been successful in gaining visibility and recruiting new members.

The person submitting the nomination is often the local president, and the contact person the member who led the effort, although that's not required. Any member may nominate a project.

The deadline for nominations is March 24. The Awards Committee will make the final decisions and there may be more than one winner per category. Winners will get award artwork for their website (sample available soon). So much excellent work has been done by many Leagues around the state, and we are really looking forward to seeing the nominations!

Member RECOGNITION

We all know the importance of welcoming new members to our ranks and creating a positive climate where all members feel valued and useful. League members strive to be inclusive, collaborative, and generous. But there is always one member, in every local League, who epitomizes these qualities, and serves as an inspiration to others.

Maybe it's that they step up to serve more than others, host League social events at their home, or simply listen without interrupting. They make an effort to include others, provide support when needed, and put their own ego aside for the good of the group. They work actively to keep their local League together, helping to resolve conflicts and build connections.

It’s time we recognized these people in our ranks, and so this year we are inaugurating a new statewide award to be given out at our gathering in Pasco this May. We call these people Bridge Makers. Local League members can submit names and short descriptions of members who make their League a welcoming place with a positive culture-- the Bridge Makers in your League.

Remembrance

Local Leagues who have had important members pass away during the two years prior to Convention may submit their name and a maximum 200 word biography so others can remember and be inspired by their service to the League of Women Voters.

by Susan Daniel & Susan Fleming, LWVWA Board

Do you want to present on an issue?
Do you want to learn or discuss more about an issue?
Do you want a caucus on an issue?

This is your official notice requesting your ideas for workshops and caucuses. We can’t do everything but we’d like to do as much as we can!

A workshop is a presentation on a topic(s) with time for attendees to discuss the topic. The focus is on learning how to do something. Some examples:

• Hosting candidate events
• Engage members in volunteer work
• How Convention works

A caucus is a meeting in which someone proposes a topic and the group learns about it with the intention of taking some sort of action. Some examples:

• Becoming more active with the Money in Politics group 
• Promoting a position to be taken up by concurrence at the 2024 LWVUS Convention

Please email your suggestions by March 6, 2023 to Susan Fleming and Susan Daniel.

Please provide the following information in your email:

• A clear explanation (150 words or less) of the topic
• Your contact information
• If available (this can be provided later)
• • Names and contact info of possible presenters
  • Amount of time needed
  • Equipment needed such as projector, etc.

The workshop/caucus committee will finalize details (equipment especially) once the schedule of workshops and caucuses has been completed. Because families are invited you might want to think about anything that would be family friendly and not just League essential!

by Lunell Haught, LWVWA President

The League of Women Voters of Washington and Fix Democracy First are teaming up again for Democracy Lobby Week and other advocacy events during the 2023 Legislative Session. The groups have a long history of partnership, share common interests, work well together, and have adapted from an in-person lobby day on the Hill to a virtual format that lasts an entire week. Learn a little bit more about what to expect from Democracy Lobby Week and how we work together.

The League has thirteen issue chairs who lead research and recommend bills to the lobby agenda. Issue chairs rely on analysis from the League's fourteen coalition partners. The League also has a contract lobbyist who helps guide our strategy so that we can accomplish goals on both democracy issues and other issues that members care about.

Before we advocate for a bill or respond to a support request, we must answer two very important questions:

1. Does the League have a position on the issue. LWVWA positions are found in the Program in Action, revised every two years based on events and decisions during that time. We also use positions from LWVUS to support our advocacy work.
2. How will the bill affect communities of color, LGBTQIA+ individuals, religious minorities, and others? We are fully committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in principle and in practice, which means that we must consider the impacts of a bill on all individuals, households, and communities.

Lobby week is virtual, though Fix Democracy First and the League members once gathered in Olympia. While this is for several reasons, chief among them is that our citizen lobbyists have outgrown the convenient spaces available! Other organizations still visit in person, and almost every day a (smaller) group is on the Capitol campus. It is fun and a real show of interest and commitment, but there just isn’t enough room now. This change also accommodates more schedules—both legislators' and members'. Citizen lobbyists start together on the first day and then meet with legislators, throughout the week, as is convenient, and come together in the evenings to learn (and celebrate the work).

Although League and Fix Democracy First members don't show up in force, this new, less visible lobbying is just as impactful. A recent survey of the public described the League of Women Voters of Washington as knowledgeable, active, nonpartisan, and a group working towards fairness and equality on voting and civil rights. That's a reputation to keep, and each member contributes to it.

It is an enormous job to orchestrate individual meetings for the almost 200 registered for Democracy Lobby Week. Ensuring the right people are with the right legislators at the right time with the right message is huge. Hats off to the planning team of Portfolio Directors Susan Fleming and Susan Daniel, Ann Murphy, Cindy Madigan, Carol Sullivan, and Fix Democracy First's Cindy Black, as well as local League action chairs and presidents. They are part of the team who make the League's reputation so strong.

by Miriam Kerzner, LWVWA Board

Convention may seem like it's months away, but it's coming up fast.

Due February 4th

• Recommendations for Program of Work and Studies
• Nominations for state board are due to the Nominating Committee

Delegate Count

Your delegate count is based on your membership as of January 31st.  It's almost time to start figuring out how many delegates you can send.

Volunteers Needed (contact mkerzner@lwvwa.org)

• Does your League excel in welcoming members and helping them find their place? Let us know so that we can all learn from you.
• Does your League do a great job attracting young professionals? Share your expertise and help us develop a workshop track just for them.
• Do you want to have a working holiday with your family? Come along and let us know how we can make Convention a welcoming place for all ages and affiliations.

by Lunell Haught, LWVWA President

League members know what they are talking about, or they don’t talk as League members.

That idea is at the heart of the League's credibility and reputation.

League members are asked what they think about many issues but only offer the League opinion based on the adopted positions in the Program in Action. Members study issues and develop a consensus relying on what we've learned in a study. At Convention, the League adopts a position about an issue based not on a vote, but on the consensus of members who have read a study, wrestled with the consensus questions at a local meeting, and which has then been adopted by the local board of directors.

The League does not have an opinion unless it is based on a position. That's different from organizations that are not member-driven, which have positions or opinions based on the few.

We are only the League if we are connected to each other through our work. One of the most powerful ways we connect is through our annual meetings of the Convention or Council. The formal work of adopting positions, the budget, and the program of work happens at Convention. You don't have to be a delegate to get a lot out of gathering together to be in League with each other. The consistent comment about these meetings is, "I'm so glad I went." You will find people who share and build on your ideas and find ways to bring them to life. You'll get support for engaging others and rejuvenating yourself. Join us in Pasco, May 4-7, 2023. 

by Mary Coltrane, LWVWA 1st Vice President, Program Chair

Consensus meetings are happening for The Decline of Local News and Its Impact on Democracy study during February. I hope you’re planning to take part! Local Leagues will host consensus meetings, after which each League will organize member views, based on the study findings, into a consensus statement from their League. The state League will develop a position based on local League consensus statements.

The state League is hosting two discussion leader trainings to assist in getting to consensus. If you are a discussion leader for your League, or would like to know more about how this works, please join us:

• Jan 31 11:30 AM: Discussion Leader Training (Option 1)
• Feb 1 6:30 PM: Discussion Leader Training (Option 2)

The consensus questions have been posted on the Members Only Local News Study site. You will have to login to access the site; if you have forgotten your password or need assistance, there are instructions when you attempt to login.

We recognize you are busy. We’d like you to be able to participate in the consensus process for the study even if you can’t read the full report. Please check out this two-minute video for how you can be well versed enough to participate by focusing on key pages in the report. And please take a look at the page numbers referenced in each of the questions. You will find a discussion related to the question topic on those page numbers. 

by Beth Pelliciotti, LWVWA Board

Many League members join the League because of an earlier experience with government (LWVWA Internal Survey October 2022). It might have been Girls' or Boys' State, a political science course, or an internship. Whatever the experience, the interest in government started in school.

The Washington State Legislature offers this kind of government experience for students ages 14-16 via the two page programs– the WA House of Representatives Page Program and the WA Senate Page Program. As pages, students work for a week in Olympia during the legislative session; they see government up close and attend Page School every day to learn more about how government works. Per the Legislative Page Program FAQs, pages work on a variety of assignments, "making deliveries to offices, going on errands, assisting offices, presenting the colors at the opening of each day's session, and working in the House chambers." 

How can a local League get involved?  Bonnie Bless-Boenish from the Clallam League (LWVCLA) describes how her League partnered with their local Boys and Girls Club on earlier projects which led to the current partnership on the page program. 

"Last year about this time, the LWVCLA met with the Boys and Girls Club Director to talk about civics education and how we might partner with them. We talked about their needs/wants in the area of civics education. The club director talked about a student who was a page before the pandemic and what an excellent opportunity it was, and how the director hoped to get more students involved.

She asked for help researching the program for the 2023 Legislative Session. A LWVCLA League member, Sharon Maguire, offered to make calls and find the latest news concerning the page program being offered again after the pandemic.

She organized a "Page School" meeting with the club director and two main staff members. She also presented the information to the teen group and helped interested students learn about the application process.

This year the Boys and Girls Club hopes to send three students to be pages in Olympia during this legislative session. The Boys and Girls Club is planning to help students with the application process, chaperones, and funding. They want all applicants to go the same week– during spring break. The club has budgeted for the cost and plans to get an Airbnb for that week; they will have all students stay there, will provide transportation to the capitol each day, and will send a chaperone. The club will also get kids the clothes they need (black pants, shoes, etc.) and pay for their spending money/food costs during the day. The chaperone will provide the other meals at the Airbnb.

The LWVCLA role is still being determined, but it might include giving the pages some prep information before they go– answering questions, having Sharon Maguire share information about the layout of the buildings, etc., helping with shopping for clothes, etc."

This partnership is ongoing– a work in progress. However by reading Bonnie’s account of her League's experience, a local League might consider partnering with a local youth agency on this sponsorship or securing funding for a page. Why should a League consider this opportunity? 

• Educating the public how government works is part of the League mission to Empower Voters and Defend Democracy.
• Leagues are good at long-term planning.  Exploring a potential partnership, determining application deadlines, and securing page funding might take a year.  Consider applying for a LWVWA Civic Education Grant– see the In League October 2022 Civic Education Grants article for more information.
  
• The Boys and Girls Club is making the page program a priority. They seek to find and send students from families with economic challenges. The League is also committed to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. No student should be excluded from this government learning because of lack of financial support.

For more information on how to connect with your local Boys & Girls Clubs, contact them at:

Boys & Girls Clubs of Washington State Association
www.washingtonclubs.org
P.O. Box 1774
Olympia, WA 98507 (360) 550-8511
We welcome your feedback and questions. Please contact us at katya@washingtonclubs.org

by Lunell Haught, LWVWA President

In League… meaning in close cooperation or in partnership with.

One way we are in league together is we use a consensus process, and at this time, we are working on consensus for studies on Shorelines and Local News. We don’t vote or take an expert's word for important issues. Consensus depends on learning about an issue (reading and understanding a study) and expressing your opinion about what you’ve learned during a dialog with other members. The result is a statement that captures the essential ideas of which the members of a local League agree. This statement goes on to the state board of directors so that a position can be created that is based on the informed wisdom of the membership. It is ratified at convention.

Consensus is a defining characteristic of the League of Women Voters. Although there are many in the League who are experts on the facts and history of an issue, you are an expert on how different policy approaches will affect your life and the lives of others like you. What YOU think is essential in the way the League operates. Being a welcoming organization means members can understand an issue and from their perspective contribute their good judgment about a topic. Democracy includes many perspectives, and we get to demonstrate that and practice it in our consensus process.