These are not normal times. We are living through a constitutional crisis in which the fundamentals of our democracy are  being challenged daily. We must take a bold approach and 'speak truth to power' using strong, unambiguous language. I want to share with you powerful guidance from our LWVUS: 

• As we hold onto our nonpartisan values, we must also hold elected officials accountable to the voters and ground ourselves in our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• We will continue to call out attacks on Black and brown people where laws and human rights are violated. 
• We cannot remain neutral or silent when our democracy is threatened. History is watching. 

And so—this becomes a summer of action. 

I attended the LWVUS National Council meeting in Leesburg Virginia in late June. LWVWA Board member Nancy Halvorson and our Administrative Director Amy Peloff joined me and League leaders from across the country to learn, share, and plan during these times. We reaffirmed our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We immersed ourselves in equity-focused leadership training. We took a deep dive into honing our communication skills to navigate the inevitable conflicts we are facing. And we created plans to support the League's Unite and Rise 8.5 national call to action. Here in Washington state, our goal is to mobilize 197,595 voters to defend our democracy. How? By using the grassroots power of each local League. 

As local Leagues, I encourage you to be visible and active in your communities. As you will have read in our 'Resisting Threats to Democracy Newsletter,' League members are urged to participate in the July 17 National Day of Action: Good Trouble Lives On. The organizers remind us: March in Peace. Act in Power. 

We must also continue the everyday democracy work that is our foundation: 

• Focus on tabling. Summer events are the perfect opportunity for local Leagues to promote democracy, local League activities, and get visibility for the League's work. 
• Share information about this year's local elections and your League candidate forums. Partner with community groups, particularly those in disadvantaged areas, to get candidate forum questions. 
• Hand out local materials: TRYs, bookmarks with a QR codes for the online version, pocket versions of the US Constitution. 
• Turn Up The Heat on elected officials. Connect directly with your representatives on the issues that matter via town halls and other opportunities. 
• Thank elected officials who are supporting democracy and fighting against bad policies such as cuts to Medicaid and limits on judicial processes. 
• Write letters to the editor or op-eds in support of democracy. Use these to publicly thank the appropriate elected officials as well as to garner support for League positions. 
• Raise your voice about illegal deportations: Join mobilizations around immigrant rights and due process. 

Your LWVWA Board is active. I am heartened and guided by this statement made at the LWVWA National Council meeting: "Try things we've never tried before so we can create a future we've never seen before." We have a retreat scheduled for July. We will wrestle with how to prioritize our work over the next two years, using input from the LWVWA Convention as well as guidance and learning from LWVUS. We are asking the question: How can the LWVWA best meet the demands of this moment and build the needed capacity and resilience for a sustainable future? We will be having this conversation with local League leaders over the next months as well. I meet monthly with each of the local League presidents and am eager to hear their input. Look for more to come on this important question. 

So, we are asking big questions and seeking new answers. Thank you all for the work you are doing. We must continue to meet this moment with courage and commitment. 

Karen Crowley, LWVWA President