By Dee Anne Finken, Communications Portfolio Director, LWV of Washington
Susan Martin, left, and Lydia Zepeda co-chaired the Immigrants’ Rights study, which led to the national League adopting the position in late June.
Less than a week after returning from the June 25-28 LWVUS national convention in Columbus, Ohio, state League President Karen Crowley had a ready description for the 32 members who represented Washington at the biennial event.
“We’re an army of motivated leaders who share a vision of the League as bold, intentional advocates for democracy,” Crowley said without pause.
Among the highlights of the convention, particularly among Washington members, Crowley said,was the national organization’s adoption of the LWVWA’s position on Immigrants’ Rights.The vote was overwhelmingly in support: 898 to 11.
As Crowley announced on the day the LWVUS adopted the position, “The action paves the way for League members in all 50 states and in the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico to advocate for legislation to improve the lives of all residents, regardless of immigration status or citizenship.”
She also noted the adoption marked the second time in two years that Washington membership has helped set the national organization’s public policy agenda. The LWVUS adopted the LWVWA position on Local News & Democracy at the national convention in June 2024.
Convention delegates took votes on the 2026-2028 program, budget, bylaw amendments, and the national board of directors. Former Washington state League president Mary Coltrane was elected to the national board.
Crowley said the League’s boldness can be seen in the six-pronged program that convention delegates adopted, titled “Defending A Democracy Under Siege.”
Dr. Sania Irwin, from Illinois, is the new LWVUS president.
The six areas of focus are voting rights, protecting elections, redistricting, immigration, individual rights, and the presidency. The latter calls for work “to guarantee that presidential power is exercised within the constitutional framework of a dynamic balance between the three branches of government--checks and balances.”
That last focus also calls for supporting the abolition of the Electoral College.
Back in Washington, Crowley also said the sentiments of the Washington delegates closely align with those of the national organization, which is now in its 106th year.
“As our incoming national president Dr. Sania Irwin said, we agree that ‘The more power we share, the more power we build.’”
Crowley said the emphasis on collaboration and working together expressed at convention was also prominent when Washington’s membership gathered in early June at the LWVWA’s State Council in Lacey. Council workshops featured discussions about disagreeing better, including a training on this challenging issue presented by Better Angels, and building skills as individuals and collaborators.This mirrors the national focus. Additional efforts are underway in the diversity, equity and inclusive areas, too, she added.
But the emphasis must be on collaboration, including with groups like the NAACP, Girl Scouts and others. “The work that needs to be done will not be done by any of us working alone,” she said. “We’re defending a democracy under siege. And we can’t respond effectively unless we’re in broad partnership.”
Barb Tengtio holding the Building the Future Award.
Despite its long history, Crowley said the League is still evolving at all levels – national, state and local.
“We are non-partisan but we are not neutral and we will continue to very loudly state our positions. That’s really who we are as an organization, and there is no going back.”
The Columbus event was Crowley’s third national League convention. She attended the 2024 convention in Washington, D.C., and the 2022 convention in Denver.
She said she was heartened by the growing number of younger members. “They were there in force, advocating for the work they wanted to see us do.”
The Washington state League had 2,460 members in November 2024 and now, only halfway through this year, the count is 3,133 members.
Barb Tengtio, past president of the Seattle King County League, accepted the Building the Future Award on behalf of her local League, which the national organization saluted for its extraordinary membership growth.
