The LWV of Thurston County is presenting a Civics Education Fair on Saturday, April 23 at the Washington state Capitol from 1-3 p.m. The purpose of this event is twofold: One is to put copies of the League’s civics textbooks into the hands of students and teachers who attend the event. The second is to have kids and adults explore the Capitol building and its surrounding grounds. By holding the fair at the Capitol, the number one tourist destination in Olympia, the League hopes to create more excitement about the study of civics. 

Some of Saturday's activities include: 

• Capitol campus scavenger hunt for younger attendees. 

• Self tours of the Capitol, which can take place at anytime. Official tours of the Capitol led by the visitors center will be at 1:30 and 2:30. Only on the official tours will some areas of the Capitol, such as the Reception Room, be open to the public. There will also be a special landscape and tree tour of the west Capitol campus that was designed by the Olmsted Brothers. These tours will take place at 1:20 and 2:20 p.m. 

• Displays of opportunities available for students to become more engaged in how government works, such as the page program, the Legislative Youth Advisory Council, interning in the legislature (a paid position for college students), and the Legislative Scholar program for teachers. 

• Highlighting the League's Voter Services program, Future Voters, and the work the League has done to engage high school students in voter registration. 

The Thurston County League worked with Jennifer Jackson, the event coordinator at the state capitol, and Leo O’Leary, the civics education director for the Washington State House. The League also submitted a request to the lieutenant governor’s office for assistance with information on the Legislative Youth Advisory Council.   

We are inviting other local Leagues to join Thurston, Mason, Kitsap, Pierce, and the new unit in Lewis County to encourage participation. Thurston County received a grant from the state’s education fund to provide books and posters to distribute to students and teachers who attend. 

This is an opportunity for the League to interact with the public on a positive issue and to encourage our youth to become more aware of The State We’re In: Washington. 

VOTE411 Toolkit 

The landscape of elections is going to be significantly different this cycle because of changes in election laws. Therefore, we have created a VOTE411 toolkit to help Leagues bridge the gap between voters and what they need to cast informed ballots. In this toolkit you will find different resources to help support your League’s voter education efforts. The toolkit includes information on uploading voter guides to VOTE411 and promotional materials for the platform. VOTE411.org is our greatest tool to connect voters to information they need. 

Convention Registration, Program Planning, and Awards 

Registration for the LWVUS 2022 Convention and hotel reservations are open! The 2022 LWVUS Convention will be June 23-June 27 in Denver, Colorado, and online. This is our first hybrid convention, and we are excited to see League faces both in-person and online. Register for the 2022 LWVUS Convention today. 

Program Planning forms have been submitted and Leagues may want to review the program planning process as we head into the convention. You can listen to recordings of two program planning webinars: Program Planning 101 and Program Planning 102. Leagues that want to promote related items, including concurrences and studies, can send materials to cdavis@lwv.org with a CC to progplan@lwv.org. You can also view the concurrences (you do not need to join the group to view the documents, but if you wish to participate in any discussion, join the LWVUS 2022 Convention Program Planning group page. 

It is also time to nominate your League for a Powering Democracy Award that will be presented at the convention. The 2022 Convention Awards will offer separate subcategories for state and local Leagues. All winners will receive a cash prize from the LWVUS in recognition of their exemplary work over the past biennium. Check out the award categories and nominate your League for an award. 

Planning for the League Day of Action to Thank Election Heroes 

While the LWVUS has taken a brief hiatus from its regular field calls outlining actions and state of play for federal legislation, that doesn’t mean the work has slowed down. In lieu of a League field call this month, we will be joining with partners from our Declaration for American Democracy coalition to host a movement call on Sunday, March 20 at 5 p.m. PT to discuss a day of action being held on Tuesday, April 12 to “Thank Your Election Heroes.” Register to join the call. 
 
We know that elections are the backbone of our democracy and election workers are essential workers—like nurses, grocery store workers, letter carriers, firefighters. Without them, our democracy would not function. During the deadly pandemic, election workers put their lives on the line to do their jobs, allowing us to cast our votes safely and securely. Then they worked overtime to count every vote so that our voices could be heard. Despite all of this, in some places they are facing extreme pressure. We know elections workers are under attack in many places, and recently a member of the Houston League in Texas who serves as an elections official was forced to resign. Read the LWV of Houston’s statement. April 12 is our opportunity to shine a light on the work they do and thank them. Taking action can look a number of ways and in whatever ways make most sense for each locality. 

During the movement call, we will hear from activists and elections officials about this important work and discuss how you can help support elections officials (or help hold them accountable) in your locality on April 12. I know many of you serve as election workers, and this is a day to also support and celebrate the work you do. We will be providing toolkits to support events and we look forward to seeing you on March 20! Register to join the call and learn how to take action! 

In Case You Missed It 

Women’s History Month Panel: Thank you to everyone who joined the LWVUS’s Women's History Month panel. If you missed the panel, you can watch the recording. Or catch the Top Moments from Our Panel. 

Read how the United States has shifted away from pro-voter legislation. 

Read a letter from the LWVUS and partners asking the Office of Management and Budget to revise its standards for federal data on race and ethnicity. This will be critical to ensuring that the U.S. Census Bureau can fulfill its mission to produce full, fair, and accurate data on the population and the economy. 

Read stories from Women’s History Month about women who have made a difference in their communities. 

• Black Women Who Define(d) the Voting Rights Movement 

• How Native American Women Inspired the Suffrage Movement 

• One League member's Hispanic and Latinx Heroes 

• The Women of Bloody Sunday 

The LWV of Washington is a partner with Washington Nonprofits, an organization devoted to educating all sizes and missions of nonprofits. As a partner organization, we receive reduced registration fees on programs, including the 2022 Washington State Nonprofit Conference, which is scheduled for Wednesday-Friday, May 18-20, 2022, and which will be held online. The theme is “Discovering a New Way,” about looking ahead with openness to the nonprofit learning spaces that await. The Nonprofit Conference will have more than 40 diverse speakers and 24 concurrent workshop options, and is an opportunity for nonprofits across the state to learn, network, and grow together. 

You can check out the conference at the agenda for more information. Some workshops that caught our eye include:  

• Transforming Disruption to Impact: Stories of Rethinking Volunteer Engagement Amid Challenges 

• DEI Advocacy Skills: How Emerging Leaders Advocate for Change 

• Equity Outcomes Begin with Language: Are You Creating Lasting Change or Throwing Around “Feel Good” Buzzwords? 

If 10 LWV members want to register, we can get a reduced rate in addition to our regular discount (contact Lunell Haught for the member discount code). Early-bird pricing of $125 is available until March 21, and if you’re interested in attending, contact Lunell Haught before then. Washington Nonprofits is also offering scholarships. 

Central Washington Conference for the Greater Good 

In addition to the state Nonprofit Conference, for those in the center of the state, the Central Washington Nonprofit Network is presenting its 2022 Deconstructed Conference for the Greater Good both online and in-person, which will be spread out from April through June. Keynote speakers will present “big ideas that inspire” in April, followed by community conversations, workshops, and peer conversations in May, and ending with a celebration and connection in June. The in-person events will be held in various locations in central Washington. The conference is $80 for an all-access pass. For complete information and to register, visit the Central Washington Nonprofit Network website. 

By Mary Coltrane, Voter Services Chair, LWV of Washington 

The state League’s Voter Services Committee is presenting a pair of workshops related to empty-chair debates. Leagues across our state organize forums and debates every year. Sometimes there are challenges getting candidates in front of the voters. Join us on April 2 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. to hear from LWVUS Programs and Outreach Director Maggie Bush; TVW Vice President of Programming Mike Bay; and two representatives from the Public Disclosure Commission (PDC), Executive Director Peter Lavallee and PDC Customer Service and Outreach Director Chip Beatty. They will help us to better understand the environment we’re operating in when we organize debates.  

There will be a follow-up workshop on April 23, also from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Here you will have the opportunity to discuss strategies for working with candidates, the public, and the media so that your forums and debates are the best they can be.  

Register for the forums. 

I hope to see you there! 

By the News Study Committee, LWV of Washington

As they begin the task of writing their report, members of the LWVWA committee studying the impact of the decline of local and regional newspapers in Washington state note that at last count they had interviewed 32 elected officials, scholars, civic and public health leaders, journalists, and researchers. They have also reviewed more than 400 articles, ranging from formal academic studies to newspaper accounts and podcast transcripts.  

“We’ve had some great interviews with people across the state, from editors of small-town weeklies to federal- and state-level elected officials,” said Dee Anne Finken of the Clark County League, who chairs the committee with Kittitas County League President Delores Irwin. “People have been very interested in sharing their insights with the group because they believe local and regional news operations are important to the health of our democracy.” 

Before the committee completes the research for its initial submission, its members expect to complete a few more interviews, including with Senator Maria Cantwell, who has sponsored a key piece of legislation to support local news operations. 

The committee is specifically studying newspapers because studies show the bulk of local news that television, radio, and other venues report originates with local newspapers. Finken said the committee is working to look at the situation in Washington state and how the decline of local and regional news operations impacts civic engagement, political participation, partisanship, and public health and government oversight, including oversight of publicly financed projects. “There have been a number of national studies that draw some direct links to these developments, all of which impact our communities.”  

The situation in Washington state isn’t as dire as it is in many states in terms of newspaper closures. "We have only one county where no newspaper is published, compared to other states, where upwards of a handful of counties have no publication to call their own,” Finken said. “Still, Washington has been hit hard in terms of staff cutbacks and layoffs, and newspapers that have been dramatically reduced in quality and size.” 

The project will also report on responses to the reduction in news operations, including an uptick in nonprofits, community outreach efforts, and legislation. 

“We’ve had good interest in our study,” Finken said, noting that committee members have presented brief overviews of their study work to two local Leagues this year. The committee will submit its report to the reading committee June 1 and plans to make a presentation about its findings at the LWVWA state council in Everett in June. 

Reading committee members include Lucy Copass of the LWV of Whatcom County, Carolyn Maddux of the LWV of Mason County, Karen Raymond of the LWV of Kittitas County, Beth Erickson formerly of the LWV of Clark County, and Judie Stanton of the LWV of Clark County, who is also the committee chair. 

You have your vaccination card and mask in hand as you walk into a beautiful hotel, the Delta Hotels-Marriott in Everett, Washington. Fellow League members from all over Washington state are perusing local League table displays of current projects, books and brochures, and perhaps silent auction baskets.   

At the council, delegates from your local League (you may be one) will vote on new state Board members and discuss the upcoming LWVUS 2022 National Convention issues as well as reconnect, restore, and renew themselves.  

Friday, June 10 at 1 p.m. starts the formal council with panels and roundtable discussions with local League leaders (and those who want to be). There will be talk of challenges, working sessions on strategies to achieve the League goals of continuing to network the organization (instead of a pyramid), making an impact on our members and our communities, and sharing how Leagues are navigating these times.  

Saturday, June 11 highlights include: 

• Nonpartisanship: What makes it so? What about empty-chair debates? Forums? 

• Diversity, equity and inclusion: What works for my League? 

• Civics education: What can I do? 

• How do some Leagues energize new and long-term members?  

• Environment: What is the League doing? How can I be involved? 

• Legislative advocacy: What happened this year? What’s next? 

• Speaker Nick Lovrich, co-editor of Outside Looking In: Lobbyists’ Views on Civil Discourse in U.S. State Legislatures. 

• Speaker Jessica Rohloff (LWVUS Board member and Washington liaison) will give a full report on what’s happening at the national level, particularly as it affects local Leagues. 

Sunday, June 12 is the Board of Directors’ election/retirement, a wrap-up to identify actions to take going forward. For the election, each local league and member-at-large unit is allocated one delegate for its first through 15 voting members, and one delegate for every 25 additional voting members. Just like at the convention, 30 delegates make a quorum (see the bylaws for more details).  

This will be the first time we have been able to meet in person for two years, and we’re ready! We’ll have masks, vaccine cards, social distancing (six seated at tables designed for 10), and an air-filtration system bringing in fresh outside air through frequently changed filters. And it will be summer! Come see what our neighbors in Snohomish and Skagit Counties love about where they live. 

Registration for the council is $125 (early bird) and includes a Friday pizza party, Saturday lunch and dinner, and beverage breaks Saturday and Sunday. Registration covers your food while the LWVWA Education Fund is paying for the space, tech, and other essentials. Early-bird registration closes at midnight on May 14; after May 15 the cost will be $150. 

More specifics (such as transportation, schedule, and how the election will be handled) will be published as we get closer to the council.

Register Now

By Susan Fleming, Lobby Team Chair, LWV of Washington 

The Washington legislative session gaveled to a close last week on March 10. One apt description of this session likened it to a fire hose! So many bills, so much action, so many hearings—with so much accomplished. Major directions were set, money was allocated. Some of the bigger challenges addressed include housing, transportation, growth management, and climate change. You can read many of the details about the legislation the LWV of Washington supported (and opposed) in the last Legislative Newsletter of the season, published this week. 

This is not a 90-day-per-year job. Now that we’re in the off-season, there is plenty of work to do to prepare for the 2023 session, which will be a “long session” of 120 days. There is the usual administrative “stuff,” of course, and a bit of a break until next year. Did you know that many policy bills are introduced multiple times to the legislature before they finally become law? And that only a small percentage of the bills that are introduced are passed into law? Making change requires a long-term commitment. 

Our Lobby Team members work throughout the year to stay in the loop on bills being proposed, and perhaps even influencing them. Our work on legislation is anchored in our positions and principles, which are described in our Program in Action. They guide us in acting on selected governmental issues and is one of our purposes as an organization. The work is exciting, demanding, and most interesting. Please do contact us if you’d like to learn more. We would love to talk with you! 

Lobby Team members deserve huge congratulations for the work they did as well as the results they achieved this session. Our Lobby Team was engaged 24/7 during the 90-day session. Here is some of what our issue chairs and advocates were up to—you can find more detail in the Legislative Newsletter and on the Issue webpages. 

Social and Economic Policy Issue Team 

• Kim Abbey, Healthcare Issue Chair: Supportive housing for persons recovering from health care problems, including behavioral; preserving the ability to access abortion care. 

• Stoney Bird, Public Bank Advocate: Establishing a public bank. 

• Susan Fleming, Lobby Team Chair: Police accountability measures.  

• Cynthia Stewart, Revenue and Tax Policy Issue Chair: Tax changes and exemptions regarding the provision of affordable housing.  

• Cynthia Stewart, Housing and Homelessness Issue Chair: Supportive housing for those with disabilities, financial help with housing for victims of domestic violence, and funding for building affordable housing. 

Democracy Issue Team 

• Catherine Ahl, K-12 Education Issue Chair: Providing more physical, emotional, and social support within schools as well as interpreters for individualized education program meetings. 

• Cindy Madigan, Money in Politics Issue Chair: Fiscal impact of ballot measures; advisory votes. 

• Alison McCaffree, Redistricting and Census Issue Chair: Promoting comprehensive redistricting reform. 

• Carol Sullivan, Elections Advocate: Eliminating “open carry” of firearms into government meetings, enabling citizens to more easily participate on state boards and commissions, and voting in county jails. 

Environment Issue Team 

• Sherri Dysart, Forests Issue Chair: Conserve and restore kelp forests and eel grass meadows on our shores and promote coastline restoration. 

• Martin Gibbins, Climate and Energy Issue Chair: Reduce greenhouse gas emissions, clarify the Climate Commitment Act of 2021, and require a risk assessment of our power supplies. 

• Phyllis Farrell, Environment Advocate 

• Raelene Gold, Rivers and Treaties Advocate: Ensure financial responsibility for oil spills and improve spill prevention, support treaty-reserved fishing rights and state-tribal cooperation on the management of fish and resources. 

• Ann Murphy, Waste Management Advocate 

• Cynthia Stewart, Growth Management Issue Chair: Improve the state’s climate response through updates to our comprehensive planning framework and authorize tribes to participate in local growth management planning processes.  

• Cynthia Stewart, Transportation Issue Chair: Loans and grants for broadband infrastructure and additional revenue sources for regional transit areas. 

Additionally, our Issue Chairs were actively engaged in budgeting discussions. 

New Advocates: Jody Disney, Mary Lynne Courtney, Janet Hedgepath 

Contract Lobbyist: Nancy Sapiro, who provided excellent strategy advice  

Board Members: Joan Lawson, Julie Sarkissian, Susan Fleming 

Legislative Newsletter: Carolyn Stewart and Amy Peloff, editors, implemented a new methodology and format for the Legislative Newsletter. 

By Dee Anne Finken, Communications Team Chair, LWV of Clark County 

Learn firsthand about the challenges that faced political, civic, and business leaders involved in the hundred-year struggle for Black voting rights during a free interactive workshop,“ Martin Luther King Jr. and the Struggle for Black Voting Rights,” Wednesday, March 23, 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., hosted by the League of Women Voters of Clark County and the Fort Vancouver Regional Libraries. 

The program details the strategies that civil rights activists employed, with a special emphasis on the civil disobedience protests of the mid-20th-century civil rights movement, culminating with King leading protesters across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, in 1965.   

Employing the critical-thinking approach promoted by the Harvard Business School Case Method, the online workshop will put audience members in the role of chief decision-makers. For example, the facilitator will pose questions such as “Would you have crossed that bridge?” 

“The workshop provides participants an opportunity to think on your feet and sharpen your analytical skills,” said Mary Schick of the Clark County League’s Civics Education Committee. “The experience empowers a person to make critical decisions in real time.”  

Just some of the many topics the workshop will cover are racial segregation from 1865 to 1965, Jim Crow, Black disenfranchisement and poll taxes, Plessy v. Ferguson and Brown v. Board of Education, the civil rights movement, Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. 

Register online through the Fort Vancouver Regional Libraries website. Reading materials will be sent to registered participants before the event. For more information, contact the library at 360-906-5000, or the LWV of Clark County. 

By Roslyn Duffy, Fundraising and Development Portfolio Director, LWV of Washington

“You just need to be a flea against injustice. Enough committed fleas biting strategically can make even the biggest dog uncomfortable and transform even the biggest nation.”

Those words from Marian Wright Edelman, an American activist for children's rights, founder and president emerita of the Children's Defense Fund, and the first Black woman admitted to the Mississippi Bar, remind us that even a tiny creature, a single individual, or the smallest action can have a huge impact.

Although no one particularly wants to be a flea, Edelman’s metaphor underscores the persistence she used her entire life to achieve great goals and reminds us of our relentlessness in making democracy work. (To learn more about Edelman, visit https://www.childrensdefense.org/staff/marian-wright-edelman/)

To discover what kind of League flea you are, take this fun quiz.

Please consider making a contribution to the League today to continue supporting our work together.

The following lists the ABCs of how to be a flea for the League, including the estimated time commitment.

A Attend an online protest As long as you want	B Be a marcher and show up to support League positions Half-day or whole day	C Click on links in the Legislative Newsletter to support League positions Less than 2 minutes
D Dream big and act relentlessly As much as you want	E Educate others about our election system Every chance you get	F Fight to protect voting rights All the time
G Give generously to support League work Anytime	H Help “cure” votes by tracking down and verifying signatures Day or more	I Invite others to participate in League work Often
J Jump in no matter how small the action Always	K Kindle hope in yourself and others Frequently	L Live your values Every day
M Mentor others and encourage everyone to act Whenever possible	N Nurture civic engagement in your community As often as you can	O Organize letter-writing campaigns A few hours a year
P Protect the vote by being a volunteer election observer One day or more	Q Quitting is not an option, because you matter and are needed Always	R Run for office and make a difference Indefinite
S Spread the truth by posting accurate information on social media Whenever you can	T Testify at a council or legislative hearing One-hour by Zoom or a half-day-plus in-person	U Understand League positions and articulate them to legislators One-hour by Zoom or a half-day-plus in-person
V Vote and be sure that others can vote too Every election	W Write to your elected representatives by email or regular mail Up to an hour	X Xanadu is not our goal, as we need to be persistent Always
Y You have something important to say so make your voice heard As long as it takes	Z Zeal is your fuel so maintain a full tank Recharge regularly and often

Overview 

The League of Women Voters of Washington adopted a Strategic Plan in 2017 to achieve three goals: increase impact, facilitate local League work, and strengthen organizational capacity. This report summarizes the results of 100 interviews with both randomly selected members and those who work in specific League areas (e.g., voter services, civic education, or advocacy). This interview information informed a follow-up membership-wide survey. The interviews and all-member survey are two of three research elements. The final one focuses on the League’s impact on external agencies, organizations, and voters and will include both surveys and interviews. The project's design and implementation were conducted with the assistance of Washington State University’s Department of Psychology and Division of Governmental Studies and Services. 

The semistructured appreciative inquiry interviews were conducted over Zoom by members trained in the appreciative inquiry technique. They were recorded, transcribed, and coded to identify primary and secondary themes. This report identifies these findings and is the first step in the LWVWA using evidence-based recommendations for continuing, discontinuing, or modifying strategies and tactics used in pursuing the LWVWA’s three main goals.  

Findings 

The most frequently cited experience for checking out the League was through a friend's invitation, second was through an event or advertisement. Also cited was an interest in politics, either in general or for a specific issue. Notably, members frequently mentioned the personal relationships that grew out of their involvement with League members.  

Twenty-three members said that through League events they were able to fulfill a sense of civic responsibility. When asked about their values, goals, and objectives, members shared with the League the importance of nonpartisanship, equity (voter rights), and civic education. Many specifically referenced democracy. Frequently cited high points for members included activities that involved informing and educating the public and decision-makers, followed by making connections with League members and serving in leadership positions.   

Positive changes cited in the interviews were the use of technology, including Zoom-hosted meetings and social media; the increase in new members and attendance; efforts in working toward more diversity; and intra-League connections.  

When asked about the future of the LWVWA, the most frequently mentioned answer was an interest in having more organizational diversity in terms of age, race, culture, and political party—a League that is representative of the whole community. Reputation/recognition was the next most frequently mentioned desirable future, followed by doing more civic education, receiving more guidance from the state League, and stronger connections with other Leagues.  

When asked about how to attain the best future for the League, respondents identified more engagement from volunteers, collaborating with others, and increasing connections internally and externally through technology. Evaluating success in this future included an increased and more active membership, more diversity, and collaboration with other organizations and Leagues.  

When asked what else members wanted to share with the interviewers, they reinforced the importance of supporting and mentoring new members and working to help them better understand the League. This should include how new members can use their interests and talents in the League.  

Conclusion 

These are preliminary findings based on interviews. The interviewees included state Board members, local presidents, and members of state committees, including Advocacy/lobbying, Civic Education, Voter Services, Observer Corps, and Diversity Equity and Inclusion. Many interviewees had experience with multiple programs and aspects of the League. One-third of the interviewees were randomly selected and proportionally represented local Leagues. This, coupled with the all-member survey, will guide the future work of the League. Download the full Appreciative Inquiry Interviews Report.