In Star Trek, a “mind meld” is a kind of telepathic touch that enables the rapid sharing of knowledge and experience. Unfortunately for (at least most of) us, we are neither telepathic nor within touching distance of each other, so we have created a MELD Network* to provide a mechanism to better share tools, methods, practices, and accomplishments across the state with each other. 

The “League Mind MELD” column is a way to share even more information to all our members across the state. Starting this month, this column will run monthly and will include the responses we receive to the questions posed at the end of the previous month’s column.  

The Leagues in Washington are increasingly aware that the work they do supports our DEI (Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion) policy, and it is important to recognize these activities! In MELD pod meetings, we’ve heard about local Leagues advertising in a bilingual newsletter, translating information on ballot issues, and co-hosting events with underrepresented populations. 
 
A recent example of this work was a program hosted by LWV Thurston County on February 24, 2024. The program, called "Confronting a Racist Past & Creating a Future Where All Women Belong," featured portions of the book The Untold Story of Women of Color and the League of Women Voters by Carolyn Jefferson-Jenkins, LWVUS President 1998-2002.  
 
Sharing resources and ideas about how to further the League's DEI work is just one example of the value of our MELD network. We know there are more—and we want to hear them! 
 
Questions for this month:  How do you respond when someone asks you, “What does the League do?” or “How is the League different from other nonpartisan groups?” Email examples and replies to the questions to MELD Portfolio Director Nancy Halvorson by April 1.  

*In the context of the League, MELD actually has zero connection to Star Trek; it is an acronym for Membership, Engagement, Leadership, and Development. MELD pods meet each month to serve as platforms for sharing successes, addressing challenges, and exchanging ideas among local Leagues. 

Are you interested in learning more about MELD? Talk to your Local League Leadership about becoming involved in MELD. 

by Beatrice Crane, LWVWA Vote411 Project Manager and LWV Seattle/King County member.

For those who are vague about what the Vote411 Committee does, here is a brief explanation:

Vote411 is an online voters’ guide managed by LWVUS, which provides the basic structure of and information on the voting system in each state, as well as for national elections. Each state or local League, which chooses to participate, is responsible for setting up the part of the guide which applies to its own jurisdiction. As the state League, LWVWA covers all the races in the state and thus we have a Vote411 committee that manages our portion of this online voter's guide. For each election, this committee gathers information about all the races and candidates in Washington and puts that information on Vote411.org. We also establish district boundaries on the website to ensure voters will only see the races on their own ballot.

To accomplish the above, the Vote411 Committee uses resources at the state level to set up the online guide, but it also reaches out to local Leagues for information on local issues, as well as for help urging candidates to provide information for Vote411and encouraging voters to consult that information.

The Vote411 Committee has been in existence since 2011, and our membership has changed as some people move on from this committee and others move in. At present, we have shrunk to a core of four members, so we are urgently recruiting! We need:

• A volunteer to handle candidate questions. This person has a cache of generic questions available for each office, but would also work with local Leagues on crafting questions for candidates about local issues.
  
  
• A publicity person to work on ways to increase our visibility, especially in areas of Washington with no local League. We also want to make sure local Leagues are aware of available marketing tools and explore new publicity strategies (such as partnering with media or other nonprofits).
  
  
• An increased level of redundancy through the committee. This is to make sure that there are members who are familiar enough with the current system—and willing—to take over whenever the current leader steps down.

The LWVWA volunteer pool is simply the aggregate of all of the local League volunteers, so it's up to the same volunteers to fill the state's Vote411 Committee. Any League member from within Washington State can join this committee.

If you, or someone you know, may have some time to spare for this work, please consider joining us! Reach out to the Vote411 Committee, and we will be happy to answer any questions, discuss possibilities, and provide further information. Thank you, and I hope to hear from some of you soon!

The future of Vote411 in the state of Washington depends on the continued support of volunteers like you.

by Nancy Halvorson—LWVWA Board Member, MELD Portfolio.

Hello! I've recently been appointed to the LWVWA Board and taken over the vacated MELD portfolio. So, what is MELD and does this all mean for League membership? Keep reading to find out!

Each month, local Leagues send a representative to our Membership, Engagement, Leadership, and Development—or MELD—meetings (pods). At these MELD pods, we share our successes and challenges, learn what other local Leagues and the state League are doing, and receive training on an extensive number of topics. MELD members then take what they learn back to their own local League.

MELD is a great avenue for information sharing between the state and local Leagues, and—most importantly—it enables lateral information sharing among the local Leagues in Washington State. The ideas and suggestions that emerge from the MELD pods are a valuable resource center for other Leagues. This information sharing between the Leagues at all levels strengthens us as an organization, and that is MELD's goal.

Current MELD work focuses on:

• Understanding the League's mission—i.e., what do you respond when someone asks you "what does the League do?"
  
  
• Nonpartisanship—is this talked about in your local League meetings? Is there a clear understanding of best nonpartisan practices? Does your community understand and believe the League is nonpartisan? Are Leagues being responsive to our communities.
  
  
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)—Is DEI at the top of our minds when organizing an event or meeting? Is it an integral part of our outreach efforts? What are best practices to insure equity?

Moving forward, MELD will also be focusing on growing and retaining membership, and as we grow, some things will need to be done differently. We'll will work to make sure that local Leagues fully understand the LWVUS Transformation Process and the dues changes that are coming in the months ahead. MELD will also fully engage with membership leads in order to retain members—what are creatives ways to do this? How can we show appreciation for our members, because remember the League is a grassroots, volunteer-based organization!

MELD will also be exploring how we can foster leadership development. What kind of training is currently available? What resources do local Leagues need from the state League in this area?

Also, don't forget that 2024 is a critical election year. Here in Washington, there is very strong outreach done to register eligible voters; however, actually getting those voters to return ballots often lags behind registrations. At MELD pods this year, members will be sharing their strategies and tips for successful GOTV outreach, election forums, and how League's publicize these efforts. Each League has something valuable to offer, and it is our job to honor those contributions!
 
Do you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions? What ideas do you have about what would constitute value to your local League in the MELD pod setting? Please feel free to contact me, I welcome your comments and ideas. As the saying goes—there is no "i" in "team," this is a group effort!
 
You have questions, concerns, suggestions?  What would constitute value to your local League in the MELD pod setting?  Please feel free to contact me as I welcome your comments.  As the saying goes—there is no “i” in Teams, this is a group effort!

Warmly,

Nancy Halvorson, nhalvorson@lwvwa.org

The League of Women Voters of the US (LWVUS) will be holding its biennial convention from June 27 to June 30 in Washington D.C. The Convention serves as LWVUS' biennial business meeting and is also a great opportunity for League members to gather for training and networking.

Under the LWVUS bylaws, delegates must meet every two years to vote on a variety of items, including a LWVUS biennial budget, the next LWVUS Board of Directors and Nominating Committee, any bylaw amendments that have been put forth, and the organization’s program (or the focus of League work) for the next biennium.

The 2024 Convention will be a hybrid Convention. An in-person event will take place at the Washington Hilton in Washington DC, and an integrated virtual event will take place on this platform. Convention programming includes training opportunities in large and small settings, as well as caucuses led by local or state Leagues from around the country. There will also be a variety of networking events for League members to meet and mingle in informal settings.

The League of Women Voters of Washington is proposing a program at Convention asking LWVUS to adopt our local news position through concurrence. While delegates are free to vote however they choose, we encourage all of the local Leagues from Washington state to support this proposal at the national Convention. A summary of our current local news info and the importance of concurrence can be found here.

Convention delegates are the members of the LWVUS board and representatives from state and local Leagues and Inter-League Organizations (ILOs). Each local and state League and ILO is allotted delegates based on their League type and size. The delegate count formula can be found here. LWVUS will send notification of the precise number of delegates each League can send to convention in March. If you are interested in attending Convention as a delegate, please consult with your local League leadership.

Members may attend the Convention without being a voting delegate as an “observer.”  Observers can participate in all non-plenary activities and observe plenary without presenting, debating, or voting on any motions. Observers may participate in all other training, workshop and networking activities.

You can find out more about Convention in LWVUS' First Call: 2024 National Convention—or with the updates and information about pre-Convention meetings and caucuses provided in this newsletter.

by Susan Daniel, LWVWA Board Member

I was fortunate to meet Dr. Deborah Turner at LWVUS Council in Las Vegas in June 2023. Besides seeing her share her leadership style and wisdom during a three-person interview panel, I got to interact with her when we were in the same small discussion group during lunch.  

Dr. Turner was impressive. She conveyed competence. She was calm, friendly, and engaging. She was the kind of leader who trusted others to do their jobs well and so they did. She was a steady hand at the helm of League of Women Voters.  

I later learned that Dr. Turner was a medical doctor, an OB/GYN, who had practiced medicine for 35 years in the Midwest, and that she returned to school again later in life to earn a law degree in 2007. Again, impressive. 

I’m glad I got to meet her. She will be missed.  

Read about some of the wisdom and inspiration Dr. Turner shared with the League during her nearly four-year tenure as LWVUS President here. Continue on below to read the remarks from LWVUS CEO, Virginia Kase Solomón, below.

Dear League members,   

It is with great sadness that I share the news that LWVUS President Dr. Deborah Ann Turner passed away Sunday morning.  

This unexpected news has struck all of us at the LWVUS Board and staff with profound grief, and I know you all are feeling it too. We are grieving together as a League community for our beloved leader and friend.  

You can read our official statement on LWV.org here.  

A fearless advocate for voting rights and women’s rights, Dr. Turner devoted her life’s work to impacting meaningful changes in the lives of voters across the nation. As the 20th president of our 103-year-old organization, Dr. Turner played a pivotal role in fighting for a more fair and representative union while uplifting racial equity in the League’s mission work.  

Dr. Turner first joined the League of Women Voters of Metro Des Moines in 2010 and later served as president until 2015. At the same time, she also served on the LWV Iowa board as the state vice president from 2011 to 2015, becoming co-president in 2015. In her dual roles with state and local Leagues, Deborah devoted her leadership to strengthening relationships between local leagues and the state Board.  

Dr. Turner practiced gynecologic oncology for 35 years, working directly with patients and teaching students and trained residents in university programs across the Midwest. She participated in a dozen international medical missions and served as the associate medical director of Planned Parenthood of North Central States.  

In the midst of this enormous loss, we are ensuring the great work she started moves forward. The LWVUS Board met Sunday night in accordance with our bylaws, and Sania Irwin assumed the role of Board president. Additionally, I was scheduled to step down as CEO after February 2; however, in light of Dr. Turner’s passing, I have agreed to stay on staff an extra week to help in the transition. As was already planned, Alma Couverthie and Kelly McFarland will take over as interim co-CEOs while the Board performs their search for a new CEO.  

You may send condolences electronically to lwv@lwv.org and in writing to the national office at 1233 20th Street NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC, 20036. All messages will be shared with Dr. Turner’s family.   

The League of Women Voters staff, Board, and Leagues from across the country mourn her loss, and our thoughts are with Dr. Turner’s family during this difficult time. We are committed to honoring her legacy by continuing to uphold our values to empower voters and build a stronger, more inclusive democracy. As Dr. Turner always said, “We will keep on keeping on!”

In League,

Virginia Kase Solomón

LWVUS CEO

by Carolyn Joswig-Jones, LWV Pullman Board Member and Visual Arts Competition Co-Coordinator

In 2022, we initiated a civics education program aimed at fostering an understanding of, and engagement with, government among students in grades 3-12. The program encourages students to channel their artistic talents toward themes aligned with League positions. Its inception stemmed from our surplus of "The State We’re In: Washington," LWVWA textbooks, which we sought to utilize creatively. One of our initial ideas was to organize an art competition, which we later transformed into an annual program.

For the inaugural year, the theme was "What Does Democracy Look Like to You?" We provided participants with the definition of democracy directly from the textbook, a concept both straightforward and intricate, suitable for the age range of student artists. Our program launched on Presidents Day in February 2022, and with a committee of three members, we diligently spread the word to schools, libraries, social media platforms, and our website. Students had until the end of March to unleash their creativity. Although we only received 12 entries, we were pleasantly surprised by the quality and diversity of submissions. The participating students were genuinely engaged in the process! We assembled a panel of four community judges to assess the entries and held an Artists' Reception at our local library to acknowledge all participants, awarding the winners with prizes of $50 and a copy of "The State We’re In: Washington."

Our enthusiasm for the program continued to grow, leading to the expansion of our committee to 12 dedicated members for the second annual competition in 2023. That year's theme, "eARTh Art - Civics and the natural world are connected: How does this affect your future?" was also sourced directly from the The State We’re In textbook. We enhanced our outreach efforts last year through mass emails and developed an educational in-person and PowerPoint presentation centered around the theme. This PowerPoint presentation was made available on our website for both parents and students as a valuable reference. The result was an impressive increase in participation, with 40 entries received!

In 2023, we opted for a panel consisting of nine community judges to evaluate the submissions. Once more, we organized the Artists' Reception at our local library, where the staff played a crucial role in arranging a splendid showcase for the artwork.  A PowerPoint presentation featuring all the artwork is available on the LWV Pullman website. In May 2023, all the pieces were showcased at the 3 Forks Art Walk and the Whitman County Library in November. The final showcase will be at the Whitman County Library during the month of November. All of the original pieces of art were returned to their creators, but copies of their artwork will continue to be used by the Pullman League for social media and for educational purposes.    

By using the The State We’re In textbook as our source, we “speak with one voice,” as the League and are assured of its value as a resource for crafting upcoming themes. Visit the LWV Pullman website to explore details about our previous competitions, and don't hesitate to reach out to the Pullman League if you have any inquiries about launching a similar program within your League. 

A strong democracy requires informed citizen participation, and ACT (Action Coffee Time) via Zoom makes this critical task much easier! At ACT via Zoom, you will learn more about the legislation and issues we ask folks to take action on each week in our Legislative Action Newsletter. League members statewide and guests who want to be informed citizen advocates are all welcome to attend!

Weekly informational and question-and-answer sessions using resources provided by the League, the state, and various community sources will provide the background information you need on topics related to current Washington State legislation.  

Get the basics with our newsletter and during ACT via Zoom, then contact your legislators to make sure your voice is heard!

ACT via Zoom sessions will be held every Monday from 10-11 AM (with an optional 11-11:15 AM social time) through March 11. Attend as your interest in a topic and schedule allow! Each session will also be recorded and posted to our YouTube channel so you can view them anytime.

Topics for the month of January include:

• Jan 15: Washington VOICES—The Updated Ranked Choice Voting Bill (with speakers from FairVote WA)
• Jan 22: How a Bill Becomes Law
• Jan 29: Even Year Elections

Please join us! Register or learn more here.

This month, the LWVWA encourages local Leagues support our bid for national concurrence on our Local News position. This can be done through your League's program planning process, as well by supporting the concurrence proposal at the national Convention in June—attendance can be either virtual or in-person.

The LWVWA's study, the Decline of Local News and Its Impact on Democracy, detailed the alarming effect of the nationwide loss of one-fourth of our newspapers and the statewide loss of one-fifth. The study showed we have fewer candidates for local office, lower voter turnout, greater political partisanship, less civic engagement, increased government costs, among other challenges.

Many local Leagues in Washington are familiar with the Local News study, having participated in the 2022 consensus process. However, if you are unfamiliar (or would like a refresher), visit our website. You will find our local news study, our position, and the current actions we are taking on this issue. For viewing during your program planning meetings, a 7-minute informational video—created by the LWVWA Local News Committee—and summarizing the issue is available here.

The problems that stem from the decline of local news in the U.S. are snowballing. National adoption of the LWVWA position would provide the basis for any League throughout the country to advocate on national, state, and local legislation aimed at rebuilding independent local news outlets and expanding news media literacy.

The LWVWA will propose that LWVUS adopt the position by concurrence. We are asking each local League to submit the proposal to LWVUS through its program planning process. This would entail including local news concurrence in the national survey no later than March 10. You can find further information on how to do this here.

LWVUS Convention

The concurrence proposal will be voted on at the national Convention taking place June 27-30, 2024 in Washington D.C. Learn more about the national Convention here.

Convention provides an opportunity to participate at the national level in a number of ways:

• Delegates from throughout the nation will vote on the 2024-2026 LWVUS Program, the LWVUS budget, the LWVUS Board of Directors and Nominating Committee, and bylaws amendments,
• By providing opportunities to network with fellow League members, 
• Enabling participation in a variety of workshops and trainings, 
• Through a number of opportunities to hear from dynamic speakers.
  

The LWVWA encourage each local League to send as many delegates as they are allowed by the LWVUS bylaws. Delegates at Convention must be voting League members and may vote only if their League has met its per member payment responsibilities. Convention delegates are determined by a local League's membership numbers. Each League is permitted at least one delegate, with one additional delegate authorized for every 50 voting members the League has. Learn more about delegate allocation in Article IX, section 2 of the LWVUS bylaws.

More information about the national Convention will be available on our website soon. Contact Shelley Kneip for more information on the concurrence process, and Dee Anne Finken for more information on the LWVWA Local News study and position.

Be sure to register for Democracy Lobby Week, organized in collaboration with Fix Democracy First, January 22 through 26. This year’s program features a different set of issues each evening. Pick one or attend all!

During the day, Legislative District meetings will be scheduled to discuss issues directly with your local legislators. Use your Speak-up School skills in these 15-minute sessions, which are invaluable in assuring that your legislators know what you would like them to do.

Register Now

Here’s the schedule for this week:

Monday, January 22

An overview of the week and presentation by the Secretary of State on election issues.

Tuesday, January 23

Three Environmental Priorities 

• Reducing waste with the passage of the Re-WRAP Act
• Maintaining funding for the Climate Commitment Act projects
• Establishing zero emission school bus program statewide

Wednesday, January 24

More about Elections: Achieving Better Representation in the 21st Century

• What would better representation look and feel like to you? 
• Why does better representation matter? 
  
• How can we achieve better representation?
• Overview of redistricting

Thursday, January 25

Promoting Basic Human Rights for People in State Custody  

Washington is committed to racial equity, safety and promoting successful community transitions for individuals detained in secure facilities.  What needs to happen in education, health care, voting rights and other state policies/programs to make these priorities a reality?   

Learn about bills being considered by the Legislature, including limiting solitary confinement and promoting voting rights and access to education.  Other high priority social and economic policy bills will be discussed briefly.

Friday, January 26

Take time to debrief and celebrate the week.

Join any or all of these sessions. We hope to see you there!

Sign Up Today

Dear Members,

December can be a quiet time in the League year. The election is over and all the hubbub to educate voters via candidate forums, tabling events, and getting out the vote has died down. The legislative session has yet to begin. Studies and committee work are underway at both the state League and local Leagues. Many Leagues use December as a time for social connections and to meet legislators before the next election season gears up. Other work happens as well—much of it the behind-the-scenes type of work that keeps the League going. For example, there is much preparation at LWVUS happening for National Convention, scheduled to occur this spring, from June 27 to June 30 in Washington D.C. 

This convention will be particularly exciting for LWVWA because we are submitting our recently adopted positions on Local News and Its Impact on Democracy. Please see this article about concurrence for more information. The LWVWA is asking Washington local Leagues to also submit these positions to National Convention for concurrence.  

Much happens at National Convention. Program, budget, nominating committee—everything that will guide LWVUS for the following two years comes up in representative democracy fashion for delegates to act on. I hope every local League will be able to send a full delegation to this important event and urge folks to start thinking about it now. Doing so will increase the odds of getting as many people who want to attend—in-person or virtually—in the room.  

See LWVUS Program Planning Webinars to learn more about program planning at the National League level. 

Post script: The LWVWA Board of Directors will be holding a retreat later in December to review the findings of the Washington State University Research Plan for Assessing LWVWA Effectiveness with a particular focus on the External Survey. I anticipate that next steps for disseminating and discussing this information will follow. Stay tuned. 

 Best,

Mary Coltrane, LWVWA President