June 23, 2020 Environmental Field Trip
Mark your calendar for Tuesday, June 23, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. We are planning on holding the LWV of Roseville Area annual field trip at this time. On the trip we will learn about the work of the Ramsey Washington Metro Watershed District. We’ll meet at the Watershed District Office at 9:30 a.m. (just west of Little Canada City Hall) to hear about the variety of ways storm water is managed and see a video of the projects undertaken. After the visit, we’ll carpool to Central Park Elementary School and then to Maplewood Mall to observe several projects in action. After the tour, we are invited to the home of Cecelia Warner to see the native plant area in their backyard, helped by grant money from the watershed district. Bring your brown bag lunch for a picnic.
Please RSVP by June 15 to Donna Peterson (peter080@umn.edu) or Anne Haugan (ahaugan@usfamily.net)
Social distancing and masks are expected as recommended in state guidelines, However, just a reminder that following the guidelines reduces but does not eliminate the possibility of Covid-19 virus transmission. Everyone needs to use their own judgement. Do email Ann or Donna with questions or to sign up. We hope to see you there!
Talking Points to Counter Attacks of Voting by Mail
LWVUS has provided some talking points you can use to counter attacks on voting by mail:
With the increased popularity of vote-by-mail in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, use the following messages to counter attacks on vote-by-mail and pivot the conversation to solutions. (Avoid saying the words “voter fraud” when interacting with voters, the general public, or media. Even the mention of potential fraud has a negative impact on voters’ confidence in our elections.)
Statement on the Death of George Floyd
The League of Women Voters of Roseville Area stands in solidarity with our fellow Minnesotans who grieve the loss of George Floyd and condemn the horrendous circumstances of his death. We join with the Leagues of Women Voters of Minnesota and the United States in calling on law enforcement officials to provide transparency during this investigation and to seek justice for George Floyd, his family and our community. We stand ready to work with our government officials in Falcon Heights, Lauderdale Little Canada, Maplewood and Roseville to pass meaningful reforms that will address systemic racism, the heart of these tragic killings that disproportionately target Black people. Our League studied policing in our communities in 2016 (see full study here) and called for police training and data collection in order to avoid racial profiling. Now would be a good time for community education on our progress in those areas and more. We must all advocate for anti-racist policies at every level of government.
You can read the statements on this topic released by LWVMN and LWVUS.
Annual Report and 67th Annual Meeting June 2, 2020
Minutes ot the June 2, 2020 Annual Meeting can be found here.
Greeting, Fellow Leaguers!
During these trying times, we hope you are able to stay healthy and safe, and that you can enjoy the little things in life. Even though we cannot meet in person, and may not be able to do so for quite some time, we can still be a voice for democracy and voting rights.
In order to continue the work of League, we must organize our board and committees and honor our obligation to hold an annual meeting. To that end, we plan to hold our annual meeting via Zoom, an on-line meeting tool. The meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 2, 2020 at 7:00 pm. Members will be able to join in live using computers, tablets, smartphones and even landline telephones. Those who are unable to join in live will be able to view a recording of the meeting from a link we will provide, and all eligible members will be able to vote via email on items that are put to member vote.
The Annual Report can be viewed here. The items that members will be asked to vote on are:
Board Meeting Minutes 2019-2020
Advocacy
The May/June Voter contained tips when writing advocacy letters. League members are reminded that when writing letters, sending emails or texts, or making phone calls, they are speaking as individuals, not for the League (they should not mention that they are League members in their communication). Only the president speaks in the name of the League.
If you would like to participate in advocacy at the national or state level as a League member, consider adding your name to "action alerts" that will come to your inbox and identify prioritized pending legislative issues that need your support. www.lwv.org/take-action https://www.lwvmn.org/take-action
May 2020 Voter
Interview With Secretary of State Steve Simon Regarding Mail-In Voting
The Civic Caucus is known for its in-person interviews. In this time of Safe At Home, they have transitioned to Zoom interviews. In their latest, the April 24,2020 interview of Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon addresses the issues of assuring that Minnesotans could vote safely in both the August primary election and the November election.
Make Every Day Earth Day
Celebrate Earth Day April 22. As people did in 1970, we can make our voices heard and act responsibly with the environment. On this 50th anniversary of Earth Day, because of social distancing, there won’t be millions of people across the country marching to support environmental improvements. Ironically, we will reduce carbon emissions by not driving, while millions of people unite online to draw attention to the environmental crisis. If you want to help make history, you can watch Earth Day Network’s online teach-ins, follow social media campaigns, or watch live coverage of global digital mobilizations at earthdaylive.org. Another link for Earth Day activities is mnearthday.org.