The League of Women Voters, a non-partisan political organization, encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.
More judges are needed to insure that people will have the option to vote in person at Early Voting Places as well as at the Polls on Election Day. Voting by Absentee Ballot is encouraged but the in-person opportunities will be offered also. This SecretaryofState link can be used to access information on becoming an Election Judge. Despite the previous deadlines, they are still accepting applications.
Back by popular demand is the 4th annual Brews and Book Reviews, however with a different look. BYOB&B might be a more appropriate description: Bring Your Own Beverage and Book! LWV of Roseville Area will be hosting this event via Zoom on Wednesday, July 15, at 7 pm in your residence. Beverages will be available from your refrigerator! Details (Zoom link) will be emailed to you a day in advance. To get the link, RSVP by sending an email to lwvrosevillearea@lwvmn.org.
While you are invited to share a book, it is not required. In the past, some participants have come to get personal reading lists. In addition to not being physically at a brewery, we will begin the evening with some prepared quick reviews of books on racism, anti-racism, and history of the black experience, after which the Zoom room will be open to individuals sharing favorite reads. Mark your calendars now, and remember to RSVP to participate!
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!
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.)
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.
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:
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
