The study team for “Equitable Representation in City Commissions and Boards” invites all League members to provide feedback to arrive at consensus as the next step in the study process. This year-long study includes research on the composition, recruitment, orientation, and role of City Council-appointed commissioners and a report. The goal of this study was to identify current practices and suggestions/best practices in equitable representation for Boards and Commissions appointed by the City Councils of Falcon Heights, Lauderdale, Little Canada, Maplewood, and Roseville. Here is the attached letter and report. (A print copy has been sent to members who traditionally receive print materials.) After hearing a summary presentation and participating in discussion, members will have the opportunity to vote on the following question: "Should LWVRA recommend that our cities’ boards and commissions broadly reflect the diversity of their population, including race, ethnicity, gender, income, age, and other aspects of diversity?"

Please participate via Zoom on Monday, May 24, 7:00 p.m. at this link: https://lwvmn-org.zoom.us/j/93171333608?pwd=Yi9mSHRCSGtlbEdXQU5qNzkrRm1hZz09.

LWVMN Firearms Update Study Committee presents speaker Joshua Horwitz, J.D., Executive Director of The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence in Washington D.C and co-author of Guns, Democracy and the Insurrectionist Idea. Horwitz speaks, via Zoom, on the topic: Domestic Terrorism in the U.S. and Minnesota. Also speaking is John Choi, Ramsey County Attorney who provides local perspective on firearm issues and how they’re dealt with. Presented April 27, 2021.  View on our YouTube channel.

LWVMN Statement in Defense of Democracy

On January 14, LWV Minnesota sent a letter to our MN Legislative leaders, seeking truth related to our 2020 elections and consequences for the baseless claims of voter fraud continuing to be reiterated by various people within our legislature. We were especially concerned about the growing evidence of possible violence being directed at elected and government officials prior to inauguration, and about the ongoing use of the baseless claims of voter fraud as a reason for this insurrection behavior.

Was this a partisan act? Being nonpartisan means we don't support any specific party or candidate. Equally, it means that we don't abandon our well-studied positions based on a legislator's party. We will continue to work with all legislators, regardless of party, to advance free and fair elections. And we will continue to hold accountable all legislators, regardless of party, who undermine democracy.

 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.