August, 2020
Editor Jennifer Bales
communications@lwvbc.org
Editors note: this is my first attempt to provide the Boulder County Voter via email from ClubExpress. Please send questions, comments, and issue reports to me at communications@lwvbc.org so I can make next month's newsletter better. Thanks!
| By Elizabeth Crowe
It’s a new League year, and we’re experiencing a convergence of health, social, economic and political challenges unlike our nation has ever seen. The world has changed dramatically since our “100 Years Strong” Anniversary celebration in March; these are scary and uncertain times. And yet our mission is clear: to empower voters and defend democracy, for everyone, no matter what.
| As we move through this critical election season – in the League’s 100th Anniversary year! – we’re reaching out for your help to provide quality voter services and advocacy in Boulder County. We’re continuing our 100 Years Strong fundraising campaign this summer with a goal of 100 people committing to recurring monthly donations of at least $20.00 per month for a year. Reaching this goal will mean we can confidently invest in voter service and advocacy activities, even with challenges posed by the pandemic.
Will you make a monthly donation to LWVBC in 2020? The first 25 donors who sign up for a monthly recurring donation of $20.00 or more between now and August 26 (Women’s Equality Day) will receive a special 100th Anniversary pin to mark this milestone year!
You can sign up to make monthly recurring donations online at lwvbc.org (if you are a member of LWVBC—be sure to login as a member to see this option). Need help? Contact Mandy at 303.499.4544 or mandynuku@lwvbc.org | MEMBER NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Longmont Pride | Longmont Pride Motorcade was a socially distanced Pride event sponsored by OUT Boulder on June 27, 2020. At left, Peggy Leech and Gaythia Weis took part in their cars, with information about the League of Women Voters and Vote411. | | | DACA Win
LWV of Boulder County joins our partner organizations and thousands of community members in celebrating the Supreme Court's decision to maintain the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program!
| Candidate Forums
On June 10, a virtual Boulder County Commissioner (District 2) Primary Election Candidate Forum was sponsored by the League of Women Voters and Longmont Public Media. Video available here.
On June 17, a virtual CU Regents Candidate Forum was sponsored by the League of Women Voters.
Video of these events and others is available here. | Strategic Plan 2020
The LWBC’s strategic planning will continue to direct the work of the Board of Directors and the general membership for 2020 and beyond. The focus at the local level will incorporate a continued emphasis on Making Democracy Work for All, in keeping with national and state plans, with added details pertaining to our visibility and relevance in Boulder County. Our continued guiding values are to maintain relevance; appreciate diverse perspective; develop women leaders; foster fellowship; break-up polarities; and promote civil discourse. The primary strategic outcome is an efficient, effective workplan in which our activities and internal organizing structure is aligned with - and helps measurably advance toward -our organizational Vision and Mission.
Following the July retreat with Board members and other LWVBC leaders, we will work to complete strategic planning for Voter Service, Advocacy, and Operations Teams and to ensure infusion of equity and inclusion policies and practices as we continue working towards our strategic outcomes. | | Remembering the Presidency of Carolyn Jefferson Jenkins
By Deborah Hayes
I’ve been reading and enjoying “The Untold Story of Women of Color in the League of Women Voters," by Carolyn Jefferson-Jenkins, who was the first Black president of the League of Women Voters of the U.S. Only white people served as president until Deborah Turner was elected this year. Carolyn was nominated and elected in 1998 in what must have been inclusionary zeal. But that zeal apparently faded by 2000: The 2000 nominating committee nominated someone else.
| | | Redistricting Commission
The League of Women Voters of Boulder County and Colorado support nonpartisan redistricting and were pleased that Colorado passed Amendments Y & Z, the anti-gerrymandering laws, and is now moving ahead with an independent commission to set political districts. A less partisan, more transparent process will help strengthen our democratic process.
The staff of the Colorado Independent Redistricting Commissions is soliciting comment on draft applications for redistricting commissioners.The commissions' website is https://redistricting.colorado.gov/. You may sign up for their newsletter and follow their progress on Twitter @CORedistricting.
| | Volunteers for NPV Postcards
We're wrapping up the writing of the postcards. All postcards should be back into your local coordinator by August 20th.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!
More than 30,000 postcards have been written by LWVCO and 10,000 of those were LWVBC!!
Please let your coordinator know if you can help stamp and affix address labels. We will be completing that task in September to mail the postcards the first week of October. More info soon.
Peggy Leech, Lafayette/Louisville
Holly Monkman, Boulder
Ruth Stemler, Longmont | | | Better Voting Methods: A Local Forum and A National Victory
A Local Forum: A petition effort in the city of Boulder to ask voters to directly elect their mayor using ranked voting (specifically instant-runoff voting) motivated the Voting Methods Team to gather experts to discuss a variety of options for municipal elections. New member Mark Parsons moderated the panel on Sunday, July 19, 2020.
| | From Membership
By Debby Vink
How well do you know our website? There are interesting spots on our website that you may not have found yet.
Virtual Member Coffees! Join us on Saturday, August 22 at 10:00 am for a Virtual Member Coffee highlighting the 2020 Colorado Legislative Session.
Welcome to our newest members! Barbara Carter, Mark Parsons, Sarah Vlasity, Sean Costello, Aaron Sweeney, Elizabeth Holden, Joe Callahan, Kate Ellis Jensen, Linda Sparn, Teresa Hoyt, Jackson Moody, Cathy James, Kimberly Redublado and Alexa Claybon.
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