April 2025 Edition

In this issue:

• Prepare to be a Voter
• Upcoming Events and Volunteer Opportunities
  
• Report from our March 25 General Meeting
• In Remembrance: Agnes Ruth Ellsworth
• LWVD at the NDCC Annual Meeting, March 28
• Thank you to our volunteers
• Thank you for Standing up for Immigration Reform
  
• Advocacy Corner:
  • Action Alert: Say NO to SB 16!
  • Special Joint League Event, Facing Facts: Charter Schools in Texas
  • Legislative Session Update: Texas Senate
  • Legislative Session Update: Texas House
  • Dallas Celebrates Fair Housing Month with Community Event
    
  • Dallas Moves Toward More Flexible Parking Regulations
  • Dallas Zoning Reform: Shaping Our Future
    
• New Members

Prepare to be a Voter

The upcoming May Joint & Special Election is a key opportunity for voters to participate in local governance by selecting officials such as city council members, school board trustees, and other municipal representatives.

Use the following checklist to make sure you are prepared to be a voter in the May 3 elections:

• Apply for a Ballot by mail by April 22
• Prepare for early voting, April 22 – 29. See the Dallas County Elections website for early voting hours.
• Enter your address at www.vote411.org to see a personalized sample ballot and compare candidates' responses to LWV questions; you may print your choices & take the paper to vote (phones are not allowed)
• Find polling locations and hours
• Check which types of Voter ID may be used at the polls
• Get nonpartisan voting reminders by texting VOTERINFO to 80123 or by visiting the LWVTX website

Upcoming Events and Volunteer Opportunities

 📅 April is full of opportunities to get informed, get involved, and make your voice heard!

From candidate forums to climate advocacy, there’s something for everyone this month. Whether you're passionate about education, local leadership, or environmental impact—this is your chance to show up and be part of the conversation. 💬

Here’s what’s coming up:

Report from our General Meeting with Dr. Shaneka Baylor

Summary
Definition: According to the FDA, food insecurity is a lack of access to enough food for a healthy and active life. Per Galt and Bradley (2014), “A more just food system means one in which everyone has access to sufficient, affordable, healthy, culturally appropriate food, and – very importantly – respect and self-determination.”

Causes include unemployment, underemployment, poverty, and income shocks, such as a temporary loss of employment. However, poverty does not necessarily equate to food insecurity. 

Barriers: The availability of transportation, or the lack thereof, is crucial in determining food insecurity. Individuals that are older than sixty (60) years old are not always aware they qualify, or afraid of the stigma associated with securing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Additionally, the barriers to obtain needed SNAP services and benefits include: overwhelming/time consuming, low benefit levels, and individuals with disabilities unable to get the help to complete the necessary paperwork.

Data: In 2024, Texas ranked first among states facing food insecurity, according to a study by the North Texas Food Bank and Feeding America based on 2022 data. Although not consistently, 13.5% of Americans experience food insecurity, indicating that they are affected for an average of seven months each year. The same survey revealed that 16.4% of Texans, or approximately 5 million people (1 in 6), are food insecure.

Food insecurity affects older adults (persons older than 60). There are 57.8 million older adults in the U.S., 5.64 million older adults in Texas, and approximately 292K older adults in Dallas County.

Food Deserts - Community-Driven Solutions:

• Community Markets/Food Pantry
• Food Sovereignty Models
• Community Gardens
• Neighborhood Farmers Markets
• Nonprofit Grocery Stores

Attendance
Members: 16
Non-members: 7

Total: 23

Revised Program Report submitted by,

Gwenda Lowe, VP of Program

In Remembrance: Agnes Ruth Ellsworth

LWVD at the North Dallas Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting

Thank You to YOU - Our Awesome Volunteers!

 Thank you to everyone in our League village.  As a volunteer organization with an all-volunteer “working” Board, we understand the commitment and time so many of you spend to keep us going.  Many hands make the work lighter! This includes the volunteers who aren’t League members and collaborating organizations helping move our mission forward. 

Because of you … so much happens.

Advocacy to elected officials happens,

Flyers and bookmarks are reinvented before every election,

Voter registration and voter education occurs across the county,

Informational programs like the recent one on Food Insecurity are conducted,

The Luncheon and Annual Meeting happen,

Unit meetings for small group discussions occur on a regular basis,

Candidate Forums happen,

Vote411.org is “live” for the May 3 election,

Voters Guides get designed, printed and distributed.

THANK YOU!

In League,

Diane Tasian, Director of Volunteers

Thank You for Standing Up for Immigration Reform!

 A heartfelt thank you to our League of Women Voters of Dallas members and supporters who joined the Mega Marcha: A United March for Bipartisan Immigration Reform on March 31, 2025. Your presence and advocacy send a powerful message in the fight for fair and humane immigration policies.

Our work is far from over. We will continue to advocate against deportation without due process, family separations, and inhumane treatment of immigrants. Together, we stand for dignity, justice, and a pathway to reform.

Stay engaged—our voices matter now more than ever!

Special Joint League Event 

FACING FACTS: CHARTER SCHOOLS IN TEXAS 

A 2025 UPDATE

Monday, April 7, 2025

7 to 8:30 p.m. via ZOOM 

The recent report from Our Schools Our Democracy highlights new information about the impact of charter schools on local public school districts and students. With taxpayer-funded private school vouchers on the legislative agenda, it’s even more important to understand how these expanded school choice programs affect the future of public education.

Presenters:

Patti Everitt, Consultant on state education policy with focus on the impact of charter schools on public education in Texas
Board of Directors, Our Schools Our Democracy 

Maggie Stern, Director of Community Engagement, Our Schools Our Democracy

Register Here to access the link to the ZOOM Webinar:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_qrp4s4amRDyDm53lVIT8Wg

Co-Sponsors:

League of Women Voters of Amarillo 

League of Women Voters of Austin

Legislative Session Update: Texas Senate

Several key election-related bills are moving through the Texas Senate, with potential floor votes happening soon. Here’s the latest update:

SENATE 

• SB 16 (Documentary Proof of Citizenship) was voted out of the Senate State Affairs Committee on Monday, 3/24/25. It was placed on the Senate Intent Calendar for 3/31/25, which means it is likely to come to a floor vote in the Senate next week. 
•  SB 396 (VR “use it or lose it”) was voted out of Senate State Affairs on Monday 3/24/25 and was placed on the intent calendar for 3/27/25, meaning it’s likely to come to a floor vote soon. 
•  SB 76 (County-wide Polling) was heard in committee last week and remains pending in the committee. 
•  SB 760 (Absentee voting from nursing facility residents) was heard in the State Affairs committee this week and is currently left pending. 

 Watch Senate Committee hearings here: Senate State Affairs

Legislative Session Update: Texas House

Several bills were heard this week in the House Elections Committee. At this point, testimony was taken and all the bills listed below are currently left pending.

• HJR 98: Applying to the Congress of the United States to call a convention under Article V of the United States Constitution for the limited purpose of proposing one or more amendments to the constitution to impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, to limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, and to limit the terms of office of federal officials and members of Congress

• HB 376: Relating to the plan for the operation of a central counting station.

• HB 817: Relating to the determination of a majority vote in certain elections.

•  HB 1297: Relating to renewal of an appointment as a volunteer deputy registrar.

•  HB 1478: Would permit certain voters voting by mail to use an accessible absentee mail system under which the voter uses an electronic system to mark the voter's ballot and then submits the ballot in the manner provided by law. Under the bill, this system could be used by a person who is eligible to vote early due to disability or confinement due to childbirth. The secretary of state would be required to approve such a system before it could be used in an election

•   HB 1661: Would increase the punishment for multiple election offenses and create two new misdemeanor election offenses. Specifically, the bill would:

  o Create misdemeanor offenses for an authority responsible for procuring supplies for an election if the authority intentionally fails to provide a precinct with the required number of ballots or intentionally fails to promptly supplement distributed ballots upon request.

  o Make unlawful revealing by an election officer of election information before the polls close a felony instead of a misdemeanor.

  o Make obstruction of the distribution of election supplies a felony instead of a misdemeanor.

  o Make intentional failure to distribute election supplies a Class A misdemeanor instead of a Class C misdemeanor.

• HB 1783: Relating to requirements for certain petitions requesting an election and ballot propositions and to related procedures and provisions.

 Watch House Committee hearings here: House Elections

Bills that Passed Out of Committee Last Week

• HB 342 - Relating to the combination of certain election precincts.

  o Create a formula to consolidate precincts

• HB 392 - Relating to the provision of the reason for rejecting a voter registration application. 

  o Tells voters why their registration was rejected

• HB 493 - Relating to ineligibility to serve as a poll watcher.

  o No people with felony convictions as poll watchers. The Committee Substitute narrows scope of offenses to only election-related felonies.

• HB 1090 - Relating to prohibiting certain individuals from serving as a volunteer deputy registrar.

  o No one with felony charge as VDR; 

  o Committee Substitute narrows "charged" with crime to "indicted" with crime

• HB 1477 - Relating to preparing and delivering precinct election returns

  o SOS can take over if county fails to submit by deadline

Dallas Celebrates Fair Housing Month with Community Event

The City of Dallas is hosting a Fair Housing Roadshow this April to educate residents on their rights and resources under the Fair Housing Act.

📍 April 8 | 6-7 PM – District 8 Resource Center / Highland Hills WIC Office
📍 April 17 | 6-7 PM – Pleasant Grove Branch Library
📍 April 24 | 6-7 PM – J. Erik Jonsson Central Library
📍 April 28 | 6-7 PM – Vickery Meadow Youth Development Foundation Center

Join these sessions to learn about housing protections and connect with resources. 

More details: City of Dallas Press Release.

Dallas Moves Toward Flexible Parking Regulations

The City of Dallas is updating off-street parking regulations to promote affordability, sustainability, and multi-modal transportation. On March 20, 2025, the City Plan Commission (CPC) recommended Parking Reform to the City Council, proposing key changes:

🚗 Eliminating parking mandates downtown and near transit stations
🏢 Removing mandates for offices, most retail, and industrial areas
🏠 Reducing residential parking requirements
🍽️ Easing mandates for bars and restaurants

These updates aim to create a more walkable, accessible Dallas. For more information - Read HERE

Source: City of Dallas Planning & Development.

Dallas Zoning Reform: Shaping Our Future

Dallas is updating its Development Code to support diverse housing, sustainable growth, and a more transparent development process. This effort aims to modernize outdated zoning rules while balancing preservation and progress.

Stay tuned—more updates are coming!

Source: City of Dallas Zoning Reform.

League of Women Voters of Dallas

6060 N. Central Expwy, Ste #500