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Date: 6/2/2022
Subject: June VOTER Newsletter
From: League of Women Voters of Dallas



June 2022

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JUNE IS PRIDE MONTH!

 

Sharing the message from our Texas Equal Opportunity Chair, Amber Briggle, from Denton, TX. 

 

LGBTQ Pride Month is currently celebrated each year in the month of June to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan. The Stonewall Uprising was a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States. The purpose of the commemorative month is to recognize the impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals have had on history locally, nationally, and internationally. #PRIDE

 

Read LWVTX's position on Equal Opportunity here: https://www.lwvtexas.org/equal-opportunity

Read LWVUS’s Defining Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policy here:

https://www.lwv.org/.../defining-diversity-equity-and...

Learn more about Pride Month here:

https://nationaltoday.com/pride-month


 

 

LWVD Annual Meeting 2022 – I Wish the League Would…

 

The wishes listed here arose during the Annual Meeting held on May 21, 2022.  The answers provided are shared with the hope they will begin a conversation.  I have listed email addresses where the Wish led to a specific area of League activity.  But, if you want to address your questions to me, please reach out to president@lwvdallas.org.   The wishes are listed below are in no particular order.  

 

Wish: Aggressive diversity of all kinds (of) efforts!  It makes a huge difference!  Anonymous 

Answer:  Thank you for the suggestion.    I agree.  That is why we have a Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion – Denita Jones.  You can reach out to her at DEI@lwvdallas.org to become involved in this effort.

 

Wish: Have a public relations committee with members and non-members to assist in promoting the Leagues work nationally, statewide, and locally.  Perhaps all the area Leagues could be part of this effort.  Susybelle Gosslee

Answer:   Thank you for the suggestion.  This comes under the responsibility of Jessica Rivera-Lucas, Director of Communications.  Everyone wanting to help should contact Jessica at communication@lwvdallas.org.

 

Wish: Would the League Board consider working with Dallas Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation?  Having done the training on another board, I find that the experience is terrific, meaningful, helpful, and (would) benefit the League by being more sensitive to racial issues and how we can be better members of society.  Susybelle Gosslee

Answer:  Thank you for the suggestion.  This is already being investigated and we have learned that the 2022 cohort is closed.  The new cohort will be forming in January.  We are also investigating other ways of learning more about DEI.  League national is providing a lot of support in this area.

 

Wish: Go to all possible donors for funds to pay for translations, not just members of groups speaking those languages.  Dr. Catalina Garcia

Answer:  Thank you for the suggestion.   In the past we have applied to local funders for funds for translations and have not had a very good response.  Please reach out to Robin Lederer, Chair of Development at president-elect@lwvdallas.org with your specific suggestions and to learn more about how the Development Committee is approaching this.   Perhaps we need to craft our requests differently or apply to different funding organizations.

 

Wish: Make redistricting standards more well known, with examples of their application and (indicators when) maps break these standards.  Does LWV endorse specific good maps?  Bill Betzen. 

Answer:  Thank you for the suggestion.    We will add the education and communications request to the redistricting 10-year plan.  LWV does not endorse specific maps – much like it doesn’t endorse political candidates or parties.    However, we do speak to the issue by advocating for fair maps and an independent citizen’s redistricting commission.

 

Wish: Collaborate with minority women and community professional volunteer organizations in our candidate forums.    (The Chamber of Commerce consistently speaks at public hearings stating positions opposed to League positions, especially regarding the environment.  The public hearings include Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and others).  I think asking the different organizations can support all of our candidate forums to make it easier.  It would be beneficial to work with these and other groups early so they can work their own approval process.   Susybelle Gosslee

Answer:  Thank you for the suggestion.    This touches on our efforts to reach out to all communities in Dallas.  We have members who are also members in several organizations serving minorities.  Recently we developed a list of all the local Black sororities and fraternities in Dallas with contact information and will be developing these relationships for all aspects of voter services.  We are also reaching out to the Hispanic and Vietnamese communities.  This WISH touches on many aspects of LWVD.  If you are interested in this please contact me at president@lwvdallas.org, Robin Lederer at president-elect@lwvdallas.org, Barbara Larkin at voterservicesvp@lwvdallas.org , Denita Jones at DEI@lwvdallas.org, Chelsea Keller at candidateforums@lwvdallas.org , or Jessica Rivera-Lucas at communication@lwvdallas.org.

 

Wish: Take up the project of universal voting for USA as proposed in the book, 100% Democracy: The Case for Universal Voting by E.J. Dionne and Miles Rapoport.  Harry Swanson

Answer:  Thank you for the suggestion.   If this is as helpful as your last book suggestion on the 19th amendment (The Woman’s Hour, by Elaine Weiss) then it will be very helpful indeed!  This WISH will go to the Voter Services folks doing advocacy.   They will research both the book and how it does or does not agree with the League position on advocacy for voting innovations.  This is an opportunity for me to say that the recent LWVTX 2022 Convention adopted a position in support for advocacy of ranked choice voting.  

 

Wish: I wish the Annual Meeting (would) not be located downtown, but in an easier place to meet.  Anonymous

Answer:  Thank you for the suggestion.  Emerging from pandemic restrictions it was difficult to predict how many people might come to our Annual Meeting.  This event is very different from our Susan B. Anthony Luncheon.  Meadows Conference Center was not an option and shortly before the meeting we read that they were closing their business.   If you have other suggestions, we would love to hear from you.

 

Wish: Survey recipient organizations of printed Voter Guides to see if (1) their patrons like and use the Voter Guides, or (2) if we can skip distributing to them in the future, and (3) do they want more copies or fewer?  Elizabeth Walley

Answer:  Thank you for the suggestion.    This is a very practical approach for those we have been serving over the years.   Your request has been forwarded to the Voter Services team.

 

Wish: Survey Hispanic community leaders as to whether there is interest in Spanish language printed Voter Guides.  Elizabeth Walley

Answer:  Thank you for the suggestion.    This will be added to the WISH Collaborate with….   Your request has been forwarded to the Voter Services team.

 

Wish: Put picture of nominees in the Annual meeting Workbook by their biographies.  The purpose is to help identify the nominees.  Susybelle Gosslee

Answer:  Thank you for the suggestion.    Another practical suggestion.  This request has been added to the proposed edits of the 2023 Annual Meeting Workbook.

 

Wish: Find a way to react quickly to major threats/opportunities without need for official program approval by membership.  The Board should have that discretion.  Paul Heller

Answer:  Thank you for the suggestion.    I will reach out to you to better understand your question.  I can say that our advocacy is based upon the positions that have been agreed upon by the membership.  You can find that information in the Handbook on the website by logging in and then going to the For Members tab.

 

Wish: Explain the “unit groups” who/what/why/where.  Possibly Paul Heller

Answer:   Thank you for the question.    Eileen Rosenblum, former president of LWVD (2015-2017) and incoming Director of Unit Coordination, answered this during the Annual Meeting.  If you would like to help her, or have additional questions, please contact her at unitcoordinator@lwvdallas.org

Here are some short answers:  

Who: members and the public

            What: meetings to get to know other members and discuss issues

            Why: greater understanding of issues and the League community

            Where: TBD – meetings will resume in September.  Please watch the VOTER and Friday 

Updates for more information.