Pros & Cons Are Revving Up for the November Election

Pros & Cons of the State ballot propositions are something the public has come to rely on.Our non-partisan, unbiased look at both sides of each proposition gives the public the opportunity to make their own decisions and be better informed voters.

For the March primary election, we partnered with the Marin League to produce a pros and cons recording for State Ballot Proposition 1 and Sonoma County Measure H.These videos were posted on both League’s websites.

I’m pleased to report that local Sonoma County Measure H received over 325 views on the Sonoma LWV YouTube channel.Prop 1 received a whopping4900 viewson the Marin & Sonoma YouTube sites combined.

Special thanksto our members Connie WilliamsandLaraine Kelmanalong with Marin memberSara Thorpewho researched and recorded Measure H.And, thanks to Marin membersAnn Wakeley&Joan Rentsch&Carol Joy Harrisfor doing an excellent job researching and producing the Prop 1 recording.Your dedication and professionalism are what made these productions the success they were!!

PROS & CONS ARE ONE OF THE LEAGUE’S MOST FUN, SHORT-TERM ACTIVITIES.If you like research, working with others, and/or being a presenter THEN THIS IS FOR YOU.We’re expecting to have more than 7 state & a few county-wide local measures on the November 5^thballot.We will need all hands on deck!!The process spans from mid-August thru mid-October 2024. Please join our team!!

Contact Lynn Dooley atprosandcons@marinlwv.orgtoday!!

We sometimes get complacent about democracy living in California and especially, Sonoma County. Our rights are rarely threatened, and our state tends to do what’s right on issues that we care about BUT that can change in an instant which we see around the country. Money in politics has become insidious, redistricting can alter a community, and fake news limits the “truth” of what we read and hear.

Elections should be about the voters not big money interests. Redistricting, orcommunity districting,is the process ofcreating representationaldistrict maps for states and local communities.It impactshowour communitiesare represented and how resources are distributed.Mis- and dis-information are two of the most dangerous tools used to undermine our democracy and the value of every person’s voice.

That’s why the League of Women Voters is so important to support. We emphasize non- partisanship; we provide pros and cons on most issues; and we believe that voters should play a critical role in democracy.

One of our tools is Vote411.org whichprovides both general and state-specific nonpartisan resources to the voting public, including a polling place locator, a ballot look-up tool, candidate positions on issues, and more.

Our other “tool” is you- the voter, the volunteer, the interested person. We need you to show up, stand up and speak up for democracy in Sonoma County. On our website,www.lwvsonoma.org) you will see opportunities both large and small for volunteering. Please join us!

LWVUS has two exciting opportunities for Leagues to take action on federal legislative priorities this year.

TheJohn R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act:LWVUS has created atemplate letter for state and local Leaguesto input local stories and data from their communities and send to their member(s) of Congress in support of the JLVRAA.These letters will demonstrate the need for passage of the JLVRAA by elevating the impact this legislation has on the local and state level. State Leagues may use this template to send a letter to members of the Senate representing their state, and local Leagues may use this template to send a letter to their members of the House after coordinating with their state League leadership.Letters should be completed before 2024 LWVUS Convention.All completed letters should also be sent toadvocacy@lwv.orgfor our records.

The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA): LWVUS has authored a memo calling on US Congress and the Administration to take every action in their authority to ensure the publication of the Equal Rights Amendment. To demonstrate nationwide support, our goal is to get sign-on from all 50 state Leagues and the District of Columbia League. This opportunity isjust for state Leagues.

Election Disinformation

There was a powerful webinar on March 21^ston “Combating Election Disinformation in2024”. This was a joint effort by the Leadership Conference, Common Cause & Spitfire Strategies. The panelists walked through the role of AI and the many bad actors wanting to disrupt our elections. The panelists also discussed ways to spot disinformation and ways to counteract its effects. Here is the link to the recording.Webinar

The Freedom to Read

Our LWV and the Santa Rosa AAUW joined forces to hold an in-person free event March 9^thon the threat of book banning, a phenomenon in public schools felt around the country. The panelists were Leona Judson from our league, Deborah Doyle, librarian from the Sonoma County Library Commission, and author, J.J. Elliot. Taryn Young, President of the AAUW started off with some background on the effects of book banning. Leona spoke of the role of school board elections and how they are being influenced by the conservative group called Moms for Liberty. Deborah spoke on the need to keep our libraries free and open to all. She described how libraries in many communities can come under fire by elected officials. JJ Elliot, the author, described the difficulty of getting a book published, especially if it is on a controversial topic, which could get much worse if publishers become concerned about the impact of book bans. She offered this quote:“Books have medicine in them and have the power to heal”.

There was general agreement that elections are important and communicating with elected officials directly is more effective than simply posting on social media. Yes, the freedom to read is not a privilege but a right. We cannot allow others to decide for us what we can or cannot read. That is called censorship.

To learn more about the banning of books go to PEN AmericaPen America

The LWV Elections Ambassador Program has been taking shape thanks to the hard work of Robyn Bramhall and Chris Riezenman.Robyn and Chris presented this peer to peer voter registration program to Santa Rosa Junior College’s Student Government Assembly and Interclub Council.These presentations resulted in 8 groups signing up to take our training and hold election activities on campus.Stay tuned for more information as this program grows.

If you’d like to play a role in this important program, emailElectionsAmbassadors@lwvsonoma.org.

April 6, 2024, Board Meeting

AdministrationThe board approved sending three voting delegates to the National Convention in Washington, D.C. on June 27 – 30. Two delegates, Robyn Bramhall, and Donna Roper, will attend in-person, and Lynn Dooley will attend virtually.

AdvocacyA letter supporting the Tree Ordinance was approved to be submitted to the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors ahead of their April 16^thmeeting.

Membership Join the League at a new member social – Sip, Munch and Mingle! on May 4^that 2pm at the home of Judie Coleman in Oakmont. Registration is required. For details, see the event calendar.

CommunicationsBoard members are reminded to use the website article submission forThe Voterarticles. The board has recommended a by-laws amendment to accept the national membership process. The full membership will receive notification of the proposed change before the Annual Membership meeting in June.

Voter ServiceThe Voter Service team seeks volunteers for its open positions, notably Committee Chair / Co-Chairs and Candidate Forum Organizers, Moderators, Zoom Hosts & Co-Hosts, and more. Training for the Candidate Forums and Pros & Cons is planned for this summer in preparation for the general election season.

Youth Outreach:The In-School program has visited 37 classes in eight schools; spoken to 909 students; registered or pre-registered 592 students; and sent 160 follow-up communications. The Student Elections Ambassadors program presentations at SRJC have resulted in eight campus clubs signing up for training.

Outreach & Program:The League will host its monthly member meeting on April 15 at 5:30 PM featuring Regional Climate Protection Authority staff discussing the Climate Protection Initiative. The May program will highlight the Santa Rosa General Planning process.

Volunteers Needed!

Join the League board as Secretary, Membership Chair, or Voter Service Chair. Watch the website for a wide variety of opportunities to assist with League activities:Pros & Cons, Candidate Forums, Youth Outreach, Vote411, Voter Registration, Programs, Tabling at Events.