OurNational conventionwill be held in Columbus, Ohio from June 25-28^th. Prior to that event, we have the opportunity to give our opinions about what the National Board of Directors should focus on and for which they should spend their time and treasure. LWVUS Program is the education and advocacy platform that the League membership adopts at each biennial LWV National Convention. The goal of the LWVUS Program Planning process is to achieve a collective agreement around how LWV will move our mission forward over a two-year period. League lobbying is based on member study and agreement on selected issues and involves concerted efforts to achieve public policies consistent with League positions. League Boards at every level set their own priorities. League lobbying promotes or opposes specific pieces of legislation. The LWVUS public policy positions are the official statements of positions for each issue area and reflect the program adopted at the national convention. We have prepared a survey asking your opinion on what the national as well as our local League should be doing. Please give us the feedback we need to go forward.

The National Board has developed Women Defend Democracy: Democracy Under Siege and that platform will be voted on at the convention. Through the “Women Defend Democracy” campaign, the League will work toProvide Democracy Education & Election Administration Support, Restore & Defend Voting Rights Protections, Abolish the Electoral College, Protect Democracy Organizations & Institutionsand Fight for Reproductive Freedoms. You can find more information on the LWV website. Other states are beginning to lobby us to concur with their positions such as Immigration Rights (Washington State), No More For Profit Health Care (New York), and Restricting a National Religion (Colorado). If any of this interests you, consider joining us at the convention! If you are committed to helping the League in the next year, we can pay for your registration. Please email me atpresident@lwvsonoma.org.

A great way to meet fellow Leaguers and learn more about our activities isto join us at a tabling event. An experienced member will show you the ropes. Tabling at community events helps us register and educate voters, get exposure for the League and to recruit new members. Here are some upcoming activities. You can also contact me if you are interested.

• No Kings Day – March 28
• Home Expo – March 28
• Los Cien Volunteer Fair – March 31
• Butter and Eggs Day – April 18
• Gravenstein Apple Fair – August 8 & 9

Register voters at the Sonoma County Home Show, March 28-29

We have secured a free table inside Grace Pavilion to promote LWV and register voters. This is an opportunity to reach 1,000+ people about our programs, membership and the importance of voting. We will have two passes for admission and parking. To keep things easy and fun, we need 12 volunteers to each take a 2-hour shift at our table over the two-day show. Show hours on Saturday, March 28 are 10:00am to 5:00pm and Sunday hours are 10:00am to 4:00pm. Training will be provided for those who have not tabled for LWV before. Write Robyn atexecvp@lwvsonoma.orgwith your preferred times.

Have you been seeing a lot about the 4th Amendment in the news recently?Or have you wondered why the news has been connecting the 4^thAmendment to the 1^stAmendment and the 2^ndAmendment when reporting on the events in Minnesota?

You may have a great handle on what rights these amendments protect.But if you need a refresher on any or all of these amendments, you can find that very thing in the LWV of Sonoma County’sSTAND UP FOR DEMOCRACYprogram.

Find a brief look at the1^stAmendmentat:LWVSonoma.org/FreedomofSpeechand

LWVSonoma.org/ReligiousFreedom

OR the2^ndAmendmentat:LWVSonoma.org/2ndAmendment

OR the4^thAmendmentat:LWVSonoma.org/4thAmendment

Or find a full range of civics topics at:LWVSonoma.org/CivicsMenu

TheSTAND UP FOR DEMOCRACYprogram isabilingual, non-partisan civics education initiativethat refreshes public understanding of the Constitution, our system of government, and why these principles matter today.Check it out.Tell your friends.Join our committee – we meet the second Monday of every month at 3pm via zoom.The link is always on the League calendar.

Want more info?Contact Lynn Dooley,standup@lwvsonoma.org

American Association of University Women - Santa Rosa Branch

and

the League of Women Voters of Sonoma County

PRESENT A VERY SPECIAL PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAM:

PROTECTING OUR RIGHT TO VOTE!

SATURDAY, MARCH 7 10:00 – 12:00

FINLEY COMMUNITY CENTER, CYPRESS ROOM 2060 WEST COLLEGE AVENUE, SANTA ROSA

SPEAKERS:

Evelyn Mendez, County of Sonoma Registrar of Voters

Election Security, and Changes to Mail-In Voting, including postal stamp date

Debbie McKay, League of Women Voters

Erosion of the 1965 Voter Rights Act and How we can Protect the Act; History of Winning the Vote

We hope that you can join us!Women won the right to vote in 1920 with the 19th Amendment. That right is being threatened now, and we need your help in protecting our right to vote!

Coffee and light refreshments will be provided. Please bring a friend or neighbor! You don’t need to be a member to attend this FREE event.

For more information contact Taryn Young (707) 479-5750 tarynhikes@att.net

AAUW Public Policy Committee: Lee Boylan, Barbara Hoff, Melinda Moir and Taryn Young.

The State League asks local leagues every year to interview their state representatives. This year Leona Judson and Robyn Bramhall from our League were joined by Olga Agnew from the Mendocino League to interview Chris Rogers, who represents district 2. His district includes part of Sonoma County and all of Mendocino, Del Norte, Trinity and Humboldt Counties.

He started out by saying his top priorities as an elected official have always been health, climate change, poverty and kids. He views the biggest challenge facing Californiathis year is the impact of funding cuts from Congress’s HR 1.He acknowledged that many people have lost trust in their government and don’t feel heard. He is countering this with more town hall meetings and responsive follow-up. Based on what he learned in town halls, he co-sponsored The Good Fire Act, which calls for indigenous practices in forest management. He is concerned that recent changes to the CEQA law allow harmful industrialization and is currently working on a “fix it” bill with Damon Connelly (12th District).

We covered a lot in this half hour interview, too much for this short article. He seems interested in engaging with his constituents and to come up with legislative solutions to problems that affect their lives.

Rogers sees a role for LWV in educating voters on the workings of government, to set the stage for their full participation.

In Januarywe had Mary Fricker, a league member & independent business journalist, give an impressive talk on income inequality outlining its causes and suggested fixes to this troubling trend that is likely a root cause to many of our country’s financial challenges. The session was recorded and on your YouTube channel, which can be accessed through our website.

February 7, 2026

Treasurer’s Report:Sara Ingle has updated our bank account and has set up our financials on QuickBooks online.

February 19Giving Up is Unforgivable:A Manual for Keeping a Democracyby Joyce Vance(2025 / 224 pages)