Program Planning Meeting

At our March 5th Meeting we heard an excellent presentation by Deva Proto on how the voting process is changing in Sonoma County. We plan to post a video of her presentation soon on our YouTube Channel.

The primary focus of the March 5th meeting was planning how to use our time, energy, and funds. Like most organizations the League has limited resources, so we think carefully how we allocate our money and volunteers. We use program planning each year for our members to make that allocation locally.

Every two years local leagues give input to the National League on Areas of Emphasis that will be pursued by the National League staff and volunteers. This year’s local leagues’ input will be used at the National Convention (to be held in June 2022) to set the priorities of the National League for their work during 2023-2025. This year our members voted on the following issues to be discussed by delegates to the June 2022 convention:

Immigration Reform: Becoming a citizen of the United States is the first step to becoming a voter. Our League supports those who live in our country having a legal pathway to citizenship. The members voted to recommend Immigration Reform as a National League Area of Emphasis.

Single Payer Health Care: The National League has a position on Health Care, but it is silent on single payer health care. While in recent years access to health care has expanded, there are still too many people without access to health care and the costs remain too high. The members voted to support the National League exploring during 2023-2025 whether single payer health care could improve access and affordability.

Abolishment of the Electoral College: We received a request from the Deerfield, Il League to support the National League making the abolishment of the Electoral College an area of emphasis. While the National League already has a position in favor of abolishment, the required process to amend the constitution is long, difficult, and unlikely to be successful at this time. The members voted against making the Abolishment of the Electoral College a National League Area of Emphasis at this time.

Learn more about each one by reading the descriptions in our program planning kits documents at www.lwvsonoma.org . Sign-in as a member, click references, then click “Member References, then click “Program Planning Kit”. 

Learn more by attending the Advocacy Committee Meetings held the first Wed of the month at 10:00 am via Zoom. The Zoom link is listed when you click the meeting listed in the Website Calendar (under News & Events) at our website www.lwvsonoma.org. Please consider an area you could help monitor and contact our Advocacy Chair Leona Judson at action@lwvsonoma.org to volunteer or learn more.

Watch for periodic updates in our monthly newsletter.

In honor of Women’s History month, I want to also celebrate the League of Women Voters. Since 1920 we have been an activist, grassroots organization whose leaders believed that voters should play a critical role in democracy.

The League of Women Voters was founded by Carrie Chapman Catt in 1920 during the convention of the National American Woman Suffrage Association. The convention was held just six months before the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, giving women the right to vote after a 72-year struggle. The League began as a "mighty political experiment" designed to help 20 million women carry out their new responsibilities as voters. It encouraged them to use their new power to participate in shaping public policy.

From the beginning, the League has been an activist, grassroots organization whose leaders believed that citizens should play a critical role in advocacy. It was then, and is now, a nonpartisan organization. League founders believed that maintaining a nonpartisan stance would protect the fledgling organization from becoming mired in the party politics of the day.

However, League members were encouraged to be political themselves, by educating citizens about, and lobbying for, government and social reform legislation. This holds true today. The League is proud to be nonpartisan, neither supporting nor opposing candidates or political parties at any level of government, but always working on vital issues of concern to members and the public. The League has a long, rich history, that continues with each passing year.

Thank you for being a member and I encourage you to invite others to join us.

• Criminal Justice- Judy Levy reported on the Community Advisory Committee (CAC) of IOLERO. There was a report about the pending bill AB 655 CA Law Enforcement Accountability Act Reform (CLEAR). The bill would require background checks on peace officer candidates for their participation in hate groups & other expressions of hate. This would disqualify the officer from serving. The CAC also discussed plans for their upcoming April 4th meeting, which will be a public forum for those running for sheriff.

• Climate Change- Jan Randell reported on the SR city climate action subcommittee. The primary focus of the meeting was about the resolution passed by the Regional Climate Protection Authority (RCPA) banning any new construction of gas stations in in cities. In Santa Rosa there are currently 46 gas stations. The committee recommended that the city also support this ban. This would require the development of an ordinance by the city planning commission. Then it would go to the city council for a vote.

• Child Care Council- Leona Judson reported on their monthly meeting. The primary focus was about the roll out of universal pre-kindergarten expansion. The goal is for all 4 year olds to have access throughout California within five years. Sonoma County would likely meet this goal sooner.

• Housing- Therese Scherrer reported on the Continuum of Care committee. They have elected a new board with wider representation of outlying cities. It will also include a member from the newly formed LEAP committee comprised of homeless & recently homeless individuals.

• Transportation- Rick Luttmann reported that the League executive board sent a letter to SCTA board in support for a grant to improve various aspects of SCTA services.

We are exploring the idea that members that have completed our Observer Corp training might be interested in following our elected state and federal representatives.

Stay tuned for our second public forum coming up, Learn with the League, on April 13th at 6:30 PM on the role of the district attorney’s office.

Check the Online Calendar for the latest schedule

 and for location or links to virtual meetings.

• Observer Corp , Most Fridays, 10:00 AM until 11:00 AM. Check calendar for meeting that apply to you and to register..
  
• Protecting Voting Rights & Election Security. March 16^th 2 pm,, via Zoom, jointly sponsored by AAUW SR and the League 

• Making Democracy Work- Is there a better way to elect our representatives. March 21^st 11:30 am, via Zoom  Jointly sponsored by the Marin & Sonoma Leagues

• Women’s History Month Presentation Maya Angelou- First Woman on the US Quarter, March 28^th 2:00 pm, via Zoom,  AAUW,  Healdsburg

• Making  Democracy Work Presentation – Student Perspective on Voting Rights, April 11 noon. via Zoom Jointly sponsored by the Marin & Sonoma Leagues and SSU professor David McCuan
  

• Learn with the League - What is the role of the District Attorney?,  April 13^th 6:30 pm, via Zoom 

• Centennial Committee Meeting,  March 25, 11 am. via Zoom
  

Standing Meetings 

• Board of Directors,  1st Saturday of the month from 10:30 AM to Noon
  
• Advocacy Committee- 1st Wednesday of the month from 10:00 AM to Noon
• Voter Service Committee- 1st Thursday of the month from 2:00 to 3:00 PM
•  Book Group: 3^rd Thursday of the month from 10:30 AM to Noon

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 of the LWV of Sonoma County