-
-
Wisconsin: elections and voting take center stage
By: LWVWhew! I arrived in Madison, Wisconsin late Thursday evening and by noon Friday, I had talked with the head of the state government accountability board, taped an interview for Wisconsin Eye, and spoken with a reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel newspaper. Oh, did I mention that on the way to a League training, I spoke to a reporter in Wichita, Kansas about voter ID?
But the highlight of the day was the afternoon with League members talking and training about membership and leadership.
-
Inspiration in Colorado!
By: LWVDon't call it the Governor's mansion in Colorado. It is the Governor's residence. But whatever name it is called, the residence is beautiful and the League of Women Voters of Colorado's 90th Anniversary event on Thursday night was wonderful. The League filled the residence with members and supporters. Former National President Carolyn Jefferson Jenkins summed up the League's history by reminding us of the call to action for the second annual (yes annual) convention and by listing all the issues that the League has studied since 1920. What an act to follow!
-
League celebrates 90th with Rocky Mountains as backdrop
By: LWVWe visited the Capitol after an informative meeting with Colorado's Secretary of State. The tone here is sure different than Texas, but some of the proposed amendments to Colorado's constitution would be right at home in the Lone Star State. Since I was still wearing my LWVUS nametag, we got an even more cordial welcome from the volunteer tour guides at the Capitol than usual (which is saying something). Good information on state history is a great preparation for talking about the League's 90th anniversary at the Governor's Mansion tonight.
-
Voters lost and special interests won today
By: LWVToday in Washington we fell short by just one vote in our continuing battle to pass the DISCLOSE Act, which would restore transparency to U.S. elections by requiring disclosure of corporate and union spending in candidate elections. The Leagues of Women Voters of Maine and Massachusetts have been doing wonderful work in encouraging their Senators to support the legislation, but those efforts haven’t yet paid off.
-
Redistricting reform and voter registration in Dallas
By: LWVWhat a great day in Dallas! We started at KERA, public radio in Dallas talking about voter turnout and redistricting. Then it was on to Arlington, TX to a public hearing before a Texas House commission on redistricting. My testimony on behalf of the League provoked many statements and challenges, including from a representative who wanted the League to criticize the Voting Rights Act!
-
Houston, we have a problem!
By: LWV"Houston, we've got a problem!" How many times have I used this phrase in various contexts? Houston brings to mind the space program, hurricanes, the oil and gas industry. But Houston is also a city of neighborhoods and museums. As in many major cities, the downtown is being rejuvenated.
-
Candidates Debate, Texas Style!
By: LWVIt's a far cry, weather-wise from the Arizona desert to the Texas coast! Houston was warm and cloudy when I arrived, but the League was still sizzling. At the George R. Brown Convention Center in downtown Houston, voters had an opportunity to meet and greet candidates for local office. This was a candidate forum Texas style! Harris County voters will confront the longest ballot in the country this fall. Just counting the judges, there are 70 races.