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Vote for US – Book Talk – July 1

 

Please join us for a Book Talk at Powell’s Books on Monday July 1, 7:30 pm. Professor Joshua Douglas will speak about his new book on improving voting rights.

The Book Talk is at Powell’s City of Books on W. Burnside. It is co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Portland and the League of Women Voters of Oregon.

About the Book

Told through the stories of those working on voting rights reforms, this book includes chapters on expanding voter eligibility, easing voter registration rules, making voting more convenient, giving redistricting back to the voters, pushing back on big money through local and state efforts, making the system more accountable, and improving civics education.

Thoroughly researched, this book gives anyone fed up with our current politics the ideas and tools necessary to affect change in their own communities.

About the Author

Joshua A. Douglas is a professor at the University of Kentucky College of Law. His most recent work focuses on the constitutional right to vote. He has also written extensively on election law procedure.

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Celebrating and Continuing our Work

On Tuesday, June 4, we celebrated the 100th anniversary of the US Senate’s approval of the 19th Amendment. This amendment to the US Constitution says, “”The right of citizens…to vote shall not be denied…on account of sex.” It became effective on August 26, 1920, after three fourths of the states ratified it. During the next year, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History will be sharing stories on social media using the hashtag #19thAt100. The League of Women Voters will explore the full history of 19th Amendment. We know that it was an incomplete victory. For many women, the fight for suffrage continued. Even now, the League is continuing our work to protect the voting rights of all Americans.

LWV History

On February 14, 2020, the League of Women Voters will celebrate the 100th anniversary of our founding. (Read more about our history here.) As we look back on 100 years of achievements, we also will look forward.  Our volunteers are working every day to help shape a better future for all.

Our work now

Right now, the LWVUS is supporting the “For the People Act” in the US Senate. This legislation would modernize and reform our election system and restore the Voting Rights Act. The LWVOR is working in the Oregon Legislature on many issues. These include protecting the environment, adequately funding state services, and advancing Oregonians’ rights. The Portland League is working to protect the rights of the people of Multnomah County. In addition, for every election, we provide nonpartisan voting information, so voters will know about the candidates and issues.

The League is proud to be nonpartisan. We neither support nor oppose any candidate or political party.  Yet we are always working on vital issues of concern to the public.

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Thanks, Donors!

A great head start for funding our work in the year ahead!

We are excited to have received a recent $18,000 grant from the Carol and Velma Saling Foundation and a $6,000 grant from The Wyss Foundation. These grants will provide funding to support our nonpartisan election information and civic programs on critical community issues in our 2019-20 fiscal year.

Putting a candle on our symbolic cake to support our work in the year ahead

We also are thrilled with the success of our “One to Grow On” campaign. In preparation for the League’s 100th Birthday, the 2020 elections and the challenges ahead of us, we raised more than $10,000 with this campaign. Many thanks to Holst Architecture and an anonymous donor for giving us a matching grant – and to our generous members who met the match and then exceeded it

The symbolic cake filled with donation pledges to meet the match and help fund our work for 2019-20

 

Our 2019-20 fiscal year will be busy and expensive. League volunteers will be hard at work. As we always do, we will empower voters with nonpartisan election information and advocate for better government and livable communities.

 

To  continue and expand our efforts, we will need more funding throughout the year. We would welcome your support! Please consider making a donation by clicking on one of the Donate links on this website. Thank you!

June 4, 1:30 PM! Hearing on Climate Change #AllEyesOnJuliana👀

ninth Circuit hearing on climate

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in Portland, Oregon heard the constitutional youth climate lawsuit, Juliana v. United States, on June 4, 2019. Counsel for youth plaintiffs, Julia Olson, argued on their behalf and an attorney from the Department of Justice argued on behalf of the federal government. The League of Women Voters supports the young people in their climate lawsuit against the US Government. You can view a recording of the hearing here.

What It’s about

In 2015, 21 young Americans filed a lawsuit ( Juliana v. United States) against the federal government for knowingly contributing to climate change and violating their constitutional rights. The Juliana v. US lawsuit established that young people have a constitutional right to “a climate system capable of sustaining human life.” That right is being violated.

the Portland Rally!

Hundreds of people rallied in Portand and watched a livestream of oral arguments at Director Park in downtown Portland. There was  a press conference with the young plaintiffs following the hearing. In March 2019, Multnomah County, OR, filed a brief supporting the plaintiffs. Chair Kafoury and Multnomah Commissioners attended the rally.

The YouTube video of the hearing had 4,890 views by the evening of June 4.

New LWVPDX 2019-20 Board

At our May 13 Local Convention of LWV of Portland members, we elected a new board president and new members of the Portland Board. All these leaders are volunteers. They serve our community by providing civic and voter information and advocacy for the public good.

The new Board and other leaders for the League of Women Voters of Portland (L-R top row: Marion McNamara, Adrienne Aiona, Amber Nobe, Judy Froemke, Carol Cushman, Eileen Chase, Debbie Aiona; L-R bottom row: Peter Englander, Debbie Kaye, Linda Mantel, Margaret Noel, Maud Naroll, Nancy Donovan, Anne Davidson.  Missing Kim Mason, Phil Thor). Our new president, Debbie Kaye, is holding the bouquet of yellow roses.

You may read the profiles of all the 2019-20 League Leaders on our Meet the Board page here. 

You also may see more about what happened at our 2019 Convention by clicking here.