John Lewis Day of Commemoration and Action - July 17, 2024
LWVDC showed up for the John Lewis Day of Commemoration and Action at the John Wilson building on July 17th, the 4th anniversary of the passing of John Lewis. We support the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, the Freedom to Vote Act, the Native American Voting Rights Act and the Washington DC Admission Act.
Click HERE to watch the video of the John Lewis Day celebration.
League Friends in Action: DC's Criminal Injustice System - Why DC Statehood is Imperative
Click HERE to read Shelley Broderick's article about the criminal justice system in DC based on research for State Research DC.
League in Action: LWVDC Joins Call to Re-Envision the Rock Creek Park Golf Course Renovation Plan
LWVDC is part of the Rock Creek Park Golf Course For All coalition that supports the necessary rehabilitation of Rock Creek Park Golf Course, but objects to the National Links Trust (NLT) and the National Park Service (NPS) proposed course design that devastates the ecosystem and fails to address community concerns, as covered in the most recent Washington Post article on the issue.. Urgent action is needed. Please visit https://actionnetwork.org/letters/protect-rock-creek-parks-trees-wildlife-and-nearby-communities/ and let your voice be heard.
Rock Creek Park Golf Course For All is a coalition of neighbors, NPS volunteers, scientists, golfers, youth leaders, and local nonprofits such as the DC Chapter of the Sierra Club, Washington Parks and People, Nature Forward, DC Bird Alliance, Anacostia Coordinating Council, Ward 8 Woods Conservancy, Chesapeake Climate Action Network, DC League of Women Voters, DC Environmental Network, the Environmental Justice Ministry Team at Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Congregation, and DC Youth Climate Corps. These people and organizations are advocating for a more thoughtful, inclusive, pragmatic, and environmentally sound rehabilitation that preserves this historic course as a place of natural wonder, recreation, and enjoyment for all. Learn more at https://rockcreekparkgolfcourseforall.org.
League in Action: Restore the Vote - Classes in 2023
The DC League is conduction classes in the DC Department and Corrections and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. We do not have permission from the Federal Bureau of Prisons to use any of the photographs taken from our discussion session/class conducted in July 2023. The conversations with DC citizens were lively. Incarcerated members of the DC community are watching the news, and are very aware of the political, safety and local events in the District. These DC citizens are, for the most part, registered to vote; although making sure their ballot arrives at the correct address in time to vote is something they need to pay attention to. To that point both the DC Board of Elections and the DC League of Women Voters have email addresses that connect to incarcerated people at the more than 100 BOP locations where DC residents are held.
While we took a group photo while at Petersburg Federal Corrections Institution, the BOP has not give the DC League of Women Voters the okay to use the two groups including DC voters. There is no replacement for the full class pictures; however, here are the team from the DC League who took the trip to Petersburg and spent the morning with DC Voters.
At Petersburg FCI: July 17, 2023 Myra Woods (Voter Services) Anne Laroche and Cathy Chiron, past president. Keith Forney also there was not pictured.
The DC Board of Elections was represented by, Scott Sussman, Lenez McCann and Osvaldo Vieira. FCI Cumberland in Cumberland MD, was the next location for our team on National Voter Registration Day. There we had 91 attendees. Similarly, at the DC Department of Corrections, we have been joined by Angie Whitehurst and Charles Thornton (DC League Members) to conduct two Voting While Incarcerated classes in the CDF and the CTF every month through December.
Being prepared for the 2024 election will require technology to reach all incarcerated DC voters. The DC League, the Department of Corrections, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons understand that a small team of facilitators will not do the job of preparing over 2,000 DC people who are in Federal Prisons all over the US, and 1,600 residents being held at the DC Jail. We are busy working with volunteers to transform the Voting While Incarcerated in-person class developed in 2023 by Debbie Polhemus and Sophie Oberstein. Our goal for the DC Department of Corrections is to create electronic formats suitable for the tablets provided to all DOC residents. Other forms of distribution are needed for the BOP, where incarcerated men and women do not have access to technology.
We are working with the BOP to inform DC voters and educate them on steps to improve their ability to access the ballot in 2024. It’s complicated because every facility has its own norms and processes. More advocacy work and process changes within the BOP must to be done to help voters understand candidate positions and election issues. We continue to participate with coalitions at the state and the federal level whose goal is to improve access to the ballot and provide enabling voter education.
League in Action: October 25, 2023 Member Meeting - Initiative 83
Initiative 83: Ranked Choice Voting and Semi-Open Primaries
The proposed “Make All Votes Count DC” ballot initiative would implement ranked choice voting and open primaries to independent voters in D.C elections. At an October 25, 2023 LWVDC Member Meeting presentation, the Initiative 83’s proposer explained the rationale behind the effort and what it would mean for voting in our city. National experts also discussed how this proposal fits within the national context of ranked choice voting and how other states and localities manage primaries.
Watch the video here and view the slide presentations below.
Panelists were:
LWVDC has supported ranked choice voting since 2015 because we believe it assures that the candidate with the broadest support of the voters is elected; provides voters more voice in elections; and leads to more representative government. (Where We Stand, p. 12) We also support opening primaries to independent voters because as the League “we encourage electoral methods that provide the broadest voter representation possible and are expressive of voter choices.” (Impact on Issues, p. 51) Given this, we testified in support of Initiative 83 in front of the DC Board of Elections in the summer of 2023.
League in Action: August 15, 2023 Blog Post
Enjoy this new blog post by our awesome Statehood Team!
https://www.lwv.org/blog/congressional-budget-riders-could-make-dc-less-safe
League in Action: August 8 - Voter Registration at Naturalization Ceremony
August’s event was the second post-pandemic naturalization ceremony at the U.S. District Court since the COVID hiatus. The event and reception tookplace on the 6th floor of the U.S. District Court, 333 Constitution Ave, NW. One hundred and twelve candidates and their guests attended. Other organizations included the Board of Elections and the Daughters of the American Revolution. The League had eight volunteers supporting this event.Every person who turned out (Barbara Zia, Myra Woods, Angie Whitehurst, Judy Osborne, Betsy McCallum, Paula Hirschoff, Susan Adland, and Ann Castiglione Cataldo) was kept busy assisting new voters with their registration forms.
Our DC League President, Barbara Zia, spoke about our organization’s work, the importance of voting and pointed out the League members in the room. The Judge andhis mother who was an invited speaker all echoed Barbara’s theme emphasizing the importance and privilege of voting in the U.S.
Through combined efforts with the Board of Elections, 84 new citizens completed their voter registrations.TheNaturalizations Teamcontinues to seek volunteers for the remainder of 2023 (if interested, email Ann Castiglione Cataldo at naturalizations@lwvdc.org). The Board of Elections has a Spanish language speaker. Additional language support is always needed.
LWVDC and Board of Elections representativesAngie Whitehurst, Barbara Zia, Karla Garcia, LaDawn White, Jaloney Coulter, and Ann Castiglione Cataldo.
League in Action: Restore the Vote - July 17, 2023
The Restore the Vote Coalition of DC, which includes LWVDC, Washington Law, The Sentencing Project, Disability Rights DC, More Than Our Crimes, and The Campaign Legal Center, met with Councilmember Anita Bonds recapping progress made in extending opportunities to register and vote to DC's incarcerated citizens in the DC Jail and the Bureau of Prisons (BOP). We discussed the complexity of reaching every potential voter and the gap between registration and voter turnout. While CM Bonds is supportive of the part that the Board of Elections (BOE) must play in process of registering and providing ballots to incarcerated citizens, she suggested that we also communicate our list of desired improvements to CM Brooke Pinto (for the DC Jail) and BOP needed support to Congress Member Eleanor Holmes Norton.
The DC League partnered with the BOE in traveling to the Petersburg Federal Correctional Institution to conduct a civics class/discussion and register the 100 people in the Medium Security facility and the 30 plus in the Low Security camp on July 17, 2023. For more information, please contact Myra Woods at trustee4@lwvdc.org.
League in Action: July 11, 2023
In coordination with LWVUS, both LWVUS and LWVDC have signed on to a letter circulated by DC Vote to object to language in the House Appropriations Bill (aka "riders") that restrict what DC can do. In the past, appropriations riders have prevented DC residents from spending their own money on abortion services for low-income people and on regulating legalized marijuana. This year, there are several more riders which would:
- Ban on DC using any federal funds on needle-exchange program (I'm not sure if this is a reinstatement of an old ban)
- Prohibit DC from using red-light traffic cameras (new)
- Repeal DC's seven-year old law on physician-assisted suicide (new)
- Ban DC from spending money to enforce its law preventing employer discrimination against employees for their reproductive health decisions (new)
- Bans DC from implementing its recently-passed no right on red law (new)
- Expand the number of private schools where D.C. parents can spend federally funded tuition vouchers.
- Allow District agencies and charter schools to be sued under the city’s anti-SLAAP law, in effect allowing anti-abortion protesters to disrupt parents, children, and staff if their protests happen to take place near schools (new)
When people ask why we need statehood, we now have very clear examples of the harm Congressional "oversight" can do. Congress generally cannot mandate how states spend their locally-raised tax dollars and which laws they can pass.
League in Action: July 4, 2023
The Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haaland, extended an invitation to LWVDC to attend the traditional July 4th event on the rooftop of the Department of the Interior (a great view of the fireworks). Leaguers Myra Woods and Angie Whitehurst attended this festive celebration on behalf of LWVDC and enjoyed the event. LWVDC is most appreciative of having been included.
League in Action: Voter Services
Voter Services members Ann Castiglione and Myra Woods staffed a table at the Community Care Fair, sponsored by the Nathaniel H Pickett II Foundation. Our goal was to register voters and talk with folks who are not registered and listen to their concerns and perspectives in participative government. Other exhibitors included Mary's Center, Javara, Harm Reduction DC, Maha Yoga, and other community organizations.
As announced by the DC District Court, a Naturalization Ceremony will be conducted on July 11. LWVDC has confirmed our intent to participate and we are awaiting their acknowledgement of the League as a Service Provider. Our goal is to attend the now monthly planned Naturalization Ceremonies on the second Tuesday of every month. Approximately 125 new citizens will be welcomed at each event.
League in Action: Statehood Presentations
On June 6, Yilin Zhang and Anne Stauffer spoke at the Illinois League of Women Voters state convention. Their president is a staunch statehood supporter and members were very engaged with insightful questions and interested in continuing to support our statehood effort.
On June 7, Anne Stauffer spoke with 160 middle school students from Massachusetts as part of their week in DC with the Close Up Foundation. Anne tied our fight against “taxation without representation” to the rallying cry of the Boston Tea Party.
If you are interested in speaking with Leagues around the country and other groups, please let Yilin at trustee1@lwvdc.org know. It is great fun and really helps build awareness of our need for statehood around the country.