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Empowering Voters. Defending Democracy.

The official newsletter of the League of Women Voters of San Luis Obispo County. Vol 67 | Issue 1 | Date: Jan. 22, 2025 In this issue: Equal Rights Amendment Recognition Program Planning Meeting - Jan 25 New National Membership System Civil Discourse in a Polarized World Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Volunteers Needed Legislative Update from Dawn Addis

EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT RECOGNITION

On January 17, as one of his last actions as President, President Biden announced that the Equal Rights Amendment is part of the Constitution of the United States and must be recognized as such. He confirmed that the amendment has met all the provisions of the Constitution to become law. His decision is somewhat controversial because of the time it took for three-fourths of the state legislatures to ratify the ERA and the National Archivist has refused to publish it. This article,The Equal Rights Amendment at Long Last, by renowned constitutional expert Lawrence Tribe makes the case that the National Archivist has no role here. As President Biden said, "Nothing in Article V makes the Constitution’s binding contents depend on any further official action by any branch of the federal government, whether Congress or the Judiciary or indeed the Executive."

IN-PERSON PROGRAM PLANNING MEETING

League Program Planning Saturday, January 25, 2025 9:30 AM – 12:00 PM United Methodist Church 1515 Fredericks Street, San Luis Obispo Register Here

We thank you in advance for registering, showing up, participating, and helping us plan our Program for 2025 - 2027 – the issues and areas for emphasis that matter to you, to our community, and to our democracy.If you haven’t registered yet, please do so here. The Program Planning Meeting will have 3 parts: Information about the League and the program planning process. See League Basics for Program Planning. An update on our activities based on our 2023 – 2025 Program. See the 2023-2025 Adopted Program. Breakout Sessions. We will have 2 breakout sessions. During the breakout sessions, we’ll split up into small groups and use a “listening circle” to give everyone an opportunity to speak. During the breakout sessions, the discussion leader, a seasoned League member, will guide your group to a consensus on your top 3 issues for our League to focus on for the 2025 – 2027 biennium. The issues we identify will be shared with the state League and factored into LWVC Program planning for 2025 – 2027. State and national League priorities focus on making our governmental institutions work better. Under the rubric “Making Democracy Work”, the California state League and the League of Women Voters of the United States focus on protecting and expanding voting rights, improving elections, promoting campaign finance reform to curb the power of money in elections, supporting redistricting to ensure fair representation, and working for the direct election of the President and the abolition of the Electoral College. Are you unable to attend the Program Planning Meeting? We still want to hear from you. Please send your ideas and questions for program planning to info@lwvslo.org. Your voice and your vote matter. We look forward to seeing you and hearing your ideas on January 25.

Register for Program Planning Here

NEW NATIONAL MEMBERSHIP SYSTEM

In early February, LWVUS is debuting a new nation-wide membership system called ChapterSpot designed to streamline administrative work for all Leagues.In the coming weeks, you will receive an email through ChapterSpot asking you to log in to the portal for the first time. You are not being asked to renew or pay dues, only to log in and complete your member information. It is important that you log in to the portal to ensure that we have the most up-to-date information, as well as to help the League more broadly understand who we are as an organization. If you haven't received an invitation to log in before February 7, please check your spam folder or reach out tomembership@lwv.org. Please note that while members will join and renew their membership through ChapterSpot, LWV SLOCO will continue to use Club Express, our website, event and email system, for our local activities. After the launch of ChapterSpot we encourage our members to visit their member profile in Club Express which can be accessed by logging in on our website. Details of how ChapterSpot will work are available on our websitehere. Additional information will be sent via email later this month and we will also have more specific information in the February VOTER newsletter and in member emails. There is nothing for you to do now but to be aware change is coming.

CIVIL DISCOURSE IN A POLARIZED WORLD

Voters in the 2024 election learned that no matter how they voted, if they voted at all, a significant number of people do not think the same way they do. If you are one of the 120 million who voted, it may startle you to learn that 90 million eligible American voters did not. Those who did vote learned that their opinion, passionate as it might be, isn’t the only one. Yet studies of polarization show an interesting dynamic: Three out of four Americans want to live in a less polarized, more united country, but our current political climate pushes us further apart. A Carnegie Endowment for International Peace study shows that, on issues, Americans are actually less polarized than they think they are. Politicians, on the other hand, “are highly ideologically polarized, believe in and vote for different sets of policies with little overlap.” This gap, between where ordinary Americans are ideologically and where their leaders are coming from is where our opportunity lies. We can make a real difference by learning about and practicing civil discourse with each other. To do this we need to start talking to each other. It is common knowledge that prejudice flourishes where there is a lack of interaction with those feared. How many people do you know who are on the other side of the political divide? And how do you treat them, with respect or contempt? A group called UNITE compiled “The Dignity Index.” It scores distinct phrases on an eight-point scale from contempt to dignity to help us understand how what we think and say about each other either brings us together or drives us further apart. Dozens of groups are working to help repair divisions. Find a list compiled by the League of Women Voters and the National Institute for Civil Discourse here: Repairing Divisions. Locally, our Civil Discourse Committee is working on two new public forums: “Dealing with Uncertainty”, how to recognize that we cannot predict or control the future but we can make a plan of action for ourselves to make a difference on a local level; and “Combating Misinformation”, fact or fiction, know your source. Join us! Contact us at civildiscourse@lwvslo.org.

HONORING DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Voting Rights Legacy This past January 20th, we celebrated the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Sixty years ago, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act into law, ensuring African American citizens' right to vote, thanks in large part to the leadership of Dr. King. “So long as I do not firmly and irrevocably possess the right to vote I do not possess myself. I cannot make up my mind – it is made up for me. I cannot live as a democratic citizen, observing the laws I have helped to enact – I can only submit to the edict of others.” - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. As we honor Dr. King, the League of Women Voters remains committed to empowering voters and defending democracy. We stay dedicated as a nonpartisan organization, focusing on issues important to communities. We advocate for a strong democracy for all people, supporting the rights and representation of every voter, regardless of political party, race, gender, or language.

GOVT. POLICY COMMITTEE VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Good governance at any level is driven by a commitment to service. It is accessible, transparent, and accountable. For local government to be effective, good governance requires community members to be informed and engaged. The League’s Government Policy (GP) Committee tracks the issues, policies, and actions of the County Board of Supervisors and local City Councils. We recruit volunteer observers to follow local meetings and report back on key issues and decisions that relate to the League’s priorities and positions. With this information, the League’s board may decide to take action. They may decide to advocate for or against a certain action or policy. Advocacy may mean a “Call to Action” to members to weigh in. It may mean a letter to the editor or public comment at a BOS or city council meeting. We can, and we have, made a real difference to good governance in SLO County. The GP Committee is looking for 1-3 volunteers to track Paso Robles City Council meeting agendas and actions. The agendas are available online in advance of the meeting. The meetings are live streamed and broadcast on local radio so attending in person is not required. Following each meeting, draft minutes are published online and there is a video to watch. So if you miss a meeting you can always catch up later. If you’re interested in serving as a meeting observer or joining the GP Committee, please contact the GP Committee chair Leslie Brown at govtpolicy@lwvslo.orgfor more information. Be the “eyes and ears” of the League in your community. Help us ensure good governance. Help us make a difference. Find additional information about the GP Committee on the League’s website here.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Legislative Update from Dawn Addis Friday, Feb 28, 2025, 1:00 – 2:00 PM Oddfellows Hall, 520 Dana St, SLO

Assemblymember Dawn Addis, representing 30th Assembly District which includes portions of San Luis Obispo, Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties, will be providing a legislative update at 1 p.m. on Friday, February 28. As the Assistant Majority Leader for Policy and Research and the Chair of the Central Coast Legislative Caucus, she will speak about her work in the California State Legislature and her advocacy on behalf of the Central Coast constituents. The topics will include legislative and budget wins, as well as issues pertaining to seniors such as housing and rent, healthcare access, scam prevention and others. She will also explain the role of the district staff in assisting constituents, and how the audience can engage in informing policy decisions on the state level.

There is no charge for this event but you must register here.