In This Issue
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LWVWA Legislative Action Workshop
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December Opportunities to Participate in Updating Local Comprehensive Plans
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Ready to Make Good Trouble?
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Let's Talk About Race Book Group
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Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice Committee: Where do we go from here? Part II
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- Welcome to New and Returning Members
- Reorganization of Voter Services
- Centennial Accord Annual Meeting Highlights
| | | Annual League of Women Voters Action Workshop, Sat. Dec. 2 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.. Meet with Lobby Team members to learn about issues anticipated in the 2024 Legislative Session. Register here.
See article by Loretta Seppanen for information about participating in the updating of local comprehensive plans: City of Olympia, Dec. 4 (6:30 p.m.)-Planning Commission meeting; City of Tumwater, Dec. 12 (6 p.m.)-joint session of the city council and planning commission; Thurston County-provide input on the Vision Survey by Dec. 31.
Ready to Make Good Trouble? Dr. Thelma Jackson talks about her book, Blacks in Thurston County, Washington 1950-1975: A Community Album, Sat. Dec. 9 at 2:00 p.m. at United Churches in Olympia.
| | Let’s Talk about Race Book Group, Dec. 12 at 2:00 p.m. on zoom. Mott Street: A Chinese American Family’s Story of Exclusion and Homecoming by Ava Chin. Contact anniecubberly@gmail.com for more information.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice Committee—Where do we go from here? Dec. 13, 5-6:30 p.m. on zoom. Contact Carol Goss for zoom link.
League of Women Voters & Fix Democracy First: Democracy Lobby Week. Jan. 22-26, 2024, 6-8:00 p.m. nightly.
LWVTC Program Planning. January date to be determined.
Coffee and Breakfast with the League: Tuesday mornings at 10:00 a.m. at River’s Edge Restaurant, Tumwater. | | | Register for the LWVWA Action Workshop Now
Saturday, December 2, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Virtual; see agenda and registration link below | | | Learn about what's expected in the upcoming legislative session on the League's key issues from our lobbyist, legislators, and Advocacy Team. On the agenda:
- Legislative forecast from LWVWA's contract lobbyist
- Panel discussion with elected state legislators
- Attend breakout groups focused on the League's key issues:
o Redistricting
o Local News and News Media Literacy
o Health Care
o Behavioral Health
o Children’s Issues & Education
o Elections & Money in Politics
o Climate Change & Energy
o Revenue
o Housing & Homelessness
o Criminal Justice
Join us for this empowering and informative event! Register here.
There is a $15 registration fee that supports state legislative action in areas such as the Legislative Action Newsletter. However, the League’s first priority is foster maximum participation in this and other League events. If cost is a barrier, please contact Amy Peloff, Administrative Director, to arrange for a scholarship to cover the cost. We want you there! | December Opportunities to Participate in Updating Local Comprehensive Plans
By Loretta Seppanen
Local governments set out their vision, goals, and policies for the coming 20 years in their Comprehensive Plans. Once every decade, residents are invited to give input as jurisdictions update those Comp Plans. Here are ways to participate in your city and in Thurston County Comp Plan work in December 2023:
City of Olympia
- Attend Monday Dec. 4 (6:30 p.m.) Planning Commission meeting on the newly revised draft revised Arts, Parks and Recreation chapter. Among new ideas in the chapter is the aspirational goal to be a city where all people feel safe and have equitable access to engage in parks, arts, and recreation services. You can also send feedback on the chapter to sniehuse@ci.olympia.wa.us.
- Review and send in comments on the draft Economy chapter. Send comments to mreid@ci.olympia.wa.us
City of Tumwater
Thurston County
- Provide input on the Vision Survey by Dec 31. The six open-ended questions give residents an opportunity to focus attention on topics that most concern you or give you the most hope about the area where we live. Topics could include:
- the county role promoting equity and justice, protecting farming, making new housing for rural workers more affordable, and preventing urban sprawl;
- sharing what rural character means for you;
- outlining the importance of an economy focused on ecological sustainability or on the well-being for all.
The updating process continues until June of 2025. Look to the Voter for future updates on how to participate. | Ready to make Good Trouble?
By Karen Fraser and Carol Goss
If you attended the YWCA’s Women of Achievement Celebration on Nov. 4, you experienced a real treat. Keynote Speaker Dr. Thelma Jackson spoke eloquently on what brought her and many of Thurston’s Black citizens to live here.
Some of us know of George Bush, a very distinguished and recognized Black pioneer who helped settle the town of Tumwater. Get more about George Bush here
Dr. Jackson brings many more stories of highly significant movers and shakers together in her book, Blacks in Thurston County Washington 1950-1975: A Community Album.
| | | Some, like Dr. Maxine Mimms, Professor Emeritus at The Evergreen State College (TESC) and founder of its Tacoma Campus, played significant roles in shaping Evergreen’s distinctive interdisciplinary educational approach. Black faculty and staff left a lasting impact on TESC, including Dr. Jackson as President of the Board of Trustees. Other local luminaries presented in the book are Merritt Long, Virgil Clarkson, Nat Jackson and Freddie Williams Neal, each sharing their past and present lives and inspiring future leaders.
Through Dr. Jackson’s recollections, we learned of the hardships created by housing and job discrimination and lessons learned in the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s. By “making good trouble,” these leaders laid the foundations for creating a more inclusive community for all.
The story isn’t over. Dr. Jackson invoked the indomitable spirit of Congressman John Lewis, who experienced incarceration, humiliation and violence throughout his life when standing up in earnest protest, calling on us to “make good trouble.” In the face of continuous attacks across our country on liberties, personal freedoms, voting rights, book availability, and the teaching of shared history in educational institutions, are we ready to make good trouble?
Join us for another presentation by Dr. Jackson on Saturday, Dec. 9 from 2-4 p.m. at United Churches of Olympia, 110-11th Ave. SE, Olympia (just north of downtown Olympia, by the SE corner of the Capitol Campus, at the corner of 11th Ave SE and Capitol Way South). | Let’s Talk about Race Book Group
Dec. 12, 2– 4 pm on Zoom
Mott Street: A Chinese American Family's Story of Exclusion and Homecoming, by Ava Chin
(Audio, e-book, and book at Timberland Library)
Author Ava Chin is a fifth-generation Chinese American poet, journalist, and professor. The book is a memoir and history of four generations of her family based on family interviews and searches through libraries and archives. It covers the period from the building of the railroads in the US through 1943 when citizenship for Chinese immigrants was finally allowed.
For more information about Ava Chin, see New York Library author interview; C-span conversation, and PBS Metro Focus brief interview
A Zoom link will be sent closer to the date. For more information contact Annie Cubberly | | | Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice Committee
Where do we go from here? Part II
Join us to determine 2024 action
Dec. 13, 5-6:30 p.m. on Zoom
Contact Carol Goss for zoom link
Where do we go from here? On Nov. 15 we reflected on the past three years of educating ourselves and expanding community outreach since the committee’s formation in December 2020. | | | The consensus opinion is that the DEI & Justice Committee has made a positive difference and that we aim to continue and expand these efforts. The Board enthusiastically agrees to continue supporting activities by engaging more LWVTC members, expanding community connections and applying diversity, equity, and inclusion elements into everything we do via the LWVTC Board’s strategic plan.
DEI & Justice Committee – what worked?
With the Tribal Update Study group, efforts by Voter Services, coordination with DEI & Justice Committee and other League efforts:
- We’re learning more about local tribes, through our study and by visiting the Nisqually and Squaxin Island tribes.
- Partnering with the Asian Pacific Islander Coalition/SPS and the Hispanic Roundtable Latinx Youth Summit.
- Tabling at community events like Juneteenth and Gay Pride
These events have made and are making a difference. It’s important for us to be a League that is beyond welcoming - not just a place to fit in, but a learning space where members of diverse communities feel they can belong.
What do we want to continue/expand on?
- Follow-up to 2023 DEI & J Panel Discussion on jurisdictions’ progress related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- Learning about organizations, their missions and community work that share LWV’s values of empowering and educating voters and protecting democracy.
- Trips to tribal and cultural centers.
Who else should be involved and how?
- Leadership – how and who? Representation on the board is vital as we move ahead.
- Help to define our strategic plan to engage more members for next stages and to activate commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in principle and in practice in 2024.
Where do we go from here?
Get more information about the DEI & Justice Committee and why it was formed here.
| Season’s Greetings and Planning for the New Year
by Darlene Hein
We are in the holiday season and the end of the year is fast approaching. The LWVTC Board of Directors recently met for a long overdue Board Retreat. At the retreat we started to look at what our League has accomplished and what lies ahead in the coming year. We had a very productive year and accomplished an amazing amount, including completing two local studies (tribal and water); doing primary and general election candidate forums; sponsoring programs, including ones on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and tribal issues; staffing voter registration and information tables at a multitude of events; developing new voter materials and producing the “Be a Voter” video and so much more.
| | | At the retreat it was decided that we need to look at what we are doing and how we do it and what we want to accomplish, focus on, and how to make it happen in both the short run, between now and our annual meeting in May, and how we function in the years to come. The Board decided to go ahead and dive into a focused strategic plan and will be reaching out to all members for their input. If you are interested in helping with this process, please let me know.
We are planning two meetings at the beginning of the year. In January we will be holding our Program Planning Meeting and in February we will be hosting a celebration with our members to acknowledge all the work that has been accomplished in the last year and review the strategic plan. The Fundraising Committee is planning our Spring Education Luncheon. I am looking forward to seeing everyone at all our events, having good conversations and actively working to fight for our democracy.
Happy Holidays! | THOUGHTS ON LEAGUE ISSUES
| Welcome to New and Renewing Members!
Cheers and welcome to our new and renewing members in the past month! | | | Laurie Anderson
Carolyn Byerly & Kay McGraw
Teresa Staal-Cowley
Susie Galpern
Linda Green |
Barbara Hatfield
Michele Hendrickson
Jan Holloway
Brian Hovis
Noreen Light & Kevin Light-Roth |
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| Mary Moore
Sandra Novack
Devi Ogden
Anne Van Sweringen |
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Do you know where to find LWVTC history, bylaws, positions, committee and board contacts? It’s all in your handbook. If you haven’t received your new LWVTC handbook/directory for 2023-2024, send a message to membership@LWVThurston.org to get your copy.
Besides local member contacts, the booklet contains LWVTC & LWVWA Boards lists, state Lobby Team and local League committee descriptions and leads. The current bylaws, and positions, such as the Water and Tribal Update studies completed this year, are also provided. While perusing, take a look at pages 42-43 for links to Legislative resources - LWVWA and leg.wa.gov; a short list of local community organizations supporting diversity; and the updated Land Acknowledgement reflecting ongoing commitment to “educate ourselves on the history of these tribal nations, on our joint history, and on the role they continue to play in the Thurston County community.”
We hope you use this resource book to deepen your understanding of the LWV, make contact with League members and continue to expand and strengthen your relationships and connections. Enjoy! | Reorganization of Voter Services
By Susan Fiksdal
Three volunteers have stepped into lead roles as we continue expanding our outreach efforts: Vallie Needham will help organize tabling at 14 Community Events; Brenda Paull will organize tabling at high schools; and Laurie Smith will work on graphic design and messaging for posters and flyers. It is wonderful to have more leadership in this important work!
At left, Vallie Needham; At bottom left, Carol Goss (L) and Brenda Paull (R) and at bottom right, Susan Fiksdal (L) and Laurie Smith (R). | | | Centennial Accord Annual Meeting Highlights
By Loretta Seppanen
A way to learn about the administrative and legislative issues of importance to local tribes is to attend or read about the annual Centennial Accord meeting. As explained in the LWVTC Study of Thurston Area Tribal Nations, the Accord is an agreement to strengthen the government-to-government relationship between the State of Washington and tribes (see page 97-98). Leaders from all 29 federally recognized tribes meet annually in late October with the Governor, the Office of the Attorney General, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and cabinet officers. This year the meeting was hosted by the Chehalis Tribe at the Lucky Eagle Casino Event Center and virtually on Zoom.
Key topics this year included:
- Tribal concern about overuse of trails and underregulated non-commercial fishing and hunting as the population continues to grow. Tribal members sought agreement from the state to plan together for resource protection before more harm is done to the natural environment.
- Work with tribes to rapidly implement best practices related to removing vehicle tire dust - 6PPD – before stormwater enters salmon bearing streams and to continue research to replace that product in tires
- The need to raise public awareness of the health threat from fentanyl use including school awareness training.
- Need to take legislative and funding action to increase school district compliance with the requirement that social studies education include the Since Time Immemorial Curriculum in all public K-12 schools and to fund tribal involvement in teaching that curriculum.
| EMPOWERING VOTERS. DEFENDING DEMOCRACY.
The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.
Copyright © 2022, League of Women Voters of Thurston County, Washington
Our mailing address is:
P.O. Box 2203
Olympia, WA 98507
http://www.lwvthurston.org/ | |