Colorado Voter Volume 27, Number 2, 2013

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS® OF COLORADO

Please mark your calendars for January 13, the new date for Legislative Conference! See you there!

LWVCO Legislative Conference Monday, January 13, 2014

Old Supreme Court Chambers State Capitol, 200 East Colfax Avenue, Denver

Seating in the Chambers is limited to 150 spaces.

Registration: 8:30 a.m. Preview of the 2013 Legislative Session: 9:00 - 12:00 noon

Lunch, League lobbyist: 12:15 - 2:00 p.m. History Colorado, 1200 Broadway

(about 4 blocks south-west of the Capitol) Fee includes Colorado History Museum admission! Museum closes at 5:00.

Choice of Bistro Box lunch: Includes Boulder chips, fruit, dessert 1. Smoked Pecan Chicken Salad

pecan smoked local chicken with maple slaw dressing, dried cranberries, scallions, pecans, orange zest 2. Grilled Vegetable Flatbread

roasted red pepper and goat cheese jam, grilled vegetables, local greens, EVOO and balsamic

Legislative Conference Registration Form - Deadline Thursday, January 2, 2014 Registration Fee: $32.00 includes program, lunch, museum admission. (No refunds after January 2, 2014)

Name ____________________________________________________ (Please print name as you wish to have it appear on the name tag.)

Name of League _______________________________________ Email address__________________________________________

Lunch choice (circle one): 1 (Pecan Chicken Salad) or 2 (Vegetable Flatbread) Payment options:

• Check payable to LWVCO • PayPal at www.lwvcolorado.org (accepts credit cards) • Visa or MasterCard # _________________________________

Expiration Date______________ Amount: $__________

Mail to: LWVCO, 1410 GRANT ST STE B204, DENVER CO 80203-1855 Phone: 303-863-0437 Fax: 303-837-9917

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Board of Directors 2013-2014

Colorado Voter November 2013

Officers Bobbie Heisterkamp, President bdheistkmp@aol.com 303.333.6818 Nancy Crow, lst VP Program Crow.nancyc@gmail.com 703.489.9303 303.322.4878 Shirley Jin, 2nd VP Administration shirleyjin1430@gmail.com 303.499.1574 Jodi Foran, 3rd VP Member Services jodi@foran.net 970.882.2401 Gerry Cummins, 4th VP Voter Service gerry.cummins@prodigy.net 303.771.0115 Sue Vaughan, Secretary suev53@aol.com 303.277.0145 Liz Black, Treasurer elizabeth.s.black@colorado.edu 303.666.5284

Directors Sonia Koetting, Communications sonia@fingersfly.com 970.691.5633 Cynthia (Cinnie) Auer, Development Cauer56662@aol.com 303.756.2943 Julie Ott, Voter Editor ottmountain@earthlink.net 719.637.3498 Karen Connor, Director-at-Large kconnor1941@gmail.com 970.249.2135 Linda Porter, Director-at-Large ljporter@q.com 303.425.3634 Carol Pace, Director-at-Large lwvpace@gmail.com

Staff Julie Leonard, Executive Director info@lwvcolorado.org 303.863.0437

From the President

Colorado Voter, November 2013 Published quarterly by League of Women Voters of Colorado 1410 Grant Street B204, Denver CO 80203 Phone: 303.863.0437 Fax: 303.837.9917 E-mail: info@lwvcolorado.org Website: www.lwvcolorado.org Send articles and photos to the editor, Julie Ott: ottmountain@earthlink.net

Leagues around the state are participating in myriad election activities and giving their local citizens clear information about candidates and issues. We should take pride in how we are carrying out our mission despite the complexity involved. From proposed local bans on hydraulic fracturing to secession of some counties to form a 51st state, to sharp philosophical differences between school board candidates, to raising taxes, to accomplish new financing goals, the League is in the forefront of giving balanced information to voters who will make these momentous decisions. Thanks for all of your hard work!

At our retreat in July, the LWVCO Board voted to support Proposition AA taxing marijuana and marijuana products. In order to responsibly regulate and control the sale of recreational marijuana, the state needs additional funds rather than taking the money from the over-stretched general fund. The proposal asks for an additional 10% sales tax to be imposed at the retail store and asks for a 15% excise tax to be imposed on unprocessed marijuana at the place where it is cultivated and sent to market. One additional benefit is that the first $40 million collected from the excise tax will be put in the Public School Capital Construction Fund to help build new schools and make improvements to older buildings. We feel that this proposal is essential for the new program to be successful. It should be noted that taxes on essential medical marijuana would not be affected by this proposal, only the voluntary purchase of recreational marijuana.

A recent Letter to the Editor was published in the Denver Post explaining the reasons the League of Women Voters of Colorado supports Amendment 66, funding for public schools. I really appreciate several board members who helped me craft that letter.

Colorado flooding has affected many of our members and my empathy goes out to all of you. My personal experience comes from a home I own in Big Elk Meadows, between Lyons and Estes Park, which I cannot drive to due to the destroyed roads. My helicopter visit last week revealed water damage and mold. On the bright side we were able to winterize the house to protect it from the freezing temperatures now occurring. One day at a time.

~ Bobbie Heisterkamp, LWVCO President

In Memoriam: Noreen Ogden

Noreen Ogden joined LWV in 1972 and championed League causes. Over the course of a decade she served on the Arapahoe County League Board as Land Use Chair, the Metro Board as Regional Cooperation Chair, Vice President and President, and on the State Board as Government Coordinator. She was the LWVCO Lobbyist in 1982 and 1983 before moving to Arizona. Her friend Jane Wasson notes that Noreen was soft-spoken but very capable of dealing with politicians and the status quo. Noreen passed away on July 3; she will be missed.

Colorado Voter 3 November 2013

MLD Training Kicks Off League Day By Margie Beal, State MLD Coordinator

Friday, September 27, found the Membership and Leadership Development (MLD) Coaches receiving training for the job of helping local Leagues with the MLD Program. Margie Beal, Lineah Davey, and Linda Mahan presented various segments of the program for discussion and questions among the coaches. Florence Hedeen and Georgia DeGregorio, Colorado’s Ruth S. Shur Fellows, joined the conversation by phone. They presented the overview of the program from a national perspective. MLD contacts from the Local Leagues, coaches, and others interested in the program had the opportunity to meet and, since most MLD communication is by phone or email, put faces with voices. Dinner provided an additional opportunity to socialize. Ask your League’s membership team for more information about MLD. MLD is a program that depends on a broad range of participation, and you are welcome to be part of it.

League Day 2013 By Nancy Crow, 1st Vice President, Program

One hundred and forty-four state League of Women Voters members met in Denver on September 28 and were treated to a total of eleven presentations, all on topics of current and urgent concern.

The morning session was devoted to the issues of Colorado school finance, the roll out of the health care exchange, Colorado ballot issues, and changes in voter registration. Cary Kennedy, City and County of Denver Deputy Major and Chief Financial Officer, reviewed the history of state school finance since 1980. She explained how the Colorado tax structure has impeded Colorado from funding public preschool through 12th grade education at levels equal to the national average. She stressed the urgency of adopting Amendment 66. Elisabeth Arenales, Health Care Program Director Colorado Center on Law and Policy, thoroughly outlined the health exchange “Connect for Health Colorado” that was initiated on October 1, 2013. Gerry Cummins did an excellent job of laying out the Voter Service activities for the fall 2013 ballot issues. She also provided an overview of the changes in voter registration. Local Leagues were able to pick up the eagerly anticipated Ballot Issues 2013 pamphlets that were written by the Voter Service Team. Julie Leonard capped off the morning by presenting a short tutorial created by Jodi Foran, LWVCO’s 3rd Vice President, Member Services, on labeling documents to assist in archiving materials.

After lunch, League members informed us with reports on the work of several local Leagues and state studies. Pat Mesec, President of LWV Jefferson County, described that League’s Open Space Legacy Project. LWVCO state board Director Carol Pace presented the California Easy Web template for local League Websites, and explained how local Leagues could access this resource. Catherine Felknor, LWV Boulder, introduced us to a new publication, “LWVCO Involvement in Campaign Finance Reform.” Barbara Mattison treated us to the wealth of knowledge that the LWVCO Mental Health Task Force has compiled to date. Jeannette Hillery, LWV Boulder, discussed the implementation of the LWVCO’s recently adopted position on Hydraulic Fracturing. The day’s activities were concluded with Bobbie Heisterkamp introducing us to the LWVUS Clearinghouse. Local and state Leagues have contributed topics to this storehouse of materials located on the LWVUS website.

Handouts for several League Day presentations can be found online in DropBox, in the LWVCO Local Leagues folder. Search “LWV Colorado” online at FORA.tv to find three presentations filmed at League Day.

Thank you to all who made League Day 2013 a success.

Project Fund Grant Awards By Liz Nick, Chair of the Project Fund Grant Committee

LWVCO is pleased to announce the Project Fund Grants, awarded in August 2013, to the following local Leagues.

• LWV of Adams County received $900 to print and distribute Citizen Guides at various sites in Adams County.

• LWV of Greeley-Weld received $1500 for a Voter Education project to host a public forum for city council candidates, as well as an open house with the Greeley Chamber of Commerce to include candidates for Aims Community College trustees, city of Greeley candidates, Weld School District trustees, and for live-streaming.

LWV of Montrose received $1500 for a special project to increase League presence in both Montrose and Delta Counties through two Making Democracy Work Awards. The League will expand on the 2012 first annual Making Democracy Work Award in Montrose County and establish a MDWA in Delta County.

LWV of Pueblo received $1500 for Voter Education projects including publication of a Voters’ Guide, the printing and acquisition costs of ballot issue pamphlets, and a recognition award for Making Democracy Work Hero Award.

4 Colorado Voter November 2013

Mental Health Task Force By Barb Mattison, Mental Health Task Force Chair

The Board of the League of Women Voters of Colorado created the Mental Health Task Force in March 2013. The Task Force is continuing a yearlong information-gathering process. This process includes trying to determine and understand any link between mental illness and gun violence. To date, we’ve had presentations by experts who have discussed substance use services; statewide behavioral health services; statewide behavioral health initiatives and policies; gun violence; and mental health advocacy.

We’re looking at what our state is like regarding provision of, and accessibility to, behavioral health treatment and services. We’re also looking at innovative practices such as mental health courts that emphasize treatment over punishment for clients with mental illness.

The Mental Health Task Force has members from nine local leagues across Colorado, and our members have broad experience as both providers of services and parents of adults with mental health challenges including chronic and severe mental illness.

Through this process, we’re learning a lot. We understand that the area of behavioral health is complex; that there are many more gun deaths by suicide than by homicide; that alcohol is more clearly related to gun violence than either drugs or mental illness; and that the area of mental illness and gun violence involves a balance between “personal rights and freedoms” and the “common good.” We know that jails and prisons have become our largest psychiatric institutions; we know that funding for mental health is fragmented and causes inconsistent care – when problems require consistent care and treatment. We know that mental illness is a spectrum of disorders from mild to serious and that consumers need individual assessment and treatment, and must not be treated as a homogenous group. We know that early intervention for children is critical; that stigma for people with mental illness is a huge challenge and is internalized by consumers. We’ve learned that there are tremendous needs for funding and public education.

The Mental Health Task Force will present its final report and recommendations to the LWVCO Board and to Council in May 2014.

If you have questions for the Task Force, please contact Barbara Mattison, Chair, 303.322.4878 or rambjm@comcast.net.

Remember When? A History of League of Women Voters of Colorado By Julie Leonard, Executive Director

Access to detailed historical information about LWVCO has been limited to those fortunate enough to get their hands on a copy of A Force for Change: The League of Women Voters of Colorado, 1928-1995, by Wilma Davidson. A project is now getting underway to scan sections of the only comprehensive history of our League, and post them on the website so more people can use them. Wilma Davidson researched and wrote A Force for Change after her second term as LWVCO President in 1995. Her League career had begun in Colorado many years earlier, when a college roommate got her involved in starting a student chapter at the University of Colorado in 1937. On a field trip to the capitol, the group met with Senator Eudocia Smith, who introduced legislation to permit women to serve on juries in Colorado. After graduation Wilma worked in Denver with Mabel Costigan, who had led the formation of the Woman Citizens League of Colorado, which later became the LWVCO. The decades brought marriage, many moves, many different jobs in education, personnel and counseling, a daughter, advanced degrees, and also active participation in the LWV in Chicago, Minnesota, Iowa, Los Angeles, North Carolina, and finally Arapahoe County starting in 1978. Major League projects she worked on included lobbying to revise and reconcile Minnesota’s two constitutions, the drive for ratification of the ERA in North Carolina, and publishing Colorado: The State We’re In. To sum up her League experiences, Wilma writes: “And best of all, being a League member is an outstanding opportunity to be a supportive member in a community and to make good friends while learning how our nation is governed.”

5 Colorado Voter November 2013

ELECTION SEASON 2013

League Informs and Engages By Gerry Cummins, 4th Vice President, Voter Service

Amendment 66 – Funding for Education, and Proposition AA – Taxes on Marijuana and Marijuana Products, were on the statewide ballot in 2013. LWVCO researched and printed the Ballot Issues pamphlets which Leagues distributed throughout the State. Several County Clerks located in areas where we do not have a local League also ordered copies.

Both English and Spanish versions of the Ballot Issues and an English Audio version were available on the LWVCO website. All were popular with voters.Voters defeated Amendment 66 and passed Proposition AA.

Voter Registration & Mail Ballots

While an off-year election is typically done by mail ballots, HB 1303 states that all future elections will be done by mail ballots. Voters have the option of returning their ballot by mail, by taking it to a drop-off location or taking it to a Voter Service or Polling Center in their County. They may also vote in person at one of their County’s Voter Service or Polling Centers.

Voter registration changes were also made that included: • The residency requirement was changed to 22 days in the State of Colorado. • An individual may register at 16 years of age and understands that they must be 18 years old to be eligible to vote.

Registration Deadlines are determined by the method of registration Up to 22 days prior to the election if you • Register by mail • Register through a Driver’s License Examination Facility • Register through a Voter Registration Drive (VRD)

Up to 8 days prior to the Election • State of Colorado online voter registration site

In-Person at anytime during which registration is permitted including Election Day • In-person at the Elector’s County Clerk’s office • In-person at a Voter Service Center in your County

Local League Activities Local Leagues across Colorado hosted candidate forums and issue forums. Here’s a sample.

• Sterling – 51st State forum held while under a “no flush order’ due to flooding. • Estes Park – Preparations took place for a forum while the voter service chair had water in the basement and items

from basement were in the living room and in the home office. • Greeley-Weld – 51st State forum held with over 200 people in attendance and CBS Sunday Morning videotaping

the event. Portions were aired on November 3. • Arapahoe/Douglas – hosted several forums including the contentious School Board Race in Douglas County with

over 150 people attending. • LaPlata County – hosted candidate forums that included the potential for disruption. The good news is that nothing

happened due to excellent planning by the League. • Boulder – had to adjust the schedule for one of their forums due to flooding. • Denver – produced a pro/con sheet on local ballot questions and held candidate forums for school board races.

This is just a small portion of the work that happened in Colorado. Kudos to ALL local Leagues for their voter service efforts this fall!

Note: In the August 2013 Voter the article entitled “LWVCO SUPPORTS TWO BALLOT ISSUES IN FALL, 2013” was mistakenly attributed to Gerry Cummins. The article was written by Nancy Crow, 1st VP Program. The Editor regrets the error.

6 Colorado Voter November 2013

Program Planning By Nancy Crow, 1st Vice President, Program

Every two years state and local Leagues participate in the LWVUS program planning process by making recommendations concerning national program issues. This is how the League remains a grassroots organization. On odd numbered years, local Leagues consider local and state program. On even numbered years, local and state Leagues consider local and national program. 2014 being an even numbered year, this year each local League will consider its own local program and the national program.

I. National Program

New Study, Review, or Concurrence: Local and state Leagues are only asked to propose one new study, one review, and/or one concurrence. In a new study, members evaluate possible issues by asking: Is there widespread member interest? Is this a timely issue? Is government action the most effective way to address the problem? In a review, local and state Leagues can ask the national League to review a previous position for purposes of amending or deleting it. (Example: At National Convention 2012, delegates voted to update the Agriculture position.) In a concurrence, local and state Leagues have the option of recommending a program item for concurrence. Most often the proposed concurrence is based on a previous state or local position. (Example: At National Convention 2006, delegates voted to adopt the following League position on the death penalty: “The LWVUS supports the abolition of the death penalty.” This decision was made in concurrence with a position adopted by the LWV of Illinois.)

II. Local Program

A similar process is used to evaluate local program with the added component of prioritizing issues. In many local Leagues the largest amount of League program relates to educating members and the community about topics of interest This includes but is not limited to all voters’ service activities. Some Leagues also educate their communities on issues on which the League does not have a specific position. Those efforts do not have an action component and must be strictly non-partisan and objective in nature.

LEAGUE LOOKING AHEAD

Colorado Gives Day is December 10! Upgrade Your Donation to the LWVCO Education Fund

When you donate to the LWVCO Education Fund on Colorado Gives Day, the giving doesn’t stop there! 100% of each donation made online at www.coloradogives.org on December 10 goes directly to the organization of your choice. But that’s not all!

• FirstBank and the Community First Foundation will cover all credit card processing fees. • You can pre-schedule your donation to process on December 10th so you don’t forget. • Each participating organization will receive a share of FirstBank’s incentive fund of $250,000, based on

value of donations received. • Each organization that reaches the goal of 30 donations will be entered in a drawing for 18 Luck-of-the-

Draw prizes of $5000.

Last year $15.7 million was distributed to Colorado nonprofits as a result of Colorado Gives Day. The LWVCO Education Fund, participating for the first time, received 24 donations. Help us with our goal of 30 donations this year so we’ll be eligible for a Luck-of-the-Draw prize.

LWV-Colorado Member Joining National Committee One morning a few weeks ago LWVCO Board 4th Vice President,Voter Service, Gerry Cummins answered the phone and the voice on the other end said “This is Elisabeth MacNamara, I wanted to talk to you before the National Board meets in an hour.” Ms. MacNamara, LWVUS President, went on to ask Gerry to serve on the LWVUS Bylaws Committee. Congratulations to Gerry and thank you for your continuing League service at all levels!

Colorado Voter 7 November 2013

LWVUS Agriculture Update Study: Join the conversation By Nancy Crow, 1st Vice President, Program

The LWVUS Agriculture Update Study is under way. Any interested Leagues are invited to join the monthly telephone conferences; they began on October 21 and will continue on the third Monday of each month at 7:00 pm. This is the opportunity for Local Leagues to share what efforts have been made on the study to date. Several local League study leaders have agreed to summarize what their Leagues have accomplished and where they are headed as well as give a short synopsis, which can elicit questions.

LEAGUE OPPORTUNITIES

Share your videos! By Sonia Koetting, Director, Communications

Does your League have a video relevant to a current issue? Do you want to expand its reach? Posting and promoting existing videos is a benefit of being a state league member in good standing. Send the link to Sonia Koetting at communications@LWVColorado.org, to be added to LWVCO’s FORA account, LWV Colorado. LWVCO is sampling this new online service, FORA.TV, which allows us to post up to 20 programs, of good video quality, each year. Even now you can find three League Day videos on the account.

The helpful staff screens everything, so recordings are listed by only a few topics — not the chaos of YouTube, and more aligned with our audience than Vimeo. Also, they can help us resource videographers when we’d like to record, but have none, and they are a source for live-streaming events. Hiring a videographer or arranging live-streaming, and paying for it, would be the responsibility of each local League.

Next fall the LWVCO Board will evaluate the value of the service to our state and local leagues to determine renewal of the arrangement. Check out FORA.TV and let us know what you think!

Legislative Action Committee Gears up for Another Year By Sally Augden, Legislative Action Committee Chair

The 2014 legislative session is just around the corner. Orientation for Legislative Action Committee, new and old members, will take place on Friday morning, December 6, at 9:00 a.m. in the LWVCO office. The committee meets every other Friday during the Colorado General Assembly session (January to May) to consider, follow, and report on legislation relevant to League positions. Please contact Sally Augden, saugden2@comcast.net or 303.455.5800, for information about joining the committee. For more information on legislation, please put the LWVCO Legislative Conference on your calendar for Monday, January 13. This all day event at the Capitol informs League members from across the state about current legislation.

League Participation Continues in Colorado Healthcare Reform Rollout By Carol Pace, Board Director-At-Large

League Day highlighted a prominent health care speaker, Elisabeth Arenales, Director of the Health Care Program for the Colorado Center on Law and Policy (CCLP). The full healthcare talk and other League Day presentations are available at http://Coloradovideography.com/LWV. CCLP is now featuring League questions and other FAQs in a weekly review, see www.cclponline.org.

Of particular interest is the provision in The Affordable Care Act (ACA) that calls for state health care exchanges to offer the opportunity to register to vote in conjunction with online or telephone signup for health insurance. Connect for Health Colorado has said that they provide this link to voter registration, and we are hoping for follow-up on its utilization. LWVUS is also collecting nationwide data on this. In the spirit of this ACA provision, local Leagues may wish to take the opportunity to offer voter registration or links, concurrent with ACA health care briefings and forums.

Local Leagues wanting to highlight their upcoming health care topical events may submit those calendar items to me at the email below for inclusion in the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative (CCHI) master calendar. As an organizational member of CCHI, Colorado Leagues may take advantage of many resources and online communications offered by CCHI at www.cohealthinitiative.org. One acclaimed health coverage resource of note is the Blue Guide, which identifies programs, facilities and providers targeting the uninsured.

For additional information on healthcare activities or to submit information, please contact lwvpace@gmail.com.

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF COLORADO 1410 GRANT ST STE B204 DENVER CO 80203-1855

NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID

DENVER CO PERMIT NO. 233

Calendar 2013

Nov. 5 Election Day Nov. 28 - 29 Thanksgiving

Holiday Office Closed Dec. 4 Board Meeting Dec. 6 LAC Orientation Dec. 24-31 Winter Break Office Closed

2014 Jan. 1 Winter Break Office Closed Jan. 13 Legislative Conference Feb. 7 Voter Deadline

Mission Statement The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, promotes informed and active participation in government and influences public policy through education and advocacy.

Join the League Any person of voting age may join the League of Women Voters (LWV). For information or to find the local League nearest you, contact the LWV of Colorado.

Phone: 303.863.0437 Fax: 303.837.9917

E-mail: info@lwvcolorado.org Website: www.lwvcolorado.org

Interested in the League of Women Voters?

__Please send information about the LWV of Colorado. __I would like to join the League of Women Voters. Annual dues are $50. Please make your check payable to LWVCO or join online. Name______________________ Address____________________ ___________________________ City_______________________ State_____ Zip______________

Email _____________________

Mail, with check, to: LWVCO, 1410 Grant Street B204, Denver, Colorado 80203-1855

Join online, through Pay Pal, at http://www.lwvcolorado.org.

CO Gives Day details on page 6!