The Leaguer Volume 25, Issue 2

The Leaguer Volume 25, Issue 2 March, 2021

THE NEWSLETTER OF THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY [email protected], 679-1774

VOTER SERVICES 2020

Carbon Fee &

Josiah Lamp will be speaking on the topic of Homelessness in Chautauqua County. Homelessness is

often overlooked and misunderstood in our community. The presentation will cover the extent and impact of homelessness, what services are being provided to the homeless, and how can we support those programs. There will also be an update on the impact of COVID-19 on homelessness services, the CARES Act Stimulus bill, and how Federal and State policies and programs developed in response to COVID have impacted our local community needs. He is the Director of Housing and Community Development at Chautauqua Opportunities, Inc., whose mission is to fight poverty by empowering people to build assets and reach economic independence. He directs programs ranging from homelessness prevention to homeownership to housing rehabilitation to small business development. He serves as President of the Chautauqua County Homeless Coalition and on the Board of Directors for the New York State Rural Housing Coalition. He has 12 years of experience in non-profit management with a B.A. from Wheaton College and an M.A. in Community Development and

Legislative Issues and

How to Be an Advocate

March 24th 2:30 p.m.

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us /j/81461698406?pwd=M DBLNWlLdkdBc1NtN2 NKRUIyd1gwUT09 Meeting ID: 814 6169 8406 Passcode: 459941

Speakers Jessica Mallon - “History of Discrimination in Housing” Josiah Lamb - “Homelessness” (Powerpoint) Elizabeth Cardona -“Dunkirk Housing Authority on Process of Getting Housing”

Volume 25, Issue 2 Page 1

Voter Services Update

In February, the Voter Services Committee reached out to LWVCC membership re: interest in a “core” VS committee.

Messages went out to 32 new and former members who – on their membership forms or through pervious activity –expressed interest

in Voter Services.

Twelve members volunteered to participate on a “core” VS committee! Activities will include hosting voter registration tables, providing information to the public on absentee ballots and early voting; preparing and distributing materials; media outreach; and

fostering opportunities to get out the vote.

Additional members are encouraged to join this core committee! As we gear up for important local elections, and the redistricting

process, the more feet on the ground, the more impact we’ll have. Commitment is as much or as little as you can do. Contact Gail Crowe at [email protected] or 716-672-4882.

From the President In 1909 there was the first Woman’s History Day. In 1978 it was extended to Woman’s History Week and in 1987 the celebration encompassed the whole month of March. What better way to observe the month than to read about a distinguished woman? The following are some interesting titles: The Code Breaker, about Jennifer Doudha, who was one of the developers of gene editing and Crispr; IDA B. the Queen by M. Duster; and lastly, The Truths We Hold, by Kamila Harris. March is sure to have some cold days ahead so find a comfy chair and read to your heart’s content. With the approval of the board our League sent a letter to Congressman Tom Reed about supporting a price on carbon. This was done in response to our Zoom meeting on February 18th with the Southern Finger Lakes Chapter of Citizens’ Climate. The LWV does not support any specific carbon pricing legislation but you can write to Congressman Reed as an individual in support of the Carbon Fee and Dividend Bill HR753. We are always looking for people who would like to be on the Board. We need to hear additional voices. We hopefully will resume programing in the Fall. If you would like to be a voice on the Program Committee let me know and I will forward your name to Lisa Mertz. [email protected] Look for information in the future about People Powered Fair Maps. If you are interested in the process of redistricting let me know. Many of us are looking forward to reclaiming our collective lives. I can’t wait. For now, a written warm greeting, Mary Croxton


Redistricting is: Redistricting is the process of drawing legislative districts. By federal law, redistricting must occur following the census (every 10 years) for two reasons.

• First, new districts must be drawn when a state gains or loses congressional districts as a result of the apportionment of congressional districts to the states.

• Second, even if the number of districts does not change, governments must redraw districts so that the districts have equal populations. These are the reasons why redistricting must occur.

How often does redistricting occur? • Redistricting occurs ever 10 years, following the national census. • After the Census Bureau releases its new data (in years ending in “1”), redistricting

begins. • New congressional districts and state legislative districts must be drawn according to

the new data, to ensure roughly equal population. What is the LWVUS Redistricting Position? “Support redistricting processes and enforceable standards that promote fair and effective representation at all levels of government with maximum opportunity for public participation.” LWV Redistricting Criteria:

• Substantially equal population • Geographic contiguity • Promotion of partisan fairness • Preservation and protection of “communities of interest,” and • Respect for boundaries of municipalities and counties

• Compactness and competitiveness may also be considered as criteria so long as they

do not conflict with the above criteria.

NYS voters voted to approve a new redistricting process in 2014:

• New criteria for drawing lines • New protection for minor parties and independent voters • Increased transparency; and • Established firm deadlines.

The LWV supports funding for New York State’s Redistricting Commission and opposes any constitutional amendments altering the new process. PEOPLE POWERED FAIR MAPS NATION DAY OF ACTION: April 29, 2021


As we turn the calendar to March, I find myself reflecting on the role of women in our democracy from the beginning. Despite Abigail Adams’s famous advice to her husband to “remember the ladies,” he and the rest of the founders left any mention of women out of the founding documents. As a result, the U.S. Constitution does not mention women at all. This is ironic, to say the least, in our current day and age, when

women fill the halls of Congress and hold leadership positions, from Speaker of the House to Vice President of the United States. It's been 101 years since the 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote. It's been 98 years since the Equal Rights Amendment was first introduced in Congress. It's been 49 years since the ERA was passed by Congress. And it's been one year since the ERA was ratified by the required 38 states. This year, after a century in the making, the ERA is closer than ever to taking its rightful place in the supreme law of our nation. What stands in our way is an arbitrary, ambiguous and legally questionable deadline for enactment

In a nutshell, the Equal Rights Amendment states that “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” It is important to recognize that, while women’s rights are inextricably linked to the ERA, inequality hurts everyone. The ERA represents a promise that our government will not pass laws or take any official action that discriminates against its people on the basis of sex. We need the ERA because we need equal pay, fair healthcare coverage that addresses maternal mortality and coverage for caregivers, protection against gender testing laws, prevention of discrimination against LGBTQ+ persons, protections for men in occupations and roles traditionally held by women, and protection against rollbacks in women’s rights. We need the ERA because, just as many women of color faced added barriers for voting until the Voting Rights Act, today women of color are more likely to be under-paid and discriminated against than white women. The ERA would make the Constitution prohibit discrimination on the basis of race AND sex. But more than that, we need the ERA because our nation must close the book once and for all on the idea that equality of rights is a debatable issue. Because a constitution is not only a set of legal protections: it is a proclamation of a nation’s values. And little girls should not grow up in a country where they question their rights simply because they are a girl. This Women’s History Month, tell Congress to remove the ERA ratification deadline, and let’s establish gender equality in our Constitution, once and for all. Sincerely,

Dr. Deborah Ann TurnerJosiah Lamp is the Director of Housing and Community Development at


The League of Women Voters is an organization fully committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in principle and in practice. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are central to the organization’s current and future success in engaging all individuals, households, communities, and policy makers in creating a more perfect democracy. There shall be no barriers to full participation in this organization on the basis of gender, gender identity, ethnicity, race, native or indigenous origin, age, generation, sexual orientation, culture, religion, belief system, marital status, parental status, socioeconomic status, language, accent, ability status, mental health,

educational level or background, geography, nationality, work style, work experience, job role function, thinking style, personality type, physical appearance, political perspective or affiliation and/or any other characteristic that can be identified as recognizing or illustrating diversity. We invite you to visit the DEI section on the League Management Site and explore this library of resources. There are sections for our monthly webinars, our online resource guide, training modules, and more to help League members and Leagues with their DEI journey.


Legislative Update Election Law The State Senate passed a package of absentee voting reforms including the following:

• S.253: Legislation that would allow absentee ballots to be counted if they have stray marks or are missing a signature date https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2021/s253

• S.264: Legislation to expand the deadline to submit an absentee ballot application from 17 days to 15 days ahead of an election https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2021/s264

• S.492: Legislation to allow for drop boxes to be used for absentee voting https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2021/s492

• S.516: Legislation to mandate speedier sending of absentee ballots https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2021/s516

• S.631: Legislation to allow voters to submit absentee ballot application sooner than 30 days ahead of the election (the 2020 bill sunset in December) https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2021/s631

• S.632: Legislation to allow voters to submit their absentee ballot request electronically (the 2020 bill sunset in December) https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2021/s632

• S.1027: Legislation to expedite absentee ballot counting https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2021/s1027 • S.1028: Legislation to require boards of election to have an absentee ballot

tracker https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2021/s1028 The Senate also again passed constitutional amendments to allow for no-excuse absentee voting and same day voter registration. We have sent a request to the new the Chair of Assembly Election Law Committee so see if we can determine when these bills may be taken up in the Assembly. The League is also working with our coalition partners to support passage of restoration of voting rights for individuals who are on parole. The League signed onto a joint letter to legislative leaders and Governor Cuomo calling for swift passage of this reform. Good Government Before the legislative session convened the League signed onto a letter urging legislative leaders to implement rules reforms that would ensure the legislature remain open and transparent while operating remotely. Recommendations included: Providing both internet and phone options to listen and participate, to accommodate different levels of technology literacy and internet access; providing a fast and intuitive process for signing up to speak, and include an opportunity to request language or ADA accommodation; enabling some chat feature or a phone number to allow participants to report technical problems or send in clarifying questions; and providing visible information on the number of viewers watching, and allow hearing attendees to connect with other participants via chat or other forms to help to recreate some of the experience of participating in person. To date it does not appear that either house has followed our recommendations. We will continue to monitor the issue of remote transparency and may provide additional follow up to the legislature if issues arise. Contact Jennifer Wilson, Legislative Director at [email protected] for more info on any advocacy efforts.

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DARWIN’S Health Club, Inc.

43-57 Water Street, Fredonia

679-1591

April 7th at 1:00 p.m. “The Untold Story of Women of Color in the League of Women Voters” Carolyn Jefferson-Jenkins, PhD via Zoom link.

April 28 at 1:00 p.m. “We The People” high school course Greg Birner, Westfield Academy via Zoom link

May 4th – “The Census and Redistricting — Fair Map”


League of Women Voters of Chautauqua County

Mary Croxton, President

Nancy Boynton Susan Evans

Pat Kirell Marcia Merrins

Lisa Mertz

THE NEWSLETTER OF THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY [email protected], 679-1774

The League of Women Voters of Chautauqua County is where hands-on work to safeguard

democracy leads to civic improvement.

InviteaFriendtoJoinorGivetheGiftofLeagueMembership!!

MakeYourVoiceHeard!

JoinUsToday!

Membership Form Mail to:

LWV Chautauqua County P.O. Box 42

Fredonia, New York 14063 Membership dues: Individual: $65.00, Household: $90.00, Student: $25.00 Dues include membership at the national $31, state ($25) and local ($10) levels. Check payable to LWV Chautauqua County. Please consider adding a donation! Name:_____________________________________________________ Name of additional member in household:___________________________ Address:___________________ City: ______________ State:________ Zip______ Phone: _______________________ Home _______________________Cell Email:______________________________________________

LWV is not just for Women!!! Area(s) of Interest Programming______ Newsletter______ Lobbying______ Voter Services: Voter Registration______ Debates______ Take me to Vote___ (Schools) Fundraising______ Civics Education_______Other______________

The Leaguer Volume 25, Issue 2

Documents

Transcript of The Leaguer Volume 25, Issue 2