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Date: 6/4/2022
Subject: June 2022 LWVNAZ League Lookout
From: LWVNAZ




 
June 2022 League Lookout - LWVNAZ News/Events Northern Arizona and Greater Verde Valley
 
 

LWVNAZ Members and Supporters:  

Our goal with the monthly newsletter is to provide you with a quick snapshot of our monthly events and activities all in one place.  Hope you enjoy it!

We are providing information that the League is sponsoring as well as information about events that you might find of interest. Feel free to share this information with anyone you think would benefit from this information!


Message from the President

Hello fellow Leaguers,

 

It’s my honor and privilege to assume the Presidency of our local league.  I am following gratefully in the footsteps of our previous President, Lynn Zonakis, and retiring Board Members Kathy Davis, Mary Gassaway, and Jan Anderson.  Each has contributed greatly to our League and I am confident they will continue to do so as active members.  A big Thank You to all.

 

It seems recently that each month we are bombarded by terrible news.  This month’s horrific gun violence on innocent shoppers in Buffalo, and school children and teachers in Uvalde Texas have left us reeling and looking for answers.  I find some small hope in the efforts and shared values of my fellow Leaguers.  We come together to console and encourage each other as we continue to fight for what we believe in.  As a national organization the League is a strong voice for Gun Safety reform and has recently urged Congress to act on comprehensive gun legislation.  You may read the complete letter, with specific recommendations here:  https://www.lwv.org/lwvus-submits-recommendations-gun-safety-reforms-congressional-judiciary-committees.

 

On a local level we continue to look for ways to educate voters and join together as members.  Our recent annual meeting, one of few this year held in person, was a wonderful opportunity to see and talk to each other.  It was followed by a compelling presentation by the Superintendents of two local schools.  Our Voter Ed program is now on a summer pause, but you can expect these informative presentations to resume in the Fall.  We’re also taking a summer break for Let’s Talk Politics.  If you are still looking for a way to join other Leaguers over the Summer, our great Book club continues on Zoom.

 

As many of you head to other locations or off to vacation travel, I wish you health, safety and hope for a better future.

 

Maryann Kenney

President LWV Northern Arizona




MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL COMING SOON

The time to renew your membership is July 1st 2022.

 

Since we will be notifying members via email, here are some dates you should be aware of:

  • June 15th 2022 First Notice in the form of an email to all current members.
  • July 1st 2022 Second Notice, if you have not paid.
  • July 21st 2022 Third Notice, final notice if not paid.

If you haven't paid by July 22nd, your Membership status will change to Expired.

    

The email will contain instructions for renewing.  Please help us keep our membership current by paying as  as soon as possible, so you don’t miss out the many great things going on with LWVNAZ.  Should you have any questions, feel free to contact the Membership Chairman, Dale Webber (cell 619-851-9616).


 
 
 
Political Book Club
 


June 27, 2022, Monday 3:00-5:00 pm MST
 

The selection is Between Two Fires: Truth, Ambition, and Compromise in Putin's Russia by Joshua Yaffa (May 2021, 335 pages)

 
In this rich and novelistic tour of contemporary Russia, Yaffa introduces the reader to people who have built their careers and constructed their identities in the shadow of the Putin system. By showing how citizens shape their lives around the demands of a capricious and frequently repressive state -- as often by choice as under threat of force -- this book offers urgent lessons about the true nature of modern authoritarianism.
 
To join the Zoom meeting, click here and use passcode 220148.
The only requirement to join the discussion is that each participant has read the book. The standard format consists of each person giving a brief (1-2 minute) statement concerning the book’s overall impressions and implications. This segment is followed by group questions and discussions of the material.   If you would like to join the book club, or want to submit the title of books you are interested in reading and discussing, or if you would like any other information about the book club, please contact jananderson46@gmail.com.
Future books are:
July 25 - Give Us the Ballot: The Modern Struggle for Voting Rights in America by Ari Berman (August 2015)
August 29 - Fight: How Gen Z Is Channeling Their Fear and Passion to Save America by John Della Vople (January 2022)
September 26 - Up All Night: Ted Turner, CNN and the Birth of the 24-Hour News by Lisa Napoli (May 2020)

 

 

 

Let's Talk Politics

 

Over the last year we've commiserated, discussed and supported each other on our monthly ZOOM calls as we consider the current state of politics.  It's been a lively and respectful interchange, but over the last few months we've had a decreasing number of attendees.  Our host Pat has faced some enormous personal challenges, and as your ZOOM tech person I've been called away to other events on some of these Thursday mornings.
 
So, it seems a good idea that we pause for the summer and regroup in September.  To keep things running smoothly we really should line up some back up for Pat and myself.  We may even want to consider changing
day/time or, if there ever is an end to Covid, think about a regular or occasional in person session.

These meetings have been so helpful during these troubling times and I think many of you would agree.  If so, please think about ways we can re-energize and take up the discussion in the Fall.  Please feel free to reach out with thoughts or ideas.
 
-Maryann Kenney

Announcing Mayoral and Council Candidate Forums 

 

The League of Women Voters of Northern Arizona is hosting forums involving Verde Valley candidates running for office in the August 2, 2022 primary election.  All forums will be videotaped, posted to YouTube, and publicized when available.

 

In Person Forums

 

  • Sedona City Council Forum:June 29, 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Sedona Performing Arts Center
  • Sedona Mayoral Forum:July 6, 5:30-7 p.m. at the Sedona Performing Arts Center 
  • Jerome City Council Forum:July 11, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Spook Hall

 

In Studio Forums

  • Camp Verde City Council:June 28, 10-11:30 a.m.
  • Camp Verde Mayoral:June 28, 1:00-2:00 p.m.
  • Clarkdale City Council:July 8, 10-11 a.m.

The League has set up dedicated gmail accounts for voters to submit questions to the candidates in advance of the forums.  At in person forums, questions also will be taken from the audience.  Moderators for each forum will pose voters’ questions.  The deadline for questions by email is June 15th. The addresses are:

 

Members and the public can also participate by submitting questions in advance of the forums. The dedicated gmail accounts for each forum are as follows:

 

Camp Verde

 

Clarkdale

 

If interested in more information and helping out, please contact Robin Low at lwvnaz@gmail.com.

 

 

The League of Women Voters of Northern Arizona is a nonpartisan political organization open to all individuals.  It encourages informed and active participation in government and works to influence public policy through education and advocacy.  LWVNAZ is fully committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in principle and in practice. For voting information, see www.lwvnaz.org under the Voting and Registration tab.


Vote 411 Update
 
Work has begun on the races in the LWVNAZ area. Several cities have mayoral and council races for voting in the August primary. If you have particular questions you’d like to submit for consideration, please drop me an email (marsh.86326@gmail.com) and I’m happy to add it to the list of options! Thank you!
 

You should be seeing more content on our VOTE411 page by early July. Check back there for more information on the answers given by the candidates.


LWV ADVOCACY

 

The Arizona Legislature is nearing the end of its session.  LWVAZ continues to advocate for good bills and against bad bills related to voting rights.  Here is a quick update as of June 1:

 

SIGNED BY GOVERNOR

LWVAZ Position

SB1638 Pace –

  • requires providing a remote vote by mail system for the blind or visually impaired

 

 

 
Support

SB1008 -Ugenti-Rita

  • Changes automatic recount threshold from 0.1% to 0.5

 

 
 
Neutral

SB1477- Townsend

  • Requires the Sec. of State to deregister all recently convicted felons from the voting list on the first of each month

 

 

 
Neutral

SB1329 - Boyer

  • County recorder must count early ballots returned at polls, post with first unofficial results and enter in ballot tracking system next day

 

 
 
 
Neutral 

HB2237 - Hoffman

  • Prohibits same day voter registration

 

 
Oppose

 

HB2492 Hoffman -

  • Recorder must verify citizenship status. Unverified not eligible to vote by mail or vote in a Presidential election, “non-citizen” referred to AG for investigation.
  • Voter must provide proof of residence and list place of birth when registering.
  • May result in purging of many older, longtime Arizona residents who registered with older driver’s licenses

 

 
 
Oppose

VETOED

 

HB2671 - Chaplik

  • Numerous procedures to cancel voter registration, access databases and start prosecutions

 

 
Oppose

ON THE BALLOT

 

SCR1012 - Mesnard"Arizonans for Voter ID Act"

  • Affidavit in mail ballot requires early voter identification in addition to signature
  • Valid, unexpired photo id with name and address required to vote, only address may be proved by other documents

 

 
Oppose

Would you like to help sign up the voters of tomorrow?  Then join us as we visit area high school government classes to explore the importance of voting and then register eligible students.  We had very successful visits to schools in Camp Verde, Cottonwood, Flagstaff and Sedona this Spring and will be returning for the Fall term. To join this important activity contact Gail Digate at ggdigate@gmail.com All materials are prepared and you would be going with an experienced volunteer. 


Other Events of Interest
Banning Books: A Burning Issue - June 26, 2022 from 1:30-3:00 at Sedona Performing Arts Center

Unify Sedona will be hosting this moderated panel at the Sedona Performing Arts Center on June 26, 2022.  1 p.m. doors open, event from 1:30-3:00.  LWVNAZ will provide a voters registration and information table from 1 - 1:30 pm prior to the event.

The moderated panel will include a Sedona Red Rock High School student who spent some of her school years in Afghanistan; Rabbi Alicia Magal for a religious perspective; Mary Corcoran, Flagstaff Librarian, to give both a historical overview and a librarian's perspective; and an attorney from ACLU Phoenix to discuss legal ramifications of book banning.  Panelists' remarks will be 10 minutes each so that there will be ample time for audience members to have questions and comments, which they will be able to write down during the talks and submit to the moderator.
If you have missed any past newsletters, you can view them on the website.
 
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  1. On the menu, click Emailing.
  2. Click the title for the newsletter you want to view.