eVOTER
March 10, 2024 - Vol. 5, No. 09
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Upcoming Board Meetings. All Welcome!
- Wed. April 3 | 4 PM | Kitzinger Room, James City County Library Branch (Croaker Rd)
- Wed. May 1 | 4 PM | Schell Memorial Meeting Room - Williamsburg Library (Scotland St)
Save the Date
- Annual Meeting of the Members | HOLD THE DATE | Thurs. June 13 | 4 PM | Legacy Hall, Williamsburg
Follow Us on Social Media
Our social media followers are approaching 2,000 over 6 platforms. The February issue of “Sentinel,” our monthly series examining the political landscape ahead of Election Day 2024, reported on Project 2025's blueprint for eliminating women's reproductive rights anticipating the Alabama Supreme Court's decision on fetal personhood by nearly a month. The March issue will continue to dig into Project 2025's plan to eviscerate career civil servants replacing them with administration loyalists. We encourage you to share this information widely.
| New & Renewing Members
Thank you renewing members! Welcome new members!
Names with asterisks gave an extra amount above basic dues!
Jessica Anderson, Candice Benjes Small, Theresa & Denis Brion, **Linda Cole & Carol Schrader, Raymond Green, Laurie Hertzler, Robert Hiett, **Irene Jacobson & family, **Clara Massey, **Kelly Place, William Riffer, Barbara Starkweather, Bob Stoothoff, Joan Sullivan-Taubman
(renewing/joining 2/10/2024 thru 3/9/2024)
Renewals
Based on the month you joined, we will remind you to renew your membership yearly. Students (aged 16+) are free.
| | Don Schilling will pass on lots of helpful hints and his expertise to you! |
~ From Don Schilling, Our Great Decisions Coordinator
I have now served for six years recruiting speakers to address the topics selected by the Foreign Policy Association’s Great Decisions Program and to arrange their visits either in person in the Williamsburg Regional Library Auditorium or on Zoom. It has been very rewarding to be part of this program, but this current iteration of the program will be my last in this position. I would like the transition to new leadership to be seamless, so I encourage anyone with a possible interest taking over in 2025 to contact me or any member of the Board. We could have a team and not just an individual assuming this role.
We need members to step forward if this essential program for the League and the community is able to continue!!
| | Great Decisions 2024 began on Tuesday, Feb. 6, with a fascinating, in-depth presentation by Prof. Hefner on Indonesia's democratic Muslim polity. We have a recording of his talk and sent out links to all subscribers.
Although registration for the full series, has closed - you can still purchase a partial subscription to the remaining talks. Contact our Great Decisions team
Great Decisions runs from February 6th through March 26th for eight sessions. Meetings are Tuesday mornings from 10:30 AM-11:45 AM at the Williamsburg Regional Library in Williamsburg. The program is hybrid with in-person and Zoom participation available. | | (L to R): Bill Moye, Laura Tripp, Laurie Hertzler, Nancy Moye,
and special guest, Suffragette Susan B. Anthony | Thanks to Nancy and Bill Moye, Laura Tripp and new member, Laurie Hertzler, for setting up the Women’s History exhibit in the Williamsburg Regional Library Theatre Gallery. On display throughout March, are a collection of photos, historical documents, publications, artwork, and facts honoring famous and not-so-famous women—many of them connected with the beginning days of the National League in 1920 and the local League in 1963 during the Jim Crow Era.
March may be Women’s History Month, but the League works year-round to Empower Voters and Defend Democracy. We register voters because Democracy is not a spectator sport; we educate voters because America needs informed voters; and we turn out voters because every vote counts.
From Susan Bivins, LWV-WA President
This year Equal Pay Day is Tuesday, March 12th. This day represents how long a woman has to work to be paid the same as a man. In other words, to receive what a man was paid in 2023, a woman has to work all of 2023, plus January, February, and two weeks in March 2024. The data from 2022 (the last compiled report of the U.S. Census Bureau) shows a ration of $0.84 for a woman for every $1.00 earned by a man. The bad news is that the gap in pay exists. The good news is that it is closing. ~ Susan Bivins
| | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - a yearly average from the 4 years of most recent available data (2018-2021) |  |
Rally for Stricter Gun Control
Members who attended our June 2023 annual meeting heard Ruth Winters, Newport News group leader for Moms Demand Action (MDA), tell us about their BE SMART program designed to help parents and adults normalize conversations about gun safety and take responsible actions that can prevent child gun deaths and injuries. LWV of Virginia and our local League support the important work of Moms Demand Action.
On Saturday, February 24th, over 200 people attended the MDA rally in Richmond to put pressure on Governor Youngkin to approve stricter gun laws. Several LWV of Williamsburg Area members attended. Gun violence prevention is one of our key 2024 legislative priorities. MDA joined forces with gun violence survivors and lawmakers to support gun safety proposals that are inching closer to being signed into law. The crowd heard from activists who had been personally affected by gun violence - including MDA organizer, Lori Haas, whose daughter was shot at Virginia Tech but survived. Also present were legislators Sen. Jennifer Boysko, Del. Marcus Simon, and Del. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker, all of whom have related bills heading to the Governor’s desk.
At the conclusion, rally attendees were asked to call the Governor's office.
Make Your Call Now - Make Your Voice Heard
It’s not too late to make that call! Call the Governor's office at (804) 786-2211.
Press 1 to leave a message on the Constituent Services line.
|  | History - What is RGGI?
- The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, RGGI, began in 2005. It is a cooperative regional carbon market effort among states to cap and reduce power sector emissions such as carbon dioxide.
- In 2020, Virginia passed the Clean Energy and Community Flood Preparedness Act allowing the Commonwealth to join RGGI. The current members are Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont.
- In 2023, the Virginia State Air Pollution Control Board, with the support of Governor Youngkin, voted to remove the state from RGGI. The Governor argued that RGGI was ineffective in reducing air pollution and it increased energy bills for the consumer.
- Ream more about RGGI on the Sierra Club website (Virginia chapter)
RGGI Benefits
Between 2021 and 2023, Virginia’s communities received more than $827.7 million because of participating in the RGGI program. This money was divided between two statewide programs —
- an income-based program funding energy efficiency upgrades that will help reduce utility bills
- a program to strengthen our communities adaptations to climate change threats of sea-level rise and flooding.
Without Virginia’s participation in RGGI, the most vulnerable Virginians will continue to bear high energy costs, and our communities will suffer from the extreme weather events that have become the new normal.
Legislative Efforts to Rejoin RGGI - HB 29
The HB 29 (Herring) Budget Amendment is included in the House of Delegates’ current budget.
- This amendment directs the Director of the Department of Environmental Quality to take all efforts necessary for Virginia to rejoin the RGGI within 90 days of the effective date of the Appropriations Act. The amendment conditions all general and non-general fund appropriations in the act upon the implementation of the aforementioned requirement.
- Unfortunately, the Virginia State Senate budget did not include any amendment to support RGGI.
- The difference between House and Senate budgets will be resolved (in secret) by a conference committee.
Support for RGGI
We need to convince all legislators that rejoining RGGI is critically important and that the conferees, whoever they are, should go with the House budget on this issue.
The League of Women Voters of Virginia urges you to help Virginia rejoin RGGI.
As a concerned citizen, you can
Or, you can send a message from the Sierra Club platform at
Support RGGI
Decision makers can ensure that RGGI is included in the final budget, but they need to hear from you, their constituents. |
GET OUT THE VOTE POSTCARDS
| Reclaim Our Vote is organizing non-partisan postcards to Black voters and other voters of color who live in key competitive districts in Virginia and Georgia. Write to either state or both!
- Georgia Congressional Primary: Mail postcards to Georgia between April 22 and May 9
- Virginia Congressional Primary: Mail postcards to Virginia between April 26 and June 10
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- Order your postcards in a multiple of 10.SignUp Here!
- Reclaim Our Vote provides names, addresses, and details about writing postcards. You will be given an exact script to use as the postcard message.
- Stamps: In the past League members have been very generous and purchased stamps with their own money. We hope you will continue that generosity! The supply of free stamps from our local organizer is very limited. When buying stamps, select neutral designs. Flags are unfortunately associated with voter suppression and intimidation for many. A postcard stamp is currently 53 cents.
- Reclaim Our Vote is a volunteer-driven, non-partisan voter outreach campaign, and its parent organization is the Center for Common Ground. The Center for Common Ground educates under-represented voters in voter suppression states about the importance of elections and the right to vote. The Center does not engage in partisan political activity or endorse candidates or parties but does take stands on issues and encourage voter participation.
- Questions?
| Help at the Polls
This new year, 2024, is a presidential election year and will be super busy for voter services! Help us out! It’s necessary and fun. We need you!
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Read Sheba William's reflection on the restoration of her voting rights:
"As a person whose right to vote was revoked based on a wrongful conviction, I know that voting is not a privilege; it is a fundamental aspect of citizenship, writes guest columnist Sheba Williams...[Virginia Mercury 3/4/2024]" Read More
| | | Thurs. Apr. 25 | 4:30 PM
April 25, 2024 | 4:30 PM – The Gun Dilemma: How history is Against Expanded Gun Rights by Robert Spitzer
| Did you know that LWVUS holds regular policy, advocacy, and litigation briefings for League members? Watch them live or view the recordings later.
UPCOMING
Thursday, March 21, 2024
Redistricting Part II: Looking Ahead to 2030
As we are almost five years out from the next US Census and subsequent redistricting cycle in 2030, LWVUS’s Advocacy team invites you to learn more about what current opportunities we are seeing in states for reform. During this session, we will review findings from the CHARGE Hub’s redistricting report card, take a look at current Census reform efforts, and review what existing state-level reforms are in play this calendar year.
Register Here
Thursday, April 4, 2024
Executive and Regulatory Advocacy
In addition to the legislative advocacy that the League conducts, certain issues also require advocacy with the Executive branch- both through working with the White House and federal agencies. Especially in moments when legislative advocacy stalls, due to gridlock in Congress or other hurdles, it is key to find other avenues to pursue our policy goals. Join this webinar to learn about LWVUS' efforts on advocacy with the Executive branch and our goals for regulatory action this Congress.
Register Here
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FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
| Hey! We have a social media campaign to present vital information about voting and upcoming Virginia elections. We have accounts on:
Encourage GenX, GenY, and GenZ family and friends to check us out. | Empowering Voters. Defending Democracy.
League of Women Voters of Williamsburg Area
P O Box 1086
Williamsburg, VA 23187-1086
501(c)(4) organization | |