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Friend, 

Our Nation

Happy New Year, League leaders! 

As we reflect on how far we’ve come, I am looking forward to where we are going in 2023. Over the next year, we’ll see voters come out and make their voices heard in local elections, come together for Council 2023 in Las Vegas, empower and protect voters in our communities by watching our state legislatures, and move forward with our Structure Transformation work. I look forward to an exciting 2023 for the League and cannot wait to get to work. Defending democracy is our mission — we are not backing down. 

Additionally, last week we welcomed the 118th Congress after a historic delay in electing a Speaker of the House. As we look forward to working with this new Congress, we urge both chambers to work together to put people over politics and prioritize voting rights. Read the statement from our CEO, Virginia Kase Solomón, on lwv.org. 

Our League

Next month, join us on February 14 and celebrate our birthday with our “People Powered League” Day of Action. Leagues from across the country will come together to commemorate our 103-year legacy through action, advocacy, and storytelling. From utilizing tools like OutreachCircle to planning an event in your community, there are a variety of ways for your League to get involved and celebrate your legacy. Leagues interested in planning their own day of action can brainstorm and learn more on our upcoming organizing field call. 

Alongside nationwide League actions, we will come together on February 14 for a virtual pep rally, which will uplift the voices of your fellow League leaders. Register for the pep rally here. I hope you see you there!

At Convention 2022, delegates voted to eliminate the per-member-payment (PMP) system in the future. As a reminder, the changes that were voted on at Convention 2022 are not currently in effect, so please make sure your roster is up to date by Jan. 31. Details are in the business section of this email. 

One final thought. As we move into a new year, many of us make resolutions. I had an interesting conversation with a friend the other day who said rather than resolutions, I select one initiative for the year. As you start your League’s new year, why not pick one initiative? This is not strategic planning or rocket science. It's whatever works for your League: make it fun, you deserve it! Ice cream sundaes at special board meetings or going to an outside music event in the park? The sky is the limit.

Working with you and for you every day.

In League,

Deborah

See the full list of upcoming events on the League Management Site.

This year’s national Women’s March, “Bigger Than Roe,” will be on January 22, 2023, with actions taking place across the country. LWVUS will uplift the march on social media and OutreachCircle. As with any partner event, we want to ensure that actions we participate in are nonpartisan. So we request Leagues to use discretion as you participate in local events. Find your local march here. For questions, reach out to the organizing team at organizing@lwv.org. 

Celebrate the League’s 103rd birthday with us on Feb. 14 with a national day of action! Through storytelling, digital actions, local events, and advocacy, we will flex the breadth of our League people power and advance our priorities. We will have a marquee event with featured speakers livestreamed on our Facebook page at 11am ET the day of the event. 

Whether you utilize our relational organizing tools, plan an event in your community, or share your story, there are a variety of ways for Leagues to get involved, take action, and celebrate with us. Register your event here. More information will be shared and support to brainstorm about your event will be provided during our January Field Call. 

The UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is scheduled for March 6–17, 2023, in New York City. This is an in-person event. The League of Women Voters has a few opportunities to add members to our small delegation, with a deadline for applications of Jan. 19, 2023.  You must be able to attend in person in NYC at your own expense. 

If interested, please contact Connie Sensor (csensor@lwv.org) for an application. Find out more about the CSW here. Anyone interested can register directly for the CSW Forum, which is a series of hybrid events separate from the UN CSW and open to the public. 

• Blog: Women, Girls, and Climate Change at COP27

In June 2022, the US Supreme Court ruled in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, overturning the constitutional right to abortion and leaving reproductive rights up to federal and state legislation. LWVUS has produced a state advocacy strategy to help state Leagues monitor the legislative landscape, outline opportunities to mitigate harm and increase protection, and share resources for this work. For an abbreviated look at the strategy, you can view the executive summary. Questions on this issue? Contact Rebecca Goldman at rgoldman@lwv.org.

All League roster updates are due in the Roster Manager Portal by Jan. 31. To ensure your roster is up to date, any members considered active on Jan. 31 must have a membership status of "Active." Members not active as of Jan. 31 should have a membership status of "Inactive."  

The support section of the Roster Manager Portal offers answers to common questions and is the best place to submit support requests. If you are unable to log in to the portal, please contact rostersupport@lwv.org. 

If your League is using the ClubExpress platform and the data connector is active, your members have been automatically transferred. Please review your roster to ensure that any member who was active before you enabled the data connector is accounted for. 

• This week, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) introduced a DC statehood bill. The League is a proud supporter of this bill. Read the press release.

• Deborah Turner, president of the League of Women Voters of the United States, has been recognized in Marquis Who’s Who. Read the spotlight here: Deborah Ann Turner – Marquis Who’s Who Spotlight.
• The League of Women Voters of Newport County, RI, organized a vigil commemorating the anniversary of January 6 and encouraged civic engagement in their community. Learn more: ‘It’s important to remember this day’: Newport vigil marks January 6 attack on Capitol.
• Rosalind Cook from the League of Women Voters of New Orleans, LA, spoke to local news about the historic Speaker of the House vote. Watch now: League of Women Voters urges the House to choose a speaker; McCarthy inches toward 218 votes.

Special Notifications: To help keep members informed, LWVUS sends this bi-weekly, internal email newsletter to state and local League presidents, as well as other highly engaged League members. The League Update includes important announcements about upcoming trainings and webinars, grant opportunities, messaging resources, stories from Leagues nationwide, and surveys to help LWVUS serve Leagues better. This newsletter is curated for League members specifically and is not intended for public consumption or distribution. 

Do you know a League member who wants to receive this email? Members can subscribe to receive the League Update here. Please do not reply to this message. To unsubscribe, please click the “unsubscribe” button at the bottom of this email.