It's April - no joke! Make your plan to vote in two elections in May! Look in this update for:
Read on to learn more! |  | |
Happy Spring everyone!
I had the opportunity two weeks back to attend the Conference on the Status of Women at the United Nations in New York City as a delegate for the League of Women Voters. It was an incredible experience meeting women activists, politicians, and community leaders from around the world. I can’t wait to share with you all about the things I learned and how they can help us in our work here in Austin, TX. To facilitate that, I’m hoping to roll out some informal meetings – Coffee and Conversations! – through April and May where small groups of members can meet to informally discuss current topics such as the UN Conference on the Status of Women. Look for those locations and dates coming in the next few weeks!
Many thanks to those of you who attended our IRRESISTIBLE Evening for Democracy fundraiser last week. It was a rollicking success: we raised over $50,000 and netted $44,000! Incredible! Many thanks to Debbi Voss, our Director of Development, and all other volunteers and attendees who helped make this event successful.
Are you ready for even more fun? Our Friends & Family Spring Festival is a free event at the Baker Center where we invite LWVAA members and the general community to join us for live music, tasty treats, games, prizes, and all manner of fun. Invite your friends and come help us welcome the community!
The May local elections are coming up; we'll have a Voters Guide and some educational programming about what’s on the ballot coming to you soon. And mark your calendars for our Annual Meeting on May 11th!
Many thanks for your enthusiasm,
Jessica
|  | Friends & Family Spring Festival!
We hope you'll join us for our Friends & Family Spring Festival! This no-cost outdoor event will have live music, free tasty treats, games, prizes, and a variety of fun activities for all ages. Whether you're a member or a non-member, bring others with you or attend on your own. We look forward to seeing you there!
| Democracy News
LWVAustin.org Website Update
Look for the new Translation button at the top of our home page. Spanish language webpage coming soon.
Contact: Grace Chimene, VP Communications & Technology
| "Thank you for supporting voting rights & democracy." | Amplify Austin - Thank You!
The area-wide 24-hour day of giving from I Live Here I Give Here was held on March 6-7. We're happy to report that $10,765 was raised for the League of Women Voters Austin Area to fund the Voters Guide and other voter education and engagement programs. Read more comments from a few donors here.
|
Heads Up! The A&E Committee Recommends Adoption of a Concurrence!
The Advocacy & Education Committee will recommend adoption of a concurrence with the LWV of Grosse Pointe, Michigan, at the LWVAA annual meeting in May. The recommendation reads:
The Advocacy and Education Committee proposes the adoption of a concurrence with LWV of Grosse Pointe and LWV Michigan: The League of Women Voters Austin Area supports that all libraries are forums for information and ideas, and that these basic policies should guide their services.
- The League supports full service public library systems.
- Public libraries should support our First Amendment right to intellectual freedom and expression by playing an important role in facilitating free and open access to information.
- Individuals should be trusted to make their own decisions about what they read and believe. Removing and banning books from public libraries is a slippery slope to governmental censorship and the erosion of our country’s commitment to freedom of expression.
- Library staff, operating within the standards of the American Library Association, should make professional decisions about selection, organization, preservation, and dissemination of resources, services, and technologies without political interference.
Learn more:
|
New & Prospective Member Orientation
Join us at the LWVAA office on Saturday, April 13, for our quarterly meeting for new and prospective League members. You’ll learn about the history of the League, about how LWVAA is organized, and about how you can support our mission of empowering voters and defending democracy. Know a friend or neighbor who might be interested in League membership? Bring them along!
Date: Saturday, April 13
Time: 2:00 - 3:30 p.m.
Location: LWVAA office at Alamo Baker Center, 3908 Avenue B, Austin, 78751
Register for the New & Prospective Member Orientation!
|  |
April Updates!
-
Two of our volunteers who worked the polls had student clerks that attended our First Vote! presentations!
-
9% of the students we registered voted in the primary. It might not seem like much, but it is significant considering the overall turnout was only 17%
-
Shout out to the volunteers who helped texting these new voters to encourage them to vote in the primary!
-
We are partnering with the Travis County Clerk's Office. Their Community Liaison attended a recent First Vote! event and will be joining future ones whenever the schedule allows. It is great to have the County so directly engaged with promoting civic participation!
-
Since spring break, we registered 90 high school seniors at Lake Travis High School during their CapNGown event, and 13 at LASA during lunch break. LASA will have us back on a monthly basis and they will announce the dates in their newsletter so anyone turning 18 will be ready!
Coming Up!
We will be at Northeast ECHS on April 3rd and 4th providing the full presentation and voter registration program. We are also finalizing details to go to Travis High School, likely on April 25 and 29. As we continue to work with schools, we also have some plans in the works for May.
If you want to learn how you can help, or if you are connected to any local high schools, let us know!
|
Register Voters Across the Austin Area!
Help needed! There are lots of opportunities to register voters!
Contact: Claudia Torres-Yanez, Director of Voter Registration and Turnout
Volunteers Needed: Friends & Family Festival
Would you like to volunteer at the Friends & Family Spring Festival? We’re looking for help with any of the following:
-
Staffing tables
-
Leading activities
-
Taking photographs
-
Event setup and clean-up
Contact: Kate Abel, VP Organization
| April 16: Texas Tribune Event - How New Laws are Affecting Public Education in Texas
In 2023, the Texas Legislature passed key legislation to address some of the gaps in academic achievement in the wake of COVID’s disruption. As we approach the end of the school year, this Texas Tribune conversation will focus on what has helped Texas children catch up with their studies, the lingering challenges, the impact of new laws - investments in high-quality instructional materials, targeted tutoring for struggling students, and accelerating advancement in math - and what else the state can do to help.
The in-person event will be live streamed for virtual attendees and will be available to watch on demand here.
Date: Tuesday, April 16
Time: Doors at 8:30 a.m. / Event begins at 9:00 a.m.
Location: 919 Congress Avenue, Sixth Floor, Austin, 78701 OR online
May 11: LWVAA Annual Meeting
Details coming soon
| LWVTX
Convention - Join with other Texans dedicated to our mission of empowering voters at the LWVTX Biennial Convention on April 19 - 21! This year's theme is "Embracing Our Diversity. Defending Democracy."
| LWVUS
- The LWVUS 2024 National Convention will take place June 27-June 30 at the Washington Hilton in Washington, DC and online. In-person and virtual delegates will have the opportunity to participate in our Convention Plenary and vote on our 2024-2026 Program; the 2024-2026 budget; the 2024-2026 LWVUS Board of Directors and Nominating Committee; and submitted bylaws amendments. Let Jessica Foreman know if you are interested in attending virtually or in person.
- Watch an address from LWVUS Board President's last message to the League of Women Voters membership on the state of the League in 2024. We had no idea when she recorded this video at the end of January that these would be Dr. Turner’s final words to the League. They are now even more meaningful than before. We hope they inspire you as members of the League of Women Voters.
Action Alerts
| Welcome to Our Newest Members!
| |
Ryan Box*
Margaret Murphy* |
| Shelley Nathan May
Susan Philips*
|
|
|
* Indicates a Sustaining Member
| Thank You to Our Sustaining and Renewing Members!
When you join LWV Austin Area, you automatically become a member of the National and Texas Leagues.
| | The League shall not support or oppose any political party or candidates. It may take action on governmental measures and policies in the public interest after significant study and consensus is reached. | |