Our June 6 Virtual Annual Meeting will look similar to these engaged Leaguers! Picture yourself up on the big screen.
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VIRTUAL Annual Meeting
June 6, 2020 ~ 9 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
The League’s Annual Meeting sets the stage for the next program year: the organization’s operating budget is approved, local program is determined, officers and directors are elected, changes to the bylaws are approved, and a general direction is given to the board.
What You Need to Do to Prepare
- Find information about the virtual Annual Meeting
- Download the materials you'll need for the meeting
- RSVP for the meeting by June 1
- RSVP to join a Zoom training before June 6
Link for Zoom Meeting on June 6
Below is the link to enter the Zoom meeting on June 6 starting at 9 a.m. We'll be sharing it in a few more newsletter updates and an email on June 5.
LWV Kent Annual Meeting Zoom Link
June 6th, 2020, 9:00 am - 11:30 noon. Join by computer, tablet, mobile device, or landline.
Meeting ID: 836 2134 7031
Join Zoom Meeting on June 6th using the following link:
Don’t have a computer or a microphone? Dial in by phone:
+1 312 626 6799 US
+1 929 205 6099 US (if other line is busy)
Meeting ID: 836 2134 7031
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LWVK Education Committee Issues Call to Action
in Support of Public Schools in Ohio
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Your help is needed
now
to insist that the General Assembly stop siphoning dollars from the state’s public schools in order to increase funding for the Ohio EdChoice private-school voucher program. Continued funding of the voucher program will undermine and erode the quality of public education in Ohio.
Join in the campaign to preserve public education funding by sending a postcard, email, or letter or by calling your state senator and state representative and the members of the Senate Education Committee as it begins hearings on funding the Ohio EdChoice program. See below for the names and contact information for local state senators and representatives and the members of the Senate Education Committee. Here are some talking points on the issue that you can use in your correspondence with the legislators:
- Diverting public funds to vouchers weakens public schools, punishes the students who attend them, and disproportionately affects public school students in high-poverty school districts—the very students who are the least able to forego educational resources appropriate for their needs.
- The state report card is an unfair and inaccurate measure of school quality and should not be used to trigger access to vouchers.
- The deduction method of funding vouchers undermines equity and adequacy in funding public schools. One hundred forty school districts are now responsible for funding vouchers.
- Local taxpayers are left to use their own dollars to make up for the funds diverted to the payment of private-school voucher. This increased reliance on local property taxes creates even more inequality in school funding across the state.
- We believe in our public schools. It is time to abandon policies that judge and punish the public-school system while allowing an unregulated system of private schools to take precious resources that the public system rightly deserves.
- Our public schools are the bulwark of our democracy and our communities. Funding public schools adequately through the COVID-19 pandemic crisis must be a legislative priority.
- This is a time of scarcity. We need your leadership to prevent further loss of funds to vouchers at the expense of an essential community asset—our public schools.
- Vouchers are not essential and are a drain on public resources, making it even more urgent to end the deduction method of funding the vouchers and modifying the regulations
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Local State Senators
Senate Building, 1 Capitol Square, Columbus, OH 43215
Use this address for senators, include their floor information.
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John Eklund (R), District 18
Portage County
1st Floor
614-644-7718
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Kristina Roegner (R), District 27
Stow Area
2nd Floor
614-466-4823
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Local State Representatives
77 S. High St., Columbus, OH 43215
Use this address for representatives, include their floor information.
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Randi Clites (D), District 75
Portage County
11th Floor
614-466-2004
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Diane Grendell (R), District 76
North Portage Co
13th Floor
614-644-5088
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Casey Weinstein (D), District 37
Stow Area, Hudson
11th Floor
614-466-1177
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Ohio Senate Education Committee
Senate Building, 1 Capitol Square, Columbus, OH 43215
Use this address for all senators, include their floor information.
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Peggy Lehner (R), District 6, Chair
2nd Floor
614-466-4538
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Andrew Brenner (R), District 19,
Ground Floor
614-466-8086
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Teresa Fedor (D), District 11,
Ground Floor
614-466-5204
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Louis Blessing, III (R), District 8
Ground Floor
614-466-8068
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William Coley, II (R), District 4
1st Floor
614-466-8072
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Theresa Gavarone (R), District 2
Ground Floor
614-466-8060
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Matt Huffman (R), District 12
2nd Floor
614-466-7584
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Stephen Huffman (R), District 5
Ground Floor
614-466-6247
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Tina Maharath (D), District 3
Ground Floor
614-466-8064
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Nathan Manning (R), District 13
Ground Floor
614-644-7613
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Vernon Sykes (D), District 28
Ground Floor
614-466-7041
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Health Equity Virtual Consensus
June 17, All Member Meeting, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
The Health Equity Study addresses the issues of public health and health disparities in Ohio, as well as the distribution of resources for health care. Health Services include health care, public health, and the creation of environments in which people have the opportunity to be healthy.
At the June 17 online meeting, Kent League members will discuss and come to consensus on a set of questions about health equity in Ohio. Need to review the study information? Click
here
.
Member participation in this step of the process is important because the results of each local League’s consensus on the issue is considered by the Ohio League as it works to create a statewide position. After consensus has been reached at the state level, LWVO and local Leagues can take positions on public health policy and government health programs.
The link to join the meeting will be in an upcoming VOTER UPDATE.
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For those who have come to know Kent League member
Alfreda Brown
, you may be aware that she is retiring from her post as vice president of the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Kent State University. Her many contributions to the Kent League include helping the League to establish a diversity program and serving on the Kent LWV board. Brown also served on the board of the League of Women Voters of Ohio. She and her husband will be leaving the area to relocate. You can see a
tribute to Brown
(in which the Kent League will participate) on May 22 at 3 p.m.
here
. We wish her much happiness and fulfillment in her retirement and thank her with many virtual embraces for the gifts she gave us.
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TIME FOR ACTION TO PROTECT
VOTERS AND VOTING
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Email and call federal lawmakers today. Ask them to fund safe, secure elections. Go to
bit.ly/2020ProtectTheVote
. Follow the prompts to call your lawmakers.
Ask lawmakers to support the U.S. House Heroes Act relief package. Here's statement issued by LWV President Chris Carson. Use the content to craft your own message.
- Our democracy depends on an election system that protects voters, poll workers, and the right to vote.
- The latest House bill does just that. Expanding vote-by-mail and ensuring safe and early in-person voting options gives all eligible voters the flexibility to cast their ballots safely this fall.
- At this unprecedented time, voters should not have to choose between their health and executing their constitutional right to vote.
- By providing $3.6 billion to state and local election administrators, this bill ensures that our election systems are prepared for changes related to COVID-19.
- This funding, combined with the $400 million from the CARES Act, meets the required $4 billion election experts estimate is needed to safely administer elections this fall.
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Gerrymandering and Ohio video forum
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In 2021, district lines in all states will be redrawn. How will the results of the delayed census affect the fairness of how those lines are drawn not only in Ohio but also throughout the country? Will the lines be drawn fairly, or can efforts at gerrymandering be expected to continue?
Find out what the following national and local experts have to say during an online forum set for Thursday, May 28, at 7 p.m.:
- Michael Li, senior counsel for democracy, Brennan Center for Justice
- Kathay Feng, national redistricting director, Common Cause (national level)
- Jen Miller, executive director, League of Women Voters of Ohio
Catherine Turcer
, executive director of Common Cause Ohio will moderate the forum.
The forum is cosponsored by Common Cause Ohio and the League of Women Voters of Greater Cleveland.
RSVP
here for login information.
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Virginia Kase, LWVUS CEO, top
Carolyn Jefferson Jenkins, former CEO
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Save the date! LWVO to celebrate its 100th year virtually on June 16
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The virtual evening event will include a panel discussion with:
- Carolyn Jefferson Jenkins: former LWVUS CEO
- Virginia Kase: current LWVUS CEO
- Jennifer Smith Richards: Chicago Tribune data reporter
Registration details coming soon!
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Connect with us by
email . . . and
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