THE VOTER NOVEMBER 2020

Click here to read our Nonpartisan and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion statements.

President’s Message First I started writing this on Friday, three days after the presidential election. At that time, we didn’t know who would win. I don’t know about you, but throughout this waiting period, I felt ill, anxious and disappointed in the process and reactions. Is something happening to our democracy? Have we lost our capacity for compassion, for tolerance, for conversation, for trying to see different perspectives and honoring each person’s rights and humanity? What will it take to pull us together once again as Americans? Hopefully, not another national disaster or tragedy. I resumed writing on Saturday, shortly after the election had been called. Now it’s Sunday, and I’m still trying. This is what I think I know. Slightly more than half of Americans are happy. Slightly less than half are not. And we remain unsettled as a country. We have just watched our democracy at work. “Making Democracy Work” is the mantra of the national League of Women Voters for our new biennial. And what exactly are the goals of this initiative? They are: Empowering all voters Fighting voter suppression Limiting super PACS and secret donors to protect representative democracy Opposing partisan and racial gerrymandering Eliminating the electoral college so every vote counts Standing by our Constitution and being inclusive in all our deliberations The goals also include seeing us coming together as Americans, as the Founders intended. Sure, we can agree and disagree, but we still stand for democracy. E pluribus unum—out of many, one. This is the motto of these United States. It is time again to honor that phrase. If you participated in last month’s All Member Meeting, we focused on the meaning of nonpartisanship, a foundation of the League. (See an article about the meeting by new member Amelia Workman in this VOTER.) We emphasized that as an organization, we never support a candidate or political party. We do support issues, and that support is the result of serious study and deliberation. From input received at the meeting, we have crafted the following statement summarizing those discussions and outcomes: The League of Women Voters is nonpartisan and does not support any political party or candidate. The League of Women Voters develops positions on issues that are important to our members. Our positions are rigorously researched, fact-based and aim to strengthen the democratic process through promoting social justice.   Political parties or candidates may choose to use any of our well-researched positions as part of their platform. But, our positions remain nonpartisan. So, as we move forward in this postelection time, let us remember that we are one country of Americans, steeped in the tradition of democracy. Although we as individuals can support any candidate or party we choose, as the League of Women Voters, we support democracy and stand together as citizens of the United States of America. In League and Unity, Debbie

All Member Meeting November 17 Like most things in nature, the Portage Park District continues to grow in ways large and small since the district was created in 1991 as an independent political subdivision with countywide jurisdiction. Portage Park District Executive Director Christine Craycroft and two members of her staff, Public Engagement Manager Andrea Metzler and Education Program Coordinator Jennifer White will speak at the LWVK All Member Meeting on November 17 at 7 p.m. on Zoom. The trio will discuss exciting park district developments and the progress of the park district since the passage of the levy. You will have a chance to say what you think should be in the new plan. After many years of struggling with minimal budgets, the passage of the levy enabled the park district to address long-delayed maintenance needs, open new parks and acquire additional land to preserve for future generations. Most recently, the district celebrated the opening of Trail Lake Park, a 222-acre park with a 30-acre lake off Ravenna Road in Streetsboro. Since 1965, the League has maintained a local position in support of park and recreation facilities and programming in Kent and Portage County. The position has been updated three times since then in 1968, 1985 and 2006.Read the full position here. To learn more about how you can join the Zoom meeting, click here.

Attention, new members! New Member Orientation begins begins at 6 p.m.! Join Membership Chair Sherry Rose for all you need to know about getting the most out of your LWV Kent membership. She also will answer any questions you may have. To join the New Member Orientation (followed immediately by the AMM), click here.

December All Member Holiday Brunch breaks from tradition, gets creative The Kent League’s December All Member Holiday Brunch will be held on Saturday, December 5, at 9:30 a.m. While we traditionally have had a lovely brunch and speaker for the event, this year we are going to be creative. We are working on an option for brunch, but our focus will be on how we can support and help others during the holiday season. Our neighbors, small businesses and social agencies are all struggling right now, in large part due to the pandemic. We hope you will join us for the opportunity to hear from area organizations and businesses about how we can step up and make a difference for the holidays. Check Main Street Kent for events in Kent. Note that Small Business Saturday is November 28. Stay tuned for more information.

Bipartisanship was focus of Oct. 7 All Member Meeting by Amelia Workman Nonpartisanship and League updates were the topics of discussion when Kent League members gathered virtually for the October 7 All Member Monthly meeting. With the election now in full swing, members were eager to discuss voting and what actions the League can take to encourage nonpartisanship in the community. After updates were conducted by League officers and members, breakout sessions were used to separate League members into small groups. The League is known for being a nonpartisan organization, endorsing no particular candidates at any level of government. As League members, we stand by this philosophy, but what does being nonpartisan truly mean? October’s meeting focused on that question, diving deeper into what the League stands for and the true meaning behind being nonpartisan. Each breakout-session group discussed these questions about nonpartisanship:   What do you now know about nonpartisanship that you did not know before this meeting? What other questions do you have about nonpartisanship? What implications does nonpartisanship have on our behavior at League meetings? How would you explain League nonpartisanship to someone who does not know about the League? What are the most important talking points you would want to share about the League’s nonpartisanship? Members discussed many important aspects about the League and how being nonpartisan encourages membership and advocacy. Groups discussed how the League works toward consensus by focusing on the facts. The League is based on ideas and research and driven by data. Its data-driven responses are not emotional or affiliated with political parties. Members also discussed how one’s beliefs are not always aligned with one’s political party. League members must be respectful of other views so they can promote the League’s true mission: “Empowering voters. Defending Democracy.” Issues must be looked at as nonpartisan, and the League brings clarity to positions. Being nonpartisan means that members’ behavior at meetings must reflect the League. Members discussed how many people often speak instead of truly listening. Members must watch the words they use and be empathetic toward not only League members but also members of the community. Facts instead of feelings drive the League’s work, and many members said they joined the League because it is a nonpartisan organization. The League is driven by a bond to defend democracy, rather than by a desire to promote a certain political party. Even though candidates and other people may perceive the League as partisan from the Voters’ Guide it produces, that perception is not correct. Creation of the Voters’ Guide does not influence the mission or values of the organization. Learning from all viewpoints and backgrounds is a great way to further understand and learn more about League members. Many of the small groups spent time getting to know one another better, and the League continues to build relationships and foster unity in the Kent community. The Kent League strives to unite people by adhering to its core values of diversity, equity and inclusion. Many members discussed these philosophies and how the use of microaggressions can harm others. To create a truly nonpartisan organization, the League states on its website: “We are creating a community of respect, celebration, and empowerment which enables all people to influence government through active participation in the political process.” By focusing on diversity and inclusion, this acceptance from the League welcomes input and opinions from all sides and all individuals. The October 7 AMM not only united League members but also continued a very important conversation about nonpartisanship and acceptance. As the League continues to grow in members, so also does its philosophy and values on defending democracy and creating change.

Upcoming All Member Meetings Mark your calendar now for these upcoming All Member Meetings: Jan. 12: Details to come. Feb. 6: Annual Positions and Priorities Meeting. Feb. 17: Discussion of background information and research material for the LWV Ohio study on arming school personnel. March 18: Consensus Meeting on the Arming School Personnel Study

Voter Service Committee innovates to empower, educate community despite COVID-19 pandemic restrictions While the pandemic has slowed down some aspects of our lives, it did not slow down the League of Women Voters of Kent’s Voter Service Committee. Through determination, creativity, and an unwavering belief that democracy works when we all participate, the committee took multiple approaches to informing, empowering, and educating voters in the community. When our community events were canceled, the committee decided to take a different approach to many of our annual voter-registration efforts. An effort led by committee members distributed more than 2,000 primary election door-hanger packets that highlighted the registration and absentee-ballot process. In the general election, more than 1,300 packets were distributed to homes, protest events, Family and Community Services, Townhall II, and local libraries. As the general election approached and the pandemic continued to impact the community, the committee opted for a virtual—rather than in-person—Candidates & Issues Face2Face event. The event was a great success, with more than 90 people participating in small-group discussions between candidates and voters. For National Voter Registration Day, committee members rallied and again found new and safe ways to reach potential and registered voters. Members coordinated with local businesses and organizations to provide nonpartisan registration and voting information, amplifying our message throughout the area. While this election year presented many challenges to the committee’s normal ways of reaching out to the community, the entire Voter Service Committee deserves a round of applause for rising to the challenge and getting creative. The biggest of thank-you’s to all of our coordinators, volunteers and members for ensuring that the community was equipped with the necessary information to partake in the democratic process. Regards, Jen Kinney and Jill Hazelton LWVK Voter Service Committee Co-Chairs

Free community COVID-19 testing available at various Portage County locations in November and December Drive-through and walk-in COVID-19 testing is available at various Portage County locations, dates and times from November 17 through December 10. See the graphic below for details.

Congratulations to the Portage County Board of Elections, staff and volunteers!  Congratulations and thank you to the Portage County Board of Elections, staff and volunteers for a job well done delivering the November 3 general election in Portage! Your dedication and professionalism are esteemed by many and especially the League of Women Voters of Kent. Thank you to board members Denise L. Smith (chair), Patricia Nelson, Doria Daniels, and Elayne J. Cross; Director Faith Lyons; and Deputy Director Terrie Tarchinski Nielson.

LWVUS statement on the 2020 presidential election results The American voters have spoken, and we now know the result of the presidential election. Election 2020 saw the most ballots cast in U.S. history. We applaud the will and determination of the American public to participate in elections amid an ongoing pandemic. This unprecedented turnout is a testament to the determination of the American voters and the strength of our democratic system. To read the full statement, click here.

Ohio education update and urgent advocacy opportunity

The Kent League’s Education Committee has been engaged in a number activities with both local and statewide implications. At the local level, the committee has worked with Kent City Schools and Superintendent George Joseph, teachers and staff on efforts to enhance educational opportunities within the community, provide input on COVID-19 safety protocols, and support passage of the district’s recent bond issue. The committee also established subcommittees to provide input to Kent City Schools on matters such as diversity, equity and inclusion; teacher training and professional development; and racial disparities and outcomes. On one issue with statewide impact, the committee has agreed (along with other local Leagues) to participate in the Arming School Personnel Study. The purpose of the study is to assess the impact on the health and safety of students, school personnel and communities when personnel are armed while on school grounds and was prompted by the recognition of a loophole in the Gun-Free School Zones Act (a 1990 federal law). To read the Education Committee’s full report on its activities, click here. A more urgent statewide education issue that has been on the committee’s table for many years is the overhaul of the state’s unconstitutional public-school funding formula. Long a bane for state legislators, a resolution of contentious issue may be at hand. State Sen. Peggy Lehner, R-Kettering, and Sen. Vernon Sykes, D-Columbus, announced November 6 the introduction of Senate Bill 376, to overhaul Ohio’s public-school funding formula. The Senate bill largely mirrors a House bill 305 (which has been in development for about three years), particularly in terms of ending a long-standing overreliance on property values to determine school district funding. Sponsors of both bills say they are confident that a school-funding bill can pass in both houses of the General Assembly before the end of the year. To read more about this development, click here. An Ohio League of Women Voters report titled “The Moment Has Arrived for School Funding in Ohio” goes into great detail about why passage of S.B. 305 is so important for ensuring an equitable and quality education for all public school students in Ohio. To help ensure passage of one of these school-funding bills, the Kent League’s Education Committee has issued a call to action to League members. “Time is of the essence,” said Education Committee Chair Deborah Austin Sanders. “Legislative action on the bills is expected to begin in about two weeks. We are asking League members to write to senators John Eklund, Kristina Roegner and Vernon Sykes and urge them to support S.B. 305. Letter templates can be downloaded from the League’s newsletter. Just print, sign and mail. We are hoping that all members will participate in this important advocacy effort.” Sanders adds that League members also can add their own wording to the letter, copy the contents and paste it into an email, or summarize key points on a postcard or in a phone message. Download the letter templates. Here is the contact information for Sens. Eklund, Roegner and Sykes:

Sen. John Eklund Senate Building 1 Capitol Square 1st Floor Columbus, OH 43215 614-644-7718 Email

Sen. Kristina Roegner Senate Building 1 Capitol Square 1st Floor Columbus, OH 43215 614-466-4823 Email

Sen. Vernon Sykes Senate Building 1 Capitol Square 1st Floor Columbus, OH 43215 614-466-7041 Email

Here are the live links to this event: FILM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jsxD4D2h2M ZOOM: https://zoom.us/j/92722531297

World cafe online environmental networking event set for Nov. 24

The Crooked River Environmental Network is hosting a virtual World Cafe Online Environmental Networking Event on November 24 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. EST. Note the date change from November 19! The gathering is intended to help local individuals and groups with an environmental focus to build relationships and find synergies with others in the community. Participants will divide into small groups focused on the following topics: Food: Local/Natural/Sustainable Conservation: Land/Water/Wetlands Recycling: Plastics/Waste Stream Poisons and Pollution Renewable Energy/Peak Oil Promoting Awareness: Social/Psychological/Educational Preparing for Disruptions: Shortages, Climate Refugees Political Action Indigenous Rights/Rights of Nature To register and receive the Zoom link, click here.

How did women influence the 2020 election cycle?

Join the Alice Paul Institute for a vibrant virtual conversation with experts Kelly Ditmar and Jennifer Piscopo on November 27 from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. EST. To register, click here.

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