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President's Message
from Liz Holland
On June 23rd, the Collin County Commissioners Court voted to move to hand-marked ballots (HMB) for the November election. They approved $2.5 million for new hardware and supplies needed for this change. While we are disappointed with this move, there will continue to be express voting machines at every polling place to meet ADA requirements. ANYONE can use these ballot marking machines--you do not need to be disabled. The league will continue monitoring closely the court and the Texas SOS for any further changes. We will keep you updated.
The LWV of Collin County has set a goal this year to increase voter outreach; we need you to assist with meeting this goal. We need to educate our voters with forums, through voter registration events, voter guides, and social media. If you have a couple of hours each month, you could help us observe our local government meetings (all are live-streamed), work at a voter registration event, create content for our social media team, help set up at one of our forums or work on our voter guides. You can find out more information about the League here and you can email lwvcollin@gmail.com if you have any questions.
We all need to Empower Voters and Defend Democracy!
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Lunch with the League - McKinney and Plano
Enjoy great conversation and connection at one of our upcoming LWV-CC social lunches. These events are open to all and provide a chance to discuss important issues while upholding the League’s nonpartisan policy of not supporting or opposing any candidate or political party.
Tuesday, July 8, 11:30 – 1:00
Location: BJ's Restaurant, 1101 N. Central Expy, Plano
Tuesday, July 25, 11:30 – 1:00
Location: Hydeout Cafe, 1751 Eldorado Pkwy, McKinney
Note for Members: Please log in to the website before registering.
We look forward to seeing you there!
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Book Club
All are invited to the League of Women Voters of Collin County Book Club on Wednesday, July 9, from 7:00-8:00. We will meet on Zoom to discuss Night Flyer: Harriet Tubman and the Faith Dreams of a Free People by Tiya Miles.
We will share our nonpartisan thoughts on the book as well as various discussion questions. Click here to register and receive the Zoom link. If you are a member, log in on the website before registering.
Coming up in September's book club is The Small and the Mighty: Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History, From the Founding to the Civil Rights Movement by Sharon McMahon.
|  | Socializing & Civics
LWV-CC will host a free public forum on Saturday, August 16, 2:30 to 4:30, at Davis Library in Plano. All are welcome to attend.
Chris Tucker will discuss "How the Roaring Twenties Shaped the 2020s." The Twenties were a time of massive consumer spending, conflicts over religion and race in schools, debates over women's rights, and fears of terrorism. All of this sounds so familiar. Chris is a public speaker on social and political trends, the Presidents, and the Supreme Court. He is a former editor of D Magazine, a longtime writer for Dallas Morning News, and a commentator on KERA radio.
Register now to save your spot, and bring a friend! Members, please log into your account before registering.
This event is not sponsored by the Plano Public Library System or the City of Plano.
|  | Volunteer Opportunities
Empowering Voters and Defending Democracy doesn't happen in a vacuum. It takes volunteers to register voters, interview candidates, attend virtual City and County meetings, and a host of other activities. There are several openings and most can be done remotely in just a few hours a month. Feel free to contact us by emailing lwvcollin@gmail.com to find out more about these positions:
- 2nd VP--coordinates activites as defined by the board
- Speakers Bureau Chair--coordinates speaker presentations offered to groups throughout the community free of charge
- Candidate Forum Chair--organizes LWV-CC candidate forums for contested races within the county, and assists other nonpartisan organizations that host forums
- Observer Corps Chair--coordinates public meeting observers of City, County and ISD meetings across the county
- High School Voter Registration Chair--coordinates 1st time voter registration of high school seniors throughout the county
|  | The National Voting Rights Act Turns 60 in August
August will be the 60th anniversary of the National Voting Rights Act, signed into law on August 6, 1965, by President Lyndon B. Johnson, with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders in attendance. This was recognized as a monumental piece of legislation that outlawed the discriminatory voting practices adopted in many southern states after the Civil War to prevent Black people from voting, including literacy tests and poll taxes. It also provided federal oversight known as “preclearance” to get election changes preapproved for states with a history of discrimination, including Texas, to ensure they did not harm voters of color.
Unfortunately, in 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court’s Shelby County v. Holder decision struck down the framework for identifying places subject to preclearance, which significantly weakened much of the protection of the VRA. The same day, Texas officials announced that they would implement the nation’s most restrictive voter ID law, which a court later ruled to be racially discriminatory. A massive wave of restrictive voting policies have since been implemented in jurisdictions previously subject to preclearance. A series of Supreme Court decisions have further rolled back protections for voting rights.
For the last several years, the John Lewis Voting Rights Act has been introduced in Congress, but hasn’t gained traction. Several states have since enacted their own Voting Rights Acts. In fact, in this most recent session, several organizations joined together to introduce the Barbara Jordan Texas Voting Rights Act (HB 5258), filed by Rep. John Bucy. Unfortunately, this bill did not make it out of the Elections Committee.
The League of Women Voters remains committed to fighting for voting rights, which is a fundamental cornerstone of our democracy.
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Upcoming Virtual Events
Every time you turn on the news or see a notification, something else has happened. A new Supreme Court decision announced or another Executive Order has been signed. A short news story doesn't fully explain what those things are about and what the ramifications might be. Below are three free virtual events that will shed additional light on some recent items in the news and also what it means to be "nonpartisan."
The Brennan Center for Justice has a virtual event on Wednesday July 9, at 2:00 CT, titled Supreme Court Term in Review, where four Supreme Court experts will discuss the Court's decisions this term, and what those decisions could mean for the rule of law when democracy is under strain. You can register for the event here.
The League of Women Voters of Palm Beach County is offering a live virtual event in their "Hot Topics Luncheon" series on Tuesday July 15, at 11:00 CT, titled Backslide/Backlash: Where Do We Go From Here? Speaker Barbara Cheives will discuss the future of affirmative action, DEI, and what comes next. You can register for the event here.
For Members Only
The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan organization and its policy states, "The League shall not support or oppose any political party or candidate." That seems simple enough, but for those that conflate issues with parties, it isn't so simple. The League of Women Voters Texas Membership Interest Group is proud to welcome LWV Texas State board member and past LWV-US presdent Elizabeth MacNamara for a virtual event on Thursday, July 17, at 7:00 CT. She will share her vast knowledge and experience with us related to issues Leagues face currently. Members can register here. Please log in before registering as only members will be permitted to register.
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Mary Elizabeth Freeman - A Life of Serving Others
It's with sadness that we share the news of the passing of our member Mary Freeman. Even though she only recently became a member of the League, she jumped in as a major sponsor of our 50th anniversary celebration earlier this year, where her son delighted the guests as the emcee of the trivia contest.
Mary lived most of her adult life in the Dallas area and put her MBA in Nonprofit Management to work in her career working for Habitat for Humanity, Reading Partners of North Texas, and Out Teach before working for The Salvation Army of North Texas for over twenty years. She had a strong commitment to serving others in both her career and her volunteer activities throughout her life. She was an avid foodie who never met a stranger and loved sharing a meal with those she loved. She is survived by her husband, children, grandchildren, mother and so many others who enjoyed life with her.
Services will be held on Monday July 7, at 1 pm at the First Unitarian Church of Dallas and in lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations to the First Unitarian Church of Dallas, Reading Partners of North Texas or The Salvation Army of North Texas. You can view the obituary here.
| Empowering voters. Defending democracy.
| The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan 501C3 organization. We do not support or oppose any political party or candidate. We encourage informed and active participation in government, and we influence public policy through education and advocacy.
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