President's Message
from Janet Imhoff |
Program Planning Time Has Come!
What do we mean by Program Planning? In League, “Program” is the education and advocacy platform that our League membership adopts. “Program Planning” is the process of discussing and brainstorming about what we want the League to advocate or study. It is the grassroots speaking about where we want the League to go.
LWV-CC Program Planning is done yearly in preparation for our Annual Meeting. LWV Texas and LWVUS Program Planning is done every other year, prior to their biennial conventions. Members may sign up now on our website (log in first) and you will be sent a link to the Zoom meeting. We will send you information on how to prepare for the meetings.
- LWV Texas Program Planning will be Thursday, January 4, at 6 PM. Register here! (Members must log in first)
- LWV-CC Program Planning will be Thursday, February 1, at 6 PM. Register here! (Members must log in first)
The article below contains a more in-depth explanation of the program planning process. Always something to learn in League! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and Holiday Season.
Janet
|  | Program Planning 2024/2025
Next year is a convention year for both the state and national League. At every convention, delegates adopt budgets, amend bylaws and elect officers and directors. Delegates also set priorities for our public policy work over the upcoming biennium. We refer to those priorities as our “program.” The League operates in every state and at all levels of government. Program aligns the League behind a set of national, state, and local priorities which strengthens our advocacy and increases our visibility. As a grassroots organization, we engage members throughout the process of planning our program.
Through program planning members provide input to local, state, and national boards. Based on that input, the relevant board recommends a program of priorities to convention delegates and members attending annual meetings. In providing input, members should consider:
- Where can the League be most effective?
- In the issue areas where the League can be most effective, do we have member understanding of the issue area and member agreement as to the public policy recommendations in the issue area (do we have a position on the priority issue)?
- After reviewing our principles and positions, are updates needed to priority positions that will allow the League to be more effective in the priority issue?
Over the past two decades, the League has been most effective in defending democracy against voter suppression at the state and local level. That work is far from finished. The principles and positions we have arrived at over more than 100 years have proved more than adequate to address the current climate. The Making Democracy Work Campaign has been a years long project that has increased our relevance because it draws on our deep roots in the suffrage movement. It also requires us to apply a DEI lens to all the work we do strengthening our message and increasing support for the League.
- LWV Texas Program Planning will be Thursday, January 4, at 6 PM. Register here! (Members must log in first)
- LWV-CC Program Planning will be Thursday, February 1, at 6 PM. Register here! (Members must log in first)
Links to Resources:
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Advocacy: Public Funds Should Stay in Public Schools
And the beat goes on. Having failed to pass the educational savings accounts or immigration legislation, the Legislature is back in session for the fourth time since the regular session. The Governor’s agenda now includes: creating a private school voucher program, teacher pay, school safety, more funding for Operation Lone Star, and creating a state criminal offense for improper entry from a foreign nation. Whether the House and the Senate can reconcile their differences to pass any school voucher legislation this session will depend a lot on the ability of advocates to keep up the pressure.
LWV Texas is against school vouchers in any form, including taxpayer-funded educational savings accounts to subsidize private schools. Numerous independent studies show they do not produce greater academic gains than public schools and do not provide a way out of poverty for poor students. The vast majority of our students (more than 90%) still need high-quality, fully funded public schools. You can read LWV-TX's full 2023 Action Paper on school finance here. LWV-TX is also a member of the Coalition for Public Schools and you can view their most recent co-signed announcement here.
For the League of Women Voters, as much as we support federalism and humane treatment of migrants, our focus will be on stopping vouchers. While the immigration legislation is far more likely to be resolved between the two houses, it is nevertheless unconstitutional on its face, which will allow a legal challenge as soon as the legislation is signed into law.
To get further updates on the fourth special session, sign up for LWV-TX Action Alerts and the Capitol Action Report by clicking here.
In League,
Elisabeth MacNamara, Vice President of Advocacy for LWV-TX
|  | Observer Corps Needs Volunteers
The LWV-Collin County Observer Corps is off to a good start after the initial meeting. So far, we have volunteers to observe the following: Collin County Commissioners Court, Plano City Council, and Plano Independent School District. We still need observers for the Allen, Frisco, and McKinney ISD's and City Councils. If you would like to volunteer to observe a meeting or learn more about the Observer Corps, please email Jackie Fleschman at LWVCollin@Gmail.com. You can also view a description on our Observer Corps website, here.
After we gather reports, our Advocacy Chair and another volunteer will review the reports and summarize them for our members. We will also publish a video soon with information about the Observer Corps. |  | Program Committee Needs Volunteers
As adopted by the members at our annual meeting, our 2023-24 Program will include a review and update to our current homelessness position. A committee will research the current state of homelessness in Collin County and how the community has responded to the need for short and long term shelter and the availability of affordable housing. We plan to hold a public forum on the current state of homelessness and the availability of affordable and accessible housing in Collin County. If you are interested in serving on this committee, please contact Sharon Hirsch, Program VP.
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Lunch with the League
All are welcome at a buy-your-own social lunch with LWV-CC on Tuesday, December 12, 11:30-1:00, at La Madeleine, 810 W McDermott Dr in Allen. Please register so that we know how many seats to reserve. If you are a member, please log in to the website before registering. Register here. |
Book Club
All are invited to the League of Women Voters of Collin County Book Club on January 10 6:30-7:30 pm. We will meet on Zoom to discuss ''White Women: Everything You Already Know About Your Own Racism And How To Do Better" by Regina Jackson and Saira Rao. We will share our thoughts on the book as well as various discussion questions. Please register in order to receive the Zoom link. If you are a member, log in on the website before registering. Register Here
| Empowering voters. Defending democracy.
www.lwvcollin.org | 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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