The LWVJ Blog
Features action alerts and articles by our members and others. Renewed and refreshed for 2020.
Articles
News, Videos, and Articles on voting, voting rights, and Alaskan issues.
Advantages of Ranked Choice Voting
Alaskans will be voting this November on Ballot Measure #2 – Repeal Ranked Choice voting and Open Primaries. Here’s why we don’t support this ballot measure:
RCV allows voters to rank candidates by preference, ensuring that the elected candidate has broader support. Here are some key advantages:
Ensures Majority Support: RCV ensures that the winning candidate has majority support, rather than just a plurality. This system helps prevent a candidate disliked by the majority from winning simply because the opposition is split [more…]
John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act 2024
In 1965 Congress passed the Voting Rights Act, which protected a citizen’s right to vote. Among other provisions, it stated that if a state attempted thru their laws to suppress the vote of certain groups or made voting difficult through general incompetence of those overseeing the voting process, such a state would fall under a preclearance process for any changes that were made going forward to improve the voting experience.
Alaska Involvement in the Voting Rights Act
The State of Alaska was [more…]
Why Should I Vote?
According to a recent study, these are the top reasons people don’t vote (and some reasons to help change their minds):
- Don’t like the candidates
- Nobody is perfect, and no candidate is either. Find the candidate and the party that – in total – come closest to your ideals.
- My vote doesn’t matter
- Read the following examples where a few votes can made all the difference! It really does matter.
- No time for voting
Newsletter Vol 2 Issue 9
Legislative Wrap-up – 2024
We started out the year with a hope for election process improvements, increased education spending, and campaign finance reforms. Throughout the session, we watched to see whether there would be some level of gun safety legislation, required civics education, protections against AI interference in elections, and support for teacher pensions. These were and are some of our key league focus areas.
Did the 33rd Legislature come thru on our priorities? Not much. Read on for the [more…]
Newsletter Vol 2 Issue 8
12 days and counting…
The end of session will be May 15th this year, likely late in the night, if prior years’ are any indication. There is a provision to extend 10 days, if both bodies agree. The focus, is of course, on the budget. But there are a few bills still left with a possibility of some action.
The Operating Budget has passed the Senate and the Capital Budget will be on the House Floor early next week. The House [more…]
Newsletter Vol 2 Issue 7
Just over a month left in this session…
The focus now is on the budget.
There is an agreement this year that the House would have an operating budget ready by April 12th in order to pass it over to the Senate for consideration. The Senate has to finalize the capital budget and pass it over to the House also on April 12th. Both bodies will consider the budgets and could make changes. So, it is [more…]
Newsletter Vol 2 Issue 6
No BSA funding — Now what?
Unable to override the Veto
By now you all have heard of the Alaska Legislators vote to uphold the Governor’s veto of SB140. The fallout – closing schools, laying off teachers, increasing class sizes are seen across the state. What next?
House News: Public Testimony Wednesday, 8:00 am House Education.
The House Education Committee will hear testimony on the HB 392 Education Funding bill on Wednesday March 27th. They will take invited an public testimony [more…]
Newsletter Vol 2 Issue 5
Mid-session blues…
No news from the Governor yet on the fate of SB140.
Gov. Dunleavy has until March 14th to either sign, or veto, or let the bill stand without his signature. Even if he lets the bill stand, he still has the power to line item veto any funding that would be included in the budget. Some school systems in Alaska are banking on some money in their budgets, some are not. Seems nothing will be fully [more…]
Newsletter Vol 2 Issue 4
Education Compromise
House News:
During the last two weeks in the House of Representatives, the sessions have centered around SB 140 – Internet for Schools. The House Rules committee modified it to include a number of provisions including changes to charter schools, correspondence schools, the Base Student Allocation (BSA), and others.
Most of you are well aware of the changes, but it was a very long process. Once it went to the floor of the House, there were many amendments (most [more…]
Newsletter Vol 2 Issue 3
It’s a Leap Year!
At this time of year, it always seems like things are moving ever so slowly. Sure, there are a lot of committee meetings, and bills assigned. But there aren’t many decisions being made. The big items we’re watching in February remain election processes, gun safety and education.
For anyone who is deeply interested in Education in Alaska, please listen to the presentation by Dr. Paul E. Peterson, Harvard University who discussed the National Assessment of Educational [more…]
Senate Bill 173-Labor and Commerce Cmte – Public Testimony on Armed volunteers in Schools
Public Testimony!
March 1st, 1:30 PM (H&S)Labor & Commerce in Beltz 105 and it is TELECONFERENCED.
Call in Information: If your phone # has an Anchorage prefix, call 907-563-9085. If a Juneau prefix, call 907-586-9085 – elsewhere (toll-free) call 844-586-9085. Calling the # above will connect you to the teleconferencing system. An operator will take your information and place you into the public testimony queue. Be prepared to limit your comments to two minutes.
Or you can email your comments to:
Senate.Labor.And.Commerce@akleg.gov
Senator.Jesse.Bjorkman@akleg.gov
Senator.Click.Bishop@akleg.gov
[more…]
Newsletter Vol 2 Issue 2
Repeal Ranked Choice Voting moves forward
As the session gets moving, more of the bills are lined up for hearings. You can go to AKLEG.org and find out the current status of bills, listen to audio from the meetings and much more. We’ll try to keep you informed as well with action alerts as the session continues.
What to Know: Legislation Tracking
Elections/Campaigns
House Bill 4 – “Repeal Ranked Choice Voting”, was approved in committee and moved to Finance. Rep. Vance (R-Homer) [more…]
What to Know: Week 1
As the 2024 Legislative session kicks off, we begin by welcoming in an election year. All of the House of Representative members are up for election, as well as half of the Senators. Here’s how things are lining up right now. We expect a lively session, so check back often to see what we’re watching.
Legislation Tracking
The Alaskan Legislative Session covers a two-year period. Bills can be introduced in either session. However, at the end of the second year, all bills [more…]
Actions
Here is a list of our Actions, Alerts and Notices
2024 Action Alerts
Governor’s Budget – Highlights
In December, Governor Dunleavy released his budget for the second session of the 33rd Legislature.
Recap of the process
The Governor submits a budget. The Legislature reviews it, then adds, changes and/or deletes parts of it. There is, of course, politics involved; if the party in charge of both houses of the Legislature is the same party as the Governor, then much is left intact. In Alaska this year given a bi-partisan Senate majority, it isn’t clear what [more…]
Pre-file Bills January 2024
Here is a recap of the pre-file bills that were filed prior to the start of the session that may be of interest to our members. Should any of these move forward and get added to our watchlist, we’ll let you know. As it is early in the session, and a more thorough analysis of each of these will be done at that time.
As a reminder, as the session begins, there is a Republican majority in the House, and a [more…]
Legislative Newsletters
Newsletters are posted January thru May of each year during the legislative session. Did you miss a newsletter? Want to know what happened in previous years? Here’s a list of our emailed newsletters.
2024 Newsletters
2023 Newsletters
HB129 Voter Registration and HB4 Repeal Rank Choice Voting Meeting
HB 129 VOTER REGISTRATION Sponsored by the House Judiciary Committee chaired by Rep. Vance (R-Homer).
AND
HB 4 ELECTIONS:REPEAL RANK CHOICE/OPEN PRIMARY Sponsored by REPRESENTATIVES VANCE, Rauscher, McCabe, Tomaszewski
There were a number of hearings last session, and it is continuing for 2024.
Meeting Alert! Watch if you can.
Jan 17 Wednesday 1:00 PM (H)JUDICIARY at GRUENBERG 120 and it is TELECONFERENCED. There are additional documents and updates already posted. Please keep an eye on this. For HB 129 – [more…]
19th Amendment Facts
Before and After the Nineteenth Amendment
August 2020 marks several landmarks in the long struggle for voting rights for women. August 18, 1920 saw the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution by the state legislature of Tennessee, and on August 26, 1920 the amendment was officially added to our Constitution and meant that women who were U.S. citizens had the right to vote in all states of the Union. Neither of these events [more…]
More on For the People Act
SUMMARY: FOR THE PEOPLE ACT (League of Women Voters of the United States)
Voting Rights Reforms
Having voting rights protections and reforms in place would revolutionize our elections and make them more accessible, yield increased turnout, and ultimately elevate the voice of all Americans.
● Automatic Voter Registration (AVR): Simply put, AVR shifts voter registration from an “opt-in” system to a “opt-out” process. Every eligible citizen who interacts with designated government agencies, such as the [more…]
For the People Act
Read more about how the For the People Act will improve our democracy from the US League of Women Voters: For the People Act
Here are some additional links:
Democracy 2020
LWV Statement on the 2020 Presidential Election Results
WASHINGTON – League of Women Voters board president Dr. Deborah Turner and CEO Virginia Kase issued the following joint statement on the results of the electoral college count for our next president:
“The American voters have [more…]
More on Alaska Ballot Measure 2
More about Alaska Ballot Measure 2,Top-Four Ranked-Choice Voting and Campaign Finance Laws Initiative (2020)
Supported by the LWV-AK. Need more information on why this Ballot measure is so long? It contains all of the language and information that will have to be changed in legislation in order to comply. This is a good thing, as it makes things very transparent and clear and will result in better legislation.
SECTIONAL SUMMARY OF 19AKBE
*Section 1 [more…]
Voting 2020: General Election Ballot Initiative 1
Alaska Ballot Measure 1, North Slope Oil Production Tax Increase Initiative (2020)
An Act changing the oil and gas production tax for certain fields, units, and nonunitized reservoirs on the North Slope
This act would change the oil and gas production tax for areas of the North Slope where a company produced more than 40,000 barrels of oil per day in the prior year and more than 400 million barrels total. The new areas would be divided up [more…]
Voting 2020: Alaska Ballot Measure 2
Alaska Ballot Measure 2, Top-Four Ranked-Choice Voting and Campaign Finance Laws Initiative (2020)
Note: The League of Women Voters of Alaska is supporting this Ballot Measure.
An Act Replacing the Political Party Primary with an Open Primary System and Ranked-Choice General Election, and Requiring Additional Campaign Finance Disclosures
This act would get rid of the party primary system, and political parties would no longer select their candidates to appear on the general election ballot. Instead, this act [more…]
Ensure Your Voice Is Heard
1. Register
Check your registration and address
In 2016, Alaska voters approved a law which automatically registers or updates voter registration information using the information from the Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD) unless the applicant opts-out.
As every year, all Alaskan registered voters can vote Absentee by mail by requesting a ballot for the State House and General Elections.But you must request a ballot.
Alaska residents who will turn 18 within 90 days of the election are eligible to vote – [more…]
Alyse Galvin
Alyse Galvin, Non-partisan, running in the Democratic Primary
Website: ALYSEFORALASKA.COM
Biographical Information: I am a third-generation Alaskan. Like too many children, I grew up in a home with trauma and abuse, but my community and local public school in the Anchorage Government Hill neighborhood lifted me up and gave me the tools and confidence I needed to persevere. I was the first in my family to graduate from college, earning a degree in political science from UCSD. I [more…]
Dr. Al Gross
Al Gross, Non-partisan, running in the Democratic Primary
Website: DRALGROSSAK.COM
Biographical Information: Born and raised in Alaska; father Avrum Gross was Attorney General under Governor Hammond; Al is an orthopedic surgeon; his wife Monica is a pediatrician; Al has commercial fished; panned for gold; founded the Juneau Bone and Joint Center, served as President of the Bartlett Regional Hospital medical staff.
Responses to Voter’s Guide Questions:
1.The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the Constitution was passed by Congress [more…]
Dan Sullivan
Dan Sullivan, Incumbent, Republican running in the Republican Primary
Website: DANSULLIVANFORALASKA.COM
Responses to Voter’s Guide Questions: Did not respond to a request for comments
Biographical Information: Dan Sullivan was elected in 2014 and sworn in as Alaska’s eighth United States Senator on January 6, 2015. Recognized as one of the Senate’s most effective lawmakers, Sullivan serves on committees critical to Alaska: Armed Services, Commerce, Veterans Affairs, and Environment and Public Works. Senator Sullivan has a distinguished record of military and national security [more…]
Don Young
Don Young, Incumbent, Republican running in the Republican Primary
Website: ALASKANSFORDONYOUNG.COM
Biographical Information: Congressman Don Young was re-elected to the 116th Congress in 2018 to serve his 24th term as Alaska’s sole Member to the United States House of Representatives. First sworn in during the 93rd Congress after winning a special election, Congressman Young is today the Dean of the House and the longest serving Member of the entire Congress. As the most senior Member, Congressman Young has [more…]
VRAA OpEd by League of Women Voters of Alaska
League of Women Voters of Alaska
February 13, 2020
Dear Editor,
The League of Women Voters is in the process of celebrating the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment, a Constitutional Amendment that gave the right to vote to all citizens of the United States regardless of sex. The Amendment passed Congress in 1919 and was ratified on August 18, 1920. The LWV was organized at the same time to foster informed voting. The simple act [more…]
Senator Murkowski’s VRAA Press Release
02.12.20
Murkowski Supports Legislation to Restore Voting Rights Act
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski announced she is co-sponsoring S. 561, the Voting Rights Advancement Act, as the lead Republican on the bill. Sponsored by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), the legislation improves certain provisions of the original, bipartisan Voting Rights Act of 1965, which were determined to be unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 2013. Murkowski co-sponsored this same legislation in both the 115th and 114th [more…]
The ERA – History
EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT (ERA)
Some History: The first version of the Equal Rights Amendment was submitted to Congress in 1923, three years after the passage of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. The current ERA was passed in Congress in 1972, followed swiftly by 35 state ratifications for the ERA. Alaska was one of the first states to ratify the amendment in 1972. Then a lawyer named Phyllis Schafly started [more…]
ERA Coalition Information
ERA COALITION
1875 K Street,FL 4, Washington, DC 20006 www.eracoalition.org
History of the Equal Rights Amendment
Alice Paul drafted and introduced the first Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in 1923, at a conference to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Seneca Falls Convention. She was a Republican and one of the founders of the National Woman’s Party, which worked for the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment granting women the right to vote. After [more…]
LWVUS Equal Rights Amendment Info
League of Women Voters of the United States: The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)
HISTORY and PROCESS
LWVUS has supported and pushed for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment since it was first passed by Congress in 1972. Leagues across the country have worked to engage lawmakers and organize at the grassroots level to ensure equal rights for all, regardless of sex. On January 27, 2020, Virginia became the 38th state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment.
Talking [more…]
How will the VRAA work?
The Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2019 responds to current conditions in voting today by restoring the full protections of the original, bipartisan Voting Rights Act of 1965, which was last reauthorized by Congress in 2006, but gutted by the Supreme Court in 2013. • Following the Shelby County decision four years ago, several states passed sweeping voter suppression laws that disproportionately prevent minorities, the elderly, and the youth from voting.
• The bill provides the [more…]
Equal Rights Amendment Op Ed (ADN)
Written by Bridget Smith of Juneau for the LWVAK
Published in the Anchorage Daily News–July 5, 2020
The League of Women Voters Urges that the Equal Rights Amendment Become the 28th Amendment to the Constitution
Section 1. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.
Section 2. The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the [more…]
The League of Women Voters statement on Black Lives Matter
The League of Women Voters grieves the murders of George Floyd and the countless other Black lives that have been tragically taken at the hands of rogue law enforcement officers who are rarely held fully accountable for their actions.
We also mourn those who have lost their lives or been harmed, mentally or physically, as a result of America’s pervasive culture of anti-blackness. The systems of oppression that have perpetuated the myth of white supremacy in our country must be dismantled [more…]
Isn’t it about time to pass the Equal Rights Amendment?
The League of Women Voters Urges that the Equal Rights Amendment Become the 28th Amendment to the Constitution
by Bridget Smith
Section 1. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.
Section 2. The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.
Section 3. This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification.
This is the entire [more…]
May 2020 Action Alert from LWV-AK
May 16, 2020
League of Women Voters of Alaska–ACTION ALERT
The League of Women Voters of Alaska has received two grants from LWVUS, the national League, to advocate and educate for the following:
1. The Equal Rights Amendment, S. J. Res 6, a bill to remove the deadline date now that the required number of states have ratified this Amendment.
2. The Voting Rights Advancement Act, S. 561, a bill to update the Voting [more…]
2017 Capitol Currents
2017 Capitol Currents – last two editions
~ Marching very slowly towards Day 121 and beyond ~
Capitol Currents is a weekly update of happenings at the Alaska State Legislature during session. There is a lot of great information in these editions, important links to find more information, lots and lots of information on the budget situation, and new “Bills of Interest.” Stop by every week and read the latest editions. Prior editions are here.
2017 Action Alert #11
Here is where we are with the Legislature as time runs out:
HB 184: The companion bill for SB 72, antidiscrimination. This is being heard in House State Affairs on Thursday, May 3,3 pm, Rm 120. The bill can be found here: <http://www.akleg.gov/basis/
This bill adds “sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression” to the list of protections [more…]
2017 Action Alert #10
I am sending this out because it is most likely the most important issue that faces citizens of this state at the current time. The information box below from Great Alaska Schools is well done and explains clearly where the budget is at. We need to make our voices heard. The House has completed a major task in HB 115, which would reinstate an income tax. We need the additional revenue rather than another draw on savings accounts. The Senate plan [more…]
2017 Action Alert #8a
If you have been hesitant to email your elected state officials, here is a chance to jump in and get your feet wet. And remember that once you contact them by email, their email addresses are in your email list and contacting them again will be much easier. You might want to gather together some friends and family and take turns writing emails or have them bring their smart phones or tablets and all write together; the more, the merrier. Your [more…]
2017 Action Alert #9
Here is the current status. The Legislature is busy.
HB 44: Ethics Bill dealing with conflicts of interest. The bill passed the House and has been transmitted to the Senate. Keep tuned.
HB 31: Processing sexual assault kits: The bill passed the House and has been transmitted to the Senate. Keep tuned.
HB 111: Oil Tax Credits: Passed out of H RES and on to H FIN. Bill seems more contentious than expected in the House.
Bills with hearings this week:
SB 72: Anti-discrimination bill to add “sexual orientation, gender [more…]
2017 Action Alert #8
Here is the status of the bills we have been following plus one we might want to follow should there ever be a hearing.
A. SB 72–The following language would be added to the list of protected classes in state ant-discrimination statute: “sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression.” You can send an email of support to Senator.Berta.Gardner@akleg.
NPV Arguments and Rebuttals
Arguments and statements against the National Popular Vote (NPV) Compact include the following, with the LWV’s rebuttal written by the LWVAK Advocacy Chair, Judy Andree:
- 1. “But your votes do count under the current method.” This is not fully true given that the Presidential election is a national election and all votes should count at that national level. Most states use the winner-take-all method of voting their electoral votes. The state majority wins the total number of electoral votes and those [more…]
National Popular Vote Fact Sheet
The Alaska Legislature is considering a bill to adopt the National Popular Vote as a means of weighting votes for each Presidential election. Here is a fact sheet on the topic prepared by the state LWV. You can also download and print this factsheet.
2017 Action Alert #7
Last week Advocacy Chair, Judy Andree, attended public testimony on HB 175, National Popular Vote Compact. She followed up with a second letter from LWVAK in response to some of the testimony that opposed the bill with incorrect information. The letter focused on the history of the League’s involvement with the National Popular Vote as well as brief history of the use of electors and how that has evolved into something not necessarily in the original intent. LWVUS has supported [more…]
2017 Action Alert #6
SB 72: DISCRIMINATION: GENDER ID.;SEXUAL ORIENTATION. Sponsor: Senator Gardner
“An Act adding to the powers and duties of the State Commission for Human Rights; and relating to and prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.”
There are no current hearings scheduled. The bill was referred to HSS, JUD, and FIN and currently resides in HSS. This bill was also introduced during [more…]
2017 Action Alert #5
HB 44 (Ethics), HB 25 (insurance coverage for contraceptives, HB 115 (budget fix with income tax, PF restructuring)–No further hearings scheduled as of yet. HB 31, sexual assault kit handling & database, has been advanced to House Finance.
Two bills that concern money for school funding might be of interest and worth watching, particularly if nothing is done to raise revenue for the state.
- HB 146: [more…]
2017 Annual Meeting Materials
2017 Action Alert #4
NOTE: AN EMAIL NEEDS TO BE ONLY 2-3 SENTENCES LONG (UNLESS YOU HAVE MORE TO SAY). BUT THOSE 2-3 SENTENCES ARE IMPORTANT BECAUSE THEY SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR A BILL OR CERTAIN ASPECTS OF A BILL. SO LET YOUR VOICES BE HEARD!
Great Alaska Schools Rejuvenation Meeting – Saturday, March 11 10:00-11:30 Mendenhall Valley Library Conference Room. [more…]
2017 Action Alert #3
To all LWV of Alaska members – please make your voices heard.
1. HB 25–Support emails are needed for HB 25–INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR CONTRACEPTIVES. Sponsor Representative Claman, Representative Spohnholz. The text of the bill can be found here: http://www.legis.state.ak.us/PDF/30/Bills/HB0025A.PDF.
HB 25 is a mirror bill to one submitted last session by Senator Gardner. It will provide 12-month coverage/refills for birth control and related treatment. The first hearing is to be held on Tuesday, Feb. 28th at 3 pm in [more…]
Capitol Currents Archives
Archive Editions of Capitol Currents for 2017
Capitol Currents is a weekly update of happenings at the Alaska State Legislature during session. Each week, this article will be updated with the latest edition for you to read and download. There is a lot of great information in these editions, everything from the list of names of our new legislators, important links to find more information, lots and lots of information on the budget situation, and new “Bills of Interest.” [more…]
Action Alert #2/2017
A. BUDGET: Probably the biggest issue facing the Legislature is the state financial crisis. The HOUSE FINANCE COMMITTEE has submitted a bill calling for an income tax and a refiguring of the Permanent Fund which would save the dividend and allow for budget spending of some of the earnings while placing some of those earning back into the principle so that [more…]
Popular Vote 3
Changing the use of the Electoral Vote (EV) in order to give a more representative nod to the total popular vote (PV) would not be easy. Awarding electoral votes (EV’s) based on a proportion of the popular vote (PV) in each state is a possibility for a more accurate representation. There are two methods by which the use of the EV could be overridden completely: amending the U. S. Constitution or adopting the National Popular Vote (NPV) compact. There are [more…]
Anxiety–January 30, 2017
Author: Barbara Belknap
There is a lot of angst out there over the election. My Facebook page is overflowing with comments, suggestions, and the sharing of emotions from American women. There is commiseration from my friends in the United Kingdom, and I even got a note from Africa.
[more…]
It Was Our Day–Women’s March 2017
Barbara Belknap, Author
The Women’s March was today. It was a success beyond what anyone expected, and will go down in history as a watershed event in the history of women’s rights. Millions of women answered the call to speak out, to shout out, and to fill the streets of the [more…]
Why I am Going to the Women’s March in DC
On January 13 I decided to reroute my ticket on a previously planned trip to New Orleans and the East Coast so that I could participate in the Women’s March on Washington on January 21. It was almost a spur of the moment thing – but on reflection I realized that over the past several weeks I had been building up quite a head of steam that now forced me to stand up for democracy and civil rights.
I discovered through social media [more…]
Contacting Your Federal Representatives
This post is the second in a series designed to give readers tools to begin becoming effective advocates for policy direction at the local, federal, and state level. This post focuses on the federal level.
Generally, the process boils down to a few stages. However, the details of each process at the local, state, and federal level are quite different. Nonetheless, those who want to be effective advocates must master each of the following topics.
- How the legislative process works;
- Who your legislators are and the part they and [more…]
Tracking and Impacting AK Legislation
This post is the first in a series designed to give readers a few tools to begin becoming effective advocates for policy direction at the local, federal, and state level. This post focuses on the state level.
Generally, the process boils down to a few stages. However, the details of each process at the local, state, and federal level are quite different. Nonetheless, those who want to be effective advocates must master each of the following topics.
- How the legislative process works;
- Who your legislators are and the [more…]
Popular Vote 2
In the blog Popular Vote 1, three questions were proposed, and the attempt to answer those questions can be found in the following blog.
ONE: Why do we have the Electoral College rather than a popular vote determining the winners of the Presidential elections? The writers of the Constitution struggled with the problem of electing a President and Vice-President. What they ended up with, after many votes on a variety of options, gave four basic notions on what was [more…]
Democracy Requires Transparency
The recent election has raised the issue of transparency in government to a high priority. What is government transparency – and why does it matter?
Transparency measures the amount of openness, accountability, and integrity of a government entity. Without transparency, corruption can easily, and usually will, flourish. “Governments exist to serve the people. Information on how officials conduct the public’s business and spend taxpayers’ money must be readily available and easily understood. This transparency allows good and just governance.” (see [more…]
Popular Vote 1
In the aftermath of the 2016 election, much talk has occurred on social media and elsewhere about the popular vote. The discussion has revolved around the fact that the losing candidate won the popular vote by more than 2.8 million votes. How, people ask, can a candidate win that many more votes and still lose the election? The confusion is compounded by the fact that for all other elective offices, the winner is the candidate who wins the most votes, [more…]
December League Lunch and Learn
On Wednesday, December 14th, in the Baranof Gold room, Josephine Bahnke, Director, Division of Elections spoke on Alaska’s voting systems and processes. With help from Brian Jackson, Program Manager, they discussed the Division’s core mission: to “conduct fair, impartial and accurate elections…”
This year’s election cycle set a record for the number of absentee and early voters. Approximately 32% of the votes cast this year were absentee or early and the trend seems to be one that will [more…]
Follow Juneau Assembly and School Board actions
This post was contributed by LWVJ members, Pat Watt
Public participation is the glue that holds democracy together. Democracy is not just about voting – getting registered, learning about what’s on the ballot, and then turning out to cast your ballot. It’s about paying attention to policy matters, issues decided by those we elected, issues that affect our day-to-day existence. It’s about understanding those policy issues. It’s about making our voices heard. Its about Public Participation.
A lot goes on at the [more…]
Soccer Moms Attend First LWV Meeting
This Post was contributed by LWVJ member Pat Watt
The LWV Juneau Board has come up with different ways to engage potential members and educate members and the public. Over the past two years we have undertaken several new initiatives.
- Our second Downtown Lunch and Learn will be held on Wednesday, December 14th, from noon to 1:00pm at the Baranoff. $17 for the buffet lunch. Speaker is Josie Bahnke, Director of the AK Division of Elections.
- Our second Annual “How to Run for Local [more…]
Capitol Visits: A Civics Education Initiative
This post is contributed by LWVJ member Marjorie Menzi.
During January-March of 2016, five members of the Juneau LWV introduced 365 students in our school system, and their teachers, to the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of Alaska’s governmental system. The instructors all had previous teaching experience related to state government.
The Program included:
- A tour of the Capitol where students met legislators, were introduced on the House or Senate floor, and listened to presentations on the budget;
- Exposure to [more…]
Would YOU like to Blog for the Juneau LWV?
We have populated this Blog initially with articles written as “Points to Ponder” and published as “My Turns” in the Juneau Empire. We know that we have many members who are good writers and have useful things to say about “How to Make Democracy Work” – especially in this time of change.
If you are interested in writing something meaty and topical on a regular – or irregular – basis we want to hear from you. We plan on adding new [more…]
We Have a New Website!
Welcome to the new LWVJ website! We hope this expands accessibility to information about the LWV and makes it easier to find what you are looking for. We built this website to ensure that all members can keep up-to-date with LWVJ happenings, and to provide non-members with a full understanding of what the LWV is all about.
New features include incorporating our Facebook Feed in the Home Page, so that those who are not Facebook users can still see the information we [more…]
It Takes a Community to Make and Keep a Democracy
This post is contributed by LWVJ member LaRae Jones.
Various scholars and social scientists remind us that our middle class is eroding, along with our roads, our bridges, harbors, and – most alarmingly – schools. Some see the solution in renewed isolationism that reduces the huge budget drain of foreign wars and arms races. The more down to earth folks at the League of Women Voters adopted national positions on “Meeting Basic Human Needs” in 1971. At that time they cited “Income [more…]
Redistricting
This post is contributed by LWVJ member Margo Waring.
The Alaska Constitution requires that the State redraw the lines of legislative districts every ten years, using census data to ensure that each legislative district has the same number of residents as every other district. Each time that redistricting occurs, there is great concern that minorities could lose their voting power and that “safe” districts have been created for members of one party through gerrymandering – the drawing of district lines in shapes [more…]
Elections and Ballots – The Fundamentals of American Democracy
Three ideas are fundamental to the workings of a democracy:
- The open and unrestricted access to a secret ballot by all adults.
- A ballot secured by competent administration from accidental or purposeful disclosure of a voter’s ballot choices.
- The use of a paper balloting system that assures the auditing and accurate hand counting of voting results when those results are challenged.
The non-partisan League of Women Voters has roots in the Women’s Suffrage Movement of the 1920s. The national League [more…]
Things To Do To Make Democracy Work
This post is contributed by LWVJ member Ann Fuller.
Let’s make democracy work by improving civics education in our schools and community. Our future well-being depends on people sensibly cooperating for effective action and engaging in open debate. Helping students learn to think critically, monitoring school programs, and including young people in practical democracy are important steps for us to take to improve civics education.
An essential component of good citizenship involves evaluating advertisements, campaign speeches, proposed laws, news reports, and historical explanations. [more…]
Non-Partisanship in Local Elections
This post is contributed by LWVJ member Pat Watt.
Our Assembly and School Board members are elected on a nonpartisan basis. Why is that – and does it matter?
State statutes require Alaska’s local governments to adopt rules for conducting local elections – but allow them plenty of flexibility about how they conduct those elections. Juneau’s Municipal Charter, adopted in 1970, provides that all local elections shall be non-partisan. Most municipalities in the state have chosen the same method.
An estimated two thirds of [more…]
Citizen Responsibility
This post is contributed by LWVJ member Judy Andree.
Freedom, patriotism, the Bill of Rights, the Founding Fathers — all rallying cries when talking about politics in the USA. But we don’t hear much talk about our responsibilities as citizens in a free society. Every freedom we enjoy comes with citizen responsibilities. Here are three points to ponder as we look ahead to both the CBJ and General Elections this fall.
Point One: Get registered to vote as soon as possible. It’s easy, [more…]
Photo ID Not Required
This post is contributed by LWVJ member Chris Niemi.
While listening to the radio the day before our primary election, a KINY radio announcer said that picture ID was required to vote. Shocked, I called the radio station and was told that photo ID would “speed up the process”. The announcer misinformed the public at least twice while I listened. On the day of the primary election, the Juneau Empire ran an article “Quiet primary predicted for Juneau”. The article said in [more…]
What’s A Girl To Do?
This post is contributed by LWVJ member carolyn Brown.
When I was a kid in early years of learning the saga of U.S. history, I had trouble understanding the meaning, relationship and difference between the words ”suffrage” and “suffering.” They sounded alike to me. Now, these several years later, I find myself similarly troubled to understand these two words in the lexicon of today’s society and challenges.
Suffrage: the right to vote in an election. Suffering: experienced pain, illness, injury, whether physical, psychological [more…]