June 2009
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LWVCT BOARD REPORT June 18, 2009
CALENDAR 2009
June 2009 6/25 LWVCT ad hoc committee on candidate criteria meeting, Hamden, 10:00 a.m. Please call Jean (203-288-7996) or Jara (203 637-9244) if you wish to participate.
July 2009 7/1 PMP due 7/1 New LWVCT Board takes office 7/7 LWVCT 90th Anniversary Committee meting, Hamden 7/14 LWVCT Board Advance, Riverside (Greenwich)
August 2009
September 2009 9/8 LWVCT/LWVCTEF Board meeting, Hamden 9/11 LWVCT SIR Committee meeting, Hamden 9/22 LWV New Haven, et. al.: Regional Round Table Luncheon TBA League Boards’ Dinner, location TBD
October 2009 10/1 2nd-quarter PMP due 10/13 LWVCT/LWVCTEF Board meeting, Hamden
November 2009 11/10 LWVCT/LWVCTEF Board meeting, Hamden
Planning Our 90th Anniversary Celebration(s)
We’re turning 90 and want to celebrate the occasion!
The LWVCT is planning to celebrate the 90th Anniversary of our organization’s founding with a series of events beginning in January 2010, the year of the founding of the national organization, and continuing thru the early part of 2011, the founding the CT League.
An anniversary committee chaired by LWVCT VP Cheryl Dunson is already at work developing an array of ideas and programs to appeal to many tastes and pocketbooks. We will also be sharing revenues from some selected events with local Leagues for their participation.
Keep a lookout for more details on the events in the months ahead but here is a sneak preview:
Also under consideration are author events, comedy performances and film nights. Stay tuned!
If you like party planning and want to join the planning committee, or if you want to help with a discreet piece such soliciting an item for the auction, please contact the office and let Jean know.
Using the Anniversary to Keep Your League Visible
Does your local library or historical society host displays of community organizations’ memorabilia? If so, the 2010-2011 anniversary celebration is the perfect time to put your League, and women voting, front and center. What is your town’s history on suffrage? Did it use the Connecticut law to let women vote in local elections before the government of the United States gave us the right in federal elections? Did the precursor of your League hold local marches or rallies?
Please consider calling your historical society now to work on a display that could be ready for next year. It could be on suffrage, on women’s suffrage, on the League, or on just your local League.
Public Issues Team Report by Cheryl Dunson, Karen Burnaska, Christine Horrigan, Naomi Schiff Myers and the Public Issues Team Specialists
Many bills that we worked on this session failed to be voted upon in the final hours of the legislative session. For others, their fate is unknown because they are tied to ongoing budget negotiations. The PI Team will be updating the comprehensive mid-session report by the end of the month with status as of then. If a budget is not adopted by July 1, we will providing another update once the budget is adopted. Please check the Action page of the LWVCT website for the original comprehensive report and the update.
Convention 2009 Convention Report Jara Burnett
The 52nd Convention of the League of Women Voters of Connecticut was held on Saturday, June 6, at the Lyceum in Hartford. Continuing the practice begun in 2007, it was a one-day convention. 46 delegates and board members attended. Enid Oresman of Darien served as Parliamentarian.
As usual, the delegates discussed and adopted Program for the biennium, including a new study (see announcement in this report) and adopted three legislative priorities for the next two years: election laws, health care and transportation. Proposed bylaws changes to permit the LWVCT to update program at Council as well as Convention without having to declare an emergency was adopted, as well as a minor change to allow the LWVCT Board to add membership categories. The LWVCT budget was adopted without discussion. The League, as are many other organizations, is seeing a drop in contributions due to the current economic downturn, but we are hanging in there.
The LWVCT is also pleased to present the newly elected or re-elected board for the 2009-2010 biennium:
Three workshops were presented: “Successful Debates” by Hollie Courage of LWV Rhode Island, “Membership” by Elona Vaisnys and “Demystifying Program Planning” by Cheryl Dunson. Ellen Andrews of Connecticut Health Policy was the lunch speaker, reporting on the state of health care in Connecticut.
At the request of the delegates, a communication was sent to the Governor, her budget Director and the entire legislature, strongly opposing the 40% increase on the bus fares in the Governor’s latest proposed budget. The letter is posted on the website.
As always, it was great to reconnect with other League friends over breakfast and lunch. My thanks to everyone who contributed to the success of the Convention and to all the delegates and especially Jean Rabinow who has handled the countless details needed to make the meting run smoothly and efficiently.
LWVCT Organizing New State Study on Elections
Convention delegates voted to undertake a new state study on campaign-related issues. The study will be chaired by Christine Horrigan and will cover: 1) procedures for certifying candidates for inclusion on the ballot, 2) the state election calendar timelines and 3) the examination of the methods for filling US senate vacancies.
Steps involved: 1. Review of the steps required to achieve certification and ballot access by various types of candidates running for office and of the standards used by the Secretary of the State to certify their candidacies. This review will include:
2. Examination of Connecticut’s election calendar, laws, and regulations, focusing on:
3. Examination of methods for filling vacancies in US Senate seats
Time Frame:
It will be up to the LWVCT Board to evaluate whether concurrence achieved. Concurrence standards will be: at least 10% membership participation and no less than 50% of local leagues represented.
Study group membership is open to any interested League member. If you’d like to be on the study committee, please contact Christine Horrigan or Jean Rabinow. |
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