October 2009
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LWVCT BOARD REPORT October 15, 2009
CALENDAR 2009
October 2009 10/16 SIR Committee meeting, Hamden 10/17 Registrars’ offices open 10:00-2:00 10/27 LWV New Haven et. al. Regional Round Table 1 on Health Care Reform 10/27 Registrars’ offices open until 8:00 p.m.
November 2009 In November the Hamden office is closed for Veterans’ Day, Nov. 18, and Thanksgiving week. 11/3 Election Day 11/3 LWV New Haven et. al. Regional Round Table 2 on Health Care Reform 11/10 LWVCT/LWVCTEF Board meeting, Hamden 11/13 SIR Committee meeting, Hamden
December 2009 In December the Hamden office is closed for the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day, inclusive. 12/5 LWVCTEF Fall Conference, South Congregational Church, Hartford
Announcements Fall Conference
This year’s LWVCTEF Fall Conference will be held at a new venue: South Congregational Church, 277 Main Street, Hartford. The date is Saturday, December 5, and it will start with registration and a continental breakfast at 9:00 a.m. The topic is “Health Care in Connecticut: What’s Next?” and the speakers will include state Comptroller Nancy Wyman and state Healthcare Advocate Kevin Lembo.
Regional Round Table: Health Care Reform Parts 1 and 2
The LWV of New Haven and the LWVs of Amity, Cheshire/Wallingford, Hamden/North Haven, and East Shore invite you to a Regional Round Table Luncheon Buffet at the Graduate Club, 155 Elm Street, New Haven, at 12:00 noon on Tuesday, October 27 and Tuesday, November 3. The cost is $15.00, to be paid at the door. The featured speaker on October 27 will be a representative from Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield; the featured speaker on November 3 will be Jacob Hacker, Professor of Political Science, Yale University. Both will speak on health care reform. Please let Margot Kohorn of LWV New Haven know if you are coming – 203-795-3151.
Election Laws Study Update
The Study Committee, which currently consists of 6 members, held its first meeting on September 24 to divvy up assignments. The Committee is looking at 4 broad topics: (1) ballot access, (2) the state election calendar, (3) absentee ballots for military and overseas voters, and (4) methods for filling US Senate vacancies. The next “meeting” of the Committee, by conference call, is scheduled for Thursday, October 29. New members welcome.
LWVUS Ad on Health Care
You can now view a new LWVUS Health Care Ad on their website: www.lwv.org. This ad will be aired in a few key states on television but is available for everyone through the website, YouTube and soon on Facebook.
Reminder
Special Voter Registration Sessions
In case any of your residents want to register to vote, all registrars of voters’ offices are required to be open this Saturday, October 17, from 10:00-2:00 and on October 27 until 8:00 p.m. for in-person voter registration sessions.
Public Issues Team Report Submitted by Cheryl Dunson with Directors Karen Burnaska, Christine Horrigan, Naomi Schiff Myers and Specialists
GOVERNMENT
Elections/Voting Machines: The Connecticut Citizen Election Audit Coalition, of which LWVCT is a founding member, was formed to organize citizens to observe Connecticut’s post-election audits. Without our volunteer observers, nobody but a small number of local election officials would know what happens in post-election audits. Volunteer observers have noted that they gained a greater appreciation for the election process and the work of election staff and feel pride in contributing to election integrity in Connecticut.
Training is provided. The Connecticut Citizen Election Audit Coalition is planning the first face-to-face training sessions for audit observers. Dates are November 5 at the Glastonbury Public Library and November 10 at the Stamford Government Center from 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. In addition to the face-to-face training, a series of conference calls have tentatively been scheduled as follows: Thu Nov 12th 10:00 a.m. Thu Nov 12th 7:00 p.m. Sun Nov 15th 6:00 p.m. Mon Nov 16th 10:00 a.m. Mon Nov 16th 7:00 p.m. Tue Nov 17th 10:00 a.m. To become an observer or to find out more information, go to: http://www.ctelectionaudit.org/
SEEC/Campaign Finance Reform: Following a bench trial in March 2009, the district court ruled on August 27, 2009 that the Citizens’ Election Program unconstitutionally burdens the First Amendment rights of minor parties and issued an injunction enjoining the State Elections Enforcement Commission and the Attorney General from operating and enforcing the Citizens’ Election Program. Subsequently, the court granted a stay of its decision pending an expedited appeal to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. The Clean Up Coalition (which worked to pass the 2005 public financing law and of which the League is a part) has been meeting regularly. Common Cause is working with its attorneys to come up with a menu of options which could be used to “fix” the law. Coalition members are meeting with legislators to encourage them to move forward with a fix by the end of the year. Forums on public financing are also planned. The consensus is that the House and Governor are supportive of a fix, but that the atmosphere in the Senate is challenging.
Connecticut’s recently adopted budget transfers funds from the Citizens’ Election Fund to the General Fund for FY 2010 and for FY 2011. Approximately $43 million remains in the Fund. Although the CEF took a heavy hit, the public financing program remains viable.
NATURAL RESOURCES
DEP: Council on Environmental Quality survived the budget ax to date.
Energy: the legislature approved green building tax credits. CT Energy Efficiency and CT Clean Energy Funds: the budget which passed did not raid the funds. While that is promising for now, the budget does call for $1.3 billion in new revenue for FY ’11 from some to-be-determined funds. Advocates will have to keep up the fight to keep these funds from being diverted to the state budget.
Transportation: After much drama, the budget implementer bills regarding transportation were passed and generally survives the veto. It retains funding for existing bus service without imposing a 40 per cent increase in fares as originally proposed. However, there is a concern that budget shortfall later in the year might require additional rescissions.
Waste: The 5 cent deposit on water bottles went into effect on 10/1.
SOCIAL POLICY
School Finance: The budget news on the education front was mostly good. The majority of state grants were flat-funded, which is what the League advocated. Head Start and Family Resource Centers were threatened with cuts by Governor Rell, which we actively opposed, but they were also ultimately maintained at 08-09 levels. However, some reductions proposed by the governor and opposed by us were implemented in the final bill. For example, the Special Education Excess Cost grant, the Omnibus Educations grant, and the After School Program grant were each cut 10%.
Women’s Issues: in response to LWVUS alert, LWVCT sent email to US Senators to support the Convention to Eliminate All forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
90th Anniversary Auction and Other Activities for Early 2010
The 90th Anniversary Committee is moving forward on many activities simultaneously. Here is a sampling:
Auction: 90th anniversary committee members have been successful in soliciting an array of items for the auction to be held in Jan 2010, including certificates for a tooth whitening session, a massage, a 6-yard dumpster and VIP tickets to David Letterman. Recognizing that many local Leagues are unable to undertake the solicitation of auction items in addition their existing work, the committee has come up with an alternative way for local leagues to participate in the auction and earn a portion of the proceeds. If local leagues provide the contact information for “hot prospects,” members of the anniversary committee will contact the business to solicit an item for the auction. If the business agrees to provide an item, the local league will earn 7.5% of the proceeds from that item (half the original 15% if the League did the solicitation itself.) Donna Conway is heading up the auction committee. If you would like to provide “prospects,” please email the contact info to Donna Conway at ddconway@optonline.net.
Tea and performance: mark your calendars for 5/16 for a tea and Susan B Anthony one-woman show performance at the historic Keeler Tavern in Ridgefield.
LOB exhibition and reception: Committee member Elisa McCarthy has been diligently collecting materials for the LOB exhibition on women’s suffrage and the LWV. Elisa has also secured a historian who will speak about women’s suffrage in a reception to be held in conjunction with the exhibition. It promises to be an inspiring and informative exhibition that you won’t want to miss!
Keep a lookout for more updates in the months ahead.
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