LWVW Quarterly Newsletter | |
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In this issue:
- Message from the President
- In Memorium
- Upcoming League Events
- Committee Reports
- Voter Service
- Important Dates for June Primary Election
- Redistricting Redux
- Upcoming Candidate Forums
- Naturalization Ceremonies
- Recap of Recent Voter Service Events
- Advocacy and Education
- Environmental Issues
- ERA Amendment to the NYS Constitution
- Youth Engagement
- Youth Corp
- Running & Winning
- Students Inside Albany
- Directory of Officials
- Donate to LWVW
- Volunteers Needed
- LWVW Board of Directors
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LWVW President's Message
Thoughts from Kathy Meany...
April marks the arrival of spring in the northern hemisphere, and it is a time when this part of the world comes alive with blooming flowers, chirping birds, and a renewed sense of energy.
With the Presidential Primaries now behind us in New York State, the energy of the LWV of Westchester County continues to be animated and untiring. League volunteers have been registering voters, running Vote18 programs and pre-registering high school students, educating voters at community organizations and colleges through webinars and in-person events, get-out-the-vote messaging, coordinating upcoming candidate forums, and more.
LWVW thanks all of the many volunteers for their dedication and enthusiasm in making possible the many events recapped below and those yet to come.
This work will continue all through 2024, with extra focus on youth engagement and voter service projects. This quarter (April through June) will take us through the next Primary Election season in Westchester County for U.S. Congressional Districts 16 and 17, NYS Senate Districts 34, 35, 36, 37, 40, and NYS Assembly Districts 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95. And don’t forget our County’s local races!
What does that mean? We still need YOU! 2024 is not the year to be sitting on the sidelines and watching. Help us empower voters and defend democracy by volunteering in some small (or large) way. You can help by becoming a candidate forum moderator, or registering voters and college/high school students, or helping with administrative tasks. I urge you to get involved!
“Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.” -- Ryunosuke Satoro
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April
- Thursday, April 18, 2024, 8:30am at Manhattanville University, Reid Castle: Running & Winning
- Tuesday, April 23, 2024, 7pm via Zoom: Youth Corp Virtual Campaign
May
- Thursday, May 2, 2024, 5:30pm via Zoom: LWVW Executive Committee Meeting
- Sunday, May 19, 2024 to Wednesday, May 22, 2024 in Albany: LWVNYS Students Inside Albany
June
- Thursday, June 6, 2024, 5:00pm at Manhattanville University, East Library of Reid Castle: LWVW Annual Convention
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Monday, June 10, 2024, 7:00pm via Zoom: CD 16 Democratic Candidate Forum (Jamaal Bowman, George Latimer)
- Saturday, June 15, 2024 (Golden Day): Last day to register to vote through the online portal or in person at any early polling location in Westchester or for a mailed voter registration application to be received by the Westchester County Board of Elections Office (25 Quarropas Street, White Plains, NY 10601)
- Saturday, June 15, 2024 through Sunday, June 23, 2024: Early Voting for June Primary Election
- Tuesday, June 25, 2024: June Primary Election
- Thursday, June 27, 2024 to Sunday, June 30, 2024 in Washington, D.C. and via Zoom: LWVUS Biennial Convention (hybrid format)
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Upcoming Special Event
LWVW Annual Convention
Thursday, June 6, 2024
5-8pm
Manhattanville University
East Library of Reid Castle
2900 Purchase Street
Purchase, NY 10577
Meet other local league members within Westchester County, hear what LWVW has accomplished this past year, learn what is on the horizon for 2024-25, vote on the program and budget for next year, install the incoming leadership team, and enjoy the speaker and buffet supper.
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Feature Speaker: Laura Ladd Bierman, Executive Director for LWVNYS* | |
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Laura Ladd Bierman joined the State League staff as Executive Director in July 2008. She has been a member of the League for 30 years, with membership in 4 different local leagues in 3 states. She has served in a number of positions in local leagues, including study chair, editor of the newsletter, board member, Vice President and President. Bierman received a BA in political science from Colgate University and a Masters Degree in public administration from the University of Virginia. She spent much of her early professional career in the area of health care planning. From 1998-2008, she maintained a home business providing financial and consulting services to a national membership organization. Bierman has taken her league experience and training to practical use, serving for over 8 years as a member, and 2 years as Vice President, of a school board in Glenview, IL. She was also elected in 2008 and served until 2013 as a member of the school board for the Bethlehem Central School District in Delmar, NY. | |
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Deadlines for June Primary Election on Tuesday, June 25, 2024
Early Voting: Saturday, June 15, 2024 to Sunday June 23, 2024
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Saturday, June 15, 2024 (Golden Day, ten days before the election): First Day of Early Voting. Last day voter registration form must be received by the Board of Election by mail or in person. Those with a NY.Gov ID may register using the new NYS Board of Elections Online Voter Registration portal. Check your voter registration status at the NYS Voter Registration Database Search. Last day for an application for a mailed early mail or absentee ballot to be received by the Board of Elections. Applications may be made via email, fax, or electronically through the New York State Early Mail Ballot Application Portal or the New York State Absentee Ballot Application Portal. See the Westchester Board of Elections website and the New York State Board of Elections website for additional details.
Sunday, June 23, 2024: Last day of Early Voting.
Monday, June 24, 2024 (one day before the election): Last day to apply in person at the Westchester Board of Elections (25 Quarropas Street, White Plains, NY 10601) for an early mail or absentee ballot.
Tuesday, June 25, 2024 (Primary Election Day): Last day to postmark a completed early mail or absentee ballot (must be received by Tuesday July 2, 2024) or to submit an early mail or absentee ballot in person to the Westchester Board of Elections or at any polling site throughout Westchester County by the close of the polls.
For additional information and links to additional resources containing election information, please consult the LWVW Voter Information page.
| The Independent Redistricting Commission (IRC), having been ordered by the NY Court of Appeals to draw a new map for our Congressional districts, submitted its consensus map to the NY State Legislature in February 2024. The IRC map was very close to the Court-ordered Special Master’s map of May 2022. The Democratic-controlled NYS Legislature rejected the IRC map and drew its own map, which also made minor changes to the Special Master’s map, and the Governor signed the Legislature's map into law. Though the new lines were drawn to make some districts more favorable to Democrats and some more favorable to Republicans, the overall map slightly favored Democrats. | |
In lower Westchester, U.S. Congressional District 16 had originally included the Wakefield neighborhood of the Bronx; in the Legislature's new map, Wakefield was swapped for Co-op City, as emphasized in the map inset for the new CD 16 borders, shown below. | |
The northern line of U.S. Congressional District 17, which includes upper Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, and part of Dutchess County, changed slightly in Dutchess County from the Special Master’s map. | |
These new Congressional District lines will be in effect until the next redistricting to take place after the 2030 US Census. | |
Upcoming Candidate Forums | |
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LWV of Northeast Westchester will be hosting a Bedford Central School District Board of Education candidate forum on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, at 7pm at Fox Lane Middle School (632 S Bedford Rd, Bedford, NY 10506). For additional information, please visit the LWVNEW website or contact its President, Susan Ferris Rights.
LWV of New Rochelle is planning candidate forums for City School District of New Rochelle Board of Education and Library Board. Dates, times, and venues are to be determined. For additional information, please visit the LWVNR website or contact its President, Joan Alexander.
LWVW will be hosting a candidate forum on Monday, June 10, 2024, at 7pm via Zoom for democratic candidates for U.S. Congressional District 16. Registration will open soon on the LWVW website.
Additional Board of Education and U.S. Congressional District candidate forums are being planned and scheduled. Please check the Events Page of the LWVW website regularly for updates on those hosted by LWVW and on the local league websites for school board candidate forums in those areas.
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Naturalization Ceremonies | |
Coordinated by new co-chairs Diane Tabakman and Barbara Shore of LWV of White Plains, Westchester's local leagues are participating in the monthly Naturalization Ceremonies at the County Court House in White Plains. Newly minted citizens receive a copy of First Vote and LWVW’s trifold flyer, Welcome New Citizens. | |
Recap of Recent Voter Service Events | |
On Tuesday, February 27, 2024, LWVW President Kathy Meany presented Voting Rights in America: Why Your Vote Matters at the YWCA in White Plains to the Y-Leaders Program, a leadership initiative that aims to equip young women with the tools to be effective and empowered leaders. | |
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On Friday, March 1, 2024, LWVW members registered and pre-registered high schoolers at Tuckahoe High School.
On Thursday, March 14, 2024, LWVW held a webinar via Zoom about NYS voting rights with an emphasis on those with disabilities (see video below). Co-sponsored by Westchester Disabled on the Move, Inc., panelists included:
- Julia Solow, Lead New York State Organizer at Hand in Hand: The Network for Domestic Employers
- Martin Cahill, Legislative Chair for the American Council of the Blind of New York (ACBNY) and Vice President of the Westchester Chapter
- Donna Drumm, Assistant Professor, Legal Studies, Mercy University.
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On Monday, March 18, 2024, LWVW co-hosted a workshop at the Riverfront Library in Yonkers with the Youth Shelter Program of Westchester (YSOW), Family Services of Westchester, and Westchester Black Women's Political Caucus for purposes of voter education and registration for justice-impacted individuals 18 years of age and older living in Westchester County.
On Tuesday, April 9, 2024, LWVW representatives attended the United Way of Westchester and Putnam Nonprofit Leadership Summit at Purchase College, providing voter information to other attendees.
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Advocacy and Education
Environmental Issues
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The Environmental Committee urges citizens to contact NYS Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and NYS Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie to prioritize the passage of the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (S4246B/A5322B) by bringing the matter to the floors of the Senate and the Assembly before Earth Day on Monday, April 22, 2024.
As indicated in the Senate's justification, the bill "would require companies with net income over $1 million who sell or distribute certain materials and products to reduce packaging, improve recycling and recycling infrastructure, financially support municipal recycling programs, and reduce toxins in packaging. This legislation shifts the onus of recycling from municipalities and ensures that producers of products are serving our interests by establishing solutions to sustainable packaging. Thus far, four states have implemented similar programs including Maine, Oregon, Colorado and California."
In its memorandum of support of an earlier version of this bill, LWVNYS indicated that the proposed legislation would
- reduce plastic packaging by 50% gradually over the next twelve years
- reduce pollution in low-income communities and/or communities of color where packaging is produced, landfilled, and incinerated
- reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make packaging safer by prohibiting certain toxic chemicals in food packaging including PFAS, vinyl chloride, lead, mercury, formaldehyde, bisphenols, and toluene, and
- save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars and reinvigorate the state’s recycling system by shifting costs to the companies.
With regard to the Indian Point, Holtec International has indicated that it will need an additional seven years to finish decommissioning the nuclear facility as the result of being legally precluded from dumping tritiated water into the Hudson River and from using its property in Texas for consolidated interim storage. In addition, Holtec is involved in securing funds to reopen the Palisades nuclear plant which it had purchased to decommission. The Indian Point Decommissioning Oversight Board will hold a hybrid meeting at Cortlandt Town Hall and via Zoom on Thursday, April 25, 2024, at 6pm, open to the public, with a presentation about the safe storage of tritiated water. Those seeking to speak during the public comment portion of the meeting must pre-register by noon on Wednesday, April 24, 2024.
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ERA Amendment to the NYS Constitution | |
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Efforts throughout the state have commenced to inform voters about the ERA Amendment to the NYS Constitution that will appear on the ballot this coming November 2024. The New Yorkers for Equal Rights Coalition hosted a messaging session with the league on Thursday, April 11, 2024, and the LWV of the Hamptons, Shelter Island, and the North Fork recorded an educational program held in March. Additional promotional materials will be available soon.
On Tuesday, April 30, 2024, from 8:30am to 10am at the Westchester Library System corporate office at 570 Taxter Road, Suite 400, Elmsford, NY 10523, LWVW will be participating in an ERA Amendment breakfast sponsored by the Westchester Women's Agenda. Due to limited seating, registration is required.
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Youth Engagement
Youth Corps
On Tuesday, April 23, 2024, at 7pm via Zoom, LWVW Student Directors Emma Freeman and Max Szuchman, both of Mamaroneck High School, will hold an event for individuals 16-24 years of age to discuss and explain the importance of young people in civics. Local Westchester students, Students Inside Albany participants, and Running & Winning attendees are invited to share the ways in which the youth vote adds to the conversation of sustained civic engagement. Three of the attendees will be selected as winners of LWV merchandise and leadership positions in the LWVW Youth Corps, which is involved with the youth working group for Let New York Vote and is helping to advance the conversation about young adults in the electoral process by way of advocating for poll sites on college campuses. Registration is required to receive the Zoom link.
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Running & Winning
LWVW's annual Running & Winning program is on Thursday, April 18, 2024, at Manhattanville University, Reid Castle. The goal of this one-day event for female high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors is to support their aspirations to serve in public office, develop their leadership potential, and help increase gender parity in government institutions. Working in small groups, students will interview local female elected officials and learn about their experiences in seeking and holding public office. Afterward, each small group will plan a campaign stop by choosing and analyzing a locally relevant issue, designing a campaign poster that addresses and takes a position on the issue, and writing a campaign speech to be delivered by one member of the group. More than 120 students, elected officials, and volunteers will be in attendance. LWVW thanks Westchester Community Foundation, Westchester Black Women’s Political Caucus, American Association of University Women, Westchester Library System, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Xi Chi Omega Chapter, and Manhattanville University for their sponsorship of this event.
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Students Inside Albany
Congratulations to Conrad Blaha from Ossining High School, who is LWVW's selection to attend LWVNYS's Students Inside Albany (SIA) program in Albany from Sunday, May 19, 2024, through Wednesday, May 22, 2024. This intensive training conference is designed to immerse students in the process by which public policy is proposed, enacted, and changed in New York State, and to educate them as to how they can influence and affect this process. Students are afforded the opportunity to observe Assembly and Senate sessions and to shadow their NYS Assembly members and NYS Senators.
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Directory of Officials
Efforts are underway to produce the latest version of LWVW's Directory of Officials, providing contact information for elected and appointed government officials in Westchester County and its many cities, towns, and villages. The 2024 edition is being revamped to include email and social media links, with an electronic version also under development. Once completed, the print version will be available for purchase on the LWVW website. LWVW thanks Consolidated Edison for the generous grant that supports the publication.
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Working diligently to empower voters and defend democracy through advocacy and education, the League of Women Voters of Westchester is a nonpartisan, political Inter-League Organization (ILO) that reviews issues and actions impacting the County as a whole. As summarized in LWVW President Kathy Meany's annual appeal letter, we do and we can accomplish so much together. We appreciate all the volunteers who carry out our mission and for the donors who sustain our efforts. Please consider donating to our operating account or our Education Foundation before the end of our fiscal year.
Thank you in advance for your continued generosity!
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Click the donate now button below to pay online.
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To donate by check, please make checks payable either to:
- League of Women Voters of Westchester (non-tax deductible), or
- League of Women Voters of Westchester Education Foundation (tax-deductible)
and mail to:
League of Women Voters of Westchester
520 White Plains Road, Suite 500
Tarrytown, NY 10591
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Join a Committee!
To become involved in any of the LWVW activities and committees, please email westchesterlwv@gmail.com and include your areas of interest in the subject line. Moderators are needed for the many candidate forums planned for 2024. Training is provided at no charge.
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League of Women Voters of Westchester | |
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Officers:
President: Kathy Meany (Northwest Westchester), 2023-25
1st Vice President: TBD, 2022-24
2nd Vice President: Mary Kirsch (New Castle), 2023-25
3rd Vice President: Louise Perez (Larchmont/Mamaroneck), 2022-24
Secretary: Susan Polos (Northeast Westchester), 2023-25
Treasurer: Marylou Green (Scarsdale), 2022-24
Board of Directors Committee Chairs (elected):
Civics Readiness Seal Program: Denise Povolny (Rivertowns) 2023-25
Communications/Technology: Diane Baylor (Scarsdale), 2023-25
County Government: TBD, 2023-25
Environment: Susan Schwarz (Rivertowns), 2022-24
Students Inside Albany: Deb Pekarek (Scarsdale), 2023-25
Voter Service: Joan Alexander (New Rochelle), 2023-25
Youth Engagement: TBD, 2022-24
Off-Board Committee Chairs (appointed):
ERA Taskforce: Adie Shore (Scarsdale), 2024
Fundraising: Steve Meyers (Rye/Rye Brook/Port Chester), 2023-24
Social Media: Robyn Weintraub (Rye/Rye Brook/Port Chester), 2023-24
Voter Service: Liz Gereghty (Northeast Westchester), 2024
Youth Engagement: Crystal Joseph (Rivertowns), 2024
Youth Representative: Emma Freeman (Larchmont/Mamaroneck), 2023-24
Youth Representative Max Szuchman (Larchmont/Mamaroneck), 2024
Local League Presidents:
Larchmont/Mamaroneck: Peggy Jackson and Alice Pernick
New Castle: Leslie Kuhn
New Rochelle: Joan Alexander
Northeast Westchester: Susan Ferris Rights
Northwest Westchester: Rene Artale and Althema Goodson (Steering Committee Co-Chairs)
Rivertowns: Susan Maggiotto
Rye/Rye Brook/Port Chester: Tony Napoli and Patty Rinello, 2022-24
Scarsdale: Heedan Chung, 2023-25
White Plains: Doris Dingott, 2022-24
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League of Women Voters of Westchester
520 White Plains Road, Suite 500, Tarrytown, NY 10591
westchesterlwv@gmail.com | 914-366-7312
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