League of Women Voters OK Voter November/December Newsletter

OK Voter Newsletter, November & December 2015

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Even the most dedicated volunteers take a little holiday break, and this issue of the OK Voter will be the last for 2015. We hope you'll keep up with League updates and activities on Facebook and Twitter, and we'll publish another newsletter in January.

Your Year-End Contribution: Voter Empowerment

Are you making a list of which organizations to support this year?

If you agree that we need to dramatically expand the League's work to educate and engage new voters, if you support our pledge to register record numbers of new voters, to reach out to millennial voters, and to empower voters in underserved communities. . .

Please consider making a generous year-end contribution.

Our goal is to raise $10,000 to provide the nonpartisan information that voters need for every single election in 2016. We have raised only a small percentage of that amount, and your gift will make a big difference.

Will you make a tax-deductible donation of $10, $25 or $100 to help us achieve our goal?

Your check is welcome and you can contribute online, too. Thank you!

ADVOCACY?
YES, PLEASE!

Advocacy YES

League members from around the state joined the Board on November 14 to discuss issues and advocacy. By creating an advocacy agenda, these members helped identity priority issues for League actions in the 2016.

LWVOK Vice President Sandy Bahan led the session, which began with a listing of all the issues participants thought were important to follow in the upcoming legislative session.

After discussing in small groups, the following issues emerged as top priorities:

Expanding voter access and election reform
Adequate funding for public education
Access to health care for all Oklahomans, including expanding Medicaid
Prison and corrections reform
Tie: Environmental protection and tax reform

Watch for advocacy updates, beginning with the January, 2016 OK Voter

Forward

From the League of Women Voters

Progress Report:
League Fiscal Policy Update

When the LWVOK board of directors voted to approve updating—or restudying—its position on fiscal policy, it noted that this position hadn't been updated since the 1990's. Some policy issues, such as sales tax on internet purchases, reflect changes that the League's position didn't anticipate in earlier studies.

Setting the Scope, Timeline and Research Assignments for the Study

Karen Cárdenas, League of Women Voters of Oklahoma Program Chair (pictured left,) is heading up a team of volunteers including Deborah Langley (Bartlesville), Charity Marcus (Tulsa), Kara Joy McKee (Tulsa), Judy Reynolds (Norman), Alice Richardson (Stillwater) and Mandy Winton (Tulsa).

The LWVOK board approved the scope and timeline submitted for the study at its November meeting. Team members are researching the sections of the Oklahoma Constitution on state revenue, relevant statutes, looking at Oklahoma's taxes, fees, and its budgeting and appropriations process. Currently the team is reading up on how Oklahoma's policies compare to those set in other states.

"The great thing about working with this study is that I'm learning so much," said Sheila Swearingen, LWVOK president. "I think this study is going to be of interest to all members who want to see core government services such as public education well-funded, and, at the same time, want to know that our our tax dollars used wisely."

Read more about the study (including the scope and timeline) here.

Voting is Power Initiative Launched in Bartlesville

Pat Netzer, Bartlesville League president (above right), introduced Mana Tahaie, Director of Mission Impact for Tulsa YWCA (above left), at the kick-off event for a year-long campaign to increase voter registration, voter engagement and voter turnout in Bartlesville.
The event was held on Tuesday, November 3 at the Haskell Event Center. Representatives from local non-profits and faith communities joined League members for a evening that included Ms. Tahaie's presentation on how to do inclusive voter registration, with tips on how to encourage more voter participation in underserved communities.
Bartlesville League members Clova Abrahamson, Donna Kay Fenstermaker and Connie Lavoie led a voter registrar training and answered questions on using the latest voter registration forms from the Oklahoma State Election Board. Everyone who came to the kick-off was given a take-away packet with the new voter registration forms, the Bartlesville League Citizen Information booklets and other important information.
Representatives from the community coalition, which includes Casa Hispana, Church Women United, the Sierra Club, Retired Educators of Bartlesville, Seekers of Success, the Westside Community Center, the Women's Network, and the Unitarian Universalist Church of Bartlesville, joined the League in pledging to register voters, work on educating voters and encourage voter turnout in the community