timely topics - Squarespace

October/November 2017

The Voter League of Women Voters of Wake County • Apex • Cary • Fuquay-Varina • Garner • Holly Springs • Knightdale • • Morrisville • Raleigh • Rolesville • Wake Forest • Wendell • Zebulon •

TIMELY TOPICS

In This Issue 2– Note from the President 3—Field Trips Coming Up

Dismantled: The NC Government’s Attack on Environmental Protections Mary Maclean Asbill, Senior Attorney Southern Environmental Law Center

4—League Lit 4—Social Committee 5—WED Committee

“The Southern Environmental Law Center shapes the law and the law shapes the landscape.”

7—Voter Services Committee

SELC is the largest environmental organization in the Southeast, with over 70 attorneys working out of nine offices throughout our six states and on Capitol Hill.

8—Environment Committee 9—Redistricting Committee 10—Civics Education 11—Membership Committee

15—Why Join the League

SELC strengthens laws and makes government agencies do their job, and, when necessary, they go to court to stop environmental abuses or to set far-reaching precedents.

16– LWV Wake Website, Membership Interest Survey, Order Name Badge

Mary Maclean Asbill is a graduate of the University of North Carolina and the University of Georgia School of Law, cum laude.

13—Observer Corps Committee

17—Call for Volunteers 18—Upcoming Events

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19—Committee Contact Information

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When: Friday, October 27th at noon Where: NCSU University Club Cost: $20 (includes lunch) Registration Deadline: Monday, October 23rd

Guests and nonmembers are welcome to attend. We ask that all attendees register and pre-pay. For more information or to register, go to www.lwvwake.org. To order a vegetarian lunch, attend without eating, or to pay at the door if you cannot pay online, please contact Joyce Gad at [email protected].

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Note from the President Marian Lewin President, LWV-Wake Leadership Team The Search for Community and the Need for Civic Engagement The League has found itself at a fortunate crossroads—the intersection of the growing search for community in our fragmented society and the recognition that civic engagement is an important requirement of a working democracy. As we examine the challenges facing us—adequate health care for all, access to high quality education for all children, a fair immigration policy, protection of our environmental resources—we come back to the essential necessity—a strong democracy that encourages all voices be heard. For almost 100 years the League’s focus has been on voting and the importance of an engaged and educated electorate. These are fundamental to a strong democracy. The community looks to the League for leadership on these core principles and we are answering with our active role on Redistricting Reform, Voter Protection and Candidate Forums. This month we celebrate our active and engaged membership. We are so much larger and stronger today and we look forward to growing more this year. This issue of the Voter highlights all the ways LWVWake is fulfilling our mission to educate and engage voters…..and to provide for that important need for community in our meetings, field trips and social events. Thank you for your membership. Please reach out to us if you need help in deciding how to get involved. Our Committee Contacts and Events Schedule are at the end of the newsletter. I look forward to seeing you all soon at one of our events or meetings!

October 21, LWVNC Leadership and Advocacy Training

Learn about Leadership opportunities in the League and share strategies with other local League members. Where: NC School of Science and Math, Durham. No fee. The morning session will focus on leadership training. Following lunch, the afternoon session is devoted to advocacy training. LWV-Wake members Dianna Wynn and Jan Ramquist are providing the advocacy training. RSVP required 2

Field Trips in October and November Pat Butler, Field Trips Committee Chair October 11 10:00 am — Tour Prairie Ridge Ecostation and Lunch at Iris Café, NCMA Guided Tour of Ecostation: fee $5 Discover what time it is in nature! Explore highlights of the fall season in the native plant garden, prairie, and lowland arboretum as you take a leisurely 1-mile walk with a Museum naturalist through our 45-acre Prairie Ridge Ecostation. All trails are natural with some uneven surfaces and small hills. Meet at the Prairie Ridge Ecostation, 1671 Gold Star Dr at 10:00 am. After the program we’ll go across the street to the NC Museum of Art for lunch at the Iris Cafe. Then we’ll walk off the meal with a guided tour of several pieces of the outstanding outdoor art. With its 164 acres NCMA is it the largest museum art park in the country.

November 9, 2:00 pm — Guided Tour of Oak View Park Let’s go nuts! November is pecan pickin’ season at Oak View Park. This 27-acre former farm offers educational, agricultural, and recreational activities. League members will enjoy an hour’s tour of the 1855 farmhouse and detached kitchen, the livestock barn, carriage house and turn-of-the-century cotton gin to learn about the changing face of farm life from the mid-19th century until today. Afterwards we’ll be given a paper bag to fill with pecans from the 100 year old pecan trees. Those who are interested may meet beforehand for lunch at 12:30 at Big Ed’s in City Market.

Field Trips are for members only. All reservations must be made directly with Pat Butler, [email protected]. Please include whether you will be joining the group for lunch. 3

League Lit—Two Locations: Raleigh and Western Wake Open to all LWV-Wake members, even if you haven't finished reading the book. For more information or to RSVP, contact the group leader

Western Wake

Raleigh

October 18—3:00pm

November 16—3:00pm

Location Travinia Restaurant, Morrisville RSVP: Terri Ring, [email protected].

League Office: 3509 Haworth #306 Nancy Hartge, [email protected] The Firebrand and the First Lady: Portrait of a Friendship. Pauli Murray, Eleanor Roosevelt, and the Struggle for Social Justice

Ratf**ked: The True Story Behind the Plan to Steal America’s Democracy by David Daley

by Patricia Bell-Scott

Let’s Get Social! With the success of this summer's LWV-Wake Summer Social as well as the annual Holiday Gathering, the League would like to form a Social Committee. This committee would be responsible for planning social events that bring us together to have fun. These may include: • • • •

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Holiday Parties Summer Social Wine Tastings Movie Nights

Painting Classes Cooking Classes....anything that provides a fun day/night out!

We are looking for members interested in helping to plan events. These may be quarterly or bimonthly and involve scheduling, researching events, posting the events and handling RSVP's and logistics. If you have an interest in joining this group, please send an email to Cheryl Tung at [email protected] to indicate your interest. 4

Women’s Equality Day Celebrating our Success—2017 Mary Jane Slipsky, Chair WED Committee The Women’s Equality Day celebration on August 24th was a success in every way! One hundred thirty five members, honorees and guests gathered for an evening of beautiful music, glorious food and great company. Our speaker, Brenda Rogers, appeared as the ghost of suffragette Carrie Chapman Catt. “Carrie” spoke to us with her voice from the past commenting on the issues of today. The ticket sales and fifty-four generous sponsors enabled us to almost double our revenue over last year. Thank you to all who contributed to our fundraiser. This event is the culmination of the time and talents of many of our members. The Women’s Equality Day committee is grateful for the generous contributions from our members. We could not have done it without you!

Food & Kitchen Workers - Karen-Marie Allen, Pat Butler, Jinny Batterson, Candace Blackley, Naomi Lambert, Chelsie Fitzwater, Dina Deaton, Michele Delaney, Cindy Chew, Helen Cleereman, Nancy Devereux, Mary Ellin Eisele, Cheryl Keeton, Marian Lewin, Mary Maher, Susan McIntyre, Patricia Moylan, Jo Nerhood, Tonia Pridgen, Saroj Primlani, Sue Stevens, Theresa Rosenberg, Cheryl Thomas, Eve Vitaglione Beverage Servers - Dina Deaton, Michele Delaney, Chelsie Fitzwater, Pauline Holden, Clyde Lundy, Mary Maher, Linda Maxa, Cheryl Thomas

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Women’s Equality Day Celebrating our Success—2017

Registration & Greeters- Karen-Marie Allen, Marcia Ballard, Pam Dowdy, Joyce Gad, Cheryl Keeton, Catherine Lambe, Linda Maxa, Lisa Mowat, Elaine Okal, Saroj Primlani, Theresa Rosenberg, Barbara Ryan, Susan Stevens, Teresa Watts Stuffing parties - Chelsie Fitzwater, Meredith Lundy, Katie Long, Mary Jane Slipsky, Teresa Watts, Ann Willson Committee members - Dina Deaton, Meredith Lundy, Mary Jane Slipsky, Teresa Watts, Dianna Wynn Graphic Designer - Alexis Hetrick Membership table - Vicki Gerig Set up and take down - Naomi Lambert, Marlene Wilson, Clyde Lundy, David Collier, Brian Holland Social Media - Quinci Duncan Music - Jean Ornellas Flowers - Dina Deaton, Claudia Kadis Wine - Clyde and Meredith Lundy Registration supplies - Teresa Watts Honoree Certificate Distribution - Candace Blackley, Helen Cleereman, Pam Dowdy, Karen Ferguson, Chelsie Fitzwater, Siobhan Millen, Kim Rehberg, Mary Jane Slipsky, Marlene Wilson, Dianna Wynn

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Voter Services Committee Marian Lewin, Chair Fall is the season for elections and candidate forums. The Voter Services Committee has been busy with three municipal candidate forums in Cary, Raleigh and Knightdale. We also expanded our voter education offerings on the website. I am constantly impressed with our members who go above-and-beyond to work on activities central to the League mission. For the first time in several years, we produced candidate guides for Raleigh and Cary races. You can find these on the website lwvwake.org/candidate-guides/. These guides provide useful information to voters on the candidates running for Cary Town Council and Raleigh City Council and Mayor. Chelsie Fitzwater, Candace Blackely, Meredyth Bass, Margaret Yelverton, Sheila Denn and Dianna Wynn did extraordinary work on a very short deadline to make these guides available before the October 10th election. LWV-Wake committed to doing three candidate forums this year. Candidate forums, along with voter registration efforts, are core to our mission of voter education and engagement. Mary Jane Slipsky, Cathy Luck, Naomi Lambert, and Lindy Brown provided the backbone of our efforts along with our other co-sponsors, WakeUP Wake County, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Cary Woman’s Club and the Heart of Cary. Promotion of these events was very successful and the community supported us with capacity attendance. Municipal elections are often confusing for voters. In Raleigh and Cary they are held at an unusual time, October, and they are nonpartisan. The varied timing and the details of runoffs can contribute to historically low voter turnout. It is not uncommon for a few hundred votes to swing the election. We developed a special 2017 Elections page on the website to help voters access critical election information in one easy to use place. Thanks go to Tom Gerig, Dianna Wynn, Mike Jennings and Elizabeth Fensin for working on this page. Following the elections, we will be reconvening to switch our focus to voter protection issues. Let me know if you would like to be added to the committee emails: [email protected].

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Environment Committee Elizabeth Fensin, member Environment Committee

The Environment Committee is kicking of the season with a bang. Co-Chair Jackie Giordano hosted a brainstorming meeting, and the ideas were flying! •

LWV-Wake sent a letter in response to RDU’s public request for comments on future development plans. Check the League’s Facebook page for details. Members will be working with partner groups to improve public accountability on open space issues.

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Members submitted comments during the September 5 City of Raleigh public hearing on implementing Green Infrastructure/Low Impact Development. They are happy to report the proposed changes were adopted.

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The Committee will be working with the Capital Area Friends of Transit (CAFT) to promote public bus transportation. They are planning a Field Trip incorporating bus transit.

If you attend an interesting meeting or presentation on environmental issues in Wake County, please let the Environment Committee know! The more informed the League is, the better. The committee plans to hold quarterly meetings. The next quarterly meeting is October 20 at noon in the League office. For more information, e-mail Eve Vitaglione at [email protected].

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Redistricting Committee Hits the Ground Running Sheila Denn, Co-Chair, Redistricting Committee

This year has seen a lot of focus around the nation on redistricting, and the LWV Wake Redistricting Committee has been right on the front lines! The Committee started in January with intensive research on the issue, including breaking up into teams to research different aspects of redistricting process and how redistricting reform has proceeded in other states; attending conferences in the area around redistricting reform, and reporting back to the full Committee on the results of research. We then held a strategic planning session to map out how we wanted to fulfill our education and advocacy goals. We have completed a strategy document that lays out our goals and how we intend to complete them over the next few years. We have completed a messaging document, based on research, that lays out the best words and phrases to use to talk about redistricting in a persuasive way. We have made, and continue to make, presentations on redistricting to other groups who have an interest in the issue. We have two upcoming events on redistricting for League members: on 9/21 we will lead a book discussion on Ratf**ked (for which we have developed a 26-page discussion toolkit), and on 11/17 we will present on redistricting for Timely Topics. LWV-Wake has been a leader in redistricting advocacy at the NC General Assembly this year. In March and April, Jan Ramquist trained members in advocacy, and over the next six months several members met with most of the legislators to advocate for a fair and impartial redistricting process. In addition, several members attended the meetings of the Select Committee on Redistricting in August – including 14 on August 4, when 6 of our members stood up to speak and advocate for a fair redistricting process. Many of these members were then quoted in the local media, giving more exposure to our calls for a fair process.

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Redistricting Committee Hits the Ground Running Because of recent developments in the NC General Assembly, we have also begun to investigate the issues involved in judicial redistricting. It is likely that there will be more action on this during the upcoming October special session. The Committee has been increasing exposure of our social media audience to the redistricting issue by posting news articles, images, and videos about redistricting with links back to our newly established redistricting page on the LWV Wake website, which includes the written materials we have already produced and will contain more materials as time goes on. Dianna Wynn and I, as co-chairs of the Redistricting Committee, would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone on the Committee for the phenomenal work that has been done in just 9 months! And we invite anyone interested in joining our efforts to get in touch with us either at [email protected] or [email protected].

Discussing the Political Future of North Carolina 30 League members participated in the inaugural ‘McLennan Seminar’ at Meredith College on September 19th. David McLennan, a well-known expert on North Carolina politics and Meredith professor of political science, has been working with League members, Claudia Kadis and Naomi Lambert, to create a series exploring the Future of North Carolina Politics. This seven part series will tackle a different theme every month through April of 2018. At each 90-minute session there will be two experts representing different aspects of a policy issue whose comments will be used as a basis for small group discussion. The first gathering considered ‘Where is the Power in North Carolina Politics?’ The two experts were Paul ‘Skip’ Stam (former NC House representative for Apex) and Rob Schofield (NC Policy Watch.) Curated readings and small group discussions will be offered for those who cannot attend the seminar series. Watch the League website for more details.

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Membership Matters Karen Ferguson, Chair Membership Committee While summer can seem slow and sleepy, this year it was anything but that for Wake League’s membership. Our year of exceptional member growth continued right through the doldrums of June, July and August, bringing 25 new members. Our membership is now very close to 300, maybe an all-time record for us. We welcome each and every one of you – our new and our returning members. Member interest survey 2017 Whether you are returning or new, please complete and submit this survey* www.lwvwake.org/member-interest-survey/ found under the Resources tab at the bottom of our web page. This tells us about your current interests and helps us connect you with the areas where you’d like to focus your energy and skills. It also lets you tell us if your plate is too full to be more than a supporter at this time; we promise to respect that. *Members who return their survey by October 9 will be entered in a drawing. The winner will receive a free ticket to a Timely Topics luncheon at NCSU University Club ($20 value). Renewal reminder If you received a renewal notice this summer, please pay your dues if you haven’t done so. Mail them in the envelope you received or pay online at lwvwake.org/join/. Join the membership committee! With a growing membership, our membership committee is also growing. Our exciting challenge is to ensure that everyone who joins the League feels welcome and engaged. Would you like to work with us? We’re identifying tasks that will let both new and “seasoned” members be active in this effort, such as: •

Being paired together at a membership table at events like candidate forums

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Being membership “ambassadors” to greet new members and introduce them to others at meetings.

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Serving on a subcommittee for social events like new-member potlucks.

We need to have your ideas and participation!

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Membership Matters

Looking ahead Surveys You may see an occasional survey from us. We plan to use them to get feedback on some of our events (sent to a small random sample, never to everyone) and to get new member feedback about their first year in the League. Please respond if you receive one, but let us know if we goof and hit you up too often. League 101 sessions will again be offered to new members to learn how League works, hear our guidelines on nonpartisanship, and receive tips on advocacy. With our new office space, we’re able to schedule these more regularly and at various times of day and week. Check the League website and calendar for scheduled sessions. New members who haven’t yet attended a League 101 session will be emailed invitations; other members are free to contact us if wanting to attend. We look forward to a great year together! Membership Co-Chairs: Meredith Lundy [email protected] Naomi Lambert [email protected] Karen Ferguson [email protected] 12

Establishing an Observer Corps Marlene Wilson, Chair Observer Corps Committee Active Observer Corps have been a key function throughout the history of the League of Women Voters. By regularly observing government, the League has promoted open government processes and helped to encourage the accountability of public officials. Many committees in the Wake League already encourage members to join this effort. The Voter Services Committee attends Wake County and State Board of Election meetings. The Redistricting Committee attends hearings at the General Assembly. The Environment Committee attends Raleigh City Council meetings. There are also many opportunities to attend meetings of the County Commissioners, School Board, and even local Citizen Advisory Councils (CAC). When a League member attends a meeting wearing a League badge it helps to encourage government accountability and transparency, as well as drawing focus to the League. The Leadership Team decided to establish a more formalized Observer Corps program for the Wake League. Guidelines and a form are posted on the website to help anyone who might be reluctant to get started. Informal training/ help sessions are also considered. Go to https://www.lwvwake.org/observer-corps/ which can be found on the website (lwvwake.org) at the bottom of the page—click on Resources and then Observer Corps. While the steps highlighted in the guidelines appear common-sense, they must be stressed to the LWV membership. It is particularly important that you do not speak publicly at the meeting without advance authorization from LWV-Wake’s Leadership Team. Especially do not make any partisan statements, engage in partisan discussions, or participate in partisan activities while serving as a League of Women Voters observer at a meeting. You are encouraged to attend meetings, hearings or public events as a private citizen and speak freely. Please don’t identify your comments as reflecting the League. Recently, members of the Redistricting Committee testified at the NCGA open hearings as private citizens. The LWVNC developed a statement that reflected the League’s position as a statewide organization. While individual comments of the LWV-Wake reflected the sentiments of that statement, individual Leagues did not get authorization to speak officially. When LWV-Wake does not have a position, that should not discourage you from speaking as a resident, citizen or voter on issues you care about passionately. However, if we do have a position, it is worthwhile to get approval from the Leadership Team and have your statement prepared on LWV-Wake letterhead. This extra step magnifies your statement and puts the power of the League behind you.

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Establishing an Observer Corps The Observer Corps in Action! One of the most important actions of this program is a record of attendance. Please write a report and send it to the committee at [email protected]. For uniformity, you are encouraged to use the sample provided on the website and send it electronically. Alternatively, you are certainly welcome to send your written notes and observations to your committee chair. The forms and notes will be archived and accessible for future use. As you participate in this program, your suggestions are most welcome!

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Why Join the League? The League is almost 100 years old, and for all that time we have worked to empower our members to actively engage in creating positive change at the local, state, and national levels. By joining the League, you become part of an influential organization affecting public policy through education and advocacy.

The experience and education that come from being active in the Wake League has launched members to serve on boards, commissions, city councils, and in the NC House and Senate. On any given day, Leaguers may be found at meetings of local government, at the legislature, talking with our representatives, writing letters to the editor, and engaging in a wide range of activities to promote the League's mission. LWVWake continues to be committed to active engagement in public policy developments affecting the residents of Wake County. In addition to this important work, you are also joining a vibrant and active community of Wake County residents that share your commitment to public policy engagement. Members decide what they can contribute based on their personal interests, expertise, or time. Once you’ve checked us out you’ll want to join in on many of our committees and activities. Reach out to us! [email protected]

Dues notices for the 2017-2018 year were mailed to the membership on July 1, 2017. Members who joined January 1, 2017 or later will not receive an invoice. Those who joined six months before the invoices go out get a few extra months on their first year. To pay your membership dues by credit card, go to www.lwvwake.org.

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Check Out Our New Website—www.lwvwake.org We are excited about our new website and encourage members to visit it. It contains a wealth of information about the organization, details of all upcoming events, and useful tools and resources for members. When you visit the site, here’s just some of what you will find: Calendar—Also at the bottom of the website is a calendar of all LWV-Wake meetings and events. The calendar helps you explore committees and activities within the League. Voters—The Voters section includes answers to frequently asked questions about voting and has important information about the next election: 2017 Elections.

Take the Membership Interest Survey We have developed a new online survey to replace the old form that was mailed with membership invoices each year. We ask that all members take the survey every year. The purpose of the new survey is to: • Learn what issues our members care about •

Identify members willing to volunteer

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Match members’ volunteer interests to the League’s needs

We ask that you take the survey even if you are not interested or are unable to volunteer. That’s helpful for us to know. The survey takes less than five minutes to complete and consists of only four questions. (This is NOT the same survey that many of you completed in February as part of our strategic planning process.) You can find the survey in the “Resources” tab at the bottom of our website at www.lwvwake.org.

Order a Name Badge Personalized League name badges are now available for $15. The plastic badge is printed with your name, has a magnetic fastener, and comes with a velvet storage pouch. For more information and to order your badge, go to the “Resources” tab at the bottom of our website at www.lwvwake.org.

Remember to wear your badge to all League events! 16

The League of Women Voters of Wake County is an allvolunteer organization. Our members devote countless hours educating the public on important issues, advocating for change with elected officials, preparing voters to participate in elections, and managing the operations of a busy nonprofit organization. We need more volunteers! To volunteer please contact any Leadership Team member or a committee chair.

Policy on Waiving Event Fees for Volunteers—As an all-volunteer organization working within a very limited budget, we cannot afford to waive registration fees for our volunteers at League events. We nevertheless appreciate our volunteers’ hard work and their commitment to the League.

Follow Us On Social Media

www.facebook.com/LWVofWake/

lwvofwake

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@LWVofWake

Upcoming League Events For more information and updates about League events, please regularly check our website at www.lwvwake.org or follow our Facebook page. For information on committee meetings, refer to the “Calendar” page at the bottom of the website. October 3

League 101

October 5

Candidate Forum—Knightdale Municipal Elections

October 10

Election Day—Raleigh and Cary

October 11

Field Trip—Prairie Ridge Ecostation and Lunch at Iris

October 17

LWV-Meredith Civics Program: Discussing the Political Future of NC

October 18

League Lit—Western Wake reading Ratf**ked

October 21

LWV-NC Regional Council Meeting

October 27

Timely Topics Luncheon—Mary Maclean Asbill, Senior Attorney, Southern Environmental Law Center

November 2

League 101

November 14

LWV-Meredith Civics Program: Discussing the Political Future of NC

November 16

League Lit—Raleigh reading The Firebrand and the First Lady

November 17

Timely Topics Lunch—Redistricting in North Carolina

December 2

League 101

December 6

League Lit—Western Wake reading When Everything Changed

December 10

League Holiday Party

We ask that attendees to all Timely Topics events register for these events via our website at www.lwvwake.org. You can pay online by credit card via PayPal. 18

LWV-Wake Committee Contacts Committee Book Club

Chairs (Some committees have co-chairs) Janis Ramquist [email protected]

Communications Dianna Wynn

[email protected]

Development

Mary Jane Slipsky [email protected]

Environment

Eve Vitaglione [email protected]

ERA

Mary Maher [email protected]

Sherry MacQueen

Jackie Giordano [email protected] Elaine Okal [email protected]

[email protected]

Field Trips

Pat Butler [email protected]

Finance

Mary Jane Slipsky [email protected]

Membership Naturalization Ceremonies

Karen Ferguson [email protected]

Nominating

Vicki Gerig [email protected]

Observer Corps

Marlene Wilson [email protected] Paula Jennings [email protected]

Redistricting Reform

Dianna Wynn [email protected]

Siobhan Millen [email protected]

Social Committee Cheryl Tung

Sheila Denn [email protected]

[email protected]

Timely Topics

Joyce Gad [email protected]

Voter Services

Marian Lewin [email protected]

Claudia Kadis [email protected]

For questions or to join a committee, contact a committee chair or Leadership Team member. 19