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Date: 1/23/2022
Subject: LWV-Wake Update January 24th 2022
From: League of Women Voters of Wake County



LWV-Wake Update 1/24/2022

 
Virginia Kase Newsletter Image
Dear ~~first_name~~,
 
Greetings from LWV-Wake.
 
Last Monday was Martin Luther King, Jr. day. As people took time to honor Dr. King and his legacy, including making visits to memorials and parks honoring the civil rights leader, there was also quite a buzz on social media. Companies, organizations, elected officials, and people from all walks of life posted quotes by Dr. King about justice, equality and unity. Many of Dr. King's quotes are still as relevant today as they were in the 50's and 60's when they were first spoken, as the fight for racial equality continues. Another trending observation of interest was some who posted these quotes actually work against the values that Dr. King stood for. They were subsequently called out by others, as so often is the case on social media. Voting rights, equality, public education, etc. are all under attack and yet, reading these social media posts, one would think citizens are united in protecting these freedoms and American values.
 
As Leaguers, we must continue to advocate for the freedoms and racial equality that Dr. King so eloquently and peacefully fought for. Even though the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act failed in Congress, we must continue to engage citizens and educate our community on why voting rights legislation, along with many other protections that were part of this legislation, are needed. Businessinsider.com provides a quick 'explainer' on the contents of the 2 bills (joined as one) here. 
    
New Members
Welcome new members who joined LWV-Wake in 2021-2022. While we wait to gather again in-person, please join us at one of our upcoming virtual events and/or committee meetings. Check the website League calendar for more information and to register. 

As a reminder, our “League Basics: Introduction to the League of Women Voters of Wake County” class, offered in-person last October, has been restructured to better fit an online format. If you missed attending it live, you can now watch a presentation on YouTube. This introduction will benefit new (and not-so-new) members, as well as friends who are considering joining. We encourage you to watch League Basics: An Introduction and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Also, please forward this League Update to anyone who might be interested in joining the League. 
 
Get Active & Join a Committee
Please consider joining one of our committees and help us carry out our mission. Committee work is a great way to meet new people and learn new skills. Committee descriptions can be found on our website's Committees page. To join a committee, click the 'view members' icon next to the committee you want to join, then click the 'sign me up' red box. Information from your member profile will be automatically added. Next, send an email to the committee co-chair introducing yourself and ask to be notified about upcoming committee meetings.  A list of committee co-chairs and contact information can be found here. 
 
Volunteer Opportunities
Below are specific areas of need. However, if you're not sure how you want to be involved, please email us and we can help guide you in finding the perfect spot in which to share your experience and talents.
 
Membership Committee
The Membership Committee is looking for additional members to help cultivate a welcoming environment for new members and keep established members engaged in League activities. We also enjoy creating opportunities for new members to meet seasoned leaders of the League.
The functions of the Committee include:
  • Tabling at both organizational events (Timely Topics, Candidate Forums, Voter Registration events) and activities in the community (Women’s March, community fairs, farmer’s markets, etc.) with League information or occasionally providing the welcome at registration tables.   
  • Creating engagement opportunities through online and educational events (Renewals via Club Express, League 101, ordering personalized name badges, etc.).
  • Planning events geared towards retention, such as new member potlucks, informal regional gatherings, etc. held in collaboration with the Social Committee and the Field Trip Committee.
  • Community outreach by collaborating with other organizations and with local college students to create a more diverse membership.
  • Creating content for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn about the benefits of being a League member.
There is no specific experience required, only the willingness to help! In addition, we are open to new ideas that promote membership and engagement in the League. Contact the current Co-Chairs, Judee Lonnee or Dale Cousins to chat about your interest. 
 
 Women's Equality Day- NEEDS VOLUNTEERS!
The Women’s Equality Day Committee is in need of additional members to help plan our annual fundraising event held in August 2022. Currently we do not have enough volunteers to make this a successful event. Some roles require basic computer skills; other roles require communicating with the caterer, speaker and others involved in the event, making follow-up calls to invited honorees and helping the day of the event.  Many of these tasks can be completed at home and do not require meeting attendance.  If interested, please send an email to WED Committee Chair, Candace Blackley.
 

HAVE YOU COMPLETED YOUR SURVEY???
As part of LWV-Wake's strategic planning process, we are conducting an all-member survey to assist us in targeting issues and activities for the League. The link to the survey, along with important information for its completion, was distributed via email from LWV-Wake on January 17th. If you did not receive it, PLEASE CHECK YOUR SPAM FOLDER. To avoid missing League Updates and other important League emails, please add lwvwake.org to your contacts list. 
 
As a member of LWV-Wake, it important that you complete the survey for our committee and provide important feedback. The results of the survey will help develop the goals and strategies for the League for the next 5 years.
 
Because part of the strategic planning process involves learning how those outside of our organization view us, this survey is being distributed to several of our coalition partners. If you are a member of another organization and/or have friends who might be interested in the League's work, we'd love for you to forward the survey to them as well.
 
The Strategic Planning Committee will begin its work in February and continue through the end of May. Dianna Wynn, LWV-Wake's immediate past president, has graciously volunteered her time and expertise to facilitate the process. The committee consists of 20 members, including board members and a mix of League current and future leaders.

Upcoming LWV-Wake Events
March League Lit Newsletter Image 500x350
 
  • February 8th 5pm-6:30pm DEI Roundtable Virtual Discussion - What's Up with Pronouns? Gender pronouns are how people choose to identify themselves and reflect their gender identity. Understanding and using a person's correct pronoun demonstrates respect, fosters inclusion and makes people feel valued.  During this roundtable discussion, you'll learn about the differences in pronouns, why using the correct pronoun is important, and tips for using gender pronouns. Register here. 
  • February 15th 3:00pm-4:30pm Western Wake League Lit - NOTE: BOOK CHANGE Will discuss The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together by Heather McGhee. From Goodreads: "Heather McGhee's specialty is the American economy--and the mystery of why it so often fails the American public. From the financial crisis to rising student debt to collapsing public infrastructure, she found a common root problem: racism". Register here.
  • February 17th 5:30pm Timely Topics - NC Institute of Political Leadership: Mission and Programs. Please join us as we welcome Brad Young, Executive Director of NCPL. The North Carolina Institute of Political Leadership is a non-partisan, nonprofit organization committed to improving the practice of democracy through its premier nonpartisan leadership training programs for public servants, both elected and appointed. This event will now be held via Zoom. Register here.
  • March 17th 2:00pm-3:00pm - League Lit Raleigh - Will discuss Proud Shoes: The Story of an American Family (Black Women Writers Series) by Pauli Murray. From Amazon: "First published in 1956, Proud Shoes is the remarkable true story of slavery, survival, and miscegenation in the South from the pre-Civil War era through the Reconstruction. Written by Pauli Murray the legendary civil rights activist and one of the founders of NOW, Proud Shoes chronicles the lives of Murray's maternal grandparents." Register here. 

LWVNC Events & Council
LWVNC Council - Please Attend
This year LWVNC is heading to the beach! Well, kind of. Morehead City is the location of this year's 2-day retreat. It is an opportunity to meet other Leaguers and have fun while discussing League activities. The program kicks off with dinner on April 1 near the hotel and continues with sessions on April 2 at the Carteret Community College. LWVNC has secured a discounted rate of $109/night at Hampton Inn. We would LOVE to see a good turnout from LWV-Wake members! Please remember to book your hotel early and pay the $30 registration fee, which is a separate link from the registration form. Registration ends March 10th. After registering, please send me an email as I am tracking attendance for LWV-Wake members. It is sure to be a fun event!  LWVNC is handling all registrations through their website here.
LWVNC Creates Civics Education Interest Group
In November 2021, LWVNC, LWV-Wake and LWV of Catawba Valley were each awarded SOLVE grants through Southern Coalition for Social Justice to embark upon local redistricting advocacy projects. Our grant application, along with that of LWVNC, included this work to be part of a larger civics education project. LWVNC has created a civics education interest group comprised of members across the state who are interested in researching ideas related to civics education & engagement. The first brainstorming meeting of this study group was held on January 20th.
 
LWV-Wake is looking for members who would interested in researching existing civics education platforms/programs to determine partnership opportunities. This project would have monthly deadlines and require writing program summaries. If you are interested in assisting with this work, please send an email to lwvwakectung@gmail.com. 
LWVNC Seeks Members to Join "Positions for Action" Committee
The Positions for Action Committee is continuing to meet in 2022 to discuss a review of public policy positions with any interested members. LWVNC Convention 2023 is right around the corner. To get positions in the most clear and concise condition for reaffirming in 2023, there is work to do in 2022 in several areas.

If you are interested in participating in some exploratory conversations on Representative Government, Natural Resources, and Social Policy LWVNC positions, please email your interest to Sandra Mowell at mowell@lwvnc.org. A general meeting for those interested is planned for around the first of February, and members will break into teams for further conversations on the subject in March and April 2022. There is an update on our committee’s progress planned for LWVNC Council in April. For more information, please read the related article in the latest LWVNC newsletter here.

Other Upcoming Events
Our friends from Braver Angels NC, along with North Carolina Campus Compact, are co-sponsoring an upcoming public forum hosting guest speaker Dr. Christopher Bail of the Duke Polarization Lab. Professor Bail will be interviewed by former news anchor and media consultant Rob Boisvert about how social media influences political tribalism and what can be done to diminish it. Interview followed by audience Q&A. This is a free event. Register through Eventbrite here.
State & Local Government

State Legislature Building for Newsletter
State Redistricting Litigation Update - Senate bill 605 sent to Gov. Cooper
NC Supreme Court trial begins February 2nd
 
The past two weeks have been a whirlwind of activity for redistricting litigation and legislation.
January 11th - A Wake County Superior Court 3 judge panel upheld congressional and legislative maps. In a 260-page ruling, the judges wrote that redistricting was "an inherently political process and that maps drawn for partisan gain did not violate the state constitution. " They did, however, acknowledge that the maps “are a result of intentional, pro-Republican partisan redistricting.” An article from AP outlining the courts decision can be found here.
 
January 12th - Common Cause NC files appeal.
 
January 19th - NCGA passes HB605 along party lines and lays out this proposed schedule for the primaries:
  • Candidate filing would run from March 24 to April 1.
  • The primaries would be June 7.
HB605 has been sent to Governor Cooper. No word yet on whether he will veto or sign the bill, and most likely we won't know until January 29th, which is the last day he can veto this bill. WRAL's Travis Fain discusses the bill and reaction from both parties in this article.
 
February 2nd - Oral arguments for the 3 redistricting cases will start on February 2nd. A decision is expected by mid-February. IF the court finds for the plaintiffs, the General Assembly will be given 2 weeks to redraw and submit new maps. Should these maps be deemed unsatisfactory, then the court will likely appoint a special master to redraw maps. However, this scenario will happen only if plaintiffs prevail in their challenge. 

 
ICYMI: A recap of the lawsuits:
NC NAACP vs. Berger - Filed by Southern Coalition for Social Justice on October 29th. Requests that the implementation of the maps be blocked, alleging the mapmakers failed to consider race, thereby reducing minority representation.  Read more about the lawsuit here.
  • November 30th: Judge Graham Shirley denied the request for declaratory judgment and injunction.  He stated because the General Assembly has already adopted maps, the remedy is for a court to declare that the actual maps (as opposed to the process) are unconstitutional. 
  • December 7th: SCSJ appealed to the NC Supreme Court to expedite their challenge of the North Carolina legislature’s process for drawing state legislative and Congressional voting maps. In addition, a separate motion was filed by the Plaintiffs to recuse state Supreme Court Justice Phil Berger, Jr., the son of legislative defendant Senate Pro Tempore Phil Berger, which would disqualify him from hearing the case.
NC League of Conservation Voters et al. v. Hall - Filed on November 5th, builds upon the 2019 Harper vs. Lewis case and argues that new maps were drawn for partisan gain and violates several provisions of the North Carolina Constitution.
  • December 3, 2021: A three-judge panel in Wake Superior Court (including Judge Shirley from the NC NAACP case above) denied the request for a preliminary injunction that would delay the primary from March. 
  • December 8th: The North Carolina Supreme Court suspended candidate filing for all offices for the 2022 primary election, including filing for rescheduled municipal contests, and any separate filing period in January for those contests. The Supreme Court also pushed the date of the primary and rescheduled municipal elections from March 8th to Tuesday, May 17, 2022. To view the court order, click here.
NC Common Cause v. Hall - On Dec. 15, the Wake County Superior Court granted Common Cause’s motion to intervene in North Carolina League of Conservation Voters et al. and Harper et al. v. Hall. They argue that the map-drawers ignored previous court decisions in their stated refusal to use racial voting data for the purposes of Voting Rights Act compliance.
This Week at the NCGA
Monday, January 24th:EDUCATION: HOUSE SELECT COMMITTEE ON AN EDUCATION SYSTEM FOR NORTH CAROLINA'S FUTURE will meet on Monday at 1pm. You can listen here.

Local Redistricting Update
 
City of Raleigh - Public hearings and the public comment period on redistricting have ended.

Update:
February 1, 2022: The Study Group will provide a report to the City Council at its February 1, 2022 meeting that consists of a summation of comments made during public hearings and through the portal, as well as a list of the pros and cons of each proposed map.  According to their website, following the February 1, 2022 meeting, City Council will hold an additional public hearing on the redistricting maps, and then adopt one of the proposed maps by the March 31, 2022 deadline. 
 
ICYMI: Here's a recap of the City of Raleigh's redistricting process.
October 21, 2021: LWV-Wake, Common Cause and NAACP Raleigh/Apex were invited to make comments/presentations about redistricting during a City Council District A Virtual Town Hall on October 21st. Cheryl Tung presented Transparency in Local Redistricting that outlined a process local municipalities should follow to ensure transparency.
November 2, 2021:  Raleigh City Council member Nicole Stewart proposed and Council approved a redistricting process. The process included:
  • Directing staff to draw 3 new district map options for the 2022 election.  These maps were completed and were posted on the City of Raleigh website in late November. 
  • Directing a Study Group, selected by members of city council, to carry out the redistricting process and make recommendations to the council.  More info, including the three map options can be found on the City of Raleigh Redistricting webpage here. This Study Group was previously charged with researching council terms and compensation and provided a report to City Council with their findings and recommendations on those issues.
December 2, 2021: LWV-Wake, along with other organizations, were invited to present public comment on the proposed maps during the first Study Group meeting on redistricting. After hearing public comments from LWV-Wake, NC Counts and NCAA, the Study Group made adjustments to its public hearing schedule, adding a location impacted by redistricting. 
 
December 15th: LWV-Wake was present again during the redistricting hearing at Green Road Community Center and at the January 5th virtual hearing. During the hearings, the staff presented an overview of the redistricting process and provided a detailed analysis of each of the three map options. They also responded to comments and questions about the maps. 
 
In all, there were 4 public hearings held either virtually or in-person, where staff from the planning department presented an overview of the redistricting process, along with a detailed analysis of each of the 3 map options and responded to feedback and questions.
 
Wake County Board of Education- No New Action
Sept. 21, 2021: The Wake County Board of Education began discussing redistricting at their work session on September 21. Attorney Adam Mitchell from Tharrington Smith, LLP, presented The Basics of Redistricting, providing information on current district sizes, legal requirements, and potential redistricting criteria. Read Mr. Mitchell’s presentation here.
December 7, 2021: Attorney Adam Mitchell from Tharrington Smith, LLP, and Blake Esselstyn from Mapfigure Consulting, presented Redistricting Principles, which can be viewed here. In this presentation, updated census numbers for the districts are provided. Of the 9 districts, only districts 2 and 7 remain in compliance with a +-5% population range. Possible criteria, labeled as "discretionary principles", are also presented.

PLEASE NOTE: Yesterday an email was sent to the general membership that was intended only for committee co-chairs. This email outlined procedures for calendar event creation. I apologize for the error and request that members who are not co-chairs please delete this email. Thank you for continuing to support the League of Women Voters of Wake County. 
Sincerely,
Cheryl Tung
President
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The League of Women Voters of Wake County is a designated 501(c)3 nonprofit charitable organization by the IRS. Donations and membership dues are fully tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.