 |  | Dear ~~first_name~~,
Greetings from LWV-Wake.
If you've seen the movie Barbie (that has now surpassed $1 bill at the box office), you know how important female representation is to making sure our voices are heard! What better way to show your support for female elected officials than to attend our upcoming Women's Equality Day?
During the event we will recognize and celebrate all female elected officials (aka "Barbies") serving Wake County. Its a perfect occasion to break out your florals and meet the elected officials who work hard every day to serve our community.
We are a little over two weeks away from our biggest event of the year and just halfway to our goal of raising $12k. Even if you cannot attend, we hope you will support the League with a donation.
Guest speaker Nora El-Khouri Spencer, will speak about how, through her company Hope Renovations, women become inspired and empowered to learn valuable trade skills to better support themselves.
We need volunteers to assist with Women's Equality Day. This even takes many volunteers to set up and decorate tables, serve food and beverages, and help with clean up. If you are planning to attend, please consider lending a helping hand. Volunteer sign-ups are listed on our website under the "Volunteering" tab. Please remember to sign in to access volunteer opportunities.
LWV-Wake Day at NC Courage Women's Soccer
Through a partnership with NC Courage, we are able to offer our members discounted tickets to the August 27th game against the Chicago Red Stars. We will also be providing voter outreach prior to and during the first half of the game in the FanFest area of the soccer park. Volunteers are needed for tabling at this event. For more information and to purchase tickets, scroll to Events.
|  | | Please support LWV-Wake by purchasing a sponsorship!
One of the best way's to support LWV-Wake is by purchasing a sponsorship. Funds raised provide us with the operating support we need to create and provide programs, communicate with members and keep our organization compliant. While we can (and do) seek grant funding, much of what is available is restricted to specific types of activities. Operating expenses include:
- Technology subscriptions - for financial reporting, to maintain websites, create and schedule social media posts, analytics, Zoom, etc.
- Rent
- Office internet for board and committee meetings
- GOTV activities
- Intern stipends
- Youth outreach materials (ex. Voter Girl Project, college visits)
- Supplies (paper, printer ink, signs, banners, tabling)
- Specialized contractor work (videographers, communications help, etc.)
- Reserve funding for future part-time administrative help
As a sponsor, you receive extra benefits! Please click below to see a description of sponsorship levels.
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- September 20th 5:30pm - Timely Topics: Reproductive Rights & Abortion - Join us for our first Timely Topics program of the season. This event will feature guest panelists Dr. Beverly Gray of Duke Obstetrics & Gynecology and Tara Romano, Executive Director of Pro-Choice NC. Register here.
- October 5th 9:30am-11:30am - Member Field Trip: Raleigh Fire Training Academy - Learn all about firefighting, fire prevention and Raleigh’s fire history. Watch the Raleigh Fire Cadets as they train to fight fires at the Raleigh Keeter Training Center. For more details and to register, click here.
- October 19th 12noon-1:30pm - Timely Topics: Article 5 and the Threat to the US Constitution - Join us IN PERSON at Highland Methodist Church as we welcome guest speaker Dennis Burns, chairman of the State Advisory Board for Common Cause NC. For more details and to register, click here.
|  | | LWV-Wake Day at NC Courage Women's Soccer
Sunday, August 27th 2pm
Join other Leaguers as we cheer the NC Courage professional women's soccer team! Through a partnership with NC Courage, we are able to offer our members and friends discounted tickets to the August 27th game against the Chicago Red Stars.
Tickets can be purchased by anyone using the special League discounted ticket link so be sure to share this link with friends. We hope to get a group of members to attend for an afternoon of fun.
LWV-Wake will be providing voter outreach (tabling) from an hour prior to kick off through the end of half time in their Fanfest area. We will distribute VOTE411 and election materials. Please see volunteer opportunities on our website for this event. To learn more about this event and to purchase tickets, click on the link below.
|  | | Hosts Needed for New Member Potlucks
In past years (pre-COVID), the Wake League held periodic potluck dinners in members’ homes as a way to meet and welcome new members. After a long hiatus, and with a continually growing membership, we’d like to resume these events, opening them to all members while especially encouraging newer members to attend.
To make this happen, WE NEED HOSTS! If you’d like to open your home to guests, all we ask of you is to set your table and prepare an entrée to feed them. Your house, your choice: brunch, lunch, dinner; meat, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free etc. We’ll promote it, register attendees, coordinate guests’ potluck contributions, and provide a facilitator.
Interested? If so, contact Karen Ferguson with your name, how many can sit around your dining table, and what part of Wake County you live in. As the Membership committee plans for 2023-24, we’ll reach out to prospective hosts with possible dates to hold potlucks and you can indicate what might work for you.
We look forward to hearing from you, and to sitting down to get to know more of our membership. You’ll enjoy that, too. Thanks!
|  | | NCGA Legislative Update
There is still no budget and anti-voter legislation continues to loom.
In an interview with reporters last Thursday, NC House Speaker Tim Moore discussed what lies ahead as the current legislative session drags on, including:
- Legislators have agreed to tax cuts but they still need to discuss spending projects, and the budget will not be ready by August 15th.
- Legislators plan to meet August 15th to override Governor Cooper's vetos for HB 808 Gender Transition/Minors and HB 575 Fairness in Women's Sports Act. They have not yet scheduled additional veto override votes due to many legislators taking vacations.
- Moore also told reporters last Thursday that he was not happy about a provision in the Photo ID Exemption Form that indicates a voter did not know about the Voter ID law, stating "Since when have we ever said that not knowing the law was an excuse not to follow it? I thought that was ridiculous."
- The House's elections committee will likely meet during the week of Aug. 14 to conduct committee hearings on proposed election law changes.
WUNC also reported that the NC State Board of Elections plans to make changes to the Photo ID Exemption Form when they meet this month and will remove the check box option that states the voter did not know about the Voter ID law. Read the UNC article here.
For a list of 21 voting rights bills being tracked, check out the Voting Rights Lab Bill Tracker here.
Please note: This list does not include all bills for which the League may take a position or that may be important for advocacy. To see a description of bills filed each day, see the UNC School of Government Legislative Reporting Service Daily Bulletin Online here.
| League Advocacy
Encouraging effective advocacy on issues that align with our mission of Empowering Voters and Defending Democracy is the heart of what we do. And while we can send emails and provide public comment, we must also advocate to our family, friends and neighbors, social groups, etc. and encourage them to contact their representatives as well.
Find your representatives here.
Find 2023-2024 NC House Leaders here.
Find 2023-2024 NC Senate Leaders here.
| Looking for information from a past newsletter? Previous League Updates can now be viewed on our website's home page. Look for the "League Updates" blue tab on the top menu.
Thank you for continuing to support the League of Women Voters of Wake County.
Sincerely,
Cheryl Tung
President | | 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. | |