All Morgantown-Monongalia County League’s newsletters are now available online here.
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CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
Our first fall meeting will be held Wednesday, September 26, 7:00-9:00 p.m. at the Aull Center, next to the Library at 351 Spruce Street. This public meeting will focus on the WV Constitutional Amendments to be decided in the November election. We have invited Robert Bastress (left), WVU Law Professor and Constitutional Law expert to explain the details, need, and repercussions of the amendments, and to respond to questions from our league and participants. What does it mean to be a member of the League of Women Voters? First and foremost, it is to be informed – about local, state, and national issues! To that end, our local league devotes time and talent to organizing candidate forums and panels or discussions about topics of local interest. Our first fall Membership Meeting is an example. What do you know about the upcoming two Constitutional Amendments? Why were they proposed by the state legislature, and what will their impact be? Our guest speaker will help us unravel the issues. We expect all members to attend this important meeting and encourage other members of the public to come as well. We value our first fall meeting not only for the content presented, but the opportunity to gather as a group to connect with one another. We look forward to seeing everyone! About Constitutional AmendmentsAmendment No. 1, the proposed “No Constitutional Right to Abortion Amendment,” is written as follows: “Nothing in this Constitution secures or protects a right to abortion or requires the funding of an abortion.” Amendment No. 2, the proposed “Judicial Budget Oversight Amendment,” would shift judicial spending oversight to lawmakers. Currently, the judiciary controls its own budget. The proposed amendment making the change includes the following language: “Providing that the total general revenue appropriations to the judiciary may be reduced in the budget bill, and setting forth the required procedures to be followed by the Legislature to enact any decrease in the total general revenue appropriations to the judiciary to an amount that is less than 85 percent of the amount of the total general revenue appropriations to the judiciary in the most recently enacted budget; providing that when requested by the Legislature, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Appeals must appear and be heard and answer inquiries relative to any budget bill; and conforming language relating to the introduction of the budget and matters that may be taken up during extended sessions to more recent amendments to the Constitution.” State BoardAt our State Board meeting in August, we became a partner organization of Vote No on 1 WV - http://votenoon1wv.org . Candidate ForumsThere will be two candidate forums in October, organized by our local LWV and Mountaineers for Progress (MFP). The first one will be for the House of Delegates candidates, District 51. It will be held on Thursday, October 11, at 7:00 p.m. at the South Middle School auditorium, 500 E. Parkway Drive. Candidates are: Republicans Cindy Frich, Aaron Metz, Roger Shuttlesworth, Joe Statler, and Debbie Warner; Democrats Barbara Evans Fleischauer, Evan Hansen, Rodney A. Pyles, Danielle Walker, and John Williams; Libertarian Buddy A. Guthrie; and American Freedom Union Harry V. Bertram. The second forum will be for the County Commission candidates and the WV Senate candidates, Districts 13 and 14. It will be held Thursday, October 18, 7:00 p.m. at the South Middle School auditorium, 500 E. Parkway Drive. Candidates are: County Commission Republican Andrew W. Price, Democrat Tom Bloom. State Senator, 13th District, Republican Mike Oliverio, Democrat Bob Beach. State Senator, 14th District, Republican Dave Sypolt, Democrat Stephanie Zucker. Refreshments will be provided at both events. This is always a great opportunity to see your candidates in person and learn about their views on a variety of issues. League members are asked to bring goodies for the forum on October 11. Voters ServiceOur League has responded to an initiative from the LWV Education Fund to register voters. An award winning, urban planning, development, and investment management firm Jonathan Rose Companies, has joined forces with the League to register and empower voters this year. Funding for these events will be provided as pass-through grants from the LWVEF. Members from our league will go to Wheeling on October 3. We will assist residents with voter registration, providing nonpartisan local voting information, and collecting completed voter registration applications to turn in to local elections officials. The grant will be $350 for this event – a big help for our budget! Annual Meeting June 2018The Annual Meeting 2018 was held at Ali Baba’s Restaurant on Saturday, June 9. After the noon Luncheon, three Democracy in Action Awards were presented. Catherine Lozier presented the award to Carye Blaney (in absentia), in recognition of her “many accomplishments as Monongalia County Clerk to make voting easily available, secure and up-to-date.” (Carye Blaney received the award in person at a County Commission meeting later in June.) Vicki Conner presented the award to Roark Sizemore, Founder/President of Pantry Plus More, for his “dedication to fighting child hunger in Monongalia County.” Lyndell Millecchia presented the award to Shirley Rosenbaum, LWV Membership Chair, in recognition of her “constant and continuing commitment to outreach and member participation in the League of Women Voters.” Shirley also was recognized as a life member, joining the League over 50 years ago. After the award presentations, Vicki Conner introduced Bill Kawecki, Mayor of the City of Morgantown, who gave an overview of recent accomplishments of City Council. During the Business Meeting, it was decided to reduce the student dues from $22 to $5 per year. The Budget and the Program for 2018-2019 were adopted. Board Members elected for 2018-2020 are: Continuing Board Members (elected in 2017) are: President, Vicki Conner; 1st VP, Nancy Jamison; Secretary, Barbara Brown; Director, Jonathan Rosenbaum; Director, Shirley Rosenbaum League MembershipMembership in the League is open to all persons (both men and women) over the age of 16. When you become a member of the Morgantown League, you are also a member of the LWV-US and the LWV-WV. Currently dues are $48 for an individual, $72 for a household (two at the same address), and $5 for students. Checks should be made to LWV Morgantown-Mon County and mailed to: Lyndell Millecchia, Treasurer, 476 Lawnview Drive, Morgantown, WV 26505. You can also pay with your credit card at http://tinyurl.com/paylwvmm or you may send money from your PayPal account to mmtreasury@lwvwv.org . Contributions are also welcomed and encouraged. (Membership dues and contributions to the League of Women Voters are not deductible as a personal or business expense for tax purposes.) ANNUAL MEETING – Saturday, June 9MORGANTOWN MAYOR TO SPEAK
The 2018 Annual Meeting for the Morgantown-Monongalia County LWV will be held Saturday, June 9, at Ali Baba’s, 83 Hart Field Drive (Airport), from 11:45-2:30. Our speaker will be Bill Kawecki, Mayor of the City of Morgantown. He will tell us about some of the accomplishments of the city this year, and will also focus on future developments planned to help Morgantown become more welcoming (such as pedestrian bridges, benches, and bus shelters). He will discuss a workshop he and County Commissioner Sean Sikora are currently working on to help improve communications and planning among municipalities and the County Commission. They hope the workshop will help the county and cities be more proactive in solving mutual problems. We will be presenting Democracy in Action awards. The business meeting will begin at 1:45, and will include adoption of the budget, vote on the dues change for students, election of officers, and adoption of the proposed local program. Please plan to attend this important meeting! Annual Luncheon Saturday, June 9, 2018 Menu Buffet with meat and vegetarian selections VOTERS SERVICEIn April, the League co-sponsored three candidate forums with Mountaineers for Progress (MFP). The League facilitated the first forum for the County Commission and the Board of Education. The other two forums, for the House of Delegates and First District of the House of Representatives were facilitated by MFP. All the forums were well attended, with the forum for the House of Delegates the most energetic. There were many questions from the audience at all the forums. The Board of Education election was a final election. Sara Anderson, Michael Kelly, and Melanie Baker Rogers were elected. In November, Tom Bloom (D) will run against Andrew Price (R) for County Commission. For the House of Delegates from the 51st District, Democrats Barbara Fleischauer, Evan Hansen, Danielle Walker, John Williams and Rodney Pyles will run against Republicans Cindy Frich, Roger Shuttlesworth, Joe Statler, and Debbie Warner. Five will be elected. For the First Congressional District, Democrat Kendra Fershee will run against incumbent Republican David McKinley. Because of co-sponsoring the forums with MFP, in comparison to similar forums we have hosted in previous years, there was an increase in the number of volunteers who provided food and helped run the forums, and an increase in attendance. One exciting benefit was sharing the planning process with MFP. LEAGUE MEMBERSHIPPlease plan to pay your dues when you come to the annual meeting June 9! Currently dues are $48 for an individual and $72 for a household (two at the same address). Checks should be made to LWV Morgantown-Mon County. (Dues and luncheon may be paid with one check). Dues may be mailed to: Lyndell Millecchia, Treasurer, 476 Lawnview Drive, Morgantown, WV 26505. You can also pay with your credit card at http://tinyurl.com/paylwvmm or you may send money from your PayPal account to DUES CHANGEMany Leagues feel that cost is a barrier for students who want to join the LWV. In order to encourage younger members to become active, both the National and State Leagues have voted to waive the per member payment (PMP) for students. The Budget Committee therefore recommends that the Student Dues be lowered from $22 to $5.00 per year. This recommendation will be voted on at the Annual Meeting. See attached newsletter for proposed budget and program! FORUMS GALORE IN APRILIt is going to be a busy time leading up to the Primary Election in May. We are uniting with Mountaineers for Progress to sponsor three candidate forums. Doors for the forums will open at six, the forums will last 6:30-8:30 p.m., and there will be refreshments after each forum. The first forum will be for the County Commission and the Board of Education Candidates. It will be held at 6:30 on Thursday, April 12, at WVU White Hall (Room G-09), 135 Willey Street. Since this is a new venue for us, there will be ushers to guide you to the meeting room. Parking is available by the nearby churches. The second forum, for District 51 House of Delegates Candidates, will be held on Thursday, April 19, at 6:30 p.m. at the Plumber/Pipefitters Hall, 100 Richard Drive. From the Greenbag Road, turn at the corner of Mountainview Elementary School onto Richard Drive. The Hall is on the right. There is plenty of parking. The third forum will be for Candidates for Congress, the 1st Congressional District. It will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 26, again at WVU’s White Hall (Room G-09) on Willey Street. Our league is very excited to be cosponsoring these forums with Mountaineers for Progress. Though it is a Primary Election in May, it will be the final election for the Board of Education.
Voters Servicehe final day to register to vote in the May Primary will be April 17. Our League will be hosting tables for voter registration at the WVU Library on Wednesday, April 4, 1-4 p.m. and on Thursday, April 5, 9.a.m. to noon. Early voting will be April 25 – May 5. Early Voting locations: Mountaineer Mall, Mason Dixon Park, Westover Community Building, and the WVU Alumni Center. For further election information contact the county clerk at: From the President2018 is shaping up to be an interesting year. As you probably know, the new Voter ID law went into effect on Jan 1, and the League has been working with many other groups locally and state-wide to be sure that voters are prepared when they go to the polls in May. The law is very flexible, giving many acceptable ways to identify oneself, including having someone with an ID certify to your identity. You can help by reminding people of the change, and if you would like some “rack cards” to distribute, we have plenty. There is still a lot of news about potential disruption of elections by outside entities, but we have been reassured that the Mon County system is secure. Voting machines here are not connected to the internet, so the only way to interfere with them would be to attack the physical machine. If you were able to attend our meeting in October with Mr. Kearsey from the Secretary of State’s office, you heard all the ways that WV is monitoring other aspects of our system, such as voter rolls, so that they feel comfortable that the integrity of our systems is strong. I had an interesting meeting with our County Clerk, Carye Blaney, who explained how they are going about “cleaning up” our voter rolls. Her long-range goalis to produce laminated voter registration cards which will have a barcode that identifies you, removing the necessity to sign when you vote. There’s still a lot of work to be done to make that happen. Several League members attended the public forum in Charleston on the proposal to repeal the Clean Power Plan. After that event, the EPA decided to hold three more public forums in Kansas City, Missouri; San Francisco; and Gillette, Wyoming. The Wyoming one is the last, to be held at the end of March. They are still accepting public comments until April 26, so if you haven’t had an opportunity to give your input, here’s a link: We are looking forward to our partnership with Mountaineers for Progress to hold three candidate forums, which are detailed in the newsletter. We are hoping that our partnership will bring a larger audience to the non-partisan events as we evaluate who we would like to represent us in the November elections. I encourage everyone to attend—you will get a lot of valuable information and insight into the candidates. As always, thank you for your support of the LWV Morgantown-Monongalia County, and we encourage you to join us at our monthly board meetings, the third Monday of most months at 4pm in the downtown public library. Also watch for more information on our Annual Meeting which will be held later in the spring. -Vicki Conner  Vicki Conner and Barbara Brown at the “I Belong” Diversity Event, held at WVU in January League of Women Voters of West Virginia Council MeetingState Council will be held on Saturday, April 21, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. at Morgantown Public Library in the upstairs conference room. Councils are held in the interim years between Conventions primarily for the adoption of a budget for the ensuing fiscal year. This year’s Council is generating significant interest because the Board is proposing lowering the state Per Member Payment (PMP). As a bonus, recently the Board of LWVUS announced they are waiving the student PMP until January 31, 2021. The Council is composed of the presidents of the local Leagues (or an alternate in the event a president is unable to attend), two delegates chosen by each local League, and one delegate from the state board. The morning session will be a normal State Board meeting which will include interesting Portfolio reports and discussion. Lunch will be held from 12 noon – 1 p.m. Meals will not be provided, but you are encouraged to bring your own lunch or visit one of Morgantown’s excellent nearby restaurants. Council will commence at 1 p.m. After Council, the remaining time will be devoted to Legislation, beginning with special speaker Julie Archer, state board member and LWVWV lobbyist presenting what transpired at the Legislature this year. You can be certain that there will be a healthy discussion about the “No Constitutional Right to Abortion Amendment” and how local Leagues can take action to educate the public before the November election. TALK TO YOUR LEGISLATORS!PUBLIC FORUMOn Monday, December 11, from 7 to 9 p.m. our League will host a Legislators Forum, co-sponsored by OLLI. It will be held at the Mountaineer Mall, in OLLI Classroom A. The forum is designed to let the legislators tell the public what their priorities and proposals are for the upcoming Legislative session, and for them to hear from you about your hopes, needs and concerns. In the past this forum has led to very fruitful discussions between the public and the legislators. Two senators and five delegates from our area have been invited: Robert Beach, Roman Prezioso, Jr., Barbara Fleischauer, Cindy Frich, Rodney Pyles, Joe Statler, and John Williams. The legislators will be given four minutes to discuss their interests in the upcoming session, and the public will then have the opportunity to ask questions and voice their concerns. After the forum there will be coffee and cookies and time to talk individually with the legislators. Please plan to come! EPA Announces Public Hearing on Repeal of the Clean Power PlanThe EPA will hold a public hearing on the proposal to repeal the Clean Power Plan in Charleston, WV on Nov 28-29. The hearing will potentially be extended into Nov 30 if enough people register to speak at the meetings. This is the only public hearing that is planned, and it is being held in Charleston “the heart of coal country” to hear from those most impacted by the CPP and get their comments on the proposed Repeal Rule. Scott Pruitt, EPA Administrator stated that he looked forward to hearing from all stakeholders. Persons wishing to speak at the public hearing to be held by the EPA in Charleston on November 28-29 must be registered by Nov 16 and will be notified about time slots on Nov 17. Written comments are also being solicited and “will be given the same weight as oral comments” according to the EPA. Written comments must be submitted by Jan. 16. Comments should be identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2017-0355 and may be submitted by one of the methods listed on the Clean Power Plan Proposed Repeal: How to Comment web page. The LWV-US has issued the following statement. “By repealing the Clean Power Plan, the White House is putting the interests of corporate polluters ahead of the health and safety of the American public. This decision will have a devastating impact on the planet at a time when we are seeing the powerful climate change effects with rising temperatures, deadly hurricanes and destructive wildfires. The League is appalled at this irresponsible decision that will have a long-term devastating impact on our planet and health of the American people.” The LWVWV and local Leagues are encouraging individuals to attend the hearings in Charleston and/or to submit written comments. October Membership MeetingWe were very lucky to have Mr. Donald “Deak” Kersey as our speaker for the Membership Meeting in October. He gave us a lot of good information about how voter rolls are maintained, including the fact that the Secretary of State’s office never removes people from the rolls. County Clerks are responsible for determining whether a person should be removed, and Mr. Kersey provided information on the various ways that determination is made. For example, they receive information from the US Postal Service about people who have moved, use two national databases to check for duplication of voters, and receive death notices. Mr. Kersey also gave us information about how WV protects our on-line voter data, including the fact that we have a highly trained cybersecurity professional who monitors our systems daily and who has a high-level security clearance which makes it possible for him to be in direct communication with the Department of Homeland Security when necessary. He also reassured us that no voting machines in WV are connected to the internet, so there is no opportunity for a person to hack into them to change votes or otherwise impact the recording and tallying of votes. He also told us that West Virginia is being presented nationally as an example of how systems should be maintained to insure election integrity. At the end of his presentation, Mr. Kersey briefly reviewed the new law about voter ID which goes into effect January 1, 2018. There is further discussion of voter ID in this newsletter. The video filmed at our Membership Meeting, Election Integrity in WV with Elections Director Donald Kersey, is available at https://youtu.be/f05v4lIDyjc . Elections & Voter ID – a Primer (from Wood County LWV)Though no statewide elections are scheduled until the Primary next May, there is a change coming that merits attention. Starting January 1st, WV voters will be required to present some form of identification at the polls. This change originated in 2016 in the House of Delegates as a strict photo ID law of the sort that has been the subject of much controversy over whether its purpose is actually to suppress voting by certain groups. The introduced bill was amended so that WV voters will have a long list of documents that will be considered a “valid identifying document.” The law takes effect January 1, 2018. Voters need to know of the change and what they need to take to the polls. The Secretary of State plans a statewide education effort, which the law requires. To that end, the Secretary convened a meeting recently with representatives of a broad range of groups and constituencies represented, including representatives of the LWV of WV, to gather information about how best to inform voters of the change and assure that no one is denied their right to vote because of a lack of ID. The Secretary’s staff plans to make materials such as posters available for wide distribution as well as encouraging civic groups and media to help inform voters. The staff includes field representatives in locations around the state who will be part of the educational efforts. As League members, we will get asked about this change. My short answer has been, take your wallet with you when you vote and you will surely have one of these documents with you. This will work for most of us, but not everyone. There are people entitled to vote who have none of them, and there are options for them. See the next section for acceptable “valid identifying documents” and you will be ready to answer questions. Valid Identifying Documents A document with the voter’s name that was issued by the State of WV or its subsidiaries or the US Government, OR one of the following: Residents of licensed care facilities are exempt from ID requirements. There is no change in absentee voting procedures. There are two options for those with no ID, an affidavit from someone who knows and accompanies the voter and for someone known personally by the poll worker. Registered voters will also be able to get a free photo “Voter ID” card through their county clerk’s office with no further documentation than is required for being a registered voter. (A state issued photo ID is available through DMV, but requires more documentation.) Homeless people may use the address of a shelter to register to vote. Anyone who appears at the polls and is denied a ballot is entitled to cast a provisional ballot, the validity of which will be evaluated in the canvass following the election. For the complete bill, see: http://www.legis.state.wv.us/WVCODE/ChapterEntire.cfm?chap=03&art=1§ion=34#01 Looking Ahead!We would like to invite people to the All Kinds Are Welcome Here Lobby Day, on February 8, 2018. LWV-WV is a co-sponsor for the event along with ACLU-WV, WV FREE, Fairness WV, Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, Rainbow Pride of WV, and WV Citizen Action Group (so far). Two of our members attended last year– let’s increase that number in 2018! ELECTION INTEGRITY IN WEST VIRGINIA– October 18
Our first fall meeting will be held Wednesday, October 18, 7:00-9:00 p.m. at the Aull Center, next to the Library at 351 Spruce Street. This public meeting will focus on issues surrounding voting in West Virginia. We have invited Donald “Deak” Kersey, Director and Deputy Legal Counsel from the Secretary of State’s Office, to present information and to respond to questions from our league and participants. Among our questions are the following: 1. How are voter rolls cleaned up—what criteria, how often, how many people were “purged” under the new SOS? Is the process standardized across counties? This will be an important informational/discussion meeting. It is also an opportunity for members to meet and greet current and potential members. Please bring a friend! There will be refreshments following the meeting. Road Bond AmendmentOn Saturday, October 7, WV voters will decide on the ballot issue on whether WV should sell bonds to repair and build roads. A constitutional amendment is necessary to authorize the debt. If passed, the “Roads to Prosperity” amendment will give the legislature authorization to issue and sell bonds to be used for the improvement and construction of state roads. The amendment calls for the sale of up to $1.6 billion in state bonds over the next four years. The legislature has already passed increases in gasoline taxes, new car sales taxes, and Division of Motor Vehicle fees; these increases are sufficient to pay the debt from the bonds. The income from the sales of the bonds will be available for matching federal funds for highways and bridges. The maximum term of the bonds is 25 years. The last road bond amendment was the Safe Roads Amendment in 1996. Several League members attended the County Commission Meeting on September 13, 2017 to hear a Department of Highways presentation about the Amendment. The presentation was given by Don Williams, District 4 Project Manager for DOH. He emphasized that there will be no additional fees or taxes as a result of passing the bond; the increases have been in place since July 1, and are being used for getting work done now. Without passage of the bond, work will proceed at a slower pace, and will undoubtedly be more expensive because of increases in construction costs. Bonds will not be sold until contracts are ready to be let. Projects have already been established and prioritized, and all 55 counties are included. There are numerous projects on the priority list for Mon County. Candidate projects can be found at www.transportation.wv.gov A video of the Commission meeting can be found at https://youtu.be/Cm50z2-mRbA?t=1732 The LWV of Morgantown does not have a position on the Road Bond amendment, but encourages everyone to vote. Remember, it is a Saturday Election! Early voting will take place at the Mountaineer Mall Sept 22 to October 4, Monday 9-7, Tues – Sat. 9-5. Annual Meeting May 2017The Annual Meeting 2017 was held at Ali Baba’s Restaurant on Saturday, May 20, 2017. After the noon Luncheon, Shirley Rosenbaum introduced David Beard, reporter and editor at the Dominion Post, and presented him with the Democracy in Action Award for his thorough and knowledgeable reporting of the West Virginia legislature for the Dominion Post. Mr. Beard responded with remarks concerning his years as a reporter. Jonathan Rosenbaum introduced the Guest Speaker, Bill Austin, Executive Director of the Morgantown-Monongalia Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). Mr. Austin gave an overview of the MPO and current projects, and responded to numerous questions from league members. Vicki Conner presented outgoing President Jonathan Rosenbaum with a gavel, with thanks from our league members for his two terms of exemplary leadership, and best wishes for his future as President of the State LWV. Board Members elected for 2017-2019 are:
Continuing Board Members (elected in 2016) are: Catherine Lozier, 2nd VP; Lyndell Millecchia, Treasurer; Marlene Frich, Director; and Barbara White, Director Board Meetings Are Open, All WelcomeIt was my honor to follow Jonathan Rosenbaum as President of the Board of Directors of LWVMM. The Board continues to meet most months on the third Monday at 4:00 p.m. in the conference room at the Morgantown Public Library. These meetings are always open to interested League members and to members of the public, and we would welcome anyone to attend, whether to present an issue for discussion or to simply observe. Because of our Fall Membership Meeting, there will be no Board meeting in October. Since our November meeting falls during the Thanksgiving holiday, it will be moved to November 6 at 4:00 p.m. in the library. Please feel free to call me to confirm meeting dates/times at 304-292-2640. Vicki Conner Observer CorpsOne of the objectives of our league is to establish an Observer Corps of interested members who will attend City Council meetings (Morgantown, Star City, Granville, Westover, and beyond), County Commission and other entities. With an eye to issues such as voting issues, social justice, natural resources, challenges for local government, education and transportation, members can simply note the topics, any areas of concern and local actions. I have been attending Westover City Council meetings for a few months now and find them interesting and a way to be much more in touch with my particular community. Westover meetings seldom go over 50 minutes. I would like to hear from LWV members who might be interested in attending their own local and/or county meetings and then ask that you email me a monthly report on issues that the league might, in various ways, be able to address. If you already attend these meetings or think you might be interested please let me know and I will add you to this committee. My plan, as chair of the Observer Corps is to, at least initially, keep this an email committee. I believe that collection of ongoing issues can be done via email and I will communicate that way with you and will report our findings to the board for the “Corps”. Barbara Brown Presidential Advisory Commission on Election IntegrityAccording to the LWV-US, the agenda of this commission is “part of a wider effort to suppress the vote, keep certain politicians in power and undermine our elections by spreading falsehoods about our election system. Politicians should not be putting up additional barriers that prevent people from voting. We should be addressing polling place closures, cuts to early voting and onerous voter ID laws. We should not have elected officials openly scheming to illegally purge registered voters or collect their personal information.” Hopefully we will be more aware of what is happening with the Advisory Commission after our meeting with Mr. Kersey. Please plan to pay your dues when you come to the October meeting.Currently dues are $48 for an individual, $72 for a household (two at the same address), and $24 for a student. Checks should be made to LWV Morgantown-Mon County. Dues may be mailed to: Lyndell Millecchia, Treasurer, 476 Lawnview Drive, Morgantown, WV 26505. You can also pay with your credit card at http://tinyurl.com/paylwvmm or you may send money from your PayPal account to: mmtreasury@lwvwv.org Read the complete newsletter here: LWVMM September 2017 Newsletter
ANNUAL MEETING – Saturday, May 20 – The MPO and You
The business meeting will begin at 1:45, and will include adoption of the budget, the election of officers, and the proposed local program. The Board is very excited about the local program, and will spend time discussing ways members can participate in the league the coming year. Please plan to attend this important meeting! Additional InformationPlease check pdf version of newsletter for full information about the schedule, reservations, and our proposed program and budget for 2017-2018. VOTERS SERVICE LEGISLATIVE WRAP-UPThe League of Women Voters Morgantown-Monongalia County and Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at WVU will sponsor a Legislative Wrap-Up on a date to be announced. We have conducted these events in the past and find them very informative as they help community members understand the challenges that our Legislators face during a very grueling 60 days. Legislators will respond to a set of questions that will give them an opportunity to explain what they think went well, what they wanted but were unable to accomplish, and what things especially troubled them.. We plan to complete the wrap-up by 7:30. We will have a short time afterwards for refreshments and conversation. Please plan to attend this event! **PLEASE NOTE: Governor Justice has called the Legislature back into session to resolve the state budget. The Wrap-Up is currently postponed until the session finishes and we can identify a new date to reschedule. Updates will be posted to http://Wrap-Up.lwvwv.org and to our Face Book page http://facebook.com/lwvwv NATURAL RESOURCES SOLAR HAPPY HOUR - Wednesday, May 24th 5:30-7:00pm at Mountain State Brewing Co. Join WV SUN, the WV Sierra Club, the Morgantown Green Team, and the League of Women Voters to celebrate the success of the 2016 North Central Solar Co-op and the 2015 Morgantown Solar Co-op! We also welcome anyone who is interested in learning more about solar energy to join us at this event. LWV STATE CONVENTION – MAY 6Four members from Morgantown went to the State Convention in Parkersburg: Jonathan Rosenbaum and Shirley Rosenbaum as State Board Members, and Vicki Conner and Barbara Brown as Delegates. We are very excited that Jonathan is the new President of LWVWV, and Vicki Conner is a new director! MembershipPlease plan to pay your dues when you come to the annual meeting May 20! Currently dues are $48 for an individual, $72 for a household (two at the same address), and $24 for a student. Checks should be made to LWV Morgantown-Mon County. (Dues and luncheon may be paid with one check). Dues may be mailed to: Lyndell Millecchia, Treasurer, 476 Lawnview Drive, Morgantown, WV 26505. You can also pay with your credit card at http://tinyurl.com/paylwvmm or you may send money from your PayPal account to mmtreasury@lwvwv.org . Contributions are also welcomed and encouraged. (Membership dues and contributions to the League of Women Voters are not deductible as a personal or business expense for tax purposes.) MORGANTOWN CITY COUNCIL ELECTION RESULTS
Congratulations to League members Bill Kawecki and Barry Wendell, and to all the other candidates. The new Council will be sworn in on July 1. Read the complete newsletter here: LWVMM May 2017 Newsletter MORGANTOWN CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATESApril 12th at South Middle SchoolMORGANTOWN CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATE FORUM – A forum for Morgantown City Council candidates will be held Wednesday, April 12, 7:00– 9:00 p.m. at South Middle School, 500 E. Parkway Drive. After the candidates introduce themselves, there will be time for them to respond to written questions. Refreshments will be served after the forum for informal discussions with the candidates. The public is invited, and all league members are encouraged to attend. League members: please bring food for the forum! These are the candidates, by ward:
VOTERS SERVICEEarly voting is held at City Hall and at the North Side Fire Station beginning on Wednesday, April 12 and ending on Saturday, April 22. Early voting can be done from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, and on Saturday, April 15, and Saturday, April 22. In addition to the League forums, there are two additional forums for City Council Candidates that we are aware of:
We had a table at the Rally for Registration on March 21. We registered 5 brand new voters and made 5 address changes. NATURAL RESOURCESThe Green Team has invited the new City Manager, Paul Brake, to meet with the team for its next regular meeting, Tuesday, April 11th from 5:30pm-7:00pm. The meeting will be held at Downstream Strategies, 295 High Street. Topics sure to be discussed are the City-IAC energy efficiency report implementation, the RFP for a recycling/trash hauler, the team’s Five-Year Plan, and building a productive relationship with the new manager.CALL TO LWV STATE CONVENTION SATURDAY, MAY 6 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.Parkersburg Comfort Suites YOU are invited to attend the Biennial Convention of the West Virginia League of Women Voters! The guest speaker will be Renate Pore, Interim Executive Director, WVAHC and Chair of the Medicaid Coalition. She will speak on the future of the ACA (Obamacare) in West Virginia. Rooms have been reserved for Friday night at the Comfort Suites for members traveling some distance. Please make your own reservation with the motel: 304-489-9600. Tell them you are with the League of Women Voters to get a discount rate. You are invited, in addition, to attend the state board meeting on Friday evening, May 5. Calendar
MembershipLeague Membership Membership in the League is open to all persons (both men and women) over the age of 16. When you become a member of the Morgantown League, you are also a member of the LWV-US and the LWV-WV. Currently dues are $48 for an individual, $72 for a household (two at the same address), and $24 for students. Checks should be made to LWV Morgantown-Mon County and mailed to: Lyndell Millecchia, Treasurer, 476 Lawnview Drive, Morgantown, WV 26505. You can also pay with your credit card at http://tinyurl.com/paylwvmm or you may send money from your PayPal account to mmtreasury@lwvwv.org. Contributions are also welcomed and encouraged. (Membership dues and contributions to the League of Women Voters are not deductible as a personal or business expense for tax purposes.) Membership Meeting: Green Jobs and Renewable EnergyOur Membership Meeting will be held on Thursday, November 17, 7:00 – 9:00 at the Aull Center. Dr. Jim Kotcon will be the guest speaker. He will be talking on the topic of renewable energy and jobs in WV, including energy efficiency.
We will have a social time with refreshments and will provide information about membership and opportunities for participation. Renew your energy, renew your membership and renew your involvement! President’s MessageThank you, Voters Service! Once again, I was able to cast my votes at the polling place in an informed, comfortable, and decisive manner with the added advantage that I often had the opportunity to talk to the candidates in person. For 2016, we offered five candidate forums for all contested Monongalia candidates and the levies; additionally, the State League provided a voters guide for state candidates. The forums and the voters guide can be found respectively at http://videos.lwvwv.org and http://voters-guide.lwvwv.org . The National League establishes that invitation criteria should be nonpartisan, fair and applied objectively. The State League once considered whether we would support the criteria of the WV Public Broadcasting that often relies on polling popularity. The unanimous consensus was absolutely not! We will only sponsor/host debates and forums where all candidates legally registered to run on the ballot have been invited to participate. While this means hard work, this year we estimate at least 500 hours in local effort, it also means that we provide the best education for voters. Kudos to the League! CANDIDATE FORUMSThere will be three Candidate Forums in October, one sponsored by Our Children, Our Future (OCOF), and two sponsored by our local LWV. The OCOF candidate forum will be held on Tuesday, October 4, 6:30-8:30 p.m., at Wesley United Methodist Church, 503 N High Street. District 51 Legislative candidates have been invited to hear concerns related to Our Children, Our Future issues. The first LWV Forum will be held Thursday, October 13, 7-9 p.m. at South Middle School (500 E. Parkway Drive). WV State Senate candidates for Districts 2, 13, and 14; and WV House of Delegates candidates for districts 5, 49 and 51 have been invited. Candidates will have time to introduce themselves and respond to questions from the audience. Bring your questions to be read by the moderator, and enjoy refreshments and informal conversation with the candidates after the forum. County Candidates The second LWV candidate forum will be held Thursday, October 20, 7-9 p.m. at South Middle School. Candidates from the contested offices have been invited: Eldon Callen (D) and Sean Sikora (R) for County Commission; Carey Blaney (D) and Kyle McAvoy (R) for County Clerk; and Perry Palmer (D) and Richard Panico (R) for Sheriff. There will be refreshments and time after the forum to talk with the candidates. Annual Meeting May 21, 2016The Annual Meeting 2016 was held at Sargasso Restaurant on May 21. After the noon Luncheon, Jonathan Rosenbaum introduced the Guest Speaker, Stephen Smith, Executive Director for WV Healthy Kids and Families Coalition. The title of his talk was “The Fight to End Child Poverty in West Virginia”, and his presentation was followed by a lively Q&A session. Jonathan then presented “Democracy in Action” Awards, to Mike Ellis of West TV, Catherine Lozier (in absentia), and Cynthia O’Brien. Each of the awardees gave a thank you speech (Shirley Rosenbaum read a letter from Catherine Lozier). During the business part of the meeting, the Budget and Program for 2016-2017 were adopted. Board Members for 2016-2018 are: 1st VP Vicki Conner Continuing Board Members (elected in 2015) are: Jonathan Rosenbaum, President; Penny Thomas, Director; and Shirley Rosenbaum, Director Bylaws Change Recommended by LWVUS A league amendment changes the Membership Types, from “citizens at least 18 years of age” to “persons at least 16 years of age” as a requirement for becoming a voting member of the League. Since the bylaw change was adopted at the national level, it does not need to go before our membership. At its August Board meeting, our board voted to accept the amendment and incorporate it into our local bylaws. OCOF Workshop a Success!The Workshop on Civic Engagement, hosted by our League, was held July 28. Our Children, Our Future leaders conducted the workshop. About 40 persons, many from area non-profit organizations, participated in discussions and activities throughout the day. LEAGUE MEMBERSHIPMembership in the League is open to all persons (both men and women) over the age of 16. Dues of $44 for an individual, $66 for a household, and $22 for a student are required annually. Dues paid in 2016 assure membership through the end of 2017.Note: In January 2017, dues will be increased to $48 individual, $72 household, $24 student. Contributions are also welcomed and encouraged. Checks should be made out to “LWV Morgantown-Mon. Co.” (Membership dues and contributions to the League of Women Voters are not deductible as a personal or business expense for tax purposes.) 2016 West Virginia Election Dates and DeadlinesAugust 16 – November 2 October 18
November 1 – November 8 November 8 Review your West Virginia Voter’s Bill of RightsVisit http://tinyurl.com/wv-voters-bill-of-rights to learn your rights. WV does not require Voter ID. However, poll workers may ask for identification at the polling place ONLY if you are a first-time voter since registering. Call 304-558-6000 or 1-866-SOS-VOTE for election violations. If for some reason your voter’s right to request a ballot has been challenged by the poll clerk, reasons may include: You are permitted to vote using a Provisional Ballot, and you have the legal right under WV Code §3-1-41 to check the status of your Provisional Ballot at the Provisional Ballot Tracking page at the Secretary of State website. No More Straight Ticket VotingDuring last year’s WV legislative session, a change was made to WV Code eliminating the option of voting a straight party ticket in the General Election (§3-6-2 (g)). Effective this General Election: Other Ballot IssuesSchool Levy ballot item. This is a five year excess levy, a continuation of the levy that is currently in effect. Passage requires a 50% majority. Sunday Hunting ballot item. Currently there is a ban on Sunday hunting. In 2001, the Legislature repealed the ban on Sunday hunting, but decided to let each county determine whether to repeal the ban. 22 counties now allow Sunday hunting on private land. Monongalia County has the referendum on the ballot this year to allow Sunday hunting on private land. Passage requires a 60% majority. Sunday Brunch ballot item. Currently alcohol can be sold only after 1 p.m. on Sunday. In March, Governor Tomblin signed the so-called Brunch Bill, which allows alcohol to be sold on Sundays starting at 10:00 a.m. instead of 1:00 p.m. Making this change does require the support of county voters in the form of a referendum. The County Commission has placed the Brunch Bill on the November ballot. (Morgantown City Council is also trying to pass the bill via Home Rule.) Passage requires a 60% majority. |
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