News, Bulletin, Event Archive

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News

The New York State Equal Rights Amendment (NYS-ERA) Committee of LWV-TC
met on March 25 to launch the NYS-ERA campaign in Tompkins County.
The Committee plans to offer educational sessions on the NYS-ERA to various organizations and/or to collaborate with them in other ways to promote passage of the NYS-ERA.
Members present, left-to-right: Sally Grubb, Kathleen Yen, Susan Lee, Susan Suarez, Anne Mueller
https://nyequalrights.org/

Equal Rights Amendment Advances to New York Voters in November 2024!
The New York legislature passed the Equal Rights Amendment in its second consecutive session, officially bringing the amendment to New Yorkers for ratification on the 2024 November ballot. (January 25, 2023) Read More

LWVTC led a LANSING SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATE FORUM on May 13, 2024

LWVTC board and members have recently been involved in voter outreach and some advocacy/education related to social policy and environmental policy activities, including:

(1) the national ERA and NY ERA events
(2) Food For All – presented by the Natural Resources and Health committees
A discussion of our food system, from production to access to waste, with speakers Don Barber, Chair of the Food Policy Council of Tompkins County and Beth Radow, LWV-NY Issue Specialist; Chair of the Energy, Agriculture and Environment Committee.
Watch the Food for All program video
(3) the “NY is Not Disposable” coalition advocacy visits with state legislative staff to advance the Packaging Reduction and Infrastructure Act and expansion of the bottle bill; and
(4) informal quarterly informational educational meetings with state elected officials representing Tompkins County.

In 2024, LWVNY submitted the following budget testimony:

February 2024 LWV of NYS Joint Hearing Testimony: Elementary and Secondary Education

February 2024 LWV of NYS Joint Hearing Testimony: Local-Government

February 2024 LWV of NYS Joint Hearing Testimony: Environmental Conservation

January 2024 LWV of NYS Testimony: Health – Medicaid


Election Security
Have you ever wondered how New York State Elections are secured? In an effort to combat a rise in public mistrust around election security and reliability, the League of Women Voters of New York and Tompkins County in collaboration with the Brennan Center for Justice are working to explain how our elections are conducted and the steps used to ensure election security. (October 31, 2022) Read More

NY Environmental Bond Act
The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of New York
LWVNY support for Moratorium Against Proof of Work Blockchain Transactions


Bulletins

Making Democracy Work

League of Women Voters Tompkins County Bulletins

December 2024

October 2024
Summer 2024
Summer 2023
Winter 2022
Spring 2022
Fall 2021
Spring 2021
Winter 2020-21
Summer 2020
April 2020

Earlier issues available upon request.


Event Archive

LWVTC led a LANSING SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATE FORUM on May 13, 2024

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2023 – 1 to 3 pm
Dodds Hall, First Presbyterian Church, 315 N. Cayuga St (enter from Court St)

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2023 – 6-8 pm
Lehman Alternative Community School, 111 Chestnut St., Ithaca, NY
Change Makers from the Margins: Stories of Stepping into Power: An evening of civic engagement, voter registration, music and food! Visit on Facebook

=> Watch a video of this event

Members of the
Your Voice – Your Vote
Tompkins Civic Engagement Coalition
on October 12, 2023

Thursday-Sunday, December 7-10, 2023 – ONLINE
For ALL Young People – International Youth Human Rights Summit

The Summit is an outgrowth of the World House Global Network, with a Working Group led by people in India, South Africa, Mexico and the U.S. The aim is to build an international network of young people committed to social action, peace and non-violence, and community-building, who will continue to act – and interact – beyond the December Summit.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2023
NATIONAL VOTER REGISTRATION DAY

While this is a democracy, ensuring that our electoral outcomes reflect the will of the American people requires making sure that as many of those people as possible are able to participate at the ballot box as registered voters.

That’s why League of Women Voters of Tompkins County, together with members of YV2-Tompkins Civic Engagement Coalition, is a proud partner and supporter of National Voter Registration Day. It is the nation’s largest civic holiday with more than 5 million voter registrations to its name since 2012.

Here’s how YOU can celebrate democracy today:

★  National Voter Registration Day is the nation’s biggest nonpartisan civic holiday dedicated to getting every eligible American registered to vote for their next election.

★ Register to vote or check your registration online using National Voter Registration Day’s Online Voter Registration Portal. It’s simple, it’s free, and it’s secure. https://nationalvoterregistrationday.org/check-your-registration/

★ Get #VoteReady: Already registered? Even better! If you want to learn more about elections in your community, check out www.vote411.org

Thanks for taking a few moments to strengthen our communityand our country— with your voice!

THURSDAY, AUGUST 31 from 4 – 7 pm
Community & Familia
Block Party at 301 South Geneva Street

LWV-TC invites you to join us. We will be registering people to vote, talking about the voting process, and explaining why it is so important for everyone to vote. 
There will be information tables, a food give-way, meals to go, and, of course, music and fun and games.
This party is supported by the FIG Lab (Figueroa Interdisciplinary Group) at Cornell University, Healthy Food For All, and the Community Foundation of Tompkins County.

Please join us.  We look forward to seeing you!

THURSDAY, AUGUST 31, 2023, 2 pm EDT, Webinar
Registering Voters with Paper Forms

SATURDAY, AUGUST 26, 2023, 11 am-2 pm
Ithaca Commons
WOMEN’S INequality DAY

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2023, 4-7 PM
A Family and Community Day at West Village Apartments
Sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Tompkins County (LWV-TC) together with Southside Pride, Alliance of Families for Justice, No Mas Lagrimas/No More Tears Ithaca, Black Lives Matter at First Unitarian Society of Ithaca, and The Ithaca City School District.

You don’t want to miss this event. Join LWV-TC as we Register Voters, explain why voting matters, and help find your polling place, amongst Health & Community Services, Activities for Kids! A Job Fair, Music and Food and much more.

DEMOCRACY FEST 2023

Sunday, August 6, Ithaca, NY

Celebrate the anniversary of the Voting Rights Act!
(Voting Rights Act Passed: August 6, 1965)

March and Block Party

2pm Meet on the Ithaca Commons at the MLK Jr sculpture
2:10 March to Southside Community Center
2:30 Speakers, entertainment, free Ben & Jerry’s ice cream at Southside Community Center
(305 S Plain St)
Register to Vote!
WWW.REJOICETHEVOTE.ORG    #UNMUTEYOURSELF

Join LWV-Tompkins County on Sunday, August 6, at 2 pm as we March to Celebrate the anniversary of the Voting Rights Act

Join members of the LWV of Tompkins County and others as we commemorate the 1965 Selma Marches in Alabama which led to the passing of the Voting Rights Act by MARCHING from the MLK Jr. Statue at the Cayuga St. end of the Commons to Southside Community Center on Plain Street and Democracy Fest 2023.

As we march, remember the sacrifices made by the Selma Marchers and their enormous achievement in ensuring our Voting Rights.  At Ithaca’s First Annual Democracy Fest, 2023, #UNMUTE YOURSELF, register to vote, answer three questions and get free Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, listen to speakers and musical entertainment and CELEBRATE DEMOCRACY!

FOOD  FOR  ALL: 
Environmental Justice and Food Security
WATCH a Recording of this virtual program here
presented on March 2, 2023, by the
Tompkins and Cortland County Chapters of 
The League of Women Voters 
FIND MORE INFORMATION HERE


Watch our League’s October 16, 2022
VOTING RIGHTS ACT
presentation to the Dryden United Methodist Church’s Christian Education Group


Women’s INequality Day
was observed by our League on Friday, August 26, 2022
on the Ithaca Commons.
We are demanding that lawmakers restore and protect our rights by:
1. Passing voting rights legislation
2. Adding the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution
3. Restoring reproductive rights to women and those who can become pregnant

Read the Ithaca Voice article about our local League’s Women’s Inequality Day activities!
Read the Cornell Sun article too!

June 22, 2022
Roadmap for implementing the NYS Climate Leadership & Community Protection Act
Statement written by Beth Radow, chair of the LWVNY committee on Energy, Agriculture and the Environment, and Kay Wagner, LWV Tompkins County Natural Resources Chair and submitted during the public commenting period for the NYS Climate Action Plan. This plan was written as a roadmap for implementing the NYS 2019 CLCPA (Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act) legislation.

January 13, 2022, at 7 pm
Bitcoin, Cryptocurrency, Blockchain: The Promise and the Peril
To view recording: https://youtu.be/qIuMqn2ISA4

An online presentation by Irene Weiser, Coordinator of Fossil Free Tompkins, sponsored by LWV of Tompkins County and LWV of Cortland County

A technology exploding across NYS is celebrated for its transformative potential while criticized for its environmental impacts. To better understand this important issue, the League of Women Voters through its local chapters in Cortland and Tompkins counties presented a program on the above topic at 7 pm on Thursday, January 13, 2022.

Speaker Irene Weiser, Coordinator of Fossil Free Tompkins, covered the basics of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technologies and how the energy appetite of some forms can threaten to derail achievement of NYS climate goals. While not throwing the blockchain baby out with the bitcoin bathwater, she discussed possible directions forward.

Weiser has spent 10 years working toward local and state energy policies that will bring an affordable, equitable transition to renewable energy. She was elected to three terms as councilmember in the Town of Caroline, serving from 2012 to 2020.

Co-Sponsored by: Campaign for Renewable Energy, Fossil Free Tompkins, People for a Healthy Environment, and Sustainable Tompkins


LWV Tompkins County & LWV Cortland County meeting with Anna Kelles
Feb 28, 2022 Recording of online meeting (59 minutes)