May 2008
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LWVCT BOARD REPORT May 19, 2008
CALENDAR 2007-08
June 2008 6/7 LWVCT Council, Social Hall, Senior Center, Miller Complex, Hamden 6/10 LWVCT Board meeting, Hamden 6/13-17 LWVUS Convention, Portland, Oregon
Announcements: Job Opening -- Director of Capitol Information and Tours
The League of Women Voters of Connecticut seeks an experienced director for its education programs at the state capitol. The successful candidate will lead paid and volunteer staff providing tours of the Connecticut State Capitol and Legislative Office Building while educating visitors about state government. Demonstrated experience as a Manager required. Management experience should include personnel, volunteer and financial operations. Must have strong interpersonal and communication skills and ability to work independently.
Please send cover letter and resume, to be received no later than May 26, 2008, to: LWVCT, 1890 Dixwell Ave., Hamden, CT 06514. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Regional Round Table Luncheon
The League of Women Voters of New Haven, in conjunction with the Leagues of Amity, Cheshire–Wallingford, East Shore, and Hamden–North Haven, invites you to a Regional Round Table Luncheon at 12:00 noon on Tuesday, May 27, 2008, at the Graduate Club, 155 Elm Street, New Haven. The cost is $14.00, to be paid at the door. The speakers will be Chris George, Executive Director, IRIS (Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services) and a recently arrived Iraqi refugee. To RSVP, please call Margot Kohorn at (203) 795-3151.
Items for Sale
The LWVCT office is about a month away from moving to suite 203. In the meantime, we are selling: file cabinets (six 4-drawer vertical, one 2-drawer vertical), a wooden executive desk, a metal secretarial desk (with long return), an oak dining table w/ 3 chairs, 2 blue upholstered metal-frame chairs, bookshelves, storage cabinets (various sizes), printers (HP DeskJet 895Cse, Lexmark Z35), a Cannon D2400U scanner, a small typing table, and a spare 2-line phone (no guarantee that it works). Re-Opening the Debate on Initiative and Referendum
The Connecticut Lawyers Chapter of the Federalist Society For Law & Public Policy Studies invites you to a debate on “A Right of Initiative and Referendum: Right for Connecticut?” on Tuesday, June 3, from 12:00 - 1:30 p.m., at the State Capitol, Hartford – Old Judiciary Room (3rd floor, east side). The debate is free and open to the public. A complimentary lunch will be served. RSVP: Brian Freeman, (860) 275-8310, bfreeman@rc.com. For directions and parking info contact Jean Rabinow at the LWVCT office.
Several organizations, including, for example, the Family Institute, are working to achieve a change in the state constitution to enable Direct Initiative and Referendum in Connecticut. The LWVCT opposes expansion of direct initiative and referendum. A group has formed to oppose this initiative and met on Tuesday, May 13th, at 3:00 p.m. in Hartford. Christine Horrigan attended this meeting and the board will determine whether the League should join their effort. Public Issues Team Report Submitted by Cheryl Dunson
We thank all our League leaders and members who responded to our many and varied action alerts. You helped us pass good bills, thwart some bad ones, and planted strong seeds for the next legislative session. To see our 2008 Legislative Wrap-Up, go to: http://www.lwvct.org/issues/action-archives/2007-08/lwvct_2008_legislative_wrapup.htm. We hope you agree that it’s quite impressive!
Please feel free to show your support of the PI Team’s dedicated work by sending a contribution to the LWVCT office at 1890 Dixwell Avenue, Suite 203 (before June 13) or Suite 203 (after June 13), Hamden, CT 06514.
We wish to thank two members of the Public Issues Team who will be leaving their Team positions: Charlotte Shapiro, who served as Universal Health Care Specialist, has stepped down. We thank her for her contributions ably representing the League as part of the HealthCare4Every1 Campaign. Naomi Schiff Myers will be stepping down as Air Quality Specialist, but fortunately for LWVCT, will continue to serve as Social Policy Director. During her tenure as Air Quality specialist, Naomi worked in coalition to help pass the tax exemption for hybrids, extending the sales tax exemptions on hybrid vehicles to all motor vehicles that achieve forty miles per gallon and adoption of incentives to encourage the use of energy efficiency technology.
If anyone would like information about serving on the Public Issues Team in these newly open or other public policy areas, please contact Public Issues VP at Cheryl Dunson at 203/861-7335.
LWVUS Convention Delegates, Anyone?
So far, the Leagues of East Shore, Greater Hartford, and New Britain have let us know who their delegates to the LWVUS Convention in Portland will be; six other Leagues have told us that they’re not sending any delegates this year. If your League hasn’t yet let the Hamden office know whom you’re sending (or if you’re not sending anyone), could you please tell us now?
LWVCT Attempting to Change Procedures Governing LWVUS Action and Program Selection Process
The LWVCT has submitted the three resolutions shown immediately below at LWVUS Convention in June.
Resolution Regarding Setting of LWVUS Action Priorities Whereas neither the LWVUS Bylaws Article XII Sec. 2. on Program, nor current LWVUS practice, provide for any method for members to give input to setting action priorities, Be it resolved that: LWVUS shall formulate proposed action priorities, with rationale and pros and cons, which shall be sent to the presidents of state Leagues and ILOs at least one month prior to the convention. At convention the LWVUS Board shall present its recommendations for action priorities. Convention delegates may propose additions, deletions and modifications to LWVUS proposed action priorities. The convention shall adopt action priorities for the biennium by majority vote on each item presented to it. If circumstances emerge requiring a change in action priorities, LWVUS will notify state Leagues and ILOs of the reasons for the change in priorities as soon as reasonably possible.
Resolution Regarding Council 2009 Whereas no procedure for submitting resolutions exists in the LWVUS bylaws, Therefore be it resolved that: A resolution procedure shall be proposed and adopted at the 2009 Council to be used as a Convention rule at the 2010 Convention.
Resolution To Enable State-Level Leagues to Lobby Their Own Delegations Whereas Leagues may act on national program only in conformity with positions adopted by the LWVUS Be it resolved: That state-level Leagues may lobby their own U.S. delegations on issues of importance to their state and members without approval of the LWVUS Board provided their advocacy is consistent with existing positions and that they inform the LWVUS Board of their action. LWVCT Council Delegates: Sign Up, Please
We’ve got Council delegate names from the Leagues of the Bridgeport Area, Cheshire-Wallingford, East Shore, Fairfield, Greater Hartford, Mansfield, New Britain Area, New Canaan, New Haven, Southeastern CT, and Weston. The rest of you: we’d love to hear from you! (Especially because we need to print the right number of workbooks, and we’ll also have to supply a head count for the lunch.) The (revised) “Call to Council” flyer is part of this Board Report: if you’re coming, please fill it out and send it in. Or at least phone or e-mail the Hamden office and let us know.
Change of Workshop (Moderators Out, Treasurers In)
As a result of a lack of interest in the proposed “Basic Moderators” workshop, the LWVCT has decided to substitute a “Treasurers’ How-To” workshop in its place. If you’re interested, there’s still time to sign up.
Workshop/Lunch Option
If your League has members who will be honored with 50-year certificates, they might want to attend the Council luncheon but not spend the whole day. Or has your League already filled its delegate slots but has members who would like to attend a specific workshop without spending the earlier part of the morning as observers? To meet these needs, the LWVCT has decided to offer a lunch-and-workshop discounted admission for the middle part of the day: $16. If you’re interested, please sign up.
Deadline
Council registrations should be in the hands of the Hamden office by Wednesday, June 4. For absolutely last-minute changes, please phone: (203) 288-7996.
How to Get to Council
For those of you driving to Council: the Hamden Senior Center is in the Miller Complex, 2901 Dixwell Avenue (just west of Whitney Ave., across from Hamden Town Hall); the Senior Center’s Social Hall, where we’re holding Council, is at the back of the building, and can be reached through either its own door or the front door (which is also the entrance to the Hamden Library). There is ample parking, including handicapped parking, at the back and side of the Complex.
If you’re driving from the west, your best bet is to take Route 15 to exit 61. At the end of the cloverleaf off-ramp, turn right onto Whitney Avenue and go two short blocks to the intersection with Dixwell Avenue (Route 10). Take the left onto Dixwell. The entrance to the Miller Complex parking lot will be on your left, immediately after the library building; look for the green-and-yellow Miller Center sign, and park towards the back.
If you’re coming from the north or east, take exit 61 off Route 15, turn right at the foot of the off-ramp, and follow the instructions above. Alternatively, if you’re coming down 91, take exit 10 to Route 40, take the next exit right onto Devine, take an immediate right onto State Street (route 5), go under Route 40, take the immediate right onto Dixwell, and head west on Dixwell until you see the Miller Center sign on your left.
If you’re coming from New Haven, take Dixwell north until you see the Miller Center sign on your right, or take Whitney north until the intersection with Dixwell, turn left, and proceed as if you were coming from the west. CALL TO COUNCIL 2008
Saturday, June 7th 9:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Social Hall in the Senior Center, Miller Complex, Hamden 2901 Dixwell Avenue (just west of Whitney Ave.), Hamden
PLENARY SESSION Roll Call Of Leagues Each League describes highlights of the year in 90 seconds Treasurer’s Report President’s Report Presentation and Adoption of the Budget Public Issues Report
WORKSHOPS: Treasurers’ How-To’s (led by Jean Rabinow) Action How-To (led by Judy Blei) League Governance: Alternative Structures (led by Carol Reimers & Jara Burnett)
LUNCHEON Recognition of 50-year members Speaker: Jonathan Pelto, President, Impact Strategies, Inc.
After-lunch pre-Convention planning session for delegates to LWVUS Convention
Each League is entitled to two (2) voting delegates; MAL Units are entitled to one (1) delegate each. Any League or MAL Unit may send as many observers is it would like; Leagues that have not filled their delegate count may authorize such observers to act as their delegates. Cost for the first attendee from each League or MAL Unit will be $27; all other attendees from your League or Unit will be charged $24 each. Cost for those coming for lunch only, with or without a workshop, is $16.
Please return one copy for each registrant not later than June 4 to: LWVCT Council Registration, 1890 Dixwell Ave., Suite 203, Hamden, CT 06514
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