Program – Page 2 – Empowering Voters. Defending Democracy.

Candidate Forums

You can check here for current LWV Umpqua Valley Candidate forum information.

All candidates forums are nonpartisan and unbiased. All candidates are treated the same and given the same information and opportunity to inform the public.

Upcoming:

Douglas County Commissioner Candidates Forum to be held Tuesday, April 17, 2018 from 7:00- 8:30 PM at the Umpqua Valley Arts Center, 1624 W. Harvard Ave, in Roseburg. This forum will feature the slate of candidates running for the open seats on the Douglas County Board of Commissioners. Nine candidates have filed and have been invited to attend.

This event is free of charge, all are welcome. No campaign materials are permitted.

Be sure to come early!

For more information email lwvuv.info @ gmail.com or call [541]-[672]-[1914].

And the Candidates are . . .

Douglas County, OR – Position 2 – Four-year term
Tim J Freeman	541-580-7545	time@timfreeman.us
Rita Harris	541-378-7543	ritafordouglascount@gmail.com
Ashley Hicks	541-670-1666	ahicks@cityofroseburg.org
Victor J Petrucci	541-671-1965	victor@monstervintage.com
Brandy Stone	541-673-7709	goldenchachi@gmail.com

Douglas County, OR – Position 3 – Four-year term
Chris Boice	541-430-8699	chris@boice4douglascounty.com
James Hoyt	541-530-1497	jimhoyt420@yahoo.com
Jason Leeper	541-817-6830	jason_leeper@yahoo.com
Jeremy Salter	541-583-0533	jeremy@jeremysalter.org

Listen-and-be-informed

Upcoming League Events

The League has a great list of events upcoming all open to the public and free of charge.

We hope you will join us on the following dates from 7PM to 8:30PM at the Umpqua Valley Arts Center, 1624 West Harvard Avenue, Roseburg.

On January 23, the League will hold its annual program planning meeting. This is an important League function that is done by Leagues all over the country. Please come see what the League is about even if you’re not a member. All are welcome.
On February 20, please come and learn more about the CASA program (Court Appointed Special Advocates) from Katherine Elisar. This program is very important to children whose lives intersect the legal system in our county.
On March 20, we will hold an interactive forum and ask the question, “How Do We Relate to Each Other Without Offending?” Due to recent controversy around the misconduct allegations and origin the #MeToo movement, we will discuss personal and social boundaries.

All community members are welcome to attend any one or all of the above events.

And don’t forget to Vote! Election Day is Jan. 23! Make Your Voice Heard!

Our Children’s Journey

Our Children’s Trust will give us an update on their lawsuit

Please attend “Climate Change: David vs. Goliath — Our Children’s Journey”

Wed., January 10, 2018
Holiday Inn Express
375 W Harvard, Roseburg

Another Chance to Learn About #M101

Thank you for attending today’s public forum on Ballot Measure 101. Oregonians will vote on this measure on Jan. 23’s special election.

Please see our photos from today’s forum at the Umpqua Valley Arts Association in Roseburg. Presenters were Anna Willman and Rick Staggenborg, League members.

If you missed today’s very informative forum that explained both YES and NO sides of the measure, you have another chance to attend a similar forum in early January in the evening. Look for more information about this upcoming event.

The Arts Center has a display of handmade ceramic cups free to Veterans now available. See photo. Cups artist is Ehren Tool. For more information see their main webpage.

Here’s a link to a one-page PDF that summarizes the effects of the measure.

The measure’s title is “Approves temporary assessments to fund health care for low-income individuals and families, and to stabilize health insurance premiums. (Referendum Order by Petition of the People)”.

Download or view the measure in PDF form here.

Here’s a link to the state League’s Voters’ Guide.

Election Day is Jan. 23. Get your ballot in. The last day to register to is Jan. 2nd. Get Registered! Call the County Clerk’s office for more information — 541-440-4252.

Voter Registration Season Begins!

League of Women Voters to Host 300+ Voter Registration Drives Across the Country

Yesterday was the National Voter Registration Day and the League of Women Voters was proud to participate in the sixth annual National Voter Registration Day 2017 (NVRD), a nationwide, nonpartisan effort to register hundreds of thousands of voters on a single day.

As a founding partner of NVRD and the single-largest on-the-ground participating organization, the League and partner organizations will register thousands of voters in person and online Tuesday.

“The League is hosting more than 300 local voter registration drives across the country this week,” said Chris Carson, president of the League of Women Voters. “Our volunteers will be out in force, reaching new voters at bike races, supermarkets, transit stops, gyms and at new citizen ceremonies.”

“There are important elections in many states this year, and we want everyone to have the opportunity to register and vote,” Carson continued. “Local elections matter. Now is the time to make sure your registration, and that of your friends and family, is up to date.”

Voters nationwide can find out if they have elections, their states’ voter registration deadlines, and more information at VOTE411.org. Voters in more than 100 communities will find customized information about who is on the ballot in their area.

Off To A Good Start

Thank you to everyone who attended our first membership meeting of the year last night, Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2017.

The meeting of about 30 was interesting and fun in our new meeting room at the Umpqua Valley Arts Center, 1624 West Harvard Avenue, Roseburg. We had great speakers followed by a delicious ice cream social.

Betty Sparks, a new member, native Oregonian, and retired education teacher, spoke about kidney disease and how prevalent it is. She herself needs a kidney transplant and is on the list for one. However, many are also in line, nationally over 122,000 people. Betty explained how diabetes and high blood pressure contribute to the likelihood of the disease. In other words, we are all susceptible. For more information here are a few resources:

The Blue Zones Project representatives for the effort in Douglas County also spoke. Juliete Palenshus and Jessica Moore informed us about the project which is also seeking supporters and volunteers. The three-year goal is to support well-being improvements in multiple areas here in Douglas County. For more information, see the website and contact Juliete Palenshus by emailing her.

They’ll even give you a t-shirt!

Welcome to new members who joined last night!

Here’s some familiar faces of a few of our lovely members:

Martha&Diana

League Statement on DACA Reversal

Washington, DC – The Trump administration today announced their intention to reverse the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy, leaving the fate of 800,000 immigrants in jeopardy. League of Women Voters president Chris Carson issued the following statement:

“This administration’s decision to rescind the ‘Dreamers’ program is shameful and does not serve national interest.

“As a country of immigrants, we are made stronger by our diversity. Yet time and time again, this administration has discriminated against immigrants and communities of color.

“Reversing the DACA policy will have a devastating impact on our economy. Ending this program will increase unemployment.

“Thousands of the Dreamers protected by DACA were brought to this country as babies and have no memories of their birth country. These individuals are paying taxes, contributing to Social Security and are Americans in everything but the name.

“The League of Women Voters is opposed to deportation of non-criminal undocumented immigrants and we urge congress to pass a clean Dreamers Act to protect, not turn away, the 800,000 young people who were brought to the United States as children.”

Contact: Sarah Courtney | 202-263-1332 | scourtney@lwv.org

The Latest on Our Children’s Trust Lawsuit

We, the League of Women Voters of Umpqua Valley, are proud that our state League (LWVOR) signed on to an amicus brief in support of Our Children’s Trust with our national League (LWVUS).

As Eleanor Revelle, Chair of the national League’s Climate Change Task Force, said on 8/12/17:

As I reported last week, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has ordered a temporary stay in the proceedings of the Juliana et al v. United States climate lawsuit while it considers a petition from the Trump administration that it review the November 2016 decision by District Court Judge Ann Aiken to allow the lawsuit to go to trial. The attorneys for the 21 youth plaintiffs have been ordered to file an answer to the Trump administration’s petition. And Our Children’s Trust (OCT) has requested that the Leagues (LWVUS and LWVOR) submit an amicus brief in support of the plaintiffs’ response.

As you will recall, the LWVUS and LWVOR filed an amicus brief in support of the plaintiffs when the case was before Judge Aiken in the District Court in fall 2016. Courtney Johnson with the Crag Law Center will be drafting a new brief for us now. The basic premise for the Leagues’ brief is our organization’s interest is in protecting the rights of everyone in the democratic process.

When the political process fails, as here, to protect the rights of children, then the courts must step in to secure those rights. The government has been debating climate change for so long, we’ve now reached a tipping point, and this case must move forward on the merits and not get bogged down in procedural issues. These children’s rights are at stake, and time is of the essence.

As before, with the 2016 amicus brief, the League of Women Voters of Oregon has agreed to collect contributions towards the costs associated with drafting and submitting the brief, about $3,000. I invite you to join me in making a contribution towards this effort.

If you can help, please send your check to:

League of Women Voters of Oregon
1330 12th St. SE, Suite 200
Salem OR 97302-2858

Include a note indicating that it is to support the amicus brief in the OCT climate lawsuit.

Download the amicus brief here

The LWV of Oregon consolidated into a 501(c)(3) organization in 2015; therefore your contribution is tax-deductible. Thank you!

LWV Supports the Automatic Voter Registration Act of 2017

The League of Women Voters is proud to support the “Automatic Voter Registration Act of 2017” introduced on 6/14/17 by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Representative Robert Brady (D-PA). Under this legislation, when eligible voters interact with a government agency, they will automatically be signed up to vote unless they decline. It also provides for online voter registration for all eligible voters.

“This bill will improve the accuracy of voter records, cut down on costs, and modernize outdated registration systems, while supporting states in implementing these updated systems,” said Chris Carson, president of the League of Women Voters. “The League has advocated for online and electronic voter registration for many years and we are pleased to see Congress recognizing these technologies.”

Modernizing the American electoral system will protect and enhance access for eligible voters and this plan could add millions of eligible new voters to the rolls.

Read more here on the League’s national website.

And let your legislators know you support it, too!