In this issue:
- Presidents Message
- Published Letter to the Editor
- Housing
- LWVTX Take Action
- CHIP Children's Medicade
- Annual Meeting
- Unit Meetings
- Susan B. Anthony Awards
- New Members
- Opportunities for Member Engagement and Donations
- Calendar
- LWVD General Information
| PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
From the Desk of Diane Tasian
Thank you to our Board and volunteers for Making Democracy Work!
We have local elections in May of odd number years. All voters will find it very helpful to search www.VOTE411.org to see what they will have on their ballot and compare candidate responses. Early voting began April 24 and goes through May 2. It is likely there will be runoffs for some of the races in this election. Election day is May 6.
There will be races in almost all cities in Dallas County with the clear exception of Mesquite. Some will be council races, some will be school board, and some will be bond or charter amendment elections. Watch for Mesquite local races in November of odd number years.
There is a new local group, Better Elections Dallas, that is advocating to move the City of Dallas elections to November. When City of Mesquite did this their turnout doubled and their costs went down. Here are some points to consider:
- Partisan races are in even number years.
- There is a regularly scheduled Uniform Election in November of odd number years to handle constitutional amendments from the legislature and local races.
- Runoffs for May elections happen after school is out, making turnout even lower because so many people are on vacation.
The 85th Annual Meeting planning is under way. It will be held on Saturday, May 20, from 10:15 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. downtown at the Eric Jonsson Dallas Public Library. We have many accomplishments by our amazing volunteers and members to share with you. Huge thanks to the many committees and volunteers who have been working on this! We emailed to most members and mailed to those without internet, the Annual Meeting Workbook at the end of April.
The Vote Center Advisory Committee for Dallas County Elections Department (DCED) successfully developed a list of Vote Centers for election day in low turnout elections. Thank you to Carol Farquhar and Dorie Cranshaw for being part of our team! The meetings will start back up this month and the focus will be to add the necessary locations for election day of high turnout elections. If you any suggestions for Vote Center locations, please email us at info@lwvdallas.org.
This is my last From the Desk letter because my term ends May 31. I will continue on the Board as Director of Volunteers which is a new position. If you have any suggestions please send me an email at info@lwvdallas.org.
I am humbled by the strong community you bring to the League. Thank you for all the ways you support the League, be it with your time, talent, or financial support. We would not be here without you!
In League,
Diane Tasian – President
| Published Letter to the Editor of the Dallas Morning News
Letters to the Editor
12:30 AM on Apr 17, 2023 CDT
There’s help out there
Re: “I really do exist ... !” by Roland D. Freeman, Thursday Letters.
Mr. Freeman, it sounds like you are having trouble getting a mail-in ballot. Sir, you have my sympathies! The obstacles you are facing are part of the Texas secretary of state’s efforts to ensure that each voter is indeed who they represent themselves to be.
My suggestion is to call the Dallas County Elections Department and ask for assistance filling out the form on lemon-yellow paper sent to you. If you saved the voter registration card you received in January, have it handy when you call. It has your Voter Unique Identifier and precinct number.
If you know the number of the driver’s license you surrendered that may help, too. The staff at Dallas County elections knows the process of voting can be very complicated and are there to help you!
Please know if you have surrendered your driver’s license and been given an alternate ID, there is a lag in the data being processed.
Diane Tasian, Dallas/Uptown
President, League of Women Voters of Dallas | Housing
2023 State of Homelessness
Housing Forward’s “2023 State of Homelessness Address” on April 13, provided opportunities for both celebration and alarm:
- On a single night in early 2023, there were 4,244 individuals experiencing homelessness in Dallas and Collin counties--the lowest count in five years. Between 2022 and 2023, there was a 32% decrease in chronic homelessness, a 14% decrease in unsheltered homelessness and a 4% decrease in homelessness overall since the last census in 2022. Conversely, the findings reflected a 21% increase in veteran homelessness, a 19% increase in youth homelessness and a 15% increase in family homelessness.
- Together with the All Neighbors Coalition (made up of more than 100 community partners) the number of neighbors moved into housing increased by 18% in 2022, thanks to the increased resources and capacity-building with the Dallas R.E.A.L. Time Rapid Rehousing Initiative. This translates into 5,290 being housed last year.
- Of particular note for the LWVD Housing Group, advocates of improving the voucher system in Texas, the new Landlord Engagement Program has already engaged over 180 landlords.
The LWVD Housing Group meets on the 3rd Tuesday of every month at 6 pm. Join on May 16, to get updates on Operation Tiny House: a tiny house village proposed in south Dallas to help end veteran homelessness. | LWVTX Take Action Center & Action Alerts!
Use our Take Action Center to email your legislators, look up your legislator's phone number to call them, or write a letter to the editor. Take action on these priority issues and more:
- NEW! Thoughts and Prayers are Not Enough! Send HB 2744 to the Floor - HB 2744 is a response to the shooting in Uvalde and other mass killings by shooters under the age of 21. The bill is currently stuck in committee but deserves a full House vote.
- SB 814 is Costly State Overreach - SB 814 eliminates the ability for local government to regulate business and commerce to protect workers, residents, and the environment and much more.
- Our Vote is Our Choice, But It Could Put Us Behind Bars - SB 2 would increase penalties for ineligible voters and criminalize simple mistakes.
- Protect Local Control Over Local Elections - HB 3611 would ban ranked choice voting in all elections in Texas including local nonpartisan races.
- Don't Withdraw From ERIC - SB 1070 would withdraw Texas from a 34-state information sharing programs that allow states to obtain accurate information on voters who have died or moved out of state.
- Protect Election Administrators - HB 2020 would allow the Secretary of State to remove a local election administrator based on ill-defined criteria.
- Protect the Power of Local Elected Officials - The Senate will vote soon on four bills that will hamper local elected officials from protecting their constituents and responding to the needs of their communities.
- Oppose HB 5053 as Vague and Arbitrary - HB 5053 allows violations of the Election Code to be tried in counties or districts adjoining the county or district in which the alleged offense occurred.
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We are taking the liberty of passing this information along. Thank you LWVRichardson for publishing this article in your May VOTER!
CHIP and Children’s Medicaid have been well received by Texas families and these programs help to ensure that our children have adequate preventative care in addition to coverage for more complex medical care. It is much more cost effective to provide immunizations, check-ups, and early intervention in childhood illnesses than to wait for a problem to develop into an emergency.
The automatic renewal that was in place during and after the COVID crisis has ended and now families must present proof of eligibility again to have coverage.
Children are among our most vulnerable citizens and are our most valuable assets. Please be their advocate by supporting these programs. You can help by alerting anyone who might be interested to attend an application help session at St. Barnabas Presbyterian Church, 1220 W. Belt Line Road, Richardson 75080 from 9 to noon on May 13, 2023. Spanish speaking experts will be available to assist.
Families who do not have coverage through their employment such as seasonal workers, employees who work part-time, grandparents who are raising their grandchildren on a fixed income, those who are currently unemployed, and teenagers who are “on their own” are some of our neighbors who might have eligible children.
For more information, please contact Martha Dorris.
Thank you for your support and help.
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| Annual Meeting
Don't forget our Annual Meeting on Saturday, May 20, 2023 at 10:15 am
The meeting will be at the J. Erick Jonsson Public Library in the Classroom 6E on the sixth floor. Box lunches will be available and we would appreciate a $10.00 donation. You should have received all the documents for the meeting via email on April 29/30.
If you did not get these documents and want a copy, please email info@lwvdallas.org and request a copy.
Come join us to meet up with friends and conduct the League's business for 2023-2024. | Unit Meetings
The May Unit meetings are on May 16,17, and 18
The Tuesday and Thursday meetings will have the topic: The Inside Scoop: What’s Going On at the Texas Legislature?
Tuesday meeting is from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm and meets at 6060 N. Central Expwy in the second floor board room.
Thursday meeting is from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm and meets at La Hacienda Ranch at 17390 Preston Road, Dallas, TX, 75252 Preston Rd ( 2 blocks north of Campbell Rd.)
The Wednesday meeting's topic will be: Food Deserts in Dallas
Wednesday meeting is from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm and meets at the home of Dr. Harryette Ehrhardt at 3525 Turtle Creek Blvd, Apt 8A. Drive into the drive way and tell the valet you are there for a meeting at Dr. Ehrhardt's. | !! Second Notice !!
SUSAN B. ANTHONY LUNCHEON
AWARDS
Nominations are now being accepted for the 2024
Susan B. Anthony and the Eleanor Sutherland Volunteer Awards
Earlier this year we were proud to host our annual Susan B. Anthony Award Luncheon, honoring an extraordinary community leader, Carol Donovan with the SBA award. We also honored Mark and Lauren Melton with the Eleanor Sutherland Volunteer award.
We have already begun the process of planning next year’s event. The selection of our next honorees is of great importance to help us raise funds to support the efforts of the League of Women Voters of Dallas to continue to empower voters and defend democracy.
Potential nominees must be available to attend the Susan B. Anthony Luncheon on February 8, 2024.
Complete nomination forms must be received no later than June 1, 2023 to be considered.
We are making an appeal to our members and key community organizations to help us identify the twenty-seventh Susan B. Anthony Luncheon Award recipients and make our major fundraising event a continued success.
We thank you for your help.
| 2024 Susan B. Anthony Award
This Nomination Form can be downloaded by going to Document Library - Susan B. Anthony Luncheon
If you don't have internet access, call 214-688-4125 to request a form and we will send it to you.
You do not need to be a member to submit a nomination.
This award is presented annually to a person who exemplifies the characteristics of Susan B. Anthony, her independence, persistence, determination, and dedication to obtaining equal rights for all.
Past Recipients
1997 - Elizabeth Cowles* 2010 - Julie Lowenberg
1998 - Cathy Wilkins-Moffitt 2011 - Ellen K. Solender*
1999 - Joanne Hill* 2012 - Jan Sanders
2000 - Elizabeth Johannaber* 2013 - Beverly Mitchell Brooks, Ph.D.
2001 - Catalina Garcia-Gary, M.D. 2014 - Hon. Harryette Ehrhardt, Ph.D.
2002 - Rebecca Russell Sykes 2015 - Hon. Ann Margolin
2003 - Suzanne Ahn, M.D.* 2016 - Regina Montoya
2004 - Vivian Castleberry* and Louise Raggio* 2017 - Debbie D. Branson
2005 - Patricia Patterson* 2019 - Susybelle Lyons Gosslee
2006 - Essie Reed* 2020 - Hon. Lois Finkelman
2007 - Laura Estrada 2022 - Natalie Jenkins Sorrell
2008 - Virginia Bulkley Whitehill* 2023 - Carol Crabtree Donovan
2009 - Cecilia Guthrie Boone
*Deceased
Criteria for this Award:
- Must be available to attend the Susan B. Anthony Luncheon on February 8, 2024.
- The nominee must have significant history of leadership initiatives, accomplishments, and contributions to the advancement of equal rights for all.
- The nominee’s political or other orientations should not be considered as factors in the selection of an award recipient.
- The nominee must not be serving in or actively running for a partisan office.
- An organization or individual may submit more than one nomination for consideration.
- The award recipient must allow recognition in the LWVD website and other publications.
- Incomplete nominations will not be considered.
- Complete nominations must be received no later than June 1, 2023, to be considered.
Questions required to be answered as part of the Nomination:
Limit answers to two pages.
- Give examples of the nominee’s community achievements to obtain equal rights for all.
- Explain how the nominee persevered in the face of adversity to achieve goals.
- What are some of the nominee’s leadership initiatives focusing on women’s rights?
- Show evidence of leadership initiatives at the local, state or national level.
Reminders to complete the nomination:
- Add a biography.
- Include no more than two letters of recommendation.
- All attachments must be legible.
- Documents submitted with the Nomination Form will not be returned.
- An organization or individual may submit more than one nomination for consideration.
- Incomplete nominations will not be considered.
Return the completed Nomination Form and other pertinent attachments by June 1, 2023, via:
Email: lwvdallas@sbcglobal.net
Or
Mail: LWVD
Susan B. Anthony Award
6060 N. Central Expressway, Suite 500
Dallas, TX 75206
For further information contact Cecilia McKay – SBAL Project Manager at (214) 500-8848
or
League of Women Voters of Dallas at (214) 688-4125
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Eleanor Sutherland Volunteer Award
This Nomination Form can be downloaded by going to Document Library - Susan B. Anthony Luncheon
If you don't have internet access, call 214-688-4125 to request a form and we will send it to you.
You do not need to be a member to submit a nomination.
The League of Women Voters of Dallas established a Champion Volunteer award in 2018 to recognize the efforts and achievements of Volunteers in the Dallas community. The award is named after long time volunteer and valuable member, Eleanor Sutherland.
Past Recipients
2018 - Nancy Luban & Richard Marcus
2019 - Will Tolar
2020 - Karla Garcia
2022 - Jeana Foxman
2023 - Mark & Lauren Melton
We are looking for a deserving individual(s) whose volunteer efforts are making a difference in the community.
Criteria for the award:
- Must be available to attend the Susan B. Anthony Luncheon on February 8, 2024
- Must be at least 21 years old.
- Must demonstrate service and commitment to the community by volunteering.
- May be nominated by an organization, a colleague, or may self-nominate, based on her or his own volunteer work.
- Nominee may not be an employee of the nominating or affiliated organization(s).
- An organization or individual may submit more than one nomination for consideration.
- The award recipient must allow recognition in the LWVD website and other publications.
- Incomplete nominations will not be considered.
Complete nominations must be received no later than June 1, 2023, to be considered.
Questions required to be answered as part of the nomination:
Limit answers to two pages.
- Describe the Nominee’s volunteer activities in the Dallas Community, including length of service.
- Describe the need for the Nominee’s service.
- Describe the difference that the Nominee’s service made to the community. Who was positively affected and how?
Reminders to complete the nomination:
- Add a biography.
- Include no more than two letters of recommendation.
- All attachments must be legible.
- Documents submitted with the Nomination Form will not be returned.
- An organization or individual may submit more than one nomination for consideration.
- Incomplete nominations will not be considered.
Return the Nomination Form and other attachments by June 1, 2023, via:
Email: lwvdallas@sbcglobal.net
or
Mail: LWVD
Eleanor Sutherland Volunteer Award
6060 N. Central Expressway, Suite 500
Dallas, TX 75206
For further information contact Cecilia McKay – SBAL Project Manager at (214) 500-8848
or
League of Women Voters of Dallas at (214) 688-4125
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WELCOME TO OUR NEW MEMBERS!
Lynda Begnaud
Jennifer Markley
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| Opportunities for Member Engagement
Click on Volunteering below to see opportunities to participate!
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Opportunities to Donate
Click on Donate Below to see opportunities to donate in various ways!
| Calendar
Click Events for the latest information
Regularly Scheduled Meetings
Advocacy Interest groups: On Zoom - see Events calendar to register for link.
LWVD Health Care Advocacy Meeting - First Thursday at 6:00 p.m.
Texas State Education Issues Advocacy Meeting - Third Thursday at 6:00 p.m.
Housing - Fourth Tuesday at 6:00 p.m.
Voter Service and Voter Rights - Fourth Tuesday at 6:00 p.m.
Membership Connections - members meeting new members every other month - third Saturday at 10 am. The location is on the Events calendar.
Neighborhood Unit meetings - members discuss issues: on Tuesday and Thursday of the third week of the month, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., and on Wednesday of the third week, 5:30 to 7 p.m. The locations of the meetings are on the calendar.
To calculate which week of the month - if the month starts with a day in the week that is the first week. Example: If March 1 is on a Wednesday, then that is Week One.
The above meetings occur from September through May.
Observer Corps
DISD Board of Trustees meet once a month on the fourth Thursday
Dallas City Council briefings are on the first and third Wednesday
Dallas City Council meets on the second and fourth Wednesday
Dallas County Commissioners Court meets on the first and third Tuesday
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LWVD General Information
LWVD Office Hours
Monday – Friday 10 am to 2 pm
Please call Sandy Thornton at 214-827-1988 or text to 214-415-1801 for
office access
LWVD Office
6060 N. Central Expwy, Ste 500
Dallas, TX 75206
214-688-4125 email: info@lwvdallas.org
Office Physical Location
If you don’t know the location of our office on the second floor, see the Receptionist on the 5th floor. They will direct you to our office.
To view the LVWD Board Of Directors go to Home - About Us - Board of Directors
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LWVD Office
6060 N Central Expwy, Suite 500
Dallas, TX 75206
Phone: (214) 688-4125
Email: info@lwvdallas.org
www.lwvdallas.org
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