Action News- September 2023
Joleen E Smith | Published on 9/7/2023
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September 2023 Action News!
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Election season is upon us, and on November 7th, we will have the opportunity to participate in shaping the future of our great state. There will be a total of 14 proposed Constitutional Amendments on the ballot, each with its own implications and potential impact on our lives. Rest assured, the League will provide comprehensive resources, including our nonpartisan Voters Guide, which will offer an explanation of each proposed amendment along with the pros and cons, as well as "Explainer Videos" for each proposed amendment, which can be viewed in a playlist on our YouTube channel here.
We would like to express our gratitude and appreciation to Dorothy Marchand, LWVTX Vice-President of Voter Education, and the Voter Services committee for their hard work putting together the Voters Guide and videos.
We would also like to give a huge thankyou to our 2023 Constitutional Amendment Voters Guide sponsors who make educating voters possible! |
Gold Sponsors
- League of Women Voters of Dallas
- Texas Association of School Boards
Silver Sponsors
- Texas Classroom Teachers Association
- Joyce LeBombard
- Elaine Wiant
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Bronze Sponsors
- Dorothy Marchand
- Ida Miller
- Brian Shaw
- Diane Sheridan
- Unitarian Universalists of New Braunfels
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In our commitment to promoting an informed electorate, we urge you to actively engage in the democratic process. By educating ourselves and spreading the word, we can encourage meaningful conversations about the amendments and their significance. Remember, every voice matters, and every vote counts. Let us come together to make a difference in Texas.
Thank you for your continued dedication and support. Together, we can defend democracy and ensure that the voices of all Texans are heard. Let's make this Constitutional Amendment Election a true testament to the power of an engaged and informed citizenry!
Respectfully,
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The League of Women Voters of Texas is working tirelessly to advocate for all Texans this election season and beyond. Donate today to support our mission of empowering voters and defending democracy!
Donate Today!
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| Your Texas League in Action |
2023 Constitutional Amendment Election "Explainer Videos" Released!
LWV Texas produced and just released “Explainer Videos” for each of the proposed amendments, which will be pushed out to our supporters and partner organizations and can be found on our YouTube channel here. We will also be sharing them on our website and social media soon. We encourage you to share them widely with your friends and networks!
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In addition to the printed Voters Guide, which will be available in English and in Spanish and distributed to libraries across Texas, the League will produce PDF versions of the Voters Guide in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Simple Chinese. We will share these with you so you can get them out to your communities and help us educate voters. These will also be posted at lwvtexas.org.
Also, don’t forget, the Voters Guide will be available at VOTE411.org, where you can type in your address and, if you have a League in your area, see the local races on your ballot along with our coverage of the proposed Constitutional Amendments. Look out for VOTE411 to roll out during the first week in October, well before early voting.
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Last Chance to Order Your Voters Guides- Deadline to Order is Sept. 11th!
The League is gearing up to publish its Voters Guide for the 2023 Constitutional Amendment Election that takes place November 7th, 2023. FOURTEEN AMENDMENTS! While some of the amendments are pretty straightforward, the language can be confusing and often doesn’t tell the whole story. In this edition of our Voters Guide, we explain each amendment in plain language so voters can understand and head to the polls with confidence.
Please fill out the order form and submit it to us by September 11th. Our goal is to ship the orders no later than October 9th.
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Texas Election Protection is a coalition of nonpartisan organizations and volunteers that work together to ensure the rights of all voters in Texas are upheld. They are looking for volunteers to support voters at the polls and connect voters who are denied the ballot to legal resources and answer questions for voters during the November 7, 2023 election. Click here to sign up and learn more.
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Leagues across Texas have vibrant activities planned for National Voter Registration Day, which is September 19th, 2023. The League of Women Voters is the biggest nationwide partner engaging in National Voter Registration Day! This is a nonpartisan civic holiday celebrating our democracy. Celebrated every September, National Voter Registration Day involves volunteers and organizations from all over the country hitting the streets in a single day of coordinated field, technology, and media efforts.
According to U.S. Census data from 2020, as many as 1 in 4 eligible Americans are not registered to vote. Every year, millions of Americans find themselves unable to vote because they miss a registration deadline, don’t update their registration, or aren’t sure how to register. National Voter Registration Day efforts are designed to ensure every eligible voter has the opportunity to vote, creating broad awareness of voter registration opportunities to reach tens of thousands of voters who may not register otherwise.
Click here for more information.
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by Elisabeth MacNamara, LWVTX Vice-President Advocacy
The summer is almost over taking the oppressive heat with it, hopefully. As we plan for elections this fall, we are also expecting a special session in October devoted to vouchers. There is no formal announcement yet, but groups are organizing to once again oppose the Governor's educational savings accounts. If you are in the Austin Area, one of our coalition partners, Texans for Public Schools, is planning a rally on October 7th at the Capitol. (More info below.)
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LWV El Paso
Photo credit: League of Women Voters of El Paso Facebook page; Bonnie Daniels. LWV El Paso hosted their annual Women’s Equality Day Luncheon. Read more here. (There are several posts and photos on their Facebook page about the Luncheon.)
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LWV Amarillo
Photo credit: Amarillo League of Women Voters Facebook page. LWV Amarillo volunteers Sonya Letson, Delores Thompson, and Jenny Inzerillo had a fun time at AMA-CON registering voters. Read more here and here.
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LWV San Antonio Area
Photo credit: League of Women Voters of San Antonio Area Facebook page. LWV San Antonio attended the SPURS 2023 Back to School Bash engaging with hundreds of voters. Read more here.
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LWV Richardson
Photo credit: League of Women Voters of Richardson Facebook page. Volunteers from LWV Richardson registered voters at Richardson ISD's 2023 New Hire Fair. Read more here and here.
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LWV Tyler-Smith County
Photo credit: Tyler Morning Telegraph via League of Women Voters - Tyler/Smith County Facebook page. LWV Tyler-Smith County hosted their annual Women’s Equality Day Program. Read more here.
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LWV Fort Bend
Photo credit: League of Women Voters of Fort Bend Facebook page. Volunteers from LWV Fort Bend set up a booth to register voters at the Access Health Back-to-School Health Fair in Richmond. Read more here.
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During the regular Legislative session, in a bi-partisan effort to make sure taxpayer money was NOT spent on private school tuition, the issue of school vouchers was defeated. And yet we are anticipating a special session in October to once again attempt to force this issue upon us, so let's make it clear to the governor once and for all that Texans DO NOT WANT VOUCHERS!
It is NOT a partisan issue -- this is about the children of Texas and their right to a quality education. We are joining forces, blue & red together at the Boot Vouchers Rally on Saturday, October 7th, 2023 at 12:00pm CST at the Texas Capitol. Wear red, white, and blue, bring the kids, bring signs, and be ready to get loud! Register here.
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The Texas Tribune Festival, a multiday celebration of big, bold ideas about politics, public policy and the day’s news, is happening on Sept. 21-23 in Austin, Texas. "TribFest" as the locals like to call it, features nearly 300 speakers including Rebecca Blumenstein, Chuck Todd, Katie Phang, and Chris Hayes, as well as more than 125 unforgettable panels, conversations, and interviews. Topics include the biggest 2024 races and what’s ahead, how big cities in Texas and around the country are changing, the integrity of upcoming elections, and more.
Members of LWV Texas and our local Leagues can get a discount to the festival! Become a member of the League of Women Voters here.
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League of Women Voters of Texas
1212 Guadalupe St. #107
Austin Texas, 78701
(512) 472-1100
lwvtexas@lwvtexas.org
lwvtexas.org
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