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1212 Guadalupe St. #107
Austin, TX 78701

Phone:
(512) 472-1100
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Date: 11/1/2021
Subject: Constitutional Amendment Election is Tomorrow! LWVTX Action News!
From: Grace Chimene



Action News!
President's Message:
Grace Chimene
 
Tomorrow is Election Day! Share VOTE411.org and Constitutional Amendment Videos! 
 
Tomorrow voters will decide on whether to add eight amendments to the Texas Constitution. You've probably already voted but perhaps your friends or relatives need information about where to vote and what's on the ballot. VOTE411.org is the League one-stop shop for election information! 
 
Copy, paste and share the League's short videos below. They explain the proposed amendments in plain language and include unbiased pros & cons just like in VOTE411.org. The YouTube playlist in English is here and here is the YouTube playlist in Spanish: Elecciones de Enmienda Constitucional.
 

1: Raffles

2:County Government

3: Religious Services

4: Judges

5: Judges

6: Caregiver Visits

7: Property Tax Exemption

8: Property Tax/Military


Thank you for being a part of the solution - empowering voters and defending democracy! 
Grace Chimene
President
PS: Don't forget to give a big thanks to all your hard working and dedicated election officials and poll workers! They make the elections work in Texas! 
Your Texas League in Action!
LWV Texas Statement on the Appointment of the New Secretary of State, John Scott
 
"The League of Women Voters of Texas welcomes the appointment by Governor Abbott of John Scott as interim Secretary of State, the Chief Election Officer for Texas. One of the important duties of the Secretary of State’s job as Chief Election Officer is in assisting county election officials to run elections safely and securely in all 254 counties and ensuring all eligible Texans have the opportunity to vote. We look forward to continuing our good working relationship with the Secretary of State’s office."
 
We will continue to monitor decisions and action from the Secretary of State's Office.
In December, watch for League voter education on newly passed election laws.  Read the Texas Tribune's article on Secretary of State John Scott here.

LWV Texas Meets with Senator Cornyn's Legislative Assistant 
 
Last month, a delegation of LWV Texas leaders met with Jack Youngblood, Senator John Cornyn's legislative assistant. The LWVUS Capital Corps coordinator and legislative and policy coordinator also sat in on the meeting. The conversation focused on federal voting rights legislation and the needs in Texas. League leaders shared shared current conditions of voting rights discrimination in Texas. 
 
LWVUS's Dylan Vargas commented after the meeting, "I think the meeting went really well. We definitely explained the League's position on the bill and why it was so vital to the country and Texas specifically. I also thought the personal stories were incredibly impactful, and Jack will definitely be thinking about them for a while (I know I will)."
 
Photo of the LLWVTX delegation at the Zoom meeting with Jack Youngblood. 

Gloria Sasser Suarez LWV Comal County, Grace Chimene LWV Texas, Cinde Weatherby LWV Austin Area, Linda Vaughn LWV Amarillo, Janet Imhoff LWV Texas, Joan Siegel LWVUS Capitol Corps, Annie Bennifield LWV Houston, Dylan Vargas LWVUS, Dorothy Marchand LWV Texas.


LWVUS Signs on SB8 Amicus Brief
 
The League of Women Voters has signed on to the amicus brief supporting WHOLE WOMAN’S HEALTH ET AL., PETITIONERS v.AUSTIN REEVE JACKSON ET ALThe oral arguments are set for today, November 1st. 

Advocacy in the 3rd Special Session 

Janet Imhoff, Vice President Advocacy

The 3rd Special Session began Sept. 20 and ended on Oct. 19.  The League focused on three areas:

Redistricting - Issue Chair Stephanie Swanson (LWV Texas) testified before the Senate  Redistricting Committee on Sept. 30 against SB 6.  She objected to the lack of remote access, the lack of time to review the maps, and the fact that people of color actually would get less representation in this proposed map in spite of their contribution to the majority of population growth to Texas in the past decade. 

A letter was also sent from the Fair Maps Coalition on Sept. 29 making these same points.
An Action Alert also went out on Sept. 30 asking members to submit comments on the public portal.
This bill passed from committee and was before the full Senate on Oct. 8.

Transgender Children - Issue Chair Amber Briggle (LWV Denton) wrote testimony for an Oct. 6 hearing against HB 25 and all other bills that seek to deny the rights of transgender children in schools.

An Action Alert went out on Oct. 5 against six bills that discriminate against transgender kids, SB 3,SB 27, HB 10, HB 24, HB 25, and HB 84. 
HB 25 was signed by Governor Abbott on Oct. 25. 

Voting Rights & Election Law - Issue Chair Cinde Weatherby wrote an Action Alert against SB 10, which would increase criminal penalties for election officials to a felony for any mistake. The Action Alert letter was sent to House members because the Senate had already passed this bill on Oct. 5.  It was sent to the House Committee on Constitutional Rights and Remedies. SB 10 died in committee. 

New Texas Political Districts

 

Wondering what political districts you live in now that Texas lawmakers have redrawn them? You can look at them hereNow is the time to pay attention to local redistricting. Learn more on the Texas League's Redistricting webpage

Local Leagues in Action!
LWV Fort Bend Halloween Voter Reg 2021
LWV Fort Bend Registering Voters
 
To prepare for the November election, members of the LWV Fort Bend dressed in Halloween costumes and registered new voters at Houston Community College Stafford! All in costume, some dressed as League members. 
LWV Victoria Organizes Educational Forums
 
LWV Victoria hosted a Bond Forum to discuss the proposed bond for improving Victoria ISD public schools. They recently hosted Dr. Joe Sekul to review the history of the Texas Constitution and explain the proposed amendments on the ballot for the November 2021 election. 
 
LWV Victoria host forum 2021
Your Texas League in the News!
~~first_name~~, you can find the news featuring the League on our new website! Check out the new website and the Texas League in the News section.
FYI
Texas State Historical Association Virtual Texas Talk: 
 Civil Rights in Black and Brown: Histories of Resistance and Struggle in Texas
Tuesday, November 16, 2021, 7-8pm (CT) via Zoom
 
Dr. Max Krochmal (TCU) and Dr. J. Todd Moye (UNT) will discuss Civil Rights in Black and Brown: Histories of Resistance and Struggle in Texas, which draws upon more than 500 oral history interviews with African American and Mexican American grass-roots activists from every corner of Texas. Texas Talks are free for TSHA current members and $5 for nonmembers. Click here to learn more about the event and to access the registration page.

The League of Voters of Texas
1212 Guadalupe St. Unit 107  Austin, Texas  78701
512-472-1100