In This Issue
- Rally-Ready: New Team, New Guidelines
- Call to Action: Protect Medicaid!
- JUNE 6 - Last Call for WED Award Nominations!
- JUNE 9 General Meeting: Solutions to Climate Chaos
- JUNE 14 - NO KINGS Rallies in the Area
- News from Our Issues Teams & Education Groups
- NEW! "Quick Start" Webinar for Members
- Heads Up! - Things You Should Know
| | FROM THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS | Rally-Ready with a New Team and New Guidelines
LWVUS kicked off the nationwide Unite and Rise 8.5 campaign on May 1, aiming to leverage Leagues across the country and their networks to mobilize 8.5 million voters, which, for the United States, amounts to 3.5% of the electorate -- a threshold research has shown has the power to drive change. Earlier this month, the LWVLC Board of Directors determined that we will need a dedicated team to implement the Unite and Rise 8.5 campaign at the local level and, as part of that, evaluate rally opportunities against our nonpartisan mission, plan LWVLC participation in appropriate rallies, develop parallel promotional materials and social media campaigns, coordinate with like-minded organizations to plan small- and large-scale events of our own, and the like. A good number of LWVLC members expressed interest in joining such a team, but it took some time to identify leadership for the effort.
We are happy to announce that Evelyn Peterson and Kathy Maher will co-lead our Unite and Rise 8.5 Team. If you already signed up to join that team, you'll be hearing from Evelyn and Kathy soon. If you would like to learn more or join the new team, please contact Evelyn Peterson or Kathy Maher.
Concerns for maintaining our nonpartisanship is something we always have to consider and we all appreciate how challenging that is in the divisive political climate we now live and operate in. Bearing this in mind, the LWVLC Board of Directors has drafted new guidelines to help our League and its new Unite and Rise 8.5 team navigate this space and make decisions about joining coalitions organizing mass rallies or other actions.
It's relatively easy to understand how to remain nonpartisan with respect to candidates during election cycles, but how are the "rules" applied when it comes to elected officials? As Board members grappled with this question while developing our own guidelines, we came across helpful Nonpartisan Messaging Guidance offered by LWVUS. We encourage you to read the entire guidance document, but here's a useful excerpt:
Once individuals are elected, they are no longer just candidates -- they are public servants, responsible for representing all their constituents, regardless of party. Holding elected officials accountable to the public interest is not a partisan act; it is a vital function of a healthy democracy.
We'll have ample opportunity to exercise that principle in the coming months. Thank you for contributing your time, money, ideas, and skills to strengthening our collective action and encouraging our families, friends, and neighbors to unite and rise to defend democracy.
LWVLC Board of Directors
| Protect Medicaid!
From our LWVLC Health Care Team: Call your representatives at 202-224-3121 and ask them to protect our health care by voting NO against the reconciliation bill. By voting NO they are refusing proposed cuts to Medicaid and preventing proposed increases to ACA premiums. See this summary from PBS for details on what's included in the bill as passed by the House as of May 22: PBS: Here's What's in the "Big, Beautiful Bill"
The House will have to vote again to approve any changes the Senate makes before the bill can be signed by President Trump, so our calls now are important. [Note: This information was provided by Adam Fox, Colorado Consumer Health Initiative.]
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While the LWVLC will not be playing a starring role in local NO KINGS events, you can count on our members getting out there and participating in their personal capacities, contributing to the show of force in defense of democratic values! We won't be flashing our LWV logo this time around, but if you'd like to join League friends at the Fort Collins event, keep an eye out for upcoming announcements of where we'll be congregating.
| Climate Chaos Solutions
Join the Environmental Team's Monday, June 9, General Meeting that features local author Mark Easter's discussion of his book, The Blue Plate: A Food Lover's Guide to Climate Chaos. Learn how food production techniques ranging from regenerative farming to your own garden can improve air quality and more.
Firehouse Bookstore will have this beautiful book available for purchase at the venue, or you can bring your own copy to be signed by the author. Please register on the LWVLC Calendar for either in-person or Zoom attendance.
| Last Call!
Women's Equality Day Award Nominations due June 6!
League members and the public are asked to submit nominations for the following awards:
- Women's Equality Day Award: This award recognizes women who have positively impacted the citizens of Larimer County by expanding and protecting voting rights of all eligible voters, working to empower women to reach their full potential, and creating an environment in which gender doesn't limit opportunity.
- League Legacy Award: This award recognizes a League member who has worked diligently to meet the goals of the LWV by encouraging informed and active participation in government, by working to increase understanding of major public policy issues, by influencing public policy through education and advocacy, or by promoting DEI in principle and practice.
Honorees will be recognized at a celebration of Women's Equality Day at the Sweet Heart Winery in Loveland on Thursday, August 21, from 5:00 to 7:30.
| Don't Miss This FREE Event!
Documentary screening recommended by the News Access and Literacy Team
Stripped for Parts: American Journalism on the Brink
Hosted by The Colorado Sun, SIE Film center & the Colorado Media Project
Thursday, June 5
6:30 - 9:00 pm
2510 E Colfax Ave, Denver, CO
Tickets are by donation, and the public is welcome, so please bring a friend or two to see this timely, relevant documentary! Then stick around for a robust Q&A immediately following the film, with the film director Rick Goldsmith, and local journalists Jennifer Brown, Chuck Plunkett, and Greg Moore, moderated by Kimberly Spencer, from the Colorado Media Project.
| Great Decisions Discussion Group
Upcoming Zoom meeting: June 2, 11:30 AM
We will discuss International Cooperation on Climate Change, Chapter 5 in the 2025 Great Decisions book.
The 2015 Paris Agreement established a UN-sponsored framework for negotiations on climate change and global warming. In subsequent COP meetings, experts and political leaders have come together seeking common cause for this growing global crisis. What is the future of these efforts, and what have they yielded? What is the U.S. role in fostering cooperation on climate change? In a divided country, what are the possible futures for American policy leadership?
Great Decisions meetings are on the Event Calendar and you can register there.
A Zoom invitation will be sent to all previous participants.
If you are new to Great Decisions and wish to participate, contact Annette DeMartine at ademartine@prolynx.com.
Great Decisions meetings are held on the first Monday of each month from February to June and October to December.
| Informed Citizen Book Club
10:30 AM - 12:00 PM In-person meeting, 2nd Wednesday of the month.
7:00 - 8:30 PM Zoom meeting, 2nd Wednesday of the month.
Morning attendees will meet at Highland Meadows Grill, 6300 Highland Meadows Pkwy, Windsor, CO 80550.
Please join us for a lively discussion of our June book on June 11th:
He/She/They: How We Talk About Gender and Why It Matters
by Schuyler Bailar
This book is a thought-provoking exploration of gender identity, language, and inclusion. Drawing from personal experience as a transgender athlete and advocate, Bailar unpacks the power of words in shaping our understanding of gender and fostering respect. The book provides insights and practical advice for navigating gendered language and creating a more inclusive society.
Please join us on the second Wednesday of each month.
| News Access & Literacy Task Force hosts Jeff Roberts
Democracy Requires Transparency
| Affordable Housing Team Looking Forward
At its May meeting, the Affordable Housing Team took time to evaluate the work done during the past months and felt positive about the ways the team was able to support the expansion of affordable housing projects in Northern Colorado and also about its educational program in April on the role of supportive housing in helping people find their way back to stability when given the resources they need. A major accomplishment was the adoption of a new local affordable housing position for the Larimer County League. This is now included on the AHT's webpage.
The team also explored reaching out to other community groups to learn how they serve as a resource to those in need of affordable housing and scheduling tours of some of the newer facilities. We want to encourage League members with an interest in affordable housing to join with us in these activities and we will be doing more to draw in more members.
During the summer, we urge League members to stay informed by following city council agendas to see what is coming up related to housing, reading the reports put out by the Northern Colorado Continuum of Care, and checking the YIMBY (Yes In My Backyard) website. And, of course, we will all be clicking in on our own Larimer County website for news about our League, including housing issues!
For some social time together as well as a little business, our team is gathering at Fairgrounds Park in Loveland on June 25 at 11:30 AM. Each of us will bring our own brown-bag lunch and some ideas for the year ahead. We would be happy for you to join us for this time to meet in person and share opinions. Please register on the LWVLC Event Calendar.
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South Larimer Discussion Group
Annual Potluck Picnic
Wednesday, June 18, time and place TBD
The South Larimer Discussion Group will host its Annual Potluck Picnic on Wednesday, June 18, and you are invited to join us! We will celebrate what we accomplished and bring ideas for next year’s SLDG sessions starting in September. Please bring a dish to share, your own table service, and ideas for South Larimer Discussion.
This event is open to members - old and new - and anyone else who is interested in knowing more about the South Larimer Discussion Group and the League. The time and place of the picnic are yet to be determined. Please check the Event Calendar page for updates.
| Tabling at Pride and Juneteenth Events
Summer is here and we're getting ready to table at local events in Fort Collins and Loveland. We'd love for you to join us! Volunteers will work in shifts and training can be provided in advance -- perfect for anyone new to the League. Sign up using SignUpGenius or by emailing Angel Kearns.
| Fort Collins Juneteenth Celebration
June 21, 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Foothills Mall
Emancipation Day – commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. A blend of the words June and nineteenth, it marks June 19, 1865, the day that Union Army Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger rode into Galveston, Texas, and issued General Order No. 3, proclaiming that the enslaved African Americans there were free. Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021 and events marking the holiday sprung up around the country, including in Larimer County!
On June 21 at the Foothills Mall in Fort Collins, music, food, dancing, and community organization tables will fill the inner courtyard. The League's table will promote membership and civic engagement. Volunteers are needed for shifts of 1½ hours; contact Linda Mahan to volunteer at the League's table. Check out the June 20-21 schedule, which begins with a Friday-night free concert: Schedule of Events
| Health Care Team News
Please see the Call to Action at the top of this newsletter and make that call to ask your representatives in Congress to reject the reconciliation bill that contains devastating cuts to Medicaid and Medicare.
Other news related to Medicaid and Medicare:
Health Department: Dr. Jared Olson, an epidemiologist with the Larimer County Department of Health, joined our May Health Care Team meeting. He spoke about community health issues and data provided by their Health, Well-Being and Resilience Dashboard, which includes data on health, climate change and environment, housing and transportation and more. A few highlights from his presentation:
- Childhood deaths are one-sixth of what they were in 1968, due to innovations in health care such as vaccinations.
- 25% of children have access to guns without the permission of their parents, highlighting the importance of secure storage.
- Reductions in accidental overdose deaths are attributed to the availability and use of Narcan and the reduced stigma of the very effective Medication Assisted Treatment.
- Access to community and social support was found to be a key factor during the Community Health Improvement Plan survey. Those in poverty face obstacles accessing health care including struggles with money, social support, housing, transportation, and childcare.
Summer Break: The Health Care Team will be on summer break until August, so will not hold meetings in June or July. We hope the break contributes to our individual and collective well-being.
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“Quick Start” Member Webinar
Monday, June 16, 2025
7:00 p.m.
Our League has welcomed nearly 120 new members since January of 2025!
This pace of growth has prompted the Board of Directors and the Membership Team to pilot a new service for members: a “Quick Start” program. The “Quick Start” program is designed to orient members, new AND existing, to the resources of the League, using the League’s website as the foundation. After attending the Zoom session, members will enjoy a solid understanding of the basic functions and operations of the League of Women Voters of Larimer County.
| Final Reminder - Strong Passwords Required as of June 1, 2025
For your protection, the Board of Directors of the LWVLC has decided to require "strong" passwords for our ClubExpress website, effective June 1, 2025. Beginning June 1, each member password must have a minimum length of 12 characters and include a lowercase letter, uppercase letter, number, and a symbol/special character. If your password does not meet the requirements, you will be prompted to change your password before you are able to log in.
| Interested in Parading with the League?
The League of Women Voters of Larimer County has applied to participate in the Fort Collins July 4 parade. We will learn in early June whether our application has been selected.
| League Logo-Wear and More!
We are looking at options to offer League logo-wear and sashes to our members, including through the League of Women Voters of Colorado storefront and the League of Women Voters of the United States storefront.
Some members have also expressed interest in gear branded with the League of Women Voters of Larimer County logo. This option would require member support to create a process to order and procure the items.
Are you interested in helping to run a local storefront? If so, please contact Julie Stackhouse.
| Save the Date!
Women's Equality Day Celebration
Thursday, August 21, 2025
Sweet Heart Winery, Loveland
Keynote Speaker: Kelly Evans, Executive Director, Neighbor to Neighbor
Watch for more details in upcoming newsletters.
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