IN THIS ISSUE:
- TODAY: See "REFUGE" Documentary in Fort Collins
- FEB General Meeting: Observer Project Leverages AI
- Webinar: Immigrants' Access to Healthcare
- Your Input Needed for Our 2026 GOTV Campaign
- LWVLC Team News & Meetings
- Get Ready for Next NO KINGS, March 28
- Volunteering Opportunities
- QUIZ: How Much Do You Know About Water?
| "REFUGE" Documentary Screening TODAY!
You are invited to join Our Saviour's Lutheran Church Faith & Justice Team on Sunday, February 1, from 3 pm - 5 pm in the church fellowship hall at 2000 S. Lemay Ave., Fort Collins, to view and discuss the documentary "Refuge." The film follows the unlikely friendship of a Syrian refugee and a former Klansman white supremacist as they challenge themselves to grow and truly “know each other.”
See a short 2-minute film trailer HERE
You do not need to register beforehand, unless you would like to take advantage of onsite childcare being offered. OSLC youth staff will provide childcare (kids get to see their own movie!) You must register for childcare HERE
| ** FEBRUARY GENERAL MEETING **
Colorado Citizen Observer Project
Understanding Local Government Trends with Strategic Use of AI
Feb. 10, 4:00-5:30 pm, Harmony Public Library
Come to find out:
- Why AI-assisted narratives support LWV’s quest to monitor local governments
- How Large Language Models (LLMs) operate and managing their limitations
- How a philosophical framework helps interpret the data
- Sharing the information for awareness and activism
This is the February General Meeting of LWV-Larimer County.
The public is welcome.
AI skeptics are encouraged to attend!
| Healthcare and Immigration: The Impacts of Recent Policies on Immigrant Families
February 4, 5:15-6:30 pm (MT)
Leading experts Dr. Triveni DeFries and Ben D’Avanzo will discuss the role their organizations play in supporting immigrants with healthcare needs and how changes in federal policies are impacting immigrants and our public health. Questions from the moderator and audience will follow panel presentations.
Sponsored by the LWVUS Healthcare Reform and Immigration Interest Groups
| What's Our 2026 "Get Out the Vote" Plan?
Leadership Conversation
Thursday, February 12, 4:00-6:00 pm
Odell Brewery
800 W Lincoln St, Fort Collins
All members invited! Join our team leaders, League officers and directors, and other LWVLC movers and shakers for the next Leadership Conversation on February 12 at Odell Brewery to help flesh out plans for our Get Out the Vote (GOTV) campaign in this critically important election year. We need your input and ideas for what we all recognize to be an "All Hands on Deck" year! With over 440 members (!!!), our Larimer League has the potential to have an enormous GOTV impact!
Please plan to arrive early to get drinks, snacks, and socialize with fellow Leaguers. Our discussion will focus on League activities coming up and how we can contribute to preparing voters for the upcoming primary and general elections.
Please also register for this event so we can plan accordingly: Leadership Conversation - 2/12/2026
Looking forward to seeing you at Odell Brewery on the 12th!
| We All Live in the Environment
The Environmental Team Feb. 3, 6:30 Zoom meeting will take your ideas for our Interest Groups to educate and advocate according to our plans and positions. We need to have your input. Register on the calendar: Environmental Team Meeting - 2/3/2026:
We are enlightened from the series on “Mis- and Disinformation About Climate Science.” The January experience was from our own Dr. Kate Gilbert. The recording of her presentation about “Forever Chemicals and How They Are Living Up to Their Name” is on our website. The first two recordings are also posted there. You can find all three recordings in the Environmental Team's section of our Watch our Videos page.
For All: For February, CSU’s Science Moms will hold a Fireside Chat Discussion about “Talking With Children (of all ages) About the Climate Emergency.” Bring your questions and/or tips to others about what has worked for you in discussions with children (of all ages). Register on the calendar for Feb. 17, Zoom at 7:00 pm or on this announcement. Invite others to join us at the virtual fireside.
|  | “UNjudge someone! Being Me in Fort Collins”
The Human Library
February 22, 2:00-5:00 PM
Fort Collins Museum of Discovery
Please join me at the Human Library, February 22, 2-5PM at the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery. It’s free!
Typical libraries offer print books and digital eBooks for check out, but The Human Library® allows participants – or "Readers" – to borrow a human "Book" and engage in conversations about their unique stories, particularly their experiences in Fort Collins regarding their identity/identities. The Human Library program creates a safe and non-judgmental environment for curious and often taboo conversations that will challenge prejudices and promote understanding of differences. The program encourages all participants to “unjudge” a human Book by its cover. I’ve been to this event before, it is a fun way to learn.
Let me know if you register, we can meet there and share stories afterward over a beer or a cup of tea.
Yours in League,
Pat Burger, President
|  | NO KINGS III - March 28, 2026
Indivisible, speaking for the hundreds of organizations who are now partnering with them, including LWV, has announced the next NO KINGS protest will be on Saturday, March 28. More details to come, but please mark your calendars and commit to being involved. The LWVLC Unite & Rise team will be partnering with our local allies to develop nonpartisan promotions, providing volunteers, sponsoring sign making parties, and potentially organizing tabling. Please contact Janet Schultz if you would like to be involved in the planning of activities or volunteering the day of. We need ALL hands on deck and each of us can help in our own way.
Want to do something worthwhile before March 28? Learn some best practices for non-violent, 1st Amendment-protected resistance by attending the second “Eyes on Ice” virtual training. The event is co-sponsored by Indivisible and the ACLU. Be prepared in case what is happening in Minnesota (and other cities across our country) comes to Colorado. Register at MOBILIZE-NO KINGS to attend or click on the graphic below.
|  | Civil Liberties and Rights Team Rises Again!
Thanks to Jerry and Kathy Wilson’s fine recruitment eye (and able past leadership), we are delighted to announce that League members Amy Lewis and Jamie Baker Roskie have stepped up to co-lead the next incarnation of this critically important team (now more so than ever). Jamie holds a law degree with a specialty in Administrative Law and Amy has a political science background. Both have passion for and great interest in identifying current threats to our civil liberties and finding creative ways to educate the public about those issues.
Amy and Jamie joined the last Unite & Rise 8.5 Zoom, and the two teams will closely partner. They have also hit the ground running by setting their first team meeting for Saturday, February 21, 12:30-2pm at the Harmony Library in the large Community Room.
The great news is that this critical team has two dynamic leaders! Now it needs some eager and civil liberty-loving teammates. Please contact Amy or Jamie to voice your interest or simply register for the upcoming meeting on the League calendar.
| Informed Citizen Book Club
10:30 AM – 12:00 PM : In person meeting, second Wednesday of the month.
7:00 – 8:30 PM: Zoom Meeting, on the second Wednesday of the month.
Morning regular attendees will meet at Epic Egg, 1477 E. Eisenhower Blvd, Loveland CO, 80537
Evening attendees must register for the event on the LWVLC website calendar to get the Zoom link:
Please join us for a lively discussion of our February book on February 11th, 2026:
To connect with President’s Day, February’s book is The Presidents and the People: Five Leaders Who Threatened Democracy and the Citizens Who Fought to Defend It by Corey Brettschneider (2024)
From the Publisher:
American presidents have often pushed the boundaries established for them by the Constitution; this is the inspirational history of the people who pushed back.
Imagine an American president who imprisoned critics, spread a culture of white supremacy, and tried to upend the law so that he could commit crimes with impunity.
In this propulsive and eminently readable history, constitutional law and political science professor Corey Brettschneider provides a thoroughly researched account of assaults on democracy by not one such president but five. John Adams waged war on the national press of the early republic, overseeing numerous prosecutions of his critics. In the lead-up to the Civil War, James Buchanan colluded with the Supreme Court to deny constitutional personhood to African Americans. A decade later, Andrew Johnson urged violence against his political opponents as he sought to guarantee a white supremacist republic after the Civil War. In the 1910s, Woodrow Wilson modernized, popularized, and nationalized Jim Crow laws. In the 1970s, Richard Nixon committed criminal acts that flowed from his corrupt ideas about presidential power. Through their actions, these presidents illuminated the trip wires that can damage or even destroy our democracy.
Corey Brettschneider shows that these presidents didn’t have the last word; citizen movements brought the United States back from the precipice by appealing to a democratic understanding of the Constitution and pressuring subsequent reform-minded presidents to realize the promise of “We the People.” This is a book about citizens—Frederick Douglass, Ida B. Wells, Daniel Ellsberg, and more—who fought back against presidential abuses of power. Their examples give us hope about the possibilities of restoring a fragile democracy. (W.W. Norton & Company)
Next IC Book Club Meeting:
March 11-- Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide by Nicolas Kristof (2009)
| Health Care Team News
Next Meeting:
February 12, 2026, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Care Communities Meeting Room
(Next to Heart of the Rockies Church)
6514 Brittany St
Fort Collins, CO 80525
The agenda will feature:
- A presentation about the Larimer League Social Media campaign
- A discussion about Health Care Team priorities and Subgroups
- Ideas for strengthening our local impact by partnering with community health care organizations.
Additionally, the team will discuss any current Gun Violence Prevention legislation and activities, Universal Health Care, Behavioral Health Care, and other priority Health Care issues.
Highlights of the January meeting:
- The team discussed key priorities for 2026 including: Support community partners in efforts to provide health care services to Larimer County residents and to disseminate accurate public health information; Monitor health care-related legislation and take action as needed to protect the health and safety of residents.
- There was a beginning discussion about some of the obstacles for residents seeking affordable and accessible health care including Medicaid and ACA subsidy cuts, and a shortage of health care providers.
- Review of a proposal from the NY League to update the LWVUS privatization position. The proposal has four elements including opposition to further privatization of the health care system. There will be further review of this proposal by the Larimer County League Board and membership prior to potentially submitting a recommendation for debate and voting on adopting this position update at the LWVUS National Convention in June 2026.
- The Health Care Team has volunteer opportunities: Serving as a liaison to the Social Media Task Group, Updating the Health Care Team website, Observers needed for monthly Health Department and Health District meetings, and serving as Co-Leader for the Health Care Team. Please let us know if you have an interest in supporting the team.
We look forward to seeing you at our next meeting!
| Voter Services Team News
Twenty twenty-six got off to a rousing start for the Voter Services Team. Required by the Colorado Secretary of State, Volunteer Training for Voter Registration was conducted both in person and via Zoom during the month of January and the participation was significant and energizing. Voter Registration looks forward to a busy next several months with events at local high schools, community events, and other venues. New volunteers are always welcome. Interested in getting involved with Voter Registration?
Contact Mary Carraher.
During its January meeting, the Voter Services Team considered its agenda for the coming year. Besides the election-related work it generally does (Voter Services), VST wants to work on the off-season project of finding innovative ways to “Get Out the Vote.” Ideas and volunteers are welcome and encouraged. To find out more:
Contact Heather Sulgrove.
All are welcome to join us at the next Voter Services Team monthly meeting, which will be held via Zoom on February 10th from 6:30pm to 8:30pm. Register on the LWVLC Calendar here: Voter Services Team Meeting - 2/10/2026
| Great Decisions
Next meeting: Monday, February 2, 2026, at 11:30 a.m.
We will discuss America and the World: Trump 2.0 Foreign Policy, Chapter 1, in the 2026 Great Decisions book.
Trump's return has marked a break from 80 years of foreign policy leadership, embracing an "America First" approach. This chapter explores the risks of isolation and diminished influence in relation to Trump 2.0 foreign policy.
Great Decisions (GD) is on the LWVLC calendar and you can register THERE. A Zoom invitation will be sent to all previous participants. If you are new to GD and wish to participate, contact Annette DeMartine.
For more information about Great Decisions, please contact Karen Heckman.
Upcoming meetings are always announced in League Lines, and you can find us at http://www.lwv-larimercounty.org, among the “EDUCATION GROUPS” under the “OUR WORK” tab.
Great Decisions meetings are held on the first Monday of each month from February to June and October to December. | | FORT COLLINS, Jan. 28, AT THE GILDED GOAT -- New friends were welcomed, old friends caught up, and spirits were lifted – exactly what a Solidarity Happy Hour is supposed to do! Don’t miss the next In League with Kindred Spirits on Thursday, February 26, 4:30-6 pm at Grimm Brothers Taproom + Kitchen in Loveland. Register ahead on the LEAGUE CALENDAR and we will see you there! | Social Media Corner
Stay connected with the LWV-LC on Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky! Our social media channels are where timely updates, community events, advocacy opportunities and trusted nonpartisan resources can be found.
You can help by liking and sharing posts to expand our reach and commenting on posts to boost visibility. You can also submit ideas/events you would like us to highlight by sending details to lwvsocialteam@gmail.com.
Social media is one more way to educate, engage, and empower voters in Larimer County. Thank you for helping us spread the word!!
| Call for Outreach Volunteers!
Civic Fair Tabling Event at CSU
Part of CSU’s Annual Democracy Summit
March 9, 10:00 - 1:00
Lory Student Center
This popular event connects CSU students with organizations dedicated to civic participation, community service, advocacy, and social impact. Volunteer for a shift at our League's table at this fun event that helps foster civic engagement among our local students!
| Attention, Issues Teams!
Time to claim your General Meeting!
June and July are still available for Issue Teams to plan and host a general meeting. Complete the “Add Event to Calendar” form with details at least one month in advance. Contact Trish Warner with any questions.
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JUST ONE MORE THING BEFORE YOU GO...
| QUIZ TIME!
Test your knowledge about Larimer County water usage!
1. Is bottled water safer to drink than tap water?
2. How many gallons of raw water does it take to produce one gallon of treated water?
a. 1
b. 2
c. 5
d. 10
3. How many gallons of water does the average Larimer County residence use in 1 month?
a. 2,000
b. 4,000
c. 6,000
d. 16
4. What is the primary source of water for Larimer County?
a. Cache la Poudre River
b. Platte River
c. Colorado River
d. Rainfall
5. What average percentage of our drinking water is used to water yards?
a. 10%
b. 20%
c. 60%
6. How long can a human live without water?
a. 4 days
b. 8 days
c. 15 days
7. EXTRA CREDIT: Which great TV series had the quote: "Humans are merely ugly bags of mostly water?"
Ready to see how you did? Check your answers here: Water Quiz
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