 |  | Fresh From Convention: What Our Delegates Brought Home
Convention outcomes shaping our future
Every two years, League members from across the country gather to chart our shared direction — and this June was no exception. Julie Stackhouse, Linda Mahan, and Kathy Maher represented our League at the LWVUS Biennial Convention. Here is an abbreviated version of the outcomes that will shape our work for the next two years.
A Big New Banner: "Defending a Democracy under Siege"
The headline from the Convention is a new theme for our work for the upcoming two years. "Making Democracy Work" is being retired in favor of something that speaks directly to this moment: Defending a Democracy under Siege. There are six focus areas that will anchor the League's work through the biennium that began July 1:
- Voting Rights — making sure every eligible voter can register, cast a ballot, and have it counted accurately
- Protecting Elections — keeping elections fair, accessible, and representative of all Americans
- Redistricting — pushing for transparent, accountable redistricting and safeguarding the U.S. Census
- Immigration — advocating for a fair immigration process and a path to citizenship
- Individual Rights — defending constitutional freedoms against efforts to erode them
- The Presidency — reinforcing checks and balances among the three branches, including support for abolishing the Electoral College through the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact
With the benefit of some early-2026 LWVUS foreshadowing reinforcing what we thought were our own local priorities, LWVLC built some of these priorities into our 2026 Program. Expect to see this Defending a Democracy under Siege theme woven into our own Program Planning process in 2027 — so start thinking now about how your local priorities connect to these six threads.
Positions Held and Two New Ones Adopted Through Concurrence
Delegates voted to retain the existing LWVUS positions. They also voted to concur with two new positions: LWV Washington State's position on Protecting the Rights of Immigrants, and LWV Colorado's position on Religious Freedom.
A Local Connection: Larimer County's Resolution Goes National
Here's a point of pride — the League of Women Voters of Larimer County brought forward a resolution on government use of surveillance technology (federal, state, and local), and it passed. Resolutions are essentially the League's formal statements of sentiment, so this is a meaningful moment for a resolution with local roots to become part of the national conversation.
Bylaws Get a Tune-Up
Delegates also approved several technical amendments to the LWVUS Bylaws. The most notable: the Member Rights and Responsibilities Policy will now be referenced directly in the Bylaws. We'll bring this change to our own Bylaws at our Annual Meeting in 2027. In the meantime, we encourage you to review this important policy, which can be found HERE. It lays out clearly the responsibilities of members with respect to actions as a member of the League.
Thinking About Next Time?
If you've never been to a National Convention, put it on your list! Delegates leave energized and informed. You will connect to a nationwide network of people doing the work of the League alongside you!
| Plan For Women's Equality Day Celebration!
Celebrating Women's Equality Day
August 19th, 2026
5:00 - 7:30pm
The Forge Event Center
- Click on special Women’s Equality Day web page for all the event details
- Purchase your ticket to attend by July 31 (price increases on Aug. 1)
- Share special email invitation with your network (coming soon)
- Register for Silent Auction (info on webpage)
- Start browsing Silent Auction items available
- Mark your calendar to start bidding August 12
- Plan to enjoy evening with League friends and our community to celebrate 3 special Larimer County women
See you at The Forge Event Center August 19!!
| | Is Media Ruining America?
Five-part series on media disinformation
| | | Join the League of Women Voters of Larimer County when we host a five-part series on the dangers of media disinformation entitled Is Media Ruining America?In it, we examine the proliferation of fake news and how it’s polarizing the country and threatening our democracy. Our goal is to equip community members with skills needed to recognize media manipulation, reduce political polarization, and protect the integrity of democratic processes.
The five-week series consists of five Zoom sessions, the last of which is a panel discussion. You can register for these sessions on the Calendar page at lwv-larimercounty.org.
- July 14 (6:30 - 8:00pm) Week One: How We Got Here. This presentation covers the evolution of media and recent changes brought by deregulation and technology. Missed the first one? Look for the recording on our website and jump in on Week 2!
- July 21 (6:30 - 8:00pm) Week Two: Recognizing and Confronting Bias. This presentation covers how to recognize and combat bias on a personal level and in the media.
- July 28 (6:30 - 8:00pm) Week Three: Surviving the Avalanche of Fake News. This presentation offers tips on how to spot (and avoid) "fake news" and begin to bridge the political divide.
- August 4 (6:30 - 8:00pm) Week Four : AI and Its Threats to Our Democracy. This presentation offers an introduction to Artificial Intelligence and the dangers it presents to our elections and our democracy.
- August 10 (6:30 - 8:00pm), Week Five: Panel discussion by local experts in the online information ecosystem and local news. These experts will help us tie together what we have learned in weeks one through four. Our experts will be Professor Jeff Borg (Political Science, Front Range Community College), Professor Nikhil Krishnaswamy (Computer Science, Colorado State University), Professor Stephanie Pennington (Communications Studies, Colorado State University), John Vahlenkamp (Managing Editor, Loveland Reporter Herald), and Professor David Wolfgang (Journalism and Media Studies, Colorado State University).
The book True or False, A CIA Analyst's Guide to Spotting Fake News, by Cindy L Otis, ( link to book on Amazon) was used as the basis for this program. Although we encourage you to read this book, it is not required to attend and participate in the sessions.
This workshop series was developed by the League of Women Voters of Jefferson County.
| Join The LWVLC 2026-2027 LWVLC Leadership Program
Develop leadership skills and connections
Mondays, October 26th, November 30th, January 25th, February 22nd, and March 29th
6:00 - 8:30pm
Heart of the Rockies Church, Fort Collins
MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
For the 2nd year, LWVLC is holding its Leadership Program that is open to all members. The program has been designed to educate, develop leadership skills, and develop meaningful connections, so members are able to step into future leadership roles.
The program will cover:
- Structure and governance of the LWV at the national, state, and local levels
- Work and success of the Voter Services team
- Action, advocacy, and partnerships of the LWVLC
- Work and successes of the Issue Teams through action and advocacy
- Program and strategic planning
- League’s legislative action activities
- How the LWVLC plans for the future
The meetings will be held at the Heart of the Rockies Church, Fort Collins on Mondays October 26th, November 30th, January 25th, February 22nd, and March 29th from 6;00 - 8:30 pm.
| News on LWVLC's Work on Mass Surveillance
Fort Collins surveillance policy development & resolution passes LWVUS national convention
The Civil Liberties & Rights Team and the LWVLC Board continue our work on the issue of mass surveillance by local governments.
Following the City of Fort Collins City Council's 6-1 vote to cancel their contract with Flock Safety for their Automated License Plate Reader system, the City has announced a rapid process to adopt a new " surveillance governance policy." (The goal of the process is for the council to adopt a new policy by the end of December.) The draft policy will be presented by staff to council at a work session on July 28th. The meeting time has not been announced, but the time and agenda will be posted on the council's website. https://fortcollins-co.municodemeetings.com/
Throughout the policy-development process, any Fort Collins resident can make public comments about the use of mass surveillance at the beginning of any council meeting. To learn more about these systems and LWVLC's stance on the civil liberties and privacy implications of these types of surveillance, visit the Civil Liberties & Rights Teams Substack. The Team will also make sample talking points available in subsequent newsletter issues or email blasts, and on the Team’s Substack. (Please subscribe for updates.)
And, if you are in another jurisdiction using Flock cameras (Loveland, Berthoud, Larimer County or elsewhere) please let team leaders Amy Lewis or Jamie Baker Roskie know if you are interested in engaging your local government on this issue.
Last but not least, many thanks to CR&L board liaison Kathy Maher for authoring and shepherding a resolution on local, state, and federal use of surveillance technology to the LWVUS convention June 27. It passed by an overwhelming majority of 884 delegates, which shows that League chapters across the country share our concerns about this issue. Read the resolution here.
| | It's Plastic Free July Everywhere
Celebrating Larimer County plastic-free efforts
Amidst Plastic Free July awareness and the tracking of and reflections on our personal plastics use, the LWVLC Environmental Team (ET) sends our appreciation on behalf of the Environment that we all live in to:
- Fort Collins City Council for its Proclamation of a Plastic Free July
- Larimer County Office of Sustainability and Climate for their encouragement to replace single-use plastics
- ET member Vicki McCargar from Loveland for her positive alternatives to plastics (pictured)
Spread the word on your own participation to friends and governments across Larimer County and beyond. Plan your own "Plastic Free August” and share your results on social media!
| | | Did you know we have two Substacks?
CLR issues team & Colorado Citizen Observers
Many of you are familiar with the Citizen Observers, but did you know that our Civil Liberties & Rights team now has a Substack too? Substack is a platform where you subscribe to specific writers and get their longer posts (news, essays, newsletters) delivered straight to your email instead of buried in an algorithm-driven feed like Facebook's. Subscribing is usually free, some writers charge for extras, and you can comment and discuss posts just like on Facebook.
See below for highlights about the most recent posts from CLR and Citizen Observers. Subscribe to their stacks to get all the latest updates!
- Student expulsion appeals process may be adjusted due to competing duties of PSD attorney (July 11, 2026)
A year-in-review of the Poudre School District board. The centerpiece: the district's General Counsel was advising the board while also representing the district in expulsion appeals the board must judge — a conflict a director flagged in March, prompting outside counsel and a move toward formal role-separation policy. It also tracks a recurring transparency objection over "bundled" large purchases, RIFs from a projected $8–17M shortfall, and a consolidation-planning push targeting an October 2026 recommendation.
https://coloradocitizenobservers.substack.com/p/student-expulsion-appeals-process
- Larimer County has until August to build framework of rules for future data centers (June 26, 2026)
With Larimer County's data-center moratorium expiring August 25, this piece uses neighboring cases as warnings. Longmont banned hyperscale (100MW+) facilities, while Weld County's first application — a 35MW GlobalAI center near Windsor — shows how a county can have standards on paper (noise, water, backup power) yet never actually apply them, most sharply on water: the site relies on an inherited Carestream arrangement expiring March 2027, with no demand figure filed. The takeaway for Larimer: build a framework that forces real review before approval.
https://coloradocitizenobservers.substack.com/p/larimer-county-has-until-august-to
- THE WORST INSTRUMENTS OF ARBITRARY POWER (June 24, 2026)
This piece draws a line from the American Revolution to modern surveillance. It opens with the colonial-era "writs of assistance" — broad, reusable search permissions the Crown used to rummage through homes without particular cause (illustrated by the 1766 case of Boston merchant Daniel Malcom's locked wine cellar) — which spurred James Otis's condemnation of general searches as "the worst instruments of arbitrary power" and gave rise to the Fourth Amendment's demand for particularity. It then argues that automated license plate readers (ALPRs) and mass-surveillance cameras recreate that same general-search danger by logging the movements of millions who aren't suspected of any crime, and urges readers to press local governments on where these systems sit, how long data is kept, and who can access it.
https://civillibertieslwvlc.substack.com/p/the-worst-instruments-of-arbitrary
| | Congratulations!!
Julie Stackhouse joins LWVUS Board
Congratulations to Julie Stackhouse on her election to the LWVUS Board of Directors!! Julie will serve as Treasurer as of July 1. Our local and state Leagues can be proud to be represented at the national level with Julie as a new Board member!
We wish her good luck as she begins this new job!
| | | | Welcome New Members!
We had 4 new members join us last month. If you see them at an event, welcome them and say hi!
- Barbara Dixon
- Mary Ann Michels
- Nancy Plemmons
- Jim Stackhouse
| | In Memorium News
Remembering Georgia Locker
August 8, 2026
10:00am
First United Methodist Church in Fort Collins
Georgia left over 55 years of activism and education with the League in Larimer County. She joined within a year of moving to Fort Collins in the 1970s. Her particular interest was on the environment- first in a study group on "growth/good growth" and land use planning, which then became a team on "sustainability issues" and later the Environmental Action Team. She was a persistent advocate for the League around the fracking issue (5 times!) to the Colorado Oil & Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC). When interviewed as an Honorary Member her advice to everyone was "keeping getting out there in civil action!"
A memorial service will be held on August 8 at 10 AM at First United Methodist Church in Fort Collins.
| | | | Hello, LWV friends!
Let’s talk about scams. I got hit with one last week.
I had just gotten back from a road trip. I was tired and ill and they preyed on my sense of empathy. They posed as another League member who was struggling to navigate the gift card system on Amazon. They had created a story about having a friend with cancer and convinced me to buy them $300 of gift cards. After those had cleared, they asked for another $300.
| | | My alarm bells finally started going off and I reached out to the League member directly. The member confirmed that their email had been hacked and it was a scam.
My heart sank and I immediately felt sick. I reached out to Amazon immediately, but the gift cards had already been used and they said they were unable to do anything at that point. I filed a report with the FTC and with my credit card company, but I don’t expect to get reimbursed.
Scams keep getting more convincing — and they don't just target the unsuspecting. Even sharp, careful people get caught off guard, because that's exactly what scammers are counting on. Here are a few warning signs and simple habits that can save you a lot of trouble:
Watch for these red flags: urgency ("act now or else"), unusual payment requests (gift cards, wire transfers, crypto), unexpected contact claiming to be your bank or a government agency, offers that seem too good to be true, and requests for passwords or account numbers out of the blue.
Before you act, slow down: don't click links or call numbers from the suspicious message itself — look up the organization yourself. Check with a friend or family member if something feels off. Verify through a website or app you already know and trust.
If you think you've been scammed: contact your bank right away, change your passwords, and report it at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
Sharing with you all is a very vulnerable thing for me to do. Honestly, I feel ashamed and stupid. I’d like to think that if I had been at full capacity, I wouldn’t have been as vulnerable. But that’s the thing, these types of scams are deliberately designed to target vulnerable people. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time.
Have a tech question of your own? Email me — all questions are kept anonymous.
— Jaz, Your LWV Tech Helper |  | Women Who Made Waves: Judy Heumann
Throughout history, women have challenged the status quo, expanded rights, and strengthened our democracy. This feature honors those who made lasting contributions—and inspire us to continue the work.
Judy Heumann (1947–2023)
Long before "disability rights" was a phrase anyone recognized, Judy Heumann was already fighting for it.
Born December 18, 1947, in Philadelphia, Judy contracted polio at 18 months old and used a wheelchair for the rest of her life. When she was denied a teaching license by the New York City Board of Education solely because of her disability, she sued — and won, becoming the city's first wheelchair-using public school teacher.
In 1977, Judy helped lead the Section 504 sit-in, occupying a federal building in San Francisco for 28 days — still the longest occupation of a U.S. federal building in history — to demand the government finally enforce protections for people with disabilities. That sit-in helped pave the way for the Americans with Disabilities Act, signed into law on July 26, 1990.
Judy went on to serve as the highest-ranking disabled official in the Clinton administration and later became the U.S. State Department's first Special Advisor for International Disability Rights. She spent her life insisting that access and inclusion were not favors, but rights.
As we mark Disability Pride Month and the ADA's anniversary on July 26, the League of Women Voters honors Judy Heumann — a woman who made waves.
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