League of Woman Voters of Northampton Area

All News and Events

Ranked Choice Voting Webinar

Webinar: Questions About Ranked Choice Voting?

LWVMA will host a webinar about ranked choice voting (RCV) in Massachusetts on Tuesday, Feb. 26, at 7 p.m.
Adam Friedman, executive director of Voter Choice Massachusetts, will explain how RCV works and discuss the legislation being introduced to bring RCV to our state, then answer questions. Voter Choice Massachusettsis a non-profit, non-partisan advocacy organization formed to champion RCV in Massachusetts after Maine passed the first statewide RCV law in November 2016.
REGISTER FOR WEBINAR here and you will receive the link to use to join the webinar.

Webinar on the state Legislature and LWV action

LWVMA Offering Webinar on the Legislature

How does the 2-year cycle work? LWVMA support for bills.

As the new session of the legislature begins, LWVMA is offering a webinar on Tuesday, Jan. 29, at 7 p.m. to explain how Massachusetts’ two-year legislature works and how the League, through its Legislative Action Committee, chooses the bills it will support (or oppose) and follows them through the session. Nancy Brumback, LAC chair, will present the information.
REGISTER FOR THE WEBINAR: here and you will receive the link to use to join the webinar.

Justice & Renewable Energy for All Lobby Day

Justice & Renewable Energy for All Lobby Day

Support environmental justice, 100% renewable energy, transportation, and carbon pricing at the Justice & Renewable Energy for All Lobby Day at the State House Thursday, Jan. 24, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with our partners in the Mass Power Forward Coalition.
RSVP here to get a meeting scheduled with your own legislators. Event updates will be posted on the coalition Facebook page.

Single-Payer Health Care Lobby Day

Join LWVMA and our partners at Mass-Care to tell your legislators you support single-payer health care. The Single-Payer Lobby Day at the State House is Wednesday, Jan. 23. Meet at 11 a.m. at the Grand Staircase for a mini-rally and information session before visiting your own legislators and delivering information packets on the single-payer bills.

As you know, our current healthcare insurance system is failing to meet our healthcare needs, and is very costly.
 
A number  of Amherst and Northampton League members have been working with Western Mass. Medicare for All to build support for a Medicare for All plan for our Commonwealth.  This health insurance plan would cover everyone with lifetime, guaranteed, comprehensive, all-inclusive health insurance, and cost much less too.  
 
There is strong public support for this improved healthcare plan in the Valley.  The good news is that our newly elected senator and representatives support single-payer health care.  Previous bills have been held in legislative committees for years.  Our League has studied and worked since the 1980’s on having a National Single Payer Health Insurance Plan.  We believe now may finally be an opportunity to change this situation.
Currently, bills are being submitted at the State level again for consideration  Now is time to get these bills before the legislature and voted upon. 
OR send  support from home if you cannot go on Lobby Day. 
Email, write, or call your state Senator and Congressman, and ask them to co-sponsor the bills when they are submitted to the legislature.  Also request they join the Medicare for All Caucus to get these bills passed.
You can locate your legislators at MALegislature.gov.
Sample Letter
Dear Representative or Senator,
 
I am writing as your constituent, asking you to co-sponsor the new House and Senate bills to implement a Medicare for All plan in Massachusetts.  There is very strong public support for a single-payer health plan here, and I would like you to co-sponsor these bills.  I ask you to join the Medicare for All Caucus to support these bills too.   
 
Please work hard to implement a Medicare for All plan in our state.  This would be a more comprehensive, universal healthcare financing plan that would provide better coverage, and save money too.  
 
Thank you.  

Ballot Question Consensus Study

Join Us!

Ballot Question Consensus Meeting

Feb. 2, Florence Civics Center, 10 – 2 pm, Lunch provided 

Why this study?

This study incorporates the intersection of the League’s areas of mission: voting and advocacy. LWVMA has not studied the ballot (initiative and referendum) process in MA and has no positions on this aspect of voting/elections.

The scope of the study is to review the Massachusetts laws and regulations that govern statewide citizen-initiated ballot questions (initiative and referendum process); consider the consequences of current laws and regulations; and propose concrete next steps that LWVMA could take to enact change, if the study results in recommended change.

How does the whole consensus process work?

  1. Local leagues across the state are holding consensus meetings for member to learn about the ballot process in MA, and to determine whether they approve of the current process or recommend changes to it.

2.  A LWVMA Study Committee has done exhaustive research on the ballot question process in MA and in other states. They produced a study guide with background information and written questions to be used at the consensus meetings.

3.  Before the meeting it is recommended, but not necessary, that members look at the study guide and suggested background info (as little or as much as  you wish). Link to study documents:

4. This is the interesting, stimulating part.  The meeting begins with a lengthy, in-depth discussion of the issues, led by a facilitator who understands the material.

How do the questions get on the ballot?  Think back to the mid-term questions — Were the questions understandable to everyone?  Did you have enough information to make an informed decision?  Were you comfortable with the amount of money spent to shape voter opinions?

5. Members vote and look for consensus on questions prepared by the state league Study Committee. Responses are recorded (consensus, no consensus).

6. The state Study Committee tallies responses from all leagues and crafts position statements.

7. Position statements are voted on at the state convention in June. Those that are ratified become the official position of the LWV of Massachusetts.

Webinar: It’s Happening. It’s Now: The Climate Reports of 2018

Climate Change Webinar: Help Spread the Word

The LWVMA Committee for Environmental Action and Advocacy is presenting a webinar featuring world-renowned climate scientist Professor Michael Oppenheimer on Wednesday, Feb. 6, 4 p.m. EST. He will discuss the two major climate reports of 2018, the UN IPCC Report and the US National Climate Assessment Report.

This popular webinar already has over 100 registrations from around the country, but there is plenty of space left. The webinar is free and open to all.

REGISTER, here and you will receive the link to join the webinar.

For more information see the webinar webpage and flyer. The Facebook event page is here

Link to Flyer

 

Movie showing at Forbes Library: Dark Money

DARK MONEY, a political thriller, examines one of the greatest present threats to American democracy: the influence of untraceable corporate money on our elections and elected officials. The film takes viewers to Montana—a frontline in the fight to preserve fair elections nationwide—to follow an intrepid local journalist working to expose the real-life impacts of the US Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision. Through this gripping story, DARK MONEY uncovers the shocking and vital truth of how American elections are bought and sold. This Sundance award-winning documentary is directed/produced by Kimberly Reed (PRODIGAL SONS) and produced by Katy Chevigny (E-TEAM).

Nov. 6 VOTE

Polls are open from 7 a.m-8 p.m.  Vote–It counts!

September Board Meeting

The next board meeting will be on Tuesday, September 25 at 7 p.m. at Nancy Polan’s home, 10 Pine Meadow Rd., Southampton.