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Date: 11/14/2021
Subject: LWV-Wake Update November 15th 2021
From: League of Women Voters of Wake County



LWV-Wake Update 11/15/2021

 
Zitala-Sa Image for Newsletter
Dear ~~first_name~~,
 
Greetings from LWV-Wake. 
 
November is American Indian Heritage Month
As we continue to recognize American Indian Heritage Month, please take a few minutes to watch a great short documentary titled Zitála-Šá: Trailblazing American Indian Composer, part of the Unladylike2020 series by PBS. Narrated by Julianna Margulies with commentary by current American Indian historians, this documentary highlights the achievements of Zitála-Šá as a teacher, composer and advocate. It provides an eye-opening account of how Indian schools were set up to integrate American Indians into a new culture and examines Zitála-Šá's work with an American composer to create the first American Indian opera. Zitála-Šá is definitely an activist to be remembered and honored. 
 
Facebook Matching for GivingTuesday
Our end-of-year online fundraising campaign, GivingTuesday, continues through November 30th. As an approved 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, Meta is offering to match donations (up to $8 million dollars) made through Facebook donation pages on November 30th beginning at 8am. They will match donations at 100% for the first $2 million dollars, then continue to match 10% of donations for the remaining $6 million.
 
Please visit our Facebook page to see our online fundraiser. GivingTuesday was created in 2012 as a simple idea: A day that encourages people to do good. Whether it’s some of your time, a donation, or the power of your voice in your local community, everyone has something to give. We all know giving makes us feel good! Right now your donation will be matched, up to $1500, by the LWV-Wake Board! Please consider the League as you make your end-of-year donation decisions. To learn more about Facebook matching, click here.
 
Environment Committee Tackles Litter with Litterati program
Members of the Environment Committee have been busy picking up and taking pictures of litter. Why? To call attention to problems that litter creates and encourage citizens to clean up their act and keep our communities clean. In addition to creating their own challenge, committee members took part in Wake County's CLEANWAKE Clean Up Challenge, which resulted in Wake County citizens picking up over 10,000 pieces of litter. The committee would like to expand their clean up challenge to LWV-Wake members and will be offering training in the near future on how to use the Litterati app as well as organizing events to both pick up litter and socialize. To learn more about the committee's involvement with Litterati, click here.
 
Affordable Housing for Cary
At the November 9th Cary Town Council meeting, LWV-Wake Affordable Housing Co-Chair Jeanne Ford presented public comments on behalf of LWV-Wake in support of the Cary Housing Plan that was unanimously approved by the Council. The housing plan's focus is to provide a variety of affordable homes so people of all ages and means can enjoy the benefits of Cary. Funding for the plan will rely on local, county and federal funding as well as private and philanthropic funds.  You can read Jeanne's public comments here.
 
 Volunteers Still Needed
The success of our organization depends on the collective efforts of our members. All areas of our organization need volunteers who can lend time, energy and talents (and you all have them!) to help us carry out our mission more effectively. Volunteering with the League can also be very rewarding. Want to learn new skills or learn more about an important topic that affects the health and well-being of North Carolinians? The League can help! Below are specific areas of need. However, if you're not sure how you want to be involved, please email us and we can help guide you in finding the perfect spot in which to share your experience and talents. Specific areas of need include:
Women's Equality Day
Do you like to plan parties and events?  If so, the Women’s Equality Day Committee is in need of additional members to help plan our annual fundraising event held in August 2022.  Some roles require basic computer skills; other roles require communicating with the caterer, speaker and others involved in the event, making follow-up calls to invited honorees and helping the day of the event.  Monthly committee meetings will begin after the first of the year and continue until the event.  Come join our other committee members for a fun time planning this special event.  If interested, please send an email to WED Committee Chair, Candace Blackley
Communications
The Communications Committee is looking for additional volunteers to add to the team. Those interested in learning our website platform or who enjoy creating social media content and/or editing are encouraged to share their talents with the League. This is a great opportunity to learn new skills and help increase the visibility of LWV-Wake. Membership in the League, while helpful, is not required. If interested, please contact Cheryl Tung or Jenny Kotora-Lynch. Members, please share this volunteer opportunity with anyone you think might be interested!



Upcoming LWV-Wake Events

  • November 18th 6:30pm-8pm Timely Topics: An Introduction to the TRHT Framework: A Holistic Approach to Racial Equity - This presentation introduces participants to the national Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation (TRHT) Movement and Framework. We will also situate the work of the Duke TRHT Center within this broader context.The TRHT Framework is a comprehensive and community-based process to address the historical and contemporary sources of racism and bring about transformation and sustainable change. Register here.
  • December 2nd 3pm-4:30pm Raleigh League Lit - Will discussThe Daughters of Kobani: A Story of Rebellion, Courage, and Justice. From Goodreads, "Rigorously reported and powerfully told, The Daughters of Kobani shines a light on a group of women intent on not only defeating the Islamic State on the battlefield but also changing women's lives in their corner of the Middle East and beyond." A New York Times bestseller. To register, click here.
  • December 6th 6:30pm DEI Roundtable Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation - (TRHT) is a comprehensive, national and community-based process to plan for and bring about transformational and sustainable change, and to address the historic and contemporary effects of racism. TRHT seeks to unearth deeply held, and often unconscious, beliefs created by racism – the main one being the belief in a “hierarchy of human value.” Join the informal discussion. Register here.
  • December 14th 3:00pm-4:30pm League Lit: Western Wake - Will discuss The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper. A New York Times Best Seller. From Amazon, "One of today’s most insightful and influential thinkers offers a powerful exploration of inequality and the lesson that generations of Americans have failed to learn: Racism has a cost for everyone - not just for people of color." Register here.   

State & Local Government
State Legislature Building for Newsletter
State Redistricting
With the passage of new Congressional and State district maps, it appears the only way North Carolinians will have maps that are NOT extremely partisan gerrymandered may be through litigation in the courts. To date, there have been two lawsuits filed:
  • NC NAACP vs. Berger - Filed by Southern Coalition for Social Justice on October 29th, requests that the implementation of the maps be blocked, alleging the mapmakers failed to consider race, thereby reducing minority representation. Read more about the lawsuit here.
  • Harper et al vs. NCGA Redistricting Chairs & NC Board of Elections - Filed on November 5th, builds upon the 2019 Harper vs. Lewis case and argues that new maps were drawn for partisan gain and violates several provisions of the North Carolina Constitution. Read more about the lawsuit here.
Budget
Budget negotiations have ended between Senate leader Berger, House leader Moore and Governor Cooper. With no official deal, the General Assembly is expected to pass a conference budget this week and send it to Governor Cooper for his signature. Whether the budget will contain policy-related provisions that Governor Cooper vetoed earlier, remains to be seen. However, it was announced that there will be no Medicaid Expansion in the budget because the House did not have enough Republican votes to support it. 
Leandro compliance image
Leandro Case Update
On Wednesday, November 10th, NC State Superior Court Judge David Lee ordered the State Controller and State Treasurer to transfer $1.7 billion from the state's general fund reserves to fund the first two years of the remedial plan for public education outlined in the WestEd report, a plan which had previously been approved by all parties in the case. Leaders in the General Assembly plan to appeal the ruling, stating the ruling is unconstitutional. In Judge Lee's ruling, quoted in NC Council of Church's recent blog post titled Help for schools: Courts to the rescue, he states:
 
“ ‘It is axiomatic that the terms or requirements of a constitution cannot be in violation of the same constitution – a constitution cannot violate itself,’ ” the judge wrote, quoting from the Supreme Court’s original Leandro ruling in 1997. “As a result, the appropriations clause cannot be read to override the people’s right to a sound basic education.”
 
And so our public school children continue to wait for their right to a sound basic education.
 
Scroll down to register for a Happy Hour & Hot Topics Leandro Update from Public Schools First NC Outreach Director, Lynn Edmonds.
 
For an in-depth analysis of the Leandro case, including the WestEd Report, visit everychildnc.org.

Local Redistricting
Wake County Board of Commissioners
The Wake County Board of Commissioners approved a new district map and voted to return to 4-year staggered terms following an expiration of a consent order that changed terms to 2 years for 2018 and 2020. You can read more here.  LWV-Wake public comments can be found under 'Recent News' on our League's homepage.
 
City of Raleigh
Raleigh City Council announced their redistricting process during the afternoon City Council session on Tuesday, November 2nd. The process description put forth by Council member Nicole Stewart and approved by the council is as follows:
 
The same study group that was charged with researching Council terms and salaries will lead the redistricting process.  
Staff will draw 3 map options, similar to the process of Mecklenburg County. 
The council will prepare a report of pros/cons of the maps based on the study's findings.
There are plans for 2 public hearings after the maps are presented and then one formal hearing as required by state statute for a total of 3 public hearings.
They will have an online public comment portal.
They plan to hold their final public hearing around March 1st and wrap up the process.
They will choose the option that has the "least drawbacks and most benefits".
They do NOT plan to increase the number of districts, stating time constraints. 
The maps will be drawn by Ken Bowers, Deputy Director Planning & Development, who made the census presentation during the virtual town hall. He was on staff during the 2011 round of redistricting. 
 
LWV-Wake made public comments during the evening City Council session on November 2nd, encouraging the Council to create a redistricting website and provide citizens with all information related to redistricting. In addition, it was suggested that ample opportunities for meaningful input be included into the process, including scheduling a hearing AFTER maps have been released and ensuring minority community voices were given a seat at the table. We will continue to follow this process and work to engage with all participants in this process. LWV-Wake public comments can be found under 'Recent News' on our League's  homepage.
 
Wake County Board of Education
The Wake County Board of Education began discussing redistricting at their work session on September 21. Attorney Adam Mitchell from Tharrington Smith, LLP, presented information on current district sizes, legal requirements, and potential redistricting criteria. Read Mr. Mitchell’s presentation here.
 
Please be sure to check out our Redistricting page on our website for up-to-date information on local redistricting. 
 

LWVNC Events
Sound, Basic Education for All: The Leandro Ruling
This happy hour and hot topics session is sponsored by LWV Orange, Durham, and Chatham Counties. Join Lynn Edmonds, Outreach Director for Public Schools First NC (and LWV-Wake member) virtually for an update covering:
 
Background on the Leandro ruling
Leandro action plan
Impact of implementation on school district's budget
Challenges
Next steps
Registration is required. Register on LWVNC's website.

The Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools PTA Council is a cosponsor for this event. Friends and spouses are welcome. 

Giving Tuesday Challenge
GivingTuesday Campaign is going on NOW!
Donations are Tax-Deductible
The LWV-Wake Development Committee has been working to make our end-of-year fundraising campaign the best EVER! We are kicking off the campaign with a matching challenge. The LWV-Wake Board of Directors has agreed to match the first $1500 in donations! We hope this global day of giving will propel all of our generous donors to continue to support the League. In addition, we invite you to share our social media posts during the campaign to generate new donors who support our mission to Defend Democracy and Educate Voters. Help us kick off the matching challenge by making a donation today!
 

Thank you for continuing to support the League of Women Voters of Wake County. I look forward to seeing you at one of our upcoming events.
Sincerely,
Cheryl Tung
President
nc center for nonprofits image newsletter
The League of Women Voters of Wake County is a designated 501(c)3 nonprofit charitable organization by the IRS. Donations and membership dues are fully tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.