Voices of the League

2022Leg Democracy Education Reproductive Rights

Let’s think more deeply about an important issue

All human life is valuable. That includes the life of the unborn, but it also includes the life of the mother, the lives of children already born, and even fathers and grandparents. There are many issues that have not been considered with respect to a broad ban on abortion. If women can’t effectively plan their own child-bearing, then are women being recognized as full human beings and citizens of our democracy? But these are concerns not only for women of child-bearing age. Men also share the responsibility of child-rearing. Even women who are…

By Advocacy Team September 22, 20222022Leg, Democracy, Education, Reproductive Rights

Robin Buckelew presents at LWVUS Convention 2022, Denver, CO

Racism and DEI Suffrage & League History Voting Rights

Where were they? Where are we now? Where do we go from here?

By Ida Tyree-Hyche Hill, Esq. and presented by Dr. Robin Buckelew to the Convention of the League of Women Voters of the United States in Denver, CO on June 25, 2022. I. Where were they? There is a quote by Sydney J. Harris: “History repeats itself, but in such a cunning disguise that we never detect the resemblance until the damage is done.” Earlier this week we celebrated the Juneteenth federal holiday, which recognizes the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Texas officially learned they’d been freed two years earlier by the Emancipation…

By Ida Hill June 30, 2022Racism and DEI, Suffrage & League History, Voting Rights

2022Leg Civic Action Democracy Education Transparency in Government

The League of Women Voters Commends the Alabama Legislature for Improvements in Government Transparency

As an organization dedicated to voter education and the widest possible voter engagement in our democracy, the League of Women Voters is very pleased to commend the Alabama Legislature for steps they have taken to improve government transparency. We would like to acknowledge that the work was spearheaded by the Legislative Computer Center and was a collaborative effort of the Senate, House, and Legislative Services Agency. By “transparency,” we mean that voters can easily see what is happening so that they can express their views on legislation to their own legislators. In particular, we…

By Advocacy Team March 15, 20222022Leg, Civic Action, Democracy, Education, Transparency in Government

2022Leg Civic Action Education

Thoughts on teaching history accurately

Article by Carol Prickett *** The League of Women Voters of Alabama, with members all across the state, has a deep and abiding commitment to educating Alabama citizens about current issues. We believe that an accurately informed population votes for the government that best serves the state. With this focus on urgent current matters, why do we take just as strong a stand about teaching history in our public schools? It is because the stories we tell about the past shape the decisions we make in the future. Students trust teachers to tell them,…

By Advocacy Team March 13, 20222022Leg, Civic Action, Education

2022Leg Civic Action Democracy

Do you have any idea how hard it is to vote absentee in Alabama?

Article by Catherine Davies You probably know that you can do “absentee voting.” If you haven’t actually done it yourself, you probably assume that it is easy for qualified voters to do. I created the list below from my own experience of voting absentee twice in Alabama (in Nov of 2020 and in the last municipal election). I invite you to read the list below and ask yourself if this is easy for ANYBODY to accomplish, let alone somebody who is infirm or disabled. 13 things that you need to know, have, or do…

By Catherine Davies March 10, 20222022Leg, Civic Action, Democracy

Democracy Redistricting

10 of 10: What about all our state-level districts being redrawn?

If you’ve read through the entire sequential set of posts, we hope that you’re now feeling relieved that you understand what’s going on and that the League is ON THE CASE as far as federal Congressional districts go. But then, immediately, you’re thinking: but what about all of the state-level districts??

By Catherine Davies July 30, 2021Democracy, Redistricting

Democracy Redistricting

9 of 10: Our current Alabama Congressional districts

Now we’re going to examine the state of Alabama and how things stand with our current Congressional districts. Further along in the post we’ll zoom in and examine the situation in Tuscaloosa County that has been divided between two different Congressional districts as you can see on the map (the 4th and the 7th).

By Catherine Davies July 30, 2021Democracy, Redistricting

Democracy Redistricting

8 of 10: Mapping software!

Even though the judgment of LWVUS is that our option in Alabama is federal, aren’t there other things we can do? We know that the Permanent Legislative Committee on Reapportionment is tasked with drawing the new maps on the basis of the Census data. Its guidelines below indicate that any individual citizen or organization may submit redistricting plans to the committee which become part of the public record.

By Catherine Davies July 30, 2021Democracy, Redistricting

Democracy Redistricting

7 of 10: The League’s People Powered Fair Maps Initiative

LWVUS believes our best strategy in Alabama to protect voting rights is at the federal level, through legislation (e.g., the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act). The federal focus is due to several factors, including that Alabama does not allow ballot initiatives or referendums.

By Catherine Davies July 30, 2021Democracy, Redistricting

Democracy Redistricting

6 of 10: What about the role of the Supreme Court in protecting us from gerrymandering?

The good news here, and it involves a case from Alabama, is that RACIAL gerrymandering is not allowed. The case was Gomillion v. Lightfoot in 1960.

By Catherine Davies July 30, 2021Democracy, Redistricting