| Making Democracy Work LWVWA is supporting Local Leagues and ally organizations to host workshops called Speak Up Schools. Speak Up Schools are a targeted strategy to improve the quality, content and diversity of input to our 2021 Washington State Redistricting Commission. These sessions will share tools to help participants find their own voice and build effective, personal testimony. Our goal is to have over 2000 people testify. Sign up for a Speak Up School below. Issue Team Chair: Alison McCaffree, amccaffree@lwvwa.org, (253) 720-6813 |
Public Testimony to the WA State Redistricting Commission—TESTIFY NOWHear from Rena Connell about her experience testifying before the Redistricting Commission (3.5 minutes). Thanks to KSER and LWV Magazine on the Air for this interview. Need more assistance? See our Speak Up School videos. Click the link to see these 20 min presentations. 1. Why Redistricting is important & why you should testify —View: Video | Slides , Spanish: Video | Slides 2. How to write Testimony—View Video | Slides , Spanish: Video | Slides 3. How to Testify —View: Video | Slides , Spanish: Video | Slides Speak Up Schools are completed and now it is time to testify. The second round of meetings for July ( July 24th, 26th and 31st) have been announced. Download the schedule here or view below or the redistricting page. Commission outreach meeting will be held by Zoom on Monday evenings 7pm - 9pm or Saturdays either 10am - 12noon or 1pm - 3pm. See the commission website for more details. You attend the meeting of your Congressional District -- but you can testify on either Congressional or Legislative Districts or the redistricting process as a whole. As of 6/28/21, Testimony Count = 207 / 2000 -- 10.4% The commission needs to hear from you. The LWVWA redistricting team has been hard at working working on draft maps in order to get feedback on communities of interest and voting representation needs. Please see our Redistricting Map Input page for more details on input and draft maps. Schedule - Testimony & Mapping Listening Sessions Note: Blue writing means there is a link to register. CLICK THE LINK TO REGISTER July 2021 7/6 5:30-7pm - Seattle, North Seattle, N. King Co Mapping Listening Session 7/24 10:00-12:00pm - CD 1 & CD 2 Public Testimony to Redistricting Commission
September 2021 October 2021 November 2021 2021 Speak up SchoolsPeople Powered Fair Maps is a nationwide redistricting campaign of the League of Women Voters of the United States focused on creating fair voting districts in all 50 states. Here at the League of Women Voters of Washington State, a major way we work to redistricting reform is our Speak Up School project. Goals:
A power-packed training session to inspire effective testimony to the 2021 Washington State Redistricting Commission. Find out more about the commission in our Census & Redistricting Tool Kit. Speak Up Schools are a targeted strategy to improve the quality, content and diversity of input to our Redistricting Commission. The 2021 Washington State Redistricting Commission will be hosting public input meeting during the spring and fall of 2021. In the past, testimony at these hearings has not been coherent, powerful or compelling and make it difficult for commissioners to take action on the input. The League want to change this in 2021. We will provide training and encourage a wide range of people to testify. These workshops will share tools to help participants find their own voice and build effective, personal testimony. Who should attend? The LWVWA Speak Up School development team offers a tremendous about of resources to help Speak Up School facilitators better run their workshops. See the comprehensive Guidebook, powerpoints for 4 community led modules, marketing assistance and more. Follow the links to the folders and the specific documents. Main Speak Up School Resources Folder Module Powerpoints and handouts Speak Up School Host Training Recordings: Apply for a Speak Up School Grant from the LWVWA Civic Ed Fund In Washington State we are activating people around redistricting through our Speak Up Schools. Local Leagues can apply for a grant of $350 to put on your Speak Up School through LWVWA's People Powered Fair Maps grant from LWVUS. Grant supported Speak Up Schools must be completed by June 2021. A final report is due within 3 months of the completion of your event. Download Pre-Approved Grant Application Here Please email both your grant application and your proposed budget and then the final report to Alison McCaffree @ amccaffree@lwvwa.org. You will be notified of your acceptance after the LWVWA Civic Education Fund reviews and accepts it; in approximately 4 weeks depending on their meeting schedule. You will receive your funds within 30 days of acceptance. How do I learn more? The LWVWA statewide Speak Up School team is here to assist any organization to host a school. Click below to download the detailed information on how to put on a school, who to partner with and what benefits you, your organization and your participant will hope to receive. This is a wonderful opportunity to strengthen partnerships with diverse coalition of group and individuals who are concerned with the create representative maps - and who are committed to testifying. Who can I contact? For questions please contact Issue Chair, Alison McCaffree at speakupschool@lwvwa.org or 253-720-6813 
There are a number of other areas of Democracy that we are working on. Please see Campaign Finance & Government Ethics, Elections, and Election Security.
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