The September League News |  | Message from the President
It looks like fall has arrived, releasing us from the relentless heat and drought of summer. We are preparing for a new League year and it will be a big one, with the Texas Legislative session beginning in January.
Kick-off meeting on August 20: We had a terrific meeting with our Voter Service and Program VP’s, Janice Schieffer and Sharon Hirsch, telling us about upcoming plans. We also heard from LWVTX Advocacy VP Elisabeth MacNamara who told us about the need for Issue Chairs for the legislative session. Please see their articles below.
Collin County Elections Administrator Bruce Sherbet: We met with him on August 12. He will be our speaker after the November General Election to give us a recap. He did share with us that:
- There is no shortage of election poll workers in Collin County, but
- He does need more full-time, temporary workers. If you can work in this paid position from mid-September to mid-November, please contact the League and we will pass your name to him. Contact janetimhofflwv@gmail.com or lwvcollin@gmail.com.
|  | Help Needed!
Our League has several openings that can be on-board or off-board positions. We need your help running our League: Contact janetimhofflwv@gmail.com if you can help with any of the following:
- Voter Registration Co-chair: We have plans for voter registration events this fall before the November election. You will have help but we need someone to take the lead.
- Voter Roll Maintenance Project: A committee will work with Elections Administrator Bruce Sherbet on how voter rolls are maintained, and purges are carried out.
- Observer Corps: Are you interested in being a League Observer at meetings of the County Commissioners, city council or school board? You can do the one whose meeting times fit your schedule.
|  | How Banning Books Undermines Democracy - September 20
We invite you to join us for a Zoom webinar on Tuesday, September 20th at 7 p.m. entitled “How Banning Books Undermines Democracy.” Our event coincides with the American Library Association’s Banned Books Week 2022 and aligns with our Program priority “Making Democracy Work.”
A panel of experts will discuss how library collections are curated, intellectual and academic freedom, censorship, and what we can do to safeguard the freedom to read.
You can register for the program and submit questions for our panelists at this link.
Read about our panelists:
Carolyn Foote is a retired/rewired 29-year Texas school librarian who works on issues of intellectual freedom, as well as advising on library design. Recently awarded the ALA Robert Downes Intellectual Freedom Award and the AASL Intellectual Freedom Award, she is one of the cofounders of the grassroots group FReadom Fighters.
Christina H. Gola is Associate Dean for Organizational Development, Learning, and Talent at the University of Houston Libraries where she leads organizational effectiveness, human resources, employee development, recruitment and onboarding with a focus on building equity and inclusion into the organization. She began her career as an academic librarian teaching information literacy skills, and published and presented on student learning and assessment. Today her scholarship focuses on library leadership and leading change.
Christina serves as an advocate for libraries across state and national associations, having served as President of the Texas Library Association in 2020-2021 and as a fellow in the Association of Research Libraries in 2018-2019. She won the award for Outstanding Alumni from the University of North Texas, Department of Information Science in 2021.
Spencer Smith is currently the Director of Libraries for the City of McKinney. He has been a library director for over 10 years. Prior to his role in McKinney, he has worked for the City of Haltom City, the City of Fort Worth, the Town of Little Elm, and as a CIO for a venture capital firm based in Las Colinas. He currently lives in Flower Mound, Texas, with his wife of 17 years and his three children ages 15, 11, and 11.
| LWV-CC Book Club - October 12
All are invited to the League of Women Voters of Collin County Book Club! On October 12, 6:30-7:30pm we will be discussing "Kill Switch" by Adam Jentleson via Zoom. We will talk about our thoughts on the book as well as various discussion questions.
You can purchase a digital, physical, or audio copy of the book here. You can check your local library availability here. It looks like it is currently available in at least Allen and Plano.
Register for the Book Club meeting HERE. If you are a member, make sure you are logged in to your LWV-CC account before registering.
|  | Ask the Candidates
This month LWV-CC will host virtual candidate forums for contested races in the November 8 election. Each forum will have a Q&A using questions collected in advance. Please send your questions to lwvcollin.forum@gmail.com for US and Texas legislators by September 11, and questions for the following county offices by September 25: county judge, commissioner, district clerk, and justice of the peace. Thanks for your input!
LWV-CC nonpartisan voters guides and candidate forum videos will be available at www.LWVCollin.org before early voting starts October 24.
Register to Vote by October 11
Visit our Voting Resources webpage to find out how to make sure you are registered to vote, how to vote by mail, and what it takes to be prepared for this important election. Share this link with friends and family to help them be engaged voters, too!
LWV-CC Volunteer Deputy Registrars (VDRs) will be registering voters and providing election information at upcoming voter registration events:
September 14: IGNITE Voter Education Day at Collin College Plano
September 19: Rock the Vote at Collin College campuses in Plano and Wylie
September 20: Rock the Vote at Collin College campuses in McKinney and Frisco
September 20: North Texas Food Bank
September 22: Plano West Senior High School
September 29: Plano West Senior High School
October 15: Plano International Festival October 15
Several high schools in Collin County
If you want us to help with your voter registration event, contact lwvcollin@gmail.com.
|  | Become an Issue Chair!
Every biennium, the League of Women Voters of Texas actively engages Texas Legislators on issues that matter to the League and to the state of Texas. The Upcoming 88th session of the Texas Legislature will be no different.
The League speaks with one voice in order to harness the power of our collective voices and votes. We speak to positions developed through careful study and consensus over the years. As in the past and in alignment with the LWVUS and Leagues in all fifty states, our number one priority will be Voting Rights and Election Law. Additionally, we believe that speaking to bills that address Gun Safety and Women’s Health and Reproductive Rights will be essential in this session.
There are many other important issues that League can, has and will wish to speak to. To do so, we need members from around the state to help us follow bills as they come up and help us prepare Testimony, Letters to the Editor, and Action Alerts.
Areas where we need coverage include Money in Politics, Financing the State Government, Children’s issues (Early childhood, Child Abuse/Neglect, Child Health), Criminal Justice (domestic violence, drug policies, and juvenile justice), Health Care and Immigration.
Any member interested in becoming an issue chair please contact Elisabeth MacNamara, Advocacy Chair, at emacnamara@lwvtexas.org.
You don’t have to live in the Austin Area to make a big difference during the upcoming legislative session! | Empowering voters. Defending democracy.
www.lwvcollin.org | The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan 501C3 organization. We do not support or oppose any political party or candidate. We encourage informed and active participation in government, and we influence public policy through education and advocacy.
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