Empowering Voters. Defending Democracy.
Your Vote is Your Voice | | The Voter
April 2025
The official Newsletter of the League of Women Voters of Sonoma County.
Volume 30, Issue 4
| | | | Monthly League Meetings
by
Leona Judson | | | Yes, that is what we have renamed our monthly educational online forum. In March we learned about the newest park of Santa Rosa, the Southeast Greenway Park with speaker Thea Hensel. Why was this chosen as a topic? Because it came into being because of a group of dedicated citizens that worked tirelessly since 2009. It’s as example of how ordinary citizens working together can make a difference. The Greenway was originally going to be an extension of highway 12 over Spring Lake Park as a short cut. Fortunately, that didn’t happen. The land owned by Caltrans lay fallow for years until the Southeast Greenway Campaign was formed. To learn more about this organization go to Southeast Greenway While it is now an official park, there is still much to do. If you want to visit the park, there are monthly guided walks. Just click on their site for information. We recorded the session, now available on our YouTube channel. Just go to Sonoma League of Women Voters and click on our YouTube link.
Our April meeting on 28th at 6PM is on the Ins & Outs of Running for Public Office. Please see the related article for more details.
On May 19th at 5PM we will have a speaker from Secure Families Collaborative Sonoma County Secure Families , a non-profit who offers funding and direct services to organizations that support immigrants in our county. She will bring us up to date | | April Monthly Meeting
Ins and Outs of Running for Local Elected Office
by
Lynn Dooley | | |
The Ins and Outs of Running for Local Elected Office
Join us on Monday, April 28th at 6pm via Zoom
The April Monthly League Meeting, co-sponsored by Los Cien, will be "The Ins and Outs of Running for Local Elected Office”. This meeting is at a special time
If you have ever considered running for local office or have been tempted and need more details this informative and engaging event is for you. Get a realistic perspective on the process, challenges and rewards of running for local office. Plus hear the real-life stories of local officials' experiences and their paths to office.
Presented in English and Spanish and featuring:
Ernesto Olivares - former Santa Rosa Police Lieutenant, Violence Prevention Manager, Former Santa Rosa Council Member and Mayor
Joanna Paun - Petaluma School Board member
Mark Stapp - Santa Rosa City Council member and current Mayor, District 2
Mary Watts - Sonoma County Office of Education Board Member, Area 3
Rebecca Hermosillo – Sonoma County Supervisor, District 1 & Vice Chair
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED.
Visit the Upcoming Event listings on Register at Sonoma League of Women Votersor
Los Cien Registration and register today!
Contact Lynn Dooley, standup@lwvsonoma.org for more details | | Climate Action Night as SRJC
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Chris Riezenman | | | Join us in supporting Santa Rosa Junior College’s Climate Action Night coming up on Thursday, April 24th. The event is free and no registration is required. Just show up and take action on state and local measures in real time!
Climate Action Night
Thursday, April 24th, 5:00-7:00pm
Bertolini Student Center at SRJC
1501 Santa Rosa Avenue, Santa Rosa
Student groups from Sonoma County high schools, Santa Rosa Junior College and Sonoma State will present tri-fold posters, “science fair style” about California State Assembly/Senate bills and local county and city campaigns. Come learn about current legislation and local campaigns related to climate change, climate justice and sustainability, and take action to enact climate solutions.
| | Legislative Update April 7
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Kellie A. McNerney | | |
LWVC is monitoring legislation, analyzing bills and taking positions on all matters related to democracy, election reform and integrity, campaign financing, immigration, reproductive rights, climate change, criminal justice and more.
Sign up to receive their action alerts/voter info updates and newsletter
Contact Your Representative
Attached is a summary of the 24 current legislative measures being supported/opposed that may affect all of us in Sonoma County per the legislative update website at https://lwvc.org/bill-status-report/
No position as yet by LWVC
Re: SB607 California Environmental Quality Act: categorical exemptions:infill projects
LWVSC members concerned along with 127 other environmental groups that this bill will severely weaken CEQA and the EIR process. Please consider writing individual congress members to oppose.
“by weakening CEQA and the requirements for EIRs, the bill would undermine the public’s right to meaningful review of projects across the state and eliminate critical protections for environmental resources and public health. We respectfully urge you to stop SB 607 now”.
SJR1 Sponsor – Rescinding previous applications for a federal constitution convention
Campaign Financing
AB359 SUPPORT – Fair Political Practices Commission
AB351 Oppose – Campaign Contributions: agency officers
SB42 SUPPORT – Political Reform Act 1974: public campaign financing: California Fair Elections Act of 2026
Election/Voter Related
AB868 – Co-Sponsored Primary elections: county officers: top 2 candidates
AB25 Oppose - California Voter ID and Election Integrity Act 2025
SB405 Oppose– Elections: voter identification
SB406 – Oppose – Elections: ballot submission deadline
SB407 – Oppose – Elections: official canvass
SB249 – SUPPORTS – County Boards of education: elections: consolidation
AB950 – Oppose -Political Reform Act 1974: print advertisements
SB316 – SUPPORT High school pupils: voter registration
SB584 – SUPPORT – Pupil instruction: civic engagement
SB458 – SUPPORT – Initiative and referendum measures: title and summary
AB1164 – SUPPORT Elections: Voter Bill of Rights
AB1116 – SUPPORT Elections: voter registration
Environment/ Climate resilience
SB285 – SUPPORT Net zero greenhouse gas emissions goal: carbon dioxide removal: regulations
Immigration/Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement
AB85 – OPPOSE - Law enforcement: cooperation with immigration authorities
AB247 – SUPPORT – Incarcerated individual hand crew members: wages
Reproductive Choice
AB67 – SUPPORT Attorney General: Reproductive Privacy Act: enforcement
Other -
SB239 – Oppose – Open meetings: teleconferencing: subsidiary body
SB470 – Oppose Bagley-Keene Open Meetings Act: teleconferencing
SB707 – SUPPORTS - (if amended) Open meetings: meeting and teleconferencing requirements
| | Stand Up for Democracy
by
Lynn Dooley | | | The STAND UP FOR DEMOCRACY team believes that
NATIONAL CHANGE STARTS LOCALLY!
The STAND UP FOR DEMOCRACY committee has been moving our local campaign forward with the help of a dedicated core of League members. We are getting closer to making this campaign reality. Now is the time for all good League members who are feeling frustrated by sitting on the sidelines watching our Democracy be dismantled to STAND UP FOR DEMOCRACY!
If you’re curious about what we are doing? Come to the virtual SU4D Committee meeting on 4/16 at 9:30am.
If you’re mad as hell about the way democracy is being treated, come to the virtual SU4D Committee meeting on 4/16 at 9:30am.
If you want to feel the reward of working on something worthwhile come to the virtual SU4D Committee meeting on 4/16 at 9:30am.
Find the zoom link at LWVSonoma.org in the Upcoming Events listing. Or contact Lynn Dooley at StandUp@lwvsonoma.org and I’ll send it to you.
It’s time to STAND UP FOR DEMOCRACY!
| | National League Judicial Study
by
Deborah J. Mckay | | | Federal Judiciary Study Consensus Meeting
How did the confidence in the Judicial System erode? League members discussed the current state of the judiciary, focusing on the perceived bias of the Supreme Courts. They identified several factors contributing to this perception, including the overturning of established precedents, ethics violations, and the perceived influence of special interests on the court's decisions. The group also expressed concerns about the erosion of checks and balances in the appointment process, the use of the "shadow docket" for quick and selective rulings, and the granting of immunity to the President. They concluded that these issues have led to a loss of faith in the Supreme Court's impartiality and effectiveness.
Study Process: The study is a broad outline of principles for an effective judiciary. Leagues across the country are conducting a consensus process to form a national position, which will guide future league actions. The purpose of our local meeting was to prioritize the suggested principles. The study covers the Federal Judiciary, including the Supreme Court and other Article 3 Federal Courts. The study also addressed the importance of transparency and accountability in the Federal judiciary.
The following statements were discussed, and consensus was reached as described below:
Transparency is essential to an effective Federal Judiciary. Strong Consensus. Add: “Shadow docket lacks transparency, ” and “ Recognize the need for individual privacy.”
Accountability is essential to an effective Federal Judiciary. Strong Consensus. Add: There is a need for the Senate Judiciary Committee to have a role in reviewing ethics violations, as currently the Supreme Court is the only entity that can review itself.
Independence is essential to an effective Federal Judiciary. Strong Consensus. Add: Lack of independence of the Dept. of Justice (DOJ) is a concern. Maybe DOJ should be part of the Judiciary branch, rather than the Executive branch of the federal government.
Ethics is essential to an effective Federal Judiciary. Strong Consensus. There is a need to avoid the appearance of bias, prejudice, or undue influence.
There should be binding universal standards of conduct for judges and Justices at all levels of the Federal courts. Strong Consensus. Add: Recommendations on how the standards will be enforced.
It was suggested to apply the standards which exist for lower level federal judges to the Supreme Court.
Court hearings, documents filed in the court, and rulings for all federal cases should be open and available to the public. Strong Consensus. Add: “in a timely fashion, with some exceptions for privacy or national security.”
There should be an effective enforcement mechanism for the Federal Judiciary code of ethics at all levels. Strong Consensus.
An enforcement mechanism should include a process to require a judge or Justice to recuse him or herself when a reasonable litigant would believe that the judge or Justice has a bias against any party, or an issue raised in the case. Strong Consensus.
A judge or Justice’s decision and rationale to recuse or not recuse should be publicly disclosed in writing. Strong Consensus. There should be a stronger standard for recusal that doesn't rely solely on a justice's personal decision and disclosure of the reason(s). Justices' decisions and rationales for recusal or non-recusal should be publicly disclosed in writing.
Federal judges and Justices should be subject to rigorous financial disclosure requirements, enforcement, and penalties for all financial benefits, including but not limited to income, gifts, paid speaking engagements, and book deals. Strong Consensus.
Stability of law (stare decisis) is a value that contributes to a strong democracy. Strong Consensus. Add: There is a need for legislation to codify important court decisions to prevent them from being easily overturned in the future.
Public perception of the Supreme Court’s legitimacy contributes to a strong democracy. Strong Consensus. Legitimacy has been degraded by the polarization of the selection process for Supreme Court vacancies. Selection is now based upon political alliances, rather than the qualifications and experience of the applicants.
Service Limits: League members discussed and supported the idea of service limits, where the Supreme Court justices could serve for a certain number of years on the Supreme Court and then transition to a different role.
| | From the President
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Donna Roper | | | I attended a lecture with Nicole Hannah-Jones, the creator of the 1619 Project last week at the Green Center. I had been feeling overwhelmed as I’m sure many of you, but she encouraged me to focus on one or two things that I care deeply about instead of trying to solve all of the issues being thrown at our democracy. She also made the point that almost every mass protest in history has proven to be correct.
So, therefore I pledge to write more letters to the editor (I would like to see more women writers!); send the 1619 books to my relatives and friends; suggest this incredible piece of work for our League book club; and work with our library (public and school) to make sure books are not being taken out of commission. I’m pleased to announce that Deborah Doyle, current president of the Sonoma County library commission will be joining the League board. This is a great partnership for the League to encourage education and protect freedoms. We have other board positions available, and I encourage you to self- nominate to join us in this important work. Contact me at president@lwvsonoma.org and I can give you lots more info.
Having worked in the child care field most of my life, I know the value of multiculturalism for the growth of young children. We are a multicultural society and a presidential decree cannot change that. Please speak up to your friends, neighbors and relatives about your beliefs and values.
In response to one of the latest executive orders, “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections,” Celina Stewart, Chief Executive Officer of the League of Women Voters of the United States said: “Let’s keep it real: this order is not about protecting elections; it is about making it harder for voters — particularly women voters — to participate in them. ... This executive order is an assault on our republic and a dangerous attempt to silence American voters. The President continues to overstep his authority and brazenly disregard settled law in this country. To be very clear — the League of Women Voters is prepared to fight back and defend our democracy.”
Whatever your passion, we can find you a place in the League to make a difference.
Don’t wait to be asked - Show up, stand up, and speak up! | | Phyllis Clement
by
Tom Clement | | | My mom, Phyllis Clement, a long time League icon, passed away peacefully at home on March 15th, a few weeks short of her 102nd birthday. She will be missed by all. She's survived by her three kids, Val, Bill and Tom (me) , seven grandchildren and nine great grandchildren.
My mom was an extraordinary woman who led a rich life and I'm immensely proud of her accomplishments. Described as a "towering presence" by her oldest grandson, and as a "force of nature" by friends both old and new, she left an impact everywhere she went.
Mom began her involvement with the League before I was born, in Alton, Illinois in the 1950s and continued into the 1950s in Berkeley. In the 1960s she served as Vice President of the Berkeley, California League and as the president of the Berkeley League of Women Voters in the 1990s. Later, she moved to Sebastopol where she joined the Sonoma County League and served on the Bay Area League Board, edited the LWVSC Voter with my dad Bob and served as the LWVSC Treasurer. She spearheaded the phenomenal growth of the LWVSC development program in the early 2000s and was chair of the LWVSC's housing study for the Bay Area League.
Mom was born in Princeton New Jersey in 1923 and educated at Miss Fines school (now Princeton Day School) then Vassar College before joining the United States Army Air Corps in 1944. She worked as a photographer and photo lab technician in Tuscon, where she met my dad Robert Clement whom she married in 1946 after they were discharged from the army.
My dad worked as a chemical engineer but had the greater aspiration to be a patent attorney. He worked full time and went to night law school in the early 50s. My mom, a housewife raising three children, would help him with law school by reading and briefing his assigned cases. I don't know if he could have made it through law school without her brilliant help.
As was common for the 50s and 60s, mom's work was predominantly volunteer. She decided to help with my elementary school PTA, and, true to form, excelled beyond reason, becoming the President of the Cragmont elementary school PTA; then, the next year, President of the Berkeley Albany PTA. There she received accolades celebrating her, and I quote: "for charm and genius in leadership, for courage in promoting orderly change, for personifying the goals of the organization: following through on programs of planning and caring for youth".
In the 60's, Berkeley voted to integrate the schools through busing to address the stark racial segregation that existed in the community. She became the first president of "Friends of Intergoup Project, Berkeley" which worked with parents of all races to facilitate this progressive change.
Then, in 1967, she decided to enter the work force by working at an institute focusing on issues associated with aging. After a year there, at age 48, she decided to go back to school at U.C. Berkeley, graduating with a master's degree in social work in 1970.
Because of changes in my dad's work, we moved to Houston in 1970, where she took a job at Jefferson Davis county hospital working on the juvenile maternity ward. She then moved on to work with cancer patients at M.D. Anderson Hospital and finally, at the V.A. hospital running groups with Vietnam vets troubled by that brutal war. During that period, she was appointed as adjunct faculty at the Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Houston Graduate School of Social Work.
In 1984, she and my dad retired and moved back to Berkeley, then later to Sebastopol, where she continued to contribute to her communities, serving the League and other organizations such as the Sebastopol Area Senior Center, and always fighting for social justice.
But her life was much more than all of this. She was an avid sailor, earning a skipper's license sailing the Long Island Sound as a teenager, racing Sunfish in Galveston Bay and El Toros in Clear Lake.
She attributed her longevity to her life on the water. Until she was 90 years old, she would row her one-person scull across Clear Lake every summer day, five miles in an hour and a half. She once met a guy who lived on the other side of the lake at a "Save the Black Forest" meeting. When she mentioned that she rowed there every morning, his jaw dropped. He said with some wonderment "You're the ROWING LADY!" Apparently, she was a legend over there; a mysterious white-haired rower out in the morning mist like clockwork every morning, then disappearing into the distance.
Somehow, she also always managed to travel - a lot. Bicycling in Ireland, taking tours and hikes in Europe, Eastern Europe, South and Central America, Turkey, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Amazon river, Panama and a lot of other places I'm not recalling. She told me of a trip she once took rafting down the Usumacinta River exploring for Mayan Ruins before a dam was going to flood them. The group was stopped by Guatemalan rebels and marched at gunpoint into the forest. They were then treated to a lecture (in clear Spanish) explaining what the U.S. Government and the CIA had done to Guatemala, including a history lesson about the CIA's fake coup on behalf of the United Fruit Company that eliminated the democratically elected president in the 1954. Fortunately, the guerillas rebels didn't think of mom and dad as the enemy, and sent them back down the river.
| | Board Briefs
by
Deborah J. McKay | | | April Board Briefs
Nominating Committee Chair: We still need a chair and committee members. Current and upcoming vacancies are Ex VP to the President, Voter Service Chair(s), Membership Chair, and Secretary.
Membership: Donna Roper reported that we have 7 new members for a total of 210 members.
Advocacy Committee: Jim Masters reported on several items:
Fire safe roads meeting: Jim has set up a meeting with Supervisor Hermosillo on May 8th at 10:30 am. He plans to meet with Supervisor Hopkins next.
Cannabis Ordinance: Local rural residents have lots of concern about how growers are behaving.
Well Permits: The County is appealing the most recent court decision. They are continuing to issue non-emergency permits.
Areas of Emphasis: The Board decided to keep the current areas of emphasis that have champions, which are: Making Democracy Work; Criminal Justice; Transportation; Climate Change; and will add Immigration
Youth Services: We are continuing to contact the high schools and are starting to work on fall 2025 dates. The group plans to do more training on making classroom presentations. Two SSU student league members have developed a “meet the League” presentation that they are taking to classrooms and clubs in campus.
How to Run for Office: The event date is April 28th at 6:00 pm on Zoom. Los Cein is our partner on this project. The event is posted on our website and Los Cien’s website. We have 8 sign-ups so far.
Monthly League Meetings: The new name for the monthly meeting is “Monthly League Meeting.”
- April Monthly League Meeting is at 6 pm on April 28th on How to Run for Public Office via Zoom.
- May 26th Monthly League Meeting will be 4:30 – 6 pm via Zoom, and will be a presentation by the Secure Families Initiative.
- June 23rd Monthly League Meeting is our annual member meeting, where the board nominees and the budget are approved. Meeting will be in-person 11:30 am to 1:00 pm.
Tabling Opportunities: We have the following tabling opportunities:
April 17 from 10:30-1pm Los Cien panel on Environmental Justice
May 5th from 4-9 pm Cinco de Mayo festival in Roseland
May 7th from 5:00 - 7:00 pm Wednesday Nite Market in Courthouse Square
May 10th from 10-3 pm Native Arts Festival in Windsor.
Send an email to president@lwvsonoma.org to volunteer.
Next Board Meetings: Sat., May 3rd and Sat., June 7th. | |
Welcome
New Members
It's great to have you on our team.
Jama Adams, Petaluma
Molly Badau, Rohnert Park
Julianne Guariglia, Petaluma
Susan Kralj, Penngrove
Barbara S. Oddone, Healdsburg
Barbara Starbird, Sebastopol
Carol Swanson, Sebastopol
| | |
April 17, Moderator Judie Coleman:
Red Sorrow: A memoir of the Cultural Revolution by Nanchu / 2012 / 325 Pages
At the outbreak of the Cultural Revolution, 13-year-old Nanchu watched Red Guards destroy her home and torture her parents, whom they jailed. She was left to fend for herself and her younger brother. When she grew older, she herself became a Red Guard and was sent to the largest work camp in China.
May 15, Moderator Rachel Parker
Demon Copperhead, by Barbara Kingsolver 2023 560 pages
Gifted writer and researcher Barbara Kingsolver retells Charles Dickens' David Copperfield, transplanting the orphaned young man of promise to Appalachia in the early/mid 2000s. A very long novel, the book does a tremendous job of relating the challenges, loss, and despair of a part of America long-called Fly-over Country. The narrative gives a penetrating view of what happens to the people in small towns when manufacturing and mining dry up, when strained public resources fail to help some of the most vulnerable, and when helplessness seeks pain relief found in a bottle of booze or pills. The oxycontin scandal plays a pivotal role, as well.
| Connect with the League
We want to hear from you!
| | LWVSC Board of Directors
and Other Officers
Donna Roper, President
Robyn Bramhall, VP Administration
Jim Masters, VP Advocacy
Debbie McKay, Secretary
Linda Rosen, Treasurer
Iris Levitis, Gayle Peterson, Membership
Open, Community Outreach
Open, Voter Service
Leona Judson, Programs
Juanita Roland, Web/Communications
Lynn Dooley, Member at Large
Chris Riezenman, Member at Large
Linda Robinett, Voter Editor
| | Some Useful Links
LWV Members Portal:
| | | Become a Member
League of Women Voters Sonoma County
The most direct way to join your membership is to go to the LWV Membership portal MembershipPortal . You may pay your dues online, or you can print out your invoice and send it along with your dues to our office at the address below. You can also get to the membership portal from our website at
| Here are some links of interest. | 555 Fifth Street, Suite 300-O
Santa Rosa, CA 95401-8301
(707) 545-5943
www.lwvsonoma.org
| |