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As always, the League members who participate in the January all-member meeting get to set the future direction and strategic goals for the Snohomish County League. They get information and they get questions answered about the proposed projects from our League and the state and national Leagues. For greater understanding, you can refer to the slide presentation at this link (automatic download, be sure you are logged in to the website and that you have MS PowerPoint).

We started by learning about the process of goal-setting that occurs within the League; these goals are called “programs,” which actually means that they comprise our strategic plan for the following year. 

Next, League members reviewed our two current programs listed below with their initial aims as described in quotes when they were approved by the membership last May: 

• Tree Canopy/Legacy Forests – “Creation of Tree Campaign Committee to protect and enhance urban tree canopy and protect all mature forests in Snohomish County as a response to the climate crisis.” With significant accomplishments to its credit (an urban tree policy was adopted into the county comprehensive plan), now it’s necessary to continuously monitor development and support. Without volunteers stepping up to monitor the actions of the Snohomish County Council and other legislative bodies, the Tree Campaign committee will go on hiatus.
  
  Former committee head Kate Lunceford is expanding the definition and scope of Legacy Forests to build a more robust response and find ways that forest lands could be better managed to provide climate mitigation and biodiversity. Kate is the LWVWA Issue Chair for Forests and will propose a new committee called the Reasonable Forest Management committee. You can download the state League’s position paper on Forests, scroll to Environment, then Forests.
  
  Call to Action: At least two League members are needed to keep an eye on legislative activities that affect urban tree canopies and forests and issue action alerts for an effective response.


• Redistricting Reform Campaign – “LWVSC will continue its support for the redistricting reform campaign in Washington State with the goal of passing a constitutional amendment before the 2031 redistricting process.” Members in this meeting unanimously agreed to encourage the state League to continue this work statewide as an Action/Advocacy type of program for the upcoming biennium. The LWVSC Board will submit a program request to the state for an anticipated vote in the 2025 council in June.
  
  Call to Action: If you’re interested in this work, please see the League calendar for meeting dates and links.
  

As members of the Washington state League, we also participate in the development of and decision making for programs for the state.  See LWVWA Program of Work explained for the information you need to understand how the process works. 

There are two proposed study programs from the state League to consider for adoption as policies in the 2025 LWVWA Council. They are:

• Elder Caregiving Study – Something we can all relate to, either as an elder, a caregiver, or both asynchronously. This study focuses on caregiving in Washington state – specifically caregiving for vulnerable adults 60 years of age or older who reside in their own homes and communities. See Elder Caregiving study for more information.


• Welcoming Immigrants to Washington State Study – Most of us came from somewhere else. The objective of this study is to determine if LWVWA should adopt a position on how to welcome immigrants in the state, where “welcome” means the setting of policies, legislation, and programs that affect immigrants. See Welcoming Immigrants study for more information.

As a local League, we must hold consensus meetings at which members who have read the studies answer questions about the study material. The answers to the consensus questions are collected and consolidated to form an official opinion, which is then used to frame an LWVWA position as the basis for advocacy or action. (Find details about our plans to address these in the articles in this Voter).

Call to Action: Your role in this direction-setting process is to read the studies; they will focus your attention on these important issues. Be sure to participate in the consensus meetings. Look for the meetings scheduled in the League calendar.

Another proposed project that received unanimous member support in the meeting is a Citizen Education Project on determining the “Health of Our Democracy in Washington State.” This is modeled on a comprehensive report researched and published by LWV Maine. You can access this thorough and engrossing report here: State of Maine Democracy.

An affinity group has been formed to organize research (contacting each local League to find people interested in the research) to present an educational program at convention based on the Maine model. Indicators of democracy will be included, and the topics will address: 

• Representative government
• Voter participation and individual characteristics
• Voter participation and district demographics
• Voting rights
• Election methods
• Conduct of elections
• Money in politics
• Freedom of information
• Newspapers and media access
• The digital divide
• The judiciary.

The conclusions will be based on LWV positions. There may be a section on mis- and disinformation, and other areas of study as proposed by participants.

Call to Action: Join the affinity group and help with the research and formation of this vital information that examines the state of our democracy here in Washington state. This important work can be done from the safety and comfort of home – what’s not to like about that?

Finally, LWVUS recently launched a quick response study on the federal judiciary. The objectives of the study are:

• To develop an LWV position on the federal judiciary as an essential component of US democracy.  
  
• The study's purpose includes, but is not limited to, addressing concerns and clarifying judicial accountability, transparency, independence, and ethics.
• The scope addresses the Supreme Court, as well as the other Article III federal courts.

More information can be found at LWVUS Federal Judiciary Study, where you will find Study Resources and Policy Briefs. These are short and fascinating insights into how the federal judiciary system works.

Call to Action: Follow the link to see updates. As with the state studies, our League will hold consensus meetings to discuss the study and answer the consensus questions, which will be distributed in early February. Watch our League calendar for the meeting schedule.

The January all-member meeting concluded with –

• A reminder that all League members will receive an e-mail early in February asking you to verify your membership information on the new member platform being launched by LWVUS. It’s easy – click the link e-mailed to you, log in with your e-mail, you’ll receive a code to log in again and review or correct the information you see. You will receive a second prompt to log back in and answer some survey questions. Please consider participating – the national League just wants to understand our demographic makeup.
• A review of upcoming calendar events. You’re urged to keep up with the calendar – it gives you plenty of reasons for engagement with the League and with your community!
• Our general Call to Action! – Sign up for the Washington state League’s Legislative Newsletter and follow our advocacy efforts in the state legislature. You may also find the information at GovTrack invaluable to track legislation and the progress of federal appointments through Congress.

The next all-member meeting will be held on Thursday, March 20th at 10:00 AM, the location to be announced. (The Sno-Isle libraries are busy with tax preparations, and the Everett libraries don’t open until noon on Thursdays and Saturdays because of budget cuts.)