Ann Jaynes, Editor
The VOTER
"...Certainly we have to
learn to think ahead of the terrorists, but the prospect of a terrorist
atrocity shouldn’t scare us away from our pursuit of growth and prosperity.” –Editorial,
Corpus Christi Caller-Times,
January 2005
|
League of
Women Voters 361-993-7851,
lwvcc@lwv-cc.org www.lwv-cc.org
JANUARY
2005 PROGRAM UPDATE
Happy New Year! Are you ready for some action? Throughout 2004 the LWV-CC program volunteers
worked diligently to provide presentations addressing the membership’s
interests. Education is an important
component of LWV and certainly necessary to be effective advocates for League
positions. And, while we’ve enjoyed the increase in monthly meeting attendance,
it’s time to put words into action. We are most fortunate to have
Elaine Talarski as our January speaker.
Ms Talarski is a member of LWV-TX Board and State Coordinator of
Leadership Training. She is also chairing the study on drug policies. The LWV-TX Lobby Day is February 8, scheduled
in conjunction with Women’s Legislative Days, so it’s time to get ready to make
an impact on this LWV-TX Lobby Day promises to
be exciting. Among the topics under
consideration as priorities are: Election Laws, Financing State Government,
Judicial Selection, Campaign Finance, Reproductive Choice, Public School
Finance, Capital Punishment, Child Health Issues, Health Care for the Elderly,
Water, Services for the Mentally Ill, and Hazardous Waste. Bring your friends to our January meeting to
get them ready for this important road trip.
After meeting with their respective Representative and Senator, your
friends will thank you for the opportunity. See
you on the 20th, Pat E. Mattocks Vice President, Program
Home: 991-9480 Work: 855-4215
Email: pmattocks@marchofdimes.com
President’s Message Dear Members & Supporters, As we
enter the brand new year, I encourage everyone who reads this message to
consider how they can get involved with our local League and help increase our
effectiveness in our community. The nominating committee will be meeting,
and if you are interested in serving on the board please take the first step
yourself and contact a committee member or the League office. Our
Holiday Gathering was a fun and successful meeting. We collected 109
pounds of food and $186 in financial donations for the Food Bank, plus several
boxes of pet supplies and $145 cash for the Gulf Coast Humane
Society. Thank you to everyone who attended! One final
note - if you have not yet renewed your membership, today is a good time to
write your check and put it in the mail. |
Welcome New and Renewing Members
Diana Barrera
Christina D. Garcia
C. M. “Hank” Henry
Joan Holt
Laura Jimenez
Nelda Martinez
Patsy Perez
THANK YOU
TO OUR CONTRIBUTORS
VALERO
ENERGY FOUNDATION
The League of Women Voters of
2005 LEAGUE LOBBY DAY in
FIRST UNITED
Registration Deadline:
Registration:
Morning Session:
Afternoon Session: Lobbying at the Capitol
$25 registration fee per attendee, includes
lunch
LWV-TX is holding its first
Statewide Conference (formerly Council) titled “League Lobby Day in
Hotel information: LWV-TX has
reserved a block of rooms at LaQuinta Capitol (300 E 11th, Austin). Please make your room reservation directly
with LaQuinta Capitol 512/476-1166 before
One hundred thirty-four bills
have been pre-filed in the Senate, two hundred eighty-two in the House, for the
session which begins January 11. Several
of these bills would require the Legislature and committees to record votes and
make these results available to the public [The League of Women Voters strongly
supports a constitutional amend-ment to require votes in the Texas Legislature
be recorded by legislator’s names and made readily available to the public.].
Other pre-filed bills seek to
amend laws regarding air quality, noise pollution, abortion notification, dispensing
prescription drugs involved in birth control, electronic voting machines, and
checkpoints to determine whether persons are driving while intoxicated. Others would amend the textbook approval
process by the State Board of Education, bring-ing it in line with the League’s
position. There are bills establishing a
state income tax, designating August 26 Women’s Independence Day, renaming
various highways, and one that would impose a death penalty moratorium. To view pre-filed legislation, go to the Texas
Senate www.capitol.state.tx.us/tlo/reports/daily/79R/senate.htm or Texas House
of Representatives www.capitol.state.tx.us/tlo/reports/daily/79R/house.htm.
Seasoned League lobbyists
will give hands-on assistance and guidance to members who are having their
first experience in lobbying the Legislature.
You received a Lobby Day registration form in your LWV-TX VOTER. Please fill it out and send it in today!
Thanks to LWV-Arlington VOTER and LWV-TX
VOTER
for information used in this article. Ed.
Member Notes
Now
that the election is over, make sure your elected officials are keeping their
campaign promises by checking their actions at Project Vote Smart’s web site, www.Vote-Smart.org. A national database of political information,
Project Vote Smart covers your elected local, state and national officials and
future candidates in five basic cate-gories:
voting records, bio-graphical information, issue positions, campaign
finance, and interest group ratings.
From Real Money,
November/December 2004, submitted by Peggy Duran
≈
Nominating
Committee to Meet
The Nominating Committee would
like to hear from you. Do you have a
special interest? Would you like to
serve on or head up a League committee?
If you would like to be involved, call Pauline at 883-2748.
Voter
Registration Activity
Thanks to the members who
volunteered for voter registration. We
went into some of the high schools, events, and the Half-Price Book Store. I don’t have an accurate count but it was
close to 50 people. We did print 3,000
extra Voters Guides that went quickly.
Pat Parr,
Voter Service
Our sympathy
to Gloria Scott
on the death
of her husband,
Dr. Willie
Stratton Scott
2005
Legislative Priorities
LWV-TX priorities for the
upcoming 2005 79th Legislative Session reflect the League’s
multi-issue program:
Election Laws
Financing
State Government
Political Campaign
Process/Campaign Finance
Judicial Selection
Reproductive
Choice
Public School Finance
Recorded Votes
Redistricting
Capital
Punishment
Child Care
Child
Health Issues
Equal Opportunity/Income
Assistance
Health Care for the Elderly Hazardous/Low Level Waste
Services for the Mentally Ill Water
The session begins January
11. The League will send a letter with
our legislative agenda to all legislators when session convenes.
Don’t forget to sign up for the
Legislative Newsletter which begins in late January. Contact the office (lwvtexas@lwvtexas.org)
and give them your e-mail address—that is all you have to do! It will be electronic again, and members
receive it free.
This article was taken
from LWV
Texas Voter, Fall 2004.
The full text of the
article by Julia Marsden,
Advocacy
Vice-president, appears in that Voter.
Our
Corpus
Christi International Seaman’s Center
The
beautiful Corpus Christi International Seaman’s Center is a home away from home
for over 40,000 merchant seafarers who call at the
If
you have never been to the Seaman’s Center, please join with the “regulars” at
our next meeting January 20 to hear an excellent speaker and sample
Calendar
January 2005
20 Luncheon Meeting, Seaman’s Center,
Advocacy Training and Sunshine Act
24 Deadline to Register for LWV-TX Lobby Day and State
Conference
February 2005
2 Voter Deadline
6, 7 Women’s Legislative Days, Austin
8 LWV-TX Conference and Lobby Day, Austin
17 Luncheon Meeting, Seaman’s Center, Basic Quality Health Care;
March of Dimes
March 2005
2
Voter Deadline
4 5th Annual Statewide Water Conference,
4 Filing Deadline for May Election
17 Luncheon Meeting, Seaman’s Center,
Transportation
31 Cesar Chavez Day
April 2005
3 Begin Daylight Savings
6 Voter Deadline
7 Last day to register for May Election
20- May 3 Early Voting
21 Luncheon Meeting, Seaman’s Center,
Drug Laws and Policies
22 Earth Day
The Voter Nonprofit Org.
The League of Women Voters
of Corpus Christi PAID
The LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS is a non-
partisan, political organization that encourages
the informed participation of citizens in govern-
ment and influences public policy through edu-
cation and advocacy.