LWVFRA JANUARY 2025 NEWSLETTER

Welcome to the Fredericksburg League!

We are here in 2025 as we have been for the past 100+ years. Our duty to empower voters doesn’t change. We need to be aware that our empowerment includes advocacy, education, and the ability to encourage voters to know the power of the ballot box.

Please join me this year as we prepare our programs and activities to encourage voters who will proudly go into any Election season armed with the knowledge and purpose that is needed to be in a democracy.

FIRST MEETING OF 2025

On January 13, 2025, at 6 p.m. we will gather on Zoom for our first meeting of the year.  There is a lot to accomplish starting with the General Assembly schedule and the Women’s Round Tables which occur every Wednesday during the session. Anything we learn should be discussed and evaluated for how it will affect our communities.

First is the Women’s Round Tables which coincide with the Assembly sessions and wrap up on February 19. Please see the schedule below and attend as you can.

Attend our 2025 Women’s Legislative Round Tables (WLRTs) virtually or in person except for League Day on January 22 (in-person only) and Wrap Up on February 19 (virtual only). The WLRTs are held at the General Assembly Building, 201 North 9th Street, 7th Floor North Meeting Room, Richmond. League Day will be held at the Omni Richmond, 100 South 12th Street, Richmond.

The WLRTs are every Wednesday at 8:30-9:30 a.m., when the General Assembly is in session.

Register for any WLRT here.

Register for League Day here.

Jan 8 — Voting and Elections

• Campaign Finance Reform (Personal use of funds; Campaign Finance Disclosure)

• Ranked Choice Voting

• National Popular Vote 

• Guardianship and Loss of Voting Rights  

Jan 15 — Gun Violence and Domestic Violence

Gun Violence

• Assault Weapon Ban

• Secure Storage

•  Ghost Guns & Gun Alterations

•  Funding for JLARC Study on Gun Violence

 Domestic Violence

• Red Flag Laws

JAN 22 — LEAGUE DAY — IN PERSON ONLY

OMNI RICHMOND HOTEL
100 S 12th St, Richmond, VA 23219
9 a.m.-1 p.m.

• Right to Vote Constitutional Amendment

• Reproductive Freedom Constitutional Amendment

• Marriage Equality Constitutional Amendment

Jan 29 — Education and Physical Health

• 1% Sales Tax by referendum school ALL localities should have the opportunity.

• REVISING- THE Local Composite Index (reference JLARC study)

• Constitution-Amend the State Constituition from “Seek to ensure” to “Ensure” (the basic level (SOQ’S)

• Standards of Quality to include minimum facility and building standards

• Direct Funding for the most decrepit school Buildings (Request funds from the 1.2-billion-dollar surplus)

Physical Health                           

• Cover All Kids

• Increased income eligibility for CHIP -Not followed in 2024

• Continuous Medicaid Coverage for Children ages 0–6

• Emergency Medicaid Expansion for undocumented immigrants who may need emergency care.  

Feb 5 — Childcare

• Fund subsidy rates at current levels and with current eligibility criteria

• Fund direct support to providers (equity formula)

• Offer refundable child tax credit

• Expand Virginia Preschool Initiative

• Public Education on the state of child care in Virginia

 Feb 12 — Environment and Housing

Environment

• Data Centers

• Microplastics

• Wetlands

Housing

• Virginia Housing Trust Fund — Increase base budget to $150 million or the amount recommended by the VHA.

• 5000 Families Pilot — support whatever amount VHA wants to request

• Virginia Eviction Reduction Program — support an amount proposed by the Virginia Poverty Law Center

Feb 19 — Wrap Up  Virtual Only

LEAGUE DAY — JANUARY 22, 2025

This day is set aside for leagues to visit with their representatives and find out what they are working on. If there are certain policies that any league wants to put forth, this is the time to speak up.  We will speak about this at the meeting on the 13th.
 

TRANSITION 

As a reminder to the November 2 email regarding the transition for membership and payment of dues:

“LWVUS has announced that, starting in January 2025, all local LWV Leagues will be required to cease setting and collecting their own dues locally, and will, instead, participate in a national Membership Management system. 

Every League member nationwide will receive an email in January/February 2025 requesting them to sign in to the new system and update their file.

In the new system, dues are set as follows:  

‘Pay what you can’: Any individual may join the League for one year by paying any amount equal to or greater than $20.   The suggested amount will be $75.  

Member Types: 

There is no longer a Household/Associate membership type – only Individual Member. 

There is no longer a Student Member type. Like any other member, they must pay at least $20, unless the local League subsidizes them out of their local League budget 

Persons who have been members for 50 years are Life Members and will continue to have their member dues waived.  

Auto-Renew: Members will be encouraged to register their financial information to sign up for automatic renewal. 

AGENDA

1. By-law revisions

2. Program Advocacy

3. Annual Meeting Date

4. LWV-VA Convention here in June

5. Committee sign-ups- President’s Wish List

Education — Civics Curriculum

Communications Comm

Planning Comm 

Advocacy Planning

Social Comm

Electoral Board Observation Comm

Republican & Democratic Mtgs Observation

Increased Voter Services participation

UMW Committee — Theodore???

Let’s make this year our best year and show the Convention what the Fredericksburg League is all about. Ask your neighbors, friends, and anyone you know (we are not for women only!) to join in our efforts to make sure Democracy is alive and well!!

Happy New Year

Cathie