The September 2022 Newsletter for the League of Women Voters Upper Mississippi River Region is now available.

KEY ELECTION DATES FOR THE PRIMARY ELECTION

June 24-August 8: Early Voting by mail or in person for the Primary Election

Ramsey County Library: 2180 Hamline Ave N. Roseville, MN

• August 2-5, 10am-6pm
• August 6, 10am-3pm August 8, 10am-5pm

Ramsey County Elections Plato Building: 90 Plato Blvd. W. St. Paul, MN

• August 2-5, 8am-6pm August 6, 10am-3pm
• August 8, 8am-5pm

August 9: Primary Election Day - vote at your polling place, using same day registration if needed.

KEY ELECTION DATES FOR THE GENERAL ELECTION

September 23-Nov.7: Early Voting by mail or in person for the General Election

October 18: Last day to register in advance for the General Election

November 8: General Election Day! Same day registration, vote at your polling pace.

The most recent issue of The Voter offers election season events, including the bimonthly member popup, a letter from Membership, titles for fall book club reading, and a remembrance of longtime member Norma Finnegan.

Remember, we're always looking for article ideas; contact Diane anytime.

The July 2022 edition of the Council of Metropolitan Leagues newsletter is now available.

The recording for the June Our St. Paul: Learn with the League program, Extraordinary St. Paul Women, is now available here. This program featuredMinnesota Historical Society exhibit researcher Ami Naff and St. Catherine University graduate Ava Griswold. Ms. Naff and Ms. Griswold both researched St. Paul women who worked for voting rights and other causes over the last 100+ years. Ms. Griswold shared information about local leader Theresa Peyton. Ms. Naff did research for many women featured in the MNHS Votes for Women website and the Extraordinary Women exhibit (now closed).

Some resources discussed during the presentation:

MNHS Votes for Women online exhibit

Gentle Warriors by Barbara Stuhler

MNHS Research

Minnesota Digital Newspaper Hub

Ruth N. Tanbara: Collections Finding Aid (with digitized items) 

Righting a Wrong (Smithsonian Traveling Exhibit, on view at the Minnesota HIstory Center to July 3)

Historic Fort Snelling

The recording for the May Our St. Paul: Learn with the League program - Abortion: Let's Clear the Air. LWVSP believes reproductive health care is a basic human right. At this program, two physicians will discuss data, legal history, and current status of abortion access, an increasingly relevant issue. Recent developments in the courts across the country and at the U.S. Supreme Court level have made this topic even more timely and relevant.

Resources relevant and mentioned in the program: 

The Guttmacher Institute

Minnesota Department of Health: Induced Abortions in Minnesota, January-December, Report to the Legislature

Podcast: 1A with Jenn White, April 7, 2022

Mpls Star Tribune, Sunday, May 1, 2022, “Seeing a Future after Roe” by Briana Bierschbach and Emma Nelson, front page

NYT, Dec 14, 2021, “Who gets abortions in America,?” by Sanger-Katz, Miller, Bui  

Abortion and the Law in America by  Prof Mary Ziegler, 2020

You’re the Only One I’ve Told by Dr. Meera Shah, 2020

The recording of the April LWVSP Our St. Paul: Learn with the League program is now available. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3pALzmrnqo

"Looking Beyond the Headlines of Firearms Violence" program featured a discussion about firearms and society. Guest speaker Marti Micks provided context and background to the League's update study on firearms. The common misconceptions of firearm violence was highlighted, along with a review of statistical information the committee found and a discussion about possible solutions to reduce deaths from firearms. Marti Micks is the Co-Chair of the LWV MN Firearms Update Study Committee and president of LWV Golden Valley.

Resources mentioned:

The Gun Violence Archive: https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/

Cartoon citation: http://clipart-library.com/clipart/6cr5dj5zi.htm originally from Mother Jones magazine

The recording of our March program, Expanding End-of-Life Options in Minnesota, is now available on YouTube.

Guest speaker Dr. Rebecca Thoman directs the Doctors for Dignity program for Compassion & Choices and is a member of LWV Minneapolis. The Minnesota End-of-Life Options Act, modeled after the Oregon Death with Dignity law, is a bill to authorize medical aid in dying, which gives terminally ill adults of sound mind the option to receive medication they may self-ingest for a peaceful death if their suffering becomes intolerable. It is currently available in 10 states and the District of Columbia. 

You can now read the LWV UMRR Newsletter for April 2022.

• The most recent issue of The Voter includes a lively interview with Diane Power, a longtime LWVSP member, who gives a fascinating account of how she and 200-some Ramsey Country volunteers helped provide early election results to the media, back in the pre-digital era. 
• Book club news, including a summary of the recent memoir by Russia expert Fiona Hill.
• Photos from our recent new member meet-up.
• A letter from Co-Presidents Amy and Heidi.