- May Unit Meetings
- A Reckoning in Boston
- Tacoma Reads
- President's Message
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- The 2023 Legislature Has Ended
- Save the Date: It's That Time of Year Again (Annual Meeting)
- Observer Corps Reports
| | | May Unit Meetings: How good is your news?
May unit meetings feature a report from our local League study on media and democracy. Presenters Rosemary Powers and Theresa Power-Drutis will relate their findings to the new Washington State League position on local journalism. The State League position states in brief: “The League of Women Voters of Washington believes it is the responsibility of the government to provide support for conditions under which credible local journalism can survive and thrive.” | | | Further, and establishing a focused definition for action, “The League of Women Voters of Washington defines local news as accurate, in-depth coverage of government entities, including but not limited to, city councils, county councils, county boards of commissioners, health departments, schools, and school boards”. (see LWVWA positions, here)
Members are encouraged to come with ideas for using this new position to promote Pierce county residents’ access to the news needed to participate effectively in democracy.
Note: the virtual meeting has been moved to the second Wednesday, May 10 to accommodate members’ attendance at State League Convention. In-person unit meetings are scheduled at the usual time/place with study team available at each event.
| | Virtual Unit
Wednesday, May 10, 6:30-8:00 pm
Use the Zoom link here
Meeting ID: 891 4218 1627; Passcode: 390039
Tacoma Unit
Thursday, May 11, 1:00-2:30 pm
North Tacoma (Kandle Park) Police Substation, Conference Room
5140 N 26th St., Tacoma, WA 98 | East Pierce Unit
Saturday, May 13, 10:00 - 11:30 am
Puyallup Library, 324 S Meridian, Puyallup, WA 98371
Gig Harbor/Key Peninsula Unit
Saturday, May 13, 2022, 1:00-2:30 pm
Heron's Key, Anchor Room
4340 Borgen Blvd, Gig Harbor, WA 98332 | | | A Reckoning in Boston: Insights for Tacoma/Pierce County
Stream & Watch the film - May 13-15
Join the Discussion - Thursday, May 18, 5:30 - 7:30 pm
Shiloh Baptist Church, 1211 South I St., Tacoma
This is an opportunity to relate the documentary on racism and inequality in Boston to current realities in Tacoma/Pierce County - and network with others working to support attainable housing and community empowerment. | The A. Philip Randolph Institute (Tacoma chapter), the Tacoma Pierce County Coalition to End Homelessness, Shiloh Baptist Church and the League are co-sponsoring this community discussion. Please join this event and help consider how our local League might collaborate with other groups to promote a community where all will have access to safe and secure housing.
Filmed over five years and released in 2021, the Boston documentary initially aimed to record the experience of a humanities night course in Boston’s inner city. Instead, with growing awareness of the realities of racism and inequality in Boston, the filmmaker invited class members to join him in producing a film that documents the violence, gentrification and housing instability that threaten their communities, as well as creative responses that transform their lives.
You can watch the documentary whenever you choose during the 72-hour on-demand access period beginning at 7:00 am on May 13 and ending at 11:59 pm on May 15. As a way to involve others, we encourage you to consider setting up a group viewing with family, friends, colleagues during that time and sharing your responses. (See a discussion guide here.)
As the formal part of the May 18 discussion and networking event, several local leaders and advocates will share their responses to the video and comment on its relevance for our own area. They are listed on the flier below.
Access the film by registering at Eventbrite. The link will be sent to you after you register. |  |  |
Tacoma Reads: A Place Called Home
Tacoma Reads is a longstanding partnership between the City of Tacoma’s Mayor’s Office and Tacoma Public Library, with wide community support and collaboration. The theme in 2023 is Home: housing insecurity in our community.
Join others in community in reading the current book, "A Place Called Home", a memoir by David Ambroz. Here's what Rosemary Powers said about this book at the Coalition to End Homelessness this week: "I'm nearly finished reading the Tacoma Reads book selection, A Place Called Home, by David Ambrose, and I'm deeply moved by his chronicle of the soul-crushing effects of deep poverty, homelessness, and mental illness, where a compassion drought, a conspiracy of silence about abuse, and a lack of attention by adults, leaves children vulnerable and struggling to thrive. ... I think as well about the potential in people currently living houseless here in Pierce County, and those whose housing is in secure. The seats of intellectual curiosity, ability, and hunger for justice are there, and oh, so clearly, the commitment to not giving up. I encourage you to read the book."
| | | President's Message
by Cynthia Stewart
Today is May Day! The first day in a month when the weather is warmer, plants are blooming, and we realize why this month was named after the Roman goddess Maia, who oversaw the growth of plants. It's also a month when we celebrate mothers and honor the men and women who have died while serving in the military and when we acknowledge the significance of Mental Health Awareness Month, Women’s Health Care Month, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
May is when we start to feel like summer might actually arrive, and we can vacation - or staycation - a bit, have a respite from the challenges of winter and this year, from the challenges of the last few years of COVID.
May is also the last set of unit meetings until Fall, so please join Rosemary and Theresa to hear about their work on local journalism, here in Pierce County - and discuss how the League might help enhance local news.
Enjoy May Day! Celebrate the green all around us and take good care of your mental and physical health. And remember those among us who do not have homes. If the weather gets really hot this month, please reach out to those who need help with water and a smile.
|  | | | The 2023 Legislature has Ended
The last day of the Legislative session was a week ago, April 23. For information about how the Legislature did relative to League priorities, please review the April 30 edition of the LWVWA Legislative Newsletter here. Each Issue Chair provided a recap of bills passed.
Legislators are sending out end-of-session reports as well. Take a look at these (there will be more in the weeks ahead):
LD 2
- Rep. Andrew Barkis: Final days of the 2023 session: A video update from under the dome in Olympia
- Rep. JT Wilcox: The Last Week of the 2023 Legislative Session, a Legislative Update
LD 25
| | | LD 27
LD 29
Additionally, all three LD 27 legislators invite you to a telephone town hall: May 11, 6:00-7:00 pm. Hear from Speaker Jinkins, Rep. Fey and Senator Trudeau. Sign up at http://VEKEO.COM/WHDC27 or dial in at 877-229-8493, PIN 116282. |  | Save the Date - It's that Time of Year Again!
Annual Meeting and Dues Renewal
As the League program year comes to a close, and before the summer break starts, please plan to attend the Annual Meeting on June 10, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. The business meeting will be approximately until noon. Then there will be a potluck lunch that includes a talk by Julie Anderson, former Pierce County Auditor and League member, who will discuss what it was like to run as an Independent in a partisan race (Secretary of State).
Members will receive the Annual meeting booklet in mid-May. It will have all the details.
Also, you will be receiving membership renewal notices soon. Please respond at the Membership page of our web site - and any donations you send at the same time will be most appreciated. Thank you all! | Observer Corps: What You Should Know
By Lydia Zepeda
The LWVTPC Observer Corps provides three vital services: reporting on local government, holding elected officials accountable by letting them know they are being observed, and educating observers and members about local politics. If you want to know more about what is going on in local government, there is no better way than joining LWVTPC Observer Corps or reading their reports.
Currently there are nine members of the Observer Corps, covering Tacoma City Council, Pierce County Council, University Place School Board, Puyallup City Council, University Place City Council, Port of Tacoma, Sumner School Board and the Puyallup School Board. We need more observers to cover the Pierce County Council, the Tacoma School Board, Lakewood City Council, and the Clover Park School Board.
As an observer, the commitment is one meeting and one report a month. These are posted on the LWVTPC website, on Facebook and highlighted in the Voter. The issues covered affect our daily lives: what is taught or not taught in our schools; racial equity; policing; housing and homelessness; land use development; Covid-19; taxes; and mental health.
Most of the meetings have transitioned to in-person, but there is usually a virtual option. If you are interested in learning more about local government, want to fill the gap left by the lack of local journalism, or simply want to let our elected officials know they are being held accountable, join the LWVTPC Observer Corps. Contact Lydia Zepeda if you are interested.
Read these recent Observer reports:
| League of Women Voters of Tacoma-Pierce County
621 Tacoma Ave. S., #202
Tacoma, WA 98402
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