Tell Senators Baldwin and Johnson to Vote No on the Keystone Pipeline

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TAKE ACTION TODAY

Next week, the Senate will vote on the Keystone XL Pipeline and while it passed the house with a 252-161 vote today, passage is not guaranteed in the Senate. According to Reuters, "supporters were still one vote shy of the 60 needed to overcome a filibuster, a blocking procedure, an aide to a Keystone supporter said on Friday. The aide spoke on condition of anonymity."

Elizabeth MacNamara, President of the League of Women Voters of the United States, wrote a letter to President Obama, urging him to deny the permit for the pipeline (read the letter here). The LWV/US also stated, "the KXL pipeline will threaten the safety of our drinking water, promote a bad energy policy and increase the greenhouse gases in our atmosphere that contribute to climate change. This pipeline is a risky venture that is not in our national interest." 

Please call Tammy Baldwin (202) 224 5653 and Ron Johnson (202) 224 5323 today and tell them to vote no on the Keystone XL Pipeline. Once connected to your Senators' offices, please make the following points: 

  • Ask your Senator to vote against the Keystone XL pipeline or any effort in the Senate to bypass the ongoing review process.
  • The Keystone XL tar sands pipeline threatens our climate, health and drinking water.  It is not in our national interest. 
  • Americans support action on climate change and want you to stand up against pollution.

Help us monitor the November 4 election! Be an Election Observer! LWV provides training.

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Help us monitor the November 4 election!  More information here. 

Sign up on our 2014 Election Observer Volunteer Form!

The League of Women Voters is recruiting volunteers statewide to be trained election observers in polling places on November 4. Our observers will be the League's eyes and ears to monitor what happens at the polls and watch for any signs of voters being disenfranchised. You don't need to be a League member to volunteer (but we'd love to have you join)!

Poll Watching with the League is an important and rewarding volunteer activity. Read what our past volunteers have said about their experience.


You can volunteer if you:

  • Can spend a few hours -- or all day -- at a polling place 
  • Are willing to participate in a 2 hour training session—a webinar—prior to the election 
  • Agree to mail in a report following the election
  • Preferably have a cell phone

League of Women Voters will provide:

  1. Nonpartisan materials that let you know your role, what to look for, what to do if there are problems at the polls 
  2. On-line training 
  3. A number to call on election day to report problems

How to volunteer:
Sign up on our 2014 Election Observer Volunteer Form. We will get back to you about where you are needed and times for online training.

Tell your friends about this opportunity. We need many volunteers!

Thank you for helping to make democracy work in Wisconsin!

Wednesday, October 15th is the last day to register to vote in Wisconsin!

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Wednesday, October 15th is the last day to register to vote in Wisconsin!

Take a moment to register now at www.VOTE411/register. You can also register in-person at your Municipal Clerk’s office until Friday, October 31 or at the polls on Election Day. Don’t miss out!

Remind the people in your life to register to vote for the first time or to update their registration if they’ve recently moved or changed their name!

See Voter Registration on this website.

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Take the League Challenge & Help Us Register New Voters

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Help us make sure no one is left out. In order to get all eligible citizens to the polls on Election Day, the League of Women Voters needs YOUR help! Research tells us that personally asking people to register and vote is the single-best thing we can do to help more Americans participate. 

Voter registration is the key to engaging all Americans in the political process. Did you know that close to 75 percent of Americans who are registered to vote make it to the polls in major election years? Unfortunately, nearly 1 in 4 Americans is not registered to vote. Imagine what our communities and country might look like if every single eligible American was registered to vote.

Send our eCard to people you know who may need to register to vote or update their registration –  those who recently turned 18, became a citizen, moved or changed their name.

Ask them to get registered and remind them that together our votes will influence the policies and issues that are addressed by the newly elected officials. These elections are about our jobs, our health, our communities and our future. They’re about us and we all need to weigh in.

Thank you for Making Democracy Work® during this important election year.

Register Today for the State Issues Briefing 2014

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Saturday, October 4, 2014, 9AM – 2PM

 

Crowne Plaza Madison, 4402 East Washington Avenue, Madison

 

Join us to hear top-notch speakers on lively issues in Wisconsin!

 

Protecting Our Waters: We Are All in the Same Canoe
Chairman Mike Wiggins, Bad River Tribe


 The State of Education in Wisconsin
Tony Evers, State Superintendent of Public Instruction

 
All Politics Are Local: Challenges for County Government in Wisconsin
Joe Parisi, Dane County Executive

 
Ask, Learn, Vote: Motivating Women to Participate in the 2014 Elections
Sara Finger, Executive Director, Wis. Alliance for Women’s Health

 

Register by September 30! 

For information on how to register, click here

$40 full admission; $18 students

 

Review and Comment on Enbridge Pipeline before September 30!

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Please write or email your comments to the DNR at the addresses listed below!

For more information see the DNR news release and the DNR website.

Enbridge has submitted Chapter 30 (Wis. Stats.) waterway and Chapter 281.36 (Wis. Stats.) wetland permit applications to the Department in February 2014. Enbridge will be submitting an application for a Construction Site Erosion Control permit under NR 216 (Wis. Adm. Code), and an Air Pollution Control construction permit under NR 400-499 (Wis. Adm. Code). In addition, the DNR will review the projects for potential impacts to endangered resources.

The DNR will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) for these two projects. The EIS will inform decision-makers and the public about the anticipated effects of the proposed projects and alternatives. The EIS will look at direct local effects, as well as broader impacts at regional, statewide and larger scales.

Public scoping

The DNR is seeking public input on what topics should be addressed in the EIS. We've drafted an EIS outline [PDF] and would like the public to weigh in on topics that may be missing from the outline. 

The public is invited to review and comment on the draft EIS outline in writing by E-mail or by mail to: Jeff Schimpff - OB/7, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707-7921. 

Comments on the EIS outline draft should be received by Tuesday, September 30, 2014.

Click here to see our letter to the DNR.

Become A 2014 Election Observer!

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The WI League of Women Voters is seeking volunteers statewide to be trained election observers at the polls in November.

The League will provide online training, a packet of materials and a polling place assignment.

Your participation will help the League identify and report problems voters may be having.

In addition, you will contribute to a bank of valuable information which the League shares with election officials and lawmakers as we advocate for better election policy.

Sign up here. 

Help Spread the Word—Register, Visit VOTE411.org, and Vote!

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Dear Friends of Democracy,

The League of Women Voters of Ashland & Bayfield Counties (LWV/ABC) is encouraging community members to vote on August 12th. We need your help in engaging people to GET TO the polls and VOTE.  

The LWV/ABC is a nonpartisan organization whose main objective is to promote political responsibility through the informed and active participation of all citizens in government at all levels, but especially locally.

We ask that you help spread this public service announcement through grass roots efforts

  • word of mouth
  • hang your own vote flyers in community and gathering centers such as churches, supermarkets, etc.
  • if you send out a weekly newsletters, social media, and/or e-blasts—please include this message.

Our message is very clear:

 

 “Let your voices be heard—Support the Democratic Process—Vote August 12”

 

In your efforts, you may want to include the LWV website VOTE411.org. It  is a "one-stop-shop" for election related information. An important component of VOTE411.org is the polling place locator, which enables users to type in their address and retrieve the poll location for the voting precinct in which that address is located.

In addition, it provides nonpartisan information to the public with both general and state specific information on the following aspects of the election process:

·         Absentee ballot information

·         Ballot measure information (where applicable)

·         Early voting options (where applicable)

·         Election dates

·         Factual data on candidates in various federal, state and local races

·         General information on such topics as how to watch debates with a critical eye

·         ID requirements

·         Polling place locations

·         Voter registration forms

·         Voting machines

We encourage you to explore our newly launched website.  It has the link above and Wisconsin Public Radio’s audio panel discussion for both the assembly and senate.

We thank you for your help and efforts in keeping democracy alive in the region.

Regards,  

Madelaine Herder

President, on behalf of League of Women Voters of Ashland & Bayfield Counties

 

Take Action: Fight Climate Change

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This was emailed to members on July 28, 2014, by Elisabeth MacNamara, President of LWV.

 

In June, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) introduced a proposal to set the first-ever limits on carbon pollution from existing power plants. This week, the EPA will hold public hearings in four major cities to obtain feedback on this historic regulation. 

Add your voice to those attending these hearings in person by submitting your comment to the EPA in supporting their proposal today!  

The EPA’s proposal will protect future generations from unchecked climate change. Power plants are responsible for 40 percent of the carbon pollution in the United States—making them the single largest source of that pollution in the country. The unlimited dumping of carbon pollution is the chief cause of climate change. Reducing the amount of carbon pollution from power plants is a life-saving measure that will protect our children, our nation and the world from the devastating effects of climate change. 

Raise your voice! Tell the EPA you support limiting carbon pollution from power plants.

This week, the EPA will take the next step to advance this proposal by holding public hearings in Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Denver and Washington, D.C. We expect big polluters to turn up at these and hearings, and we know they will make every effort to weaken the final content of this rule. We must continue to voice our support for this life-saving measure. Together, we can make sure that this historic, groundbreaking regulation will have a positive impact on the public health of our children, seniors and families.

We’ve seen an incredible response from League members in support of this regulation, but we still need you to raise your voice. Tell the EPA you support their groundbreaking proposal to limit carbon pollution from existing power plants.

In League,

Elisabeth MacNamara
President, League of Women Voters