• For an overview of LWVGB projects, goals and accomplishments, also see past issues of The Voter, LWVGB's newsletter.
• Visit this page to view the news archive for other years.
• See the LWVGB home page for the most recent news.
  

Decision 2016
Thank you, Jefferson County Citizens and Judicial Candidates!
Great turnout! Great participation!

Listen to the Decision 2016 Forum
Thank you to WBHM 90.3 FM and News Director Rachel Lindley for covering this event, making this recording, and inspiring JeffCo. citizens to become informed and vote.

Many thanks to the citizens and judicial candidates who turned out tonight, Feb. 8, for Decision 2016, a judicial candidate forum co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Greater Birmingham and the Upsilon Eta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.. All 2016 Jefferson County judicial candidates, those on both the Primary and General Election ballots, were invited, and a solid majority of the candidates were present.

There was standing room only at the Central Library Auditorium in downtown Birmingham to hear what the candidates had to say. The voters were eager to hear the candidates' views and background. Questions asked of the candidates included, "How have your training, legal experience, and interests prepared you to serve as circuit/district judge?" and "What do you consider the three most important attributes of a judge?" The voters were able to meet with the candidates one-on-one following the forum and ask their own questions. Attendees were also able to register to vote or change their registration information at this event.

We were pleased to have Ms. Rachel Lindley, WBHM 90.3 FM News Director, present at the forum to record the proceedings. Be sure to tune in to WBHM to hear more about the forum. Depending on the recording sound quality, excerpts may be broadcast. Update: Listen to WBHM's recording of the forum.

We wish to extend special thanks to the Birmingham Public Library for the use of the library auditorium, an excellent venue for the event, and for the library's full support of this public service.

Thank you again to LWVGB President Ida Tyree-Hyche and UEO-AKA President Michelle D. Harris and the many LWVGB and UEO-AKA volunteers who helped make Decision 2016 such a great success. Photos will soon be available.

ON @abc3340 Talk of Alabama 2/5/16, 9:45 am.
Ida Tyree-Hyche (LWVGB) and Ayla Russell (UEO-AKA) talk Decision 2016 Judicial Candidates Forum #alpolitics #JeffCoJudForum.

LWVGB Judicial Candidates Forum

Come meet the Jefferson County Circuit and District Court judicial candidates running in the 2016 contested races and listen as they answer our questions. This public meeting is co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Greater Birmingham and Upsilon Eta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.. Thanks also to the Birmingham Public Library Central Branch for free use of the Library Auditorium! For more information, contact LWVGB President ida Tyree-Hyche, Esq. at presidentlwvgb(at)gmail(dot)com or 205 601-8645.

Alabama Party Primary Elections

March 1, 2016

The "SEC Primaries" are right around the corner and Alabama is in that group of Party Primary Elections! Will you be ready to go to the polls on Tuesday, March 1 to cast your ballot?

• Who's on your ballot?
• Are you registered to vote?
• Will you need to vote absentee?
• Do you know what to carry with you to the polls?

Money in Politics (MIP):
A National Study of American Campaign Finance

We discussed:

• Goals and purposes of campaign finance regulation
• What activities should or should not be considered to be political corruption
• 1st Amendment protections for speakers and activities in political campaigns (with regard to individuals, organizations, and the press)
• Methods for regulating campaign finance to protect the democratic process

LWVGB wins grant to register high school students in the Birmingham Metro area.

LWVGB Holiday Dinner and Board Review reveals 2016 projects to strengthen democracy.

Tuesday, Dec. 15th
Sweet Tea Restaurant
2205 3rd Avenue S.
Birmingham, AL 35233

December 15, 2015 -- A message from the President...

"YOUR League of Women Voters of Greater Birmingham's Board of Directors' presented a briefing to the LWVGB General Membership tonight. The Directors did an excellent job communicating what the League has done since August and the League's directions in 2016. Highlights: The League applied and was just awarded a Grant for voter registration and education services within inner city high schools in Birmingham, St. Clair and Bibb Counties. The League will be conducting a Consensus Study among its membership on "Money in Politics," and the League will host a judicial Candidates Forum. We were pleased to have several past Presidents present: Leonette Slay, Yvonne Brakefield, and Trish Crain. We were pleased to welcome our new member who joined in September: Javan Patton. We were equally pleased to welcome back Sheila Tyson. Directors giving reports were: Starr Culpepper - Membership, Nancy Sales - Voter Services & Outreach and Maggie Howard - Voter Services & Outreach, Barbara Powell - Observers' Corps, and Jean Johnson - Communications. Consider joining or making a donation to the League of Women Voters of Greater Birmingham. Visit our website at www.lwvgb.org. We are a non-profit, non-partisan organization. The organization is also open for male membership. Currently our Chapter has several male members."

-- Ida Tyree Hyche, Esq., President LWVGB

Tuesday, Dec. 15th, 2015


Sweet Tea Restaurant
2205 3rd Avenue S.
Birmingham, AL 35233

4:00-4:30 p.m. - Early dinner and holiday social gathering with League friends

4:30-5:00 p.m. - Meeting - 2015 in Review and Exciting Plans Ahead

NO RESERVATIONS NECESSARY!
Guests welcomed! See you on the 15th!

Nov. 13, 2015

"Alabama agrees with DOJ to comply with motor voter law" via al.com

Get a Photo Voter ID if you need one. It's required to vote in Alabama!

League of Women Voters of Alabama sees DMV closures as threat to voting rights; calls for state legislation to suspend Voter ID Law

View and share LWVAL press release here.

The League of Women Voters of Alabama sees DMV closures as a threat to voting rights. The LWVAL calls for state legislation that would suspend the state’s voter photo ID law until the driver’s licensing centers are reopened. On Wednesday, October 7, 2015, the League of Women Voters of Alabama sent out a press release and an open letter to Alabama government leaders Gov. Robert Bentley, House Speaker Mike Hubbard, and President Pro Tempore Del Marsh, calling for this action. View and share the press release with letter.

Update: On Oct. 16, 2015, Gov. Bentley ordered ALEA to open closed AL DMV offices one day per month and denies racial motives for original closings. Read.

National Voter Registration Day a great success in Birmingham, AL!

In celebration of National Voter Registration Day 2015, LWVGB held four voter registration events on three Birmingham college campuses. League volunteers registered voters on Sept. 22, 2015, at Jefferson State Community College - Center Point Campus, Lawson State Community College - Birmingham Campus, and Brown Mackie - Birmingham Campus. LWVGB wishes to thank Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Upsilon Eta Omega Chapter for their partnership and volunteer service at the LawsonState event. Thank you especially to AKA Sorority Sister Kristen Heard for her volunteer service and the photographs provided here of the Lawson State registration. Thank you LWVGB member Yvonne Brakefield for photos of the Jeff State registration event and to Leonette Slay for the photo taken at the Brown Mackie registration. And thank you to all League registration volunteers Yvonne Brakefield and Jean Johnson (Jeff State), Nancy Sales (with Kristen Heard) (Lawson State), Margaret "Maggie" Howard and Judith Hand (Brown Mackie - noon shift), and Leonette Slay, Michael O'Donnell, and Jo Taylor (Brown Mackie - evening shift). And finally we wrapped up National Voter Registration week with a spectacular registration drive at Jefferson State Community College Shelby Campus in Hoover on Sept. 24. Thank to all LWVGB volunteers, AKA-UEO volunteers, and college staff who collaborated to make this the most outstanding National Voter Registration celebration ever held in the Greater Birmingham area. The many newly registered voters are the real winners!. See the photos.

And we're just getting started! Find upcoming LWVGB registration in the column at left or browse our calendar. Bring your friends. We'll get all of you registered to vote. It only takes a few minutes. We need YOU to make democracy work!

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***** CALL TO ACTION BELOW
NOW CANCELED *****

UPDATE ON THIS ISSUE 9/17/15, 12:05 p.m.: AL Legislature has passed and Gov. Bentley has signed the state budget into law. Read the story here and here. The Second Special Session of the Alabama Legislature adjourned Sept. 16, 2015.

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$300 million of additional tax revenue is needed to prevent severe cuts in the Alabama General Fund budget.

LWVGB urges members and the public to call their legislators to ask for $300 million in new tax revenue. We must have this additional revenue in order to sustain programs that are vital to the most vulnerable citizens in our Greater Birmingham community. Members of the Alabama legislature and the governor cannot come to an agreement on the state budget, and a number of legislators have publicly stated that they are not hearing "an outcry" from the public regarding cuts to the budget. Let's change that! We join with the League of Women Voters of Alabama and Alabama Arise in calling for increased state revenue. This is a matter of urgency. Please see this Call to Action issued by the League of Women Voters of Alabama and take immediate action. Thank you!

League of Women Voters to celebrate 95 years helping to build democracy

We're celebrating 95 years of "making democracy work"®. Friends of the League are invited to attend our recepetion meet and greet at The Summit Club on Sept. 17. You must have a reservation. Email lwvgbreception2015@lwvgb.org by Sept. 15 with your request or questions. LWVGB issued the following media release on August 18.

Birmingham, AL -- The League of Women Voters of Greater Birmingham and The Summit Club will hold a cocktail reception meet and greet on Thursday, September 17, 5:30 – 7:30 PM at The Summit Club at Regions-Harbert Plaza – Suite 3100, 1901 6th Avenue North, Birmingham, AL  35203.

The League of Women Voters of Greater Birmingham (LWVGB) and The Summit Club invite all League members and guests to celebrate 95 years of Making Democracy Work® at every level of government. In 1920, the League was founded as an outgrowth of the movement that secured women the right to vote. Today, the League empowers all voters to improve their local, state and national government. LWVGB is a nonpartisan, grass-roots organization. Membership is open to all citizens, men and women, age 18 and older. Information about the League of Women Voters of Greater Birmingham is available at http://www.lwvgb.org.

For this celebration, The Summit Club Board of Governors has approved a special invitation to join The Summit Club to all members of the League of Women Voters of Greater Birmingham and their guests. Attendees will be invited to become a member of The Summit Club, a private business and social club in downtown Birmingham. The Summit Club is 25 years old and is an organization known for connecting business professionals and providing opportunities to foster relationships. With this preferred invitation, the Summit Club will waive the Club’s current initiation fee. Only a small application fee will apply. The Club will also welcome new members with the gift of a dining allowance.

Those wishing to attend the League of Women Voters of Greater Birmingham’s reception on September 17 should contact the League at lwvgbreception2015@lwvgb.org by Tuesday, September 15 to RSVP. Complimentary parking will be available for the reception in the Regions-Harbert Plaza Parking Garage.

Register to Vote!
#CelebrateNVRD

Are you registered to vote? Have you moved since the 2014 elections? We're celebrating American democracy and National Voter Registration Day (Sept. 22) by registering voters in the Greater Birmingham area. Find a LWVGB voter registration location near you.

• Sept. 15 - Jeff State Community College Shelby-Hoover Campus - 12:30-2:30 pm

Women received the right to vote with the ratification of the 19th Amendment on August 18, 1920. It was first introduced in Congress in 1878. Alabama ratified the amendment on Sept. 8, 1953. The vote was not, in fact, assured for all until the National Voting Rights Act of 1965. (That act has been under attack and weakened in recent years. We hope you will join the LWV in restoring the #VRA!)

Flash back now with School House Rock's take on the 19th Amendment!

The National Voting Rights Act: What does it matter?

A lot! How did the Voting Rights Act of 1965 expand voting access in the United States? What was the impact of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in 2013 to essentially make Section V of the Voting Rights Act (Shelby v. Holder) inoperable? In an interview with journalist Ari Berman, National Public Radio offers this overview of the weakened NVR and discriminatory attempts to restrict free, fair, and accessible elections. (Thank you to LWV Mobile for pointing out this piece.)

Also see this article "50 Years After the Voting Rights Act Became Law, It Needs to be Restored" by LWVUS President Elisabeth MacNamara.

LWVGB Board Orientation and Planning

Saturday, August 1, 2015
8:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. mingle
9:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. business

Vestavia Library
1221 Montgomery Hwy
Vestavia Hills, AL 35216

-- map --

New Board Members and outgoing LWVGB President Yvonne Brakefield attended. Breakfast pastries, coffee, juice, fruit, were available throughout the morning compliments of Yvonne. Thank you, Yvonne. Outgoing LWVAL Co-president Leonette Slay led orientation in the first segment. Thank you, Leonette! Via teleconference, current LWVAL President Anne Permaloff reviewed the state League's priorities and planned projects for the coming year. Thank you, Anne! Minutes will be available soon on this website in the Members section.

NEWS FROM THE STATE LEAGUE...
An Open letter to Alabama Speaker Mike Hubbard

Alabama needs sustainable, equitable, long-term solutions to our state's fiscal problems, not short-term quick fixes. And let there be open discussion during the budget making process so that citizens are aware and can express their views, not announcement after deals are made behind closed doors. On July 27, 2015, LWVAL sent this open letter to Alabama Speaker Mike Hubbard expressing the League's views.

LWVGB Annual Business Meeting 2015

Call to LWVGB Business Meeting 2015

Dear LWVGB Members,

As the League year draws to a close, it is time for our membership to come together for our Annual Business Meeting scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 18th at Sweet Tea Restaurant®. We will adopt a new budget and Program, vote on changes to our bylaws, and elect new leadership for the next biennium. Your input will help determine the future of this league and is vital to the success of our organization. I strongly urge all members to attend.

Our business meeting documents are available through the links below. Please review carefully and bring a printed copy to the meeting for reference during our deliberations.

I look forward to seeing you in June.

In league,
~ Yvonne

LWVGB Business for 2015-2016

• Proposed Budget
• Proposed Program
• Proposed Changes in Bylaws
• Proposed Slate of Officers and Directors