Home - LWV of the Gunnison Valley

LWVGV is a nonpartisan political organization. We promote informed and active participation in government, act on selected governmental issues, and influence public policy through education and advocacy.
Anyone, any gender, over age 16 is invited to join.

Mill Creek - Photograph by Dave Scheefer, Gunnison

EMPOWERING VOTERS.
DEFENDING DEMOCRACY.

We BELIEVE  in the power of women to create a more perfect democracy.
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We ENVISION  a democracy where every person has the desire, the right, the knowledge and the confidence to participate.

LWVGV's Current
** Call to Action **

"UNITED WE SIT
DIVIDED WE FAIL"
For more Information
Click Here
Members - let us know that you've sent your letters:
SURVEY

“Women belong in all places where decisions are being made.
It shouldn’t be that women are the exception.”

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

NOW ON AMAZON!!!

Learn more:
LWVGV's Suffrage Quilt

US Constitution - In The News

Fourteenth Amendment - Citizenship, Equal Protection, and Other Post-Civil War Provisions (1868)

Section 3

No Person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.

The entire US Constitution

Defending Democracy

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Ranked-Choice Voting "RCV"

This Washington Post article followed the Jan 6 siege of the US Capital:

"There’s a reason why Lisa Murkowski can threaten to leave the Republicans"

When more than two candidates run in an election, a candidate can win without a majority - just more votes than anyone else.

With RCV, voters rank candidates in order of preference: one, two, three, and so forth. If a candidate receives a majority of the first choices, that candidate wins. However, if there is no majority winner after counting first choices, the race is decided by an "instant runoff." The candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and voters who picked that candidate as ‘number 1’ will switch to their next choice. This process continues until there’s a majority winner.
LWVCO "Better Voting Methods"

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Equal Rights Amendment

"EQUALITY OF RIGHTS UNDER THE LAW SHALL NOT BE DENIED OR ABRIDGED BY THE UNITED STATES OR BY ANY STATE ON ACCOUNT OF SEX."

January 2021: Bi-Partisan Joint Resolutions introduced in both the House & Senate to remove the deadline for ratification.

2020:  Virginia became the required 38th state to ratify the ERA.
1972:  The current ERA was introduced and ratified by the first 22 states.
1923:  Alice Paul introduced the first version of the ERA.
1920: The 19th Amendment guaranteed women the right to vote.

For more information go to:
equalrightsamendment.org

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National Popular Vote

Colorado is the 15th state (plus DC) to join the multi-state NPV compact. This brings the total electoral votes to 196 - which means that 74 electoral votes are still needed to choose the President by popular vote.

For more information go to:
nationalpopularvote.com

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Statehood for DC

The residents of DC have 3 electoral votes in the Presidential election.

They do not, however, have votes in Congress. DC's population is greater than both WY & VT. It's time for DC's 700,000 residents to have their voice in Congress.
LWV supports DC as the 51st state.

Learn more @
statehood.dc.gov
and
LWVCO - Sign the Petition

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Colorado Restricting Commissions

In 2018, CO voters passed Amendments Y & Z to create independent Redistricting Commissions for both the Congressional Districts and the State Legislative Districts. They must comply with the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The selection of Commissioners is underway. Go to
https://redistricting.colorado.gov/ to learn more

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Voting Rights Act of 1965

This Act banned the "Jim Crow Laws" passed by Southern Democrats following the ratification of the 15th Amendment. These laws disenfranchised black Americans by using the "separate but equal" doctrine and imposed literacy test, poll taxes, property ownership, moral character tests, etc.

The VRA prohibits state and local voting laws that discriminated against minorities. It specifically targets state & local governments with a history of voter discrimination by subjecting any law changes to 'preclearance' by the federal government.

"The Gutting of the VRA"
A 5-4 Supreme Court decision in 2013 struck down that key 'preclearance' requirement. In her dissent, Justice Ginsberg wrote:
“Throwing out preclearance when it has worked and is continuing to work to stop discriminatory changes is like throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm because you are not getting wet.”

In 2018, the Court allowed states to purge voting rolls for inactivity.

In another 5-4 decision in 2019, the Court ruled that they did not have the power to review gerrymandered maps and left it up to the states.

See the FOR THE PEOPLE ACT below

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For the People Act of 2019

This first bill of the 2019 Legislative session H.R.1 was introduced in the House on Jan 3, 2019 and, after 54 amendments, passed the House on Mar 8, 2019.

The bill moved to the Senate on Mar 12, 2019 and was never brought to a vote.

Overview of the Bill:
To expand Americans' access to the ballot box, reduce the influence of big money in politics, and strengthen ethics rules for public servants, and for other purposes.

The Congressional Research Service's summary of the bill can be found here:
Library of Congress - For the People Act

The LWV is a sponsor of the petition for this bill to be passed in 2021- sign it here:
Petition - For the People Act

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US Constitution

Every Article and Amendment:
US Constitution

LWVGV Programs

Tues., Feb 9 @ 11:30
via ZOOM

Black Lives Matter
in Gunnison County
Chloe Bowman

For More Information about this and
Upcoming Meetings:
Programs

In Honor of Black History Month:

A 're-play' of Shary Templeton's
Six-Minutes of Suffrage essay:
Between Two Worlds: The Black Woman's Path to the Vote
(Ida B. Wells image courtesy of the
Library of Congress)

Your Voice Matters

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Non-Discrimination Policy: There should be no barriers to participation in any activity on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, marital status, military or veteran status, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender expression, or socioeconomic status.