Submitted by the League of Women Voters of the San Juans

The League of Women Voters of the San Juans membership and interested community members met on Monday, Jan. 9 to plan upcoming educational programs for the coming year. There was an exceptionally high turnout for this meeting and the discussion was interesting and very productive. In addition to planning for our local chapter, the task was also to give feedback to the state organization about what we would like to see them take up this year. Inasmuch as the league is a grassroots organization, priorities for its work are set starting at the local unit level, then funneled to the state from units across the state, or to the national organization from across the country. State and national boards collate the information and determine a proposed set of priorities which are then submitted to the annual convention for acceptance or rejection. Priorities and ideas are given from across the political spectrum and consensus is reached about what the league takes up in a given biennium.

Our local league unit seldom has enough members willing to participate in an active way in projects at the state level. We do, however, always have something to say. We suggested that the state establishes priorities to include adequately funding education as required by the McCleary Decision; looking into what can be done about the Affordable Care Act, now that is will likely be defunded; continuing to be vigilant about the threat of proposed oil tanker traffic through the Salish Sea.

Locally, community education program suggestions for the coming year included subjects as widely varied as revisiting the reproductive rights issue in light of possible new administration policies; affordable housing; redistricting, immigration policy; protection of the Salish Sea/no discharge; tourism — how much is too much for our islands?; public health services; climate change resilience. If you would like to help put together any of these programs, please contact Clare Kelm, president of the League of Women Voters of the San Juans, at 378-3373.

The program planning sessions are always lively, and foment thoughtful discussion. We encourage community members to join us for these meetings every January!