Welcome to the South Tonka League of Women Voters!
Our chapter serves the communities of Deephaven, Excelsior, Greenwood, Shorewood, Tonka Bay and Woodland. We are an eclectic group of women and men that share an interest in learning more about the political issues that affect our community, state, and nation. We sponsor educational events, moderate political debates, register new voters, conduct studies and disseminate information on our findings to the public. We have a lot of fun and are always excited to welcome new members, so please consider joining us today!
Find the League this Summer!
Come learn more about the League by looking for our booth at these local events.
Excelsior Art on the LakeJune 8-9: The Commons
|
Excelsior Farmers MarketThursdays, 2-6:00 PM.
|
League Events
Upcoming Citizenship CeremoniesVolunteers needed! LWV regularly participates in these ceremonies by welcoming new citizens, helping them register to vote, and answering questions. A truly rewarding experience! Contact Judy Stuthman if you are interested in volunteering for any of the following ceremonies.
Friday, May 24 10:00 AM (11:00 AM ceremony), U of MN Law School, Minneapolis 1:00 PM (2:00 PM ceremony), U of MN Law School, Minneapolis |
League News
Capitol Letter™
The 2013 legislative session has begun and our volunteer Action Committee members are on the job once again. Take a look at the new issue of the Capitol Letter™ to learn about:
NEW: Election Legislative Update WebpageLWV Minnesota has launched a new webpage which will feature frequent updates about what is happening at the Minnesota State Capitol with respect to election bills. Add the Election Legislative Update tab to your list of favorite sites!
|
January Citizenship Ceremony
Members of our chapter helped welcome over 1,300 new citizens in January. Click here to see more photos and read about the experience through the eyes of one of our new members, Shannon Emil. Thanks for sharing, Shannon!
|
New System for Electing Judges
Judicial Independence and the Impartial Justice Act
LWVMN is a member of the Coalition for Impartial Justice which is leading the effort to create a system of electing judges that will ensure a true impartial judiciary. The new system would: 1. Make merit mandatory: The Governor would be bound by recommendations of the merit selection commission for all judicial appointments. 2. Provide non partisan information to voters on the judges standing for retention via a rating system based on performance (not on whether the judges’ decisions are good or bad). A Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission would consist of representatives from all three branches of government. 3. Increase accountability because voters would be able choose to retain or remove every judge in every seat. Currently 90% of judges run unopposed giving voters a choice only 10% of the time. |
FIND OUT MORE!VIDEO: Sarah Walker, COO-180 Degrees, Inc., and founder of the MN Second Chance Coalition. Recorded November 10, 2012 at St. Louis Park City Hall.
VIDEO: Sarah Walker. Recorded April 11, 2013 at Southshore Community Center, Shorewood. VIDEO:
Visit the Coalition for Impartial Justice website The coalition is a broad-based coalition of businesses, law firms and non-profits working together to support judicial impartiality and independence in our state. The coalition includes more than 30 member organizations. It supports passage of the Minnesota Legislature SF1465 and HF1666 Impartial Justice Act, which has bipartisan support. Visit the LWV Minnesota website Topics include the Role of the Judiciary, Independent and Impartial Judicial Independence; How MN Judges are Selected; Current State of Judicial Elections; MN Courts; and MN Commission on Judicial Selection, with links to other web sites. Additional information includes articles by the Star Tribune, Post Bulletin, Brennen Center for Justice and the American Bar Association. |
THE BUZZ...
Click on the links below for more information on what our chapter has been discussing.
LWV Minnesota Featured in Minnesota Women's Press
LWV MN was named one of the ten "2012 Changemakers" for our leadership on opposing Voter ID. Executive Director Laura Fredrick Wang noted that the campaign against Voter ID was a "campaign of conversations" and that League volunteers "took on the road to hundreds of forums in communities around the state." CONGRATULATIONS!
Federal Role in Public Education
The LWVUS board approved a new Education position in March 2012. The League of Women Voters believes that the federal government shares with other levels of government the responsibility to provide an equitable, quality public education for all children pre-K through grade 12. A quality public education is essential for a strong, viable, and sustainable democratic society and is a civil right. Click the link above to read more about LWV's newly adopted position.
Recycling Changes
The City of Shorewood, along with many metro area cities, have expanded the types of items accepted for recycling. The new changes include all plastics #1-7 (look for number on package), food cartons (milk, juice, soup), and plastic bags. Click on the link above to learn more about these changes.
Challenges Facing Lake Minnetonka
This link will take you to the video address given by Dick Osgood in April 2011, discussing the state of Lake Minnetonka. Mr. Osgood covers topics as lake level, aquatic invasive species, prevention programs and regulatory and policy-making structure of the lake.
2012 Legislative Session Wrap-Up
A report of the activities of the LWV Minnesota Action Committee for the 2012 Legislative Session.
League of Women Voters - South Tonka
|
|
