League of Women Voters of Arizona
1934 E. Camelback Rd.
Suite 120, #277
Phoenix, Arizona 85016
lwvaz.org [email protected]
LWVAZ @LWVAZ @LWVAZ LWVAZ
League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements ...... 4
Convention Schedule 2021 ...... 5
Saturday, May 15 ...... 5
Sunday, May 16 ...... 6
Pre-Convention Workshops ...... 7
LWVAZ Officers, Board of Directors, and Committee Chairs ...... 8
Mission Statements ...... 9
2021 Convention (virtual) Rules ...... 10
ABC'S of Parliamentary Procedure...... 11
Proposed Amended Bylaws ...... 12
Treasurer’s Report – Operations ...... 21
Treasurer’s Report – Education Fund ...... 22
Proposed 2021-2023 LWVAZ Operating Budget ...... 23
Proposed 2021-2023 LWVAZ Education Fund Budget ...... 26
Nominating Committee Report ...... 27
Proposed Slate 2021-2023 ...... 27
Proposed Public Policy Positions for 2021-2023 ...... 30
Awards ...... 31
The Carrie Chapman Catt Award ...... 31
2021 Carrie Chapman Catt Award Recipient Katie Hobbs ...... 31
The Skeet Blakeslee Award ...... 32
2021 Skeet Blakeslee Award Recipients ...... 32
Committee Reports 2019-2021 ...... 33
Advocacy ...... 33
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016
Communications ...... 35
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion ...... 35
Membership ...... 36
Nominating ...... 37
Public Policy Positions ...... 38
Technology ...... 39
Transitional Advisory Committee (Ad Hoc) ...... 41
Local League Reports ...... 43
Central Yavapai County (LWVCYC) ...... 43
Greater Tucson (LWVGT) ...... 43
Metro Phoenix (LWVMP) ...... 45
Northern Arizona (LWVNAZ) ...... 46
Northwest Maricopa County (LWVNWMC) ...... 47
Appendices ...... 49
Appendix A: LWVAZ Past Presidents ...... 49
Appendix B: Election Systems ...... 50
Appendix C: Water Policy ...... 51
Appendix D: Legislative and Congressional Redistricting ...... 52
Appendix E: Initiative and Referendum ...... 53
Appendix F: Gun Safety Consensus ...... 54
Appendix G: Criminal Justice Concurrence Report ...... 92
Appendix H: 2019 Convention Minutes ...... 103
Appendix I: Public Policy Positions 2019-2021 ...... 118
Appendix J: Current Bylaws ...... 130
Appendix K: Award History ...... 138
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016
Acknowledgements
The Convention Committee was formed and began its work in August 2020, meeting monthly to plan the May 2021 Convention. Due to COVID-19, the decision was made that the Convention would be a virtual event.
It takes a strong team to plan and execute a Convention. Committee members are Kathy Aros, Joyce Haas, Freda Johnson, Judy Lohr-Safcik, Bonnie Saunders, Susan Walters, and Lynn Zonakis. Thank you for your commitment of time and energy.
Pre-Convention workshops were provided by Lynn Hoffman - Budget, Susan Walter - Bylaws, Nancy Hand - Criminal Justice Reform Concurrence, Kathy Aros - Gun Safety Study, Betty Bengtson - Public Policy Positions, Pinny Sheoran and Judy Wood - Zoom Protocols. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and important work with all of us.
A special thank you to Betty Bengtson and Pinny Sheoran for their patience and for looking over my shoulder.
Also, thanks to Sue Webb-Lukomski for helping to assemble this Workbook.
Judy Wood, Chair
Convention 2021
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016
League of Women Voters of Arizona
Convention Schedule 2021
Saturday, May 15
9:30 AM Optional Social Breakout Session prior to beginning of Convention
10:00 AM Plenary Session: Call to Order & Welcome Bonnie Saunders Appointments Parliamentarian - Gloria Olsen Credential Committee - Judy Lohr-Safcik Timekeeper - Trayce Peterson Minutes Committee - Susie Bowman and Vivian Harte Report of Credential Committee & Roll Call of Delegates Judy Lohr-Safcik Welcome Message from LWVUS Virginia Kase, CEO LWVUS DEI focus Laura Hudson & Victor Bowleg
10:15 AM Presentation of the Carrie Chapman Catt Award Bonnie Saunders to Katie Hobbs, Arizona Secretary of State
10:30 AM Minutes of 2019 Convention Introduction of State Board Adoption of the Order of Business Adoption of Rules of Convention Treasurer’s Report: LWVAZ and LWVAZEF Linda Greenberg Proposed LWVAZ Operating Budget 2021-2023 Linda Greenberg Proposed LWVAZ EF Budget 2021-2023 Linda Greenberg Proposed LWVAZ Bylaws Susan Walter Proposed LWVAZ Public Policy Positions Betty Bengtson Proposed Policy Reviews/Updates Betty Bengtson Gun Safety Consensus Kathy Aros Criminal Justice Concurrence Nancy Hand Non-Recommended Policy Issues Bengtson Nominating Committee Report Terri Farneti
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016
Convention Schedule 2021 Sunday, May 16
9:30 AM Optional Social Breakout Session prior to beginning of Convention
10:00 AM Plenary Session Reconvenes Bonnie Saunders Report of Credentials Committee and Roll Call of Delegates Judy Lohr-Safcik
Welcome Message LWVUS President Deborah Turner, MD, JD
Presentation of Skeet Blakeslee Award Bonnie Saunders to Pinny Sheoran and Judy Wood
Adoption of 2021-2023 Budget Discussion and Adoption of Resolutions Adoption of LWVAZ Bylaws Adoption of LWVAZ Program 2021-2023 Election of 2021-2023 LWVAZ Officers
State of League Report Bonnie Saunders
Recognition of LWVAZ Board and Officers Judy Moor
Comments from new President Judy Moor
Recommendations to the Board of Directors Judy Moor
Invitation to 2022 Council and 2023 Convention
Announcements Other Business
Adjournment Judy Moor
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016
Pre-Convention Workshops
Tuesday, May 4, 6:00 PM Budgets Lynn Hoffman
An opportunity to review and ask questions about the proposed LWVAZ Operations and LWVAZ State Ed Fund Budget.
Thursday, May 6, 6:00 PM Zoom Protocols Pinny Sheoran & Judy Wood
Saturday, May 8, 1:00 PM Zoom Protocols Pinny Sheoran & Judy Wood
A time to practice the Zoom protocols that will be used for voting, raising hand to be recognized, and other protocols. (Same workshop is offered two different times.)
Monday, May 10, 6:00 PM Criminal Justice Reform Concurrence Nancy Hand
It is proposed that LWVAZ adopt the Criminal Justice Reform Position from California. This is the time to ask questions and become informed.
Tuesday, May 11, 6:00 PM Policy Positions Betty Bengtson
An important part of Convention is the adoption of Public Policy Positions for the coming two years. For a greater understanding of the process and proposed review of current positions attend this workshop.
Wednesday, May 12, 6:00 PM Gun Safety Study Kathy Aros
For two years the Gun Safety Committee has studied the issue and is now bringing it to the Convention for adoption.
Thursday, May 13, 6:00 PM Bylaws Amendments Susan Walter
The LWVAZ State Bylaws have undergone some proposed changes; we will vote on these changes at Convention. Join this workshop to learn more about the changes. There will be time for a Q&A.
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016
LWVAZ Officers, Board of Directors, and Committee Chairs 2019-2021
Officers President – Interim Bonnie Saunders Secretary Judy Wood Treasurer Linda Greenberg
Directors Central Yavapai County Joyce Haas Greater Tucson Betty Bengtson Greater Tucson Vivian Harte Metro Phoenix Laura Hudson Metro Phoenix Pinny Sheoran Northern Arizona Lynn Zonakis Northwest Maricopa County Susie Bowman Northwest Maricopa County Judy Moor Member-at-Large Victor Bowleg
LWVAZ Off-Board Chairs Nominating Chair Terri Farneti Transition Advisory Chair Joan Kaltsas
Standing Committees and Chairs Advocacy Pinny Sheoran Communication Vivian Harte Development/Fundraising Open Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Laura Hudson & Victor Bowleg Membership Judy Moor Public Policy Positions Betty Bengtson Technology Pinny Sheoran & Vivian Harte Voter Service Open Convention/Council Judy Wood
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016
Mission Statements
Carrie Chapman Catt conceived the idea of a League of Women Voters in St. Louis, Missouri, in March, 1919. Mrs. Catt’s idea became a reality in Chicago on February 14, 1920 with the birth of the National League of Women Voters.
LWV Mission Statement
Empowering Voters. Defending Democracy.
LWV Vision Statement
We envision a democracy where every person has the desire, the right, the knowledge and the confidence to participate.
LWV Value Statement
We believe in the power of women to create a more perfect democracy.
LWV Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Policy
LWVAZ and LWVAZ Education Fund are organizations fully committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in principle and in practice. There shall be no barriers to full participation in these organizations on the basis of gender, gender identity, ethnicity, race, native or indigenous origin, age, generation, sexual orientation, culture, religion, belief system, marital status, parental status, socioeconomic status, language, accent, ability status, mental health, educational level or background, geography, nationality, work style, work experience, job role function, thinking style, personality type, physical appearance, political perspective or affiliation and/or any other characteristic that can be identified as recognizing or illustrating diversity. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are central to the organizations’ current and future success in engaging all individuals, households, communities, and policy makers in creating a more perfect democracy.
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016
2021 Convention (virtual) Rules
As provided in the Bylaws, Convention consists of the Presidents of the local Leagues or their designated alternates, delegates chosen by each local League in proportion to the membership, one representative from each Member-at-Large unit, and members of the State Board.
Qualification of Delegates and Voting. Each delegate shall be a voting member of a recognized local or provisional League in Arizona or the representative of a Member-At-Large unit. Each delegate shall be entitled to one vote only, even though attending in one or more capacities. Absentee or proxy voting is not permitted; the convention shall be the judge of whether a delegate is qualified to vote.
Admission. Admission to the Convention shall be limited to those designated delegates as identified above. Visitors may attend all sessions.
Motion & Debate. Only delegates and voting members of the convention have the privilege of the floor or may make motions. When addressing the Chair to gain the floor, a member shall first state her/his name and the name of the League being represented. Motions must be in writing and submitted using the Chat feature. When motions have been presented, debate shall be limited to two minutes for each speaker, unless time is extended by the Chair. No person may speak twice until all who wish to speak have had the privilege of the floor.
Open Discussion. Other League members present may have the floor during periods of open discussion as announced by the Chair when time permits.
Quorum. The Bylaws specify that a quorum shall consist of a majority of the delegates registered at the convention, provided that not less than a majority of local Leagues are present.
Bylaws. A two-thirds vote is required for any change in the Bylaws.
Budget Presentation & Adoption. Discussion of the budget at its presentation will consist of clarifying questions only. Thereafter, debate will occur as time allows. A budget adjustment committee will be appointed if the convention decides it necessary.
Nominations. In the case of nominations from the floor, the nominee's permission must be obtained prior to the submission of her/his name.
Program. A majority vote is required on public policy position items. Items not recommended by the Board may be adopted by Convention with a two-thirds vote.
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016
ABC'S of Parliamentary Procedure
Robert's Rules of Order, adapted to the LWVAZ Bylaws basic rules are as follows:
1. In order to speak, one obtains recognition from the Chair. When recognized, state name and League.
2. Address remarks to the Chair. If one delegate has a question for another delegate, it must be addressed to the Chair and the Chair then addresses the question to the other delegate.
3. What is said must be germane to the matter or to the motion under consideration.
4. For a topic to be discussed by the convention, it must be put in the form of a motion. Someone must second the motion. If no second, it is lost for want of a second.
5. Only one main motion at a time can be considered. If there is already a motion before the convention, it must be disposed of before another motion can be made, unless the second motion is an amendment to the first motion under discussion. (An exception to this "one main motion at a time" rule comes in League program discussion and adoption).
6. Since no one can speak twice on a motion until all who wish to speak have had the privilege of the floor, one should be prepared to summarize one's views on all aspects of the motion under consideration when one does speak.
7. The Chair will try to conduct and explain in a clear and simple manner, the proceedings and procedures necessary to accomplish the business of the Convention. If confused, stand and say, "I rise to a point of parliamentary inquiry." The Chair will attempt to clarify the issue.
8. The parliamentarian is there to advise the Chair on procedure. If it is thought that there has been a violation of rules or an omission or a mistake in procedure, stand and say, "I rise to a point of order." The Chair will then ask for advice from the parliamentarian. If it is felt that the Chair has made a mistake, stand and say, "Madam Chair, I appeal the action of the Chair." If it is thought the Chair has made a mistake in announcing the results of a vote, a standing vote (division of the house) should be asked for.
9. If some difficulty interferes with the comfort and efficiency of the assembly, rise to a "question of personal privilege."
10. When debate seems to have continued for an adequate time, the Chair will attempt to put the question to a vote. If someone wishes to continue the discussion, the Chair will need the help of a delegate. The delegate may move the previous question. If seconded, the motion is not debatable, and if two-thirds of the Delegates vote "Yes," then all debate stops and the pending question is voted up
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016
Proposed Amended Bylaws BYLAWS OF THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF ARIZONA
Amended: 20202021
ARTICLE I – NAME
Section 1 Name. The name of this organization shallwill be the League of Women Voters of Arizona, hereinafter referred to in these Bylaws as LWVAZ, or as the League. This League is an integral part of the League of Women Voters of the United States, hereinafter referred to as the LWVUS.
ARTICLE II – PURPOSE AND POLICIES
Section 1 Purposes. a. To promote political responsibility through informed and active participation in government. b. To act on selected governmental issues.
Section 2. Policies. The Policies of LWVAZ are: a. Political Policy. The League shallwill not support or oppose any political party or any candidate. b. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Policy. The League is fully committed to ensure compliance -- in principle and in practice—with LWVAZ’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Policy.
ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Eligibility. Any person who subscribes to the purposes and policy of the LWVUS shallwill be eligible for membership.
Section 2. Types of Membership.
a. Voting Members. Persons at least 16 years of age who join the League shallwill be voting members of local Leagues, state Leagues and of the LWVUS; (1) those who live within an area of a local League may join that League or any other local League; (2) those who reside outside the area of any local League may join a local League or shallwill be state members-at-large; (3) those who have been members of the League for 50 years or more shallwill be life members excused from the payment of dues; (4) those who are students are defined as individuals enrolled either as full or part time with an accredited institution.
b. Associate Members. All others who join the League shallwill be associate members.
ARTICLE IV – OFFICERS
Section 1. Enumeration, Terms, and Election of Officers. The officers of the LWVAZ shallwill be a President, a President- elect a Secretary, and a Treasurer. The Treasurer and Secretary officers shallwill be elected every two years by the regular biennial Convention, hereinafter referred to as the Convention. They shallwill hold office until the conclusion of the next Convention or until their successors have been elected and qualified or, in the case of the outgoing Treasurer, until the end of that fiscal year (Article IX, Sect.1). In special circumstances, with Board approval, an officer who has
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016
already served at least one full term may be elected for a term of one additional year.
The President-elect will be elected every year at either Convention or Council. They will serve as President-elect for one year and then as President in the following year.
Section 2. Co-officers. The Nominating Committee may nominate Co-officers for the Treasurer or Secretary position(s) any office, as long as one of the officers is willing to be designated as “(Officer Title) of Record”. Each shared office will have one vote.
Section 3. The President. The President shallwill preside at all meetings of the organization, the Executive Committee and of the Board of Directors unless the President designates someone to preside in the President’s stead. The President may, in the absence or disability of the Treasurer, sign or endorse checks, and authorize payments by check or credit card. The President shallwill be, ex- officio, a member of all committees except the Nominating Committee. The President shallwill have such usual powers of supervision and management as may pertain to the office of President, and shallwill perform such other duties as may be designated by the Board of Directors. All references to President shall extend to Co-Presidents, in the presence of such. In the event of absence, resignation, disability, or death of the one Co-President, the President-elect other Co-President shallwill serve as the President, if willing.
Section 4: President-elect: The President-elect will assist the President and perform such other duties as the President or Board may assign, including communications with external organizations.
Section 54. The Secretary. The Secretary shallwill keep minutes of Convention/ Council and meetings of the Board of Directors. The Secretary shallwill notify all officers and directors of their election, shallwill sign with the President all contracts and other instruments when so authorized by the Board and shallwill perform such other functions as may be incident to the office. The Secretary shallwill keep a written record of topics discussed and any vote taken at a special meeting (Article V, Sect.6.). The Secretary shallwill perform such additional duties as the President and Board may designate. And, in the event of absence, resignation, disability, or death of the President, the Secretary shallwill possess all the powers and perform all the duties of the office.
Section 65. The Treasurer. The Treasurer shallwill collect and receive all monies due, be the custodian of these monies, deposit said monies in a bank or banks designated by the Board of Directors and disburse the same upon order of the Board of Directors. The Treasurer shallwill present statements to the Board of Directors at its regular meetings and an annual report to Convention/Council. The out-going Treasurer is responsible for closing the books at the end of each fiscal year, including the year in which the term ends. The out-going Treasurer shallwill coordinate with the incoming Treasurer, who will then, after the books and audit are closed, assume responsibility for the new fiscal year. The Treasurer will coordinate that audit with the Board at the end of the Treasurer’s term of office. The Treasurer shallwill perform such additional duties as the President and Board may designate. And, in the event of absence, resignation, disability, or death of the Secretary, the Treasurer shallwill possess all the powers and perform all the duties of the office.
ARTICLE V – BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Section 1. Number, Manner of Selection, and Term of Office. The Board of Directors of the LWVAZ, hereinafter referred to as the State Board or the Board, shallwill consist of voting members of the Board: the officers, two directors from each local League appointed by that local League Board,
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016 hereinafter referred to as local League directors; and not more than twofour directors appointed by the LWVAZ Board as it deems necessary. Co-directors may not be appointed to a single director position from local Leagues or by the Board. All directors shallwill be voting members of the LWVAZ and shallwill serve terms of two years. Local leagues will appoint one director at beginning at the Convention and the other at Council. Terms will and expiring expire at the conclusion of the next Convention or Council. No Director will serve more than two (2) consecutive two-year terms.
Section 2. Qualifications. Persons elected or appointed or who continue to serve as an officer or director of the LWVAZ must be: a) a voting member of the League of Women Voters of the United States; b) enrolled in a local League in Arizona; or c) a member-at-large of the LWVAZ.
Section 3. Vacancies/Absences. Any vacancy occurring among the officers or the two -four Board- appointed directors may be filled until term completion by a majority vote of the remaining members of the Board. Vacancies in local League director positions will be filled by the relevant local League. The Board may declare vacant the office of a director due to resignation, death, disability or removal for cause. Two absences from Board meetings of any member in one fiscal year without valid reason shallwill be deemed a resignation.
Section 4. Powers and Duties. The Board shallwill have full charge of the property and business of the LWVAZ and full power and authority to manage and conduct the same, subject to the instructions of Convention/Council. The Board shallwill plan and direct the work necessary to carry out the programpublic policy positions on selected governmental issues as adopted by the Convention. It shallwill accept responsibility delegated to it by the Board of Directors of the LWVUS for the organization and development of local Leagues, for the carrying out of programpublic policy positions and for promotion in the Local Leagues of finance programs requisite to further the work of the League as a whole, including transmission of funds toward the support of an adequate state and national budget. The Board shallwill arrange, with the Treasurer, an audit consistent with the Treasurer’s term of office. The Board shallwill create and designate such committees as it may deem necessary.
Section 5. Regular Meetings. There shallwill be at least four regular meetings of the State Board annually. The President or Secretary shallwill notify each member of the Board of all regular meetings at least two weeksone week before any such meeting, giving an agenda, including time and place of meeting. Regular Board meetings may be held by any electronic or virtual means that allow all persons participating in the meeting to communicate with each other at the same time, such as online or telephone conference services. At least one regular Board meeting each year shallwill be held in- person if circumstances permit.
Section 6. Special Meetings. The President may call special meetings of the Board or shallwill call a special meeting upon the written or electronically transmitted request of three members of the Board. The President may use electronic means to contact Board members between regular meetings when necessary, on those issues needing a decision before the next scheduled Board meeting. All notices of special meetings shallwill state the question to be considered, and all resolutions of that meeting shallwill be recorded by the Secretary. Special Board meetings may be held by any electronic or virtual means that allow all persons participating in the meeting to communicate with each other at the same time, such as online or telephone conference services.
Section 7. Quorum. A majority of the members of the Board shallwill constitute a quorum. Board members may participate in-person or via online or telephone conference services that allow all
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016
persons participating in the meeting to communicate with each other at the same time. Participation by such means shallwill constitute presence in person at a meeting. In the absence of a quorum, a vote may be taken electronically. An affirmative response from the majority of the Board shallwill constitute approval of the motion.
ARTICLE VI – EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Section 1. Number and Manner of Selection. The Executive Committee shallwill include the President, the President- elect, the Secretary, the Treasurer, and one director selected by the President from among the local league directors on the LWVAZ Board. In case of co-officers the “Officer of Record” shallwill be the one who serves.
Section 2. Powers. a. This Committee shallwill conduct necessary business arising between meetings of the Board, not entailing programpublic policy positions direction change. b. A full report of the Executive Committee meeting shallwill be presented at the next meeting of the Board. c. Meetings shallwill be held at the call of the President or any two of the other threefour members of the Executive Committee. The President may poll members or hold meetings by any electronic means. d. A majority of members of the Executive Committee shallwill constitute a quorum under the same terms stated in Article V, Sect. 7.
ARTICLE VII – COMMITTEES
Section 1. Creation of Committees. The Board may appoint standing or ad hoc committees as it deems necessary to accomplish the work of the LWVAZ.
Section 2. Committee Membership, Charge, and Authority. The local League Boards shallwill appoint members from their Leagues to serve on statewide committees. The LWVAZ Board shallwill appoint a chairperson for each committee and ensure that there is a written charge to the committee, including goals, timeline, and extent of its authority, and shallwill designate whether the committee is standing or ad hoc.
ARTICLE VIII – RECOGNITION OF LOCAL LEAGUES AND STATE LEAGUE UNITS
Section 1. Local Leagues. a. Local Leagues are those Leagues which have been so recognized by the League of Women Voters of the United States. b. The Board shallwill recommend to the National Board that it recognizes as a local League, any group of members of the LWVUS in any community within the state which has met qualifying standards for local Leagues as adopted by National Convention. c. In the event of recurring failure of a local League to meet qualifying standards, or for other reasons, the State Board shallwill recommend to the National Board that it withdraw recognition from that local League. All funds held by a local League from which recognition has been withdrawn shallwill be paid to the LWVAZ.
Section 2. State League Units. State League Units composed of members-at-large may be organized at the discretion of the State Board, which shallwill act as their governing body.
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016
ARTICLE IX – FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATION
Section 1. Fiscal Year. The fiscal year of the LWVAZ shallwill coincide with that of the LWVUS and shallwill commence on the first of July of each year.
Section 2. Financial Support. a. Financial support for the LWVAZ shallwill be assumed annually by the local Leagues. b. Members who are enrolled in local Leagues, except for Life Members, shallwill pay annual dues to the LWVAZ. Each local League shallwill send a per member payment to the LWVAZ, the amount to be determined at Convention by a three-fifths vote of those present and voting. c. When two or more members reside at the same address in a common household, dues for members other than the first member shallwill be reduced by one-half the per member payment to the National and State League or such other amount as shallwill be established. The minimum dues payable by members-at-large shallwill equal the combined state and national per member payment. d. The per member payment for a student shallwill be determined at Convention. A student is defined as an individual enrolled either full or part-time in an accredited institution.
Section 3. Budget. a. The President shallwill appoint a Budget Committee, including at least two non-Board members, for the purpose of preparing a proposed Budget for the ensuing two fiscal years at least three months in advance of Convention. The Treasurer shallwill be an ex-officio member, not eligible to serve as Chair. This Budget shallwill provide for the support of the LWVAZ. b. The proposed budget shallwill be submitted to the State Board for approval. c. The Board shallwill submit to Convention for adoption, a Budget for the ensuing two fiscal years. A copy of the proposed Budget shallwill be included in the Call to Convention sent to each local League President at least one month in advance of Convention. d. Council may approve a revised biennial budget, if proposed by the State Board (Art. XI, Sect. 3). The proposed revised budget shallwill be included in the Call to Council sent to each local League President at least one month in advance of Council.
Section 4. Distribution of Funds on Dissolution. In the event of dissolution for any cause of the LWVAZ, all monies and securities which may at that time be owned by or under the absolute control of the LWVAZ shallwill be paid to the League of Women Voters of the United States, after the Board of Directors has paid or made provision for the payment of all the liabilities of the LWVAZ. All other property of whatsoever nature, whether real, personal, or mixed, which may at that time be owned by or under the control of the LWVAZ shallwill be disposed of by any officer or employee of the LWVAZ for such public, charitable or educational uses and purposes as may be designated by the then LWVAZ.
ARTICLE X– CONVENTION
Section 1. Place, Date and Call. A Convention of the LWVAZ shallwill be held biennially in odd- numbered years at a time and place to be determined by the Board. The President shallwill send a First Call to Convention to the Presidents of the local Leagues not less than three months prior to the opening date of Convention. Thereafter, the Board may advance or postpone the opening date of Convention by not more than three weeks. A final Call for Convention shallwill be sent to the Presidents of the local Leagues and State Units at least one month before Convention.
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016
Section 2. Composition. The Convention shallwill consist of a) the delegates chosen by the members through the local Leagues and State Units in the number provided in Section 4 of this Article; b) the Presidents of the local Leagues or an alternate in the event that President is unable to attend; and c) the members of the State Board.
Section 3. Qualifications for Voting at Convention. Each delegate shallwill be a voting member a) enrolled in a local League which has met its per member payment, although the State Board may make an exception in the case of proven hardship; or b) enrolled as a member-at-large in the LWVAZ; or c) a member of the State Board. Each delegate shallwill be entitled to only one vote at Convention even though attending in two or more capacities. Absentee or proxy voting shallwill not be permitted. The Convention delegates shallwill be the sole judge of whether a delegate is qualified to vote.
Section 4. Representation. The members of the LWVUS who are organized into recognized local Leagues in Arizona shallwill be entitled to voting representation at Convention as follows: each local League is entitled to one delegate chosen by the local League in addition to the President of the local League or an alternate in the event the President is unable to attend. Each local League having more than fifteen voting members shallwill be entitled to another additional delegate for each additional twenty-five members or major fraction thereof. The record in the State office of paid voting members as of January 31 of said year shallwill determine official membership for this purpose. The members of each State Unit shallwill be entitled to also choose one delegate.
Section 5. Powers. The Convention shallwill consider and authorize a programpublic policy positions for action, shallwill elect officers, directors,President-elect, Secretary, Treasurer, and a Nominating Committee Chair for a two-year period. It shallwill adopt a budget for the next two fiscal years, establish per member payments for the next two years, review the Bylaws, and transact such other business as may come before it.
Section 6. Quorum. Twenty percent of the possible number of voting delegates, other than the Board, shallwill constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at Convention, provided that there is representation from at least fifty percent of the local Leagues.
ARTICLE XI– COUNCIL
Section 1. Place, Date and Call. A meeting of Council shallwill be held in the interim year between Convention approximately twelve (12) months after the preceding Convention at a time and place to be determined by the Board. A formal Call to Council shallwill be sent by the President of the LWVAZ to the Presidents of the local Leagues and State Units at least one month before the opening date of Council.
Section 2. Composition. The Council shallwill be composed of a) the Presidents of the local Leagues or an alternate in the event the President is unable to attend; b) two delegates chosen by each local League; c) one delegate from each State Unit; and d) the Board. Each delegate shallwill be entitled to one vote only at Council even though the delegate may be attending in two or more capacities. Absentee or proxy voting shallwill not be permitted. The Council delegates shallwill be the sole judge of whether a delegate is qualified to vote.
Section 3. Powers. The Council shallwill give guidance to the State Board on programpublic policy positions, budget, and methods of work. The Council is authorized to change the programpublic
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policy positions only in the event of an emergency, provided a) notice of the proposed changes shallwill have been sent to the local League Presidents at least two months in advance of Council, and b) the change is adopted by a two-thirds vote. The Council shallwill review the budget for the ensuing year and may approve a revised budget (Art.IX, Sect.3). The Council will elect a President- elect andshallwill transact such other business as shallwill be presented by the Board.
Section 4. Quorum. A quorum shallwill consist of not less than two-thirds of the local League representatives authorized under Section 2 of this Article, other than the Board of Directors, for the transaction of business at a Council meeting.
ARTICLE XII – NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS
Section 1. Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee shallwill consist of an elected Chair, representatives from each Local League plus one or two members of the Board. The Chairperson, who shallwill not be a member of the LWVAZ Board, shallwill be elected by Convention and shallwill hold office until the conclusion of the next regular biennial Convention. Each local League (except the League to which the elected Chairperson belongs) shallwill appoint a member to the Nominating Committee within six months of the closing day of Convention. The failure of a local League to appoint a representative in the prescribed length of time will not cause the actions of the Nominating Committee to be invalid.
Section 2. Suggestions for Nominations. The Chairperson of the Nominating Committee shallwill request from the local League Director/s or President, suggestions for nominations for the offices to be filled. Said suggestions for nominations shallwill be received at least two months before the opening date of Convention or Council. Any member may send suggestions to the Chair of the Nominating Committee.
Section 3. Report of the Nominating Committee and Nominating from the Floor. The report of the Nominating Committee shallwill be sent to the Board 6 weeks before the date of Convention or Council. The report of the Nominating Committee, containing its nominations for officers and a chair for the next Nominating Committee, shallwill be presented to the delegates at Convention or Council on the first day of Convention or Council. The report of the Nominating Committee, containing its nominations for President-elect, Secretary, Treasurer, and a chair for the next Nominating Committee, will be presented to the delegates at Convention on the first day of Convention. The report of the Nominating Committee, containing its nominations for President-elect, will be presented to the delegates at Council on the first day of Council. Immediately following the presentation of this report, nominations may be made from the floor provided that the consent of the nominee has been obtained.
Section 4. Election. The election shallwill be by ballot, unless there is but one nominee for each office, when there shallwill be a voice vote. A majority vote of those present, qualified to vote and voting shallwill constitute an election. All voting shallwill be done in person; absentee or proxy voting shallwill not be permitted.
ARTICLE XIII – PRINCIPLES AND PROGRAM PUBLIC POLICY POSITIONS
Section 1. Principles. The governmental Principles adopted by the LWVUS Convention and supported by the Leagues as a whole constitutes the authorization for the adoption of programpublic policy positions.
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Section 2. ProgramPublic policy positions. The ProgramPublic policy positions of the LWVAZ shallwill consist of: a. Action to implement the Principles of the LWVUS and b. Those state governmental issues chosen by Convention for concerted study or concurrence and action.
Section 3. ProgramPublic policy positions Selection. The Convention shallwill select the governmental issues for concerted study or concurrence and action using the following procedures: a. Local League boards may make recommendations for State programpublic policy positions to the Board prior to the last State Board meeting before Convention. The Board shallwill consider all recommendations and formulate a recommended programpublic policy positions at its last Board meeting prior to Convention. b. A majority vote at the Convention shallwill be required for the adoption of the programpublic policy positions recommended by the Board. c. Any recommendation for programpublic policy positions submitted to the Board prior to its last Board meeting before Convention, but not recommended by the Board, may be adopted at Convention, provided consideration is ordered by a majority vote on the first day and on the following day, the proposal for adoption receives a two-thirds vote.
Section 4. Member Action. Members may act in the name of the LWVAZ only when authorized to do so by the Board. They may act only in conformity with, and not contrary to, positions taken by the LWVAZ and/or the LWVUS.
ARTICLE XIV– NATIONAL CONVENTION AND COUNCIL
Section 1. National Convention. The Board, at a meeting before the date on which the names of delegates must be sent to the LWVUS, shallwill elect delegates to Convention in the number allowed the LWVAZ under the provisions of the Bylaws of the LWVUS. The President shallwill have the power to fill any vacancy which may occur in the delegation.
Section 2. National Council. The Board, at a meeting before the date on which names of delegates must be sent to the LWVUS, shallwill elect delegates to National Council in the number allowed the LWVAZ. The President shallwill have the power to fill any vacancy which may occur in the delegation.
ARTICLE XV– AMENDMENTS
Section 1. Bylaws Committee: A Bylaws Committee shallwill be appointed by the President for the purpose of reviewing the Bylaws at least four months prior to Convention. The Chair of the Committee shallwill not be a member of the Board, although a Board member shallwill be a member of the Committee.
Section 2. Amendments. These Bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote at any Convention using the following procedures: a. Proposals for change shallwill be submitted by any voting member or local League board to the Board at least three months prior to the opening day of Convention. All suggestions shallwill then be given to the Bylaws Committee for review prior to the last State Board meeting. b. All such proposed amendments, together with the recommendations of the Board, shallwill be part of the final Call, sent to the Presidents of local Leagues at least one month prior to the opening day of Convention.
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Section 3. Conflict with Laws or National or State League Action. In the event that the Board of Directors determines that any provision of these Bylaws is inconsistent with current law or National or State League action, the Board may, by majority vote, amend the Bylaws to address the inconsistency, provided that: a. The President shallwill make a good faith effort to notify members promptly of the change and the reason for the change. Notice may be by any means, calculated to reach as many members as reasonably possible. b. Except for changes to these Bylaws required by LWVUS to conform to National Bylaws, Board-approved changes shallwill be effective only until the next Convention or Council at which time, the membership shallwill determine whether the amendment shallwill be permanently incorporated into the Bylaws or shallwill be eliminated or modified in some other manner.
ARTICLE XVI-- PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
Section 1. Parliamentary Authority. The rules contained in Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shallwill govern the corporation in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with the Bylaws of the LWVAZ
Adopted: May 14, 1950 Amended: May 1987, May 1997, May 2001, May 2007, May 2011, May 2015, July 2016, April 2017, May
2019, August 8, 2020
Judith P Wood August 19, 2020 Secretary, LWVAZ
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Treasurer’s Report – Operations
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Treasurer’s Report – Education Fund
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Proposed 2021-2023 LWVAZ Operating Budget
Expenses and totals continued on next page.
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Proposed 2021-2023 LWVAZ Operating Budget (Cont.)
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Proposed 2021-2023 LWVAZ Operating Budget (Cont.)
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Proposed 2021-2023 LWVAZ Education Fund Budget
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Nominating Committee Report
Proposed Slate 2021-2023
Judy Moor NWM --- President
Pinny Sheoran MP --- President-Elect
Anne Davis GT --- Secretary
Linda Greenberg LWVCYC --- Treasurer
Sue DeArmond GT --- Nominating Chair (2021-2023)
Submitted March 12, 2021, Re-Submitted April 5, 2021
Nominating Committee Members
Terri Farneti, Chair LWVAZ Nominating Committee
Laura Hudson, LWVAZ Board Member, Metro Phoenix Member
Mary Elizabeth Pollard, Membership Chair, Greater Tucson
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Brief Bios of the New Slate
Judy Moor (President) Judy Moor has been a LWV member for 26 years. She served in many roles including Co-President while living in Missouri, and as President of NWMC for the past two years. Judy has attended two national conventions as a delegate. Her professional life was in counseling psychology in the fields of addiction, marriage and family therapy, and behavioral health, and as a trainer and administrator. Judy said she values the LWV due to its nonpartisan policy, its mission of empowering voters and defending democracy, and the amazing people she is able to work with.
Pinny Sheoran (President Elect) Pinny is an active member of the Metropolitan Phoenix Local League. She has helped with voter registration, fund raising, and organizing and hosting debates and forums. She is currently serving as the President Elect for Metro Phoenix.
Pinny is also active in the LWVAZ, serving as a Director on the LWVAZ Board and chairing the State Advocacy Committee and Legislative Analysis Team - LAT (which she helped organize under Metro Phoenix in 2018). Since 2019 the LAT has expanded to include members from all local Leagues, and is very active in researching legislation in Arizona and providing content for calls to action, newsletters and supporting testimony used by volunteer lobbyists. As Advocacy Chair, she has provided leadership to expand the number of volunteer lobbyists, researched and spoke on over 200 bills, and supported the work on LWV PPFM campaign, ERA Campaign and Get Out the Vote efforts during the 2020 elections. She is currently organizing a Legislative Observer team to support the work of LWVAZ State Advocacy. Pinny has also provided technology leadership and support to LWVAZ and local Leagues, for example regarding Zoom, Google tools, and website updates.
Pinny said the opportunity to provide leadership in small ways to further the League’s mission and strengthen LWVMP has been more than satisfying for her. This has been a major part of the time Pinny gives to volunteer work. Pinny will bring demonstrated skills and experience in organizing to this leadership role, and will empower many to participate in and support the work of the League. Pinny said she will commit time and energy to ensure that the LWVMP grows in membership and expands its influence and clout through exciting, impactful projects and partnerships.
Pinny has a Masters and Doctorate in Applied Statistics from the University of Cincinnati and has held positions of increasing responsibility at the Maricopa Community Colleges, from department chair to Executive Director of Business and Industry programs, retiring from the faculty in 2006. Although Pinny’s degree is in mathematics, her tenure as faculty member of the Community Colleges was in computer science and technology. Pinny has served as a North Central Accreditation evaluator of colleges and schools, a board member of the Nation Council of Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning, President of Sunrise Rotary, and on the Board of the India Association as treasurer and secretary. Pinny has resided in Scottsdale since 1980 and wants to make sure the League remains a very important voice in Making Democracy Work for all.
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Ann Davis (Secretary) Ann Davis joined the LWVGT in 2017 and she has served the Greater Tucson League in many ways. She is part of the team that staffs the office, and has been the formatter of the monthly newsletter, the Chair of the Budget Committee for three years, and an at-large member of the Board of Directors. Ann is a retired member of the Arizona State Bar. For many years, as a volunteer, Ann taught civics to junior high and high school students.
Linda Greenberg (Treasurer) Linda Greenberg came to Arizona in 2002 to semi-retire, and she had a nice 10 years with no commitments and no schedule. Linda’s education and work background is in accounting; she earned a BA in Financial Accounting and she is a CPA who has worked in both public accounting and industry. Linda lives on two acres outside of Prescott and spends her spare time gardening and walking her two dachshunds. She joined the League of Women Voters of Central Yavapai County in 2013 and joined the Board a couple of years later. Linda served one year as Secretary and six years as Treasurer. For the past two years, Linda has served as Treasurer of both the LWVAZ and the LWVAZ Education Fund. Linda said it was an interesting time to come aboard as the LWVAZ was undergoing a major restructuring, and the experience has been rewarding and an education. Linda would like to serve as LWVAZ Treasurer for one more term.
Sue DeArmond (Nominations Chair) Sue moved to Tucson in 1969 for her husband’s job at the University of Arizona. They have three grown children and seven grandchildren. She was an elected official in the 1980’s, serving on the TUSD School Board. In the 1990’s she ran a non-profit arts organization. Sue joined the League of Women Voters of Greater Tucson in the early 2000’s, and has served as Chair of the Nominating, Voter Service, and Program Committees. She is currently the Co-Chair of the Forums and Educational Materials Committees.
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Proposed Public Policy Positions for 2021-2023
1. LWVAZ Board recommends the retention and re-adoption of all current LWVAZ positions for 2021-2023, and to continue our focus on advocacy and education under the umbrella of Making Democracy Work: Voting Rights, Improving Elections, Campaign Finance/Money in Politics, and Redistricting and other urgent issues defined by LWVUS.
The Board will continue to set legislative priorities annually, guided by LWVUS and LWVAZ positions.
2. The Board recommends the review and update of the following positions during the 2021-2023 biennium:
1. Election Systems (last updated 2017), including the first two bullet points under Arizona Election Systems and Law. [See Appendix B for details.] 2. Water (Adopted 1975, 1979; revised 1995, amended 2009) [See Appendix C for details.] 3. Legislative and Congressional Redistricting (Updated 2005) [See Appendix D for details.] 4. Initiative and Referendum (Adopted in the 1970s) [See Appendix E for details.]
Members have been identified to work on each of the reviews/updates. Committee reports will be due at the 2023 Convention. See cited appendices for rationale, scope, timeline, committee members, etc. for each review/update.
3. The LWVAZ Board recommends the adoption of the Gun Safety position as proposed by the Gun Safety Study Committee. [Appendix F]
4. The LWVAZ Board recommends the adoption by concurrence of the Criminal Justice position as proposed by the Criminal Justice Position Task Force. [Appendix G]
5. Positions in the following list were recommended for review/update by at least one local League or individual members. The Board does not recommend these positions be reviewed/updated in the 2021- 2023 biennium. Any item from the list can be brought forward by any delegate at the Convention to consider for review/update at the Convention. Positions Not Recommended for Review/Update:
● Campaign Finance ● Arizona Executive Branch ● Arizona Legislative Branch ● Arizona Judicial Branch ● Juvenile Justice ● Arizona Corporation Commission ● Reproductive Choice ● Human Needs ● Education
No new studies were recommended by any member or League.
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Awards The Carrie Chapman Catt Award
The Carrie Chapman Catt award was established in 1995, the year of the League of Women Voters 75th Anniversary. The League of Women Voters of Arizona gives the award to a non League member or an organization that most exemplifies the passion and strength in support of an issue of high priority to the League of Women Voters of Arizona.
The award is named after Carrie Chapman Catt, the founder of the League of Women Voters. Ms. Catt formed the League during the convention of the National American Woman Suffrage Association in 1920. The convention was held six months before the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution, giving women the right to vote, was ratified. The League of Women Voters was organized to 'finish the fight' and to aid in the reconstruction of the nation." In her speech at the 50th Anniversary Jubilee Convention of the National American Woman Suffrage Association, Carrie Chapman Catt stated “What could be more natural than women who have attained their political independence should desire to give service in token of their gratitude? What could be more appropriate than such women should do for the coming generation what those of a preceding period did for them?...Let us then raise up a league of women voters...a league that shall be non-partisan and non-sectarian in character ..." The words of Carrie Chapman Catt still resonate with us almost 100 years later in our mission to encourage informed and active participation in government, increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influence public policy through education and advocacy.
2021 Carrie Chapman Catt Award Recipient Katie Hobbs Voter participation in the 2020 elections was at a historic high. Mobilization of numerous voting rights and voter advocacy groups resulted in a tremendous increase in voter registration and participation of people of color, native American, women and young voters. The expansion of citizens in the franchise occurred during one of the worst pandemics in the world and despite the concerted efforts to suppress the vote and overturn the legally certified elections results. The 2020 elections was the most secure election in the history of American elections. This was in no small part due to the dedicated public officials charged with administering elections, who went beyond the call to service, enduring threats to their personal safety to ensure that the elections were safe, secure, accurate and reflected the will of the voters.
The League of Women Voters of Arizona named Katie Hobbs, Arizona Secretary of State for the 2020 Arizona League’s prestigious Carrie Chapman Catt Award for her passion, strength and dedication to Arizona Voters; her tireless Commitment to assuring the integrity and security of the 2020 General Election; her exemplary management of elections logistics and administration during the COVID-19 Pandemic; and her bravery and persistence as she stood up for Voters’ Rights.
Secretary Katie Hobbs has led a life of service. Beginning as a volunteer at her church and continuing with her job as a social worker and chief compliance officer at one of the largest domestic violence centers in the U.S., the focus of her life has been to help others to gain security, to be heard, and to create better lives. Secretary Katie Hobbs has led a life of service. Beginning as a volunteer at her church and continuing with her job as a social worker and chief compliance officer at one of the largest domestic violence centers in the U.S., the focus of her life has been
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016 to help others to gain security, to be heard, and to create better lives. That fundamental motivation inspired her to run for Secretary of State, after serving in the Arizona House of Representatives and Arizona Senate as minority leader. Now, she brings her years of experience to the Office of the Secretary of State to ensure that it runs productively, and that Arizona elections are secure, fair and efficient.
Secretary Hobbs has a Bachelor of Social Work from Northern Arizona University and a Master of Social Work from Arizona State University. She has been a professional social worker since 1992. Prior to being elected to the legislature, she worked in the areas of domestic violence, behavioral health, and homelessness. She has been honored with dozens of awards for her service. Most recently, she was named the League of Cities and Towns Legislative Champion for two consecutive years (2017 and 2018). Secretary Hobbs met her husband Pat Goodman at church 26 years ago. Together, they live in Phoenix with their two kids Hannah and Sam, their dog and cats. The Skeet Blakeslee Award
The Skeet Blakeslee Award was established in 1995 at the Tucson Convention. The award is given to a League member who has gone “above and beyond the call of duty” in the work of the League. The award was named after Skeet Blakeslee, a long-time Phoenix member, who contributed countless volunteer hours in committee work and administration of local and state League activities. Over the years Skeet also served on government boards and commissions at the local, county and state level. She was for many years the chief lobbyist for the LWV of Arizona and was a well-known presence at the Legislature. Skeet worked on several statewide initiatives, an important one being the Merit Selection Initiative (Prop 108) of 1974 which resulted in our current system of merit selection of judges in Arizona. Fair Courts was a particular area of interest for Skeet and she continued to fight for citizen participation in the selection and retention of judges. She served for many years on the Arizona Judicial Performance Review Commission.
2021 Skeet Blakeslee Award Recipients
Judy Wood, Secretary of the League of Women Voters of Arizona for the past two years, has been extremely helpful in making Board Meetings, especially since they are on Zoom, run smoothly. She has written and distributed the Agenda, solicited and collected documents from Board Members, and deposited all necessary documents into Google Docs for all Board Members to peruse before the Board Meeting. Even more importantly, she has been a valued adviser to Interim President Bonnie Saunders -- every President of any organization needs an adviser who will tell them when something really important needs to be done and when something the President wants to do, should NOT be done. She has been excellent at everything she has done and Bonnie could not have done without her hard work!
Pinny Sheoran, Advocacy Chair for the League of Women Voters of Arizona for the past two years, has led the Advocacy Committee in studying bills in the AZ legislature to see whether we support or oppose them (based on our Policy Positions), in lobbying for or against bills on which the LWV/AZ has positions, and in sending out Advocacy Newsletters to all members around the state to urge members to contact legislators about such bills. She also has been a technology expert, who has made the use of Zoom possible for both state and local League meetings and who has given various technology lessons to members of the Board and Local Leagues. Interim President Bonnie Saunders has been able to ask her to do various small tasks when needed and she has always come through with excellent results. She has been excellent at everything that she has done and Bonnie could not have done without her hard work!
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Committee Reports 2019-2021
Advocacy Pinny Sheoran, Chair
Members: Pinny Sheoran (Chair), Gitelle Seer (Vice-Chair), Betty Bengtson, Deborah Green, Linda Greenberg, Judy Kelch, Marilyn Koentizer, Jan Manolis, Laura Hudson, Carol Mattoon, Judy Moor
Committee Charge and Scope of Work: The Advocacy Committee works to strengthen and expand the LWVAZ’s advocacy efforts and to heighten League visibility on legislative matters and public policy at the federal and state levels. The committee oversees League lobbyists and assigns volunteers to represent the League on boards and commission. The committee produces Advocacy and Action newsletters and manages grant-funded advocacy programs.
Advocacy Actions and Activities: 1. Legislative Analysis and Lobbying work: a. Expanded participation of League members in the Legislative Analysis Team (LAT). b. Using LWVUS and LWVAZ positions and priorities to determine support or opposition: c. Between 2019-2021 LAT followed over 200 bills. d. Volunteer lobbyists have been registered with the SOSAZ and directed by the Advocacy chair to provide testimony as needed. Testified on over 25 bills during the 2020 and 2021 legislative sessions. e. Calls to action for members and citizens to comment on Request to Speak in support or opposition of bills. f. Training provided to LAT members (open to all members if interested): RTS, How to Research a Bill, Advocacy and Lobbying Best Practices. 2. Legislative Lobby Day Activities: a. 2020 February 12th at the Capitol. i. One hundred League members attended. ii. Celebrated the League Centennial. iii. Officials from 14 Arizona cities signed proclamations. iv. Recognition of League and 100th-anniversary proclamations read on the floor of the Senate and the House. b. 2021 i. February 8-12 Legislative Week. ii. One hour Brown Bag Lunch and Learn session from Monday through Thursday. iii. Final event Friday, Feb 12, conversation with the legislative leaders, Senate President Karen Fann (R), Senate Minority Leader Rebbeca Rios (D), House Speaker Rusty Bowers (R), House Minority Leader Reginald Bolding Jr. (D). 3. Advocacy and Action Newsletters - Weekly during the legislative session as Calls to Action, and monthly otherwise. Links to past newsletters and calls to action available at LWVAZ.org. 1500 subscribers. 4. Legal Actions: a. NVRA Settlement with Secretary of State. Section 5 and 6 b. Amicus briefs (2) submitted in support of electronic signatures for ballot initiatives. Pro bono representation by Arizona Center for Law in the Public Interest i. Federal case: Arizonans for Fair Elections et al. vs. Katie Hobbs
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ii. State case: ARIZONANS FOR SECOND CHANCES, REHABILITATION AND PUBLIC SAFETY, et al., vs. Katie Hobbs. 5. Letters (sent by LWVAZ or as a signatory) a. Statement for inclusion on the public record. Congressional hearing on H.R.4, Phoenix field hearing. LWVAZ submitted a statement urging passage of H.R.4, October 1, 2019 b. LWVAZ submitted support joining other organizations sponsoring initiative for New Energy Rules for the Arizona Energy Corporation Commission, December 2, 2019 c. Abolition of the Arizona Death Penalty, Letter to Governor Ducey, October 6, 2020 d. Reminder of previous letter urging Governor and Secretary of State to appoint members to the Clean Elections Commission, December 21, 2020 e. Letter to Governor Ducey, Appointment of CACA representatives, bipartisan, representing the diversity of Arizona, April 20, 2020 f. Comments re Arizona Supreme Court No. R-20-0035, Petition to Amend the Procedures for Nominations for the Independent Redistricting Commission, June 19th, 2020 g. Letter to the Commission on Appellate Court Appointment signed by 200 Arizona citizens in support of the public comment filed by the LWVAZ re R-20-0035, June 28, 2020 h. Letter to Justice Brutinel, 100 League and citizens supporting LWVAZ’s request to withdraw Judge Brutinel’s administrative decision regarding CACA, June 19th, 2020 i. LWVAZ Letter to IRC introducing League interest in IRC activities, February 5, 2021 j. Letter sent to Governor and State Legislators, Organizations Come Together to Support a State Budget That Chooses Investing in Arizona’s Future Instead of Disastrous Tax Cuts, Link to press release, February 24, 2021 k. LWV Metro Phoenix and LWV NWMC urges Appeal of the Thomason ruling that the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors must turn over ballots and tabulation machines to the state Senate, March 2, 2021 l. An Open Letter to the Arizona Legislature and Governor Ducey Protesting the Concerted Attack on Arizona Voters’ Rights. 350 League members added their names to this letter, March 15, 2021 m. Asked for support of the For the People Act. Email sent to state senators with LWVAZ explainer of “For the People Act” and urging a no vote on HCR2023. Link to explainer, March 21, 2021 n. Grants 6. LWVUS People Powered Fair Maps (PPFM) Campaign a. Grant awarded for 2019 and 2020. b. Year 1 $7500, Year 2 $5000 Total of $12,500 c. Money used for: printed education materials; $400 grants offered to local Leagues; hosted three events to promote awareness of census and redistricting; redistricting work of the 2011 Commission; and preparing for the 2021 redistricting efforts. 7. LWVUS Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) campaign a. $5000 Grant awarded in 2020. b. To build momentum for public support of Senate Joint resolution 6. Removal of timeline for ratification of ERA. c. Money used for: postcard to 20,000 voters; paid PSA on select Northern Arizona and Navajo Nation radio stations. d. Hosted two virtual events to uplift the messaging on ERA ratification. 8. AZWINS coalition “Democracy Defense” campaign: a. $18,000 Grant awarded March 2021. b. Planned activities: Phone banking, postcards, voter information cards; passage of S1
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c. Fighting the big lie, building trust in the elections processes. 9. In the News: 10. Op-Ed about mail ballots published in Tucson Star 11. Op-Ed submitted in support of Senate Joint Resolution 6, “Best Mothers Day Gift,” submitted to Tucson Star on behalf of LWVAZ by Kathy Aros, LWVGT President. Same OpEd submitted to Arizona Capitol Times, Arizona Mirror, and AZCentral. 12. News Interview with KJZZ on Amicus Brief 13. News Interview with NPR Frontline reporter for future documentary on Arizona elections, mail ballots, and August primaries. 14. Interview on the BUZZ on LWVAZ advocacy against voter suppression legislation in 2021.
Communications Vivian Harte, Chair
During 2020, members of the Communications Committee and other League members completed the following pages for LWVAZ’s website:
● Home ● Get Involved ● About League ● State Board ● Local Leagues ● Elections ● Voter Guide ● Issues / Positions ● Centennial History ● 100th Anniversary Celebration
Newsletters produced by the Communications Committee and entitled Quarterly Communique were sent to all League members in Arizona in October 2020, January 2021, and April 2121.
The Communications Committee also created summaries of LWVAZ Board meetings and made them available to the local Leagues for publication in their newsletters.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Laura Hudson and Victor Bowleg, Co-Chair
In September 2020, the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee began meeting monthly and the LWVAZ Board updated and approved a Racial Justice Task Force to put our Racial Justice Resolution into action.
The LWVAZ DEI committee: 1. Meets monthly to educate ourselves and examine the internal League processes and policies that impact how diverse, equitable and inclusive we are as a League. 2. Makes recommendations to the Board for policy, procedure and bylaw changes to make our league more diverse, equitable and inclusive. 3. Supports three other local leagues that started DEI teams or committees this year.
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4. Collaborates with other DEI committees on workshops and events. 5. Participates and supports Greater Tucson’s Truth and Reconciliation work. 6. Educated DEI members on issues of diversity and oppressed groups via videos, articles, discussions, etc.
Racial Justice Task Force 1. Initiated and contributes to the Concurrence on Criminal Justice Reform that will be presented and voted on at convention this year. 2. Tracks racial justice related bills with LAT and makes recommendations for our legislative priorities 3. Trains volunteers on RTS, researching and tracking racial justice related legislation.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Policy
LWVAZ is fully committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in principle and in practice.
There shall be no barriers to full participation in the organization on the basis of gender, gender identity, ethnicity, race, native or indigenous origin, age, generation, sexual orientation, culture, religion, belief system, marital status, parental status, socioeconomic status, language, accent, ability status, mental health, educational level or background, geography, nationality, work style, work experience, job role function, thinking style, personality type, physical appearance, political perspective or affiliation and/or any other characteristic that can be identified as recognizing or illustrating diversity.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are central to the organization’s current and future success in engaging all individuals, households, communities, and policy makers in creating a more perfect democracy.
Approved November 9, 2019
DEI Committee Charge: Updated and Approved September 2020 The DEI committee is charged with taking action and educating our boards and membership to build a more diverse, equitable and inclusive organization including promoting anti-racist practices and policies throughout our League.
Racial Justice Task Force Charge Updated and Approved September 2020 The Racial Justice Task Force is a mobilizing structure housed within the DEI committee to allow us to put our Racial Justice Resolution into action through: ● Advising State and Local League Advocacy committees on the impact and intersection of legislative and policy advocacy with racial justice issues. ● Pursuit of concurrence adoption of existing positions on criminal justice, policing and racial justice. ● Education of our membership on racial justice in collaboration with community partners.
Membership Judy Moor, Chair
Members of the Committee: Joyce Haas CYC, Robyn Prudhomme Bauer GVV, Susie Bowman NWMC, Rivko Knox MP, & Lynne Leonard GT
The committee completed its charge which is stated here and was updated in March 2021.
1) The committee charge will be the recruitment, engagement, and reengagement of members using a DEI lens. A basic engagement model for new members will serve as a guide with the goal of capturing the interests of new members and directing them towards a group, team or committee in
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which to become engaged. The committee hopes to create a guide for reengagement at dues renewal time and will solicit ideas from local leagues. The committee also embraced the idea of setting up a new user group of membership chairs from each of the local leagues. One goal would be to gather training resources from each of their leagues to create a library that will become available to all and held on the LWVAZ website. 2) The committee will oversee the startup of any new league within Arizona and provide support utilizing the LWVUS local recognition standards adopted in April 2017 while also providing guidance for Arizona specific issues. The committee will also monitor issues surrounding Members-At-Large as needed.
Progress was made in identifying and gathering names of the Membership Chairs of the local leagues, compiled by Rivko Knox. They are listed here and are current as of 4-1-21. Susie Bowman, NWMC Zoe Davis, GT Rebecca Gelinas, GT Rivko Knox, MP Judy Lohr-Safcik, MP Robyn Prudhomme Bauer, NAZ Cory Shaw, CYC
Nominating Terri Farneti, Chair
The Nominating Committee --- Terri Farneti - CYC, Laura Hudson - MP, and Mary Elizabeth Pollard - GT, per the Bylaws, did not receive additional members from the other AZ Leagues to serve on the Committee.
The Nominating Committee met and developed criteria we felt important for each position. We developed job descriptions for President and Secretary and have a draft for Treasurer which may be finalized by the current Treasurer, for future use. A job description will need to be developed for President-Elect.
All League Leaders on the LWVAZ Counterparts list were contacted for submitting nominees with an “ad” that could be used in local League newsletters for the positions we were seeking, as the 2021 search began. There were names submitted along with other members submitting names. We contacted many of those members suggested, and several said ‘no’ mostly to dedicate more time to their local League.
The Nominating Committee met numerous times via Zoom since September 2020 and met with candidates who were interested by Zoom as well. The Bylaw changes were introduced late in the process, and we began seeking for options for President and President-Elect. With much assistance from the current LWVAZ Board, the slate is presented. (See Nominating Committee Report)
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Public Policy Positions Betty Bengtson, Chair
The Public Policy Positions Committee (PPC) was established by the LWVAZ Board as a standing committee at the October 12, 2020 Board meeting. Previously no committee or individual member had been assigned responsibility for LWVAZ’s public policy positions.
Committee members: Betty Bengtson (GT, Chair), Freda Johnson (GT), Dawn Abel (MP)
Committee charge and scope of responsibility:
The Public Policy Positions Committee (PPC) is responsible for LWVAZ’s policy positions planning and procedures, develops knowledge of LWVUS positions and monitors changes, and is familiar with positions of other state Leagues. It provides guidance and support to advocacy activities; advises state studies and concurrences; maintains documentation for LWVAZ positions and provides updated content for the LWVAZ website; responds to questions about League positions; and provides training and education about policy positions, as needed.
More details about the committee’s charge and scope of responsibility as approved by the LWVAZ Board can be found in the documents prepared for the Board meeting on October 12, 2020.
Committee activity and accomplishments:
2020-2021 Public Policy Positions Review. The Committee’s first priority was to initiate the LWVAZ biennial policy positions review. Each local League reviewed the existing LWVAZ public policy positions and submitted recommendations for retention, review/update, or deletion of each position. Compiled comments were provided to the Board which considered the survey results and added its own recommendations for action by Convention delegates. Documents related to the review and the Board’s recommendations are included in the Convention Workbook.
Documenting PPPC Procedures. The committee documented two procedures as approved by the Board: (1) Procedures for Conducting a Review and Update of a Policy Position and (2) Definitions and Procedures for Restudy, Review/Update, and Eliminate. Both will be added to the LWVAZ Handbook being created by the Transition Advisory Committee. Future policy and procedures documents also will be added to the Handbook.
LWVAZ Terminology for Program or Public Policy Positions. At the committee’s recommendation, the State Board approved the use of “public policy positions” or “policy positions” and “policy positions planning” in place of “program” or “program planning”. This was to address the confusion over the terms “program” or “League program” which were often confused with meeting programs with speakers, panels, etc.
Advice to the Gun Safety Study and the Criminal Justice Concurrence Committees. The Gun Safety Study, chaired by Kathy Aros, was almost completed when the PPC was created so no involvement by the PPC was needed. Freda Johnson (GT), now a PPC member, did serve as adviser to the study committee. Kathy Aros has recommended that a brief handbook for state studies be compiled. The PPC has given advice to the Criminal Justice Concurrence Committee and Freda Johnson has served as an informal advisor for their work. Policies and procedures should be drafted for the concurrence process as a guide in the future.
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Technology Pinny Sheoran and Vivian Harte, Co-Chair Members: Jan Manolis
Committee Charge: Spearhead efforts to modernize and standardize the LWVAZ technology infrastructure and provide additional tools and value to Statewide Committees as well Local Leagues.
Social Media: LWVAZ has utilized social media to promote vents, calls to action. Additionally, social media accounts are used to promote local league events and campaigns.
● Facebook: League of Women Voters of Arizona - Facebook.com/lwvaz. Please be sure to friend LWVAZ. Add us to your local Facebook live feed.
● Twitter : @lwvaz Find us, follow us, and retweet us. And always #LWV100
● YouTube: This is linked to the LWVAZ Facebook account
● Website: lwvaz.org . Our Domain name is hosted by Google Domains. Our website is hosted by MyLO. MyLO is owned and managed by LWV California. Our Website is undergoing revisions. Content for the website is handled by the Communication committee. Technology backend support is provided by the technology committee. If you or someone from your local League would like to help us improve the content, please contact the Communications Committee.
● Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lwvarizona/ Please follow us.
Membership Management/Communication Tools
LWVUS Salesforce AKA Roster Manager: State can view and access statewide member data. Floy Parkhill manages and coordinates the export and updates for state level information. Data from the Roster Manager is exported to Mailchimp. We communicate with all the members utilizing the data in Mailchimp. Member data is managed at the local level. At the state level, the data from all local leagues is used to upload to the Mailchimp application.
MailChimp: State member/guest data management tool. Utilized for sending emails, newsletters and other notices.
Zoom: Virtual platform to conduct meetings and events. LWVAZ, utilizing the PPFM grant, has purchased expanded ZOOM seats - 500 seats for the next year. Future expanded seat upgrades to the account is included in the Annual Budget.
Survey Monkey: Paid account, allowing for 2 managers. Survey Monkey allows State to send simple and complex surveys and obtain detailed summaries regarding responses. This year's membership was paid by a League donor.
Gmail accounts: LWVAZ has set up the following gmail accounts. Additional accounts needed by committee chairs can be set up as needed. [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]. Additional accounts are setup as requested by committees.
Google Folders: LWVAZ board and committee documents are stored on LWVAZ google drive. We encourage all to learn how to use the variety of tools and apps available on google drive. League members know how to collaborate, now we ask that you expand your collaborative skills and utilize google drive to collaborate on documents, forms, sheets, and myriad of apps available on Google drive. Two training
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sessions were organized by LWVAZ board secretary Judy Wood for board members. Pinny provided the training.
Tools Owned by State Available for Local League Boards
Local Leagues need to identify an individual who will work with the State Board members
to access these tools:
Survey Monkey: Local Leagues can schedule Surveys to send to members. Local Leagues will need to submit to [email protected] the following: (a) A word document with the questions (b) Date to open the Survey (c) Date to close the Survey (d) Name of person to whom the final Survey results should be sent.
Zoom: LWVAZ purchased an increased seat capacity (500) for the LWVAZ Zoom Account. Local Leagues are invited to request scheduling large events by contacting either Judy Wood or Pinny Sheoran. Each local League is encouraged to set up their own ZOOM/Google meet accounts for local League meetings and smaller events.
America Votes: Voter Access Network data (also known as VAN): For the first time in LWVAZ history, we have access to voter information. This resource became available through the use of the ERA grant for sending postcards to voters. The access to VAN is provided as a service for members of the AZWINS coalition. Utilizing ERA grant money, LWVAZ paid to join the AZWINS coalition. Membership in Arizona wins is paid for 2021 through the PPFM grant and included in the budget for 2022.
Each local League will be asked to identify one individual who will coordinate with Pinny Sheoran in establishing the lists needed for local League activities. Pinny has started training in the use of VAN for local League members identified by Voter Service Chairs for MP and GT. This will be expanded in 2021 to prepare NWMC, NAZ and CYC to expand their capacity for reaching out to registered voters using the VAN.
VOTE411 - Technology platform and subscription.
In 2020, LWVMP provided funding and collaborated with LWVAZ State Advocacy committee to provide voters with information about candidates for federal and statewide races, and statewide ballot initiatives. The LWVAZ Board voted to assume responsibility for paying for the subscription as a statewide account, allowing all local Leagues to provide voters information on candidates and initiatives for local races and initiatives (city, school board and counties), with the state continuing to provide leadership for federal and statewide races and initiatives.
National emails and Google lists that all local League leaders and members should join:
LWV US emails and newsletters
http://participate.lwv.org/signup_page/league-update?_ga=2.174485281.2024528380.1593899965- 774120275.1555000568
LWVUS Clearinghouse for studies and positions:
https://sites.google.com/a/leagueofwomenvoters.org/clearinghouse/home/meet-the-clearinghouse
BoardSource - LWVUS is a member and local League Boards should register to access all the resources
http://www.boardsource.org/LeagueOfWomenVoters
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Transitional Advisory Committee (Ad Hoc)
The TAC submits the following regarding its work within the LWVAZ State Board during its two-year status as an ad hoc Committee of said Board. The ad hoc Transition Advisory Committee was proposed by a motion and seconded at the August 5, 2019 Zoom meeting of the LWVAZ Board of Directors. An electronic vote followed and on August 17, the motion was passed. This motion read: “This Committee will be charged with formulating a Leadership Guide, creating/suggesting an organization structure, setting a focus for LWVAZ to May 2020 and executing any other items suggested by the LWVAZ Board.” The motion passed unanimously. First and foremost, this committee is concerned with the strength and longevity of our State organization as it transitions from the past to a future, worthy of our 100 years of making democracy work. We took this mandate from the Board very seriously as we worked toward a strong structure for LWVAZ where the leadership is a collaborative effort between the President and the Board, whereby any difficulties with the transition be recognized and addressed.
At the October 30, 2019 State Board meeting: ● We encouraged the development of a Nonpartisan Policy, both from LWVAZ and LWVAZEF. ● We encouraged that a chart of both Committees and their members be circulated among the Leagues, so as to identify for our members, the working components of the State Board. ● We asked that all decisions and commitments of the LWVAZ be made with a majority approval of the full Board. Officers or members must gain the approval of the majority of the Board before planning to represent the League with external partners. This includes making commitments, financial investments, contractual agreements, or lending the credibility or identity of the League to coalitions, agencies, etc. The Board will first review the viability of this participation and whether it is in the League’s best interest prior to any individual taking action. ● We encouraged greater transparency, in that all activities and decisions of the Board be disseminated among the Board and the member Leagues. ● The Board asked that GT be approached about the use of their office for handling the day-to-day AZ administrative tasks.
At the November 16, 2019 State Board meeting: ● The TAC had been working on options concerning the failing of the Tri-parte Presidency, which had left the Presidency in the hands of the one remaining member. It had become apparent, during the 6 months following the resignations of 2 of the 3, that the standing President was not prepared for nor the right person for the singular job. The TAC worked with having the President resign, which did happen on November 16, 2019.
At the February 10, 2020 State Board meeting: ● The TAC proposed a motion that, in light of the Flagstaff League’s attempt to move from an MAL to full standing, that the Membership Chair be responsible for reviewing and managing any and all start-ups of Local Leagues. ● In the interest of transparency, understanding and being well informed, the TAC encouraged the EdFund President to attend the March 14th Board meeting and update the Board on the EdFund’s work, especially re: issues of compliance, accountability and relationship with the State Board. ● Building upon Local Leagues being more connected to and aware of our State League, the TAC
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published Listings of State Board & EdFund Board members and State Board members and Committees. ● The TAC strongly suggested that, at the Local League Board level, Local League Representatives from the State Board be responsible for disseminating State Board business back to their local Leagues. Also, that there be a segment at each Local League Board meeting to discuss all State activities and business.
At the March 13, 2020 State Board meeting: ● The TAC continued to encourage good and autonomous relations between the LWVAZ and LWVAZED, especially with the exchange of financial reports and minutes on a regular basis. ● As an ad hoc committee, the TAC asked whether it was to exist until Council or Convention. The concurrence seemed to be that TAC would complete its term at Convention 2021.
At the April 13, 2020 State Board meeting:
● The TAC concluded, following a study of the Local Leagues’ fee structures, that to have the identical fees throughout all the Leagues would present more problems than might be resolved. The differences among the membership fees are, for the most part, minimal but more importantly, reflect each League’s location, population, history and attempts to attract and retain members. To mandate uniform fees could diminish the independence and purpose of each Local League’s intent.
At the June 8, 2020 State Board meeting: ● The TAC, after discussion and discernment, submitted to the State Board for consideration, the following motions (all of which passed): 1. A motion whereby the LWVAZ President appoint an ad hoc Finance Advisory Committee for the purpose of preparing formats for the financial reports to the LWVAZ Board, per Article VII, Section 1 of the State Bylaws (Committees): The Board may appoint standing or ad hoc committees as it deems necessary to accomplish the work of the LWVAZ. 2. A motion that the LWVAZ Board, sometime during the summer, hold a virtual Board Retreat, perhaps in segments, for the purpose of addressing some outstanding issues. 3. A motion that the LWVAZ appoint a 2021 Convention Committee for the purpose of beginning the process of preparing for 2020 Convention, be it virtual or in-person.
At the August 8, 2020 State Board meeting: ● The TAC reported on the July 13th First State Board Retreat. It was reviewed as being a successful event in bringing the Board together with some virtual bonding, review of our Policies and our first attempt at ‘break-out’ rooms. ● The TAC reported that it will hold the First State Board-sponsored Local League Retreat on August 22. This 2 hour, virtual meeting focused on who and what the State Board is and how she operates, her relationship with the Local Leagues, what services Local Leagues should expect from and know about State & National. We asked that all our Board Local League liaisons to encourage their Boards to participate fully. All did, and the evaluations provided evidence that it was very well received by all.
The TAC has since been involved with compiling a Handbook for the State Board.
Respectfully submitted, Joan Kaltsas, GT, Chair Judy Moor, NWMC Pinny Sheoran, MP Judy Wood, GT
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Local League Reports
Central Yavapai County (LWVCYC) 2019-2021
2021 First Quarter Update
Last year our League moderated a very successful Candidate Forum for the Town Council of Chino Valley. Our relationship with Yavapai College’s OLLI group was in its third year. We had Covid-19 challenges like every League, but we are looking forward to the New Year. However, early this year we began to encounter additional challenges and in March found ourselves without a Board and facing an uncertain future.
In March, several State League officers hosted a membership meeting to discuss our options and offer guidance to our members. At the meeting, six CYC members volunteered to form a Nominating Committee to develop a slate of nominees for 2021-2022. CYC member Kelly Boryca stepped up to chair the Committee. Kelly’s committee made personal phone calls to all our members and formed a slate of candidates for this year’s Annual Meeting.
For many years it has been difficult to get members to join the Board, primarily because it was felt the positions were daunting tasks. Our new slate has Co-chairs in Membership and Treasurer. It is our hope that future Boards will have shared positions to not only make the work lighter, but more enjoyable as a team effort. Kelly Boryca is on the slate as President. We look forward to her continued leadership. The slate of new Board members are experienced and well qualified. We are looking forward to a successful 2021-2022.
Also announced at the all-member meeting: two members reached the 50 Year milestone. Congratulations went out to Nancy Shugrue and Sandra Goodwin on 50 Years with the League. Nancy and Sandra join Alice Harris who also has 50 Years with the League. We are pleased to have three women with distinguished longevity with the League of Women Voters among our members.
The LWV Central Yavapai County would like to thank the state board members for their support and leadership during a difficult time.
Greater Tucson (LWVGT) 2019-2021 Submitted by Kathy Aros, President
This has been an incredibly challenging year. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the entire 2020-2021 year has been conducted via Zoom. Many of our projects and events needed to be cancelled including numerous 2020 celebration events, our annual Running & Winning Project and our Holiday Brunch.
Although our League Office had to close to the public in March 2020, it continued to operate with a reduced
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016 staff of Desk Volunteers to respond to mail, emails and phone messages.
We began presenting completely virtual Voter Education programs in May with “Save Our Saguaros”. We also took advantage of the LWVAZ’s grant from National’s People Powered Fair Maps Campaign to fund our program on Redistricting and Arizona’s Independent Redistricting Commission. Subsequent Voter Ed programs included Ballot Propositions, Gentrification, Water Issues, and Racism in Tucson. Two of our Unit groups continued to host monthly virtual presentations on topics of interest.
Our Speakers Bureau gave over 20 virtual speeches on topics such as Gerrymandering, Redistricting, Election Integrity, the Electoral College and Ballot Propositions.
Seven virtual League-sponsored Candidate Forums were presented and posted on our website.
In lieu of hosting our usual Legislative Breakfast, virtual meetings with breakout rooms were held with eight Arizona legislators.
Voter Registration and GOTV Activities prior to the 2020 Election included extensive outreach to Tucson schools and educators exploring the best way to conduct registration events during a pandemic. One GOTV project involved training volunteers from Literacy Connects, a Tucson nonprofit interested in encouraging roughly 2000 new citizens, mostly refugees, to vote. Our Greater Tucson Voter Registration PowerPoint was sent to multiple schools in all the school districts and three Community College Centers resulting in numerous new voter registrations. Our Education Fund was utilized to mount two combination post card and phone banking campaigns. Over 11,200 unaffiliated or registered Independent voters who had not voted in the previous election were contacted. Each mailed postcard sported a personal message and was followed up with a phone call. Another group of volunteers assembled packets of Voter registration forms and guides which were delivered to over 170 apartment complexes in Tucson, placing them in laundry rooms or other common areas.
Past GT President Vivian Harte conducted eight 30-minute radio programs on KXCI consisting of interviews with candidates discussing issues and League members reviewing League activities.
One of our most dynamic committees is our DEI Committee (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion). From a small grassroots group of 4-5, over the past three years it has grown to over 70 members and has hosted a wide range of presentations, small group discussions and even a book club open to Leaguers statewide.
Our Observer Corps has regrouped with at least nine governmental groups being monitored by our League Observers with reports shared in our newsletters.
Our Environmental Issues Committee continued to meet and hosted multiple presentations in collaboration with other groups which were open to members and the public.
Our League also funded, along with numerous other publications and guides, our annual Citizens Directory of Elected Officials which has been distributed across Pima County to our libraries and various groups.
Issues & Eggs, our major fund-raiser, was presented virtually for the first time and was a resounding success. Our theme was “Celebrating Tucson’s Resiliency: Lessons Learned, Next Steps, Community Resources” and featured speakers from Pima County, Cox Communications, TMC Healthcare and the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona.
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We continue to publish our monthly VOTER with LWVGT news and updates. We also publish a Mid-Month Message with additional news and upcoming events.
The LWVGT spearheaded, in conjunction with other Local League representatives, a two-year LWVAZ Study on Gun Safety, A Public Health Issue. What may be Arizona’s first Gun Safety Policy Position will be proposed at the May Convention.
Our membership, which includes about 10% male members, continues to be stable at approximately 350- 360 but we are starting to welcome greater numbers of younger, more diverse members as we continue to reach out and form new relationships within our Tucson community.
Metro Phoenix (LWVMP) 2019-2021 Submitted by Pinny Sheoran, President Elect
Membership:
This year we made a concerted effort to reach out to new members and transfer members to explain the processes through which we operate. We have held two New Member Orientations where we have been able to engage the new members and familiarize them with what is available for their input--from committees and local teams. This past year we added 68 new members. In 2020 we had as many as 200 members; however, with our efforts remaining virtual, we have dropped to 180. LWVMP members meet in community teams. With the onset of COVID, team meetings and all member meetings were held virtually.
DEI:
LWVMP Voted to form a DEI committee in November of 2020. The committee held a “Having Difficult Conversations” March of 2021 jointly with the LWVAZ DEI team and has a book discussion scheduled for the rest of the year. They are actively recruiting members and striving to collaborate with other committees as well as outside organizations.
Events and Forums:
LWVMP initiated a program to educate our members on Public Policy Positions. Two meetings were held to help our members understand how the League arrives at positions. The kickoff meeting was co-sponsored by LWVAZ. The topics discussed were LWVUS and LWVAZ positions as well as explaining several things: the change of the name from Positions to Public Policy Positions, what is consensus and what is concurrence.
LWVMP hosted debates of the Maricopa County recorder candidates, the Scottsdale Mayors and the Scottsdale City Council. In 2021 hosted a forum on “Moving forward plans for the 2022 elections” panelists were the Jack Sellers, chair of the County Board of Supervisors, Newly elected County recorder Stephen Richer and county elections director Scott Jarrett. Planning for forums with other county officials underway include conversation with the County and State superintendent of education, The Community College board, and after the concurrence on Criminal Justice is adopted, with the County Attorney
Hosted all member meetings with special speakers- Getting Ready to Vote 2020 featuring the County
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Elections Director Scott Jarrett. One of the events was a virtual event to build community. Prizes were awarded to the best mask story, and winners of the “League History” quiz.
Voter Service:
Voter registration drives (pre COVID) at the We the People Summit, Women's March, Legislative day, Celebration of Women at the Herberger.
Collaborated with the county recorder during the Deputy Registrar drive in March 2020. League volunteers provided support the County Elections department for the Audit of Elections equipment in February 2021
With the onset of COVID restrictions, League volunteers helped sew over 5000 masks which were distributed to the Navajo nation and the Gila Indian Reservation Health Center.
LWVMP launched several Get out the Vote campaigns in 2020. Phone banking in partnership with LWV Greater Tucson. Made about 40,000 phone calls. Mailed 40,000 postcards to registered voters urging vote by mail, and in partnership with LWV Northwest Maricopa County distributed 60,000 voter information cards (in English and Spanish), providing information on mail in ballots and voting options for the 2020 elections. These were distributed through the county, city of Scottsdale, city of Phoenix, food banks and Latino organizations.
VOTE411: LWVMP provided leadership in collaboration with the State Advocacy committee to present election information for the federal, state, Maricopa county candidate races and statewide ballot initiatives. Traffic to the Arizona Vote411 site was increased by 115% during the general elections.
Advocacy (LWVMP):
Members participated in collecting signatures for the Outlaw Dirty Money initiatives at various events and helped staff tables at various locations (e.g. Changing Hands Bookstore, community colleges and ASU. Responding to LWVUS call to local leagues to conduct interviews with Congressional Representatives, meetings were conducted with LD Rep Ruben Gallegos’ senior staff, LD 9 Congressman Greg Stanton and senior staff and LD 6 congressman Rep David Schweikert’s senior staff. The focus of the interviews were to determine the congressperson's position on key LWVUS bills such as HR 1, For the People Act, the Voting Rights Advancement Act, and other key LWVUS policies & learn about their legislative priorities. The advocacy committee created a guide on meeting with elected officials with step-by-step instructions to include pre-event research into the elected official’s background & voting record to sending a thank you note after the meeting.
Northern Arizona (LWVNAZ) 2019-2021
Submitted by Lynn Zonakis, President
In 2020, the League of Women Voters Northern Arizona was created from a merger of the Greater Verde Valley League and Flagstaff Member at Large (MAL) organization. Membership is at 181. We regularly promote membership through our various programs and providing League membership information at all events and in mailings
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In 2020, in addition to the League merger, we held our first ever drive-through registration event, and worked with Verde Valley Television to present online candidate forums. We also moved our popular Voters Education Program to Zoom, so people can watch these sessions from home. In making this change to accommodate social distancing and scientific guidelines, we have benefited by bringing national caliber speakers to our program. A main focus during the year was getting out the vote and disseminating information about the elections.
Most recently, in 2021, we have launched a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) committee and are hosting associated programming. We also built a new, more user-friendly website for our membership that allows them to see all upcoming events and become members more easily.
Throughout the 2019-21 two-year period, we have continued our regular Voters Education programs, voter registration campaigns, candidate forums, email action alerts, a political book club, “Let’s Talk Politics” and "Thirsty Thursday" roundtables, OLLI classes and other special programs.
Northwest Maricopa County (LWVNWMC) 2019-2021
Submitted by Judy Moor, President
I want to express my gratitude to all the NWMC members who have given of their time and talents to our League over the past year. It may seem that a small number of people do all the work but it is actually many more. This is a look back over this past exceptional year. We did all of these things before and after COVID and became avid users of Zoom meetings!
● Bonnie Saunders mentored me in the role of President. Bonnie, over the past 20+ years, has served our League by stepping up to provide leadership and being an example of League values. She earned her 50-year pin in 2020. ● Martha Thompson is the recipient of last year’s You Make A Difference Award. Martha has served as Voter Service Co-Chair and helped with the Voter Information Card distribution before last election. ● Kathy Long, 1st VP & Education Co-Chair, who has always been available and helpful in supporting me as President, co-chairing the Education committee, and has now stepped up and volunteered to be our new Secretary. ● Pherne Lewis has served as our Treasurer for two years and has agreed to two more years in that role, has kept track of our finances, obtained D&O insurance for our officers and board members, and has helped with the website. ● Jim Dobbins, our 2nd VP, who has generously donated money to our League to honor his late wife, Sharon Forbes, a long-time member of and good friend to our League. This money will help us move forward with website management and voter service projects. ● Michele Garrick Nave volunteered for the Gun Safety Study committee and the Criminal Justice Concurrence committee, representing our League. Her participation allowed her to learn how a League study is done and how consensus and concurrence is reached for Public Policy Positions. She has stepped up as President-elect for 2021-22. ● Tina Mollica is serving as our Education Co-Chair, helped with the Dysart School District book drive, and sparked a holiday get-together that provided a respite from COVID and just having fun. ● Ann-Marie Tate, as Voter Service Co-Chair, led the Voter Information Card campaign last summer and is
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spearheading our Voter Service program to galvanize our League for the coming year where everyone can contribute. ● Susie Bowman, our Membership Chair, produced a new Directory and distributed it, has welcomed new members with personal contacts, and has mentored them in getting involved. Susie is also serving on the LWVAZ board, representing our league, and is leading the NWMC DEI discussion group. ● Linda Napier and Carol Mattoon, as Co-Chairs of the Healthcare Committee, developed a Medicare 4 All presentation and a roadshow which they took out to several groups and sister leagues. ● Carol Mattoon wrote a history of some of our most notable accomplishments in the past 25 years including Clean Elections in Arizona, Voter's Right Summit of Jan 2017 and Citizen Award. ● Linda Napier has volunteered to host several of our meetings with her Zoom account. She has attended Braver Angels online meetings and helped sell 25 VOTE masks in October. ● Becky Sayler created a new award titled “Guardian of Our Democracy” which was accepted by the Board of Directors. This award will be presented at the Annual Meeting 2021. ● The Education Committee, Tina Mollica, Kathy Long, and Becky Sayler with the help of Jim Dobbins, completed one of our largest book drives yet for the Dysart School District. ● Diane Smith shepherded the move to a new website, working with Club Express to a successful launch. She continues to maintain our Facebook page. ● Susan Penner served as a representative to the LWVAZ Board and headed up our Dr. Seuss book project, One Vote, Two Votes, I Vote, You Vote. ● Jacquie Rose served as our Public Relations Chair and gave us the idea to invite Secretary of State Katie Hobbs to give our state League members an election debrief via Zoom. ● Betty Mulcahy, after serving as Secretary is now ready to provide hospitality once our League can again meet in person. ● Joye Kohl helped us celebrate our 100th birthday with a presentation of Women of the West who helped pave the way to gain the right to vote for women. ● Book Club has become a big success with stimulating monthly discussions. ● Patty Lang hosted our holiday party in December 2019. ● Bonnie Boyce-Wilson threw her hat in the ring for consideration as a member of the Independent Redistricting Commission in fall 2020. ● Members have taken the Request to Speak training to make their voices heard on legislation and participate in advocacy to support voter rights.
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Appendices
Appendix A: LWVAZ Past Presidents 1950-1952 Mrs. H.H. D'Autremont* Tucson 1952-1954 Ann Nitchie* 1954-1956 Ethyl Lobban* 1956-1958 Mrs. Don Strauch, Sr.* 1958-1961 Sally Hirsch* Tucson 1961-1963 Mrs. H. J. Manning* 1963-1965 Mrs. Edwin McCauley 1965-1971 Marion Kelley Tucson 1971-1973 Catherine Zandler* Phoenix 1973-1975 Sue Lofgren Scottsdale 1975-1977 Sandra Metcalf Phoenix/ Las Vegas NV 1977-1979 Dolores Smith Tucson 1979-1982 Becky Moon Tucson 1982-1983 Betty Shoenhair Scottsdale 1983-1985 Felice Bewes Scottsdale 1985-1987 Dolores Kazantzis Tucson 1987-1989 Betsey Boorse 1989-1991 Judy Kidd Yuma 1991-1993 Sue Ward Tucson 1993-1997 Joyce Forney Sedona/ Dallas TX 1997-1999 Lila Schwartz Sun City West 1999-2001 Ann Eschinger Phoenix 2001-2005 Gini McGirr Tucson 2005-2011 Bonnie Saunders Surprise 2011-2014 Barbara Klein Scottsdale/ Ashland OR 2014-2015 Robyn Prud’homme-Bauer Clarkdale 2015-2017 Shirley Sandelands Tucson 2017-2019 Alice Stambaugh Scottsdale Robyn Prud’homme-Bauer Clarkdale 2019-2021 Bonnie Saunders Surprise
*Deceased
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Appendix B: Election Systems
Election Systems Review/Update 2021-2023
(Including the first 2 bullets points under Arizona Election Systems and Law in LWVAZ Policy Positions 2019-2021 Action Plans)
Rationale: The Arizona election systems are a LWVAZ priority issue for advocacy and action and will continue to be for the foreseeable future. Though this position was updated in 2017, unprecedented attacks on voting rights and elections have focused attention closely on it. It is desirable to strengthen wording, give more Arizona-centric attention to some issues, and to update terminology.
Scope: The review/update committee is charged with reviewing our position and updating it as needed.
1. Topics to be considered include election security, election integrity, measures to increase public confidence in election results, prohibitive restrictions on voting, and efforts and policies to counter voter suppression. Do we need to be more specific in our opposition to voter suppression and challenges to voter rights and in our support for voting rights for all citizens? 2. Consider the LWVUS position on Voter Representation/Electoral Systems, adopted in 2019 and any effects it has on our position. Also consider the work of other Leagues on elections and election systems and positions they have developed that might be incorporated into our position. Consider any new ideas about voter education that should be incorporated. 3. The committee should apply the LWV DEI lens to all its work. 4. Provide a glossary or explanation of terminology that can be attached as an appendix to the LWVAZ Public Policy Positions document. 5. The committee may reformat or reorganize the structure of the position as needed to best present their recommended changes or updates. 6. In its work, the committee should strive for a reasonable balance between being too general and being too specific in the position statements. Ideally, the updated position will provide direction and support for League actions for some years.
Timeline: Recommendation for review and updating of this position will be voted on by delegates to the May 15-16, 2021 LWVAZ Convention. The committee’s report is due to the LWVAZ Board at the March 2023 Board meeting and will be voted on at the May 2023 LWVAZ Convention.
Committee members: Maryann Kenney (NAZ), Corinne Shaw (CYC), Robyn Prudhomme-Bauer (NAZ). Additional members will be added. Advice and guidance will be provided by the LWVAZ Public Policy Positions Committee (PPC).
Betty Bengtson Chair, LWVAZ PPC Committee March 25, 2021
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Appendix C: Water Policy
Water Policy Review/Update 2021-2023
Rationale: Water issues are a LWVAZ priority for advocacy and action and are likely to be so for some time to come. Access to clean drinking water and the availability of water to sustain our environment are high priorities, especially in our arid Southwest climate. Our current water policy position was first adopted in 1975, revised in 1995, and amended in 2009. In the 12 years since this position was last reviewed there have been many changes in Arizona water policy, water resources, and water management. Climate change is having pronounced effects on our water future.
Scope: The review/update committee is charged with reviewing our position in light of these changes and updating it as needed.
1. Topics to be considered include unregulated groundwater pumping, ecological uses of water, equity in water access, commercialization of water supplies, regulation of streams and rivers, and water contamination. Other topics may emerge from the committee’s work and should be included in their consideration. 2. Consider the work that other Leagues are doing or have done around water issues and positions they may have developed. Also consider the LWVUS position on water. 3. The committee should apply the DEI lens to all its work. 4. Provide a glossary or explanation of terminology with the report that can be attached as an appendix to the LWVAZ Public Policy Positions document. 5. The committee may reformat or reorganize the structure of the position as needed to best present their recommended changes or updates. 6. In its work, the committee should strive for a reasonable balance between being too general and being too specific in the position statements. Ideally, the updated position will provide direction and support for League actions for some years.
Timeline: Recommendation for review and updating of this position will be voted on by delegates to the May 15-16, 2021 LWVAZ Convention. The committee’s report is due to the LWVAZ Board at the March 2023 Board meeting and will be voted on at the May 2023 LWVAZ Convention.
Committee members: Lyn Loveless (GT), chair; Ellie Laumark (CYC), Dawn Abel (MP), Mary Price (GT). Other committee members will be added. Advice and guidance will be provided by the LWVAZ Public Policy Positions Committee (PPC).
Betty Bengtson Chair, LWVAZ PPC Committee March 25, 2021
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Appendix D: Legislative and Congressional Redistricting Legislative and Congressional Redistricting Review/Update 2021- 2023
Rationale: Redistricting is a LWVAZ and LWVUS priority issue for advocacy and action. The LWVAZ position was last updated in 2005, sixteen years ago. Our LWVAZ People Powered Fair Maps program is providing experience using our current position that will be valuable in reviewing/updating this position. It is desirable to strengthen wording and to address issues that surface during the 2021 redistricting.
Scope: The review/update committee is charged with reviewing our position and updating it as needed.
1. Topics to be considered include balance and equity in the IRC applicant review commission, supporting a public process and equitable opportunities for public input, hiring of a diverse and representative IRC staff, adherence to all the map criteria as outlined in the Arizona Constitutions, desirable changes (if any) in the redistricting commission, its continued independence, and gerrymandering practices in Arizona’s redistricting (e.g., prison gerrymandering). Other topics may emerge from the committee’s work or the completed 2021 redistricting process and should be included. 2. Consider the LWVUS positions on Apportionment and on Redistricting and other applicable national positions and their effect on our position. Also consider positions of Leagues in other states that have independent redistricting commissions. 3. The committee should apply the LWV DEI lens to all its work. 4. Provide a glossary or explanation of terminology that can be attached as an appendix to the LWVAZ Public Policy Positions document. 5. The committee may reformat or reorganize the structure of the position as needed to best present their recommended changes or updates. 6. In its work, the committee should strive for a reasonable balance between being too general and being too specific in the position statements. Ideally, the updated position will provide direction and support for League actions at least through 2031.
Timeline: Recommendation for review and updating of this position will be voted on by delegates to the May 15-16, 2021 LWVAZ Convention. Ideally the committee’s work will begin at the end of the 2021 Arizona redistricting process. The committee’s report is due to the LWVAZ Board at the March 2023 Board meeting and will be voted on at the May 2023 LWVAZ Convention.
Committee members: Betty Bengtson (GT), chair. Other committee members will be added. Advice and guidance will be provided by the LWVAZ Public Policy Positions Committee (PPC).
Betty Bengtson Chair, LWVAZ PPC Committee March 25, 2021
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Appendix E: Initiative and Referendum
Initiative and Referendum Review/Update 2021-2023
Rationale: This position was adopted in the 1970s and had not been reviewed or updated since. LWVAZ has been hampered in opposing many legislative bills that attack and limit the constitutional right of Arizona’s citizens to legislate because of our outdated position.
Scope: The review/update committee is charged with reviewing our position and updating it as needed.
1. Topics to be considered include how to strengthen the LWVAZ policy position in light of attempts to limit the Arizona citizens initiative rights, electronic signing of initiative and referendum petitions, legislative attempts to mitigate or “go-around” initiatives approved by the voters, and how to strengthen the position in general. Other topics may emerge during the committee’s work and should be included in their consideration. 2. Consider positions of other Leagues where citizen initiatives and referenda are permitted. Also consider any LWVUS positions pertaining to citizen initiatives. Review research on ballot initiatives (e.g., The Ballot Initiative Strategy Center). 3. The committee should apply the LWV DEI lens to all of its work. 4. Provide a glossary or explanation of terminology that can be attached as an appendix to the LWVAZ Public Policy Positions document. 5. The committee may reformat or reorganize the structure of the position as needed to best present their recommended changes or updates. 6. In its work, the committee should strive for a reasonable balance between being too general and being too specific in the position statements. Ideally the updated position will provide direction and support for League action at least through the 2031 redistricting process..
Timeline: Recommendation for review and updating of this position will be voted on by delegates at the May 15-16, 2021 LWVAZ Convention. The committee’s report is due to the LWVAZ Board at the March 2023 Board meeting and will be voted on at the May 2023 LWVAZ Convention.
Committee members: Sarah Congdon Leech (GT), Dawn Abel (MP), Pinny Sheoran (MP), Bonnie Boyce- Wilson (NWMC). Other committee members will be added. Advice and guidance will be provided by the LWVAZ Public Policy Positions Committee (PPC).
Betty Bengtson Chair, LWVAZ PPC Committee March 25, 2021
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Appendix F: Gun Safety Consensus
STUDY REPORT AND POLICY PROPOSAL
The LWVAZ Gun Safety Study Committee requests that the LWVAZ Convention adopt the proposed position on gun safety as a new policy position.
The Gun Safety Study Committee is made up of members from multiple Arizona Leagues and respectfully submits this report. Kathy Aros, Chair Greater Tucson Lynn Blankenship Greater Tucson Kristin Delaplane Greater Tucson Kathy Dubbs Greater Tucson Michele Garrick Nave NW Maricopa Mary Grove Northern Arizona Joyce Haas Central Yavapai Laura Hudson Metro Phoenix Freda Johnson Greater Tucson Susan Peters Greater Tucson Mary Elizabeth Pollard Greater Tucson Elizabeth Zegura Greater Tucson
LWVAZ GUN SAFETY STUDY COMMITTEE REPORT Introduction
Guns and Ammo Magazine has consistently ranked Arizona the #1 best state for gun owners. It receives top marks in every single category.1 Why? Because Arizona has almost no laws governing firearms.
In Arizona you can:
• Buy a gun without a waiting period, license, registration, or training. • Carry a concealed weapon without a license if you are 21. • Buy an assault weapon or large‐capacity magazine. • Buy a gun from an unlicensed dealer without a background check. • Keep an unlocked, loaded gun in your home even if children are present. • Keep a gun even though you may pose a threat to yourself or others. • Carry a gun—openly or concealed—almost everywhere. • Possess a gun even though you have been convicted of misdemeanor domestic abuse which is against federal law.
In the latest polls, 97% of Americans support Universal Background Checks for the purchase of a gun. Most people—including gun owners—also support other sensible gun laws. Many of these laws have been proposed in the Arizona State Legislature every year, but most never get a hearing.
The Gun Safety Study Committee, after nearly two years of research, proposes that LWVAZ adopt a position on gun safety so that members of our league may ally with other groups to lobby for laws to make
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Arizonans safer from gun violence.
What follows is a more detailed look at gun violence and safety issues in Arizona, as well as a summary of the Gun Safety Study Committee’s origins, goals, and protocols; an overview of the projects undertaken by the Committee, including our research, surveys, Facts & Issues reports, and interactive JR Project event; and our conclusions and proposed Position Statement, together with reflections on where to go from here.
Background: Gun Violence and Gun Safety in Arizona Someone is killed with a gun every eight hours in Arizona. The state recorded 1,136 firearm deaths in 2019—an increase of over 200 fatalities in a five‐year period.2 Of the dead, some were children whose deaths would have been 100% preventable with a Safe Gun Storage law; others were victims of domestic violence, murdered by partners or relatives with a history of aggression; and many were suicide victims— often acting on impulse—who might have lived if their firearms had been locked up and unloaded.
Mass shootings occur every year both nationwide and in Arizona. The Gun Violence Archive defines these events as acts of gun violence in which four or more persons are killed or injured, not including the shooter.3 The deadliest of these in recent years was the 2011 Safeway parking lot shooting in Tucson, where a young man with high‐capacity magazines and a semi‐automatic weapon killed six and wounded 13, including Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Despite its political motivation and high‐profile victims, the incident was by no means unusual. As recently as 2019, six mass shootings with seven people dead and 27 wounded were recorded in the state.4
Common sense firearms safety laws would help mitigate the gun violence crisis. Yet none of the many gun safety bills introduced in the Arizona legislature since 2014 have reached the committee floor.5 The proposals that failed to gain a hearing during that period included Safe Gun Storage bills, bans on assault weapons and bump‐piece devices, limits on magazine capacity, required background checks for firearm transfers, the removal of firearms from perpetrators of domestic assault, and Severe Threat Orders of Protection—or “Red Flag” laws—to restrict firearm access for individuals posing a danger to themselves or others. Even non‐regulatory proposals only peripherally related to firearms—such as a bill proposing the creation of a school safety hotline and an initiative calling for a committee to study violence prevention and public safety— were blocked.6
Despite research documenting the effectiveness of firearm safety measures, a partisan majority of Arizona legislators have long opposed gun safety regulations, while passing firearm bills that protect guns, and those who use them, from both local and federal gun safety ordinances.7 One example is A.R.S. (Arizona Revised Statutes) §13‐3108, which prohibits Arizona counties and municipalities from enacting regulations on such activities as the transportation, possession, licensing, storage, and registration of firearms. The same law also prohibits local authorities from maintaining records on guns, gun owners, and sales or transfers of guns in their jurisdiction.8 A second example is A.R.S. §13‐3114, which declared that firearms or ammunition manufactured commercially or privately in Arizona are not subject to federal laws or regulations if they remain within the state.9 Not surprisingly, Giffords.org gives Arizona an “F” rating for firearm safety, and in 2015 the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence called Arizona the state with the loosest gun laws.10
Arizona’s resistance to gun safety regulations is deeply entrenched in the state’s history and politics, but it is also a function of the frontier mentality and Old West legacy still present in Arizona.11 In film and fiction, the “Wild West” has been romanticized as a land of wide‐open spaces, rough and tumble cowboys, outlaws and shootouts, and ubiquitous firearms. While this image is skewed—glorifying violent responses to perceived
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016 threats rather than the gun safety laws of towns like Tombstone, Deadwood, Dodge City, and Abilene12—the frontier values underlying the myth still resonate with many Arizonans, despite the state’s rapid population growth and demographic changes, the ever‐increasing deadliness of modern firearms, and the sheer numbers of guns circulating freely in Arizona.
Given the absence of registration requirements, the exact number of firearms present in Arizona is impossible to determine. Statista.com reports that the state has the 7th highest number of registered guns in the country, while CBS News and the RAND Corporation estimate that almost half of all adults in Arizona have guns at home.13 The real question, of course, is how many of these households contain multiple and high‐capacity weapons – and are these weapons properly stored?
Looking back in history, it is important to remember that even Old Tombstone instituted firearm regulations to help keep the peace, as noted earlier.14 Modern‐day studies have repeatedly shown that gun violence decreases significantly with an increase in gun safety protocols. These facts, together with deep‐seated concerns about escalating gun violence and questions about how best to address the crisis, led to the formation of the LWVAZ Gun Safety Study Committee and this report.
The LWVAZ Gun Safety Study Committee: Origins, Goals, and Protocols
At the LWVAZ convention in May 2019, a proposal was approved for a new study on “gun control and gun safety as a public health issue as it related both nationally and more specifically as an Arizona issue.” In early September of 2019, President Kathy Aros (LWVGT) convened the first meeting of a statewide Committee, which then met every other week when feasible. Although most members were from Tucson, members of other leagues were included via Zoom (GT, NWVMC, CYC, and MP). A core group soon established itself and remains to the present time. Through consensus, Committee members developed a mission statement: “To propose a LWVAZ position on gun safety issues through research, education and consensus‐building. We will recommend actions, including potential legislation.” 15
Since the Committee members all came with varying degrees of knowledge about gun safety, we set about to educate ourselves on the subject. One of the first things we learned was that Arizona has almost no laws regarding the purchase and use of guns. We developed a list of basic issues, divided it up, and began our research for what would eventually become the Facts & Issues reports which were sent out to all members of the Arizona League.
To achieve consensus of statewide members, we sent two surveys on gun issues to all LWVAZ members, with well‐researched Facts & Issues provided in between the two surveys to assist members in making informed choices.
The introductory Facts & Issues was sent out on February 14, 2020 in the LWVAZ newsletter to prepare members for the first survey that would poll members on which issues were most important to them and on whether they even saw gun safety as a problem. We included startling facts that we had learned in our extensive research in hopes of piquing their interest and alerting them to the upcoming survey. Very soon thereafter we developed what we hoped was an eye‐ catching logo to include on all the Facts & Issues. The Committee’s Work and Major Projects
1. Research: The Committee’s goal was to provide fact‐based research on the issues that resonated with our
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016 membership and to respond to additional gun violence issues in Arizona. Creating the Facts & Issues reports required extensive and varied types of research on each of the 11 topics that we addressed. All of the research in these reports is footnoted and attributed to the appropriate sources. These sources included books, news articles, periodicals, eyewitness and expert testimonies, Internet websites, and national databases. These resources are catalogued in our own database library (See Appendices). This wealth of knowledge helped us articulate the severity of the gun violence issues facing our state and nation, the various positions on firearms held by different subgroups of our population, and the potential solutions to gun violence that have proven effective or appear promising. 2. Surveys Survey 1:
In February 2020, the Committee launched its first survey to all AZ League members. Intent on learning the state’s appetite and support for a study on gun safety, the Committee designed a seven‐question survey. The design was a combination of Yes/No and open‐ended questions, as well as an invitation to be a Committee member; 186 members from 6 leagues responded.
Notably, 100% of the respondents indicated their belief that gun violence is an Arizona public safety issue. Furthermore, 98% also said gun safety was a very serious or serious issue on the survey scale. Particular areas of concern included: 1. The lack of background checks and the need for bans on assault weapons and high‐capacity magazines. 2. The ease of purchasing guns. 3. A combination of domestic violence, red flag laws, open and concealed carry laws, and the need for some sort of licensing. Ranking their top five gun issues, members overwhelming supported: 1. Background checks. 2. Assault weapon bans. 3. High‐capacity magazine bans. 4. Preventing domestic violence offenders from possessing guns. 5. High Risk/Red Flag laws.
Numerous other gun safety topics were important to members. This collection of priorities provided guidance to the areas of focus and study for the Committee’s next steps in the development of Facts & Issues.
Survey 2:
Following the publication of 11 Facts & Issues articles throughout 2020, the Committee sent a second survey to all AZ League members in December. The aim was to ascertain, based on shared knowledge and data, what specific issues our League’s members supported. The 37‐question survey structure was different from the first; 202 participants, from 6 leagues, responded to 36 Yes/No questions and to one open‐ended question asking for their top legislative priority related to gun safety. This survey design also offered a brief introductory comment on each topic to reinforce the data gleaned from the Facts & Issues research.
Once again, 99% of our members strongly agreed that gun violence is a public health issue in AZ, and 99% or more agreed on the need for:
● Mandatory background checks.
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● Required safety training for gun purchases. ● Required permits/licensing for gun ownership. ● Elimination of the gun show loophole. ● Regulation of assault weapons. ● Regulation of high‐capacity magazines. ● Community‐based violence intervention programs. ● More accountability for police shootings. ● Required de‐escalation training. ● Less lethal intervention where possible. ● Removing guns from domestic violence abusers. ● Not arming teachers in schools.
Of the 36 Yes/No questions, members supported all but 3 of the gun safety measures they were asked to assess at rates of 95% or higher.
School safety measure responses varied, whether it was for the presence of armed officers, shooter drills, or the “hardening” of schools. Where we noted best membership alignment was around increased funding for school counselors and agreement to not support the arming of teachers in the classroom.
Responses to the open‐ended question, which asked members to identify their top legislative priority related to gun safety, were aligned around: 1. Mandating background checks. 2. Banning assault weapons and high‐capacity magazines. 3. Implementing a firearm licensing process. The output of the two surveys has guided Committee study and informed our position statement.
3. Facts & Issues: Guns in Arizona
A Study by the LWVAZ to Formulate a Position on Gun Safety
A major project of the Gun Safety Study Committee was the assembly and publication of 11 Facts & Issues reports that were distributed to Arizona League members electronically in the Advocacy and Action electronic newsletter, published by the LWVAZ Advocacy Committee starting in February 2020. While numerous topics pertaining to gun violence and gun safety merited attention, those prioritized and included in the Facts & Issues reports were determined by the Committee’s research and discussions and by the ranked responses of state League members to the first survey. The following is a summary of the 11 Facts & Issues publications. For the complete texts of the reports, see Appendices.
Facts & Issues #1: Guns in Arizona—Introduction The first Facts & Issues report summarizes the current state of gun violence, gun safety, and gun laws in Arizona, which has the loosest firearm regulations in the country according to the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. This introductory Facts & Issues report focuses on major categories of firearm deaths (suicide, domestic violence, childhood accidents with guns) and compares the high frequency of firearm deaths in Arizona to more widely publicized, and lower, mortality rates from other causes such as car crashes and childhood drownings. Facts & Issues #1 also examines Arizona’s lack of conformity to widely accepted gun safety standards, despite evidence that states with stronger gun laws have lower death rates.
Facts & Issues #2: Safe Storage of Firearms
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Facts & Issues #2 focuses on the safe storage of firearms, on preventable firearm accidents involving children, and on the major types of gun‐related deaths that could be prevented or reduced in number by safe storage practices. These safety protocols include keeping firearms locked up, making sure they are unloaded, and storing ammunition separately. Research has shown these safety practices to be effective in states with Childhood Access Prevention (CAP) laws, where they are particularly successful in preventing accidental deaths of children, thwarting suicides, and reducing the number of crimes perpetrated with stolen weapons.16 Yet 23 states, including Arizona, have no laws requiring safe firearm storage.
Facts & Issues #3: Stopping Gun Violence in Schools School Safety is a major concern in our communities, and there are divergent viewpoints on how best to address gun violence in schools. National polls of the AFT, NEA, and NASRO do not support arming teachers as a response to the threat.17 Similarly, parents of students do not support arming teachers. Most states do require active shooter drills, as suggested by the NRA, but their effectiveness and repercussions are unknown.
While there is no nationwide consensus on best practices for making schools safe, research has identified a series of risk factors associated with gun violence in schools. A study of mass shootings from 1966‐2019 found that nearly all school shooters were current or former students at the school and that they exhibited warning signs prior to the incident.18 Studies also show that children will access guns when they are present and unlocked in their homes and that access to firearms triples their risk of death by suicide and homicide.19
The subject of gun violence in schools is complex and has multiple facets that need to be addressed.
Facts & Issues #4: The Disproportionate Impact of Guns on the Black Community The Committee found the statistics on this issue alarming. Guns are the number one cause of death of Black children.20 Black Americans are killed by guns at a rate 10 times higher than that of white Americans. New research is showing that incarceration does very little to stop gun homicide. Community violence intervention organizations are effective.21
Stand‐Your‐Ground laws increase firearm homicides and injuries and fail to deter crime. When White shooters kill Black victims, these homicides are 11 times more frequently deemed justifiable than when the shooter is Black and the victim is White.22
Over 1,000 Americans are killed each year by police.23 Black Americans are killed by police at twice the rate of White Americans. This pattern is sustained by policing and justice systems that often sanction and condone rather than penalize and seek to eradicate police violence.
There is no single solution to racial differences in gun violence outcomes, but changes to our laws, revision of policies, and reordering of funding priorities all based on research must be enacted if there is to be any improvement to the system.
Facts & Issues #5: Background Checks
The lack of Universal Background Checks emerged as the strongest issue in the first Gun Safety Study Committee survey. Background checks are intended to keep guns out of the hands of convicted felons, users of controlled substances, dishonorably discharged veterans, underage individuals, and those with certain mental conditions. Arizona only requires a background check for purchases from licensed gun
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016 dealers. Buying on the Internet, at yard sales, in a parking lot, or at private sales requires no background checks in Arizona. It is estimated that about 1 in 5 transfers nationally are completed without any background check at all. 24
Numerous mass shootings have been perpetrated by individuals who would not have passed background checks. And while there is little research on the impact of background checks, the Boston School of Public Health researcher Michael Siegel concluded that states requiring Universal Background Checks had homicide rates 15% lower than states without this law.25
In national polls, up to 97% of Americans support Universal Background Checks. Although approximately 69% of NRA members support Universal Background Checks, gun lobbies and the NRA have successfully pushed back against these checks.
Facts & Issues #6: Red Flag Laws Extreme Risk Prevention Orders, also known as Red Flag laws, allow family members and law enforcement to ask a court to temporarily suspend a person’s access to guns when there is evidence that the person poses a risk of using firearms to harm themselves or others. In 90% of school shootings between 2009 and 2017, the shooters exhibited warning signs. A 2020 RAND Corporation study concluded that “if ERPOs are well targeted and have a high likelihood of preventing a suicide or a homicide, then they could substantially lower state homicide or suicide rates.”26 Nineteen states and the District of Columbia have enacted some form of ERPO, including at least 5 signed into law by Republican governors. With safeguards such as due process and time limits, ERPOs can save lives.
Facts & Issues #7: Veteran Suicide An average of 4,200 veterans die by firearm suicide every year; that is approximately 11 deaths per day. Since 2005, the veteran firearm suicide rate has increased by 33%, reaching near‐ epidemic proportions. One factor is that former members of our armed forces are 1.5 times more likely to own guns than non‐ veterans, and firearms are the weapon of choice for most veteran suicides.
There are a number of research‐based solutions that should be implemented to address this public health crisis. Red Flag Laws would identify veterans who are at risk of suicide and remove their guns temporarily. Secure Storage laws would also distance the veteran from his or her gun— currently, one in three veteran gun owners keeps at least one firearm loaded and unlocked. The magnitude of the loss of veterans to suicide needs urgent action, including more robust assistance from the Veterans Administration Health Support Services, to prevent these tragic deaths.
Facts & Issues #8: Ghost Guns A ghost gun is a DIY, homemade gun made from readily available, unregulated components. It is produced by individuals, not manufacturers. Ghost guns do not have serial numbers and are untraceable, and their components are acquired without a background check.
Ghost guns are predictably emerging as a weapon of choice for violent criminals, gun traffickers, dangerous extremists, and other people legally prohibited from buying firearms.
Ghost gun kits sold online are designed and marketed so that almost any person, even one with limited technical skills, can do the necessary work to build a real gun in less than one hour. If the person has a drill and an hour, they can circumvent gun safety laws and make a ghost gun.
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016
Because of the ATF’s (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms) current interpretation of the law, the core components of ghost guns are not regulated as “firearms.”
Facts & Issues #9: Domestic Violence
Guns and domestic violence are a deadly combination. When a gun is present in a domestic violence situation, a woman is five times more likely to die. Between 2009 and 2013 Arizona’s rate of intimate partner gun murder was 45% higher than the national average. Domestic violence homicides can be prevented by strengthening gun safety laws so that abusers are denied access to firearms. As it stands in Arizona, judges and law enforcement are authorized, but not required, to remove guns from domestic abusers. Making sure guns are taken out of the hands of abusers is one step further to saving the lives of women and children.
Facts & Issues #10: Assault Weapons and High‐Capacity Magazines
This issue was the second greatest concern of LWVAZ members in the first survey. In 2009, the Justice Department defined assault weapons as “semi‐automatic firearms with a large magazine of ammunition that were designed and configured for rapid fire and combat use.” High‐capacity magazines are the ammunition feeding devices, typically holding more than 10 rounds (bullets). The Giffords Law Center goes further and says assault weapons “are specifically designed to kill humans quickly and efficiently.”27
The deadliest mass shootings in recent history have one thing in common: the use of assault weapons. 28 Recent events have evidenced civilians brandishing assault weapons in public protests and uprisings. There is a proliferation of these deadly weapons, yet no one knows just how many are out there. Twelve years ago, the NRA estimated that between 8.5 to 15 million assault weapons were in the hands of private citizens. Millions have been sold in the last few years alone. There is no firearm registry for these weapons.
In 1994, Congress enacted a ban on assault weapons. Gun massacres decreased 37% during that ban. The ban expired after 10 years and was not reinstated due to the successful efforts of gun lobbies and the NRA. In Arizona it is extremely easy to purchase assault weapons and high‐ capacity magazines. While an 18‐year‐old cannot purchase a pistol legally, he/she can legally purchase an assault weapon.
Facts & Issues #11: A Brief History of the Second Amendment
—Politics of Guns in America
This final Facts & Issues report explores the origins and history of the Second Amendment, the different ways it has been interpreted and politicized over the years, its implications for gun safety regulations, and the evolution of Second Amendment Supreme Court decisions.
4. The JR Project
In September 2020, the LWVAZ Gun Safety Study Committee had the opportunity to partner with the Desert Southwest Conference of the United Methodist Church in Phoenix to present The JR Project event: Guns in America. JR is an internationally recognized artist and photographer creating murals that depict complex social issues. Time Magazine contracted with JR to bring together a variety of voices in search of common
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ground on one of our nation’s most divisive topics.
The Zoom event utilized a combination of interactive, photographic murals, stories from each of the 245 interviewed individuals, well‐designed breakout sessions, videos, and trained facilitators. Our mission was to understand the many different perspectives on gun violence. We hoped to build awareness as well as develop empathy for different viewpoints.
Our Committee was able to offer this event to all League members in Arizona; 34 attended.
From this small, but committed group, we learned that language is an issue when it comes to guns. “Safety” vs. “Control,” for example can evoke significantly different responses. Additionally, the presence of guns is not worrisome to all who have grown up with guns but may be threatening to those who are not gun owners.
We believe we have a better understanding of where people stand on the issue of guns and an openness to listening to other people’s viewpoints following this webinar.
Proposal and Recommendations 1. Position Statement
Based on the Committee’s research and League members’ consensus from the second survey, the following Position Statement was crafted by the Committee and approved by the LWVAZ Board on January 9, 2021.
Over the last three decades, the League of Women Voters of the United States (LWVUS) has advocated for gun safety legislation. The LWVUS believes that gun violence in the United States is a major health and safety threat to its citizens. The LWVUS supports strong federal measures regulating gun ownership by private citizens with licensing procedures including a waiting period for background checks, personal identity verification, gun safety education, and licensing renewal. All Arizona citizens have a right and need to feel safe. We believe gun ownership comes with civic responsibility, demonstrating responsible ownership and handling. Responsible ownership and handling should be supported by: 1. Enacting Universal Background Checks for all gun purchases and transfers. 2. Regulating assault weapons and high‐capacity magazines including restricting the presence of assault weapons to rifle ranges. 3. Enacting a licensing process that requires background checks and safety training/education compliance. 4. Requiring safety training for gun purchases and carrying concealed weapons. 5. Enacting a waiting period for gun purchases. 6. Enacting Safe Storage laws for unattended guns. 7. Enacting a law allowing judges to temporarily remove guns from a person where there is clear evidence that the person poses a danger to themselves or others. 8. Enacting laws preventing people with domestic violence convictions from possessing guns and ammunition. 9. Repealing Stand‐Your‐Ground laws. 10. Restricting the presence of guns in public spaces. 11. Allowing communities to implement voluntary programs such as buy‐back or gun disposal. 12. Regulating “ghost” guns and/or sales of their components. 13. Outlawing straw gun purchases.
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Additionally, we advocate for: 14. Supporting and funding community‐based violence intervention programs. 15. Mandating de‐escalation training for law enforcement. 16. Requiring more accountability for police shootings. 17. No armed teachers, security, or school resource officers. 18. Supporting research‐based initiatives/activities that have shown to reduce school shootings. 19. Supporting and funding research on gun violence at all levels of government.
2. Next Steps
The LWVAZ Gun Safety Study Committee offers the above Position Statement to the State League membership for your consideration and discussion. If the LWVAZ adopts the Position Statement by a vote at the 2021 Convention, we would also like to propose that:
● A statewide LWVAZ committee be formed to lobby the legislature on gun safety issues. ● The Advocacy and Gun Safety Study Committees combine their efforts to promote firearm safety legislation. ● The League explore ways of educating the public about gun safety (perhaps through public forums and/or other events). ● The LWVAZ collaborate with other organizations, including the National League, to promote firearm safety legislation and to educate the public about gun safety. 3. Timeliness of this Study and Proposal
The gun violence that racked the United States in the last year is a reminder of how timely and urgent the above proposals, and Gun Safety Laws, are. This year, the installation of a new U.S. Administration offers all of us an extraordinary opportunity to address this public health crisis with fresh ideas and renewed commitment, energy, and hope.
The LWVUS recently sent a letter to the Biden administration outlining their hopes for the future, including a statement advocating the end of gun violence in America. Here is an excerpt from that text:
The League believes that the Biden Administration should work with the 117th Congress to adopt legislation that will close the gun show loophole, provide universal background checks, increase penalties for straw purchases of guns, ban assault weapons, place limits on high‐ capacity ammunition magazine size, fund research and reporting on gun violence in America. The nation needs and demands comprehensive gun reform, including placing limits on magazine size is a common‐sense solution to shootings that risks multiple lives. This limit should include magazines and other ammunition feeding devices that hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition. These devices allow shooters to fire numerous rounds in rapid succession without having to stop and reload, and they have been a central part of the mass killings in schools and public meeting places. In addition, background checks are not required for the 40 percent of gun sales that take place at gun shows, person‐to‐person sales, or other private transactions. A recent Quinnipiac poll found that support for background checks is almost universal with 97 percent of voters in favor of background checks on all gun purchasers. This is the highest level of support ever measured by the independent poll.29
The LWVAZ Gun Safety Study Committee echoes these ideas and sentiments, while taking hope from the fact that support for background checks on all gun purchasers is currently at an all‐time high level. The time is ripe for safer firearm regulations and protocols.
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End Notes 1 The categories listed are the following: the right to carry, including concealed carry; black rifles, or assault weapons; the “castle doctrine,” meaning Stand‐Your Ground laws; preemption statues; and Red Flag laws. Arizona is also valued by firearm aficionados for its strong and competitive shooting scene and for its strong firearm industry presence—exemplified by the Gunsite Academy in Paulden, AZ, described as “America’s premier gun training center.” See https://www.gunsite.com/locations/gunsite‐academy‐paulden‐arizona/. 2 “Firearm Mortality by State,” National Center for Health Statistics, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/sosmap/firearm_mortality/firearm.htm. 3 “Mass Shooting Methodology and reasoning,” The Explainer, Gun Violence Archive, https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/explainer. 4 “Mass Shootings in 2019,” Gun Violence Archive, https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/reports/mass‐ shooting?year=2019&sort=asc&order=State . 5 Meg Pradelt, email message to Kathleen Dubbs, 5 February 2021. Meg Pradelt is the legislative chair for Gun Violence Prevention ‐ Arizona (GVPA). 6 The summary of proposed firearm bills in Arizona that were never heard in committee is from Meg Pradelt (see Note 5), who has tracked firearm bill proposals in the State Legislature since 2014. Email message to Kathleen Dubbs, 5 February 2021. 7 For an overview of gun violence, gun safety, and Arizona firearm regulations, see Jessica M. Rosenthal and Jesenia M. Pizarro, Arizona Gun Laws 101, School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Arizona State University, 2019, http://www.azfgs.com/wp‐content/uploads/2019/09/Arizona‐Gun‐Laws‐101‐4.19.pdf. 8 Very pointedly, this statute also prohibits local governments from enacting any firearm regulation more “prohibitive” or “restrictive” than state law. See A.R.S. §13‐3108, https://www.azleg.gov/viewdocument/?docName=https://www.azleg.gov/ars/13/03108.htm. This statute, as well as A.R.S. §12‐941‐945 governing the disposal of seized or unclaimed property, was successfully invoked by the state in its opposition to Tucson Code 2‐142, which in 2005 authorized the destruction of seized, unclaimed, and forfeited firearms by the Tucson Police Department. See https://law.justia.com/cases/arizona/supreme‐ court/2017/cv‐16‐0301‐sa.html. 9 See A.R.S. §13‐3114, https://www.azleg.gov/viewdocument/?docName=https://www.azleg.gov/ars/13/03114.htm. 10 “Arizona Gun Laws,” Giffords Law Center, https://giffords.org/lawcenter/gun‐laws/states/arizona/; “Mass Shooting in Mesa and Arizona’s Loosest Gun Laws in the Country,” Brady United, 18 March 2015, https://www.bradyunited.org/press‐releases/mass‐shooting‐in‐mesa‐and‐arizonas‐loosest‐gun‐laws‐in‐the‐ nation. Despite giving Arizona a score of “F,” the Giffords Law Center currently ranks the state 45th out of 50 states for gun safety. See “Gun Law Scorecard,” Giffords Law Center, https://giffords.org/lawcenter/resources/scorecard/#AZ. 11 Douglas Heingartner, “Frontier Mentality Is still Alive and Well in the West,” Psych News Daily, 9 September 2020, https://www.psychnewsdaily.com/frontier‐mentality‐still‐seen‐in‐residents‐of‐wild‐west‐ states/. Scholars who study frontier mentality note the “chronic fear and permanently heightened vigilance” that exist “in frontier topographies to help avoid physical threats,” as well as the sense of freedom and independence among frontier settlers, the harshness of frontier terrains, the frequent distrust of strangers among inhabitants of these regions, and the ethos of independence, individualism, and toughness they exhibit. See Friedrich M. Götz, Stefan Stieger, et al., “Physical Topography Is Associated with Human Personality,” Nature Human Behaviour 4, 1135–1144, 7 September 2020, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562‐020‐0930‐x. 12 Matt Jancer, “Gun Control Is as Old as the Old West,” Smithsonian Magazine, 5 February 2018, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/gun‐control‐old‐west‐180968013/ 13 See “Number of Registered Weapons in the U.S. by State, 2019,” Statista,
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016 https://www.statista.com/statistics/215655/number‐of‐registered‐weapons‐in‐the‐us‐by‐state/. In a long‐term study, published in 2020 and covering the years 1980‐2016, the RAND Corporation estimates that 46.3% of adults in Arizona live in homes with guns, but the study offers no statistics on households with multiple firearms or, more importantly, on the actual number of firearms present in Arizona. See “Gun Ownership by State: Arizona,” CBS News, https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/gun‐ownership‐rates‐by‐state/28/ ; and Terry L. Schell, Samuel Peterson, et al., “State‐Level Estimates of Household Firearm Ownership,” RAND Corporation, 2020, https://www.rand.org/pubs/tools/TL354.html. 14 Matt Jancer, “Gun Control Is as Old as the Old West,” Smithsonian Magazine, 5 February 2018, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/gun‐control‐old‐west‐180968013/ . 15 For the complete Mission Statement, see Appendices. 16 “Gun Policy in America,” The RAND Corporation, https://www.rand.org/research/gun‐policy/analysis/child‐ access‐prevention.html. 17 “Arming Teachers Introduces New Risks into Schools,” Everytown for Gun Safety, 1 May 2019, http://everytownresearch.org/arming‐teachers‐introduces‐new‐risks‐into‐schools. 18 “The Violence Project Database of Mass Shootings in the United States, 1966‐2019,” The Violence Project, November 2019, https://www.theviolenceproject.org/. See also “The Impact of School Safety Drills for Active Shootings,” Everytown for Gun Safety, https://everytownresearch.org/report/the‐impact‐of‐school‐ safety‐drills‐ for‐active‐shootings/ 19 “Arming Teachers Introduces New Risks into Schools,” Everytown for Gun Safety, 1 May 2019, http://everytownresearch.org/arming‐teachers‐introduces‐new‐risks‐into‐schools. 20 “Gun Violence 8: The Number of Children and Teens Killed with Guns Each Day in the U.S.,” Children’s Defense Fund, https://www.childrensdefense.org/wp‐content/uploads/2018/06/Gun_Violence.pdf. 21 “Study Finds Increased Incarceration Has Marginal‐to‐Zero Impact on Crime,” Equal Justice Initiative, 7 August 2017, https://eji.org/news/study‐finds‐increased‐incarceration‐does‐not‐reduce‐crime/. 22 “Stand Your Ground Laws Are a License to Kill,” Everytown for Gun Safety, 25 January 2021, https://everytownresearch.org/fact‐sheet‐stand‐your‐ground. 23 “Fatal Force: 900 People Have Been Shot and Killed by Police in the Past Year,” Washington Post, 9 February 2021, https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/investigations/police‐shootings‐database/. 24 Matthew Miller, Lisa Hepburn, and Deborah Azrael, “Firearm Acquisition without Background Checks,” The Annals of Internal Medicine, 21 February 2017, https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/m16‐1590. 25 Jessica Colarossi and Kat J McAlpine, “The FBI and CDC Datasets Agree: Who Has Guns—Not Which Guns— Linked to Murder Rates,” The Brink: Pioneering Research from Boston University, 6 August 2019, http://www.bu.edu/articles/2019/state‐gun‐laws‐that‐reduce‐gun‐deaths. 26 “The Effects of Extreme Risk Protection Orders,” Gun Policy in America, RAND Corporation, 20 April 2020, https://www.rand.org/research/gun‐policy/analysis/extreme‐risk‐protection‐orders.html. 27 “Hardware and Ammunition: Assault Weapons,” Giffords Law Center, https://giffords.org/lawcenter/gun‐ laws/policy‐areas/hardware‐ammunition/assault‐weapons/. 28 Chris Canipe and Lazaro Gamio, “What the Deadliest Mass Shootings Have in Common,” Axios, 7 September 2019, https://www.axios.com/deadliest‐mass‐shootings‐common‐4211bafd‐da85‐41d4‐b3b2‐ b51ff61e7c86.html. 29 Virginia Kase and Deborah Turner, “The League Anticipates Working Closely with the Biden Administration,” memo to President‐Elect Joe Biden and transition team, 4 January 2021, https://www.lwv.org/league‐ management/league‐anticipates‐working‐closely‐biden‐administration . See also Priya Pandey, “LWVUS Priorities in the New Biden Administration: Hopes of a New Era of Progress, Peace, Prosperity, and Unity,” 27 January 2021, https://www.lwv.org/blog/lwvus‐priorities‐new‐biden‐ administration.
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LWVAZ GUN SAFETY STUDY ADDENDUM
Table of Contents
Addendum A…...... Mission Statement Addendum B…...... Surveys 1 & 2 Addendum C…...... ………....JR Flyer Addendum D…...... Facts & Issues Addendum E…...... Resources
ADDENDUM A
LWVAZ GUN SAFETY STUDY MISSION STATEMENT
To propose a LWVAZ position on gun safety issues through research, education, and consensus building.
We will recommend actions including potential legislation.
1. Research to include, but is not limited to: a. Public Health Crises to include domestic violence and suicide b. Public Safety to include school safeguards and red flags for mental health and violence indicators c. Community gun violence incidents d. Weaponry to include assault weapons and high capacity magazines e. Regulations to include: permitting, training, background checks, prohibitions, relinquishment, state reciprocity
2. League members throughout AZ will be included to provide input and reaction to data collection, assessment, and recommendations through: a. Inclusion on the Gun Safety Committee of various league members throughout AZ b. Facts & Issues dissemination of information c. Survey questions to assess areas of importance and priorities d. Unit Meeting agenda topics and collection of feedback
3. Community input will include: a. Law enforcement organizations b. Public health providers c. School administrators d. Local businesses
Dated: October 2019
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ADDENDUM B
Gun Safety Study Surveys
SURVEY #1 February 2020 Q.1. Do you think gun violence is an Arizona public safety concern? Q.2. If yes, how serious a problem is it? Q.3. When you think about public safety and guns in Arizona, is there a particular issue that concerns you? Q.4. The Issues: Please check your top 5 gun issues in Arizona regarding public safety. · Mandatory background checks · Register gun sales and ownership · Online sales · Mandatory training · Mandatory licensing · Waiting periods · Domestic violence · High Risk/Red Flag laws · Safe storage · Assault weapons ban · High‐capacity magazines · Open carry/concealed carry · Guns in public spaces · Gun buy‐back programs · Gun lobby and industry accountability · Guns and school safety Q.5. Are there any issues you would add to this list? Please list any additions. Q.6. Summary: Do you believe current AZ gun laws have made you and your family more safe or less safe? Q.7. Why? Q. 8. Would you be interested in helping our committee as we move forward on this study? If so, please contact . Q. 9. Your age: Q.10. Local League Affiliation/Membership Greater Tucson Metro Phoenix Northwest Maricopa Central Yavapai County Greater Verde Valley Flagstaff No League Affiliation
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SURVEY #2 December 2020
Introduction
At the 2019 LWVAZ Convention, delegates approved a new 2‐year study entitled “State Gun Safety Study, A Public Health Issue” to develop a position on gun safety issues.
We have worked diligently to inform our membership of our research through online events and 11 carefully researched briefs called Facts & Issues which are focused on the concerns you indicated in a previous survey.
We have one more survey we would like you to complete so that we can prepare our final gun safety policy proposal for the LWVAZ Board in January. The proposal developed by the committee depends upon the results of this survey. If approved by the Board the policy proposal will be presented at Convention for a vote. We need to receive your survey submission within 10 DAYS. We respectfully request you take a few minutes out of your day to complete the survey as soon as possible. Your personal input is so very important.
Thank you on behalf of the LWVAZ Gun Safety Committee
Building Consensus on Arizona Gun Safety Survey
Q.1. Do you think gun violence in Arizona is a public health concern?
More than 90% of Americans support Universal Background Checks to purchase a gun. And yet in Arizona anyone over 18 can legally buy a gun from an unlicensed seller with no questions asked because our state does not mandate Universal Background Checks. Q.2. Would you support mandatory background checks for all gun purchases? Q.3. Would you support mandatory background checks for all firearm transfers (acquiring a gun through inheritance or gift)?
Licensed firearms dealers are required to send the buyer’s information to NICS (National Instant Criminal Background Check System) before selling a firearm. However, if NICS does not respond within three days, the purchase is allowed to go through without a background check. Q.4. Should a background check be completed before a purchase is allowed? Q.5. Would you support requiring safety training for gun purchases?
When Connecticut required both permits (licenses) and background checks firearm suicide declined 15% over the following decade. When Missouri repealed similar laws, the state experienced a 16% increase in the firearm suicide rate over the following five years. Q.6. Would you support laws that require a purchaser to obtain a permit or license and pass a background check?
The so‐called Gun Show Loophole in federal firearms regulations exempts private dealers from running background checks at gun shows. Q.7. Would you support legislation requiring all dealers to run criminal background checks at gun shows?
A ghost gun is a homemade gun capable of being assembled in less than an hour with parts sold on the internet. The resulting guns are not regulated, are mostly undetectable by metal detectors, and require no
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016 background checks. There are no statistics on how many ghost guns exist, but a good 30% of firearms recovered by Alcohol, Tobacco, & Firearms in California are ghost guns. Q.8. Would you support regulating ghost guns and/or their components? Q.9. Would you support laws prohibiting online sales of kits, parts, or pre‐assembled guns?
An assault weapon is a semi‐automatic firearm that shoots a high‐capacity ammunition magazine designed for rapid fire and mass destruction in combat. A high‐capacity magazine can hold 10 to 100 rounds. (A round is a casing that holds everything needed to fire a single shot – a bullet, propellant/gunpowder, and primer/compound that lights the propellant.) Q.10. Would you support regulations on assault weapons? Q.11. Would you support regulations on high‐capacity magazines? Q.12. Would you support laws banning future sales of assault weapons? Q.13. Would you support laws banning future sales of high‐capacity magazines? Q.14. Would you support a state or community sponsored gun and ammunition buy‐back program? Q.15. Should the presence of assault weapons be restricted to rifle ranges?
Fatal shootings on school grounds account for 0.2% of the approximately 36,000 gun deaths annually in the United States, but their impact is devastating. Among the security measures proposed to address this problem, school shooter drills have been shown to traumatize children and arming teachers has not been shown to make children safer. Q.16. Should school shooter safety drills be discouraged? Q.17. Should we fund more school counselors in an effort to aid troubled students? Q.18. Should we fund the hardening of schools? (Fencing, narrow windows, locked doors, metal detectors, etc.)
There is no evidence that teachers or specially trained police with guns can keep children safe, but the presence of a gun in the classroom may increase the potential for danger to students and the presence of police feeds the school‐to‐prison pipeline and increases the likelihood that Black children, children of color, and children with disabilities will be disproportionately punished. Q.19. Do you believe teachers should be armed? Q.20. Do you believe schools should have armed police on school grounds?
Black Americans are killed by guns at a rate 10 times higher than that of white Americans and guns are the number one cause of death of Black children. New research shows that heavy sentences and incarceration in general do very little to stop gun homicide, but that community‐ based violence intervention organizations are an effective front‐line defense. Q.21. Would you support funding for community‐based violence intervention programs?
Arizona’s Stand Your Ground Law gives individuals the right to use deadly force to defend themselves without any requirement to evade or retreat from a dangerous situation. Research shows Stand Your Ground Laws increase firearm homicides and injuries, fail to deter crime, and are unevenly applied to Black and white shooters. Q.22. Should AZ eliminate its Stand Your Ground Law?
Statistics show that Black Americans are killed by police at twice the rate of white Americans and are more likely than their white peers to be killed while unarmed and while in police custody. Over 1,000 Americans are killed each year by police. Q.23. Would you support laws requiring more accountability for police shootings?
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Q.24. Would you support requiring mandates for de‐escalation training? Q.25. Would you support requiring less lethal intervention whenever possible?
Nearly two‐thirds of all gun deaths in the US are suicides. 4200 Veterans die by suicide each year and are 1.5 times more likely to own guns and store them loaded and not locked away. Suicide attempts are often impulsive, singular episodes that involve little planning. Research shows safe storage and waiting periods for purchase of guns prevent suicide and other gun violence.
Most people who attempt suicide do not die—unless they use a gun. In gun suicides 90 percent of attempts end in death. Q.26. Would you support a law requiring safe storage for unattended guns? Q.27. Would you support a waiting period for buying guns? Q.28. Should Arizona enact a law allowing a judge to remove guns based on evidence that a person poses a danger to themselves?
Children die from unintended gunshots on average once a week in the US. 100% of these deaths could have been prevented. Laws requiring safe storage of guns have been proven to be effective in preventing suicides as well as accidental child shooting deaths.
Child Access Prevention laws hold gun owners accountable for the safe storage of firearms and impose liability for failing to take simple measures to prevent guns from falling into the hands of children. Over 20 years of research shows that Child Access Prevention laws can reduce suicide and unintentional gun deaths and injuries among youth by up to 54%. Q.29. Do you believe Arizona should require firearms to be locked up safely? Q.30. Do you believe there should be legal consequences for violation of safe storage laws?
It is a Federal crime for a person convicted of misdemeanor domestic abuse to possess a gun. Because of the lack of Arizona state or local jurisdictions replicating this law, enforcement is non‐existent. Research shows laws that keep guns out of the hands of abusers save lives. Q.31. Do you believe Arizona should enact laws to prevent domestic violence convictions from having guns? Q.32. Do you believe people with domestic violence convictions should be required to surrender their guns and ammunition?
Red Flag laws allow family members and law enforcement to ask a court to temporarily suspend a person’s access to guns when there is evidence that person poses a risk of using them to harm themselves or others. Fourteen states and D.C. have already passed Red Flag laws and they are saving lives. Effective Red Flag laws limit who can ask for a court order, require evidence that the person poses a real risk, require due process, and ensure that order is time limited. Q.33. Would you support passing a Red Flag Law?
CDC research into the causes of gun violence could lead to effective public policies designed to reduce gun deaths and injuries ‐‐ but funding for this research has been drastically reduced. Q.34. Do you believe research on gun violence should be fully restored and funded?
Currently, Arizona has almost no laws regarding gun ownership. Q.35. Would you support the prosecution of straw purchasers? (Straw purchasers buy a firearm on behalf of an individual who cannot pass a background check or otherwise purchase a firearm.)
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016
Q.36. Should guns be allowed in public spaces? Q.37. If the legislature could make one law regulating the purchase of firearms, what should it be?
Q.38. Comments?
Q.39. What League are you with? Greater Tucson Metro Phoenix Northwest Maricopa Central Yavapai County Greater Verde Valley Flagstaff No League Affiliation
ADDENDUM C
Gun Safety Study JR Flyer
THE GUN CHRONICLES: A STORY OF AMERICA
International Visual artist JR and Time magazine have created this interactive mural of interviews with over 200 Americans with honest and divergent views. It is being screened across the US in New Orleans, Chicago, Brooklyn, Dallas and now PHOENIX. A must see to experience! As we listen and have our own honest conversations with each other, perhaps we can begin a dialogue to create a safer world for our children.
Thursday, September 12 6:30 – 8:00 PM
Paradise Valley UMC 4455 E. Lincoln Dr. Paradise Valley, AZ Sponsored by: The Gun Violence Awareness Task Force Desert Southwest Conference, United Methodist Church (Bring your cell phone and earbuds if you have them. We will have some to share)
Pre‐view: www.time.com/Guns‐in‐America
ADDENDUM D
Gun Safety Study Facts & Issues
Facts & Issues #1
GUNS IN ARIZONA: A STUDY BY THE LWVAZ TO FORMULATE A POSITION ON GUN SAFETY
Fact: Guns and Ammo Magazine in 2019 ranked Arizona the #1 best state for gun owners—basically because it has almost no restrictions on gun ownership and use.
Fact: In 2015 the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence called Arizona the state with the loosest gun
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016 laws, making it the best location for criminals to get guns. · In 2017, more Arizona children aged 0‐17 died from firearms (43) than from drowning (35). 1 · Nearly 71% of all gun deaths in Arizona are suicides. 2 · More than 67% of Arizona’s intimate partner homicides involve a gun. 3 · In 2017, Arizona had 1,134 deaths from firearms compared to 1,017 deaths from car crashes.4 Motor vehicle accident deaths have been significantly reduced through research and regulation. Gun violence is a public health issue and could be treated as such. · So far this year, 6 children from ages 1‐10 have been killed by firearms—one of them shot by a toddler.5 · Arizona officials are unable to enforce a federal law without a state law that mirrors it. The evidence is clear. States with stronger gun laws lower death rates, year after year.” (Giffords Law Center) Among other things, Arizona does not: · Require background checks by unlicensed sellers (private parties, gun shows) · Require safe storage of guns in homes · Require a permit and training to acquire a firearm · Require a waiting period to purchase a firearm · Require gun registration · Require a license to carry a concealed weapon · Prohibit possession of assault weapons and large‐capacity magazines
Who are we and why are we telling you this?
The League of Women Voters Arizona Gun Safety Committee is composed of 13 League members from across the state, chaired by Kathy Aros of Tucson. In order to formulate a position on gun safety which represents a majority of League members’ opinions, we will be sending you a survey in early 2020 to determine your priorities on this issue.
Resources for Facts & Issues #1 https://cvpcs.asu.edu/ (stats by county) https://www.thetrace.org/
End Notes for Facts & Issues #1 1 Arizona Child Fatality Review, 15 November 2018, https://www.azdhs.gov/documents/prevention/womens‐ childrens‐health/reports‐fact‐sheets/child‐fatality‐review‐annual‐reports/cfr‐annual‐report‐2018.pdf. 2 “The State of Gun Violence in Arizona,” Giffords Law Center, https://giffords.org/wp‐ content/uploads/2020/01/Giffords‐Law‐Center‐State‐of‐Gun‐Violence‐in‐Arizona‐2020.pdf. 3 “The State of Gun Violence in Arizona,” Giffords Law Center, https://lawcenter.giffords.org/. 4 Ðeaths: Final Data for 2017,” National Vital Statistics Reports, Vol. 68, No. 9, June 24, 2019, https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr68/nvsr68_09_tables‐508.pdf. 5 Arizona Child Fatality Review.
Facts & Issues #2
GUNS IN ARIZONA: SAFE STORAGE OF FIREARMS
The toddler who finds the loaded gun, points it at his head and pulls the trigger…
The teenager who suddenly finds life unbearable and knows where his dad keeps the gun … The troubled high schooler who vows revenge and has access to his dad’s arsenal…
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016
The burglar who comes upon an unlocked handgun… • The two‐year‐old took the loaded gun from under his father’s pillow, pointed it at his own forehead and pulled the trigger. With an estimated 4.6 million children living in homes with at least one loaded and unlocked firearm it is no wonder that children die from unintended gunshots an average of once a week. 100% of these deaths could be prevented by child‐proof safety locks, but 23 states, including Arizona, have no laws concerning firearm storage. • Suicides account for 2/3 of all gun deaths in the United States. In a clinical study of suicidal patients, nearly half said they had thought about suicide for 10 minutes or less before their attempt.2 The suicide rate decreases by 10% if a gun is unloaded, by 10% more if unloaded and locked, and by a further 10% if locked, unloaded and with ammunition stored elsewhere. This would seem to give someone time to reconsider. According to the Centers for Disease control, the suicide rate for white children 10‐17 went up 70% between 2006 and 2016. For children of color the increase was even greater. • According to the National Threat Assessment Center, 73‐80% of school shooters under 18 acquired guns from their home or the homes of relatives or friends.3 What if those guns had been locked up? • It is estimated that guns are stolen from private homes at the rate of more than one per minute. They are significantly less likely to be stolen if they are locked and unloaded, making us all safer. • According to a RAND Corporation study,4 of the 13 types of state‐level gun policies in effect, the only one that seems to be effective is the Child‐Access Prevention law—i.e. these laws reduce firearm self‐ injuries and unintended injuries and deaths among children. Child Access Prevention (CAP) laws hold gun owners accountable for the safe storage of their firearms. • “But what if I want my gun to be accessible to protect my home against intruders?” says the gun owner. In 2009, Jackson v. City and County of San Francisco ruled that guns in the home are most often used in suicides and against family and friends rather than in self‐defense. San Francisco showed that the ordinance in question imposed only a minimal burden on the right to self‐ defense in the home because it causes a delay of only a few seconds while the firearm is unlocked or retrieved. • In 2004, after a Sahuarita toddler killed himself with his father’s gun, then Arizona State Representative Victoria Steele introduced a safe storage bill in the legislature. It never got a hearing.
End Notes for Facts & Issues #2 1 Deborah Azrael, Joanna Cohen, et al., “Firearm Storage in Gun‐Owning Households with Children: Results of a 2015 National Survey,” Journal of Urban Health, 10 May 2018, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11524‐ 018‐0261‐7. 2 Eberhard A Deisenhammer, Chy‐Meng Ing, et al., “The Duration of the Suicidal Process: How Much Time Is Left for Intervention between Consideration and Accomplishment of a Suicide Attempt?,” The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 20 October 2008, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19026258/. 3 “Protecting America’s Schools: A U.S. Secret Service Analysis of Target School Violence,” November 2019, https://www.secretservice.gov/node/2565. 4 “What Science Tells Us about the Effects of Gun Policies,” Gun Policy in America, RAND Corporation, 2 March 2018, https://www.rand.org/research/gun‐policy/key‐findings/what‐science‐tells‐ us‐about‐the‐ effects‐of‐gun‐policies.html.
Facts & Issues #3
STOPPING GUN VIOLENCE IN SCHOOLS COULD REACTION BECOME OVERREACTION?
In the quest for school safety, has our desire to do something in the face of tragedy led to actions and proposals that could make schools and students less safe?
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016
Fatal shootings on school grounds account for 0.2% of the approximately 36,000 gun deaths annually in the United States.1
Under the rubric hardening schools, the NRA identified a number of building security measures including arming teachers and conducting active shooter drills.2 It is the two latter topics that are the focus here. They are not discreet but blend one into the other.
SHOULD WE ARM TEACHERS? · No, say the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and National Education Association (NEA).3 · No, says the National Association of School Resources Officers (NASRO). · 73% of respondents to a March 2018 survey of 500 teachers opposed proposals to arm teachers. · 63% of parents of elementary, middle and high school students also oppose arming teachers. · Research supports the idea children will access guns when guns are present. · Access to firearms triples the risk of death by suicide and homicide.
RECOMMENDATIONS FROM AFT, NEA and the NASRO § Adopt evidence‐based interventions backed by sensible gun laws. § Establish threat assessment programs. § Implement basic security upgrades. § Plan in advance for emergencies. § Establish safe and equitable schools.
ARE ACTIVE SHOOTER DRILLS EFFECTIVE? · At least 40 states require active shooter drills. · The number and variety of drills make it difficult to measure their effectiveness. · Everytown reports mental health professionals are warning about the effect of drills on students. Are drills making students afraid of school? 4 · A $2.7 billion training industry has arisen as a response to mass shootings. 5 · A study from 1966‐2019 of mass shootings found that nearly all shooters were current or former students and would have been aware of protocols and procedures.
RECOMMENDATIONS FROM EVERYTOWN, AFT, NEA, NASRO and the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS. § Drill simulations should not mimic an actual event. § Parents should have advance notice. Drills should be announced to students and teachers prior to their start. § Schools should create age and developmentally appropriate contexts for drills. § Couple drills with approaches to address students’ well‐being. § Track data about the efficacy and effects of drills.
End Notes for Facts & Issues #3 1 The Impact of School Safety Drills for Active Shootings | Everytown Research & Policy. 2 February 14, 2019 ‐ Education Votes (nea.org). 3 Arming Teachers Introduces New Risks into Schools | Everytown Research & Policy. 4 When Active‐Shooter Drills Scare the Children They Hope to Protect ‐ (nytimes.com). 5 The Company Behind America’s Scariest School Shooter Drills (thetrace.org).
Facts & Issues #4
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016
THE DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACT OF GUNS ON THE BLACK COMMUNITY
Black Americans are killed by guns at a rate 10 times higher than that of white Americans and shot and injured at a rate 15 times higher, often leaving survivors permanently impaired. Guns are the number one cause of death of Black children.1 · Tamir Rice, age 12, was playing with a toy gun in the park. He was killed by police within seconds of them arriving on the scene.2 · Knowledge Sims, age 7, was killed in a drive‐by shooting. His sister, 13, was injured. The shooters are still at large.3 · Amaude Arbery, a young man who was out for a run, was killed by vigilantes. Citing stand‐ your‐ground and citizens’ arrest laws, prosecutors declined to press charges until videos of the murder incited public outrage.4
Decades of underinvestment and other deliberate policy decisions, like those that uphold housing segregation in predominantly Black neighborhoods, have created the environments in which public health epidemics, like COVID‐19 and gun violence, thrive.
New research is showing that heavy sentences and incarceration in general do very little to stop gun homicide, but that community‐based violence intervention organizations are an effective front‐line defense.5 Prototype programs like those started in Boston and Oakland that target the few really violent offenders and intervene with mediation, job assistance, and other services have cut gun violence in half in those communities!6
Stand‐your‐ground laws disproportionately harm Black people. These laws increase firearm homicides and injuries and fail to deter crime. When White shooters kill Black victims, these homicides are 11 times more frequently deemed justifiable under Stand‐Your‐Ground laws than when the shooter is Black and the victim is White.7
Although gun ownership for Black Americans is far lower than for White Americans,8 bias creates inequities in how safely Black Americans can exercise their legal right to carry a gun. When white men carry guns such as the COVID‐19 lock down protesters who screamed in police officers’ faces at the Michigan capital last May, they are given a pass.9 When Black men carry guns in public they are feared and criminalized. John Crawford was gunned down for holding a potential BB gun purchase in a Walmart.10 Tamir Rice was just playing with a toy in the park.
Police shootings are also gun violence. Over 1,000 Americans are killed each year by police.11 In Arizona, police killed 62 people in 2018. 11 Black Americans are killed by police at twice the rate of White Americans and are more likely than their White peers to be killed while unarmed and while in police custody.12
As we have seen from video evidence these past few weeks, police shootings of nonviolent people are not isolated cases of negligence or bad apples. This pattern of brutality is sustained by policing and justice systems that often sanction and condone rather than penalize and seek to eradicate police violence.
There is no single solution to racial differences in gun violence outcomes, but changes to our laws, revision of policies and reordering of funding priorities all based on research must be enacted if there is to be any improvement to the system.
End Notes for Facts & Issues #4
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1 Gun_Violence.pdf (childrensdefense.org). 2 In Tamir Rice Case, Many Errors by Cleveland Police, Then a Fatal One ‐ The New York Times (nytimes.com). 3 Police plead for tips in shooting that killed 7‐year‐old boy, hurt 13‐year‐old girl (wistv.com). 4 What We Know About the Shooting Death of Ahmaud Arbery ‐ The New York Times (nytimes.com). 5 Study Finds Increased Incarceration Has Marginal‐to‐Zero Impact on Crime (eji.org). 6 Lessons from Oakland’s Citywide Effort that Dramatically Reduced Gun Violence | Giffords. 7 Stand Your Ground Laws Are A License to Kill | Everytown Research & Policy | Everytown Research & Policy. 8 The demographics of gun ownership in the U.S. | Pew Research Center. 9 Armed protesters demonstrate against Covid‐19 lockdown at Michigan capitol | Michigan | The Guardian. 10 Walmart: 911 caller 'intentionally lied to police' about man with toy gun fatally shot in Ohio store (wsbtv.com). 11 Police shootings database 2015‐2021 ‐ Washington Post. 12 Mapping Police Violence.
Facts & Issues #5
UNIVERSAL BACKGROUND CHECKS
So you want to buy a gun… You go to one of the 50,000+ licensed gun stores in this country (four times the number of the McDonalds!), and you fill out ATF Form 4473, which asks for your identifying information plus questions about whether or not you are a person prohibited from purchasing a firearm. The dealer conveys your information to NICS (the National Instant Criminal Background Check System) at the FBI. Within an hour or so they receive a response: Proceed with the transfer, Delay (for further investigation) or Deny. If it does not appear that you are a convicted felon, an unlawful user of a controlled substance, a person with certain mental conditions, dishonorably discharged from the military, etc., you can walk out of the store with a gun. If it says Delay, the FBI has three business days to get back to the dealer with a final disposition. However, if it fails to contact the dealer within that time, the dealer may sell you a gun at his discretion. If it says Deny, no licensed dealer will sell to you (but see below for other options).
• Dylann Roof, of the 2015 Charleston church mass shooting, should have been denied the right to purchase a gun due to a drug conviction, but due to a mix up in jurisdiction, the FBI did not get back within three days and he was able to legally buy a gun. As a result, nine people are dead.
• In 2017, a gunman killed 26 worshipers in the Sutherland Springs First Baptist Church in Texas. He never should have been able to buy a weapon, but the military failed to report the fact that he had been arrested for domestic violence. It is far from the only time a failure to report to NICS has resulted in gun deaths.
But … firearms bought through licensed dealers are the only ones required to have background checks in Arizona. If you buy a gun at certain sites on the Internet, or at a garage sale, or in a parking lot, no background check is required. According to a 2017 study in The Annals of Internal Medicine, about one in five firearm transfers (sales or otherwise) occur without any background check at all.
• The vast majority (up to 97% in some polls) of Americans support a proposal for universal background checks. Why, then, do we not have them?
The NRA (National Rifle Association) has one of the most powerful lobbies in the U.S. It does not hesitate to
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016 urge its members to call their elected officials at the slightest hint of possible gun safety legislation. And whenever the NRA leadership looks like it is leaning towards compromise on any kind of gun legislation, smaller, more extreme groups such as Gun Owners of America and the National Association for Gun Rights push forcefully against any restrictions on guns.
Even though polls suggest that at least 69% of NRA members support universal background checks, these gun rights groups consider the passage of such a law to be the start of a slippery slope to gun registration and, in their minds, the possibility of government confiscation.
• Would Background checks do any good?
While there have not been enough studies done to say for sure, Boston School of Public Health researcher Michael Siegel concluded that state gun laws requiring universal background checks resulted in homicide rates 15% lower than states without such laws. Much of the research indicates that background checks in conjunction with other legislation such as permit‐to‐ purchase laws can reduce gun violence as well as constrain the illegal gun market. Is it time for Arizona legislators to listen to the people and pass such a law?
In February of 2019, the U.S. House of Representatives passed HR8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act. The Senate refuses to consider it.
Facts & Issues #6 RED FLAG LAWS ● A man admitted his plans to kill his estranged wife, her sister, and their pastor to his church congregation. Police filed a petition, and a judge ultimately ordered both the man’s handgun and concealed‐ weapons license removed. Everyone survived. ● A concerned individual contacted police regarding a text message they had received, which contained an image of a man holding a gun in his mouth. Police officers went to the man's house, where he told the officers he was intending to die by suicide. Police then obtained an order to temporarily remove the man's firearm. Everyone survived. ● A 21‐year‐old man posted statements online threatening his former high school. Two acquaintances reported these posts to police, with one person reporting a post that appeared to show the man holding an AR‐type rifle. A temporary ex parte order was obtained, and a full order was issued after a hearing.1 Everyone survived. ● In each of the mass shootings at Parkland, Santa Barbara, and the theater in Aurora, people saw warning signs prior to the shooting, and even took steps to intervene. But without a Red Flag law, nothing could be done, and the shooters legally acquired the weapons they used to collectively kill 35 and wound 93 innocent people.
Red Flag Laws / Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs)
Red Flag laws create a way for family members and law enforcement to act before warning signs escalate into tragedies. When a person is in crisis, loved ones and law enforcement are often the first to see signs that they pose a threat. Red Flag laws allow family members and law enforcement to ask a court to temporarily suspend a person’s access to guns when there is evidence that person poses a risk of using them to harm themselves or others. If a court finds that a person poses a danger of injuring themselves or others with a firearm, that person is temporarily prohibited from purchasing and possessing guns and required to turn over their guns while the order is in effect.
Researchers found that in over half of mass shooting incidents between 2009 and 2017, the shooter
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016 exhibited warning signs that they posed a danger to themselves or others before the shooting. In school shootings the percentage is even higher—90% exhibited warning signs.
In the states that have Red Flag laws on the books, these laws are already saving lives. Fourteen states and D.C. have passed Red Flag laws. Five of the laws passed last year were signed by Republican governors. Effective Red Flag laws limit who can ask for a court order, require evidence that the person poses a real risk, require due process, and ensure that order is time limited.
We can’t always stop someone from hurting themselves or others, but Red Flag orders give families the ability to make the situation significantly less lethal, giving loved ones a second chance to get the help they need.
End Notes for Facts & Issues #6
1 Garen J. Wintemute, Veronica A. Pear, et al., “Extreme Risk Protection Orders Intended to Prevent Mass Shootings,” Annals of Internal Medicine, 5 November 2019, https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M19‐ 2162.
Facts & Issues #7
VETERAN SUICIDE
During a five‐day period in April 2019, three veterans died by suicide at Veterans Affairs facilities. In Dublin, Georgia, a 28‐year‐old veteran died inside his car in the parking lot of a VA medical center.1 The next day, at a VA hospital less than 200 miles away in Decatur, Georgia, a 68‐year‐old veteran died outside the main entrance of the hospital.2 And shortly after that, a veteran died by suicide inside the waiting room of a VA clinic in Austin, Texas. Guns were used in all three suicides. · An average of 4200 veterans die by firearm suicide every year – about 11 deaths per day. · Firearms are the prevailing method of suicide among veterans. Gun ownership increases the likelihood of firearm suicide and these suicide attempts are nearly always lethal. · The veteran firearm suicide rate has increased by 33% since 2005. Non‐veteran suicide rates increased by 23%. · Veterans are 1.5 times more likely to own guns than non‐veterans and are more likely to die by firearm suicide. · Nationwide, 53,230 military veterans died by gun suicide in the period between 2005 and 2017 ‐ more than 13 times the number of service members who were killed in action during the United States engagements in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria combined.3
Research Based Proven Solutions 1) Enact Red Flag Laws—‐Identify veterans who are at extreme risk for self‐harm and temporarily remove guns. This has been shown to reduce suicide in states where Red Flag Laws have been implemented. 2) Promote secure storage practices in order to put time and distance between those contemplating suicide and their guns. 3) One in three veteran gun owners store at least one of their firearms loaded and unlocked. 4) Healthcare professionals need to have conversations about gun access and suicide risk. 5) Invest in additional research on the effectiveness of initiatives like the Gun Shop Project which provides suicide prevention literature at firearm retailers.
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6) Study which Veterans Health Administration services are most effective in preventing firearm suicide.
• Community involvement. • Collaboration: A coordinated effort at the federal, state, and local levels is key to preventing Veteran suicide. • Urgency: The magnitude of the loss of Veteran life to suicide is not acceptable, and urgent action is needed to prevent these tragic deaths.
End Notes for Facts & Issues #7 1 “National Strategy for Preventing Veteran Suicide, 2018–2028, Suicide Prevention Resource Center, 2018, https://www.sprc.org/resources‐programs/national‐strategy‐preventing‐veteran‐suicide‐ 2018%E2%80%932028. 2 “New Report from Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund Details Firearm Suicide Among Military Veterans and Key Ways to Prevent It,´ 24 October 2019, https://everytown.org/press/new‐report‐from‐everytown‐for‐gun‐ safety‐support‐fund‐details‐firearm‐suicide‐ among‐military‐veterans‐and‐key‐ways‐to‐prevent‐it/. 3 “Those Who Serve: Addressing Firearm Suicide Among Military Veterans,” 24 October 2019, https://everytownresearch.org/report/those‐who‐serve‐addressing‐firearm‐suicide‐among‐military‐veterans/.
Facts & Issues #8
GHOST GUNS ● In California, a 16‐year‐old boy shot and killed two of his classmates and shot and wounded three others with a ghost gun. 1 ● In Texas, a man who failed a background check went on a shooting rampage with an assault‐style ghost gun that left seven people dead and 22 shot and wounded .2 ● In Arizona, a neo‐Nazi sex offender bragged on Facebook about his arsenal of firearms and homemade assault‐style ghost guns .3
Ghost guns undermine our gun safety laws
A ghost gun is a DIY, homemade gun made from readily available, unregulated building blocks. It is produced at home by an individual, not a federally licensed manufacturer or importer. Ghost guns are unserialized, untraceable, and their building blocks are acquired without a background check.
Ghost guns are predictably emerging as a weapon of choice for violent criminals, gun traffickers, dangerous extremists, and other people legally prohibited from buying firearms. For example, 30 percent of the guns being recovered by ATF in California are unserialized. 4
Because of ATF’s (Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms) current interpretation of the law, the core building blocks for guns are not regulated as “firearms” and therefore can be acquired with no background check and made into a fully functioning, untraceable AR‐15 or handgun in less than one hour.
The current ATF position states that frames and receivers (the primary building blocks of firearms) do not qualify as firearms until they have been completely drilled out (see illustration below), even though unfinished frames and receivers can easily be made into a firearm by drilling a few well‐placed holes. Ghost gun kits sold online are designed and marketed so that almost any person—even one with limited technical skills— can do the necessary work to build a real gun in less than one hour.
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This loophole could be closed with a new ATF definition of firearm frames and receivers or with new state or federal laws prohibiting the purchase and sale of ghost guns. 5
Under ATF’s current interpretation of federal law, whether it’s a 15‐year‐old, a felon, a domestic abuser, or a gun trafficker, if the person has a drill and an hour, they can undermine our gun safety laws and make a ghost gun.
End Notes for Facts & Issues #8 1 Officials Confirm Santa Clarita Shooter Used A Ghost Gun: LAist. 2 Authorities Suspect Man of Making and Selling Gun Used in Texas Shooting ‐ WSJ. 3 How Facebook Led the FBI to Seize Guns From an Arizona 'Neo‐Nazi' | Phoenix New Times. 4 Alain Stephens, West Coast Correspondent at The Trace, 5 ATF & the Rising Threat of Ghost Guns | Everytown Research & Policy | Everytown Research & Policy.
Facts & Issues #9
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE & GUNS
Intimate partner gun violence is a woman’s issue. The correlation between guns and fatal Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is so strong that just living in a state with a high rate of gun ownership increases women’s risk of being fatally shot in a domestic violence incident.1 Domestic violence claims at least 2000 lives each year of which 70% of the victims are women.2
In Arizona 87 women were fatally shot by a partner from 2014‐2018.3 According to the FBI, there were 342 domestic violence homicides in Arizona from 2003 to 2012. Of those, 61% were killed by firearms. 3 · When it comes to gun violence, the US is the most dangerous country for women among high‐ income nations. In 2015, an astounding 92% of all women killed with guns in these countries were from the US. 2 · If victims were previously threatened with a gun by their partner, the risk of death jumps dramatically leaving the victim 20 times more likely to die.1 · Every month an average of 52 women are shot and killed by an intimate partner. · Black women are twice as likely to be fatally shot by an intimate partner compared to white women.4 · Nearly one million women alive today have reported being shot or shot at by intimate partners.
IPV gun violence is a children’s issue. Over half of all mass shootings are domestic violence related and children are the most common victims of domestic mass shootings.1The Huffington Post found that children under 17 made up the largest group in its study of deaths between 2009 and 2015 in domestic mass shootings: 42%. Children’s exposure to gun violence is permanently damaging, if not deadly. In some cases, the abuser deliberately killed the kids but spared the woman. “There’s nothing worse you can do than killing her children.” 1
IPV gun violence is a family issue. A study reported in The New York Times, July 22, 2019, found that gun‐related domestic killings increased by 26% from 2010 to 2017. Two researchers analyzed 18 years of domestic violence fatalities from Michigan in which individuals connected to the primary victim were also killed. They found 111 victims including 27 new dating partners, 17 parents or stepparents, 10 friends, five siblings and two members of the extended family. Twenty‐six were children. 1
IPV gun violence is our society’s issue. Healthcare costs of domestic violence against women exceed $9
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016 billion in today’s dollars. Domestic violence kills innocent bystanders. A 2014 study covering 16 states found about 20% were corollary victims.
A report from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund documented what individual police departments have known for years: Domestic dispute calls led to more fatalities than any other kind of call. 1
Summary: Guns and domestic violence are a deadly combination, with devastating impacts not only for individuals but the nation as a whole. Laws that keep guns out of the hands of abusers save lives.
End Notes for Facts & Issues #9 1 12 Facts That Show How Guns Make Domestic Violence Even Deadlier (thetrace.org). 2 Every Stat ‐ EverytownResearch.org. 3 CAP‐DV‐AZ.pdf (americanprogress.org). 4 January 2019 | The Law Offices of John Phebus (crimeandinjurylaw.com).
Facts & Issues #10 ASSAULT WEAPONS & HIGH-CAPACITY MAGAZINES
What is an assault weapon?
Although the issue is complex, in 2009 the Justice Department used this definition: “In general, assault weapons are semi‐automatic firearms with a large magazine of ammunition that were designed and configured for rapid fire and combat use.” Everytown for Gun Safety adds that they are “designed to fire more rounds at a greater velocity than most other firearms, and when combined with high‐capacity magazines, they enable a shooter to fire a devastating number of rounds over a short period of time.” Giffords Law Center goes further and says that they are “specifically designed to kill humans quickly and effectively.”
Between 2009‐2018, mass shootings involving the use of an assault weapon resulted in 302 deaths and 653 injuries. 1
The deadliest mass shootings in recent history have one thing in common: the use of assault weapons. 2 · In 2017, the Las Vegas shooter killed 59 people and injured more than 500 in 10 minutes. · In 2019, the El Paso Walmart shooter killed 23 and injured 26 in 6 minutes. How many assault weapons are out there?
No one knows. According to the Firearm Owners Protection Act of 1986, no registry of firearms may be kept by the federal government. The gun lobby considers this absolutely necessary so that there is no way the government will ever be able to confiscate weapons. In 2018, the NRA estimated that there were 8.5‐15 million assault weapons in the hands of private citizens. There is no way of verifying this estimate.
What is a high-capacity magazine?
High‐capacity magazines are ammunition feeding devices typically holding more than 10 rounds (bullets). They are designed to maximize casualties as the shooter does not need to stop and reload often. Shopping for a high‐capacity magazine one can easily find magazines that can handle 50‐100 rounds.
Using high‐capacity magazines:
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· The Orlando Florida nightclub shooting in 2016 took just 3 minutes to kill 49 people and injure 50. · The Dayton, Ohio 2019 attack lasted 32 seconds and killed 9 people and wounded 17. · The 2011 shooting in Tucson killed 6 people and wounded 15. The shooter, armed with four 33 round magazines, stopped to reload an additional magazine. This pause enabled civilians to overtake him before he could fire more rounds. This incident took approximately one minute from the start of the shooting to the call for emergency help. 31 shell casings were found at the scene.
It is estimated that nearly 40% of guns used in serious crimes, including murders of law enforcement officers, are equipped with high‐capacity magazines.3
Why isn’t the Government Regulating Assault Weapons?
In 1994 Congress enacted an assault weapons ban that, due to the efforts on the part of the gun lobby, was required to expire in 2004. The act also prohibited the manufacture of large capacity ammunition feeding devices. Gun massacres decreased by 37% while the ban was in effect, and then shot up 183% during the decade following its expiration. 4
There are difficulties in regulating the production or ownership of these weapons, even though 69% of all Americans (including half of all Republicans) support a ban on assault weapons. And 71% also support a ban on high‐capacity magazines. 5
Why can’t we regulate these weapons? · the powerful gun lobby, · the definition of assault weapon is too loose, and · gun manufacturers adjust their weapon designs to avoid the legal definition
Gun manufacturers creatively get around definitions in order to supply weapons with different definitions but the same intent. For example, a “bump stock,” which essentially allows a shooter to fire in rapid succession with the squeeze of the trigger, is now banned by the Federal government as of March 2019. And now a new device, called a “binary trigger,” has been developed that enables the shooter to fire a round with the pull of the trigger and fire another round as the trigger is released.
There are no laws to prohibit this.
How easy is it to get an assault weapon or high-capacity magazine?
It is easy to purchase assault weapons in all but six states and D.C., and for high‐capacity magazines in all but seven states and D.C. (Washington Post article “How strictly are guns regulated where you live?” 2/20/18). In Arizona it is easy to purchase either one through a licensed gun dealer with a background check, or through an unlicensed source with no background check.
In Arizona an 18‐year‐old can legally buy an assault weapon, although he/she is not deemed old enough to purchase a handgun. This is based on the definition of the weapon.
If you find any of this disturbing, you are not alone.
End Notes for Facts & Issues #10 1 Mass Shootings in America 2009‐2019 (everytownresearch.org). 2 What the deadliest mass shootings have in common: Assault rifles ‐ Axios
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3 Large Capacity Magazines, 2019, by Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. 4 Rampage Nation, by Louis Klarevas, PhD, Boston University, 2019. Note: mass shootings here is defined as 6 or more killed. Also reference Diane Feinstein Senate Judiciary Committee presentation 4/24/19 for these figures. 5 Stricter gun laws have gained support in U.S. since 2017 | Pew Research Center
Facts & Issues #11
A Brief History of the Second Amendment: Politics of Guns in America
On March 1, 1792, Thomas Jefferson, then Secretary of State, announced that the states had ratified the first 10 Amendments to the Constitution, better known as the Bill of Rights. The primary author of our Bill of Rights and the Second Amendment was James Madison, a future President and one of the country’s “Founding Fathers.” He is often referred to as the “Father of our Constitution.”
Of those first Constitutional Amendments, perhaps the least controversial then but the most controversial now is the Second Amendment. It reads:
A WELL REGULATED MILITIA[,] BEING NECESSARY TO THE SECURITY OF A FREE STATE, THE RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS[,] SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED.1
This brief history will focus in particular on: · the Amendment’s origins and the militias it was created to protect in the late 18th century; · its coexistence and compatibility with gun‐control laws throughout history, even in the Wild West of the 19th century; · the NRA’s sloganization of “the right to bear arms” in the late 20th century, which upended Americans’ perceptions of the Amendment; and · Supreme Court interpretations of the Amendment, which shifted radically in the 21st century.2
Why was the Second Amendment created?
The Amendment’s key goal in the 18th century was to protect and strengthen the rights of state militias, which had played a crucial role in winning the Revolutionary War. Following that conflict and the departure of British troops in 1783, there was considerable public concern that a new centralized government might raise an army and crush the state militias.3 That fear, and the belief that militias were preferable to a national army like the one the colonists had just defeated, is stated clearly in the records of the Constitutional Convention of 1787. Yet the Constitution itself did not address these concerns.
Instead, the newly formed House of Representatives held a public debate in 1789, one year after the Constitution’s ratification, on a slate of Amendments designed to placate anti‐federalists. One stated purpose of the forum was to strengthen the militias and calm citizens’ fears about the creation of a national army. At this gathering, which gave birth to the Second Amendment, there was no reported discussion of the private right to bear arms for self‐defense, hunting, or any purpose other than joining the militia. The subsequent Senate debate was held in private and the Amendment was reworded to its final form.
What were these militias that the Second Amendment was created to protect?
The militias that the Framers sought to protect in the Second Amendment had been in existence from the
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016 earliest colonial days for the common defense and to fight Indians and the French. Every able‐bodied white male, starting at age 16, was enrolled for life in his state militia. Initially, non‐whites participated, but they were later barred from bearing arms by most colonies, except in times of war and siege. Each militia member was required to own and bring his own musket or other military weapon. There were a few exceptions for members of essential professions, depending on the laws of each colony. Some wealthier colonists paid others to serve in their place. The militia men mustered and drilled regularly for a short time and were expected to respond to the colonial governor in times of emergency. The militia system officially vanished when Congress passed the Dick Militia Act of 1903 creating what we now know as the National Guard. A standing national army that was so feared following the Revolution was created during World War I. It is the United States Army.
The 19th and Early 20th Centuries: Before All the Controversy
Following its ratification, the Second Amendment attracted little attention for the better part of two centuries. At this time, most Americans, if they thought about the Amendment at all, continued to see it as an affirmation of militia rights having no direct bearing on either private gun ownership or on laws regulating civilian firearms.
Both guns and gun control laws were already plentiful in colonial America and remained so after the Second Amendment was passed. Citizens understood that these firearm safety regulations were not what the Second Amendment prohibited. Instead, the Framers were responding in the Second Amendment to the British Army’s seizures of American firearms and gunpowder during Revolutionary times for the purpose of weakening the militias. Even after the Amendment’s ratification, gun control laws rose up wherever firearms were present, without being deemed unconstitutional or an impediment to responsible gun use. As the country expanded westward, the ownership of firearms increased due to the need for personal protection and to hunt and kill for food. Contrary to what we have seen in countless Hollywood Westerns, however, the Wild West had extensive gun control and little gun violence. Historical pioneer publications show Old West leaders and cattlemen associations advocating for firearm controls. One thing many frontier towns such as Deadwood, Abilene, Dodge City, and Tombstone had in common was strict gun control laws. Visitors had to check their firearms when they came to town, and residents were required to leave their guns at home. According to UCLA law professor Adam Winkler,
Tombstone had much more restrictive laws on carrying guns in public in the 1880s than it has [now] … Today, you're allowed to carry a gun without a license or permit on Tombstone streets. Back in the 1880s, you weren't.4
The Southern states also had some of the earliest and most restrictive gun laws in the country. The Ku Klux Klan began as a gun control organization when it sought to confiscate the guns Blacks had acquired during the Civil War. Later, with the onset of Prohibition and the rise of gangsterism, the first FEDERAL restrictions were passed in the 1930s.
On the legal front, little attention was paid to the Amendment until the late 19th century, but four separate claims of Second Amendment violations reached the Court between 1875 and 1940. In all four of these cases the justices declined to rule that the Second Amendment grants or protects individual civilian gun rights and/or those of private militias, but the grounds for the decisions varied. In the first three cases the justices deferred to the states’ power to regulate firearms, citing a lack of federal jurisdiction and the absence of a constitutional issue. Two of the rulings, including United States v. Miller (1939), cited the Amendment’s militia clause, or the lack of any connection to lawful militia service in the cases, as a
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016 determining factor in their decisions.
*In U.S. v. Cruikshank (1876),5 the Supreme Court’s first case involving a potential Second Amendment violation, the justices acknowledged a basic right to bear arms for lawful purposes, but ruled that it was not a constitutional right deriving from the Second Amendment but instead a matter for state and local authorities to regulate. With this decision, the justices overturned the convictions on federal charges of a white militia that had disarmed and killed an assembly of armed freedmen in Colfax, LA, during Reconstruction. By concluding that the Bill of Rights only restricts federal powers, as opposed to those of private actors and state or local governments, the Supreme Court opened the doors to many years of racially motivated civil rights abuses – including voter suppression, the disarming of black citizens, and activities of the KKK – in the name of states’ rights.
*In Presser v. Illinois (1886),6 involving an armed labor rights parade in the streets of Chicago, the Court ruled that the Second Amendment does not protect the gun rights of unauthorized militias or their members, or prevent states from regulating them, unless they are organized under the military or militia laws of the states or federal government. A second caveat was that firearms restrictions, while legal in the Presser case, cannot be so extreme as to impede the formation of a state or national militia should the need arise. Individual rights supporters attempted to use this caveat to bolster their own position in Quilici v. Morton Grove (1982), but their arguments, described as “border[ing] on the frivolous” by the U.S. Court of Appeals of the 7th Circuit, were unsuccessful.
*In Miller v. Texas (1894),7 a man convicted of killing a policeman in a shoot‐out claimed that a Texas law forbidding him to carry firearms violated his Second Amendment rights; but the Court dismissed the appeal, citing procedural irregularities and contending that a Federal question was not properly presented in the case records. They also noted that the Second Amendment was a matter of settled law and did not prohibit State gun restrictions. The plaintiff had attempted to address this issue by incorporating the Second Amendment into the Fourteenth Amendment as one of the “privileges and immunities of citizenship” that no state can abridge; but the Court declined to rule on this point.
*United States v. Miller (1939),8 which challenged the National Firearms Act of 1934, was the most direct examination of the Second Amendment since its ratification. At issue was a bank robber convicted of criminally transporting an unregistered sawed‐off shotgun across state lines. The Court ruled that the NFA was not an invasion of the reserved powers of the states, and that a sawed‐off shotgun was not suitable for militia use and thus not protected by the Second Amendment. Despite the ruling, which for the first time upheld the constitutionality of federal firearms regulations, gun rights advocates found support for their own position in the Court’s reaffirmation of a militia system in which all men own guns.
The Late 20th Century to the Present: Rise of the NRA and District of Columbia v. Heller (2008)
Following the Civil Rights movement, anti‐war protests, and assassinations of the turbulent 1960s, American attitudes toward guns and the Second Amendment began to shift. In response to the era’s violence, the Gun Control Act of 1968 banned mail order purchases of shotguns and rifles. Even though the rifle used to assassinate President Kennedy was purchased through the mail, this law unleashed an escalating backlash among gun owners that would eventually radicalize the NRA. Founded in 1871 as a sedate governing body for the sport of shooting, the NRA had done little to oppose the National Firearms Act of 1934, the Gun Control Act of 1938, or the Gun Control Act of 1968. But in the late 1970s, its moderate leaders were ousted by gun rights activists, who invoked the Second Amendment as their credo and launched one of the most powerful lobbying campaigns in history to expand gun sales and resist firearm regulations. By editing out the
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016 clause about militias and sloganizing the “right to bear arms,” the NRA also upended America’s understanding of the Second Amendment. By 2008, 73% of Americans believed the Second Amendment protected individual gun ownership rather than militias.9 That same year the Supreme Court would agree.
In District of Columbia v. Heller (2008),10 a landmark case involving a Washington, D.C., ban on handguns, the Supreme Court ruled for the first time that the second half of the Amendment can be read as a stand‐alone clause that protects the individual right to keep and bear arms. In his majority opinion, Justice Antonin Scalia explained that the Court’s decision was based on an originalist approach. This type of constitutional originalism strives to reconstruct the Amendment’s meaning, or the way it would have been understood at the time it was written, but not necessarily the Framers’ intentions. As written, the ruling does not prohibit reasonable gun control laws: “Like most rights, the right secured by the Second Amendment is not unlimited,” wrote Justice Scalia.
While the decision in District of Columbia v. Heller applied only to federal firearms restrictions, McDonald v. Chicago (2010) confirmed that this ruling applies to the states as well under the due process guarantees of the Fourteenth Amendment. As a result, a Chicago ban on handguns designed to address local violence was overturned on the grounds that it violated the individual Second Amendment right to possess arms for self‐defense.11 The Supreme Court declined to hear several additional Second Amendment cases during the subsequent decade, including ten in 2020, leaving in place lower court decisions upholding gun control.12 These cases raised such questions as “what types of firearms the Constitution protects and how and whether the right extends outside the home.”13 Conservative justices such as Clarence Thomas and Brett Kavanaugh have expressed frustration at the Court’s reluctance to take up these cases, indicating they would welcome new Second Amendment challenges aimed at loosening restrictions on firearms.14
In Conclusion
Both judicial and popular interpretations of the Second Amendment have evolved radically over the years. Under the influence of the NRA, James Madison’s Amendment protecting state militias, written in the 18th century, has been reinterpreted by modern Supreme Court justices as an affirmation of individual gun rights. Numerous legal scholars, linguists, and historians have taken issue with this ruling, arguing that it is inconsistent with what the Founding Fathers intended. However, not only is District of Columbia v. Heller the current law of the land, but, even if this were not the case, arguably a presumptive right to bear arms for self‐defense, and under lawful and reasonable circumstances, existed in Common Law well before the Constitution was written.15
Gun rights activists often cite the Second Amendment as a mark of American exceptionalism—as a covenant with our Founding Fathers that enshrines our right to bear arms. It is true that the U.S. is one of only three countries in the world that include the right to keep and bear arms in their constitutions.16 Moreover, the romanticized history of guns in the United States, viewed by many as a defining trait of our culture, sets us apart from other countries—as does our gun violence. History shows that gun rights and gun safety laws can coexist. In recognition of this fact, Justice Scalia noted in District of Columbia v. Heller that the right to bear arms is not unlimited, and the Supreme Court’s reluctance to take up new Second Amendment cases, which seek to loosen current firearms restrictions despite ever‐increasing gun violence in our country, speaks to this point.17 Our challenge for the future is how to balance gun ownership for sport and self‐defense with gun safety measures in a reasonable, humane, and practical way.
End Notes for Facts & Issues #11 1 Two of the commas are in brackets because they are not present in all versions, but they do appear in the
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016 official text displayed in the National Archives. See The ONE COMMA 2nd Amendment | John Jacob H's RKBA Commentary (wordpress.com). 2 Books utilized in this study include Michael Waldman, The Second Amendment: A Biography (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2014) and Adam Winkler, Gunfight: The Battle over the Right to Bear Arms in America (New York: W. W. Norton, 2011). 3 This fear of centralized governance following years of monarchical oppression explains the States’ delay in forming a federal government. Until March 1789, the effective start date of the new Constitution, the 13 States operated under the Articles of Confederation, an earlier U.S. Constitution which was drafted in 1777 and fully ratified in 1781. 4 Quoted by Matt Jancer, “Gun Control Is as Old as the Old West,” Smithsonian Magazine, 5 February 2018, Gun Control Is as Old as the Old West | History | Smithsonian Magazine. 5 United States v. Cruikshank :: 92 U.S. 542 (1875) :: Justia US Supreme Court Center. 6 Presser v. Illinois :: 116 U.S. 252 (1886) :: Justia US Supreme Court Center. 7 Supreme Court: Table Of Contents | Supreme Court | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute (cornell.edu). 8 United States v. Miller :: 307 U.S. 174 (1939) :: Justia US Supreme Court Center. 9 Public Believes Americans Have Right to Own Guns (gallup.com). 10 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA v. HELLER (cornell.edu). 11 McDonald v. Chicago :: 561 U.S. 742 (2010) :: Justia US Supreme Court Center. 12 The Court had agreed to rule in 2020 on a New York City regulation that blocked the removal of handguns from the address listed on the license except nearby small arms ranges and shooting clubs. But the appeal (New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. the City of New York), which contended owners should have to right to transport guns to second homes for self‐defense, and to competitions in upstate NY or neighboring cities, was dismissed when New York City changed its law: Supreme Court avoids new Second Amendment ruling, dealing blow to gun rights advocates ‐ CNN Politics. 13 Jacob Charles, executive director a the Duke Center for Firearms Law, quoted by Jaime Ehrlich, “Supreme Court again declines to take up Second Amendment Cases,” 15 June 2020, Supreme Court again declines to take up Second Amendment cases ‐ CNN Politics. 14 Supreme Court again declines to take up Second Amendment cases ‐ CNN Politics. 15 See U.S. v. Cruikshank: "[B]earing arms for a lawful purpose" … is not a right granted by the Constitution. Neither is it in any manner dependent upon that instrument for its existence.” United States v. Cruikshank :: 92 U.S. 542 (1875) :: Justia US Supreme Court Center. 16 The other two are Mexico and Guatemala. See Only 3 countries protect the right to bear arms in their constitutions (businessinsider.com). 17 For data on recent increases in gun‐related deaths, see National Vital Statistics Reports Volume 68, Number 9 June 24, 2019 Deaths: Final Data for 2017 (cdc.gov) , pp. 12, 33.
ADDENDUM E
Gun Safety Study Resources
GUN SAFETY STUDY RESOURCES 1. Gun Safety Action Guide—LWV‐ St. Petersburg‐2017 a. LWVSPA’s Gun Safety Action Team is currently inactive but between 2017‐2020 conducted evidence‐ based research and developed an education campaign and more than 20 fact sheets to provide the facts to take action on this issue. Topics included are: Impact of Gun Violence, Legislative
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Solutions, Best Practices in Prevention, and Local Gun Violence Data and Finding; St. Petersburg & Pinellas Website: Gun Safety Action Guide ‐ Know the Facts on Top Gun Safety Issues (lwvspa.org) 2. Position on Gun Safety—LWVUS‐1990‐1998 a. Statement of Position on Gun Control, as Adopted by 1990 Convention and amended by the 1994 and 1998 Conventions. This document includes the League's history on gun safety 3. These 2 Laws Are Tied to Lower Gun Homicide Rates—2016 a. This article concludes that keeping guns out of hands of high‐risk individuals has the greatest impact. The two laws that address this are Background Checks and Shall Issue laws. Website & Document: These 2 Laws Are Tied to Lower Gun Homicide Rates | Evidence for Action 4. How Strictly Are Guns Regulated Where You Live? —2018 a. Reporters looked at 7 laws to determine existing regulations in 50 states. They distilled this down to which laws of these 7 each state had in place. Arizona came in with 2 laws: Prohibitions for High‐Risk Individuals and Prohibitions for Individuals with Domestic Violence Convictions. Website & Document: A guide to how strictly guns are regulated in every state ‐ Washington Post 5. That Assault Weapon Ban? It Really Did Work—New York Times‐2019 a. The NRA states that the ban on assault weapons from 1994 to 2004 made no difference. The reporters found that public mass shootings with assault weapons dropped during that decade and that in the 15 years since the ban ended, the trajectory of gun massacres has been sharply upward. Document: Since the ban was lifted in 2004, gun massacres involving military‐style weapons are way up. 6. Guns in America Can We Have a Better Gun Debate? —2019 a. This film is from a University of Arizona course through the College of Social & Behavioral Sciences’ Professor Jennifer Carlson, one of the leading experts in U.S. gun politics. The course traced the changes in gun culture and gun law in recent decades. She examined the relationship between gun rights and gun rules, between crime and self‐defense, and between the past and present politics of guns. 7. When Active‐Shooter Drills Scare the Children They Hope to Protect—New York Times, 2019 a. Nearly every American public school now conducts lockdown drills, but methods vary widely and now include drills that child trauma experts say do little more than terrify already anxious children. Website: When Active‐Shooter Drills Scare the Children They Hope to Protect ‐ The New York Times 8. ‘You Understand That You Might Have to Shoot A Student?’—Washington Post,2019 a. Some school districts have chosen to arm staff members, putting guns in the hands of teachers to protect schools from guns in the hands of students. Website: ‘You understand that you might have to shoot a student?’ ‐ The Washington Post
9. Arizona Laws‐Weapons & Explosives— (chapter 31) a. Arizona State Legislative website, chapter 31, covers the revised laws for Weapons and Explosives Website: Arizona Revised Statutes (azleg.gov) 10. 2020 Democrats, in Las Vegas, Call for Sweeping Gun Control—New York Times, 2019 a. The 2020 Democratic presidential candidates on Wednesday expressed their collective support for sweeping new gun control measures in a forum Website: 2020 Democrats, in Las Vegas, Call for Sweeping Gun Control ‐ The New York Times 11. ASU Center for Violence Prevention and Community Safety—2019 a. From 2015 through 2019, Arizona saw more than 8,500 homicides and suicides. The ASU Center for Violence Prevention and Community Safety put out three publications: 2020 Gun Symposium, Suicides in Arizona, and Suicides Involving Veterans. Website: Arizona Violent Death Reporting System | ASU Center for Violence Prevention and Community Safety 12. We’re the Largest Gun Violence Prevention Organization in America —Everytown for Gun Safety
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a. Everytown is a movement of nearly 6 million mayors, teachers, survivors, gun owners, students, and everyday Americans. This organization presents evidence‐based solutions to end gun violence. Website: About Everytown for Gun Safety | Everytown 13. Arizona Gun Laws—GunsTo Carry a. A list of right‐to‐carry laws Arizona has enacted and not enacted. Arizona gun laws operate at the state level and are very permissive. They allow any person who is at least 18 years old to open carry, and 21 years old or over to conceal carry a firearm without a permit. Arizona was the second state after Alaska to enact "Constitutional Carry" laws. They still maintain a “Shall Issue” policy for reciprocity reasons. Permits are issued to residents and non‐residents with one of the requirements being that a firearms safety course must be passed. Website: Arizona Gun Laws | GunsTo Carry Guide 14. Gun Laws in Arizona—Wikipedia a. A summary of gun laws Arizona has enacted and not enacted. Website: Gun laws in Arizona ‐ Wikipedia 15. What the data says about gun deaths in the U.S.—Pew Research Center, 2019 a. Based on 2017 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data. Covers gun related deaths, murders and suicides. How this data has changed over time to 2017.States with highest and lowest death rates; Arizona ranked right next to highest. Data compared to other countries, U.S. ranking 20th in world. Mass shootings. Type of firearms used in gun murders. Website: Gun deaths in the U.S.: 10 key questions answered | Pew Research Center 16. Arizona Gun Laws 101—ASU, 2019 a. AZ gun history timeline. Literature on history of NRA. Overview of gun laws in U.S. Overview of gun laws in AZ. Overview of gun violence in AZ; homicides and suicides. Legal results of these deaths. Policy initiatives to reduce gun violence in U.S. and proposed gun legislation in AZ. Website: Arizona‐Gun‐Laws‐101‐4.19.pdf (azfgs.com) 17. Statistics—Giffords Law Center a. Gun violence exacts an enormous toll on American society—claiming tens of thousands of lives each year. Statistics lay out the devastating scope of this uniquely American crisis. Website: Statistics | Giffords 18. Gun Violence Archive re Mass Shootings—Gun Violence Archive, 2021 a. The Gun Violence Archive is an online archive of gun violence incidents collected from over 7,500 law enforcement, media, government and commercial sources daily in an effort to provide near‐real time data about the results of gun violence. GVA is an independent data collection and research group with no affiliation with any advocacy organization. Website: Gun Violence Archive 19. Expert: There’s No Evidence That the Fortune Being Spent to ‘Harden’ Schools Against Shooters Will Work. But Here’s What Will. —Washington Post, 2019 a. According to John S. Carlson, professor of school psychology at Michigan State University, what’s actually needed is more funding for mental health services in communities and schools to help heed and address warning signs before someone becomes violent. Website: Expert: There’s no evidence that the fortune being spent to ‘harden’ schools against shooters will work ‐‐ but here’s what will ‐ The Washington Post 20. Report on Mass Killings and Gun Violence—VA State Crime Commission, 2019 a. Staff determined that inconclusive evidence exists to develop recommendations. While staff researched a wide variety of policies and many other matters related to gun violence, the overall findings from the research were often insufficient, mixed, contradictory, or based on limited methodology Website: VSCC‐FINAL‐REPORT‐Mass‐Killings‐and‐Gun‐Violence.pdf (virginiamercury.com) 21. Opinion: There Is No Single Profile of a Mass Shooter. Our Data Show There Are Five Types. —LA
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Times, 2019 a. K‐12 school shooter: The vast majority of mass shooters are white male students or former students of school. College and university shooter: Is usually non‐white, has a history of violence or childhood trauma, and is suicidal. Workplace shooter: Usually male and employee or former employee. Church shooter: Usually white male and suicidal. Retail establishment shooter: Is usually white male with no connection to business. Website: Santa Clarita shooting: There are five types of mass killers ‐ Los Angeles Times (latimes.com) 22. America's Gun Culture in Charts—BBC, 2019 a. Support for gun control over the protection of gun rights in America is highest among 18 to 29‐year‐ olds. Pew found that one third of over‐50s said they owned a gun vs young adults at about 28%.White men are especially likely to own a gun. Gun ownership in the U.S. is far high than any other country by over 50%. Website: America's gun culture in charts ‐ BBC News 23. Guns Guns Guns Guns—Arizona Legislative Alert, 2019 a. Table of effectiveness of gun laws and public support for gun control proposals. 24. Yavapai County a Second Amendment Sanctuary County. 2019 a. Yavapai County Board of Supervisors announced decision to table a proclamation declaring Yavapai County a Second Amendment Sanctuary County. Document: 25. Congressional Deal Could Fund Gun Violence Research for First Time Since 1990s—Washington Post, 2019 a. The deal — still pending final approval as congressional negotiations continue over a must‐pass, end‐of‐ year spending bill — would send $25 million to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health to study gun violence, Website & Document: Congressional deal could fund gun violence research for first time since 1990s ‐ The Washington Post 26. Mayor Romero Creates Task Force on Gun Violence—NPR, 2020 a. Tucson mayor created a task force on gun safety and violence prevention. She said the task force will be made up of community members representing many different groups. Pima County has the highest number of gun violence deaths per 100,000 residents among Arizona's three most populous counties. Website : Mayor Romero creates task force on gun violence ‐ AZPM 27. US Gun Debate: Four Dates that Explain How We Got Here—BBC, 2019 a. Four dates in U.S. history that were significant to U.S. gun culture. Second Amendment, 1791. The founding of the NRA, 1871. Supreme Court interpretation to individuals' rights to own a gun, 2008. Parkland, Florida, school shooting and the resulting student voices, 2018. Website: US gun debate: Four dates that explain how we got here ‐ BBC News 28. Annual Gun Law Scorecard—Giffords Law Center, 2020 a. Year after year, the evidence shows that gun laws save lives in states with the courage to enact them. States are rated in a table. Website: Gun Law Scorecard (giffords.org) 29. Tucson Police Chief Calls for Gun Background Checks and Red Flag Laws—Washington Post, 2020 a. Police chief questions whether people need to be carrying high‐capacity weapons. Chief of Police says arming teachers doesn't make sense. Shows NRA political contributions to AZ lawmakers. Website: Tucson Police Chief Calls for Gun Background Checks and Red Flag Laws – Blog for Arizona 30. The Deadliest Mass Shootings in Modern U.S. History—Axios, 2020 a. A listing of 22 mass shootings dating back to 1949 Website: America's 22 deadliest modern mass shootings ‐ Axios 31. How Gabby Giffords Survived a Shot to the Head, and Outsmarted the NRA—Vanity Fair, 2020
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a. Gabby Gifford is redefining America's relationship with guns through the group she cofounder with husband Senator Mark Kelly, Giffords: Courage to Fight Gun Violence, a gun safety advocacy group. Website: How Gabby Giffords Survived a Shot to the Head, and Outsmarted the NRA | Vanity Fair 32. America's Passion for Guns: Ownership and Violence by the Numbers Gun Violence Exacts—The Guardian, 2017 a. The US is home to 88 guns for every 100 people and sees mass shootings more than 11 times as often as any other developed country. Statistic re gun ownership, deaths, hospital costs and detailed table of profiles of gun owners. Website: America's passion for guns: ownership and violence by the numbers | US news | The Guardian 33. Guns Per Capita 2021—World Population Review, 2021 According to the Small Arms Survey of 2017, the United States had a population size of around 326,474,000 people. There were about 393 million firearms in the United States, meaning that there were far more guns than there are people. Data: Guns by state. Arizona ranks 7th in the U.S. in gun ownership. Website: Guns Per Capita 2020 (worldpopulationreview.com) 34. ‘How Did We Not Know?’ Gun Owners Confront a Suicide Epidemic—New York Times, 2020 a. According to national health statistics, 24,432 Americans used guns to kill themselves in 2018, up from 19,392 in 2010. People who kill themselves in this way are usually those with ready access to firearms Website: ‘How Did We Not Know?’ Gun Owners Confront a Suicide Epidemic ‐ The New York Times (nytimes.com)
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Appendix G: Criminal Justice Concurrence Report Criminal Justice Concurrence Report
Statement of Purpose
All Arizona citizens have a right to equal treatment under the law and to a criminal justice system that is just, effective, equitable, transparent, and that fosters public trust at all stages, including policing practices, pre- trial procedures, sentencing, incarceration, and re-entry.
To achieve these goals, Arizona must work to ensure:
● the elimination of systemic bias, including the disproportionate policing and incarceration of marginalized communities; ● policing practices that promote safety for both law enforcement officers and the communities they serve; ● collaboration between government and community throughout every stage of the criminal justice system; ● a focus on humane treatment and rehabilitation with the goal of promoting the successful reentry into communities of those who have been incarcerated; and ● reliance on evidence-based research in decision-making about law-enforcement programs and policies (including scheduled, periodic audits of program and policy effectiveness).
To that end, the LWVAZ DEI Criminal Justice Subcommittee proposes adoption by concurrence of the LWV California (LWVC) Position on Criminal Justice, which is based on the above principles and objectives.
Introduction
The strength of the League lies in connecting our community to government agencies to shape policy reforms. League advocacy stems directly from the Position Statements we adopt as an organization. Those position statements are designed to reflect our values and priorities. The LWVAZ Criminal Justice Position Subcommittee (the Subcommittee) was established by the Racial Justice Task Force of the LWV Arizona State DEI Committee to study existing Criminal Justice positions in order to make a recommendation to the LWVAZ as to the development or adoption by concurrence of a Position on Criminal Justice.
Due to the urgency of the issues involved and their impact on the lives of all Arizonans, and after reviewing Positions on Criminal Justice developed and adopted by more than 30 other state and local Leagues, the Subcommittee made the decision to work toward adoption by concurrence of the League of Women Voters California (LWVC) Position on Criminal Justice. The full position can be found at this link and on page 14 of this report.
The Subcommittee concluded that the Arizona League cannot and should not delay action on these issues by undertaking a two-year study process to develop a position statement. The Subcommittee also recognizes that the purpose of the concurrence process is to make the work of the League more efficient and effective by allowing state and local Leagues to benefit from the work of other Leagues in studying policy issues and developing position statements. The Subcommittee further recognizes the extremely thorough research, analysis and thought put into the development of the LWVC Position on Criminal Justice and wisdom and advantage of adopting the position by concurrence rather than duplicating the excellent efforts of the 28-person committee representing more than 10 local California Leagues that studied the issues and developed the position statement over a period of more than two years. The Subcommittee
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016 identified the California Position on Criminal Justice after determining that it is the most thorough and comprehensive and will therefore provide a broad and solid basis for LWVAZ advocacy and education in this pressing area.
While there are existing LWVUS and LWVAZ position statements that can be used to address certain components of criminal justice, there is no single current national or Arizona position that addresses the complex range of issues involved in the criminal justice system. The LWVC position covers the full spectrum of policing, pre-trial procedures, sentencing, incarceration and re-entry with a focus on systemic bias, humane treatment and rehabilitation, and reliance on evidence-based research. Crime prevention, overall safety, collaboration and accountability between law enforcement and justice system officials and the community are integral parts of the position, as are citizen participation in and oversight of public policy and policy practices, which are key League values.
Basis
Specifically prompted by the killing of George Floyd and the resulting national reckoning with the historic pattern of police violence against unarmed black people and systemic racism in all aspects of our society generally, the June 2020 LVWUS Urgent Resolution urges all local Leagues to take swift action in these areas:
“We Resolve First, That the League advocates against systemic racism in the justice system and, at a minimum, for preventing excessive force and brutality by law enforcement. We also call for prompt actions by all League members to advocate within every level of government to eradicate systemic racism, and the harm that it causes; and
We Resolve Second, That the League help our elected officials and all Americans recognize these truths to be self-evident; that Black people and all people of color deserve equal protection under the law; and that we demand solutions for the terrible wrongs done to Black people and all people of color across the nation so that, regardless of race, racial mixture, ethnicity, religion, disabilities, gender or sexual orientation we may truly become a nation “indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
Empowerment of League Work in Arizona
Adoption of the LWVC Position on Criminal Justice will allow local Leagues in Arizona to address key issues related to transparency and accountability in the justice system, including systemic racism, bias and discrimination. It will also allow Arizona local Leagues to educate our members about these issues, work with local police, prosecutors, defense attorneys and judges to bring about changes in policy and practice to protect the rights of all Arizonans, and lobby Arizona legislators for criminal justice reform. Importantly, the LWVC position does not pit communities against police. It advocates for policing practices that promote safety for both law enforcement officers and the communities they serve.
Policing in Arizona
Policing refers to the use of law enforcement to uphold law and order, and to policing policies and procedures. The powers of law enforcement include arrest and use of force as authorized by the state. The LWVAZ Criminal Justice Subcommittee agrees with the California League position that law enforcement
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must eliminate “systemic bias, including the disproportionate policing of marginalized communities.”1 We support policing practices that “promote safety for both law enforcement and the communities they serve.”2
Arizona is among the top five states with the highest numbers of police shootings. In 2018, 117 police shootings took place in Arizona—an increase of 75% over 2017.3 Out of 600 police shootings in Arizona, only one police officer was prosecuted.4 The Arizona Republic investigated Arizona police shootings beginning in 2011 and came to the alarming conclusion that someone is shot by an Arizona police officer every five days.5 Security.org shows that in 2018, Phoenix was the leading city in the number of police killings in the United States. In the same year, Tucson and Mesa also both had more officer-involved killings than New York City and Chicago.6 According to statistics compiled by KTAR News 92.3 FM, Phoenix police officers were involved in 26 shootings in 2020. That represents a 73% increase from 15 in 2019, though still below the 2018 record of 44 shootings by Phoenix officers.7
De-escalation training, which is one of the policy goals of the position statement, can significantly improve police reactions to stressful situations. One study carried out in Louisville, Kentucky, showed that a specific form of de-escalation training designed by the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) reduced use-of- force incidents by 28.1% and reduced associated injuries to citizens and officers by 26.3%.8 De-escalation training teaches police to create physical distance, slow down, ask open-ended questions and hold off reaching for their weapons in order to avoid ramping up confrontation. 9
In addition, University of Cincinnati School of Criminal Justice professor, Robin Engel notes that de- escalation training alone is insufficient if not paired with strong use-of-force policies, which in turn must be “couple[d] with accountability and supervisory oversight.”10
Nationwide, police officers in the U.S., acting through their collective bargaining representatives, have succeeded in gaining a special layer of employee due process protections when faced with investigations for official misconduct. These protections are known as a Law Enforcement Officers Bill of Rights (LEOBOR).11
A 2019 University of Chicago study found that extending collective-bargaining rights to Florida sheriffs’ deputies led to a 40% statewide increase in cases of violent misconduct. 12
A Reuters examination of police union contracts in 100 large cities identified some common protections for officers in contract provisions that include: limiting who can sit on oversight boards, disregarding
1 California League of Women Voters Position Paper on Criminal Justice 2 Ibid. 3 Arizona and Phoenix police shootings at record levels (azcentral.com) 4 Ibid. 5 Ibid. 6 Which Cities Have the Biggest Problems With Police Brutality? - Security.org 7 Phoenix police involved in more than 25 shootings in 2020 - KTAR.com 8 https://louisvilleky.gov/sites/default/files/2021-01/hillard-heintze-report.pdf 9 De-escalation training for police gains new prominence - The Washington Post 10 Police Violence Calls for Measures beyond De-escalation Training - Scientific American 11 https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/bupi14&div=4&id=&page= 12 Collective Bargaining Rights and Police Misconduct: Evidence from Florida (uchicago.edu)
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016 recommendations of civilian oversight boards, and relying on qualified immunity, which shields officers from civil liability when they are accused of using excessive force. This makes it harder for community members to bring lawsuits against police officers for use of excessive force. 13
The strength of police unions presents a significant challenge to changing policing practices in Arizona. In every legislative session, Arizona's powerful police unions work to further increase police protections.
Many local police union contracts in Arizona reflect the strength of police unions in our state and their success in gaining the types of police protections that hinder accountability and transparency.
For example, the City of Tucson’s contract with the police union includes provisions that:
● restrict and delay questioning of police officers about their actions when under investigation, ● limit the length of investigations of public complaints, which can result in their dismissal without full investigation, ● allow officers to request removal of reprimands older than two years from personnel files, and ● limit disciplinary consequences.14
Adoption of the Position on Criminal Justice would allow Arizona Leagues to begin to work with local officials and police agencies toward more community involvement and oversight of policing policies and practices.
New bills now under consideration in the Arizona legislature directly impact criminal justice reform. Some examples include HB 2295, which would make it more difficult for police to be held accountable for misconduct. It provides officers with multiple opportunities to appeal the inclusion of their names in a database that tracks officer misconduct. SB 1333 would prohibit Arizona cities and towns from reducing their annual police operating budget “by any amount.” The bill would withhold state funds from cities and towns that chose to redirect funds from police operating budgets to other community needs, which might reduce police encounters that result in harmful outcomes, such as homelessness, mental health, drug treatment and potentially even police training.
Adoption of the Position on Criminal Justice would allow the Arizona League to prioritize and strengthen legislative advocacy on these and related issues in the Arizona State Legislature.
Sentencing and Incarceration in Arizona
Mass incarceration in Arizona is at an all-time high. In recent years most states have reduced the number of people they are incarcerating. In Arizona, the trend is going in the opposite direction. Arizona has the 4th highest incarceration rate in the U.S.15 and the 8th highest in the world.16 For example, Arizona imprisons 877 people out of 100,000, while France imprisons only 102.
13 Key to reforming U.S. policing rests with state legislatures | Reuters 14 https://www.tucsonaz.gov/files/police/lt/tace.pdf 15 Arizona has the 4th highest imprisonment rate in the US (ktar.com)
16 Arizona profile | Prison Policy Initiative
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• Between 2001 and 2016, Arizona’s population grew by 33%, while its prison population increased by 60%.17 • The number of people sent to prison in Arizona for non-violent crimes has increased 80% since 2000.18 • Over the last five years, the women’s prison population in Arizona has grown at nearly three times the rate of the men’s population.19 • The number of people sentenced to prison for drug possession in Arizona has grown 142% between 2000 and 2017.20 • Of the 37,396 total incarcerated people in Arizona, 10,416 require mental health services.21 • 78% of those entering the Arizona prison system have significant substance abuse histories.22 • The Hispanic population of Arizona is 37%, but 60% of the people in prison for marijuana possession are Hispanic.23 • Black people, on average, receive the longest prison sentences in Arizona: 62 months as opposed to 54 months for white people.24 • Of all those in Arizona prisons who were eligible for parole in 2015, only 11% were granted release.25 • In Arizona, technical violations of parole (such as missing a substance abuse meeting) account for 69% of all returns to incarceration.26
Incarceration rates began to increase in 1978, when mandatory prison sentences were imposed for drug- related offenses. Then, in 1993, the state instituted the “Truth in Sentencing” law, which required those incarcerated to serve at least 85% of their sentences before being eligible for release. This reduced incentives for people in prison to seek education or other programs that would give them points for good behavior. This contributed greatly to the high number of incarcerated individuals in our state (only Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Mississippi incarcerate more people).27
Another policy that contributes to high incarceration rates is lengthy prison sentences for non-violent crimes, such as drug/paraphernalia possession. Many of these offenses could be addressed using alternatives to incarceration at less cost to taxpayers and with more effectiveness, according to the latest research on recidivism. Over the past ten years, 32 states have lowered their crime rates and prison population by focusing on community-based treatment and supervision.28
Women are especially vulnerable to harsh sentencing. From 2000 to 2017, the number of women entering Arizona prisons for non-violent crimes increased by 92%.29 When a person, in particular a mother, is
17 ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS (az.gov) 18 Corrections at a Glance | Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry (az.gov) 19 Incarceration Trends in Arizona (vera.org) 20 Arizona's Imprisonment Crisis Part 1: The High Price of Prison Growth (fwd.us) 21 Corrections at a Glance | Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry (az.gov) 22 Ibid. 23 Arizona's Imprisonment Crisis Part 2: The Cost to Communities (fwd.us) 24 Ibid. 25 Eight Keys to Mercy: How to shorten excessive prison sentences | Prison Policy Initiative 26 Ibid. 27 Arizona's Imprisonment Crisis Part 1: The High Price of Prison Growth (fwd.us) 28 Smart+&+Safe+AZ+Criminal+Justice+Eval.pdf (squarespace.com) 29 Ibid.
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incarcerated, the family, including school-age children are affected. Children with incarcerated parents often experience social and emotional difficulties that affect their schoolwork and ability to connect to peers, many of which may be long-lasting.
People of color are also incarcerated at higher rates and receive longer sentences than their white peers who are convicted of the same crimes. In 2016, 1 in 19 Black adult men were imprisoned, as were 1 in 40 adult Hispanic men.30
Whites Blacks Hispanics
58% of Arizona’s population 4% of Arizona’s population 37% of Arizona’s population
38.8% of prison population 15% of prison population 38.3% of prison population31
Studies have shown that lengthy sentences do not reduce recidivism, nor does an incarceratory sentence for a first non-violent felony offense, which has been proven to make people more likely to commit another crime.32
In 2019, Arizona had an opportunity to address some of these specific issues. In a rare, bi-partisan effort, the State Legislature passed SB1334 by a vote of 27 to 3 in the Senate and unanimously in the House. The bill would have prohibited a practice in Arizona that allows prosecutors to charge a suspect accused of committing multiple crimes as a repeat offender, even if he or she has never been convicted of a felony in the past. Unfortunately, on the recommendation of county prosecutors, Governor Doug Ducey vetoed the bill. Altogether,15 criminal justice bills died in committee in 2019.
The state spends $1.2 million per year to run its prisons, some of which could be spent on other state needs and priorities. The Department of Corrections estimated in 2009 that Arizona could save up to $100 million by reducing sentencing requirements for low and medium security inmates by 25 to 75%. If Arizona’s imprisonment rate matched that of Utah, it would save more than $600 million per year, or almost the cost of a 20% increase in teacher pay across the state.33
Private prisons are of concern as well. Once touted as a cost-saving measure, private prisons have been shown to in fact be less cost-effective than state-run prisons. Arizona’s contracts with the private companies that run these prisons require 90-100% capacity, and oblige Arizona to pay for empty cells if the prison population falls below the contractual minimums. The state has paid millions of dollars to corporations who run these prisons over the years. Even so, in 2012, the state legislature repealed a law that required corporations to show cost savings before receiving contracts.34
The effects of incarceration extend well beyond the sentence served. When an inmate is released from prison, he or she faces numerous obstacles, including joblessness, homelessness, and other forms of
30 50 State Blueprint | ACLU 31 Arizona profile | Prison Policy Initiative 32 Arizona's Imprisonment Crisis Part 1: The High Price of Prison Growth (fwd.us) 33 Ibid.
34 Private Prisons Cost Arizona $3.5 Million More Per Year Than State-Run Prisons – ThinkProgress
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016 instability. For example, a felony conviction can prevent an individual from obtaining an occupational license, such as that required to work as a hairdresser.
Additionally, few resources are available to assist in a formerly incarcerated person’s rehabilitation. Nonetheless, the recently released person is required to meet financial obligations. While on Community Supervision (probation), individuals are required to pay for their own supervision and for required drug tests.
Mass incarceration also impacts citizens’ right to vote and access to vote. In Arizona, there are 221,170 individuals who are disenfranchised as a result of having a felony record; the state has the 8th highest rate of Black felony disenfranchisement in the country. For those with more than one felony conviction, the process of reinstating one’s right to vote after completing a prison sentence is complicated and arduous. Since 1997, twenty-three states have reformed their laws concerning felony disenfranchisement, so that by 2018 1.4 million people became eligible to vote.35 The League of Women Voters of Florida was instrumental in a successful 2018 ballot initiative in that state that automatically restores voting rights upon completion of a jail or prison sentence. Research has found that people who voted after release from supervision were half as likely to be re-arrested as those who did not vote.
The Arizona State Legislature has imposed laws that disregard alternatives to incarceration and prioritize punishment over rehabilitation. This comes at a high cost, which could be greatly reduced without putting public safety at risk. Adoption of the Position on Criminal Justice would allow the League of Women Voters of Arizona to advocate, educate and lobby on these extremely important issues.
Subcommittee Efforts to Inform and Educate Members
Once the Subcommittee made the decision to propose adoption of the LWVC Position on Criminal Justice by concurrence, Subcommittee members developed a plan to inform and educate members, as well as to receive feedback and gauge support.
The Subcommittee included the following League Members: • Laura Hudson, LWV Metro Phoenix • Rivko Knox, LWV Metro Phoenix • Nancy Hand, LWV Greater Tucson • Jan Anderson, LWV Northern Arizona • Leslie Gordon, LWV Metro Phoenix • Kathy Dubbs, LWV Greater Tucson • Karen Wunder, LWV Greater Tucson • Michèle Garrick Nave, LWV Northwest Maricopa County
This plan included the following actions, which were carried out between November 2020 and the present: • A statewide educational meeting was organized on January 31, 2021 with speakers from California who worked on the team to research, draft and adopt the Position on Criminal Justice. • A letter was sent to all board members of all AZ local boards as well the AZ state board that included information on the proposed concurrence, the California position and all of the supporting documentation, along with an invitation to the January 31 event and an offer to speak at any League meetings and answer
35 Expanding-the-Vote-1997-2018.pdf (sentencingproject.org)
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016 any questions. • A 90-minute educational forum was held on January 31, 2021 featuring speakers from California who worked on the team to research, draft and adopt the Position on Criminal Justice (click here to view slides). More than 50 Arizona League members attended. The session was recorded and a link to the video along with other informational resources was provided to all attendees after the forum. • A report was made on the Criminal Justice concurrence at the January 21 and February 18 LWVNAZ board meetings, and a written report was prepared and distributed with the board meeting agenda. • The LWVCYC president was provided with similar information and an offer to answer questions or schedule a presentation. • Reports and updates on the concurrence process have been made at all State DEI meetings between November 2020 and the present. • The January 31 educational meeting was announced and discussed and the concurrence process discussed at Greater Tucson DEI committee meetings and Greater Tucson Environmental Issues Committee meetings in December and January. • An in-depth PowerPoint presentation was presented to the LWV Greater Tucson DEI committee on February 10, 2021. The PowerPoint and other supporting materials were made available to all LWVGT DEI committee members following the presentation. • An in-depth presentation is scheduled for the LWV NWMC League meeting on March 22, 2021. This session has been opened to all Arizona League members. • A request was made of all League presidents were to send out the survey, the position and the invitation to the March 22 event. • A survey on the Criminal Justice Concurrence was prepared and sent to all Arizona League members on February 21, 2021. The survey included links to the full position statement and background materials.
Survey Results To date 62 people have completed the survey from the following local Leagues: LWV Greater Tucson 33 LWV Metropolitan Phoenix 14 LWV Northern Arizona 7 LWV Northwest Maricopa County 6 LWV Central Yavapai County 1 Not a member of the League 1
Answers to all questions, with the exception of questions 10, 17 and 21, were 100% affirmative. The average affirmative response to all questions was 99.3%.
One of 61 respondents (1.64%) answered “no” to question 10 (one respondent skipped question 10). Question 10 reads as follows: Do you agree all officers should be required to render first aid to people who have been injured as a result of police action?
Three of 60 respondents (5%) answered “no” to question 17 (two respondents skipped question 17). Question 17 reads as follows: Do you agree the practice of solitary confinement should be eliminated?
Four of 57 respondents (7.02%) answered “no” to question 21 (five respondents skipped question 21). Question 21 reads as follows: Do you agree technical violations of parole should not be a reason to return
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an individual to prison?
These results will be updated as additional responses are received. California Position on Criminal Justice
Position in Brief:
The LWV California supports: ● a criminal justice system that is just, effective, equitable, transparent, and that fosters public trust at all stages, including policing practices, pre-trial procedures, sentencing, incarceration, and re-entry; ● the elimination of systemic bias, including the disproportionate policing and incarceration of marginalized communities; ● policing practices that promote safety for both law enforcement officers and the communities they serve; ● collaboration between government and community throughout every stage of the criminal justice system; ● a focus on humane treatment and rehabilitation with the goal of promoting the successful reentry into communities of those who have been incarcerated; and ● reliance on evidence-based research in decision-making about law-enforcement programs and policies (including scheduled, periodic audits of program and policy effectiveness)
Details:
Policing Practices - constitutional policies and procedures established by law enforcement with input from the communities they serve
● Ensure that crime prevention and promotion of public safety are the primary roles of state and local law enforcement agencies. ● Build public trust and positive community relationships through police engagement with community members. ● Encourage community participation in the development of policing policy. ● Provide police accountability via independent citizen oversight of law enforcement and publicly available data on officer conduct. ● Disseminate information to the public about policing policies, recruitment, procedures for complaint/commendation, and the rights and responsibilities of citizens and officers in interactions with each other. ● Provide sufficient psychological services and counseling to meet stress-related needs of police personnel. ● Staff police departments to reflect the diversity of the communities they serve, and establish recruitment efforts that reflect this principle. ● Train police to identify individuals with mental health conditions, disabilities, or substance abuse/addiction, so that officers will request support from appropriate medical and mental health professionals, with the goal of diverting those individuals into treatment instead of jail. ● Require all officers to render first aid to people who have been injured as a result of police action. ● Conduct comprehensive background checks, to include such history as PTSD, domestic violence, sex offenses and affiliations with domestic terrorist groups, for all applicants to law enforcement positions. ● Establish de-escalation (the use of time, distance, communications and available resources whenever it is safe to do so) and anti-bias training, and ensure that all staff are provided with this training.
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● Authorize minimal use of force during police encounters with the public, and consider deadly force only when necessary, to prevent imminent death or serious bodily injury.
Pre-trial Procedures - actions taken after an individual has been arrested, which embody the constitutional presumption of innocence
● Ensure no person suffers discrimination before the law due to their economic status nor should they be subject to risk assessment tools which can produce biased outcomes. ● Provide adequate numbers of public defenders to defend indigent accused. ● Provide prosecutors, defense attorneys, court counselors and judges with regular training on alternatives to incarceration, including pre-trial diversion and restorative justice practices. ● Recognize that mental health conditions and substance abuse/addictions are public health issues, not crimes. ● Implement the use of specialty courts, e.g. drug treatment courts and restorative justice programs. ● Consider community-based treatment programs and other alternatives to incarceration when appropriate.
Sentencing - judgment made after an individual has been declared to be guilty
● Consider the individual circumstances of the person charged and nature of the crime, rather than mandatory minimum sentences. ● Consider split sentencing and/or alternatives to incarceration when appropriate.
Incarceration - policies and procedures that apply to employees of and incarcerated individuals in local jails and state prisons
● Ensure that all correctional systems provide humane, dignified, non-discriminatory treatment of incarcerated people and personnel, including appropriate healthcare and access to community- based rehabilitation programs. ● Eliminate the practice of solitary confinement. ● Ensure that incarcerated people and corrections officers have clear, safe and accessible ways to report abuse. ● Address recidivism by instituting programs that focus on rehabilitation, education, mental health treatment, substance abuse recovery, and transitional programs. ● Adapt case management services to match education, behavior, job training, work, and mental health programs with the needs of incarcerated individuals. ● Provide sufficient psychological services, including training and evaluation, to meet the needs of corrections officers. ● Encourage family and community visitations and ways to maintain contact. ● Eliminate private prisons. Until space in public prisons is available, ensure that private prisons comply with all of the standards for state-run jails and prisons.
Re-entry - programs in place during and after incarceration to help individuals become successful members of their communities
● Collaborate with community-based organizations to facilitate reintegration of people released from prison.
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● Provide pre- and post-release programs, inclusive of probation services, to prepare as well as assess and address the needs of people re-entering the community. ● Remove technical violations of parole as a reason to return an individual to prison.
General - statements which apply to some or all of the above categories ● Standardize data and setting up systems so that information can be easily shared among criminal justice agencies. ● Rely on evidence-based research in decision making about criminal justice programs and policies.
League of Women Voters of California Criminal Justice Background Information: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hFbEGybR7YdTQjcIVq3e4845zSpmBVifFkFWDnQ-eHc/edit#
References cited in this report 1. National League Urgent Resolution 2. California League of Women Voters Position Paper on Criminal Justice https://lwvc.org/our-work/positions/position-criminal-justice 3. California League of Women Voters Position Paper on Criminal Justice 4. Arizona and Phoenix police shootings at record levels (azcentral.com) 5. Which Cities Have the Biggest Problems With Police Brutality? - Security.org 6. Phoenix police involved in more than 25 shootings in 2020 - KTAR.com 7. https://louisvilleky.gov/sites/default/files/2021-01/hillard-heintze-report.pdf 8. De-escalation training for police gains new prominence - The Washington Post 9. Police Violence Calls for Measures beyond De-escalation Training - Scientific American 10. https://www.tucsonaz.gov/files/police/lt/tace.pdf 11. Police Disciplinary Appeals (upenn.edu) 12. Collective Bargaining Rights and Police Misconduct: Evidence from Florida (uchicago.edu) 13. Key to reforming U.S. policing rests with state legislatures | Reuters 14. https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/bupi14&div=4&id=&page= 15. ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS (az.gov) 16. Corrections at a Glance | Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry (az.gov) 17. Incarceration Trends in Arizona (vera.org) 18. Arizona's Imprisonment Crisis Part 1: The High Price of Prison Growth (fwd.us) 19. Corrections at a Glance | Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry (az.gov) 20. Arizona's Imprisonment Crisis Part 2: The Cost to Communities (fwd.us) 21. Eight Keys to Mercy: How to shorten excessive prison sentences | Prison Policy Initiative 22. Arizona has the 4th highest imprisonment rate in the US (ktar.com) 23. Arizona profile | Prison Policy Initiative 24. Arizona's Imprisonment Crisis Part 1: The High Price of Prison Growth (fwd.us) 25. Smart+&+Safe+AZ+Criminal+Justice+Eval.pdf (squarespace.com) 26. 50 State Blueprint | ACLU 27. Arizona profile | Prison Policy Initiative 28. Arizona's Imprisonment Crisis Part 1: The High Price of Prison Growth (fwd.us) 29. Private Prisons Cost Arizona $3.5 Million More Per Year Than State-Run Prisons – ThinkProgress 30. Expanding-the-Vote-1997-2018.pdf (sentencingproject.org)
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Appendix H: 2019 Convention Minutes
SATURDAY, May 18, 2019
9:00 am - Plenary Session: Called to Order & Welcome by Robyn Prud’homme-Bauer and Alice Stambaugh
Alice Stambaugh welcomed convention delegates and guests and indicated 74 people attending convention this weekend. Robyn Prud’homme-Bauer welcomed convention delegates and delegates and introduced LWVCYC President, Bill Haas. Bill Haas welcomed everyone to Prescott and then introduced Terri Farneti who introduced Prescott Mayor Pro Tem Billie Orr. Mayor Pro Tem spoke about Prescott being home to: Yavapai College and the OLLI Lifelong Learning Center, Ember-Riddle Aeronautical University and the new Cybersecurity Program and Prescott College. There over 100 miles of trails and open space in Prescott. The Prescott Airport has increased flights out of Prescott with flights to Denver and LA every day. Also at the airport, an Israeli company is building all electric airplanes and has selected Prescott as headquarters. Little know information - Roberts Rules of Order was written here at Ft Wipple!
Terri Farneti then introduced Supervisor Randy Garrison, Chair, Yavapai County BOS. Randy Garrison’s Great aunt was Frances Willard Munds– first woman elected to the AZ State legislature to represent Yavapai County. She would be proud of the work LWV is doing. Thank you for your efforts to educate voters.
The following appointments were made
● Parliamentarian: Kathy Kinsella GVV ● Credentials Committee: Susan Walter MP and Pasty Frannea ● Timekeeper – Robyn Prud’homme-Bauer ● Minutes Committee: Kathy Kinsella and Alice Stambaugh
Motion Motion To appoint the positions above.
Moved By Rivko Knox, MP
Seconded By Terri Farneti, State Board
Status Not Heard Carried Denied
● Report of Credentials Committee and Roll Call of Delegates: Credential report from registration desk: 53 voting delegates ● Minutes of 2017 Convention: Announce that the minutes of the 2017 convention have been reviewed by the previous convention minutes committee and are in the workbook for your information
LWVAZ @LWVAZ Website: lwvaz.org email: [email protected] Top of document Page 103 of 136
League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016
Motion To approve minutes of 2017 Convention
Moved By Terri Farneti, State Board
Seconded By Cindy Hans, State Board
Status Not Heard Carried Denied
Introduction of State Board: Robyn Prud’homme-Bauer introduced the current LWVAZ Board of Directors along with Joan Kaltsas, Nominating Chair (not in attendance) and Rivko Knox, LWVAZ volunteer lobbyist.
Adoption of the Order of Business: Motion to approve the order of business - Page 3 and 4 of workbook
Motion Motion to approve order of business
Moved By Betty Bengtson GT
Seconded By Kathy Kinsella GVV
Status Not Heard Carried Denied
LWVAZ Business Meeting
Treasurer's Report: LWVAZ and LWVAZEF: Patsy Frannea, handed out to be passed around to delegates for info only. Patsy Frannea summarizing categories of where we spend money showing basic expenses and expenditures. The main income is from PMP from local Leagues.
LWVAZ Education Fund –holds balances (total amount and pays bills) for each local leagues’ education fund account. Local leagues can spend as they decide appropriate as long as it is for education. LWVAZEF received two large anonymous donations this year that made a large difference in budget.
Proposed LWVAZ Budget 2019-2021. Judy Wood – GT, presented the budget was posted on the screen and is on page 9 in workbook.
Budget for operations of LWVAZ was created by the LWVAZ Budget Committee: Patsy Frannea, David Hor, Mary Gassaway, and Judy Wood.
● Linda Greenberg CYC stated that there seems to be a very large increase in the budgeted income, what is that based on? And what is the increase in professional services for? Answer: the money to help pay people to support the league work as needed.
LWVAZ @LWVAZ Website: lwvaz.org email: [email protected] Top of document Page 104 of 136
League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016
● Robyn Prud’homme-Bauer explained that dues income is based on PMP count as of January 31, 2019 and projecting a 10% growth even though league has seen a 50% increase in membership the past 2 years ● Robyn Prud’homme-Bauer reminded the delegates that we do not adopt LWVAZ ED fund budget is on page 10. It will be approved at the LWVAZ ED Fund annual meeting following the convention. Talk to Judy Wood or Mary Gassaway for more information about that budget or any budget questions.
Proposed LWVAZ Bylaws: Betty Bengtson presented the bylaws changes located in the convention workbook. Committee including …Linda Bunting Blake, Gitelle Seer Susan Walter, Robyn Prud’homme- Bauer
Major changes in Article 4 – Offices, Article 5 – Board of Directors: Article 4 – change to president, secretary, and treasurer
Article 5 – BOD includes 2 representatives from all the local Leagues and 2 at-large directors appointed.
Other revisions
● Permissions for virtual board meetings (reduce travel) ● Added article 7 to more clearly define how committees are appointed ● Made by laws consistent throughout ● Lynn Hoffman, MP – Why are terms no longer staggered? So few positions, difficult to stagger. Each board becomes a team that works together. Expect natural staggering as people switch positions. ● Dale Kalika, MP – Are there job descriptions? Not in bylaws. Robyn Prud’homme-Bauer explained that the general outlines of job descriptions are in bylaws and that each board can take on roles as an outcome of the yearly planning process. ● Maryann Kenney, GVV – How is the officer of record transition handled with 3 co-presidents? Betty Bengston answered that this is not a new position nor not a new concept. New board will decide who is the officer of record.
Nominating Committee Report 2019-2021: Diane Smith presented the slate of officers as posted on the screen and the report (page 18) with Joan Kaltsas not able to be here. We think this is going to be a dynamic group. Joan did a huge amount of work.
Proposed LWVAZ Program 2019-2021: Alice Stambaugh presented the proposed program (page 19 of workbook) is re-adoption of current LWVAZ positions and continue our focus on advocacy and education under the umbrella of Make Democracy Work. Questions?
● Michelle Rose, MP – list of non-recommended issues includes prison system? ● Bill Haas – what is the list of recommended issues? Making Democracy Work, Equal Rights Amendment, Education Funding ● Maryann Kenney, GVV – Is it possible to suggest added items to existing programs? If so, when and where is that possible? Tomorrow morning when the program is officially adopted. ● Pinny Sheoran MP – Language is everything and we need to be consistent. Is this part of the national campaign “Make Democracy Work” or something new? For clarity, these are the ones in our workbook, correct? (Page 43 of workbook) – It is the national campaign “Make Democracy Work”.
LWVAZ @LWVAZ Website: lwvaz.org email: [email protected] Top of document Page 105 of 136
League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016
Non-recommended Items: Robyn P-B – These are items that have come up through program planning from local leagues, so this compilation is the only list of issues that are compiled here. The process for adding these items to the program for addition to the state program. Today we will take motion to consider them for inclusion. Tomorrow will include motion to adopt or not adopt. No local leagues brought forth recommendation of why the state should consider these no-recommended items. Non-recommended Items for consideration must be on the list in the workbook, It takes motion to consider non-recommended items – vote on motion to consider is a simple majority vote.
● Linda Napier, NWMC – discussed healthcare as a topic, but this is not on the list. Why? Bonnie Saunders – this is a national issue. Alice - if it already a national issue, we do not need to have the state study it separately. ● Bill Haas, State Board – Are some of these items on the non-recommended list under the umbrellas of Make Democracy Work? Alice – if you feel like there is something on this list you want to bring forward, make a motion to consider it, and look into how it fits in with Make Democracy Work.
During program adoption tomorrow, it is the time to bring up rewording and small modifications to existing positions if needed.
Motion to consider To rescind the new limitation on citizens initiatives
Moved By Bill Haas, State Board
Seconded By Vivian Perry, CYC
Status Not Heard Carried Denied
● Discussions (if that is not voter suppression what the legislature is doing to us, I don’t know what is. I think we should consider this because of that.) ● Pinny – AZ is unique where we had a” we the people” issue. We were ahead of the curve on allowing citizens initiatives. We should not give that up without a fight. ● Rivko – not sure this is necessary. We have already been arguing for our position for 3 years. Of course league would support and work actively. ● Bill – Issue is if we just keep fighting new little restrictions, not the same a major initiative. ● Alice – We can already do this.
LWVAZ @LWVAZ Website: lwvaz.org email: [email protected] Top of document Page 106 of 136
League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016
Motion to consider To a study of prison system and justice reform
Moved By Michelle Rose, MP
Seconded By Bill Haas, State Board
Status Not Heard Carried Hand Count Denied
th ● Michelle Rose – AZ is 4 in nation for incarceration rates (expensive, disproportionately affects people of color, results in voter suppression) ● Bill Haas, State Board – largest private prison system in the US. Their incentive is to keep people in the prison. ● Rex Graham, GT– how are these the same? Michelle – there are many components of the prison systems. Who gets in, how long people have to stay in, how they are handled. ● Diane Smith NWMC – Highest return rate of prisoners ● Katie Murphey Darling GT – important we say prison system and justice reform (call out as part of system) ● Jennifer – National League has position on sentencing – could be discussed ● Carol West GT – If this study becomes a reality, how long to people studying it have (2 years)
Motion to consider A new study on gun safety and control as a public health issue
Kathy Aros – we are all aware of the recent news events. It is time to update our stats and study.
Moved By Kathy Aros, GT
Seconded By Susan Black, GT
Status Notd Carried Hand Count Denied
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016
Motion to consider New study on racial profiling and police harassment
Moved By Bill Haas, State Board
Seconded By Pinny Sheoran, MP
Status Not H Carried Hand Count Denied
● Bill Haas, State Board: AZ has a big problem – people shot by police because they are perceived to be dangerous by racial profiling. ● April Lewis, GT: any of you who have a child of color or family member of color will recognize this as a very personal issue. ● Rex Graham, GT: concerned about terms being dated. Thinks we should focus on police use of deadly force and how police are handled in justice system ● Pinny Sheoran, MP: I am a person of color. This is personal. In citation for traffic stop, list as Mexican. ● Terri Franeti, State Board – suggests this falls under prison reform ● Judy Kelch, CYC: harassment is not just with people of color. It is also with people with mental issues, women, etc. ● Rivko Knox, MP agrees this falls under criminal justice reform.
Robyn P-B: These three items will be voted on as part of program for 2019 - 2021 tomorrow morning. Recommends everyone looks through state and national positions and flush out what these three items mean and commitment to be a part of these issues if they get adopted. Lobby people on your position.
Schedule for workshops: DEI (Jim Lee Board room), Effective Advocacy (front part of this room), Facebook – back part of this room, Dollars and Cents – front of hotel. Plenary session adjourned to go to workshops. Plenary session will begin again at 8:30 am Sunday morning.
Morning Workshops:
● Diversity, Equity, Inclusion – One League’s Approach ● Creating an Effective Legislative Advocacy Team ● Facebook – Impact and Visibility ● Dollars and Sense to Grow League Programs
Afternoon Group of Workshops:
● Medicare for All ● Issues, Advocacy, & Education – League Positions – League Impact ● Smart Justice Welcome Session
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016
LUNCHEON & SPEAKER: Terri Farneti introduced the guest speaker: Kris Mayes, member of the Arizona Corporation Commission from 2003 to 2010. Her topic was Solar Energy, Arizona’s Economic Opportunity.
DINNER, AWARDS & SHOW. A barbeque was held outside with a performance by Gail Steiger, son of former AZ Congressmember – Stan Steiger. Gail is a Local rancher, musician/singer, and cowboy poet.
● Carrie Chapman Catt Award was presented to Sarah Brannon and Darrell Hill, ACLU as our legal team for our NVRA Compliance lawsuit. ● Skeet Blakeslee Award was presented to Barbara Knutson, LWVNWMC for her work on civic engagement through AZ Dept. of Education and Alice Stambaugh, LWVAZ Co-president for her outstanding League work on legislative advocacy.
SUNDAY, May 19, 2019
8:30 am - Plenary Session Reconvenes: Call to Order by Robyn Prud’homme-Bauer
Report of Credentials Committee and Roll Call of the Delegates: 50 delegates present.
Adoption of LWVAZ Budget 2019-2021:
Motion Motion to approve budget as presented.
Moved By Mary Gassaway, GVV
Seconded Terri Farneti, State Board By
Status Not Heard Carried Denied
Discussion and Adoption of Resolutions:
Medicare for All Resolution was presented by Linda Napier, NWMC along with the motion to adopt.
Following the resolution several questions were raised:
● Kathy Kinsella GVV – What does improved mean? That is vague ● Katie Murphy-Darling, GT – Why choose Medicare for All which has more resistance than other options? Answer: This is for single payer. Medicare is single payer ● Question – Carol West GT - concerned about the emotionally charged language in the paper for this and suggest some fact checking be done before we vote on this resolution. ● Question – Kathy Kinsella, GVV – Can we have a friendly amendment to change this resolution? Robyn P-B requests that Kathy meet with the Resolution group to update the wording so it is clear to everyone before we vote on this. ● Comments – Pinny – This is a resolution to be forwarded to the incoming board for them to act on. Robyn P-B – If a resolution is passed at convention, the incoming board takes the action to pass it on to LWVUS.
LWVAZ @LWVAZ Website: lwvaz.org email: [email protected] Top of document Page 109 of 136
League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016
● Rivko MP – Although I seconded the motion, I realized that I was reading the language residents as all the people residing in the US, we need to be clear that this resolution includes all people in the US (citizens and non-citizens) ● Diane Smith, State Board –We should state that every resident of the US should have access to affordable and efficient health care. ● Kathy Kinsella, GVV presented an amendment to update the wording of the original motion to state “available to all U.S. residents” per the above discussion resolution.
Motion Motion to support the resolution – Medicare for All
Moved By Linda Napier, NWMC Amendment: Kathy Kinsella, GVV
Seconded Rivko Knox MP Amendment seconded by: Rivko Knox, MP By
Status Not Heard Amended Denied
Another motion to amend the amended main motion was presented by Rex Graham, GT to strike the first bullet but add the League of Women Voters to the second bullet. Due to confusion over resolution and changes proposed to it, Robyn P-B requested that those interested in amending the amended main motion were to meet together and update the resolution to bring it back to the floor later in the agenda.
Here is the amendment to the amended main motion that was finally brought back to the floor.
Motion Motion to adopt resolution as amended.
Whereas, the League of Women Voters of the United States believes quality health care at an affordable cost should be available to all U.S. residents; and
Whereas the current and proposed systems do not achieve the League goals of affordability and access to everyone; and
Whereas a publicly funded and privately delivered single payer national health care plan, is consistent with this goal;
Therefore, be it resolved, we the delegates assembled at the 2019 LWVAZ Convention, call upon the LWVAZ Board to support the education and advocacy of Single Payer, and endorse and reaffirm the Resolution passed at the 2010 LWVUS Convention calling on the LWVUS Board to advocate strongly for bills that establish a national Single Payer healthcare system.
Moved By Rex Graham GT
LWVAZ @LWVAZ Website: lwvaz.org email: [email protected] Top of document Page 110 of 136
League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016
Seconded Bonnie Saunders NWMC By
Status Not Heard Carried Denied
Adoption of LWVAZ Bylaws:
Motion Moves to approve the bylaws as proposed
Moved By Carol West GT
Seconded Kathy Kinsella GVV By
Status Not Heard Carried Denied
Adoption of LWVAZ Program 2019-2021: Three motions for consideration were passed yesterday. The three items are open for motions to approve. They will be voted on individually and need to be approved by 2/3 of the delegates (34 delegates)
Motion Motion to adopt a new study on prison system and justice reform.
Moved By Katie Murphy-Darling
Seconded Bill Haas By
Status Not Heard Carried Denied
● Question – If we pass this, who will lead this study? Katie Murphy-Darling GT will lead the charge on getting a team to address this at the state level. Michelle Rose MP – I am more than happy to contribute to this project. ● Pinny Sheoran MP – Does this motion obligate the incoming board to take this up? Robyn P-B – Once program is adopted at the Convention, it is the obligation of the incoming board to be sure that these motions are carried forward as part of the program. It is up to the new board to decide how that is actioned.
Motion Motion for a new study on gun control and gun safety and control as a public health issue as it relates both nationally and more specifically as an Arizona issue.
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016
Moved By Rex Graham GT
Seconded Susan Black, GT By
Status Not Heard Carried Denied
Motion Motion for a new study on racial profiling/police harassment
Moved By April Lewis GT
Seconded Blanche Berkowitz CYC By
Status Not Heard Carried Denied
● Maryann Kinney, GVV – While I think this occurs, I am concerned about the term police harassment in this motion. I would like to suggest a substitute wording.
Motion Motion to amend wording of original motion to delete the word harassment and substitute the words engagement policies.
Moved By Mary Ann Kinney, GVV
Seconded Judy Wood, GT By
Status Not Heard Carried Denied
● Michelle Lambeau, GVV – I would hesitate to adopt this amendment because most engagement policies are ok and not worth time and effort. Harassment is what needs to be studied. ● Michelle Rose MP – I love this amendment. This is neutral language that is the right way to go to get to the root of the problem and have greater support. ● Rex Graham. GT – I like the term engagement policies. What I am concerned about is the police use of deadly force policy. In my mind both use of deadly force and racial profiling fall under engagement policies.
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016
● Mary Gresham, GT – I think harassment is what we want to study. ● Kathy Kinsella GVV – Is someone willing to step up and take a lead on this? ● April Lewis, GT – Yes, I am willing to take the lead on this. ● Terri Farneti, State Board – I would like to reiterate that this kind of falls under the original motion of prison system and criminal justice reform. ● Michelle Rose, MP – I would like to say why they are related this is a massive study that should be its own. ● Pinny Sheoran, MP – As an Indian person who is regarded as Mexican by the police, I am not in the prison system or criminal justice system, but there is a lot to deal with by police by all of those living and going to school. This is a different issue.
Motion Motion for a new study on racial profiling/police engagement policies.
Moved By April Lewis GT
Seconded Blanche Berkowitz CYC By
Status Not Heard Carried Denied
Proposed program for 2019 – 2021 includes re-adoption of the current LWVAZ positions and the three adopted new studies.
Motion Motion to adopt Program as presented with addition of the three new studies
Moved By Betty Bengtson GT
Seconded Holli Ploog GVV By
Status Not Heard Carried Denied
LWVAZ @LWVAZ Website: lwvaz.org email: [email protected] Top of document Page 113 of 136
League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016
Election of 2019-2021 LWVAZ Officers:
Motion Motion to elect the slate of new officers as presented in the workbook, page 18
Moved By Roseann Haines GT
Seconded Pinny Sheoran MP By
Status Not Heard Carried Denied
Co-Presidents Terri Farneti, Central Yavapai County Katie Murphy-Darling, Greater Tucson Susan Walter, Metro Phoenix Secretary Judy Wood, Greater Tucson Treasurer Linda Greenberg, Central Yavapai County Nominating Chair Susan Penner, Northwest Maricopa County
State of the League Report:
Robyn Prud’homme-Bauer – The league has grown significantly over the past 2 years. New members want to be engaged and contribute. All the local leagues are focusing on activities that are engaging members and are timely. How are we doing at getting our message out? Our social media network has grown tremendously. We reached over 70,000 online through the voter guide online.
The voter guide was created online in a format that was easy to access and use. Social Media is essential to the league as a tool. Where do we go from here? We must increase our immediate messaging to legislators through IMs and emails. Technology is our tool and we need to make the most of it. We need to live stream and share our events on social media. Our presence at the AZ Capitol has blossomed under the work of Rivko Knox and use of the RTS system. We also need to look at how we have structured the organization and ask how we can collaborate better and more efficiently. How do we engage our members in a timely fashion and reach a diverse group. We have agreed to a uniform fee structure across the state so it is easy for someone who wants to join the league to do so. The LWVAZ has a vibrant future for the next 100 years. Thank all of you for the opportunity to be part of the leadership of the LWVAZ.
Alice Stambaugh – Appreciates Robyn’s dedication and passion about and for League. She has been the senior president in terms of experience and knowledge of the league. She has been Alice’s mentor. Alice thanks Robyn. Wants to add a few things about visibility. If we want to be visible, we need to communicate in our communities and at the capitol. We need people who have the time to go to the capitol and speak at committee hearings. That is part of the job of the new legislative analysis team. Once you go there, your
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016 face becomes known and relationships get easier. By being a part of C3/C4 group that has social technology stuff, rapid texting, etc., we can increase and continue to be more visible. We partnered with a lot of other groups for the voter guide, the Outlaw Dirty Money campaign, groups interested in ranked choice voting, and other efforts. We are also partnering with community colleges, YWCA, NAACP, and other groups. There is a lot of new coalition building going on that is exciting and we need to continue to be a part of coalitions and broaden League’s reach. Let us go to board of supervisor meetings and other meetings to get involved locally. We have a website that needs a webmaster. Alice wants us to be assertive in our messaging perhaps a bit more edgy to compete with the edgy groups out there. Let us keep going for another 2 years.
Recognition of LWVAZ Board and Off-Board Members: Robyn and Alice recognized to the convention delegates the outgoing LWVAZ board directors and off-board members and applauded them for their dedicated work to the LWVAZ and the League in AZ.
Comments from the newly elected Co-Presidents:
Terri Farneti: We would like to present Alice and Robyn with thank you gifts for all they have done for the league. Also I would like to thank Barb Dural, my Girl Scout Brownie Leader for my inspiration today by reciting the Girl Scout pledge. I will do the best I can for the LWV.
Katie Murphy-Darling: It has been wonderful to have the opportunity to meet many of you this weekend and have some good conversations. I am looking forward to taking my training and experience and applying them here and having the opportunity to work with all of you. We have a really big year ahead with the census, centennially and upcoming elections.
Susan Walter: I am relatively new to the league and joined after the last election. I am coming off a board for a non-profit, told Dad about new role. He thinks the league is a bunch of bad-ass women. Thanks everyone.
Robyn P-B: Thank you to Judy Kelch for all of her work organizing this and just taking care of things with the hotel and everything. Thanks to LWVCYC for hosting us.
Recommendations to the Board of Directors
● Maryann Kinney GVV: Suggestion that there is nothing in our policy about increasing the number of school counselors. I think we should support this. ● Pinny Sheoran MP: New rules for the board. First item is fun. Second item, none of us get paid, so you are not going to get a pay raise. Third item, keep talking. ● Pat Corrington GVV: Carrie Chapman Catt’s legacy – wanted LWV to get in there and get women into office. ● Bill Haas CYC: I want to encourage the state board to work with every local League on filming all of their presentations. We have had great programs and need to have them available on YouTube. ● Roseann Haines GT: Please keep in mind, when we talk about health care, we can talk about guns, we can talk about rocks, but we need to address mental health if we want to address people turning to violence and hurting others. Why are we not demanding legislators to stop child abuse that often leads to violence.
Invitation to 2020 Council and 2021 Convention
LWVAZ @LWVAZ Website: lwvaz.org email: [email protected] Top of document Page 115 of 136
League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016
● Judy Wood. GT: LWVGT invites you to come to Tucson in 2021 for the next convention. ● LWVMP is considering hosting Council 2020
Speaker: Liz Bander - LWVUS Board Member
Lives in the state of Washington. First term on LWVUS Board. New league member joined early 2017. Wants to celebrate our accomplishments, but right now politics is personal. Voting impacts workday and takes work. Liz works for Microsoft, has a good job with health care and access to abortion if needed. Not angry at states with new anti-abortion lawyers personally, angry on behalf of all the people who do not have the same opportunities.
LWV has done a lot of great things in terms of getting the vote for women granted originally it was just white women. League has done a lot of great stuff to fight for voting rights for everyone and getting them information on how to vote. Encourage friends and family to vote.
We still have a lot of work to do between attempts to disenfranchise voters, Native Americans in northwest, former prisoners in Florida, everyone. We need to look at diversity and inclusion. We need to open the door for inclusion. We do not always need to be the ones speaking. We need to help others be seen and have a voice. We need to be a true ally to people. Be sure they are counted in the census, designate funds for people to participate, ensure that we are looking outside of our circles. There are bubbles everywhere that we need to pop and people we need to help. We need to be sure people are participating in democracy even if they do not have the right to vote. Women did not get the right to vote when we could vote. We didn’t get that right from being nice. There is a big difference between being peaceful and nice.
Grew up reformed Jewish – angry since a kid. Never a consistent part of the crowd. Angry at the system of oppression. Things in NC are weird outside bubble of Raleigh. Angry and unjust drives Liz, it is the motivator that keeps her going. Gather your anger, hope, love, whatever it is that keeps you going, plant that seed and let it help you grow a more perfect democracy for everyone.
Questions from delegates:
● Rivko Knox MP – Active in ACLU, the ACLU started a program where national had the strength to help the states develop (through financial resources and technical systems) what the group did. Rivko is interested in that model with a couple paid full time people in the state. Rivko thinks that model has been amazing with what it enables at the state level. Liz: There are a lot of different investment models from the US for states including pass-through grants. National is working on resources to help states in terms of materials on how to fundraise, knowing if other states have positions or studies that groups can go for concurrency on. In terms of paid staff, need to be sure LWV is paying staff fairly where paying them. National is doing work to help people develop skills more effectively. ● Katie Murphy- Darling – How as a board do you work with the paid staff in Washington. Liz: 30 paid staff in LWVUS. Board is more on governance but not on the ground operations of running convention. LWVUS Board provides strategic guidance and has conversations on the direction the league needs to go. Board provides guidance to the staff on what they should be taking on tactically. The US board has several committees and boards on ● Carol West, GT – US website is difficult to use. A lot of people in Tucson are confused because of messages from national and local leagues confusion over who are members. Liz: On LWVUS website, use
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016 links at bottom to provide direct feedback. This will also be shared from the board. ● Rex Graham, GT – DEI initiative and webinar. These webinars can be very effective for national to communicate with the state and local leagues on a regular basis would be very effective. These are a good opportunity to communicate. Have these be regular communication exchanges not just one-off webinars. Liz: There are a lot of webinars on the bottom of the US website league management site. The league management site has no password so it is accessible but not the front page news. FB group LWV New Media is very helpful. ● New LWVUS IT group is taking agile software management approach to provide incremental improvements to items like roster management so that it can be more frequent (not just one annual push). Technology strategy is about meeting people where they are. There will be further development in that area. Bonnie Saunders recommends that clear instructions are needed. Robyn P-B is a state roster manager and can help. Roster managers need to move to the new system. ● Liz: Brand management – need to make younger generations aware of what LWV is. Communications team is engaged in that, but as members and leaders, we all need to go and recruit. Get high schoolers registered to vote but events like that reach younger generations and get the LWV name out to them. Where can you go talk to people and reach out to them? Where are the young people gathering? Meet them there. We need a broader strategy for engaging millennials. This needs to be discussed now ● for convention. LWV needs to think more agile. We cannot just plan 1 year out now. ● We need to be able to update positions in an agile fashion so that we cannot just update them every 2 years. ● Need help/toolkit to talk in short effective catchy phrases on social media with the younger generation. Need to know what social media to use to reach kids since kids are no longer use Facebook and some of the more mature tools. This is an area where national can help. ● Becky Sayler, NWMC – We are a non-partisan group. Liz: LWV cares if a bill is a good bill or a good piece of legislation. We need to work with people trying to push good bills and good legislation. Voting and participating in democracy should not be a partisan exercise. Our stances come from a discussion of what is good policy.
LUNCHEON & SPEAKER: Terri Farneti introduce speaker, Tammy Parise - Partnership Specialist, U.S. Census Bureau
Robyn Prud’homme-Bauer adjourned the convention at 1:00 pm
Respectfully submitted by: Melanie Maguire, LWVAZ Secretary
Reviewed by: Robyn Prud’homme-Bauer, Co-President, LWVAZ
Kathy Kinsella Alice Stambaugh `
Date May 19, 2019
Convention Minutes Committee
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016
Appendix I: Public Policy Positions 2019-2021
Adopted by the League of Women Voters of Arizona State Convention, May 19, 2019. GOVERNMENT During the 1960’s LWVAZ adopted the following positions: AZ Executive Branch, Legislative and Congressional Redistricting and Judicial Selection and Tenure. In the 1970’s LWVAZ adopted the following positions: Arizona Election Law, Initiative and Referendum, and County Government. In the 1980’s LWVAZ adopted the following positions: Campaign Finance Reform and Arizona Corporation Commission. In the 1990’s LWVAZ adopted the following positions: Juvenile Justice. Between 2000 and 2013, LWVAZ adopted the following positions: Election Systems Reform and a new AZ Executive Branch position. In 2017, LWVAZ adopted a newly reorganized government positions with updated areas of voter registrations, voting options, and voting systems; and a newly adopted position on the AZ Legislative Branch.
ARIZONA ELECTION SYSTEMS AND LAW
➢ The League of Women Voters of Arizona supports an accessible system of voter registration and election participation, with uniform and standardized procedures throughout the state. ➢ The League of Women Voters of Arizona believes in the election system principle that "every vote should count”. Providing for the broadest voter representation possible in elections should have a positive effect on voter participation. ➢ The League of Women Voters of Arizona supports measures to ensure the regular redistricting of Arizona legislative and congressional districts on an "equal population" basis. ➢ The League of Women Voters of Arizona believes that the political process must be open, equitable and honest. The process must provide opportunity for maximum citizen participation as candidates, uninhibited by the costs of running a campaign. There should be limits on the size and type of campaign contributions. There should be full disclosure of contributions and expenditures to combat undue influence in the electoral and governmental processes. ➢ The League of Women Voters of Arizona believes in the constitutional right of the people to enact direct legislation (enacting, amending, or repealing legislative acts and amending the Arizona Constitution).
Election Systems
The LWVAZ supports the following registration procedures, voting options, and voting systems in addition to those required under the National Voting Rights Act (VRA), Help America Vote Act (HAVA) and the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA). All registration procedures, voting options and systems should be accessible to all, easy to administer, and have appropriate security measures to prevent fraud or technology disruptions.
Voter Registration Procedures:
● Automatic registration ● Universal registration ● Permanent portable registration ● Mail-in registration ● Online registration
Voting Options:
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016
● Early voting in person and by mail ● Traditional polling places ● Voting Centers
Voting Systems:
● The LWVAZ supports a voting system that would more accurately represent the electorate, specifically the Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) system for single seat races, and the adoption of proportional representation for multi-seat races. ● The LWVAZ supports the monitoring of vote counting in state and local elections. ● The LWVAZ supports increased voter education as an essential part of all elections.
Legislative and Congressional Redistricting
The LWVAZ supports:
● The retention of an independent commission to redistrict legislative and congressional districts at regular intervals, subject to judicial review. The Legislature itself should not be the reapportioning agency. ● Legislative districts that provide equitable representation, accountability and responsibility, competitive elections, and close contact with constituents. (Footnote: To allow for greater flexibility, this position was amended on March 5, 2005, by removing the words "single member." As background information, three points were made: 1) impacts may differ in rural and urban districts, 2) the change is neither an automatic endorsement for multi-member districts nor an automatic opposition to single member districts, 3) even members who strongly favor multi-member districts often do so only when such districts are accompanied by other electoral changes.)
Campaign Finance
The LWVAZ supports:
● An income tax check-off to provide partial funding of legislative elections through the subsidy of some television time for issue discussion by ballot qualified candidates. ● A requirement for complete financial disclosure by candidates for public office. ● A cap on gifts to public officials, and reporting of all gifts. ● Prohibiting elected officials lobbying for remuneration of any kind for at least one year after leaving office. ● Prohibiting elected officials from using surplus campaign funds for personal use, or from taking them along when leaving office. ● All government agencies being required to report all their lobbying activities, expenditures and gifts to public officials.
Initiative & Referendum
The LWVAZ supports:
● The requirement that only qualified electors (registered voters) may sign any initiative, referendum or recall petition. ● The reduction of the required number of signatures on a statutory initiative petition to qualify placing it on the ballot from ten percent to not more than eight percent of the votes cast for governor at the last
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016
gubernatorial election. ● The amendment of the constitution to limit the power of the Legislature to repeal or amend the initiative or referendum measures by means such as requiring more than just majority approval, or setting a minimum time limit before the Legislature can act on such measures, or some other limitation short of complete elimination of power. ● The disclosure of financial contributions to committees supporting and opposing an initiative and referendum.
ARIZONA EXECUTIVE BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT
The League of Women Voters of Arizona supports measures to strengthen the executive branch of state government, and to integrate its administration by centralizing authority and responsibility in the governor's office.
The League of Women Voters of Arizona believes that a clear line of succession in the Executive Branch of the State of Arizona should be more obvious to the public than it is in the current system where the Secretary of State assumes the role of Governor in times of absence, removal, resignation, death or other such changes. To avoid mid-term changes in party, continuity problems or policy reversals, League of Women Voters of Arizona supports the creation of an Office of Lieutenant Governor with duties separate from that of the Secretary of State.
In addition, the League of Women Voters of Arizona believes that the governor and the elected office, which is next in line of succession to the governor, should run on the same party ticket. If that office continues to be held by the Secretary of State, League of Women Voters Arizona strongly believe that all partisan aspects of elections should be removed from the jurisdiction of the Secretary of State and managed by an independent body/commission.
ARIZONA LEGISLATIVE BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT
The League of Women Voters of Arizona supports a legislative bill-making process that protects the citizen’s right to know by giving adequate notice of proposed actions, providing opportunities for timely public input, holding open meetings and making public records accessible.
The League of Women Voters of Arizona supports four-year terms for all State Legislators, with no limit on the number of terms which they may serve.
The League of Women Voters of Arizona supports strong, enforceable conflict of interest legislation. Expansion of the support statement: Public service is a public trust, requiring officials and employees to place loyalty to the citizens, the laws, and ethical principles above private gain. Following ethical guidelines and eliminating any improprieties, or even the appearance of potential corruption, is imperative to restoring the public's trust in government. The public has a right to expect public officials to put interests of the general citizenry above those of the personal interest of the official, his/her family, any special interest groups or dark money groups that may have or continue to provide financial support to them. The League of Women Voters of Arizona supports strict adherence to the ethical principles which avoid any improprieties or the appearance thereof by full conflict of interest disclosure and voter recusal provisions.
To determine whether a substantial interest exists, the public officer should ask:
1. Could the decision affect, either positively or negatively, an interest of the officer or employee or the
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016
officer’s or employee’s relative?
2. Is the interest a pecuniary or proprietary interest? Could it affect a financial interest or ownership interest?
3. Is the interest something that is not statutorily designated as a remote interest?
If the answer to each of these questions is yes, then a substantial interest exists that requires disclosure and disqualification by the public officer or employee. The public officer or employee must file a conflict-of- interest form which fully discloses the substantial interest with the appropriate agency or governmental unit, and must refrain from participating in any manner in discussions or decisions relating to the matter.
The League of Women Voters of Arizona supports increase in pay for legislators.
ARIZONA JUDICIAL BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT
The League of Women Voters of Arizona supports the selection of judges by appointment, with voter approval for retention; adequate judicial salaries; longer terms; higher qualifications for justices of the peace and magistrates; a judicial nominating commission, responsible to the governor; and a competency review commission.
To assure that our judges are free of political bias and possessed of the proper qualities of temperament and intellect, and yet retain ultimate control of the courts in the hands of the people.
The League of Women Voters of Arizona supports:
● Appointment of judges by the governor from list of qualified nominees submitted by a bipartisan commission of legal and lay members. ● Retention of a judge in office, after an established period of time, only by a "yes" vote of the people, a "no" vote requiring a new appointment by the governor.
(This system of judicial selection and tenure was implemented in Pima, Maricopa, Pinal, and Coconino counties after they reached the constitutionally required population of 250,000. Counties not having reached that population can adopt merit selection by a vote of their electorate. Although we have basically accomplished our goal, we retain the position because in each session of the Legislature, there are efforts to return to the old elective system.)
JUVENILE JUSTICE
The League of Women Voters of Arizona supports early intervention programs beginning in elementary schools with the help of:
● counselors, social workers, psychologists, volunteers in school programs and individualized programs, including those that foster self-esteem, ● clinics on parenting skills, ● conflict resolution skills training, ● drug education.
Funding for the above should come from federal, state, local, private, and corporate sources.
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The League of Women Voters of Arizona supports measures for adequate funding with emphasis on prevention, rehabilitation, incarceration and non-incarceration facilities, and intervention programs, trained personnel and education for parents of problem children. State funding should be dispersed to the local levels.
The League of Women Voters of Arizona believes that programs and policies should be adopted which promote rehabilitation and education within the Juvenile Justice system and should include:
● schooling while in detention, ● counseling for the family and the individual while in detention, and ● alternative living and educational programs and experiences to prevent and discontinue gang involvement.
The League Women Voters of Arizona believes that for the protection of the community and schools, delinquent children should:
● receive swift and firm justice, ● be removed from dysfunctional homes after family intervention and long-term family counseling, and ● be treated as an individual according to the age, need and type of crime and be sent first to juvenile court.
The League of Women Voters of Arizona supports laws that include:
● swift punishment for weapon possession by juveniles, ● swift and harsh punishment of adults who provide weapons to juveniles, ● the exchange of records among schools, court and social agencies but not to the public or the media, ● a juvenile hearing before transfer to adult court.
The League of Women Voters of Arizona supports the concept of an approach to juvenile problems through Restorative Justice programs, which give priority to and accountability for wrongdoing by repairing the damage or harm done to victims and the community through a process of victim involvement, community participation, mediation and reparation. Skilled mediators should be involved in this process.
LOWER COURT REFORM
The League of Women Voters of Arizona supports legislation which would give Arizona counties the option to consolidate their lower courts in order to promote uniformity in the administration and quality of justice, and effectiveness and efficiency in court administration.
ARIZONA CORPORATION COMMISSION
The League of Women Voters of Arizona supports adequate protection and representation of consumers, including residential consumers, in the Arizona Corporation Commission process and supports measures to encourage conservation as well as the development and use of renewable energy sources.
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016
COUNTY GOVERNMENT
The League of Women Voters of Arizona supports an amendment to the Arizona Constitution to permit counties to decide, by a vote of the people in each county, the governmental structure which best meets county needs.
The LWV of Metropolitan Phoenix supports home rule for Maricopa County. The LWV of Greater Tucson supports a long term goal of consolidated government for Pima County. The League position supporting local option for county governmental structure gives the LWVAZ a position from which to lobby, but does not restrict other local Leagues from positions they may take regarding their own county government.
SOCIAL POLICY
REPRODUCTIVE CHOICE
Concurrence 1983; Reviewed 1995
The League of Women Voters of Arizona believes in the constitutional right of privacy of the individual to make reproductive choices.
HUMAN NEEDS
Consensus 1971; Revised 1985; Reviewed 1995, Amended 2007
The League of Women of Arizona supports a state system that provides for a positive program to assist the economically disadvantaged in obtaining a greater measure of financial, physical and personal well-being, with emphasis on meeting basic human needs rather than on maintaining minimum expenditures.
In order to assist persons in need, to assure the basic essentials of health and adequate standards of living, reduce dependency, and break the welfare cycle, the state of Arizona should:
● Assure supportive programs and services integrated with those for the general public on an available- to- pay basis, including legal services, comprehensive health care, child care, transportation, family planning, home management, family counseling, vocational training, and educational enrichment. ● Work with private and public agencies, and utilize community services to the fullest. ● Encourage recipients to work when possible, with child care, counseling, job training and financial incentives available and to participate in program development and implementation. ● Disseminate information on welfare programs and interpret the needs of the community to the public. ● Provide adequate funds for capable, qualified staff, manageable caseloads, information and referral services, and accessible office facilities. ● Administer funds and programs wisely, according to sound management and accounting principles, while preserving the rights and dignity of recipients
VICTIMIZATION OF CHILDREN AND INTRAFAMILIAL ABUSE
Adopted 1985; Revised 1995
The League of Women Voters of Arizona believes that government, both state and local, including the state
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016 legislature and state and local agencies, should assure that necessary services are readily available to serve and protect the abused. These persons should be the focus of careful and timely long- range planning by these agencies and by the courts.
Adequate resource allocations shall be made within child protective and state agency budgets, within police and law enforcement budgets, and within the court system to assure the proper training and education of those who deal with these issues. The League of Women Voters of Arizona supports violence prevention programs in all communities and action to support:
● Public and private development and coordination of programs that emphasize the primary prevention of violence. ● The active role of government and social institutions in preventing violent behavior. ● The allocation of public monies in government programs to prevent violence.
EDUCATION
This position was originally adopted in 1979 and included public school finance, funding sources for schools, citizen participation and other concerns. In 1999 the position on charter schools was added and in 2005 the high stakes testing position was added. In 2017, LWVAZ adopted an updated education position.
Public School Finance
The Arizona State Constitution states that the legislature shall enact such laws as shall provide for the establishment and maintenance of a general and uniform public school system, which system shall include: 1. Kindergarten schools. 2. Common schools. 3. High schools. 4. Normal schools. 5. Industrial schools. 6.
Universities…and for the care and education for hearing and vision impaired students. The state constitution declares that the revenue for the maintenance of the state’s educational institutions shall be derived from the investment of the proceeds of the sale and rental of trust lands and from “appropriations, to be met by taxation, as shall insure the proper maintenance of all state educational institutions, and shall make such special appropriations as shall provide for their development and improvement.” (Arizona Const., Article XI, Sec. 10)
As the Arizona Constitution recognizes education’s importance, so too does the League of Women Voters of Arizona (LWVAZ) see the importance of high quality education for this state’s citizens: 1) to lead satisfying lives, 2) to qualify for the increasingly challenging jobs in today’s and tomorrow’s economy, and 3) to function successfully as informed citizens of the United States’ democracy.
Therefore, the LWVAZ supports funding of a public education system that results in the uniform opportunity for all students to master the attitudes, knowledge, and skills necessary to thrive in a competitive and changing world.
More specifically, the LWVAZ supports the following:
Funding for Quality
● The primary goal of state and local school governing bodies is the achievement of the best quality education for the students in their districts / schools. ● The establishment of criteria for a best quality education for all students must be made prior to
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016 determining the formula for the distribution of monies. ● The criteria must be based always on current research, thought, and best practices regarding teaching and learning, and other factors impacting academic success such as school readiness, attendance, parent engagement, and enrichment programs beyond the normal school day / calendar year.
Collection of Funds
Funds for education in Arizona are collected through district property taxes and equalized through state income and sales taxes from the State’s General Fund. In addition, the League supports:
● Continued use of the state trust land’s income from the Permanent Fund Investments. Funds determined through a public initiative or referendum. ● Funds generated through development impact fees. ● Bond and override funds determined by a majority of district voters.
Adequate Funding Formula
The LWVAZ recognizes the inequities of the local school property tax. Therefore, the League supports a state funding formula which provides for:
● Decreased reliance on the local school district property tax and increased reliance on statewide taxes for support of public school education. ● Taxation by the state legislature to support public schools by a simple majority vote. ● An inflation allowance. ● A defined basic amount of money for each student. ● Financing over and above the basic amount to ensure equal opportunity for each student. ● Uniform maintenance of buildings. ● Uniform supplies. ● Nationally competitive salaries that recognize strong leaders, as well as experience and quality teaching. ● New monies that do not supplant present state funding.
Distribution of Funds
The LWVAZ supports a uniform distribution of state funds to include:
● Capital funding. ● Additional allocations which are made based on recognition of differences in needs among district schools and between district and charter schools. ● Funds for special needs of students. ● Funds for the entire duration of mandated programs. ● Allocations for social services for students and their families. ● Allocations for safe, adequate and reliable transportation separate from base maintenance and operation support.
Fiscal Accountability
● All schools using public funds, including public charter schools, will be held fiscally accountable and will be held to the same standards of transparent operation that ensure fiscal accountability.
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016
● The district and charter school budget format should call for specific information, such as program detail, salary schedules, and capital improvement programs
The LWVAZ opposes tax “credits” and funding schemes that divert and distort the distribution of funds intended to ensure a quality education for all children in Arizona public schools.
Therefore, the LWVAZ opposes vouchers to private schools, tuition tax credits, waivers, or direct payments to parents for school expenses of their children (as in Empowerment Scholarship Accounts). Public funds should be used only for public schools.
Local Participation in Decision Making & Distribution of Funds
The LWVAZ supports the principle that the governmental entity closest to the school district constituency can best make decisions that will enhance the equal educational opportunity for all students. Therefore, the League urges these policies:
● The state distributes funds uniformly to public school districts and charters, and sets minimal general educational guidelines without inhibiting local decision making. ● The state will maintain a policy of local control on spending decisions, including ability to bond for school renovation and for capital improvements, as well as measures to equalize the ability of school districts to finance those portions of their budgets for which they are responsible on the local level. ● Local district and charter school governing bodies determine how funds are allocated in school budgets.
The LWVAZ, always encouraging responsive government and informed citizen participation, believes that citizen participation is essential, in the district and charter school budgeting process. Therefore, the League supports the following:
● Advisory committees open to all citizens in the school community that provide citizen input into the district and public charter school budgetary processes. ● Timely citizen input into the district or public charter school budgetary process that allows for informed citizen influence on the allocation of funds in the budget.
Public Education Instruction
Academic Assessments
The LWVAZ believes that no single assessment should be the deciding factor for graduation from high school. Therefore, the League supports a diploma being awarded to students who satisfactorily complete their course work.
The LWVAZ supports the use of district, state and/or other government-mandated assessments for the following purposes:
● Identifying and alleviating students’ academic difficulties in a timely manner. ● Identifying necessary changes in curriculum, methods, and materials.
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016
The LWVAZ believes it is important for district and/or statewide assessments to be well-crafted, meaningful, and well-matched with the Arizona Standards.
Therefore, the League supports the following:
● Utilizing Arizona K-12 educators to develop and write the questions for district and/or statewide assessments and educators from institutions of higher learning to evaluate these tests in their areas of expertise. ● Validating the tests to be sure they reflect the Arizona Standards and appropriate grade level academic proficiency.
If state and/or government-mandated assessment testing is required for high school graduation in Arizona, the League recognizes that provisions need to be made for those who fail. Therefore, the League supports retesting students who fail required state and/or government-mandated assessment(s) during their high school years.
Curricular areas not specifically tested or required as part of state and/or government-mandated assessments (such as vocational/technical/career education, visual and performing arts, social studies, science, health and physical education) shall be encouraged and shall not be curtailed.
Charter Schools
The LWVAZ acknowledges that charter schools are public schools that are privately operated. Therefore, the League supports the following for charter schools:
● Provide charter schools more initial direction as they are started and organized, and continued oversight to comply with legal requirements. ● Hold charter schools to the same high standards as all Arizona public district schools. ● Charter schools that close must provide proper and timely notification to students’ parents/guardians, as well as plan for an orderly transfer of students to an academically appropriate alternative. Further, charter school operators must return property purchased with state funds and return any unspent state funds that have been appropriated from the Arizona General Fund.
With respect to Charter Schools, the LWVAZ also has the following concerns:
● Funding for charter schools may negatively impact funds available for public district schools. ● Charter schools may not be utilizing standardized sequential curriculum.
Additional Education Policies & Practices:
The LWVAZ supports the following policies and practices that relate to public district and charter schools:
● All public schools should be permitted and encouraged to innovate. They must be allowed flexibility on class size, length of school day, teaching techniques, and special subject focus (such as science, the arts, technology). ● All public district and charter school teachers must be certified by the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) as “well-qualified”. ● Annual and equitable academic evaluation of charter and district schools should occur. ● The ADE should be sufficiently staffed to ensure student achievement is properly monitored in both
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016 public district and charter schools. ● The school curriculum for both public district and charter schools must comply with standards set by the Arizona State Board of Education. ● School ranking must not be based solely on test scores. ● Public information about public district and charter schools must be accessible to all. ● An efficient system of tracking students as they move between schools/participate in open enrollment or other school choice options must be developed and adopted. ● School districts should be reorganized only if doing so will enhance the education of all students in the reorganized districts.
NATURAL RESOURCES
LAND USE
Consensus 1975; Reviewed 1995
The League of Women Voters of Arizona supports:
● Action to achieve a physical environment beneficial to life, with emphasis on achieving an optimum balance between human needs and the carrying capacity of the land and its resources. ● Statewide land use planning which should include economic, social and environmental components, basic services, transportation, new concepts of community design, the best use of resource conservation measures in land use planning, with emphasis on the effects of population growth and distribution. ● Measures to preserve open space and natural habitat, identify and regulate areas of critical concern, including fragile areas, historic areas, riparian habitats, renewable resource lands, and natural hazard lands. ● Statewide authority over areas and activities outside of local government jurisdiction, or which their governmental bodies fail to regulate. ● Protection of private property in accordance with the Fifth Amendment, but retaining the government's right to regulate the use of land through its power to protect the public health, welfare and safety, the decision whether a regulation constitutes a partial taking should be determined by the courts. ● Requirements for evaluation of economic, social and environmental impacts of major land use projects, whether initiated by government agencies or by private interests. ● Policies which assure the quality of the environment for people of all economic levels. ● Increased coordination and communication among land use agencies at all levels of government, and between those agencies and the public. ● Requiring any boards, commissions or agencies having authority or responsibility over land use planning to be comprised of individuals representing a balance of diverse citizen interests and concerns. ● Public input into all stages of planning and decision making. ● Increased technical and financial assistance to localities for growth management, encouragement of local communities to use innovative planning and regulatory techniques, and to incorporate measures to conserve energy, integrate transportation planning, consider availability of water and other resources.
WATER
Consensus 1975, 1979; Revised 1995, Amended 2009
The League of Women Voters of Arizona supports the following goals:
Water resource management should ensure:
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016
● The sustainability and long term productivity of water resources of the state and their future availability at reasonable costs. Reasonable cost is defined as costs that fairly and accurately reflect the value of this precious resource. ● The equitable utilization of water resources. ● Conservation of water resources. ● Prevention of harmful contamination of our surface and groundwater supplies from all sources. ● Coordination at all levels of government (federal, state and local) in planning for and managing water resources. ● Availability of detailed information on all groundwater withdrawal and hydraulic characteristics of aquifers. ● Energy consideration to be included as part of any water management plan. ● Public participation at all levels of water resource management planning.
Arizona water laws should:
● Reflect the hydrologic cycle and treat all water as interrelated. ● Recognize and provide for physical differences between various areas of the state. ● Define and quantify ground and surface rights. ● Consider priority of use and coordination of planning for water and land if water rights are transferred. ● Recognize riparian habitats as beneficial use. ● Assure that riparian habitats and in stream flows are protected when any new water rights are granted, or when there are water exchanges or changed uses. ● Clarify and strengthen instream flow rights. ● Provide for incentives for stream/habitat restoration. ● Provide authority to: - Monitor water use; - Limit non-beneficial or wasteful use; - Limit new water uses in areas of long-term shortages; - Decide which users should have priorities in times of shortages.
The administration of the above should be determined at the state level, with emphasis on implementation and enforcement at the local or regional level.
Require conservation of water by large individual users, such as large industries and agricultural entities, and encourage conservation by all other users. Tax incentives should be utilized.
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Appendix J: Current Bylaws
Amended: 2020
BYLAWS OF THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF ARIZONA
ARTICLE I – NAME
Section 1 Name. The name of this organization shall be the League of Women Voters of Arizona, hereinafter referred to in these Bylaws as LWVAZ, or as the League. This League is an integral part of the League of Women Voters of the United States, hereinafter referred to as the LWVUS.
ARTICLE II – PURPOSE AND POLICIES
Section 1 Purposes. a. To promote political responsibility through informed and active participation in government. b. To act on selected governmental issues.
Section 2. Policies. The Policies of LWVAZ are: a. Political Policy. The League shall not support or oppose any political party or any candidate. b. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Policy. The League is fully committed to ensure compliance --in principle and in practice—with LWVAZ’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Policy.
ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Eligibility. Any person who subscribes to the purposes and policy of the LWVUS shall be eligible for membership.
Section 2. Types of Membership. a. Voting Members. Persons at least 16 years of age who join the League shall be voting members of local Leagues, state Leagues and of the LWVUS; (1) those who live within an area of a local League may join that League or any other local League; (2) those who reside outside the area of any local League may join a local League or shall be state members-at-large; (3) those who have been members of the League for 50 years or more shall be life members excused from the payment of dues; (4) those who are students are defined as individuals enrolled either as full or part time with an accredited institution. b. Associate Members. All others who join the League shall be associate members.
ARTICLE IV – OFFICERS
Section 1. Enumeration, Terms, and Election of Officers. The officers of the LWVAZ shall be a President, a Secretary, and a Treasurer. The officers shall be elected every two years by the regular biennial Convention, hereinafter referred to as the Convention. They shall hold office until the conclusion of the next Convention or until their successors have been elected and qualified or, in the case of the outgoing Treasurer, until the end of that fiscal year (Article IX, Sect.1). In special circumstances, with Board approval, an officer who has already served at least one full term may be elected for a term of one additional year.
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Section 2. Co-officers. The Nominating Committee may nominate Co-officers for any office, as long as one of the officers is willing to be designated as “(Officer Title) of Record”. Each shared office will have one vote.
Section 3. The President. The President shall preside at all meetings of the organization, the Executive Committee and of the Board of Directors unless the President designates someone to preside in the President’s stead. The President may, in the absence or disability of the Treasurer, sign or endorse checks, and authorize payments by check or credit card. The President shall be, ex-officio, a member of all committees except the Nominating Committee. The President shall have such usual powers of supervision and management as may pertain to the office of President, and shall perform such other duties as may be designated by the Board of Directors. All references to President shall extend to Co-Presidents, in the presence of such. In the event of absence, resignation, disability, or death of one Co-President, the other Co-President shall serve as the President, if willing.
Section 4. The Secretary. The Secretary shall keep minutes of Convention/ Council and meetings of the Board of Directors. The Secretary shall notify all officers and directors of their election, shall sign with the President all contracts and other instruments when so authorized by the Board and shall perform such other functions as may be incident to the office. The Secretary shall keep a written record of topics discussed and any vote taken at a special meeting (Article V, Sect.6.). The Secretary shall perform such additional duties as the President and Board may designate. And, in the event of absence, resignation, disability, or death of the President, the Secretary shall possess all the powers and perform all the duties of the office.
Section 5. The Treasurer. The Treasurer shall collect and receive all monies due, be the custodian of these monies, deposit said monies in a bank or banks designated by the Board of Directors and disburse the same upon order of the Board of Directors. The Treasurer shall present statements to the Board of Directors at its regular meetings and an annual report to Convention/Council. The out-going Treasurer is responsible for closing the books at the end of each fiscal year, including the year in which the term ends. The out-going Treasurer shall coordinate with the incoming Treasurer, who will then, after the books and audit are closed, assume responsibility for the new fiscal year. The Treasurer will coordinate that audit with the Board at the end of the Treasurer’s term of office. The Treasurer shall perform such additional duties as the President and Board may designate. And, in the event of absence, resignation, disability, or death of the Secretary, the Treasurer shall possess all the powers and perform all the duties of the office.
ARTICLE V – BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Section 1. Number, Manner of Selection, and Term of Office. The Board of Directors of the LWVAZ, hereinafter referred to as the State Board or the Board, shall consist of voting members of the Board: the officers, two directors from each local League appointed by that local League Board, hereinafter referred to as local League directors; and not more than two directors appointed by the LWVAZ Board as it deems necessary. Co-directors may not be appointed to a single director position from local Leagues or by the Board. All directors shall be voting members of the LWVAZ and shall serve terms of two years beginning at the Convention and expiring at the conclusion of the next Convention.
Section 2. Qualifications. Persons elected or appointed or who continue to serve as an officer or director of the LWVAZ must be: a) a voting member of the League of Women Voters of the United States; b) enrolled in a local League in Arizona; or c) a member-at-large of the LWVAZ.
Section 3. Vacancies/Absences. Any vacancy occurring among the officers or the two Board-appointed directors may be filled until term completion by a majority vote of the remaining members of the Board.
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Vacancies in local League director positions will be filled by the relevant local League. The Board may declare vacant the office of a director due to resignation, death, disability or removal for cause. Two absences from Board meetings of any member in one fiscal year without valid reason shall be deemed a resignation.
Section 4. Powers and Duties. The Board shall have full charge of the property and business of the LWVAZ and full power and authority to manage and conduct the same, subject to the instructions of Convention. The Board shall plan and direct the work necessary to carry out the program on selected governmental issues as adopted by the Convention. It shall accept responsibility delegated to it by the Board of Directors of the LWVUS for the organization and development of local Leagues, for the carrying out of program and for promotion in the Local Leagues of finance programs requisite to further the work of the League as a whole, including transmission of funds toward the support of an adequate state and national budget. The Board shall arrange, with the Treasurer, an audit consistent with the Treasurer’s term of office. The Board shall create and designate such committees as it may deem necessary.
Section 5. Regular Meetings. There shall be at least four regular meetings of the State Board annually. The President or Secretary shall notify each member of the Board of all regular meetings at least two weeks before any such meeting, giving an agenda, including time and place of meeting. Regular Board meetings may be held by any electronic or virtual means that allow all persons participating in the meeting to communicate with each other at the same time, such as online or telephone conference services. At least one regular Board meeting each year shall be held in-person.
Section 6. Special Meetings. The President may call special meetings of the Board or shall call a special meeting upon the written or electronically transmitted request of three members of the Board. The President may use electronic means to contact Board members between regular meetings when necessary on those issues needing a decision before the next scheduled Board meeting. All notices of special meetings shall state the question to be considered, and all resolutions of that meeting shall be recorded by the Secretary. Special Board meetings may be held by any electronic or virtual means that allow all persons participating in the meeting to communicate with each other at the same time, such as online or telephone conference services.
Section 7. Quorum. A majority of the members of the Board shall constitute a quorum. Board members may participate in-person or via online or telephone conference services that allow all persons participating in the meeting to communicate with each other at the same time. Participation by such means shall constitute presence in person at a meeting. In the absence of a quorum, a vote may be taken electronically. An affirmative response from the majority of the Board shall constitute approval of the motion.
ARTICLE VI – EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Section 1. Number and Manner of Selection. The Executive Committee shall include the President, the Secretary, the Treasurer, and one director selected by the President from among the local league directors on the LWVAZ Board. In case of co-officers the “Officer of Record” shall be the one who serves.
Section 2. Powers.
a. This Committee shall conduct necessary business arising between meetings of the Board, not entailing program direction change. b. A full report of the Executive Committee meeting shall be presented at the next meeting of the Board.
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c. Meetings shall be held at the call of the President or any two of the other three members of the Executive Committee. The President may poll members or hold meetings by any electronic means. d. A majority of members of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum under the same terms stated in Article V, Sect. 7.
ARTICLE VII – COMMITTEES
Section 1. Creation of Committees. The Board may appoint standing or ad hoc committees as it deems necessary to accomplish the work of the LWVAZ.
Section 2. Committee Membership, Charge, and Authority. The local League Boards shall appoint members from their Leagues to serve on statewide committees. The LWVAZ Board shall appoint a chairperson for each committee and ensure that there is a written charge to the committee, including goals, timeline, and extent of its authority, and shall designate whether the committee is standing or ad hoc.
ARTICLE VIII – RECOGNITION OF LOCAL LEAGUES AND STATE LEAGUE UNITS
Section 1. Local Leagues. a. Local Leagues are those Leagues which have been so recognized by the League of Women Voters of the United States. b. The Board shall recommend to the National Board that it recognizes as a local League, any group of members of the LWVUS in any community within the state which has met qualifying standards for local Leagues as adopted by National Convention. c. In the event of recurring failure of a local League to meet qualifying standards, or for other reasons, the State Board shall recommend to the National Board that it withdraw recognition from that local League. All funds held by a local League from which recognition has been withdrawn shall be paid to the LWVAZ.
Section 2. State League Units. State League Units composed of members-at-large may be organized at the discretion of the State Board, which shall act as their governing body.
ARTICLE IX – FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATION
Section 1. Fiscal Year. The fiscal year of the LWVAZ shall coincide with that of the LWVUS and shall commence on the first of July of each year.
Section 2. Financial Support.
a. Financial support for the LWVAZ shall be assumed annually by the local Leagues. b. Members who are enrolled in local Leagues, except for Life Members, shall pay annual dues to the LWVAZ. Each local League shall send a per member payment to the LWVAZ, the amount to be determined at Convention by a three-fifths vote of those present and voting. c. When two or more members reside at the same address in a common household, dues for members other than the first member shall be reduced by one-half the per member payment to the National and State League or such other amount as shall be established. The minimum dues payable by members-at- large shall equal the combined state and national per member payment. d. The per member payment for a student shall be determined at Convention. A student is defined as an individual enrolled either full or part-time in an accredited institution.
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Section 3. Budget. a. The President shall appoint a Budget Committee, including at least two non-Board members, for the purpose of preparing a proposed Budget for the ensuing two fiscal years at least three months in advance of Convention. The Treasurer shall be an ex-officio member, not eligible to serve as Chair. This Budget shall provide for the support of the LWVAZ. b. The proposed budget shall be submitted to the State Board for approval. c. The Board shall submit to Convention for adoption, a Budget for the ensuing two fiscal years. A copy of the proposed Budget shall be included in the Call to Convention sent to each local League President at least one month in advance of Convention. d. Council may approve a revised biennial budget, if proposed by the State Board (Art. XI, Sect. 3). The proposed revised budget shall be included in the Call to Council sent to each local League President at least one month in advance of Council.
Section 4. Distribution of Funds on Dissolution. In the event of dissolution for any cause of the LWVAZ, all monies and securities which may at that time be owned by or under the absolute control of the LWVAZ shall be paid to the League of Women Voters of the United States, after the Board of Directors has paid or made provision for the payment of all the liabilities of the LWVAZ. All other property of whatsoever nature, whether real, personal, or mixed, which may at that time be owned by or under the control of the LWVAZ shall be disposed of by any officer or employee of the LWVAZ for such public, charitable or educational uses and purposes as may be designated by the then LWVAZ.
ARTICLE X– CONVENTION
Section 1. Place, Date and Call. A Convention of the LWVAZ shall be held biennially in odd-numbered years at a time and place to be determined by the Board. The President shall send a First Call to Convention to the Presidents of the local Leagues not less than three months prior to the opening date of Convention. Thereafter, the Board may advance or postpone the opening date of Convention by not more than three weeks. A final Call for Convention shall be sent to the Presidents of the local Leagues and State Units at least one month before Convention.
Section 2. Composition. The Convention shall consist of a) the delegates chosen by the members through the local Leagues and State Units in the number provided in Section 4 of this Article; b) the Presidents of the local Leagues or an alternate in the event that President is unable to attend; and c) the members of the State Board.
Section 3. Qualifications for Voting at Convention. Each delegate shall be a voting member a) enrolled in a local League which has met its per member payment, although the State Board may make an exception in the case of proven hardship; or b) enrolled as a member-at-large in the LWVAZ; or c) a member of the State Board. Each delegate shall be entitled to only one vote at Convention even though attending in two or more capacities. Absentee or proxy voting shall not be permitted. The Convention delegates shall be the sole judge of whether a delegate is qualified to vote.
Section 4. Representation. The members of the LWVUS who are organized into recognized local Leagues in Arizona shall be entitled to voting representation at Convention as follows: each local League is entitled to one delegate chosen by the local League in addition to the President of the local League or an alternate in the event the President is unable to attend. Each local League having more than fifteen voting members shall be entitled to another additional delegate for each additional twenty-five members or major fraction
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thereof. The record in the State office of paid voting members as of January 31 of said year shall determine official membership for this purpose. The members of each State Unit shall be entitled to also choose one delegate.
Section 5. Powers. The Convention shall consider and authorize a program for action, shall elect officers, directors, and a Nominating Committee Chair for a two-year period. It shall adopt a budget for the next two fiscal years, establish per member payments for the next two years, review the Bylaws, and transact such other business as may come before it.
Section 6. Quorum. Twenty percent of the possible number of voting delegates, other than the Board, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at Convention, provided that there is representation from at least fifty percent of the local Leagues.
ARTICLE XI– COUNCIL
Section 1. Place, Date and Call. A meeting of Council shall be held in the interim year between Convention approximately twelve (12) months after the preceding Convention at a time and place to be determined by the Board. A formal Call to Council shall be sent by the President of the LWVAZ to the Presidents of the local Leagues and State Units at least one month before the opening date of Council.
Section 2. Composition. The Council shall be composed of a) the Presidents of the local Leagues or an alternate in the event the President is unable to attend; b) two delegates chosen by each local League; c) one delegate from each State Unit; and d) the Board. Each delegate shall be entitled to one vote only at Council even though the delegate may be attending in two or more capacities. Absentee or proxy voting shall not be permitted. The Council delegates shall be the sole judge of whether a delegate is qualified to vote.
Section 3. Powers. The Council shall give guidance to the State Board on program, budget, and methods of work. The Council is authorized to change the program only in the event of an emergency, provided a) notice of the proposed changes shall have been sent to the local League Presidents at least two months in advance of Council, and b) the change is adopted by a two-thirds vote. The Council shall review the budget for the ensuing year and may approve a revised budget (Art.IX, Sect.3). The Council shall transact such other business as shall be presented by the Board.
Section 4. Quorum. A quorum shall consist of not less than two-thirds of the local League representatives authorized under Section 2 of this Article, other than the Board of Directors, for the transaction of business at a Council meeting.
ARTICLE XII – NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS
Section 1. Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee shall consist of an elected Chair, representatives from each Local League plus one or two members of the Board. The Chairperson, who shall not be a member of the LWVAZ Board, shall be elected by Convention and shall hold office until the conclusion of the next regular biennial Convention. Each local League (except the League to which the elected Chairperson belongs) shall appoint a member to the Nominating Committee within six months of the closing day of Convention. The failure of a local League to appoint a representative in the prescribed length of time will not cause the actions of the Nominating Committee to be invalid.
Section 2. Suggestions for Nominations. The Chairperson of the Nominating Committee shall request from the local League Director/s or President, suggestions for nominations for the offices to be filled. Said
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League of Women Voters of Arizona 1934 E. Camelback Rd., Suite 120, #277, Phoenix, Arizona 85016 suggestions for nominations shall be received at least two months before the opening date of Convention. Any member may send suggestions to the Chair of the Nominating Committee.
Section 3. Report of the Nominating Committee and Nominating from the Floor. The report of the Nominating Committee shall be sent to the Board 6 weeks before the date of Convention. The report of the Nominating Committee, containing its nominations for officers and a chair for the next Nominating Committee, shall be presented to the delegates at Convention on the first day of Convention. Immediately following the presentation of this report, nominations may be made from the floor provided that the consent of the nominee has been obtained.
Section 4. Election. The election shall be by ballot, unless there is but one nominee for each office, when there shall be a voice vote. A majority vote of those present, qualified to vote and voting shall constitute an election. All voting shall be done in person; absentee or proxy voting shall not be permitted.
ARTICLE XIII – PRINCIPLES AND PROGRAM
Section 1. Principles. The governmental Principles adopted by the LWVUS Convention and supported by the Leagues as a whole constitutes the authorization for the adoption of program.
Section 2. Program. The Program of the LWVAZ shall consist of: a. Action to implement the Principles of the LWVUS and b. Those state governmental issues chosen by Convention for concerted study or concurrence and action.
Section 3. Program Selection. The Convention shall select the governmental issues for concerted study or concurrence and action using the following procedures: a. Local League boards may make recommendations for State Program to the Board prior to the last State Board meeting before Convention. The Board shall consider all recommendations and formulate a recommended program at its last Board meeting prior to Convention. b. A majority vote at the Convention shall be required for the adoption of the program recommended by the Board. c. Any recommendation for program submitted to the Board prior to its last Board meeting before Convention, but not recommended by the Board, may be adopted at Convention, provided consideration is ordered by a majority vote on the first day and on the following day, the proposal for adoption receives a two-thirds vote.
Section 4. Member Action. Members may act in the name of the LWVAZ only when authorized to do so by the Board. They may act only in conformity with, and not contrary to, positions taken by the LWVAZ and/or the LWVUS.
ARTICLE XIV– NATIONAL CONVENTION AND COUNCIL
Section 1. National Convention. The Board, at a meeting before the date on which the names of delegates must be sent to the LWVUS, shall elect delegates to Convention in the number allowed the LWVAZ under the provisions of the Bylaws of the LWVUS. The President shall have the power to fill any vacancy which may occur in the delegation.
Section 2. National Council. The Board, at a meeting before the date on which names of delegates must be
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sent to the LWVUS, shall elect delegates to National Council in the number allowed the LWVAZ. The President shall have the power to fill any vacancy which may occur in the delegation.
ARTICLE XV– AMENDMENTS
Section 1. Bylaws Committee: A Bylaws Committee shall be appointed by the President for the purpose of reviewing the Bylaws at least four months prior to Convention. The Chair of the Committee shall not be a member of the Board, although a Board member shall be a member of the Committee.
Section 2. Amendments. These Bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote at any Convention using the following procedures:
a. Proposals for change shall be submitted by any voting member or local League board to the Board at least three months prior to the opening day of Convention. All suggestions shall then be given to the Bylaws Committee for review prior to the last State Board meeting. b. All such proposed amendments, together with the recommendations of the Board, shall be part of the final Call, sent to the Presidents of local Leagues at least one month prior to the opening day of Convention.
Section 3. Conflict with Laws or National or State League Action. In the event that the Board of Directors determines that any provision of these Bylaws is inconsistent with current law or National or State League action, the Board may, by majority vote, amend the Bylaws to address the inconsistency, provided that: a. The President shall make a good faith effort to notify members promptly of the change and the reason for the change. Notice may be by any means, calculated to reach as many members as reasonably possible. b. Except for changes to these Bylaws required by LWVUS to conform to National Bylaws, Board-approved changes shall be effective only until the next Convention or Council at which time, the membership shall determine whether the amendment shall be permanently incorporated into the Bylaws or shall be eliminated or modified in some other manner.
ARTICLE XVI-- PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
Section 1. Parliamentary Authority. The rules contained in Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the corporation in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with the Bylaws of the LWVAZ
Adopted: May 14, 1950
Amended: May 1987, May 1997, May 2001, May 2007, May 2011, May 2015, July 2016, April 2017, May 2019, and August 8, 2020.
Judith P Wood August 19, 2020
Secretary, LWVAZ
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Appendix K: Award History
CARRIE CHAPMAN CATT AWARD – Past Recipients
The Carrie Chapman Catt award was established in 1995, the year of the LWVUS 75th Anniversary. The LWVAZ convention was being held in Tucson and the convention chairs felt it would be fitting to give an award for a non-League member or organization that has most exemplified the passion and strength in support of an issue of concern to the League. The Award was named after Carrie Chapman Catt, the 1920 founder of the League of Women Voters. Ms. Catt organized the League during the convention of the National American Woman Suffrage Association. The convention was held only six months before the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, giving women the right to vote after a 57-year struggle.
1995 - AZ Senator Ann Day (Tucson) for her commitment to legislation on health care and education in the Arizona Legislature. 1997 - Polly Rosenbaum (Phoenix), one of the first Arizona women legislators, for her long time commitment to good government in Arizona. 1999 - The five members of the Arizona for Clean Elections Committee for their work on the Citizens Clean Elections Act. 2001 - Kevin Willey and Laurie Roberts of the Arizona Republic for their editorials on Proposition 106, the Citizens Independent Redistricting initiative. 2003 - The five members of the Citizens Independent Redistricting Commission for their endless hours to realign congressional and legislative boundaries in Arizona following the 2000 census. 2005 - The Honorable Charles E. Jones, Chief Justice, Arizona Supreme Court, for his efforts in defense of judicial independence in Arizona. 2009 - David (Fitz) Fitzsimmons, Editorial Political Cartoonist for the Arizona Daily Star, “For playing fast and loose with his talented pen all these years on behalf of the League’s efforts to get folks out of the Arroyo café and into the voting booth.” David penned cartoons for the 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2012 LWVAZ Voter Guides and the 2006 Greater Tucson Pima County book. He brought his humor and cartoons to the state conventions of 1975, 2001, and 2009. 2011 - Linda Valdez, Editorial Writer/Columnist for The Arizona Republic, for “Shedding more light than heat on the subject of immigration.” Linda wrote many editorials that made a case for comprehensive immigration reform as anti-immigration fever erupted in Arizona. 2017- The Arizona Republic - Elvia Diaz, an editorial columnist for The Arizona Republic and AZ central. The Arizona Republic has long been a strong advocate for public education in Arizona 2019 - ACLU - Sarah Brannon and Darrell Hill, as our legal team for our NVRA Compliance lawsuit.
LWVAZ SPECIAL AWARD
February 2, 2006, awarded to Janet Napolitano, Governor of Arizona, for her support of the Clean Elections Act and to acknowledge her leadership as the first State Governor to run as a Clean Elections candidate.
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SKEET BLAKESLEE AWARD – Past Recipients
The Skeet Blakeslee award was also established in 1995 at the Tucson convention. This is for a League member who has gone above and beyond the call of duty” in the work of the League on any level. It was named after Skeet Blakeslee, a long-time Phoenix member, who worked many years for the Phoenix League and was the force behind the Scottsdale and Phoenix Leagues consolidating into the Metropolitan Phoenix League. 1995 - Skeet Blakeslee (Metro Phoenix) for her years of chairing the Lobby Corps which made a difference at the Legislature, her commitment to the Candidate Voter Guides, and traveling to every League with the three-person workshop on the three levels of national government: Presidential, Congressional and Judicial. She marshaled the League to support the Merit Selection of Judges initiative and got it passed in 1974. 1997 - Eleanor Coup (Metro Phoenix) for her years of staffing the Phoenix/State office. 2001 - Lila Schwartz (Northwest Maricopa County) for her lobbying at the legislature and her work on the Citizens Clean Elections Initiative committee. 2003 - Sally Davenport (Greater Tucson) for her advocacy in Voter Service, setting up the Smart voter election website, her passion for Dnet, and her commitment to writing and printing the state Voter Guides. 2005 - Lu Kembel (Greater Tucson) for her 14 years as a volunteer on the GT office desk; doing the membership work; printing the Membership book every year; printing workbooks for four conventions and four councils to date. She has been the Webmaster for the state website for five years and puts the Voter Guide on the website. Her commitment to LWVUS Dnet was such that she put every candidate in the state of Arizona on Dnet and where necessary, had them come into the office, took their picture, and wrote their bio. 2007 - Gini McGirr (Greater Tucson) for her 42 years of service at all levels of the League. She served as president of the Metro- Phoenix (3 years) and Greater Tucson (4 years) Leagues and is still on the Tucson board. She served four years as state president and continues to serve on that board. In addition, she served two years on the LWVUS Board. She has been active in lobbying the Legislature and writing the Voter Guides. She has also been involved in starting new MAL units which turned into local Leagues. 2009 - Dr. Barbara Klein (Metro Phoenix) for her involvement in Election Reform as she acted on the issue of Ranked Choice Voting. She was a member of the LWVUS Task Force on the National Popular Vote Compact. She participated in LWVUS training on Public Advocacy for Voter Protection (PAVP) and developed a state-wide project on this. She has been involved in the Clean Elections as observer, supporter and moderator of debates. She served on the Health Care AZ Project and created a packet of materials for all of the Local Leagues. She is a member of the Administration Team for MP and has served as co- president, Vice President and on various committees. 2017 - Rivko Knox (Metro Phoenix) for her extraordinary and tireless service to her local and state boards in the roles of secretary, advocacy chair and social media maven. In 2016-17 she acted as Chief League Lobbyist testifying before Legislative committees on League priorities and stood up for the Arizona initiative process as the Legislature changed the process. Rivko has been the voice of the League, not only in the Legislature, but as she monitors the Citizens’ Clean Elections Commission meetings and represents LWVAZ on the Citizens’ Initiative Review (CIR) committee. 2019 - Barbara Knutson (North West Maricopa County) for her work on civic engagement through the Arizona Department of Education. 2019 - Alice Stambaugh (Metro Phoenix) LWVAZ Co-president for her outstanding League work on legislative advocacy.
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