Where to start?! I hope you saw the national LWV’s message to the world that asserts that we are in a constitutional crisis. There is a link to the press release in the League Update: April 17, 2025 email that was sent to you that day. NY Times commentator David Brooks mentioned the League’s stand on the PBS NewsHour the next day, referring to us as “strictly nonpartisan” to emphasize how dramatic this is. Brooks also wrote an Opinion piece in the NY Times on April 17 that has the headline “What’s Happening Is Not Normal. America Needs an Uprising That Is Not Normal.” It stresses our need to band together to create a strong enough power to counter the horrifying power grab we are watching unfold.
Protest efforts abound, and we are continuing to post information about new ones on our Facebook page. Also check out www.fiftyfifty.one which is trying to be a clearinghouse for protests. As a League, we are staying clear of strictly partisan events but most are nonpartisan and of course we can attend any event as a single individual not representing the League.
The League, at all levels, has always reached out to groups that share our values and concerns but we are intensifying these efforts. For what’s happening at the state League, look every Friday for an email with the subject line Your Weekly Legislative Update from LWVNYS. Besides giving you news from the state Capitol, the April 18th message mentions a lawsuit LWVNYS has joined with the Southern Poverty Law Center and several other state Leagues related to the census process – making sure that it doesn’t unfairly undercount some of our citizens. It also reminds us that the totally outrageous SAVE Act has passed the House and we simply cannot let it pass in the Senate. It refers us to a Congressional Recess Guide on the national website, available only to members through the email they receive, that can help us “Turn Up the Heat” on our members of Congress.
Of course the Legislative Update also fills us in on what we should know about the state budget negotiations and tells us when different groups will be coming to Albany to lobby. It emphasizes the League’s Advocacy Day on May 6th and we will be carpooling to that. Let me or anyone on the board know if you’d like to join us, and use the register link on the legislative update to let the office know you are coming. It’s good for our mental health to stay engaged where our efforts are having more impact.
It is also so satisfying to attend a LWVMHR Meet-Up whenever one is held near you – or even farther away. We recently held one at 4 pm in a new location – the Kings Valley Diner in Kingston – and the question all those attending had was “What do we DO?!” We shared many ideas, and our next meet up on May 20 at 4 pm will feature some new public education efforts. Addressing county (or town and school board) issues is another satisfying way to have impact, and three of us went to the Ulster County legislature’s monthly meetings happening right after the meet-up. We will continue to meet on Tuesdays when we can also go to the legislature’s meetings. Please join us! Once you figure out the personalities and the issues, it can get addictive.
It’s important, in such a difficult time, to keep our spirits up by doing things we CAN do and by not isolating ourselves with our fears. We hope the League can be a place where you can do both. Good groups like ours will never be more important.
Dare Thompson, President
darethompson@gmail.com
845-236-3074 (preferred) 845-591-3445 (cell)