[ Falcon Heights - Lauderdale - Little Canada - Maplewood - Roseville ]

The LWV Minnesota is offering text reminders related to voting, including reminders of when early voting begins, candidates who have filed for office and other important dates and information.  To use this service:

1. In the “To:” box of a new text message, enter 33222
2. In the “Text Message” box, enter MNvote

Parkland students were in the Twin Cities for events over the last week end of June which included a Town Hall Forum at Osseo High School.  Two LWVRA members attended.  A panel of Parkland and other student activists from Chicago, Milwaukee, and MN communities including, Rochester, Maple Grove, St. Paul, and Osseo responded to student moderator questions and audience questions.  Discussion focused on reasons for gun safety and policies which need to be advanced along with ones (such as arming teachers) which the students believe make no sense nor positive difference.  Gun violence occurs in many forms in addition to mass shootings ~~~ domestic violence, suicide, road rage, accidental shootings by and of toddlers, etc.  

LWV Roseville Area will host a presentation by Sarah Walker, founder of Minnesota Second Chance Coalition.  Second Chance is a nonpartisan coalition of over 50 organizations who advocate for policies and outreach to enable individuals who have been incarcerated to transition successfully into their communities and to prevent relapse into the criminal justice system.

Among Ms. Walker’s extensive background in social justice, is service as a board member of the William Mitchell Reentry Clinic Advisory Board and past member of Governor Dayton’s Minnesota Sentencing Guideline Commission.  In 2016, she was named one of the “40 under 40” by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal for her contributions as a lobbyist, Second Chance founder and president of the Coalition for Impartial Justice.

The State of Minnesota has a program where individuals who contribute money in 2018 to a candidate for STATE office or a STATE LEVEL political party may get a refund of their contribution. The maximum refund is $50/individual.   The goal is to encourage grass roots participation in the political process.

LWVRA received notice on June 1st that it had been awarded a Martin Brown Voter Services Grant in the amount of $1000.  The LWV Grant Committee determined awards by reviewing proposed projects, budgeted expenses, treasury balance, local contribution toward voter service, and Education Fund balances (where applicable).  The Grant application was spear-headed by Past President, Rita Mills, and completed in collaboration with June Stewart, Barb Anderson, Joyce Briggs, Cecilia Warner, and Karen Lake. There were 27 Grant applications and $30,352 in funds awarded.

The League of Women Voters Roseville Area is once again hosting the highly popular Brews and Book Reviews event on Tuesday, July 24 at 7:00 p.m. at the Bent Brewstillery, 1744 Terrace Drive, Roseville (between Lincoln Drive and Fairview Ave.).  Attendees are encouraged to bring a book to recommend to others for summer reading.  Craft beers and non-alcoholic drinks are available for purchase.  

The event is open to the public.  Invite a friend and join us for a relaxing evening discovering what is on everyone’s recommended book list.  Consider posting the flyer attached to the Voter in an area that you visit. 

League of Women Voters U.S. requested that local studies be submitted to their clearinghouse to allow other Leagues considering similar studies be able to see how previous ones had been done.  LWV Roseville Area has contributed both our police and affordable housing studies.  If you would like to see other studies listed go to:

https://sites.google.com/a/leagueofwomenvoters.org/clearinghouse/.

LWV Roseville Area members, as part of the affordable housing study, toured Prior Crossing in St. Paul.  The facility is 44 studio appartments for homeless aged 16-24.  The Wilder Foundation provides on-site services, and the facility was built and is administered by Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative.  We were extraordinarily impressed by the services available to residents and its facilities.  Our tour leader, Denise Ellis, assured us that our voices are the most powerful and valuable resource we can use to promote the cause of affordable housing.

This photo shows what greets every resident when they enter their own apartment for the first time.  There will be a full article in the July-August issue of The Voter.