Andrea Diaz
Reporter
Working towards equality and a better community can be a large undertaking, however, the League of Women Voters is striving to do just that. This local, nonpartisan organization’s mission, according to its website, states, “We encourage informed and active participation in government in order to build better communities statewide and helps influence public policy through education and advocacy. Our mission is Empowering Voters. Defending Democracy.”
This organization came to be back in the 1920s when women were fighting for the right to vote a year and a half before the 19th amendment was ratified.
According to its website, “In her address to the National American Woman Suffrage Association’s (NAWSA) 50th convention in St. Louis, Missouri, President Carrie Chapman Catt proposed the creation of a league of women voters to finish the fight and aid in the reconstruction of the nation.” Since then, the organization has worked to better their communities, build participation in the democratic process, and help educate the public on public policies and resolve differences with education and advocacy.
Currently, the organization is fighting to pass the “For the People Act” that, according to their website states, “This sweeping piece of legislation is the most expansive democracy reform agenda we have seen since the Voting Rights Act.” The act would expand voting rights, limit gerrymandering, and create new ethics rules for federal officeholders. The organization is encouraging people to call their senators and request that they pass the act.
The League of Women Voters is currently hosting a few events over Zoom, one of which is the League of Women Voters in Moscow. They bring in various speakers and talk about topics such as housing insecurity, The New Idaho Women’s Business Center, The Intersection of Tribal, State, and Federal Laws and the Plight of Indigenous Women, A Regional Update on COVID-19 Vaccinations, and a 2021 Legislative review.
Idaho State University students can join the League of Women’s Voters by going to its website and filling out the membership form. There is a $55 fee that comes with signing up. According to the form the fees are there, “Because we lobby on public policy issues, membership dues and contributions are not tax-deductible unless they are earmarked for the League of Women Voters of Idaho Education Fund.” However, students do not have to pay the fee to become a member. Another way to get involved is to donate through its website.
The organization encourages anyone to join and promotes diversity among its members. According to the organization’s website, “There shall be no barriers to full participation in this organization on the basis of gender, gender identity, ethnicity, race, native or indigenous origin, age, generation, sexual orientation, culture, religion, belief system, marital status, … physical appearance, political perspective or affiliation and/or any other characteristic that can be identified as recognizing or illustrating diversity.”
The League of Women Voters has a presence on the ISU campus and hopes to continue recruiting and growing its organization. “It is my intention to resume and expand on our campus presence, not just for ISU but statewide. Students currently do not pay dues to become a member. We absolutely need to foster these outstanding young individuals,” said upcoming president of The League of Women Voters of Idaho, Jamar Brown.
