In This Issue
- News from the LWV-Colorado Summit
- Join the PARADE on July 4th!
- Get in GOOD TROUBLE on July 17!
- NEW! Apply for the LWVLC Leadership Program!
- Women's Equality Day Celebration Tickets on Sale NOW!
- News from Our Issues Teams & Education Groups
- Heads Up! - Things You Should Know
| | Left to right: Trish Warner, Pat Burger, and Linda Mahan | "You can't wring your hands and push up your sleeves at the same time." -- Grandmother's wisdom from the Colorado LWV Summit, June 2025
Hello, Larimer Leaguers!
Linda Mahan, Trish Warner, and I just got back from an LWV Colorado Summit. There were 11 of the CO local leagues there. It was motivating to be with this group of engaged, strong supporters of democracy!
There were extensive discussions about the "Courageous Colorado Listening Tour." This project did a statewide tour and LWV-Colorado was a co-sponsor. They visited 20 towns and asked questions to identify top policy ideas that would be most helpful to move the state forward. These five rose to the top as most important:
- Campaign Finance Reform
- Ranked-Choice Voting (RCV)
- Open Primaries
- Civics Education
- Citizen Assemblies
We are already active in several of these priorities. One that the Larimer League's Engaging Young Voters and Unite & Rise 8.5 ad hoc committees want to take action on is #4, Civics Education.
We have several ideas! The LWVCO Civics Education Task Force has set up trivia contests at local pubs in the Denver area. This sounds like a lot of fun to me. Let's do it here. Who wants to help?
We also want to do some man-on-the-street-type videos to post on our social media. Let's do it! Do you want to help?
Give me a call or send a text or email.
There was way more than this discussed at the LWV CO Summit. I came away very happy with our Larimer League. We are a model for several of the actions being taken by other local leagues. I hope you are proud to be a member. I am.
Yours in League,
Pat Burger | "Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and help redeem the soul of America."
-- Congressman John Lewis | LWVLC is Making 'Good Trouble' on July 17!
LWV is partnering with nearly 100 other organizations to plan a Good Trouble Lives On nationwide day of nonviolent action.
On July 17, the 5th anniversary of the untimely death of civil rights leader and congressman John Lewis, we're taking action across the country to defend our democracy and carry forward his legacy of Good Trouble. From voter suppression bills like the SAVE Act to the criminalization of protest, our civil and human rights are under attack. But we know the truth: in America, the power lies with the people and we're rising to prove it.
So don your LWV-branded garb, craft yourself a good-trouble-makin' sign, and hit the streets with us for a John Lewis 'Good Trouble' Day of Action event in the area:
July 17 Good Trouble in Berthoud - details to be announced soon
Unable to attend a rally on the 17th or up for another event when you get home? Here's another way to commemorate the John Lewis Good Trouble Day. Join thousands across the country in a live-streamed screening and discussion of a documentary on voting rights:
Register NOW! A parallel screening hosted from Silver Spring, MD, has already reached capacity!
This is more than a protest; it's a moral reckoning. A continuation of the movement Lewis helped lead, and a new front in the struggle for freedom.
LWVLC will have a table at the Loveland event and probably in Fort Collins as well. We've been asked to offer voter registration services and information on the SAVE Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. We may need speakers. The Unite & Rise 8.5 team will circulate details as they become available. Please contact Kathy Maher if you have questions or if you would like to help staff a table, give a short speech, or help with cross-organizational planning for the Loveland, Fort Collins or Berthoud events.
Please note: A core principle behind our Good Trouble Lives On actions is a commitment to nonviolence in all we do. All participants are expected to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values.
| Last Call to Parade for the League!
We still have spots open for the League entry into the Fort Collins July 4 parade. The parade travels westbound on Mountain Avenue between Howes Street and Jackson Avenue. We plan to engage viewers by handing out candy and Vote411 bookmarks.
We hope you will join us! You can register HERE.
| Ready to Deepen Your Impact?
Discover how the League makes a difference -- and how you can too. Build your leadership skills, make meaningful connections, and gain the clarity and confidence to step into new roles.
Sound good? Then join us for the League's new Leadership Program! The program will be launched in September 2025. This five-session program will provide you with a strong understanding of the League's activities in the following areas:
- Governance, communication, and structure of the LWV at the national, state, and local levels;
- The work of our Voter Services Team;
- Action and advocacy program of the League;
- The work of our Issues Teams;
- The League's legislative action activities.
The program will be run as a "cohort" of 8-15 participants, with all meetings held in person to promote the development of relationships. Meetings are planned as follows:
- Monday, SEP 22, 6:00 pm - Our Saviour's Lutheran Church, Fort Collins;
- Monday, OCT 27, 6:00 pm - Our Saviour's Lutheran Church, Fort Collins;
- Monday, NOV 24, 6:00 pm - Zion Lutheran Church, Loveland;
- Monday, JAN 26, 6:00 pm - Our Saviour's Lutheran Church, Fort Collins;
- Monday, FEB 23, 6:00 pm - Zion Lutheran Church, Loveland
A light dinner will be served at each session.
We will hold an informational session via Zoom on July 21 to provide more information and answer your questions. Visit the League's website calendar to register.
| Women's Equality Day Tickets on Sale!!
Tickets are available to purchase for the Women's Equality Day Celebration on the League website! Just click on the gold banner on the home page.
Ticket price is $80 before August 1 and $90 on or after August 1, so buy early!
Come to honor Kristin Stephens, Larimer County Commissioner, and Anne Thompson, longtime League member!
We look forward to seeing you on August 21 at the Sweet Heart Winery!
| Informed Citizen Book Club
10:30 AM - 12:00 PM In-person meeting, 2nd Wednesday of the month.
7:00 - 8:30 PM Zoom meeting, 2nd Wednesday of the month.
Morning attendees will meet at Highland Meadows Grill, 6300 Highland Meadows Pkwy, Windsor, CO 80550.
Please join us for a lively discussion of our July book on July 9th:
The Privatization of Everything
by Donald Cohen and Allen Mikaelian
As people reach for social justice and better lives, they create public goods that must be kept out of the market. When private interests take over, they strip public goods of their power to lift people up, creating instead a tool to diminish democracy, further inequality, and separate us from each other.
The Privatization of Everything, by the founder of In the Public Interest, chronicles the efforts to turn our public goods into private profit centers. Ever since Ronald Reagan labeled government a dangerous threat, privatization has touched every aspect of our lives.
Please join us on the second Wednesday of each month.
| News Access & Literacy Task Force
The next meeting of the News Access and Literacy (NAL) Task Force is scheduled for Tuesday, July 16, at 4:30. Please register here to receive the Zoom link for the meeting. Anyone interested in news access and news literacy is welcome to join us.
| Voter Services Team News
Summer is primarily a time to register voters at the farmers markets and seasonal events such as those at CSU, Juneteenth and Pride events, and the August Poudre River event in Greeley. Voters in Fort Collins are interested in information available on Ranked Choice Voting, and pocket US Constitutions in English and Spanish are popular with voters.
It is also time to expand our leadership needs. As well as exploring new leadership with fall training, our Vote411 group is searching for a new member. Vote411.org is the LWV's informational website that matches voters with personalized ballot information.
Responsibilities include:
- Finding and entering candidates and local ballot information into Vote411 during each election cycle;
- Generating nonpartisan questions for candidates relating to local issues;
- Inviting candidates to enter biographical information and to respond to questions in writing;
- Assisting candidates in using Vote411 and following up with candidates who have not submitted responses;
- Working with other election stakeholders -- other members of voter services, election officials, or state League folks -- to make sure information is correct and complete.
The ideal Vote411 volunteer is responsive and available during the election season. They are comfortable with technology and adapt easily to change. They are persistent problem solvers, committed to nonpartisanship, and maintain a calm, professional demeanor when working with candidates. While daytime availability is preferred, all interested volunteers are encouraged to reach out to Annette and Sarah.
If this sounds like you or someone you know, we would love to have you join our team. Please contact Annette DeMartine or Sarah Wood for more information.
| Health Care Team News
Healthcare Reform: Did you know that the LWV has a Healthcare Reform Interest Group that brings together League members from across the US? The mission is to educate and mobilize League members to work toward legislation and other reforms that enact the goals of our LWV health care positions, with a strong focus on expanded and improved Medicare for All (a single-payer system). Check out the latest newsletter and other toolkit items at: https://lwvhealthcarereform.org/#latest-newsletter
Protect Medicaid: Call your representatives at 202-224-3121 and ask them to protect our health care, preventing proposed increases to ACA premiums and refusing cuts to Medicaid proposed in the reconciliation bill (the "Big Beautiful Bill").
Next meeting: The Health Care Team will meet August 4, 11:30 AM, at the Heart of the Rockies Church. There is no meeting in July.
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Orientation to the League of Women Voters
Tuesday, July 8, 2025
4:30-5:30 PM
Heart of the Rockies Christian Church
6501 Brittany St
Fort Collins, CO 80525
Meet LWV members face to face, learn about the League and how you can engage around your interests and passions to make our democracy work!
We'll start with refreshments and informal conversation and move into a discussion of our mission, structure, and program priorities. Bring your questions and join us for a stimulating conversation.
| Did you miss our Quick Start session?
We hope you enjoyed our inaugural "Quick Start" member webinar. This session used our local League's website as a foundation to understand the basic functions and operations of the League of Women Voters of Larimer County.
If you were unable to attend this session, you can view the video here:
| Loveland City Budget and Services Update
City of Loveland Community Budget Information Session
July 10, 5:30 PM
As we continue the important work of the City, budget remains a top priority. The 2025 budget established a new base level of service to stabilize general fund finances by focusing on essential services, public safety, and legal obligations. Details are available at 2025 Service Changes.
The 2026 budget process is now underway, guided by the priorities and methodology set in 2025. New revenue, if available, will follow the same funding approach -- focusing on strategic needs and using one-time funds for one-time costs like capital investments that keep our community safe and moving.
Join us on Thursday, July 10, at 5:30 pm in City Council Chambers for a community budget information session to learn more about the 2026 budget process.
| Livestreaming Committee Meetings at the Capitol
Although the past few years have seen the Colorado legislature taking significant steps toward reduced transparency, Colorado legislative leaders recently approved a trial run of video coverage of General Assembly committee meetings in five rooms of the state Capitol complex from August to November.
For more information on this improvement, please check out this article from our friends at the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition.
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