• For an overview of LWVGB projects, goals and accomplishments, also see past issues of The Voter, LWVGB's newsletter.
• Visit this page to view the news archive for other years.
• See the LWVGB home page for the most recent news.
  

LWVGB Members, come to the 2022 LWVGB Business Meeting and help set the course for our League for the coming year! This is a hybrid meeting - your choice whether to attend - in-person or online. Meeting registration information and business meeting documents will be shared with you soon via email. Meantime, please save the date and time.

All LWVGB members are welcomed and encouraged to attend. We are a grassroots organization and your voice determines the 2022-2023 budget, board members, issue positions, and issues for emphasis. Whether you choose to come in person or via this Zoom, we look forward to seeing you on April 12th at 6:30 PM!

Join us on Sunday, May 1st, 2:00 - 4:30 PM CDT, at Thank You Books in Crestwood for a special in person program of the League of Women Voters of Greater Birmingham. We will have voter registration and education about the upcoming primary elections plus shop for great books at this new indie, woman-owned, local bookstore! Refreshments also provided. Candidates, no campaigning at this event, please! See you at 5502 Crestwood Blvd, Unit B, Birmingham AL 35212 in Crestwood Village (Crestwood Shopping Center) on Sunday, May 1, 2-4:30 pm. Drop by anytime! Free, open to the public, and always nonpartisan!

#Vote2022 #WomanOwned #Alabama #IndieBookstore #VoterRegistration #VotingRightsRestoration #VRR #LWVGB #LWV #alpolitics

Gun violence has increased in Birmingham as in every other American city but addressing this challenge isn't easy. Please join the League of Women Voters of Greater Birmingham (LWVGB) for a discussion with Onoyemi Williams (Faith in Action Alabama) and Dr. Mark Wilson (Jefferson County Department of Health) about the root causes of gun violence in our city and some innovative solutions happening in our area, such as hospital-based violence interruption programs. This program was free and open to the public. View it on the LWVGB YouTube channel.

Use this Digital Tool to Speak Out to Your Government Officials

"Government Representatives at Your Fingertips" is online at fingertips.lwvgb.org/

"Fingertips", as it is commonly known, has long been a resource to citizens in the Greater Birmingham community for accessing their elected officials and making their voices heard. "Fingertips" has names, email addresses, postal addresses, and phone numbers of elected officials at all levels of government - federal, state and local. You can also find out how to contact members of important boards and commissions that set and administer public policy. In "Fingertips" you'll find voter registration, voting rights restoration, and elections information, too.

Before you vote in 2022, find out about the candidates' positions on issues important to you. That includes those currently in office. Should the incumbent stay or is it time for a change? You decide.

Use "Fingertips" to reach out to your elected officials and advocate for your issues. Are bills that affect your concerns under consideration in the Alabama Legislature? The 2022 Regular Session will convene on January 11. Note: According to news report, we anticipate that bill research functions previously available on the Alabama Legislative Information System Online (ALISON) will soon be available on the new website of the Alabama Legislature. If the website is marked "under construction", try again later. You should soon be able to research bills before the legislature. Then, use "Fingertips" to contact your elected representatives and express your opinion about the bill. Tell them how you want them to vote on a bill. It makes a difference.

Thank you for your active participation in our democracy!

THANKS, ALL, FOR YOUR AMAZING GENEROSITY DURING GIVING TUESDAY AND OUR "TWICE THE POW" EDUCATION FUND CAMPAIGN!

The matching campaign has ended, but we ALWAYS welcome your support. Donate anytime to the Education Fund for use in the Greater Birmingham Community!

It's Giving Tuesday! Help us #empowervoters and #defenddemocracy. Your donation to the LWVAL Education Fund for use in the Greater #Birmingham area is matched up to $1000! AND it's tax deductible! Give at https://lwvgb.org/about/donate/donate-ed-fund. There are many ways in which you can support the League of Women Voters of GreaterBirmingham!

• Volunteer with us at a voter registration or voter restoration event.
• When called to action, write or call your elected officials in support of League positions.
• ON TODAY'S TO-DO LIST… PLEASE GIVE TO LWVGB! Donations to LWVGB Education count 2x now until Dec. 15! Or give to support all LWVGB efforts.
• JOIN the LWVGB and SHARE our mission with your networks - social media, friends and family, your organizations.

Alabama has one of the most closed open records laws in the nation and government records and information is not historically easily accessed by the people. In September of 2021, the Alabama Supreme Court issued a ruling that a sheriff did not have to turn over records regarding a fatal shooting by a deputy.

On Tuesday, November 30, 2021, the League of Women Voters of Greater Birmingham held a virtual meeting to discuss the ramifications of this ruling and what's on the horizon for open records efforts in 2022. Panelists included Tish Gotell Faulks with Alabama ACLU and Leah Nelson and Carla Crowder with Alabama Appleseed. The program was free and open to the public.

Register at https://bit.ly/3mQwOfg

Register now for "The Truth About Plastics," the next program in the League of Women Voters of Alabama's Environmental Education Series. This online program is scheduled for Tuesday, December 7, 2021, 6:30 - 8:00 PM CST and features keynote speaker Rick Eggerth, nationally renowned environmental litigator and activist against the world-wide blight of plastics pollution.

Rick's presentation explores the history of the plastics industry and the truth behind a decades-long campaign of lies and manipulation. His knowledge of the oil industry -- which is also the plastics industry -- obtained from years of litigating against oil companies, led him to research the question of how Big Oil has avoided any responsibility for the oceans, landfills and public places full of plastics in which we seem destined to drown. Rick shares what he has uncovered: decades of deceitful public and political manipulation which has led the public to believe it was responsible for cleaning up the mess, and that recycling is the way to do it, all of which is untrue. While the industry continues to massively expand its plastics production, Rick explains the problems this will create, and how we can get out of the plastics quicksand.

About Rick Eggerth

With an English degree from University of California, Davis, and a law degree from U.C. Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco, Rick Eggerth began his legal career in 1981. During his 30-year career as a litigator in the San Francisco Bay Area, Rick represented a diverse array of clients in civil litigation matters. From insurance companies to Silicon Valley tech companies, from property managers to those harmed by medical and legal malpractice, he has seen and engaged with a wide breadth of litigation issues and experiences. An environmentalist at heart since childhood, his most relevant environmental law experience came during the decade of the 1990's. He represented several members of the insurance industry in lawsuits brought by members of the oil industry determined to force their insurers to pay for the extraordinary costs of cleanup of thousands of Superfund and toxic waste sites created by the oil industry since the beginning of oil extraction. These cases, involving billions of dollars of potential liability, were some of the largest financial exposure cases ever seen by the U.S. legal system, and so required the attorneys involved in them -- representing scores of insurance companies plus the oil companies -- to develop innovative and cutting edge methods of managing the millions of pages of documents and thousands of potential witnesses involved in the lawsuits, as well as working with judges to figure out how to bring such huge cases, unlike anything that had come before, to trial. None of Rick's clients lost any of these cases.

Since retiring to Bellingham, WA, Rick chairs the Mt. Baker Group of the Sierra Club where he continues to pursue his campaign against plastic production (among other things).

Mark your calendar and register soon for "The Truth About Plastics" at https://bit.ly/3mQwOfg. Zoom meeting space is limited.
[NOTE: LWVGB is not hosting a meeting during December. We think you will find that this LWVAL Environmental Education Series program is a valuable learning experience and worthy of your time during this busy season. Happy Holidays to all!]
#environment #plastics #plasticspollution #pollution #BigOil #alpolitics

On Thursday, Nov. 4, 2021, the #JeffersonCounty Commission will hold a public hearing on the proposed County Commission redistricting maps. The public is invited to attend and speak.

We have been unable to locate the proposed County Commission plan maps online. The maps may be viewed in person at the Jefferson County Voter Registrar's office at:

Jefferson County Courthouse - North Annex
Suite A410
716 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. North
Birmingham, AL 35203

We took photos of the proposed commission maps and other maps. These can be viewed online at: https://bit.ly/3pTC8BW

A better graphic in .pdf format of the current Jefferson County Commission district map can be viewed here.

#JeffCo #BirminghamAL #PPFM #FairMaps #alpolitics

At this virtual meet-up, Birmingham and Alabama leaders will be on hand to share happenings in the League of Women Voters - local, state and national. If you've considered joining the League or are just curious about our nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, please come to this meet-up. Membership is open to anyone age 16 or over, but this is NOT a hard-sell membership drive! We just want to introduce you to League volunteer opportunities that might interest you and answer your questions. (Hint: A few of our top priority projects are educating and advocating for fair redistricting maps at federal, state, and local levels, our online election voter guide VOTE411, voter registration, and voting rights restoration.) Drop by the Zoom 5:30 - 7 pm, Oct. 21, and learn more about how we empower voters and defend democracy! Already a member of the League? We're here for you, too! Bring interested friends! Register at https://bit.ly/3n2ZRfX. #LWV #LWVAL #PPFM #FairMaps #alpolitics #makedemocracywork #everyvotecounts

#NationalVoterRegistrationDay was Sept. 28, 2021. Celebrate democracy in America! Be ready to exercise your super power - VOTING! Register to vote or update your voter registration information today at https://www.vote411.org #VoteReady

On August 24, 2021, the League of Women Voters of Greater Birmingham hosted a free, virtual viewing of Line in the Street, a film about gerrymandering, co-produced by Robert Millman and Rachel Millman. The film tells the story of citizens, activists, and legislators as they fight for redistricting reform in Pennsylvania, one of the most heavily gerrymandered states in the country. Following the film, Robert Millman, Robin Buckelew (LWVAL Board of Directors on the LWV's People Powered Fair Maps [PPFM] Project Team), Felicia Scalzetti (Community Redistricting Organizations Working for Democracy [CROWD] Fellow sponsored by the Southern Coalition for Social Justice), and others discussed upcoming redistricting in Alabama - how politicians seek to control voters and hold power through "gerrymandering", what is at stake in the redistricting process, and how citizens can influence the redistricting process.

View the LWVGB program.

Note: At about the 5:50 mark in the program video on YouTube, attendees were given a link and invited to view Line in the Street online. What would have appeared as "dead space" for about 30 min. is removed from the recorded LWVGB program and the group discussion continues. Although that free viewing is no longer available, the film can be viewed on Amazon Prime for a small fee..

#PPFM #FairMaps #ForThePeopleAct #VRAA

THANK YOU FOR VOTING, BIRMINGHAM!
YOU MADE YOUR VOICE HEARD!

To get all election and candidate information, go to http://vote411.org. Vote411.org, supported by the LWV Education Fund, provides nonpartisan election information and candidate responses to important issue questions. This is your community and your choice. Make it count! If you are a Birmingham resident, VOTE TODAY, Aug. 24th! #VOTE411 #alpolitics #LWVGB #LWV

On Thursday, August 12, LWVGB launched VOTE411.ORG, a virtual nonpartisan voter guide for Birmingham. The guide, sponsored by the LWV Education Fund, provides Birmingham voters with the information they need to make an informed decision when they cast their ballots in the municipal elections on August 24th. Candidates for Birmingham Mayor, City Council, and Board of Education were invited to enter their campaign information and answer questions about issues important to the Birmingham community. Candidate information is posted in their own words verbatim. All 19 municipal races and 68 candidates are included.

At VOTE411.ORG, a voter can get a personalized ballot by simply entering their voter registration address. The ballot is customized to include just the races and candidates that the voter will see on their ballot. VOTE411.ORG also allows the voter to find the polling place if needed.

The League of Women Voters of Greater Birmingham encourages all Birmingham citizens to learn about the races and candidates on their ballots. Be an informed voter and VOTE on August 24!

Rickwood Field
AUG. 21, 2021, 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Dedication at 10:00 AM
1137 2nd Ave W,
Birmingham, AL 35204

It was a grand day at the nation's oldest ball park, Rickwood Field in Birmingham, AL. Members of the League of Women Voters of Greater Birmingham #LWVGB were on hand for dedication of the William G. Pomeroy Foundation historical marker commemorating the women's suffrage baseball game held there on August 18, 1915. On that day the women played their own game prior to the men's game between the Chattanooga Lookouts and the Birmingham Barons proving that women were capable of doing anything that the men could do. They raised awareness across the state of Alabama for women's right to vote. Thank you, Ellen Buckner, for sharing this and other photos!

Today's the day! AUG. 21, 2021!
Rickwood Field!
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Dedication at 10:00 AM
1137 2nd Ave W,
Birmingham, AL 35204

On Aug. 21, 2021 at 10:00 AM, join us at historic Rickwood Field in Birmingham, the nation's oldest baseball park, for the dedication of this historical marker commemorating Suffrage Day there in 1915. The marker is given by the William G. Pomeroy Foundation. Women were on the verge of winning the right to vote, and the women's baseball game preceding the Chattanooga Lookouts v. the Birmingham Barons "professional game" showed that women could do anything their male counterparts could do. For the dedication, feel free to wear vintage attire. We should have a few #VotesforWomen sashes, too. It will be fun! Rickwood Field is located at 1137 2nd Ave W, #BirminghamAL 35204. Read more at bit.ly/3xQXJeE

#womensuffrage #suffrage #RickwoodField #PomeroyFoundation #LWV #LWVGB #19thamendment @friendsofrickwood @WGPFoundation @BirminghamBarons

On Thursday, August 12, LWVGB launched VOTE411.ORG, a virtual nonpartisan voter guide for Birmingham. The guide, sponsored by the LWV Education Fund, provides Birmingham voters with the information they need to make an informed decision when they cast their ballots in the municipal elections on August 24th. Candidates for Birmingham Mayor, City Council, and Board of Education were invited to enter their campaign information and answer questions about issues important to the Birmingham community. Candidate information is posted in their own words verbatim. All 19 municipal races and 68 candidates are included.

At VOTE411.ORG, a voter can get a personalized ballot by simply entering their voter registration address. The ballot is customized to include just the races and candidates that the voter will see on their ballot. VOTE411.ORG also allows the voter to find the polling place if needed.

The League of Women Voters of Greater Birmingham encourages all Birmingham citizens to learn about the races and candidates on their ballots. Be an informed voter and VOTE on August 24!

Register to view the film.
Share the Facebook Event.

Join us on August 24th at 6 pm for a FREE virtual viewing of Line in the Street, a film about gerrymandering, co-produced by Robert Millman and Rachel Millman. The film tells the story of citizens, activists, and legislators as they fight for redistricting reform in Pennsylvania, one of the most heavily gerrymandered states in the country. Following the film we will have a conversation about Alabama's upcoming redistricting with Robin Buckelew, LWVAL Board of Directors and member LWV Tennessee Valley.

Register (required) at https://bit.ly/3j0fNxs.

#PPFM #FairMaps #ForThePeopleAct #VRAA

Vulcan photo credit: Guiseppe Moretti, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The citizens in Alabama Senate District 14 and Alabama House District 73 have spoken! Thank you to all who voted!

 
Birmingham, AL – Ahead of special state legislative elections on July 13th, the League of Women Voters of Greater Birmingham (LWVGB) is offering the nonpartisan election resource VOTE411.org. This “one-stop shop” for election information provides simple, helpful tools to help Alabama voters navigate the voting process. The VOTE411 voter guide provides unbiased candidate information, a voter registration tool, polling place information, and other helpful election information for all voters….
continue reading

Welcome, Incoming LWVGB Board of Directors and Nominating Committee!

• LaTanya Dunham
• June Fletcher

• Ida Tyree-Hyche Hill, Chair
• Leonette W. Slay, Member

Register to Vote!

Are you registered to vote? Have you moved since you registered? We're celebrating American democracy by registering voters in the Greater Birmingham area. We will share coming events here as we schedule registration drives.

This is our policy.
This is our commitment.
Read the
LWVGB Policy for
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion