THE EDINA LEAGUER vol. 61 #6 MARCH 2016

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1 THE EDINA LEAGUER vol. 61 #6 MARCH 2016 March Unit Meetings Audubon and Climate: The Future of Birds in Minnesota Speaker: John Anderson West Metro Community Coordinator, Conservation Minnesota Thursday March 10 Edina Senior Center Saturday March 12 Edina City Hall Refreshments 9:45; programs 10:00-11:30 Did you know that climate change threatens the survival of nearly half the bird species in the continental United States and Canada, including 40 species of Minnesota s birds? John Anderson from Conservation Minnesota will discuss this drastic situation and other findings of a 2014 National Audubon study. Local birds at risk include the Common Loon, Wood Duck, American White Pelican, Trumpeter Swan, Sharp Tailed Grouse, and Mallard. Audubon's study shows that changes in rainfall and temperature may actually be catastrophic for many species including birds. While some species will be able to adapt to shifting climates, many of North America s most familiar and iconic birds will not. John Anderson Conservation Minnesota and Audubon Minnesota work in partnership. Both are committed to clean water, John Anderson clean air and healthy habitats for birds and wildlife. Come to the March unit meetings and find out how climate change is expected to negatively affect Minnesota s birds. Annual Meeting Thursday May 5 from 6-9 PM St. Alban s Church The Hunger for Political Tolerance: Social Discourse in Today s Political Environment Speaker: Prof. David Schultz Tired of political gridlock? You re in good company! At the annual meeting, Prof. David Schultz will discuss how political discourse can step back from the brink and move toward civility and tolerance. Prof. Schultz is well known for incisive political commentary. He teaches at Hamline and the U of MN Law School and is a prolific writer. In addition to Prof. Schultz, the Annual Meeting includes a light dinner, a short business meeting, Prof. David Schultz and elections. Inside This Leaguer page April Unit Meetings...2 Bouquets....2 Seeking Newsletter Editor...2 Volunteer at a Citizenship Ceremony What is the Book Club Reading?.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,..3 LWVMN Council April CMAL Meeting on Comprehensive Plans.4 LWVUS Position Amending Constitution 5

2 April Unit Meetings Progress on Edina School Improvements Approved by Voters in May 2015 Referendum Speakers include: Dr. Ric Dressen, EdD Superintendent, Edina Public Schools Two meetings at Edina Senior Center: Thursday April 14 at 10:00 AM Thursday April 14 at 7:00 PM **No Saturday unit meeting in April ** In May 2015, voters approved a $124.9 million bond referendum for facilities, which was proposed by the Edina Public Schools. The school district s website, says that the referendum, payable over 21 years, will finance building security enhancements at every school, infrastructure improvements, and update learning spaces to support Next Generation learning. This program is a great opportunity to hear Superintendent Ric Dressen discuss the school district s specific plans for the facilities referendum money. He will provide information on the construction timeline as well as the changes which will be made at each school. Ric Dressen We will also learn how we can stay informed about the status of school improvements going forward. **NOTE** There will be no Saturday unit meeting in April. Instead, please come to one of these two Thursday meetings morning or evening. Bouquets To: Colleen Feige, for arranging the speakers for the February unit meetings on Edina: A Human Rights City. Sue Davison, for providing refreshments for the Thursday February unit meeting. Pattiann Nordgren, for providing refreshments for the Saturday February unit meeting. Looking For A Newsletter Editor! The LWV Edina nominating committee has been working diligently to fill open positions on our board and committees for next year. To date we have not found anyone to be the editor of this Leaguer newsletter. A new editor would certainly be free to change or simplify the newsletter s format as she sees fit. Are you interested in learning more? Please contact Debby McNeil. If no one steps forward, the Leaguer newsletter may be discontinued after the May issue. Portion of Dues Tax-deductible Because LWVMN is a 501(c)(3) organization, contributions to it are tax-deductible. LWVVMN charges LWV Edina and all local leagues PMP (per member payment) of $21 for each member. So $21 of your LWV Edina dues is tax-deductible in 2015, because LWV Edina sends that money to LWVMN. 2

3 Volunteer at A Citizenship Ceremony You ll be glad you did! Ceremony in Edina - For the second year, Edina Public Schools will host a naturalization ceremony, where qualifying immigrants and refugees from all over the Twin Cities will become our country s newest citizens. The ceremony will be held on Monday April 11 at 2:00 PM at South View Middle School, 4725 South View Lane. Volunteers from the League of Women Voters attend every naturalization ceremony in the state, to help the new citizens with voter registration forms. The citizens fill out their own forms and LWV volunteers collect them at the end of the ceremony, for delivery to the Secretary of State s office. Why volunteer? For one thing, voter registration is a core value of the League. Also, it is so inspiring to witness a naturalization ceremony and welcome these immigrants into citizenship. What is the Book Club Reading? Everyone is welcome at the LWV Edina book club! Come every month or just drop in for any book that interests you. The book club meets monthly on Saturday mornings at 10 AM at Barnes & Noble, Galleria, in the lower level coffee shop. Here s what the club is reading in the coming months, with discussion leaders in parentheses: March 19 April 16 Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo (Laura Peterson) My Life on the Road by Gloria Steinem (Carol Frisch) If you would like to help on April 11, contact Suzanne Kerwin. Volunteers should arrive at 1:00 for instructions. All LWV Edina members are also cordially invited to attend the ceremony, whether you volunteer or not. Other Twin Cities Ceremonies - Below are the dates of other upcoming ceremonies. If you can help at any of them please Judy Stuthman. Volunteers make a key difference in helping to collect voter registration forms, especially at the big ceremonies below. Monday, March 14th U of St. Thomas Law School, Mpls Ceremony at 10 AM May 21 June July 16 August 20 Boston Girl by Anita Diamond (Lonni Skrentner) no book Dead Wake by Erik Larson (Sandy Fox) Straight Man by Richard Russo (Carol Frisch) Thursday, March 31st Tuesday, May 24th Wednesday, June 8th Thursday, June 9th River Center, St. Paul Ceremony at 10 AM (about 1,000) Landmark Center, St. Paul Ceremonies at 10 AM and 2 PM Landmark Center, St. Paul Ceremonies at 10 AM and 2 PM River Center, St. Paul Ceremony at 10 AM (about 1,000) September 17 The Wright Brothers by David McCullough (Joann Buie) October 15 Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates (Connie Hondl) November 19 Sisters In Law by Linda Horseman (Judy Smith) Monday, June 13th U of MN Law School, Mpls Ceremonies at 10 AM and 2 PM 3

4 Come to LWVMN Council - April 30 What is LWV Minnesota Council? It s a bi-annual one-day meeting sponsored by LWVMN for all local leagues. This year s Council features workshops on voter engagement and cultural competency. Council will be held this year on Saturday April 30 at the Wilder Foundation, 451 Lexington Parkway, St. Paul. LWVMN says, heightened attention on elections this year provides an unprecedented opportunity for League. By reaching voters and boosting turnout on Election Day 2016, we can strengthen our democracy and all members of League of Women Voters can play an important role in this effort. At Council 2016 you will acquire tools to help focus on two key areas: Inclusion Strengthening partnerships and alliances Intercultural Development Inventory Vital Issues in Voter Service Prepping for 2016 elections The revised empty chair policy Accommodating video cameras Successfully interacting with citizen journalists. More information about Council and registration is at: If you are planning to attend or considering attending Council, please let LWV Edina President Lonni Skrentner know. Watch for Your Dues Renewal Notice in the Mail! LWV Edina s fiscal year runs from April 1 March 31. Your membership renewal letter will arrive in your mailbox during March. Annual dues are $55. If you are planning to come to the Annual Meeting on May 5 (and we hope that you are!) please add $5 to your membership check, to help cover the cost of dinner. All members whose dues are paid are eligible to vote at the Annual Meeting - to elect board members, to approve the budget, and to decide whether LWV Edina should undertake any studies in the coming year. CMAL Meeting on Comprehensive Plans --based on a report by Idelle Longman The Council of Metropolitan Area Leagues met on January 16 at St. Louis Park City Hall. The program was entitled, City Balancing Act: Serving Regional and Local Needs. City planners from the cities of Woodbury, St. Paul, Hopkins and Hugo provided information about how they develop their city s comprehensive plans. Comprehensive plans are important in that they guide development for all size communities in rural, suburban, and urban settings. They must be fluid documents to respond to growth and changes, as well as to new goals set by the regional authorities. The planners who spoke did an excellent job of walking the audience through the importance of comprehensive plans. LWV Edina Board Members Officers President Lonni Skrentner First Vice President/ Voter Service Susan Clark Second Vice President/ Action Suzanne Kerwin Secretary Vivien Talghader Treasurer Colleen Feige Board of Directors Membership Chair Joni Bennett Publicity Germana Paterlini CMAL Liaison Idelle Longman Membership Directory Ann Keenan Newsletter Editor Debby McNeil

5 National League Announces New Position on Process for Amending US Constitution --From a press release by LWVUS at On February 3, LWVUS announced a new position calling for safeguards to govern the constitutional convention process of proposing amendments to the U.S. Constitution. The League believes that procedural safeguards must be put in place to protect democratic values and ensure that any proposed amendments reflect the concerns of citizens, said Elisabeth MacNamara, president of LWVUS. We cannot afford to have a chaotic or unrepresentative process for amending the Constitution. We can t afford to let special interests dominate a constitutional convention, MacNamara continued. There are many current proposals for constitutional amendments, from both the right and the political left, from a Balanced Budget Amendment to one curbing the rights of corporations. Everyone should be concerned what a runaway, topsy-turvy Constitutional Convention might do. Before we head into uncharted territory that could affect our basic principles of government and our individual rights, we need to make sure some basic rules are in place, according to MacNamara. The League supports these safeguards for a Constitutional Convention: 1) The Convention must be transparent and not conducted in secret; 2) Representation at the Convention must be based on population rather than one state, one vote; and delegates should be elected rather than appointed; 3) Voting at the Convention must be by delegate, not by state; 4) The Convention must be limited to a specific topic; 5) Only state resolutions on a single topic count when determining if a Convention should be called; and [continued right column] [continued from left column] 6) The validity of state calls for an Article V Constitutional Convention should be determined by the most recent action of the state. The new League position is especially relevant because the Balanced Budget Amendment is close to achieving the number of states needed to require Congress to call a convention. The states that have called for a convention on the Balanced Budget Amendment have not provided for the safeguards that are necessary. Any calls for a constitutional convention must have built-in protections to ensure it is not hijacked by a small minority, MacNamara said. Article 5 of the U.S. Constitution provides for two ways to amend the Constitution. Congress can initiate an amendment or, if two-thirds of the states petition Congress to do so, a Constitutional Convention can be called to propose amendments. Under either mechanism, proposed amendments must be ratified by three-fourths of the states in order to take effect. There has never been a Constitutional Convention called under the U.S. Constitution. There are many unresolved questions about the powers and processes of an Article V Constitutional Convention. These problems must be solved before America embarks on a dangerous journey, McNamara concluded. You can read two new LWVUS positions in full, at these links: Constitutional Conventions Under Article V of the US Constitution Considerations for Evaluating Constitutional Amendment Proposals 5

6 MARCH 2016 Thursday March 10 9:45 11:30 AM Saturday March 12 9:45 11:30 AM Saturday March 19 10:00 AM APRIL 2016 Thursday April 14 two programs - 10AM and 7 PM [No Saturday unit meeting in April] Saturday April 16 10:00 AM MAY 2016 Thursday May 5 6:00 9:00 PM Saturday May 21 10:00 AM LWVEdina Calendar Unit Meeting: Audubon and Climate: The Future of Birds in Minnesota Unit Meeting: Audubon and Climate: The Future of Birds in Minnesota LWV Edina Book Club discusses Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo Superintendent Ric Dressen discusses Progress on Edina School Improvements Approved by Voters in May 2015 Referendum LWV Edina Book Club discusses My Life on the Road by Gloria Steinem Annual Meeting Prof. David Schultz speaks on The Hunger for Political Tolerance: Social Discourse in Today s Political Environment LWV Edina Book Club discusses Boston Girl by Anita Diamond Edina Senior Center Edina City Hall Barnes & Noble Galleria Lower level coffee shop Edina Senior Center Barnes & Noble Galleria Lower level coffee shop St. Alban s Church social hall 6716 Gleason Road, Edina Barnes & Noble Galleria Lower level coffee shop The Edina Leaguer LWVEdina@gmail.com The League of Women Voters of Edina is a non-partisan political organization that encourages the informed and active participation in government, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. For more information, please visit