Letter to Editor Votes Act
News
Voices of the Next Generation
On May 25, 2021, we had a riveting and thought provoking conversation with Newton’s younger generation exploring the issues surrounding youth engagement in civic action.
Thank you to our wonderful panelists Rachel Alpert-Wisnia, Emma Applbaum, Ethan Dhadly, Elianna Kruskal, Edie Pike, and Laila Polk-Thomas.
Thank you to Nickki Dawes, PhD (Director of Center for Community-Based Learning & Associate Professor of Psychology, Lasell University) for expertly facilitating this engaging conversation.
The League Presents: Newton’s Municipal Budget
Given that it is budget season at the local and state level, Marcia Johnson was able to have a conversation about Newton’s Municipal Budget with Chief Operating Officer Jonathan Yeo and Councilor-at-Large, Ward 7, Becky Grossman, Finance Committee Chair. For many, the city’s budgeting processes seem to be somewhat of an enigma, so the League has taken this opportunity to provide more insight into the process and ways in which citizens can be engaged. They talked about the following:
- The process that the Mayor, her executive team, and department heads follow to prepare the budget document and how they contribute to the City Council’s deliberations.
- Important fiscal-year milestones, most importantly mayoral budget presentations.
- The steps that the City Council, its Standing Committees, and the Finance Committee follow to have input into the process, review, amend, and approve the budget document.
- The timing of various meetings, which will be held via Zoom and where community members can find important documents.
- How best for community members to be engaged.
Watch the video now!
Webinar – Voting Rights: Where Do We Go From Here? May 13 at 7pm
As part of its Overdue: Confronting Race and Racism in Newton series of events, the Newton Free Library in partnership with Historic Newton, will be presenting the webinar – Voting Rights: Where Do We Go From Here? Thursday, May 13 at 7:00pm.
Join Gloria J. Browne-Marshall, author of, The Voting Rights War, for a session that will examine laws posing challenges to American voters — especially African-Americans — from enslavement and woman’s suffrage through current controversies of voter suppression.
Please register here. Space is limited. Registration will remain open until 5pm on Thursday, May 13.
Overdue: Confronting Race and Racism in Newton is a coalition of organizations and individuals that aims to equip and empower our community with the understanding, knowledge, and skills to actively fight racism both in Newton and beyond. They provide residents with opportunities to listen, to learn, and to act in order to dismantle systemic racism within our city.
For more information on Overdue and the session, Voting Rights: Where Do We Go From Here?, visit the City of Newton’s website page on Overdue here.
Transportation and Climate Initiative – May 20th at 4:00PM
Join League members from Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island for this special, tri-state League sponsored event to learn how we can all help reduce pollution that causes respiratory diseases such as asthma while investing equitably in modern, clean, regional transportation solutions.
When: Thursday, May 20th, 2021 from 4:00-5:00pm
RSVP at: tinyURL.com/lwv2021tci
Cosponsors: League of Women Voters of Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts, Transportation Team of LWV US Climate Interest Group, The Acadia Center, Ceres, Green Energy Consumer Alliance, and Transportation for Massachusetts