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Former Supreme Court
Justice by Helen Palmer  Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor In a style both eloquent and conversational, former U. S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor spoke on May 2 at a luncheon event sponsored jointly by LWVMN, Minnesotans for Impartial Courts and the Humphrey Institute. Her speech was entitled "Protecting Impartial Courts in a Political Culture." LWVMN had invited Justice O'Connor to Minnesota in order to help bring public attention to the threats to judicial independence in this state: our recent study of judicial selection made us well aware that clouds were gathering on the Minnesota horizon. Justice O'Connor's willingness to make the trip and her pleasure at the opportunity to be helpful ("thank you so much for letting me be here!") were a measure not only of her gracious nature but of her great concern about the issue of judicial independence. Justice O'Connor began by making clear the role of the judiciary in our tripartite system of government. Citing James Madison's statement that the judiciary is "an impenetrable bulwark against every assumption of power in the legislative or executive," she emphasized that judges are required to decide cases fairly and impartially based on the Constitution and the laws without fear of retaliation by the other two branches. She added that if judges did not make the other two branches mad some of the time, they probably weren't doing their job. There followed a list of "disturbing trends" in this country's judicial elections. Justice O'Connor spoke of states' efforts to strip the courts of whole categories of cases, to impeach judges, even to incarcerate them for unpopular decisions, as in the "Jail for Judges" campaign in South Dakota. She pointed out that in those states that have contested judicial elections and that allow for private funding, special interest groups are pouring millions of dollars into campaigns in an effort to influence how judges will rule, and she named Wisconsin among many others. She emphasized that the mere appearance that justice is for sale contaminates our judicial system and creates cynicism in the public. Even judges themselves, she pointed out, tend to believe that campaign contributions influence judicial decisions. Well aware of Minnesota's reputation for a fine judiciary that remains as yet relatively untouched by the pressures of partisanship and special interests, Justice O'Connor offered practical advice to Minnesotans: do not wait to see if Minnesota becomes another Wisconsin, but take advantage of the time that we have to create a judicial selection system that is careful, well considered and deliberate. "You have time to make some changes". . . [to find] "a more thoughtful, better way" than our current contested election system. Agreeing with Chief Justice Rehnquist's statement that judicial independence was the great crown jewel of our constitutional democracy, Justice O'Connor quoted Judicature magazine to the effect that "it would be folly to squander this priceless constitutional gift to placate the clamors of political partisans." More about Justice O'Connor's presentation. Go to Minnesota Public Radio for an edited version of Justice O'Connor's talk and the panel discussion that followed. Justice O'Connor ended her presentation with the hope that we in Minnesota would act to preserve our fair and impartial judiciary. Her words will stay with us as we carry out our work, and to her we extend our deepest gratitude. Helen Palmer, was co-chair of the Committee on Judicial Selection and is past LWVMN President. From the President
. . .  LWVMN Co-Presidents Judy Stuthman and Vivian Jenkins Nelsen As a co-president of LWVMN, I try to read the newsletters produced by each local League. I laughed out loud when I read the article about Rosemary Booth, longtime member of LWV Minneapolis. She told how members would gather at the Minneapolis office to do the League's work and often bring their young children. On one warm summer day a child flew a paper airplane out the open window. He had carefully written these words on the plane: "Help, I'm being held captive by the League of Women Voters." This story symbolizes the passion of our members—a passion for working together for strong, healthy communities for all. LWV is an important part of our lives. When Vivian and I took office one year ago, it was the first time that LWVMN would have co-presidents, but this was only the beginning of a long list of people who were new to their jobs. We have an excellent board, where approximately half of the members are new and need to learn their jobs. They are a remarkable group. It is by far the most dedicated group of women with whom I've ever worked. Thanks to all of you. Under the able leadership of Carol Frisch and the Candidate Search Committee, Keesha Gaskins was hired in December. Luckily for us, she is a quick learner, because she mastered an immense amount of detail in a short period of time. Our website has a fresh look, and our newly formed Technology Committee, chaired by new board member Peggy Kvam, is examining it to make it even more user-friendly. Webmaster Ady Wickstrom has been able to install a new server thanks to a grant from the Katherine B. Andersen Fund. Amidst the many new things, League has continued its important work. Last fall was busy as we studied Immigration for LWVUS. We reached consensus, and LWVUS now has an important new position that it can use to guide Congress. At the same time, we did a state study on Judicial Selection, made necessary by the White Decision at the Supreme Court. Having Sandra Day O'Connor accept our invitation to speak on the value of an independent judiciary was a fitting climax to our efforts. Our work registering new citizens to vote continues…nearly 3,000 since Jan 10th…and over 6,700 last year. We have assisted at ceremonies in Duluth, Rochester, and Mankato in addition to those in Minneapolis and St. Paul. League members and others who participated in the cross-cultural dialogue training helped to facilitate dialogues on race at public housing high rises in St. Paul. Four Leagues - Red Wing, Duluth, St. Cloud and Minneapolis - have received pass-through grant money from LWVMN to facilitate cross-cultural dialogues in their communities. As our work goes on, we can't be timid – democracy depends on the bold participation of all of us. We cannot take democracy for granted. A continual vigil is needed and League has been there for 88 years, but nationwide we are an aging group – feisty, but aging. We are doing serious work but need to do more at the national, state and local levels to replace ourselves with our younger counterparts. Actually, because of all of you, an astounding amount of work has been accomplished during the past year. But when there are changes, sometimes things will slip through the cracks. Not everything may get done…or get done as it was done before. And change is difficult for many. So sometimes we may not seem like the slickest show in town...but we are still new and we are still learning. Thank you for this privilege.
Vivian Jenkins Nelsen and
Judith
Stuthman "Join the League
of Women Voters. . ." by Helen Palmer Thirty years ago Justice O'Connor helped secure the passage of a constitutional amendment changing Arizona's contested election system to a merit selection system. Merit selection calls for initial appointment to the bench by the governor from a list of names of qualified candidates recommended by a nonpartisan commission; performance evaluation; and finally an uncontested retention election, which allows voters to hold judges accountable. Justice O'Connor suggested that Minnesota consider merit selection and noted that after 30 years of experience with merit selection in Arizona "we've been happy with the result." Merit selection is in fact the judicial selection method LWVMN now officially supports—with 99% consensus from our members. After her speech Justice O'Connor answered a question about how her growing up on a ranch might have influenced her as a judge. First, she said, race and gender were of no significance: what mattered was getting the work done and doing it well. She learned that doing something well would not bring praise, but if you did not do it well you would hear about it. She learned to waste nothing, retool things that were broken, turn them into something useful--maybe they would not be pretty, but they needed to function. And she learned the necessity of laughter. It was a joy for us in the League of Women Voters to hear and to meet personally with this wonderful woman who does not quit, even in retirement, because there is work to be done. She has, as we know, been a trailblazer--the first woman to serve on the United States Supreme Court in our nation's history. I imagine not many people know that she served in the Arizona Senate and became the first woman in the country to serve as a state senate majority leader. (Justice O'Connor's experience as a state senator went over well with the 30 legislators she met with at the Capitol before her speech in Minneapolis). Her achievements are awe-inspiring to women—the crowds of LWVMN members who gathered around her during our pre-luncheon reception said it all. It was a joy for me personally to have time to be with Justice O'Connor—during long periods in the car going here and there around the Twin Cities and in the "green room" at the Humphrey Institute prior to her speech. This is a woman who is fresh and youthful in manner, is curious about everyone and everything, takes pleasure in the company of others, talks easily and openly about family, the Southwest, her concerns for the country. She worries about the lack of civic education in our schools, for example, but in her practical way, she is doing something about it: she is helping to set up an interactive free website addressed to middle school students, who will be able to learn about the courts by deciding real cases. She is excited about the possibilities. Another question asked by a member of the audience was: what could citizens do to help keep Minnesota's judiciary from being corrupted by partisan politics and money? Justice O'Connor, being the practical person that she is, said simply that people should talk to their neighbors, friends, speak to groups and . . . "Join the League of Women Voters!" Amen, and thank you, Justice O'Connor. Helen Palmer, was co-chair of the Committee on Judicial Selection and is past LWVMN President. Editor's note: Helen Palmer received the Hennepin County Bar Association’s 2007 Advancement of Justice Award. Reserve a front row seat at Minnesota's election audit! In 2006, over 200 volunteers, including many League members, made election history by participating in the nation's first state-wide observation of an election audit. Teams of volunteers in 70 of Minnesota's 87 counties observed the manual counting of randomly selected ballots. This initiative received positive reviews from volunteers to election officials and a fair amount of press coverage. This effort is considered a model for other states. A coalition of Connecticut groups including the League of Women Voters Connecticut organized an audit observation modeled after this effort. Once again, Citizens for Election Integrity (CEIMN) with the support of the League of Women Voters Minnesota will be recruiting citizens to observe the audit across the state. Citizen observers are necessary to ensure that the process is completely transparent and to build public confidence in Minnesota's electoral system. Here's how the audit works. After the general election every county will randomly select ballots from 2 - 4 precincts (based on population) to be counted by hand during the week after the election. The results of that hand count will then be compared to the results that were reported by the machine on election day. Ballots cast for President, US Senate and US House of Representatives will be audited. If the hand count from the audit reveals a difference greater than 0.5% (more than 5 votes for every 1,000 cast), further hand counts are required. You can sign up to volunteer either online at www.ceimn.org or by calling 612-724-1736. We hope to see you at this year's election audit! Mark Halvorson is director of Citizens for Election Integrity, and a member of the LWVUS national audit working group. Press Release: April
28, 2008 Washington, DC "This is a disgraceful decision by a court that has no credibility on election issues. The court has shown once again that it does not respect voters," said Mary G. Wilson, president of the League of Women Voters of the United States. Because of the procedural status of the case, there was no record on which the Court could judge how great the burden of a photo ID requirement would be on voters. Nonetheless, the three key justices found that the burden was not "excessively burdensome." This finding is "intellectually as well as morally bankrupt," Wilson said. "There is a concerted effort in this country to disenfranchise legal voters and, unfortunately, this Supreme Court has joined those ugly efforts," Wilson said. This is a "bad decision for our democracy," Wilson asserted. "Just because the Supreme Court says a bad policy is constitutional doesn't mean legislatures should adopt it," she said. "The League of Women Voters will be fighting against these limitations on democracy in the states and, when necessary, in Congress," she said. "It is simply disgraceful when the Supreme Court refuses to protect the constitutional voting rights of Americans," Wilson said. "We can no longer look to this Supreme Court to ensure fair elections," Wilson concluded. by Kelly L. Ceballos We told you so .
. . Just last week, I wrote to you about the Supreme Court ruling that upheld Indiana 's voter identification law - the most restrictive in the nation. League members responded in full force to fight back against this blatantly discriminatory law. We are already seeing the negative effects of this law. At Tuesday's Indiana primary, for example, about 12 nuns - all in their 80s or 90s - were turned away from a polling place by a fellow sister because they didn't have state or federal identification bearing a photograph. And the implications of the Supreme Court's ruling reach far beyond Indiana. Nationwide, it is estimated that as many as 11% of U.S. citizens don't have government-issued photo identification-that is as many as 21 million Americans. On the heels of the Supreme Court's decision, many states will be tempted to unnecessarily tighten their ID restrictions, while other states may use the Supreme Court ruling as a springboard to take action on this issue before the 2008 elections. Already, in Missouri, a state representative has tried to pass legislation that would require voters to obtain and show a government-issued photo ID. Fiscal estimates indicate that this bill would cost cash-strapped Missouri taxpayers more than $6.4 million - and could disenfranchise 240,000 Missourians, especially the elderly, low-income individuals, minorities, the homeless and handicapped people. That's why we can't stop now. Only the League of Women Voters has the knowledge, reputation, experience and grassroots network to fight back against politicians that are trying to rig our elections to expand their political power. And we will continue our work to fight all the challenges we face. I'm so proud to be standing together with dedicated League members and activists like you who understand what's at stake and have stepped up to make change happen. Thank you for your continued support. Mary G. Wilson State of Democracy
in Minnesota Planning Conference 
by Erin Sapp LWVMN has received a generous grant from the Joyce Foundation to assess the health of democracy in Minnesota and collaboratively develop recommendations on how and where the state can improve through a special project called the State of Democracy. As part of this work, the League hosted a planning conference, "Putting the Puzzle Together," to provide relevant information on issues affecting the health of democracy in Minnesota, solicit input and feedback on democracy-related issues, and create a framework for moving forward. Keynote SpeakerDeborah Goldberg, Democracy Program Director at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, delivered the conference's keynote speech. Her talk, titled "Democracy in America: Challenges and Opportunities," discussed issues affecting the health of democracy nationally, such as the effect of the Internet and other new media on the 2008 election, voter registration, and the Real ID Supreme Court case. She spoke specifically about Minnesota's strengths: the culture of civic engagement, well-organized communities, and same-day voter registration. However, she warned that Minnesota needs to continue working to defend citizens against the voter ID card, to restore voting rights to disenfranchised felons who have completed their sentences, to more effectively include people of color in decisions affecting the community, and to maintain an independent judiciary. Civic Education Student Panel: What Citizenship Means to MeFacilitated by Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, this diverse panel included two freshmen from Avalon Charter School, one freshman from the University of Minnesota, and another at Augsburg College. The students discussed their role as citizens, how they see themselves as future leaders, and the best ways to involve young people in civic activities. This is important said Holly Marsh, high school freshman, "because we all are connected." Media Panel: Role of the Media as the "Fourth" Branch of GovernmentRepresentatives of online, print, radio and television discussed the role of media in Minnesota's democracy in this panel, facilitated by Gary Hill, Media Director for the Minnesota Senate. Panelists included Jeff Goldberg, Fox TV; Doug Grow, MinnPost, a non-profit journalism enterprise published on the Internet; Janis Lane-Ewert, KFAI Community Radio; Bill Salisbury, St. Paul Pioneer Press; and Dane Smith, journalist who is now president of the think tank Growth and Justice. Panelists agreed that the Internet has caused a rapid change in journalism and acknowledged challenges it poses, particularly for traditional media outlets. Breakout Groups
ConclusionOverall, the conference was a huge success, hosting over 150 attendees representing dozens of organizations, companies, and local Leagues throughout the state. Attendees helped shape and guide the work of the State of Democracy project by lending their ideas, experiences and insights. The State of Democracy project is inherently a collaborative effort and has been greatly strengthened by the participation of so many people from so many perspectives. The State of Democracy team hopes that League members throughout the state will continue to be involved in this work to build a stronger democracy in Minnesota. Erin Sapp, LWV Minneapolis, is Project Director for the State of Democracy Project. 2008 Council combined business, fun LWVMN Council, held in even numbered years, is a time to transact any business that cannot wait until the biennial Convention. It is also a time for local LWVs and members-at-large to get together, to find out what has been happening in LWVs across Minnesota and around the nation during the past year, and to discuss what's ahead for 2008-2009. This year's Council was held on May 3 at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Two fun workshops at Council were Membership and Voter Service.  "Clara Ueland" and "Alice Paul" talk about their lives as founding mothers of LWVMN at 2008 Council. LWVMN Membership Co-Chairs Florence Hedeen and Peg Sundell said that historic skits or reenactments are a good way to attract new members. Florence Hedeen and Alice Holz of LWV Park Rapids State Unit demonstrated a recent reenactment they performed in Park Rapids. Florence explained that when preparing for LWV's 88th birthday in February, they researched the lives of Clara Ueland and Alice Paul so that they could assume the characters of these two women at a League meeting. They also visited Park Rapids public school freshmen and senior social studies classes and fifth grade classes as a way to mark Women's History Month. Each them took the responsibility to learn about their characters so that they could join in conversations with present day folks while adding a perspective from the past. Alice provided the costumes from a large collection of historic dress she has sought out and preserved. A highlight of their workshop was Florence's ringing speech for voting rights in the guise of Alice Paul. She said later that Alice's Quaker upbringing in a religious community that treated women and men as equals may have started her on the road to becoming a suffragist, along with her mother's sage advice, "When you put your hand to the plow you don't take it off until you come to the end of the row." Later, Alice had a math teacher at Swarthmore College who advised her to "Get Thy Gumption." Florence thought these admonitions were just as relevant to the LWVMN Membership Initiative today as when they were uttered. Marsha Oliver, LWV White Bear/North Oaks/Mahtomedi Area, is Voter editor Voter Service workshop: Give your members a round of applause!Geri Nelson, LWVMN Voter Service Co-Chair, demonstrated some fun cheers at the Voter Service workshop at LWVMN Council.
Local Leagues LWV Saint Paul hosts mortgage crisis forumby Amy Mino Confirming that Minnesota is facing a crisis of foreclosures, Julie Gugin, Executive Director of the Minnesota Home Ownership Center, led off a discussion exploring the mortgage crisis and what is and can be done about it at the March Member Meet-up of LWV Saint Paul. In 2007, foreclosures topped 21,000 statewide, with 30,000-35,000 being predicted for 2008. Gugin emphasized that the foreclosure crisis is not just an inner city Minneapolis-Saint Paul issue. Many of these foreclosures are occurring in the collar counties of Wright, Isanti, and Chisago, and high rates can also be found in Duluth and Rochester. The reason for the crisis stems from the "bubble" in the real estate market experienced in the early 2000s. As the bubble deflated, wages remained stagnant, but the overall costs of owning a home went up. Homeowners faced increased costs, often resulting from an adjustable rate mortgage, and tapped out their home equity. Many were victims of predatory lending practices. Already, the State of Minnesota has passed anti-predatory lending laws, putting most of the predatory lenders practicing in the state out of business. Nationally, very little has been done. However, additional funds have been made available for counseling services through NeighborWorks® America program, and organizations like the Minnesota Home Ownership Center have been able to hire additional counselors to meet the growing demand for services. The Home Ownership Center provides foreclosure prevention workshops and counseling that help people work to stay in their homes. Says Gugin, "Counseling is the best way to stem the tide of foreclosures." The Center works as an intermediary among a network of community-based organizations that offer free, confidential advice about mortgages and foreclosure, including the City of Saint Paul-PED, Acorn Housing and Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity in the metro area. Statewide, there are several organizations poised to assist, and a full map of the state resources is available on the Center website. She adds that the key is to seek help before the mortgage is given over to a foreclosing attorney, who takes over the foreclosure process for the mortgage lender. Once that happens, attorney's fees start piling up along with the delinquent home payments and penalty fees, making it harder for the home owner to recover. Renters, too, can be caught in the middle of a foreclosure nightmare, often not knowing that the dwelling in which they live is in foreclosure. Gugin put out a call to action for all League members to help spread the word that there is assistance available for those facing foreclosure. The Minnesota Home Ownership Center is available in the metro area at 612-659-9336 or toll free at 1-866-462-6466. Amy Mino, is membership chair for LWV Saint Paul Unlocking secrets of the Minnesota RiverA 10,000 year old scraping tool, pieces of pottery, enamelware, bison bones, and a half-dozen small trading pipes from the mid 1800s believed to have originated in China, were some of the items scrutinized by League members when the New Ulm, St. Peter and Mankato units of LWV met on Saturday, April 5. It was the first ever combined gathering of the three towns' League units. Since the Minnesota River runs near each town, the river was a logical topic for a shared meeting. Experts in Minnesota River history and ecology, Art and Barb Straub explained the artifacts, and Scott Kudelka of Minnesota State University, Mankato commented on ways to improve the quality of the water. Jeanie Hinsman, is president of LWV New Ulm. LWV Red Wing co-sponsors women's leadership conference"Creating a legacy of leadership: A women's conference" was presented on March 29 by LWV Red Wing, the Red Wing chapter of the American Association of University Women and Community Education. Linda Thielbar, LWV Red Wing, coordinated the conference, which was funded by the Sally Sawyer Leadership Grant. The purpose of the event was to get younger women involved in leadership, particularly in government. Participants came from Rochester, Winona, Cannon Falls, Ellsworth, and Goodhue as well as Red Wing. To ignite interest in running for political office, conference planners supplied each woman with a list of local offices open for election this year in Red Wing. Planners identified at least a couple of women that are very serious about throwing their hat in the ring for a public office in the very near future. One high school student said she found the conference very inspiring because often young women her age aren't taken seriously in the political arena. Linda Thielbar, is secretary of LWV Red Wing. Extraordinary week for LWVMN
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