League of Women Voters makes concerns about state of our democracy clear at local event
'What we're trying to do today is remind everyone that we elect people to go to Washington to represent us, and we are asking you to contact them, because the voice of the people should be the strongest voice that's heard.'
Underscoring their grave concerns about our democracy, the League of Women Voters Appleton-Fox Cities and LVW of Winnebago County took a rare public stand against the actions of a sitting president and called on congressional delegations to step up and honor their oath to the constitution and the rule of law.
The League is a nonpartisan organization that does not support or oppose any political party or candidate for public office. It is political in that it promotes League-supported public policy issues, such as voter rights and good governance.
Along with League chapters across the country, Linda Bjella, President of LVW Appleton-Fox Cities, and Margy Davey, President of LVW – Winnebago County, urged Fox Valley residents at a news conference in Menasha on Tuesday to contact their elected representatives in Congress and demand they uphold the constitutional balance of powers against what they say is overreach by the executive branch.
They provided postcards for attendees to fill out at the event or take home and finish.
“The league is dedicated to defending democracy, and we view this as part of our mission. We think it is nonpartisan to stand on the side of democracy,” Bjella said.
Attendees fill out postcards to their US senators and Representatives at the Menasha Library.
They went on to call on Senators Tammy Baldwin and Ron Johnson and Congressmen Tony Wied and Glenn Grothman to “protect our Constitution, the rights of all Americans, and democracy itself.”
President Trump has issued dozens of executive orders, some of dubious legality, others that have repeatedly been swatted down by the courts. He has unilaterally attempted to dismantle government institutions outside of constitutional norms and recently suspended due process in an immigration case and defied court orders.
The local action follows the national chapter’s decision to send a letter to Congress expressing grave concern over the state of our nation. That letter was sent on Feb. 14, the 105th anniversary of the League of Women Voters’ founding. It demanded that Congress exercise its Article One, constitutional authority to “protect the rule of law, defend the Constitution and end the overreach by the executive branch of the government.” The letter was signed by each of the 50 state Leagues, and those of Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico representing over 1 million members.
“What we're trying to do today is remind everyone that we elect people to go to Washington to represent us, and we are asking you to contact them, because the voice of the people should be the strongest voice that's heard,” Davey said on Wednesday.
The League of Women Voters was first organized in 1920 to help over 20 million new women voters cast their votes after the ratification of the 19th Amendment. Wisconsin was the first of the states to ratify the 19th Amendment. The League’s mission, from then to today, can be summarized by the statement posted on the LWV Appleton-Fox Cities website, “Empowering voters. Defending democracy.”
The two LWV chapters were joined by members of several other local nonpartisan organizations on Wednesday, including AAUW, Esther Fox Valley, Appleton Area NOW, Fox Cities Advocates for Public Education and members of the Women's Action Coalition.
