League of Women Voters of Buffalo/Niagara, Inc.

09/28/2022

We love our local libraries! League member Jennifer Hoffman spent some time at the Sanborn-Pekin Free Library in Niagara County with information on voting in the 2022 election.

09/23/2022

Big thank you for informing us on how we can help people register to vote!

Members of the League visited with the Model U.N./Eurosim club at Niagara University, helping students learn how to register voters and get out the vote!

09/22/2022

Letter: Outer Harbor waterfront must remain accessible

"The League of Women Voters of Buffalo-Niagara supports plans for the Buffalo Outer Harbor waterfront that provide and ensure year-round access to the waterfront through a coherent regional planning process arrived at and adopted with adequate public participation. However, the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corp. (ECHDC) has ignored the comments of the public that overwhelmingly agree with the League’s position that commercial development should be within a framework that protects and enhances the natural environment at the water’s edge."

The League of Women Voters of Buffalo-Niagara supports plans for the Buffalo Outer Harbor waterfront that provide and ensure year-round access to the waterfront through a coherent regional planning process

09/22/2022

League of Women Voters Welcomes Bipartisan Action on the Presidential Electoral Reform Act | League of Women Voters

Read our statement in response to the passage of the US House bipartisan bill on the Presidential Electoral Reform Act 👉

WASHINGTON — Today the League of Women Voters of the United States CEO Virginia Kase Solomón issued the following statement in response to the passage of the US House bipartisan bill on the Presidential Electoral Reform Act: 

09/20/2022

September 20th is National Voter Registration Day! 📣 It only takes two minutes to register to vote🗳️. Visit VOTE411.org/register to register or check your registration status.

09/18/2022

‘A Crisis Coming’: The Twin Threats to American Democracy

An interesting read from the New York Times on American democracy -- where we are and how we got here.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/17/us/american-democracy-threats.html

The United States faces two distinct challenges, the movement by Republicans who refuse to accept defeat in an election and a growing disconnect between political power and public opinion.

09/15/2022

Today is the first day of !

A time to honor and uplift the amazing contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans!

09/11/2022

Check out our fall programs to help you become a more educated citizen!
...
We're talking about the Russia's war on Ukraine at the with .
...
Learning about the history and future of Black Buffalo with Dr. Henry Louis Taylor, Jr., Professor in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning and Director of University at Buffalo Center for Urban Studies, co-hosted with and .
...
And we're discussing the fact and fiction of Pulling the Race Card with presented with , SANYS, Westminster Presbyterian Church Buffalo, Buffalo Jewish Community Relations, and National Action Network Buffalo-Niagara.
...
Visit out website for more details and to register!

09/06/2022

Buffalo's Lake Erie coast, including the Outer Harbor, is part of the Niagara River "Area of Concern" under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. That means it is one of 43 severely impaired waters around the Great Lakes, including six Areas of Concern in NY State: Buffalo River, Niagara River, Eighteen Mile Creek (on Lake Ontario), Rochester Bay, Oswego River and St. Lawrence River at Massena.

These areas were identified in the 1987 as impaired in terms of their chemical, physical and/or biological integrity. They have since been targeted for federal, state and private funds for restoration. It is 50 years since the first signing of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement by Canada and the US, and an important milestone year to take stock. How far have we come? What is the future of the Great Lakes--the largest freshwater ecosystem in the world?

Learn more about your lake from the people most involved!

Virtually attend the "Speak out for Your Great Lake" webinar series. Tuesday, Sept. 6 (Lake Erie) and Wednesday, Sept. 14 (Lake Ontario) from 2-3:30 p.m.

Listening to these sessions is a great way to learn about the issues people are working on around each lake.

Details and registration can be found on the Great Lakes Ecoregion Network website.

08/26/2022

We cannot celebrate Women’s Equality Day because we are far from equal in our democracy. We call on our lawmakers to:

1️⃣ Pass voting rights legislation

2️⃣ Add the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution

3️⃣ Restore reproductive rights to all who can become pregnant

08/05/2022

UPDATE: The previous loophole that would have allowed New York State to vote in the party primary of their choice has been CLOSED.

Voters must once again have a party affiliation in order to vote in the primary on August 23.

Want to change your party affiliation? There's still time! Your county's Board of Elections must receive your party affiliation change by August 11. Changes received AFTER the 11 will not go into effect until after the primary election.

07/29/2022

Hey New York voters!👋 There's a loophole in state election law that affects the primary election on August 23.

For the August 23rd primary ONLY, voters will be able to vote in the party primary of their choice. Read our infographic below to learn more about this unique situation, and how to use it on Election Day.

07/27/2022

Field trip day! We joined with the League of Women Voters of Cattaraugus/Allegany and Chautauqua Counties for Democracy and the Vote at Chautauqua Institution.

An inspiring talk by Jelani Cobb. "If (voting) wasn't important they wouldn't try to stop you from doing it."

Followed by lunch, conversation, and community.

07/18/2022

Fresh fruits and vegetables. Community. A little local history. What could be better? If you're headed to the Farmer's Markets in Downtown Buffalo or in the Elmwood Village, look for us these dates! We'll also be at the Historic Broadway Market in August and September.

Stop by to say hi and find out more about what we do!

Want to volunteer to help register people to vote? Contact the office at [email protected].

07/12/2022

Time to renew your membership! Or join the League for the first time!

A nonpartisan organization, the League of Women Voters works to protect and expand voting rights and empower voters to defend democracy through advocacy and education at the local, state, and national levels.

http://lwvbn.org/misc/join.html

07/11/2022

One Small Step for Democracy in a ‘Live Free or Die’ Town

“As citizens we have many rights, but we also have obligations,” said Wayne Lesperance, a political science professor at New England College, in Henniker, N.H. “And when we don’t fulfill our obligations, we often end up with results we don’t like.”

This story from Sunday's New York Times is a tale of how decisions are made by people who show up -- and how democracy works best when we are all engaged in the process.

A cautionary tale from Croydon, N.H., where one man tried to foist a change so drastic it jolted a community out of political indifference.

07/04/2022

As we celebrate our nation's birthday, we are reminded that our democracy is a work in progress.

04/25/2022

Happy Earth Day.

03/20/2022

Voter Empowerment Collaborative Movement Call · Voter Empowerment Collaborative

Americans across race, place, and party believe in the freedom to decide for ourselves who represents us. In the face of a pandemic and barriers erected to silence our voices, Americans turned out in record numbers to cast their ballots and make their voices heard.
That is why it is so important to show our support for local election workers and honor them for their tireless effort to ensure our elections are run smoothly.
Join Daily Kos and the Voter Empowerment Collaborative on Sunday, March 20th at 8pm, including the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, APIAVote, Public Citizen, and the League of Women Voters, as we come together with movement leaders, elected officials, and others to discuss supporting local election officials around the country.

https://www.mobilize.us/voterempowerment/event/446149/?utm_source=DailyKos?one_click_ab_redirect=true&ab_page_name=dkcourts2022&ab_refcode=2022028SCRepresenation&widget_style=1&link_id=0&can_id=63bffeffd22a443878041ea14e6daba6&email_referrer=email_1481826&email_subject=rsvp-to-the-movement-call-to-thank-local-election-workers

Join the **Voter Empowerment Collaborative** on **Sunday**, **March 20th** at **8pm**, as we come together to discuss supporting local election officials. We will be discussing the hard work and dedication that election workers have done throughout the deadly pandemic, by making sure everyone is abl...

03/19/2022

Photos from League Of Women Voters of NYS's post

02/10/2022

Open to Everyone Interested in Making democracy Work!
League Advocacy Training: How to Become a Citizen Lobbyist
Saturday, February 19, 2022
10:30 – Noon via Zoom
Goal: provide the skills to lobby state legislators for the League priorities this spring or for any
lobby efforts
Topics to be covered include:
• A short background of the New York State Legislature and how an idea becomes law in
New York State
• How to find out about current state legislation
• Making your Voice Heard-How you can influence Government Decisions
• Tips on how to lobby legislators
• Samples from the 2022 League Legislative Agenda
Register by February 12 for this workshop.
Register in advance for this meeting:
Zoom Registration Link
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about
joining the meeting.
If you will need to attend by phone, register by calling the League office at 716-986-4898

11/15/2021

League of Women Voters of Buffalo/Niagara, Inc. updated their business hours.

League of Women Voters of Buffalo/Niagara, Inc. updated their business hours.

11/13/2021

League of Women Voters of Buffalo Niagara

The League of Women Voters, Justice for Migrant Families, the NY
Immigration Coalition, and the WNY Peace Center Latin American
Solidarity Committee and Immigrant and Refugee Task Force present

Border Justice Issues in WNY
Monday, November 22, 2021
7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Canisius College Science Hall Commons
1900 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14208
Enter from the Parking Lot

Moderator: Madi McEwan, Program Community Organizer at Justice
for Migrant Families

Join us for a panel highlighting Border Justice Issues in WNY where we
will hear from people who are directly impacted by immigration policies
locally. Buffalo is a border city and immigrant communities face different
challenges based on their immigration status. We will hear personal stories
from a refugee, an asylum seeker, a current detainee, and an immigration
attorney. The panel will discuss the process of resettlement in a new city,
the isolating impacts of detention, and the importance of ensuring all
immigrants have access to an attorney regardless of their immigration
status. Learn how you can get involved with immigrant rights issues!

Parking: Lot to the south of the building on Main Street.
The venue is near the metro station.

There is no registration required, but all attendees must wear masks.

Serving voters and the public in the greater metro region of Western New York state (WNY).

11/10/2021

Letter To Governor Hochul: Stop Plans For Outer Harbor Amphitheater, Create A World-Class State Park > News > News > Partnership for the Public Good (PPG) - Buffalo, NY

The League and other organizations oppose the construction of an amphitheater on the Outer Harbor. The letter to Governor Hochul linked below gives an excellent explanation why:

https://ppgbuffalo.org/news-and-events/news/article:11-09-2021-12-00am-letter-to-governor-hochul-stop-plans-for-outer-harbor-amphitheater-create-a-world-class-state-park/?fbclid=IwAR3dYHMpNoCyzHEK9XJFAqF695DU1VZCRufthv1UXUJp9YD0TbGxnnT2yb0

  November 9, 2021 The Honorable Kathy Hochul Governor of New York State NYS State Capitol Building Albany, NY 12224 Re: Buffalo Outer Harbor Dear Governor Hochul: Partnership for the Public Good unites over 300 groups working to build a better Buffalo-Niagara. We are writing to ask

10/11/2021

The League of Women Voters of Buffalo/Niagara regrets that we must cancel the Candidates’ Forum for October 18, 2021, for candidates running in the November Election for offices that serve North Tonawanda. In accordance with our Empty Chair Policy, the League of Women Voters cannot hold a forum when there is only one candidate present for any contest. We have received acceptance from only one candidate for any of the contests. We thank the candidates who were endorsed by the Democratic and Working Families Parties who responded and planned to participate.

The League of Women Voters of Buffalo/Niagara is deeply disappointed that residents of North Tonawanda will not be able to hear from all the candidates for city and county offices. A Candidates’ Forum is a unique opportunity for voters to learn about candidates on their ballots. So when candidates decide not to attend or participate, it is a lost opportunity for all voters. Declining to participate to discuss the issues that matter most to voters is contrary to the public interest and it is the voters who are harmed. We consider a Candidates’ Forum as a job interview. After all, the winners of the election will be working for all of us.

The League of Women Voters takes no position on candidates for public office or on political parties. The League works to encourage the informed and active participation of citizens in government, works to increase understanding of major policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.

We urge all candidates for Niagara County legislators to participate in the League’s online voters guide at Vote411.org to provide an opportunity for voters to learn their qualifications, endorsements, and views about some of the issues facing Niagara County. Contact our Vote411.org coordinator, Barbara Jezioro, at [email protected].

10/03/2021

There are four important constitutional propositions on the ballot this year. Join us to learn more about them.

08/26/2021

What our League is all about!

The 19th Amendment was ratified 101 years ago today, granting many women the right to vote.

But our work still isn't done. From the suffragists to the civil rights movement to today's activists — we are still fighting to ensure that every vote is counted and every voice is heard.

08/04/2021

Charlottesville removes two Confederate statues as onlookers cheer

"(Removing the statues) is one small step closer to the goal of helping Charlottesville, Virginia, and America grapple with its sin of being willing to destroy Black people for economic gains," Mayor Nikuyah Walker told reporters shortly before the Lee statue was lifted. "It is my hope that we stop taking these steps in 100-year increments and increase the frequency (of) bold daily action and critical examination of accurate history, even when it denounces whiteness as supreme," she said. [article date July 10, 2021]

Bronze statues of two Confederate generals were removed on Saturday from public property in Charlottesville, Virginia, almost four years after they were a flashpoint for a violent "Unite the Right" rally that left one person dead.

08/02/2021

Buffalo and WNY are digitally segregated, new map suggests

If you live east of Main St. it’s probable that anywhere between 25-45% of the neighborhood doesn’t have internet access at home. Additionally, a similar divide exists for residents of the city lacking a smartphone.

The data from the NTIA measures lack of access due to affordability as well as physical lines being run to a home or business. Additionally, Internet speeds across the one-carrier city make little sense. The high-tech hub known as the medical campus shares a census tract with the Fruit Belt. The census tract averages an internet speed of 8Mbps.
The average speed in downtown Buffalo is 17Mbps.

(article date June 21, 2021)

The new map from the NTIA paints a clear picture that digital segregation is a big problem in Buffalo and WNY

07/31/2021

Harriet Tubman monument replacing a Christopher Columbus statue in Newark is "poetic," mayor says

Mayor Was Baraka said having Tubman take over Columbus' old spot in Washington Park was "poetic." As the nation continues to weigh the future of controversial statues, he said the monument felt like an opportunity to embrace history and Tubman's roots in the Garden State. "Harriet Tubman actually stepped foot here in this property, Christopher Columbus did not," Baraka said. "So, it seems more appropriate to have a statue of Harriet Tubman and talk about the abolitionists' work that went on that most people in New Jersey don't even know... fighting against a system that was trying to allow slavery in this state." (article date June 21, 2021)

"Harriet Tubman actually stepped foot here in this property, Christopher Columbus did not," the city's mayor said.

07/29/2021

HUD secretary links student loan debt to decline in Black homeownership

The FHA is making updates to its student loan monthly payment calculations in an effort to “remove barriers and provide more access to affordable single family FHA-insured mortgage financing for creditworthy individuals with student loan debt, which has a disproportionate impact on people of color.” (article date: June 21, 2021)

Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Marcia Fudge said student debt is playing a role in limiting homeownership for Black people.

07/27/2021

‘The water is coming’: Florida Keys faces stark reality as seas rise

the Florida Keys is now acknowledging a previously unthinkable reality: it faces being overwhelmed by the rising seas and not every home can be saved. “The water is coming and we can’t stop it,” said Michelle Coldiron, mayor of Monroe county, which encompasses the Keys. (article date: June 24, 2021)

Officials prepare to elevate streets despite financial shortfalls, amid recognition that not every home can be saved

07/25/2021

CEOs made 299 times the salary of what the median employee received: analysis

The difference in compensation between CEOS and the average workers trended upward in 2020, according to a new report from the the AFL-CIO. The average S&P 500 CEO made $15.5 million in 2020, and chief executives made 299 times more than the average employee's salary. (article date: July 14, 2021)

The difference in compensation between CEOS and the average workers trended upward in 2020, according to a new report by a labor union released on Wednesday.

07/23/2021

How Black women athletes are being scrutinized ahead of the Olympics despite their successes

In recent weeks, the governing body for aquatic sports refused to approve the use of a swimming cap designed to accommodate natural Black hair during international competitions. A US Olympic hammer thrower was also criticized for protesting during the playing of the national anthem and two Namibian sprinters were ruled ineligible to compete in a race due to naturally high testosterone levels.

Those incidents, experts say, show how sports policies don't necessarily take into account athletes of color and the dehumanization that Black women and girls experience. "We tend to center whiteness. We don't necessarily think about how the rules that we might implement impact other groups because we're thinking about whiteness and White people being the norm," said Lori L. Martin, a sociology professor at Louisiana State University.

(article date: July 6, 2021)

As the world's top athletes head into the Tokyo Olympics, a wave of penalizations and criticism are shedding light onto how Black women in sports are treated.

07/21/2021

German Museum Repatriates Lakota Chief’s Shirt, Citing ‘Moral and Ethical Reasons’

Ina Hartwig, deputy mayor in charge of Culture and Science for the City of Frankfurt am Main, said, “Provenance research is one of the great challenges facing museums in the 21st century. Even if it represents a loss for the collection [..], I see the return of the leather shirt to Chief Duane Hollow Horn Bear as an obligation that outweighs the formal legal situation.” [article date: July 9, 2021]

The shirt was given to the chief’s great-grandson and successor.

07/19/2021

Henrietta native becomes first female captain of the Maid of the Mist in Niagara Falls

At 21, McHenry got her captain’s license through the Coast Guard. This enabled her to operate large commercial vessels, and she began filling in as captain of the Colonial Belle, cruising the Erie Canal. She is the first and only female Maid of the Mist captain in the Maid of the Mist's 175-year history. McHenry said she would love to see more women get into the maritime field, “and I know that’s something that’s happening." [article date July 6, 2021]

“For a lot of people, it’s a big deal ... but for me, I’m just going to work.”

07/17/2021

More than 150 companies call on Congress to strengthen Voting Rights Act

“Despite decades of progress, impediments to exercising the right to vote persist in many states, especially for communities of color. We need federal protections to safeguard this fundamental right for all Americans,” the companies wrote in the letter. (article date: July 14, 2021)

Amazon, Starbucks and Pepsi are among the companies that signed on to a letter calling on Congress to pass legislation that would expand the Voting Rights Act.

07/15/2021

Undercover Exxon video reveals an anti-climate campaign

"Did we aggressively fight against some of the science? Yes," Keith McCoy, the Exxon (XOM) lobbyist, said during a covertly filmed job interview recorded by Greenpeace's UK investigative platform. "Did we join some shadow groups to work against some of the early efforts? Yes, that's true," McCoy said in the video, which was published Wednesday by the UK's Channel 4. "But there's nothing illegal about that. We were looking out for our investments. we were looking out for our shareholders." [article date July 1, 2021]

A senior ExxonMobil lobbyist appears to have unwittingly revealed how the oil company uses its political muscle to undercut climate action.

07/01/2021

Voting Rights: A Short History | Voting Rights | Carnegie Corporation of New York

"The struggle for equal voting rights dates to the earliest days of U.S. history. Now, after a period of bipartisan efforts to expand enfranchisement, Americans once again face new obstacles to voting." (Article from 2019, but lots of good history!)

The struggle for equal voting rights dates to the earliest days of U.S. history. Now, after a period of bipartisan efforts to expand enfranchisement, Americans once again face new obstacles to voting

06/29/2021

A 19-year-old aspiring astronaut is the only person who's attended every NASA space camp. She's already positioning herself for a mission to Mars.

Carson was the youngest person to graduate from the Advanced Space Academy and is currently pursuing an astrobiology major at the Florida Institute of Technology. The eventual goal: fly to Mars, which NASA plans to do in the 2030s.

Alyssa Carson is one of a group of young people who are already positioning themselves to become NASA astronauts just in time to travel to Mars.

06/27/2021

State funding coming to upgrade Freedom Wall in Buffalo

More than $360,000 in state funding will go towards installing LED lighting to accent the wall's 28 portraits, and to fix sidewalks running alongside the wall. The Freedom Wall is located at the corner of Michigan Avenue and East Ferry Street.

Over $360,000 will go towards LED lighting and sidewalks.

06/25/2021

‘One Oppressive Economy Begets Another’

"It’s not by chance that 158 years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, rural Black communities bear the environmental consequences of Louisiana’s biggest industry. Overlay a map of southern Louisiana’s petrochemical and petroleum plants with archival maps of the area’s plantations, and you’ll find that in many cases the property lines match up. 'One oppressive economy begets another,' Barbara L. Allen, a professor of science, technology, and society at Virginia Tech and the author of Uneasy Alchemy, a book on environmental justice in the region, told me over the phone. 'The Great River Road was built on the bodies of enslaved Black people. The chemical corridor is responsible for the body burden of their descendants.'"

Louisiana’s petroleum industry profits from exploiting historic inequalities, showing how slavery laid the groundwork for environmental racism.

06/23/2021

"Then will come forward women who have gained courage from the efforts and sacrifices of others, and the great world will say, 'Here come the women who are going to do something.'" —Martha Coffin Wright, 1860, Auburn, NY.