November/December 2024

We’ve refreshed the look of The Voter to make it more vibrant and engaging for our members! Expect a streamlined design, fresh colors, and easy navigation to keep you connected with all the latest updates and events. Let us know what you think of the new style—we’d love to hear your feedback!

Virtual Event
Speakers: John Guider, Conservationist and Photographer
Time: Friday | 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM CT

Learn about John Guider’s 30-day journey navigating the length of the Duck River here in Middle Tennessee to document water and wildlife.

The river is listed as the 3rd most endangered in the U.S. while also holding the title of the third most biodiverse in the world.

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Consider gifting a membership to the League of Women Voters! This membership provides a year full of opportunities to promote democracy, educate the community, engage in political discussions, and help register new voters, among other activities. Plus, your annual membership includes access to national, state, and local LWV organizations. For more information about the different membership levels, please visit our website.

It was a busy election season for our organization. I want to take a moment to thank all of you for volunteering, poll watching, and sharing important election information with your community. The Voter Services Committee led by Kathy Anderson, Kalen Russell, and Beth Gordon deserves a big thank you for the phenomenal job with voter outreach over the last year. They registered many voters, visited many high schools, and set up countless voter information booths. As part of their Metro Government portfolio, Pat McCauley and Karen Hernan organized successful events to inform people about Choose How You Move Nashville. Treasurer, Susan Mattson, took on the tremendous task of organizing our Vote 411 information. Communications Chair Yolonda Beech kept us all informed with social media posts. Thank you to all the board members for your tireless work. The board is taking a well deserved break and will resume meetings in January.

I hope that you and your family have a lovely holiday season and New Year! I look forward to regrouping and continuing our work in January. League members know that the work doesn’t stop after an election, and there will be plenty to do as we continue to work to defend democracy and strengthen ties to our community.

Many league members work the polls for Early Voting and on Election Day, and the league also has many volunteers that do poll watching. We would love to hear from you about the successes and the challenges that you observed with this election. Please email us at lwvnash@gmail.com and use the subject line Election 2024. We will compile information to help us strategize for the next election.

One issue around voting that we would like to address in the future is absentee voting. There are many steps, and members observed how challenging this can be for citizens. Citizens have to request a ballot, receive the ballot, and return the ballot in a timely manner. In each step are barriers that could prevent someone from voting or from their vote being counted if the step is done incorrectly. Did you or someone you know encounter any issues with absentee voting? Please email us at lwvnash@gmail.com and use the subject line Absentee Voting 2024.

The Duck River in Middle Tennessee is the most biodiverse freshwater river in North America and has been named the third-most endangered river in the nation due to the threat of “excessive water withdrawals.”  The Southern Environmental Law Center is representing the Tennessee Wildlife Federation in an appeal against a state permit that would allow utility Columbia Power and Water Systems to develop a second water withdrawal site at the Maury-Hickman county line without rules in place to lower allowed usage when river flows drop.

The Tennessee Valley Authority’s Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) is in a period of public review.  Environmental groups are concerned about TVA’s plans to invest in new fossil fuel plants (natural Gas) which will generate methane emissions.  

The Army Corps of Engineers has proposed construction of a new Foxland Harbor Marina on Old Hickory Lake.  Environmental and community groups have concerns that adequate environmental studies have not been performed prior to consideration of the plan, particularly as regards planned dredging of an area that could contain coal contamination from a retired steam plant.  A petition is available online for those wishing to require more study. Click the button below to sign the petition.

At the November 1 Hot Topic meeting, Councilwoman Joy Styles (Metro Council District 32) shared details about the new Chinatown project in Antioch. Located at 5255 Hickory Hollow Parkway, the development will feature traditional and modern Chinese architecture, revitalizing the area while offering shopping, dining, jobs, and community investment. The project will also house the flagship Pan Asian Supermarket, addressing the local grocery desert.

Antioch is experiencing renewed growth, with recent developments like Tanger Outlets, Century Farms' mixed-use housing and retail, the Southeast Community Center, and the Antioch Transit Center. Additionally, city officials broke ground in May on a new police precinct.

Councilwoman Styles also highlighted plans for a future town center in Antioch, aimed at creating Nashville’s second urban core. 

LWVN Hot Topic public meetings are held via Zoom on the first Friday of each month from noon to 1 p.m. Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel to be notified when the recording of this Hot Topic is uploaded!

Co-Presidents: Lara Webb & Ophelia Doe

1st Vice Presidents: Melissa Hanson & Karen Weickert

Secretary: Ethel Detch

Treasurer: Susan Mattson

Nominating Committee Members:

Betsy Walkup

Constance Caldwell

Hasina Mohyuddin

June Bond

Brenda Wynn

Portfolio Chairs

Communications: Yolonda Beech

Community Connections: Sabina Mohyuddin & Leona Edwards

Education: Dr. Patricia H. Brock, Dr. Leslie Cowell, and MaKenzie Mosby

Environment: Russanne Buchi-Fotre & Jack McFadden

Health Care/Public Health:  Harper-Grace Niedermeyer & Patti Scott 

Membership: Reba Holmes & Cindee Gold

Metro Government:  Pat McCauley & Karen Hernan

Voter Services: Kathryn Anderson & Kalen Russell

Williamson County Representative:  June Bond

Nominating Committee Chair: Senator Brenda Gilmore 

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS NASHVILLE
Box 158369, Nashville, Tennessee 37215

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contact@lwvnashville.org

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