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| The Nashville Voter
Volume 77, No 3
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| Welcome to this issue of the LWVN Voter. You'll notice that the Emma page design allows you to access the LWVN Calendar by pressing a button at the top of the page!
Please note, you can increase your screen size within your personal information manager (i.e., Microsoft Outlook). In the Microsoft Outlook Message Bar at the top of the e-mail page, choose "Other Actions'' and then in the dropdown menu choose "Zoom." The Zoom window allows you to increase the file size; try 140% for easier onscreen reading.
Also, please note that if you want to share/forward this newsletter to others, you MUST click on the envelope icon at the upper right side of this emailed version.
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April Hot Topic: Air Pollution Control in Nashville, Tennessee
Friday, April 5 from 12:00pm-1:00pm on Zoom
Our April speaker is John Finke, Bureau Director for Environmental Health Services and the Director of the Air Quality Services Division at the Metro Public Health Department. John will be presenting on the Health Department’s role in air quality; issues and opportunities on the horizon; and how the public can engage in meaningful participation. Register here.
League of Women Voters of Williamson County Meeting
Wednesday, April 17 from 1:00-2:30pm at the John P. Holt Library in Brentwood, TN. We cordially invite you to join us for an in-person event featuring Anne Dunn, Brentwood City Commissioner, and Ann Petersen, Alderman at Large, City of Franklin. They will be our esteemed guests on Wednesday, April 17th, from 1:00 to 2:30 at the John P. Holt Library. With extensive experience in government and public service, both women bring valuable insights into their communities. Through a fireside conversation and interview, we'll delve into the challenges and rewards faced by women in public service. The event will also include an opportunity for attendees to ask questions and enjoy light refreshments. Register at the John P. Holt Library page here.
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President's Message
There’s something about spring that is reinvigorating! The Board, as always, is hard at work. Through the State Action Committee and its leadership, the Environment, Education, Voter Services, Public Health/Health Care and Education committees have been engaged in monitoring legislation and getting out action alerts for members to contact their senators and representatives regarding bills that are of concern to the League. In addition, the Voter Services committee is also hard at work attending and planning for voter registration events.
This may be the year that you would like to be more involved. Consider serving on the board or joining a committee. We are always looking for interested members with new ideas. Email lwebbteacher@gmail.com, and I will put you in touch with the Co-Chairs of your committee of choice.
Lastly, I want to acknowledge that March 27 is the one-year mark of the Covenant School mass shooting. We honor and remember the children, educators and staff who died. The LWVN will continue to work with our partners advocating for common sense gun safety laws.
~Lara Webb
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April Hot Topic: Air Pollution Control in Nashville, TennesseeBy Karen Wieckert
Our April speaker is John Finke, Bureau Director for Environmental Health Services and the Director of the Air Quality Services Division at the Metro Public Health Department. John will be presenting on the Health Department’s role in air quality; issues and opportunities on the horizon; and how the public can engage in meaningful participation.
He has a Master’s of Environmental Engineering from the University of Tennessee, and a Bachelor of Engineering from Vanderbilt University. John has been serving to improve air quality in the Nashville community for over 28 years. Register here.
March Hot Topic: The Rise of the Radical Right
By Melissa Hanson
Hot Topic in March was a presentation by Dr. Nicole Hemmer from Vanderbilt University. Dr. Hemmer described the rise of the radical right, from the radio era, through the rise of Fox News. She focused on Charlottesville, as a symbolic event that brought together many groups and issues.
We discussed how best to address this aspect of American politics, and Dr. Hemmer's suggestion was exactly what the League of Women Voters has done and will continue to do. Focus on voting rights and getting people out to vote and engage in civic issues.
Click here to view the recording on our YouTube Channel.
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Health Care/Public Health
By Constance Caldwell and Clare Sullivan
Issues surrounding Reproductive Health continue to occupy the agendas of our local and national legislative bodies. Abortion, contraception availability, and In-vitro fertilization have demanded our attention.
The Supreme Court is set to consider whether to order a reversal in US drug laws and restrict women from obtaining abortion medication (Mifepristone, Misoprostol) at pharmacies or through the mail. (Source: Los Angeles Times.). Since the overturning of Roe vs. Wade. The numbers of women seeking to obtain the medications. The ruling would eliminate telemedicine and reimpose the in-person dispensing requirement.
In another legislative action, the Tennessee Legislature failed to pass the bill that would increase the minimum wage from $7.25/hour to $20.00/hour. Failing to pass such an increase continues to uphold one of the major social determinants (Employment) which affects productive living.
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Voter Services
By Kathryn Anderson and Kalen Russell
The Voter Services Committee set up presentations and other events with several schools in Davidson County: Pearl Cohn Comprehensive High School (March 7-8), Harpeth Hall (March 21), Nashville State Community College (April 24-25), and Cane Ridge High School (April 16-17). We are still working with Republic Charter School to find a date that works in April. We tried to get responses from many other high schools but did not get replies from our contacts at these schools after repeated attempts to talk with these persons.
*If you’re interested in setting up a voter registration drive at a school not listed above, please reach out to Kathryn Anderson (Kathryn.H.Anderson@gmail.com)*
The committee also participated in a voter registration event sponsored by NOAH on February 25. This event was a forum for school board candidates for Districts 1, 3, and 5. Kalen Russell and Madeline Garr worked the voter registration event.
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Metro Council
By Pat McCauley and Karen Hernan
Here’s a recap of the Metro Council Meetings from 2/20/24 & 3/7/24
VOTING/ ELECTIONS
- Stephanie Williams won the Democratic Primary for the Davidson County Circuit Court Division IV judge seat which is responsible for divorces and adoptions with 66% of vote. There is no Republican candidate, so there will only be one candidate listed on the ballot on August 1, 2024.
- Vivian Wilhoite won her bid to be re-elected as Davidson County Property Assessor as she won the Democratic primary. Again, there is no Republican candidate, so there will only be one candidate listed on the ballot on August 1, 2024.
- Robert Taylor won school board district one primary by 104 votes. He will face Demytris Savage-Short, the Republican candidate on Aug. 1.
- Berry Hill reelected Greg Mabey in a nonpartisan race for city commissioner.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING/ UNHOUSED
A two-year pilot program started in 2022 known as the Eviction Right to Counsel (“ERTC”) is to be continued through 2025. An additional $2.3M will be used to continue to fund the ERTC program through Fiscal Year 2025. ERTC provides legal representation to low- to moderate income renters in Nashville and Davidson County in eviction cases, provide over-the-phone and in-person support to answer housing-related questions, conduct a city-wide, multi-language public awareness campaign, and provide legal information at the Davidson County Courthouse on eviction court days. ERTC organizers would aim to serve more clients than in previous years, attend nearly twice as many outreach events, staff a help desk at the Davidson County Courthouse for 100 days, and distribute 12,000 pieces of informational material that has been translated into six languages.
PUBLIC SAFETY/ TRANSPORTATION/ TRAFFIC/ POLICE
A resolution passed that approves an application by the Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure for an Advanced Transportation Technology and Innovation (“ATTAIN”) grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation. If awarded, the ATTAIN grant award would be $10M with a required local cash match of $2.5M. The grant would fund the development of a comprehensive Advanced Transportation Management System with Transit Signal Priority along Gallatin Pike. This project would include a fiber optic communications network that would connect to a regional transportation management center that is now being designed with separate funding. Additional technology would also be placed along the corridor under this grant, including non-intrusive radar detection, arterial closed-circuit television deployment, and Bluetooth travel time technology. This program would help prioritize bus movements and maintain transit schedules along one of the most congested corridors in Nashville and Davidson County.
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| Stay Informed about Upcoming Calendar Events!
If you get the electronic version of the Voter, we want you to know that the upcoming calendar events are available on our wonderful, new website – www.lwvnashville.org. On The calendar scrolls on the events of the current and upcoming events thanks to Tracy Depp, who keeps the calendar current. If you haven’t taken a look, do so to make sure you mark your calendar so you won’t miss a thing!
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ATTENTION: The Nashville Voter is a digital publication. If you have received this copy of the Voter in the mail, it means the League of Women Voters of Nashville does not have an e-mail address for you. Please help us by sending your e-mail address to LWVNash@gmail.com. Being on the LWVN e-mail database ensures your receipt of all LWVN newsletters, event invitations, meeting announcements, and Call to Action alerts.
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| 2023-2024 LWVN Board of Directors
Co-Presidents: Lara Webb
Immediate Past President: Madeline Garr
1st Vice Presidents: Melissa Hanson and Karen Weickert
Secretary: Elise Lamar
Treasurer Susan Mattson
Portfolio Chairs
Communications: Ophelia Doe
Community Connections: Sabina Mohyuddin
Education: Harper-Grace Niedermeyer and Patricia Brock
Environment: Russanne Buchi-Fotre and Jack McFadden
Health Care/Public Health: Constance Caldwell and Clare Sullivan
Membership: Reba Holmes
Metro Government: Pat McCauley and Karen Hernan
Voter Services: Kathryn Anderson and Kalen Russell
Williamson County Representative: June Bond
Nominating Committee Chair: Senator Brenda Gilmore
Nominating Committee Members: Betsy Walkup, Constance Caldwell, Hasina Mohyuddin, June Bond, and Brenda Wynn
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