You can watch videos of Community Forums on our own YouTube Channel. Subscribe today and be notified when there is a new one to view!

Go here for membership and YouTube information.

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS

OF SANTA BARBARA

Martin Luther King Day Events
Monday, Jan. 18
Martin Luther King Jr. Committee (LWVSB is a coalition partner) will conduct a morning program and unity march from 9-11 a.m. After a ceremonial blessing by Barbareno Chumash Council official Marcus Lopez, songs from the Inner Light Gospel Choir and dance by the World Dance for Humanity, everyone will walk from De la Guerra Plaza to the Arlington Theatre.

There, the 9th Annual City Celebration Program will include an invocation, inspirational music, an orartory of excerpts from Dr. King's "The Other America" and comments by elected officials. The program, from 11 a.m.-12:40 p.m., is free. Theme of this year's events is "Justice for All." Find more information here.

Finding More Water

Community Forum: Wednesday,
Jan. 20, noon-2 p.m.

Louise Lowry Davis Center, 1232 De la Vina St.

Changing weather patterns, climate change, and drought have forced us to face the need for sustainable water supplies. What are the various resources available to the City of Santa Barbara, Montecito and other water districts in our Central Coast Region? What is the current state of those resources? Will there be regional solutions? What sources of water could we utilize in the future?

The City of Santa Barbara Water Resources Department representative, Kelley Dyer, will be addressing desalinization and the City of Santa Barbara's water resources and current supplies. Tom Evans, Engineer with the Montecito Water District will discuss the regional aspect of water resources. Potable reuse will be presented by James O. Hawkins, a Policy Analyst from Heal the Ocean. Managing ground water will be the topic of Ryan C. Drake, Water Supply and Conservation Manager for the Goleta Water District.

Please bring your questions and lunches. The event is free and open to the public. Parking behind the center is free.

Have you Ever Wanted to be a Moderator for Voter Service Forums?

Now is your opportunity to be trained to do this process with ease and knowledge, even learning how to deal with unruly questioners.

On Saturday Jan. 23 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. LWVSB is sponsoring a workshop taught by the best--Chris and Tom Carson from the Burbank League. Chris is currently on the LWV National Board and has served in all levels of Leagues; Tom has spent many years working at the local and state Levels. Both have moderated all types of Voter Service Forums.

The Workshop is free with a small fee for lunch. Pre registration is required. Contact Amanda Pelch by email or 805-452-5804 by Jan. 21.

43rd Roe Anniversary Event: "The A is for Abortion"

This special event is sponsored by the Santa Barbara Pro-Choice Coalition (which includes LWVSB). Performances will be Saturday, Jan. 23 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Jan. 24 at 2 p.m. at Center State Theater in Paseo Nuevo. To buy tickets, click here.

This year we saw unprecedented and vicious attacks on women's reproductive rights, including an onslaught of Congressional defunding attempts, a move to reinstate abstinance-only funding and a looming U.S. Supreme Court decision that could essentially overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade decision. By attending this Santa Barbara premiere you will be demonstrating a resolve to protect access to safe and legal abortion in the United States

ABOUT TIME: Stopping Gun Violence

Wednesday, Feb. 17 Community Forum

There is new momentum to reduce gun violence, especially with President Obama's recent heartfelt town hall speech seeking to require background checks for all gun buyers. What do the statistics tell us, as opposed to the polarized media? What are practical and immediate solutions we can attain? What laws are showing positive results? What can you do? These questions will be discussed at the forum by experts who advocate gun control.

The speakers will include Coalition for Gun Control President Toni Wellen, and Chief District Attorney Kelly Scott. The League is proud to announce special guest speaker Rev. Alyssa DeWolf of the Congressional Church of Santa Barbara. She previously served at the Newtown Community Church, where she pastored to victims and families after the shooting tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

Bring your friends, your lunch and your questions to the Louise Lowry Davis Center, 1232 De La Vina St., from noon to 2 p.m.

Voters' Right to Know Act:
League Takes No Position

We have received a number of questions and comments about an initiative currently in circulation, #15-0068, Voters' Right to Know Act.

This is a reminder that the League has no position on this measure.

The League rarely takes a position on a ballot measure until that measure has qualified for the ballot. Among other things, this allows us to have a better sense of all of the measures likely to be on a ballot, and evaluate them together. The exceptions to this rule are almost always measures in which we have had a major role in proposing and drafting. This measure does not qualify as such an exception: while we were consulted, we had only a minor role in the language of the measure.

While we generally support the provisions included in the measure-in fact, have supported bills containing many of them-there is a key provision that is missing. This is the removal of the ban on public financing that is currently in state law for all governments except charter cities.

The League believes-strongly-that public financing of elections is one of the key ways that we will counterbalance the effects of money in politics. In order to experiment and innovate in local government, we need to repeal the current ban on public financing.

We also believe that a repeal of the ban needs to be part of a package of reforms, that it is unlikely to pass if it is the single issue in a ballot measure. The Voters Right to Know Act includes a number of the "easy" reforms - those most appealing to the electorate. We believe that those are the ones that would be the best package to pass the repeal of public financing.

If and when this measure qualifies for the ballot, we will consider it as we do all measures which qualify.

Helen Hutchison, President LWV California

Think Before You Ink

The State League is urging its members and the public to be cautious during this period of circulation of initiative and referendum petitions. For questions to ask before you sign, visit our website.

League Asks for More Information

On New Goleta Zoning

When the City of Goleta was incorporated 10 years ago, they adopted the County Zoning Code for their area. Two years ago they decided to scrap it (too complex) and rewrite a new one. At that time many people were concerned about how the public would know what was being done, and in November, 2014 the League sent a letter outlining our concerns.

The EIR and the new code have just been released, and it is 480 pages long, and impossible to analyze. The League wrote them a letter on Jan. 6. 2016 asking for an Executive Summary showing what changes had been made, and why. We included our earlier letter that had asked for more public information.

For the full letter and more public statement on several other important Goleta issues, click here.

There will be a training for anyone interested in Voter's Edge, the place for voters to find non-partisan information on candidates, ballot measures and initiatives. Go here for more information.

Trainer Sharon Stone will be traveling from Sacramento to hold a workshop in LWVSB"s office, 328 E. Carrillo St, Suite A, Santa Barbara, on Monday, Feb. 8 from 9:30 to noon.

The Channel Voter is Now Online
Find out what's coming up from now through the end of January, 2016. Our latest Channel Voter gives you the latest information about our forums, discussion units, other events and hot topics.

Read the complete online newsletter here. (Our February-March issue will be posted as soon as it is completed). And you can keep up to date anytime

by looking at the calendar and announcements on our website .

We hope to see you soon in the new year!

Sincerely,

Amanda Pelch and Lindsey Baker

Co-Presidents
League of Women Voters of Santa Barbara