Stay informed here of our news and current events and activities. See also our Posts (listed on every page) where the most timely information is shared.
Current and upcoming LWV Klamath County meetings and events:
Find past minutes HERE.
100th anniversary celebration and our cookbook!
In coordination with the 2019-2020 LWV anniversary celebrations being held across the country and Oregon, the LWV Klamath County will be holding a series of events. These will include public educational events, historical re-creations and other community activities. We have also completed a commemorative cookbook. Copies are available for sale at the Klamath County Museum.
some history of local activism:
climate strike protest
Climate Strike Protest – Sept 20 at 11:30 AM in front of the Jordan Cove office at 903 Main Street in Klamath Falls This is part of a HUGE, GLOBAL strike against inaction on climate change, led by children and youth. I will be there with my kids, who are taking the day off of school to protest. For more info, contact oh_otter@charter.net. Bring a sign expressing your thoughts on climate change–or on the proposed Pacific Connector pipeline and Jordan Cove export terminal, a project that would emit over 36.8 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) per year. I recently wrote an article about the inspiring young people leading this global strike! Read it here: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02696-0
effective non-violent protest
Training for effective nonviolent protest – Sept 24, 6 – 8 PM at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (801 Jefferson St, Klamath Falls) Southern Oregon Rising Tide is providing free training. They will share updates and more information about the law enforcement monitoring of community opposition to the Jordan Cove project and go over some tools and practices we can use protect ourselves from unwanted police and corporate monitoring. We’ll also share strategies and techniques for dealing deescalating tense situations at public events/rallies, when aggressive individuals come looking to harass, intimidate and disrupt community spaces.
party neighborhood leaders
Democratic Party Neighborhood Leader Program meeting – Sept 25 at 6:30 PM at the Gaucho Collective (1038 Main St, Klamath Falls) The Neighborhood Leader Program is a grassroots Get Out the Vote program that was used in 2008 in two states during the Obama campaign and has grown across the nation since then. Counties that use this model of neighbors talking to neighbors have seen voter participation grow by huge margins. In close races, turnout can make all the difference!
Recent LWV Klamath County Activities:
continuing efforts against jordan pipeline project
Four Local Leagues of Women Voters from Coos Bay to Malin and LWVOR Call for State and Federal Agencies to Deny Permits to Jordan Cove Energy Project
Shirley Weathers, LWVRV Climate Change Coordinator and Christine Moffitt, LWVCC Board
At the 2018 Convention of the LWVUS, grass-roots membership from around the nation approved a Resolution: “The League of Women Voters supports a set of climate assessment criteria that . . . require that the latest climate science be used to evaluate proposed energy policies and major projects . . . .” The Resolution hits home for the four local Leagues in southern Oregon counties that, along with their communities, have faced for over a decade the proposed Jordan Cove Energy Project (JCEP).
background on pipeline project
Canadian Pembina Corporation seeks to build the two-part JCEP, consisting of a 530-acre liquefied natural gas storage and export facility known as the Jordan Cove LNG project on Coos Bay and a 230-mile 36” Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline to supply it from a hub in Malin, Oregon. Proponents see jobs (mostly temporary) and tax revenues as benefits; Pembina spares no expense on high-dollar promotional efforts.
opposition to pipeline
Opponents, including the four local Leagues and the LWVOR, see unacceptable negative impacts on the natural environment from air to water to aquatic and wildlife, as well as serious safety risks. Build a massive LNG storage and export facility hosting 950-foot tankers traveling in and out of the bay in the Cascadia Subduction and tsunami zone? This activity near the largest population center on the Oregon coast—an important fishing port and tourist center with many schools and regional health centers? Allow a foreign corporation to bury a highly pressurized natural gas pipeline across 230 miles of drought-stressed, heavily timbered and landslide-prone terrain, while exercising eminent domain against hundreds of private landowners for right-of-way takings? Install a massive new, methane-emitting fossil fuel infrastructure in Oregon—or anywhere—with a climate emergency already upon us?
current lwv oregon position on pipeline
Based on our understanding of the potential impacts of this proposed project and an ample list of League positions, the local LWVs of Coos County, Umpqua, Rogue Valley, and Klamath County have determined that this project is contrary to the public interest. We have exerted extensive efforts to stop it through regulatory advocacy. This means submitting well-researched, substantive technical comments to effect denial of key state and federal permits JCEP needs to move forward to construction.
This joint action by the four local Leagues, taken in solidarity with other community members and organizations and Tribes, is a step in the long journey to stop this harmful project. We thank the LWVOR for their support and welcome the participation of local Leagues and Leaguers statewide.
our local view on the efforts against the pipeline project:
LWV Klamath County, Rogue Valley, Umpqua and Coos Counties, have been working overtime to stop the Jordon Cove Energy Project from becoming a reality. We have exerted extensive efforts to stop it through regulatory advocacy. This means submitting well-researched, substantive technical comments to effect denial of key state and federal permits JCEP needs to move forward to construction. We have posted these comments on our website for anyone interested.
This joint action by the four local Leagues, sometimes in coordination with other community members and organizations and Tribes, is a step in the long journey to stop this harmful project. We have also sponsored presentations for our members and the public, testified at public hearings, and encouraged all our League members to participate in any way they can. We will continue to fight against the degradation of our natural resources and appreciate the support of our local league in this long and arduous process. Read the final comments document.
lwv Oregon report on hard rock mining
The LWV Oregon has recently produced a comprehensive report on Hard Rock Mining. Read up on this subject which was discussed at our March 21 meeting.
- Full report: Hard Rock Mining in Oregon
- Executive Summary: Hard Rock Mining in Oregon
jordan cove lng pipeline project hearing
LWV Klamath County President Leslie Lowe, with the support of Diane Eastman-Shockey, participated in a public hearing concerning the Jordan Cove Liquid natural Gas (LNG) Pipeline Project on Monday January 7, 2019. Leslie spoke against the project and presented written comments.
The LWV Oregon submitted two lengthy position papers on the Jordan Cove LNG project at prior hearings. This was done on behalf of four local LWV chapters, including Klamath County. Read them for a detailed analysis of this issue. They are here (1) and here (2).
LWV Klamath County, General meeting, May, 2018
At our last Annual meeting on May 17, 2018, members discussed Immigration issues in Klamath County. We invited Immigration Attorney in Klamath, Neal Metler, and Miss Cinco de Mayo Klamath County 2018, Victoria Gaeta. The full presentation below is about 49 minutes long.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHlDr7t7Fds
We were able to record this thanks to Chris Marshall, who also has a radio show at OIT and teaches at KCC. We were able to share this with you thanks to Sarah Andrews, LWVOR office coordinator. It takes a community of people to keep LWV alive and well.
Updates on recent and upcoming activities from LWV and LWV Oregon:
TALKING ABOUT: HR1 FOR THE PEOPLE ACT
On Friday, January 4, HR1 was introduced in the House of Representatives. This bill comprises a bold, transformative set of reforms to strengthen our democracy and return political power to the people. The League of Women Voters has worked to influence the language of this bill to ensure that voting rights are strengthened by this important legislation. LWV has done so within the Declaration for American Democracy coalition.
Why we need a comprehensive package of democracy reforms:
- It should be easier, not harder, to vote. The For the People Act improves access to voting with reforms like Same Day Registration and Automatic Voter Registration.
- More needs to be done to protect voters’ voices. The For the People Act requires independent redistricting commissions, ends voter roll purges based on failure to vote, and restores the Voting Rights Act.
- Our government should respond to the will of the people, not the interests of powerful corporations and wealthy donors.
- The For the People Act includes strong provisions for improving transparency in campaign finance and strengthening government ethics enforcement.
Why the League of Women Voters supports the For the People Act:
- As an organization with a mission of empowering voters and defending democracy, the League of Women Voters is proud to support legislation that does the same.
- The For the People Act will improve American elections by making our election system more free, fair, and accessible to all eligible Americans.
- The League worked behind the scenes to influence the language of HR1, including a push to include Same Day Registration. Our organization has a rich history of working with Congress to improve registration on behalf of all voters.
- We are encouraged by the extraordinary and comprehensive reforms in HR1 that are good for all Americans and deserve bipartisan support.
What citizens can do to support the For the People Act:
- The For the People Act makes elections fairer and puts power back in the hands of the American people. It deserves support from all members of Congress.
- Call your legislators and tell them how important this package of reforms is to the future of our democracy. Urge them to vote in favor of HR1.