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ACTION
COMMITTEES

LWV Palo Alto chooses issues for education and advocacy at our Program Planning meeting in the first quarter each League year (spring-to-spring). Each of our Issue Teams and task forces works on a public policy topic and proposes to the Board actions or community education forums. In planning these forums, we often collaborate with other organizations interested in the same issue, as well as with our Events committee. 

By following topics long-term, our issue committees are able to build up a storehouse of  expert engagement, videos, and written material which can be shared with the community. We intend that this web page will become a repository of useful ideas and approaches.  Jump down to Housing & Transportation, Climate Change, Local Campaign Finance Reform,  Civics Education, Gun Violence Prevention. 


Housing & Transportation Committee

Co-Chairs: Stephen Levy, Lisa Ratner

The Committee meets as needed, usually on the second Tuesday of the month at 1:30 pm. Participation is open to the public. 

The Housing and Transportation Committee works to educate and advocate for affordable housing for all, based on LWV national, state, Bay Area, and local positions. 

The committee’s 2022-23 goals are to:
We welcome any member interested in finding solutions to the affordable housing crisis using education and advocacy in: 
  • updating the Housing Element; 
  • researching affordable housing finance methods; 
  • advocating for rental reforms and other Grand Jury recommendations; 
  • helping us join with environmental allies, especially on the link between transportation and creating affordable housing close to jobs to lower greenhouse gas emissions. 
Members interested in this committee can sign up here. Not a member but interested in this work? Please complete this form or email us at office@lwvpaloalto.org. The chair will contact you.
commuter train and apartment building
Woman holding sign that says Change the Politics Not the Climate

Climate Change Committee

Chair: Hilary Glann

The committee meets as needed to support specific projects or activities that address climate change issues. Our committee focuses on two major topics:
  1. Food waste and food choices
  2. Building electrification, with an emphasis on health and safety issues around methane gas 
We collaborate with partner organizations and our League’s Events committee to produce community education forums that inform and provide action opportunities for our members and the larger community. Please see a list of past events and their recordings.

We produce a short Climate Calls article for our League newsletters where we explain climate issues and suggest actions that members and the community can take to reduce their carbon footprints. Subscribe to our newsletters to read these articles.

Two of our members also participate in the LWV California Natural Resources Climate Change Committee, which focuses on legislative analysis of potential California climate bills. Learn more about LWV California’s work on Natural Resources.

We welcome any members interested in these topics or areas of focus. Members interested in this committee can sign up here. Not a member but interested in this work? Please complete this form or email us at office@lwvpaloalto.org. The chair will contact you.

Local Campaign Finance Reform Task Force

Co-Chairs: Lisa Ratner, Elizabeth Weal & Karen Kalinsky

The committee meets on Tuesdays at 3:30 pm weekly (with exceptions). Participation is open to the public. 

In 2021, the LWV Palo Alto Local Campaign Finance Reform Task Force studied other cities' approaches to local campaign finance reform as well as the recent history of campaign financing for Palo Alto City Council elections.

Out of that work, the task force developed three proposals for Palo Alto, which were presented to the City Council in late 2021. In May 2022, the League presented the City Council with a petition, signed by more than 500 Palo Altans, to pass one of those three proposals: a $500 cap on campaign donations to City Council candidates. The City Council has yet to act on any of the League’s proposals. The task force is continuing to lobby the City Council and will also ask City Council candidates to state their positions on local campaign finance reform during upcoming elections.  

Additional volunteers welcomed! Members interested in this Task Force can sign up here. Not a member but interested in this work? Please complete this form or email us at  cfreform@lwvpaloalto.org. The chair will contact you.
hands holding sign that says REFORM! The System is Broken! next to capitol building w/ money border
civics education handouts

Civics Education Committee

Chair: Chair TBD

The committee meets as needed to explore ways to promote civic engagement and education more broadly within the Palo Alto student and adult communities. Participation is open to the public. 

The Civics Education Committee collaborates with the PAUSD staff in the Department of Innovation & Agility to ensure that the vast majority of high school students complete the State Seal of Civic Engagement (“SSCE”) curriculum by high school graduation. The first two years of committee engagement (2019 & 2021) focused on the promotion of the SSCE through club activities, articles, community engagement forums, and career day events at the high schools. Following formal adoption of the SSCE for all high school students in June 2021, the committee focus turned to assisting interested students in finding intern or volunteer opportunities to improve their civic engagement and to support their completion of 15 hours of community service. Going forward in 2022-2023, the committee will focus on opportunities identified through the national More Perfect Operation Restore Trust initiative Module #1: Universal Civic Learning. The CE Committee will meet regularly to explore where and how the Universal Civic Learning goals can be leveraged within the Palo Alto student AND adult communities. Learn more about the More Perfect Operation Restore Trust initiative.

We welcome any Leaguers interested in promoting increased civic engagement and education in our community.
Members interested in this committee can sign up here. Not a member but interested in this work? Please complete this form or email us at office@lwvpaloalto.org. The chair will contact you.

Gun Violence Prevention Committee

Co-Chairs:  Stacey Ashlund & Hilary Glann

The committee meets as needed to support specific projects or activities that address gun violence prevention. Participation is open to the public. 

Our committee focuses on advocacy and education to reduce the risk of violence caused by unsecured guns, and to reduce the risk of guns being in the hands of people who have been legally determined to be ineligible for gun possession. 

We have successfully advocated for a safe gun storage ordinance in Palo Alto, and have persuaded the Palo Alto Police Department to sign up for a national program that provides free gun locks to any Palo Alto resident. We are currently working with various community groups and the Palo Alto School District Board of Education to ensure that residents, especially parents of school-aged children, are aware of the gun storage ordinance.

Our next activity is to learn more about how Santa Clara County implements the various laws that California has passed to reduce gun violence. Our goal is for Santa Clara County to conduct a countywide assessment of its gun violence reduction activities and take action to plug any gaps. This process happened in 2021 in San Mateo County.
 
We welcome any members interested in these topics or areas of focus. Members interested in this committee can sign up here. Not a member but interested in this work? Please complete this form or email us at office@lwvpaloalto.org. The chair will contact you.
graffiti covering wall with words End Gun Violence, Safety, Wear Orange
Quicklink: www.lwvpaloalto.org/action-committees
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