Monthly Highlights for July 2025
This month, we’re fighting back against threats to fair redistricting and democracy, while welcoming new leaders ready to drive change. Stay tuned for updates on our urgent advocacy work to protect voting rights and hold power accountable.
LWVC’s Op-Ed: Standing Against Partisan Redistricting
The Sacramento Bee recently published a powerful op-ed by our president, Gloria Chun Hoo, opposing Governor Newsom’s proposal to redraw California’s district lines mid-decade. This move threatens the independent redistricting system voters created and risks dragging California backward into partisan map-rigging.
In Texas, under Trump’s direction, Governor Greg Abbott is using a special session to redraw districts and push out Democrats. Now, Newsom is floating the same idea in California. Democracy is not a partisan game, and we must stand against these attacks on fair representation.
Read the full article in The Sacramento Bee to learn more about why safeguarding independent redistricting is crucial for our democracy.
Welcoming Our New Board Members
With our biennial convention behind us, we’re excited to welcome several new board members. In this edition of our monthly e-newsletter, we’re introducing a few of them. Look out for next month’s issue to meet the rest of our newest members.
To read their full bios, please click on their name link.
Kandea has built a career in nonprofit and program management and is the first African-American member to become President of the League of Women Voters Berkeley, Albany, Emeryville. She joins us as this year’s Treasurer.
Suzanne is welcomed back as she served on our Board from 2009 to 2013, where she helped lead a statewide education campaign supporting application & processes of the first California Independent Redistricting Commission. She’s served at all levels of the League for over 25 years and currently serves as our Secretary.
Jacqueline is coming onboard as a new director. She is a proud South L.A. native and the first in her family to graduate from college, which adds a personal and inspiring touch to her extensive work in social justice and systemic change.
Gena is not only a successful entrepreneur and community advocate but also holds a PsyD in Organization Development, which highlights her deep expertise in behavioral transformation and organizational psychology. We’re pleased to have her join us as a new director.
Join Us For The Fair Elections Rally In Sacramento
The Fair Elections Rally, to support the California Fair Elections Act, SB 42, to end the ban on public campaign financing, will occur on August 26 from 10:30 – 11:15 am on the West Steps of State Capitol, 1315 10th St, Sacramento, CA 95814.
It will feature SB 42 authors Senator Tom Umberg and Assemblymember Alex Lee, League of Women Voters of California Deputy Director Dora Rose, California Clean Money Campaign Executive Director Trent Lange, California Common Cause Executive Director Darius Kemp, and other SB 42 champions. Help us show the legislature how many people are demanding fair elections.
Advocacy Update
July picked up where June left off for our legislative efforts. The League of Women Voters of California stood strong, leading the charge on voting rights, criminal justice, democracy protection, and more.
Deputy Director, Dora Rose, and Public Policy and Organizing Manager, Savannah Jorgensen, made our presence felt in the legislature, testifying on several bills across policy committees. Here are a few highlights from another busy month:
- Updating the Voter Bill of Rights. We testified in support of AB 1164 (Ransom), which would update and clarify the California Voter Bill of Rights by specifying the rights of voters to receive a replacement ballot.
- Remove the ban on public financing of campaigns. Our co-sponsored bill, SB 42 (Umberg), to put a measure on the 2026 ballot to repeal the ban on public financing of campaigns, awaits a vote in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
- Preventing a constitutional crisis. We testified again in support of our sponsored bill, SJR 1 (Wiener), to rescind California’s outdated calls for a federal constitutional convention.
- Expanding access to satellite voting locations. We also testified in support of AB 1249 (Wilson), which would expand early voting to Saturdays in non-Voters Choice Act counties and allow voters to submit their vote-by-mail ballot without the identification envelope.
- Reform judicial retention contests. We support ACA 8 (Pellerin), which would require a set number of voter signatures before a state Supreme Court or Appeals Court justice appears on the retention ballot. It helps voters focus on key races while keeping oversight in place when needed.
- Ensuring accountability of peace officers. Our voice remains present in the criminal justice space. We support AB 847 to ensure Sheriff Oversight Boards and Inspectors General have the same access to officer records as other prosecutors. This is key to law enforcement accountability.
Watch for and subscribe to LWVC action alerts. The final push to send bills to the Governor’s desk resumes when the Legislature returns from summer recess. Watch for (and respond to!) LWVC action alerts as we work to get our bills passed, and then signed by the Governor. You can always follow the progress of bills we take positions on using our Bill Status Report.
