Author: League of Women Voters of Wayland

The League of Women Voters is a political grassroots network and membership organization that believes the freedom to vote is a nonpartisan issue. For more than a century, we’ve worked to empower voters and defend democracy. As a women-led organization, we encourage everyone to take part in our democracy.

LWV of Wayland Speaker and Annual Meeting on May 29th at 3 pm

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Join LWV of Wayland members on Thursday, May 29th at 3 pm in the Select Board Meeting Room at Wayland Town Hall! Our Annual Meeting will feature a discussion with Dr. David Fleishman, Superintendent of Wayland Public Schools.

Dr. Fleishman was selected as interim school superintendent in 2023 and school superintendent in November. He previously served as school superintendent of the Newton Public Schools for 12 years. The Wayland school budget of nearly $55,000,000 is more than half of the town’s operating budget of $107.9 million. If you no longer have children in the schools, you probably don’t hear much about our public schools. Perhaps you’ve read about the racist messages on the town pool. Is the enrollment declining? Have you heard about a possible new school? What about the mental health issues students seem to be experiencing after the Covid pandemic? And most recently how will the loss of federal funding for special education, school lunches, and immersion programs impact our schools and school libraries? Join us for a discussion on these topics.

The “business part” of the Annual Meeting will follow. The agenda is:

  • Call to Order, Welcome, Appoint Readers of the Minutes
  • Treasurer’s Report, Presentation of Proposed Budget: Karen Kavet
  • Suggestions for Upcoming Year, Including A Proposal to Disband (The suggestion to disband will be introduced, briefly discussed, and a future meeting held to explore options, and take a vote.)
  • Coordinating Committee Elections
  • Adjourn

Town Hall Meeting with Jake Auchincloss on April 28th

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Zoom with LWV members and US Representative Jake Auchincloss for a virtual Town Hall Meeting on Monday night April 28th at 7:15-8:15 PM. This will be a relatively rare opportunity to hear directly from a member of Congress about what it is like to do the day-to-day work of legislating in the current rapidly changing political climate.  

Representative Auchincloss has specifically asked to hear from voters about what concerns them most, about what he and his colleagues in Washington can do to improve the lives of voters in Massachusetts. This will also be a golden opportunity to discuss how recent executive orders might impact each of our towns and the region as a whole. We hope lots of League members and leaders can join us Monday evening for a lively discussion!

One of the issues with local impact is the recent executive order requiring in-person voter registration. According to the order entitled Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections issued on March 25th, registration by mail or at voter registration at events such as those held by the League of Women Voters will no longer be allowed. It is also not clear what the implications of keeping copies of required registration documents like passports, birth certificates, and naturalization papers will be for staffing and filing space at clerk’s offices will be, since it is not clear whether maintaining electronic copies will be sufficient for compliance with the order. 

The Zoom link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3517728800?pwd=0aCYvqiBrUUTr7cFX3PkZb1DIUI8Y1.1&omn=86483393120

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3517728800?pwd=0aCYvqiBrUUTr7cFX3PkZb1DIUI8Y1.1&omn=86483393120

LWVUS files lawsuit against the Trump Administration

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In collaboration with other voting rights organizations, LWVUS has filed a lawsuit against President Trump for his recent Anti-Voter Executive Order. Please see the link below for their newsroom statement.

https://www.lwv.org/newsroom/press-releases/voting-rights-groups-challenge-trumps-recent-anti-voter-executive-order

Here is the full text of the complaint filed by the League of Women Voters:

Complaint – LWV v. Trump (2025.04.01) – file-stampedDownload

From LWVMA: “How the Legislature Works” on April 15th, 2025 at 7 pm (updated)

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Part 1: How the Legislature Works with Senator Joan Lovely Town Hall – April 15, 7:00pm, via Zoom

Please join us on Tuesday, April 15 at 7:00 PM for Part 1 of our Town Hall Series: How the MA Legislature Works featuring Senator Joan Lovely . Senator Lovely chairs the Joint Committee on Rules, the Senate Committee on Rules and serves as a member of numerous joint committees including agriculture and elder affairs. Senator Lovely has represented the Second Essex District since 2013, and is the Senate Chair of the Massachusetts Caucus of Women Legislators. Register HERE.

Part 2: Supported and Opposed Legislation Town Hall – April 17, 7:00pm, via Zoom

April kicks off the legislative hearing season on Beacon Hill. Are you curious about our legislative agenda? Please join us on Thursday, April 17 at 7:00 PM for a virtual Town Hall: LWVMA Supported/Opposed Legislation 2025-26. We will showcase several bills we are advocating for this session. Register HERE. 

Hands Off! National Day of Action, Saturday, April 5th

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On April 5, LWV and organizations nationwide are coming together to organize a national mass activation. The goal of Hands Off! is to demonstrate that people are taking action to stop corruption and a power grab.

Hands Off! rallies are being held in Framingham, Waltham, Hudson, and Holliston as well as other nearby communities. For times and more information, visit the event website. View the list of more than 115 national organizations that are supporting these rallies HERE.

Remember – Democracy is not a spectator sport!

A Dangerous Attempt to Silence American Voters: LWV Responds to President Trump’s Anti-Voter Executive Order

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The League of Women Voters of the United States issued the following statement in response to President Donald Trump’s signed executive order, “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections,” that threatens Americans’ freedom to vote and tramples states’ constitutional authority to run their own elections.  

“Let’s keep it real: this order is not about protecting elections; it is about making it harder for voters — particularly women voters — to participate in them,” said Celina Stewart, Chief Executive Officer of the League of Women Voters of the United States. “This executive order is an assault on our republic and a dangerous attempt to silence American voters. The President continues to overstep his authority and brazenly disregard settled law in this country. To be very clear — the League of Women Voters is prepared to fight back and defend our democracy.  

 “The President can’t unilaterally change election law,” said Marcia Johnson, Chief Counsel for the League of the Women Voters of the United States. “This order is not only an attack on American voters’ fundamental freedom to vote, it is also plainly unlawful. The League is committed to working with our partners and legal advocates to pursue all avenues in fighting back against this dangerous order, and we will use every tool at our disposal to defend voters from unjust restrictions on their freedom to vote.” 

The order’s extreme provisions include: 

  • Impermissibly requiring documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote by altering the federal voter registration form. Nearly 80% of married women — more than 69 million American women — adopt their partner’s surname, and they would be unable to register to vote if the name on their ID does not directly match their proof of citizenship. Additionally, noncitizens registering to vote and then casting a ballot is already illegal in federal elections, and there is no evidence to suggest that noncitizen voter registration and voting is occurring at any meaningful scale.
  • Prohibiting the counting of absentee and mail ballots postmarked by Election Day but received after, which 18 states and Washington DC currently permit.
  • Giving the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) the authority to review states’ voter rolls.
  • Withholding federal funds from states that do not cooperate with the order’s provisions. 

The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan organization with expertise in voting and elections. Our mission is to empower voters and defend democracy. For more than a century we have stood in the gap when government falls short of its duty. We will valiantly work to protect voters and free, fair, accessible elections. 

Get ready for 2025 Town Elections and Town Meeting!

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UPDATED LINK: Town Meeting Issues Forum: Wednesday, March 26, 7pm

The League of Women Voters of Wayland will hold a public forum on some of the major issues to be discussed and voted on at Annual Town Meeting.  The hybrid forum will be held in the Wayland Public Library on Wednesday, March 26th at 7pm.  Articles included are the Accessory Dwelling Unit Bylaw, the pre-order food pick-up window bylaw, the transfer of 212 Cochituate Road, green burial, creation of a capital improvement committee, the sports center and feasibility study at 195 Main Street, the energy revolving fund, banning second generation rodenticide, creation of a finance department, and the library millennium fund.  Iryna Priester will moderate the discussion. 

To join the meeting virtually, please use this Zoom link: Zoom Link: https://wayland-ma-us.zoom.us/j/82622238840?pwd=bCqgebRsFrbdhMbWLPsVSs7a8bs2pV.1

Meet the Candidates: March 30, 2025 from 3:00-4:30 Wayland Public Library

There are no contested races for the 2nd year in a row. In lieu of our traditional Candidates’ Night, the League of Women Voters will be co-hosting with the Wayland Public Library a “Meet the Candidates Event.”  The event will be held on Sunday, March 30th from 3:00 to 4:30 PM in the round room of the Wayland Public Library.  It will be an informal gathering, with no speeches or presentations.  The public is invited and encouraged to drop-in and meet the future office holders of the Town of Wayland.  This is your opportunity to share any ideas and/or concerns with them.

LWV Acts on Challenges to Democracy

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LWV Calls on Congress to Act

“The League of Women Voters of the United States along with our state affiliates in 50 states and the District of Columbia, write to express our strong concern about Congress’s abdication of its duty and authority under Article I of the US Constitution. We urge you to exercise your authority to protect the rule of law, defend the Constitution, and end the overreach by the executive branch of government, which is surely leading to harm for millions of Americans. We demand that you honor your oaths and protect your constituents.”

The League of Women Voters of the United States, along with all 51 state Leagues, issued a letter to Congress today urging them to exercise their authority. Read the complete letter here and the press release here.

SAVE Act Action Alert

If you haven’t done so already, please urge your member of Congress to oppose the SAVE Act using this Action Alert. LWVMA, as part of the Election Modernization Coalition, will be meeting with House Minority Whip Katherine Clark next week to discuss the SAVE Act.

LWVUS National Strategy

Please take a few minutes to watch the program recording and review the slides from Defending Democracy 2025. LWVUS CEO Celina Stewart briefed LWVMA membership on the national strategy for the first 100 days of the new administration: focus, discipline, and when the League acts, it will act with speed. LWVMA will take action at the state level to defend against threats from the Trump Administration. Be sure to review the Gold/Silver/Bronze framework on slide 6.

Reminders:

Level of League follows level of government so state and local Leagues will follow LWVUS lead.

We must not waver on our commitment to nonpartisanship: The League does not endorse political candidates or parties. But once a candidate becomes an elected official, they are accountable when they act in opposition to our positions or threaten the US Constitution. The national team is meeting with members of Congress from both parties, and we cannot jeopardize those talks by partnering with partisan organizations for local or state events.

Protest Opportunity: Economic Blackout Feb. 28

LWVUS offers a protest opportunity to join the national economic blackout on Friday, February 28. View this article to learn more. Don’t buy anything that day unless it is from a small business. Spread the word!

Happy 105th Birthday to the League

Watch LWVUS Board President Dianna Wynn’s message here. View the birthday rally here.

Stay Informed

Sign up for email alerts from the national office here. Review all LWVUS statements on the new administration here. Sign up to receive alerts from the Women Defend Democracy campaign here.

Questions? Contact specialists@lwvma.org.

Democracy – What Does It Mean in People’s Everyday Lives?

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The League of Women Voters of Wayland co-sponsored a panel discussion by the League of Women Voters of Massachusetts called Democracy – What Does It Mean in People’s Everyday Lives?

The 60-minute program is moderated by Heather Hamilton, and features panelists Dr. Rachael Cobb, Cheryl Clyburn Crawford, and Tim Matthews.  For more information and a link to the recoding, click here: Democracy – What Does It Mean in People’s Everyday Lives?