January 2026
To access links in The Voter, members first must log in to the lwvtucson.org website. | In This Edition:
- President's Message
- Looking Ahead
- Highlights From Last Month
- Honor and Support DEI
- Contact The Voter
We would love your feedback on this refresh of The Voter. | |
Not yet a member?
When you join, you will be a member at all levels - local, state, and national.
|
Your donation will help support our work.
Our Mission:
Empowering Voters and
Defending Democracy
|
|
Check out volunteering opportunities HERE.
League members must be logged in for access.
|
|
 | Welcome to 2026!
If you haven’t had a chance to make your New Year’s resolutions yet, the LWVGT can help. Below are the top ten New Year’s resolutions for 2026 (Goskills.com). Choose the LWVGT relevant resolution that resonates for you!
1. Exercise more. LWVGT members can register voters, set up a forum, or door knock for a campaign.
2. Lose weight. LWVGT members can volunteer at the office or for an event (away from the fridge!).
3. Get organized. LWVGT members can host a voter education or registration event (hosting always makes you clean up and get organized!).
4. Learn a new skill or hobby. LWVGT members know that our committees always need new volunteers.
5. Live life to the fullest. LWVGT members can attend Issues & Eggs, sign up for Running & Winning, or join our Events & Fundraising committee.
6. Save more money/spend less money. LWVGT members can volunteer as bookkeeper or treasurer; managing our books may help you with yours!
7. Quit smoking. LWVGT members know that we are a smoke free environment. Join our office volunteers.
8. Spend more time with family and friends. LWVGT members know that volunteering is a great way to meet new people with shared interests, and your family is always welcome to join you.
9. Travel more. LWVGT members know that our events are all over Tucson, and will soon expand to other areas of Southern Arizona.
10. Read more. LWVGT members know that reviewing our positions and Bylaws annually makes for interesting reading.
If the last year has shown us anything, it is the power of community and collective action. If we stick together, we can maintain our resolutions and ensure a stable, strong, and inclusive democracy for all.
Cheers to a happy, healthy, and busy 2026!
Betsy
|  | As an all-volunteer organization, LWVGT relies on members to fill leadership positions. Your expertise, your passion, your energy, and your dedication to our mission is needed. Here is one more 2026 resolution for you: volunteer for a leadership position.
The Nominating Committee of the LWVGT is preparing a slate of candidates to stand for election at the Annual Meeting in April 2026. Unless otherwise noted, positions are held for two years. Candidates must be a LWVGT member in good standing.
Here are the open positions:
- President-Elect (one year)
- Voter Services (Co-Chairs are possible)
- Advocacy (Co-Chairs are possible)
- Treasurer
- Secretary
- Elected Director
- Nominating Committee Chair, and two non-Board members (one year)
Please direct any questions or potential nominees to the Nominating Committee Chair, Shelley E. dakota_ske@yahoo.com
| Environmental Issues Committee | The Environmental Issues Committee spent much of last year thinking about garbage: how much we make, how we dispose of it, and how we might make better choices to manage our waste stream. Last April, our committee took an enlightening tour of the Los Reales Sustainability Campus, Tucson’s focal point for waste disposal, recycling, and hazardous waste management. The Los Reales landfill is run by the City of Tucson, but accepts waste from throughout Pima County, including commercial haulers and private individuals. It processes 2300 tons of waste daily. You can find out more about the campus HERE.
So what can we do about waste in 2026? We can continue to educate ourselves about the challenges of waste; think of innovative, thoughtful ways that we might reduce our waste stream; make choices about what we buy; and explore options for waste reduction. We hope that League members want to join us in a step-by-step effort to be better stewards of our world. If you are not familiar with the City of Tucson's ReNEW program for recycling hard-to-recycle plastics, you can learn more HERE. While this is not a perfect fix to waste problems, it’s a starting point, and a way you can begin to divert some of your waste away from the landfill.
For 2026, make a pledge to take your reusable grocery bags into the store regularly, to avoid bringing home all those plastic bags! Look for more waste management tips in next month’s The Voter.
All LWVGT members and visitors are welcome to attend meetings of the Environmental Issues Committee. The committee meets remotely via Zoom on the 3rd Tuesday of the month at 1:00 p.m., September through April. Interested in helping plan programs and learning more? Contact us at
| Policy Positions Review
Tuesday, January 13, 2026
10:00am-11:00am
Tucson Ward 2 City Council Office, 7820 East Broadway | The Eastside Unit Committee is hosting a review of LWVGT’s eight policy positions. All members are welcome to take part in this discussion. You do not need to be an Eastside Unit committee member to attend. If you are a new member, this is an excellent opportunity to learn more about our advocacy.
What does the review mean?
- At the meeting attendees will review the eight policy positions and discuss what needs to be updated, deleted, or readopted.
- Recommendations for the policies will be forwarded to the LWVGT Board.
- Changes will be presented to membership for a vote at the April 25, 2026 Annual Meeting. Details on the Annual Meeting will be communicated in the spring.
| | Did you know?
LWVGT has eight policy positions, which were adopted by membership after careful study. To read the complete text for each one, open the Google document HERE.
1. Affordable Housing and Transportation
2. Community Planning – Affordable Housing
3. Charter Schools
4. Comprehensive Planning and Zoning
5. Consolidated Government
6. Education Finance
7. Water Resources
8. Air Quality and Climate Change
| | Why are these policy positions important to you?
- Positions are central to our mission of informing the public and improving government on the national, state, and local level.
- Positions serve as a vehicle for the League to provide its viewpoint on key issues to elected officials, the media, and the public.
- Perhaps most importantly, LWVGT Advocacy Committee acts on issues according to our policy positions.
Please review the current positions and attend the meeting to share your thoughts. If you are unable to attend the meeting and wish to make suggestions, contact the Advocacy Committee at advocacy@lwvtucson.com. | | |
DEI Committee
National Day of Racial Healing (NDRH)
Saturday, January 17, 2026
|
What is NDRH? The National Day of Racial Healing is a time to contemplate our shared values and create the blueprint together for how we heal as a community from the effects of racism. Launched nationally in 2017, it is an opportunity to bring ALL people together and inspire collective action to build common ground for a more just and equitable world.
Learn more at: National Day of Racial Healing.
Interested in helping plan programs like this? Join the DEI Committee. dei@lwvtucson.com
|
Public Programs Committee
Medicare WISeR
6:00pm-7:00pm
Thursday, January 29, 2026
| Registration is recommended.
| Issues & Eggs Breakfast Forum
Friday, March 6, 2026
We need sponsors!
You can help us find them. | | We Need Sponsors!*
Issues & Eggs Breakfast Forum is our only annual fundraiser and enables us to maintain valuable programs and services. Without the generous support of sponsors we would not be able to bring this important event to the LWVGT community and continue our programs.
Do you know of a company, corporation, or organization that the Issue & Eggs Sponsorship Committee should contact? If so, can you provide us with specific contact information (name and email)? There are varying levels of sponsorship and we have a letter ready to send to potential sponsors.
Send your list of potential sponsors to fundraising@lwvtucson.com.
*Table sponsor information for LWVGT members is coming soon. | | SPONSOR LEVELS:
Platinum $3,000: Half page ad in printed program, logo on website and social media, table for 10 at event.
Gold $2,000: Quarter page ad in printed program, logo on website and social media, 8 tickets to event.
Silver $1,500: Company logo on printed program, website and social media, 8 tickets to event.
Copper $1,000: Name listed in printed program and on website, 4 tickets to event.
Supporter $550: Name listed in printed program and on website, 2 tickets to event.
All sponsorships must be confirmed by February 1, 2026 to ensure marketing and program placement. Ads and logos needed by February 15, 2026.
| | |  | LWVGT Winter Brunch
Saturday December 13, 2025 |
LWVGT members gathered to meet new members, see friends in person, and share a meal.
Thank you to the organizers!
| | | Public Programs Committee | Did you miss "Challenges to the Rule of Law" on December 3rd? If so, you can find the recording HERE.
| You can find the most recent Marana Town Council reports HERE.
You can find the most recent Pima Community College Board reports HERE.
|
Martin Luther King Day
- On January 19, 2026, the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday will mark the 31st anniversary as a National Day of Service.
- Read about the years-long battle to establish Martin Luther King, Jr. Day HERE.
- Visit The King Center's website HERE.
| We want to hear from you!
All committees and members are encouraged to submit articles and information to be published in The Voter. Send articles via the links below, and note the 20th of the month is the deadline for all issues. However, exceptions can be made if your event happens late in the month. The editor may reach out to Committee Chairs requesting summaries for events that occur late in the month.
| |