The League of Women Voters of Arizona has recognized Betty Bengtson with a new award, whose creation was inspired by her work.
The first Advocacy Champion for Making Democracy Work Award was awarded at the LWVAZ's 2022 Council last month. In the future, an Advocacy Champion will be recognized when an Arizona league member has done outstanding state advocacy work, provided leadership for the League’s advocacy, and made a lasting contribution to the league’s mission to make democracy work.
Betty has been a tireless advocate for years, not only leading the LWVGT Advocacy Committee for several years, but also founding the LWVAZ Advocacy Committee. Her leadership in the People Powered Fair Maps Campaign, advocating for fair redistricting in Arizona after the 2020 census, was especially significant.
Presenting the award, LWVAZ’s President Judy Moor said,
“In 2022, Betty’s incredible leadership meant that the League had a strong voice in the redistricting process.
“Betty’s work was tireless: She attended every meeting of Arizona’s Independent Redistricting
Commission – seven- or eight-hour meetings every Tuesday for five months. She organized,
educated others about the redistricting process, helped to provide training for testifying before
the Commission, and testified repeatedly, both orally and in writing.
“Betty’s work is a part of the Independent Redistricting Commission’s permanent public record:
her regular written contributions on behalf of the League means that the League’s role in the
redistricting process and its positions on redistricting have been preserved. The Commission
recognized that the League was speaking, and it listened.
“Betty’s work will provide a blueprint for the League’s advocacy for redistricting in 2032: The
quality of the records she kept of the work done by her group and her preparation of an in-
depth white paper of the League’s work in 2021 ensures that in 2032 we won’t need to reinvent anything; we will follow the footsteps that Betty has been placing there for us. Every ten years we will be able to build further on her work of advocating for fair districts.”