Search Results

The State League pays monthly for a Pro Zoom account, which lets us host meetings of up to 100 participants with no limit on meeting time. State Zoom account is available on a first come, first served basis. Default meeting time is one hour - please contact us at lwvor@lwvor.org if you need more time.

See the April All-Members newsletter here.

Shirley was born in 1933 near Puget Sound in the very small town of La Conner, Washington, 60 miles north of Seattle and 60 miles south of Vancouver, Canada and lived in the same house (divided) with her father’s parents.  That was her father’s reward for running the commercial chicken ranch east of La Conner.  She had a sister, two years younger.  Shirley loved school and after six years of good teachers moved with her family to a new house where another sister and her brother were born, and she entered a much larger school in the town of Mount Vernon, the county seat. She continued to enjoy school (most days) and graduated as Valedictorian in a class of 115 students. Shirley had discovered journalism in high school and attended Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon for a well-thought-of journalism professor, and she wanted to learn from the best.  Shirley met Milt in that class, discovering many things in common, though his second year he changed his major to theology and wanted to change schools to study with a professor he had met over the summer.  Milt’s goal was to become a Methodist minister. By early summer of 1953, they had confided their intentions to both sets of parents and bought three rings, announcing their official engagement before transferring to the College (now University) of Puget Sound in Tacoma as upper class students (juniors).  Milt was seriously pursuing training for the ministry so Shirley changed her major to Religious Education, not the best choice because she should have stayed with journalism, as writing was her favorite thing to do.  They were married in Mount Vernon, Washington in August of 1954 and graduated from CPS the following spring.  After three years at Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California,  they spent various amounts of time in different towns in Oregon where Milt was the Methodist Minister and she was known as the “Minister’s Wife”. In June 1967, they moved to Medford with their three young sons, where Milt was one of three ministers of the Methodist Church, and Shirley joined the two organizations she was active in for many years.  One was the Storytelling Guild (a service of the Jackson County Public Library) and the local League of Women Voters where she served on the Board.   She loved both organizations, and worked hard in both.  In 1969, they adopted an African-American girl who was just turning five. In 1970, the Medford League President asked Shirley if she would go to the National LWV Convention in her stead, and Milt told her she should go and he would manage their four small children.  She went, actually said a few words on the convention floor about a proposed study, and - except for the Kent State College shooting by federal troops - had a good time.  Also in 1970, Milt’s church job ended and they decided to stay in Medford to let their children finish school in one place, so he worked for various social service organizations and for a time, at the County, always involved in helping people.  He mentored Vista volunteers for several years. Shirley was hired as a classroom aide in a second grade class, an idea she had always resisted, but watching and assisting the veteran second grade teacher interacting with the students changed her mind. The following summer and the next year she attended Southern Oregon College in Ashland to earn enough credits for her Oregon Teaching Certificate. She was hired as an aide in a North Medford elementary school.  When their children were growing up, they all camped in national or state parks, and in 1976 for the country’s 200th birthday and the oldest son’s high school graduation, they traveled cross-country with their tent trailer to visit Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C., a memorable trip that was the last they made with the whole family. In the fall of 1976 Shirley was hired as an elementary teacher and continued for eighteen years.  Wanting to keep her League involvement, Shirley started an evening unit in the Nelson living room.  Two friends who were also teachers lived nearby and walked to the meetings.  Topics were announced in the newspaper and sometimes several people, including some men, came to discuss important issues involving the community.  Milt was sitting in the family room on the other side of a closed door, watching television.  He realized he was missing something and started to attend the meetings.  Milt probably joined the League of Women Voters in 1979 or 1980 because both he and Shirley gathered signatures for the ballot measure petition to make Oregon the first state in the union to Vote by Mail in all elections. One of the first issues they studied together was air quality.  The Rogue Valley has historically grown wonderful fruit crops, and to avoid freezing during the winter, the pear orchards were heated by large metal pot chimneys burning oil that created smog at night. In 1979, for their 25th wedding anniversary, Shirley and Milt went overseas for the first time, where they visited England.  That led to a year as an Exchange Teacher there from 1983-84, and then another year in Australia from 1991-92.  Of course, they explored much of each country, plus traveling to neighboring countries as much as possible during school breaks. When Shirley retired at 61 and Milt at 62, they sold their Medford house (the children were grown and gone) and moved to the coastal town of Port Orford.  They had a new custom-built house overlooking the ocean waiting for them. They became active in LWV of Curry County during their nineteen-year residence, each taking a turn at a two-year presidency and other positions on the board. Shirley was Voter Service Chair for Curry County for several years, arranging candidate forums during major elections, usually held three nights in a row in Port Orford, Gold Beach and Brookings.  Serious candidates participated in all three.  Shirley arranged the meetings and often acted as the Moderator.  Milt often served as Time Keeper.  Each of those towns had monthly unit meetings, and LWV Curry County Board would meet with the units from time to time, alternately.  Shirley led some studies for League members, and both Nelsons usually attended state League conventions and councils.  Shirley served a term on the League of Women Voters of Oregon Board during that time. They had a busy “Retirement 1” as they also volunteered in historic preservation and interpretation at Cape Bianco Lighthouse, the historic 1898 pioneer Victorian Hughes House and the Coast Guard Life-saving Station.  They traveled, visiting or at least driving through all 50 states and most of the Canadian provinces.  They also visited Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, some Caribbean islands, Ecuador, about 25 European countries and the British Isles.  In the Port Orford years, Shirley published several small books, mostly historical. They made some great friends through the League of Women Voters, though losing some along the way at this advanced age.  They enjoy living in an independent senior apartment building “This is Retirement 2” in Florence, and some years Shirley conducts ballot measure forums, LWV-style, in the building or elsewhere in the community.  Shirley and Milt both attended the League’s 100th birthday celebration in Salem right before the doors slammed shut in March 2020 due to COVID-19. Shirley’s message for members newer to the League:  YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!  If you care about this country, doing nothing is a mistake.  Attend rallies for people you trust running for office, check things out on Vote411, help get out the vote, and keep studying League issues.  Call it bias, but Shirley believes NOBODY conducts candidate forums as well as the League of Women Voters. A lot happens in 90 years! The pictures above were taken close to the 100th anniversary of League of Women Voters during the COVID pandemic.  Shirley is standing on the back balcony of Florence’s history museum, one of several speakers looking down at a good-sized crowd of people standing in the parking lot below.

For immediate release March 6, 2024 Contacts: Dan Meek     503-293-9099  dan@honest-elections.com Jason Kafoury      202-465-2764  jason@honest-elections.com Kate Titus      202-480-1132  ktitus@commoncause.org Becky Gladstone     541-510-9387  b.gladstone@lwvor.org James Ofsink  503-208-4082  james@portlandforward.org On HB 4024 Campaign Limits Pending at Oregon Legislature Good Government Groups have reached a conceptual agreement with the Legislature and large political spenders to enact historic campaign finance reform. We now wait for a faithful campaign finance reform bill to pass both chambers and be signed by Governor Kotek. The Oregon Legislature has never in its history passed campaign contribution limits (although it has repealed voter-enacted limits several times). The tireless efforts of democracy-focused groups over the last 27 years–working with local and national experts to develop good public policy and collecting over 100,000 signatures on Initiative Petition 9 (2024) from Oregon voters–have created the conditions for the compromise we are reaching today. Statements “Oregon’s largest campaign spenders tried to push a last-minute deal through the Legislature to avoid the stronger limits and disclosure requirements in our Initiative Petition 9. Thanks to years of grassroots work and intense negotiation by Honest Elections Oregon, Common Cause Oregon and other good government groups, we managed to get dozens of fixes to the bill so that it represents an important step toward comprehensive campaign finance reform in Oregon.” - Dan Meek, Honest Elections Oregon “This is not a perfect policy. We think the limits are still too high and the transparency pieces still need a lot of work. But this is a giant leap forward for Oregon’s democracy. We worked hard to create a system that would give everyday Oregonians a chance to have their voices heard against millionaires and billionaires. In the last election cycle Phil Knight donated over five million directly to candidates, he will now be able to donate $3,300 just like everyone else.” - Jason Kafoury, Honest Elections Oregon “We don’t have to sell our democracy to the highest bidder or kowtow to the biggest spenders! When we organize, we build power. Grassroots communities have come together, through groups like Common Cause and Honest Elections Oregon, passing model reforms in Portland – limits, transparency, and public financing – and a 2020 ballot measure to allow state-wide reform. When we stand together, we can take back our democracy.” - Kate Titus, Common Cause Oregon “Oregon is fortunate to have so many activists and organizers working for our publicly supported true campaign finance reform. Opponents, to compete with our popular IP 9, raised a fake “campaign finance reform” measure to defend their power structures on November ballots. We expect unions and businesses would spend tens of millions to persuade Oregon voters to reject IP 9. The League supports transparency and efficiency in government, so we in good faith will support a legislative compromise, for substantive reform, during these last hectic days of session. Oregon deserves better so work must continue. From the League’s national perspective, we will soon be able to say that Oregon is off the list and the United States is down to only 4 states with no political campaign contribution limits.”. - Rebecca Gladstone, League of Women Voters of Oregon “This is just the beginning of a long journey to improve Oregon’s wild west campaign finance system. We look forward to continued efforts over the coming years to fight for lower limits, improved transparency, and public funding.” - James Ofsink, Portland Forward

Social Policy Apr 22, 2024 Legislative Report - Sine Die 2024 LWVOR wrote testimony supporting a bill which would have provided $50 million to support summer learning through ODE to school districts. Read More Mar 4, 2024 Legislative Report - Week of 3/4 HB 4082 Summer Learning 2024 and Beyond was passed to allocate $30 million for summer learning in 2024 and implementation of a work group to plan for future funding and administration of summer learning and afterschool enrichment. Summer awards will be made to school districts by ODE. Read More Feb 26, 2024 Legislative Report - Week of 2/26 HB 4082 Summer Learning 2024 and Beyond, was originally recommended for $50 million in funding. It was amended to include an additional $141,767 from Other funds (Student Success funding) for .50 FTE for ODE grant administration and $417,039 in general funds for ODE research and development of the Oregon 21st Century Community Learning Center Initiative. Read More Feb 19, 2024 Legislative Report - Week of 2/19 On February 26, The Joint Committee on Addictions and Community Safety Response is holding a public hearing to consider two amendments to HB 4002 which deals with Oregon’s addiction crisis. Read More Feb 12, 2024 Legislative Report - Week of 2/12 HB 4082, Summer Learning for 2024 and Beyond, to provide $50 million for summer care in 2024 and establish a workgroup for planning to support after-school and summer learning opportunities and care in the future was approved unanimously in the House Committee on Education and referred to Ways and Means. Read More Feb 5, 2024 Legislative Report - Week of 2/5 Volunteers are needed who are interested in issues related to Children at Risk, Corrections, Farmworkers, Mental Health, and Physical Health. Please contact SocialPolicy@lwvor.org for more information about how you can make a difference with League advocacy. Read More Jan 15, 2024 Legislative Report - Week of 1/15 Volunteers are needed who are interested in issues related to Children at Risk, Corrections, Farmworkers, Mental Health, and Physical Health. Please contact SocialPolicy@lwvor.org for more information about how you can make a difference with League advocacy. Read More Nov 13, 2023 Legislative Report - November Interim The Joint Interim Addiction and Community Response Committee held an in-depth discussion on the controlled substance crimes of unlawful possession, manufacture or delivery of illegal drugs during November interim legislative days. Read More Oct 2, 2023 Legislative Report - September Interim Senate Judiciary discussed SB 337 on 9-27. The bill formed a new Public Defense Services Commission, to become effective 1-1-2024. The staff is recruiting new defense attorneys for unrepresented clients residing In jails. Read More Aug 18, 2023 Legislative Report - Sine Die In 2023, it became clear that the housing crisis is now a statewide issue. In communities throughout Oregon people are living on the street and many of those who are housed are at risk of losing their homes because they can’t afford to pay their rent. Read More Jun 26, 2023 Legislative Report - Week of 6/26 SB 1089 (changed from SB 704) Sets up a Governance board for Universal Health Care. The board would create a plan to finance and administer Universal Health Care for Oregonians. Read More Jun 12, 2023 Legislative Report - Week of 6/12 On June 6, the Legislative Fiscal Office and the Joint W&Ms issued their recommended budget to the Transportation and Economic Development Subcommittee on SB 5511, the Housing and Community Services Department (OHCS) budget: Legislative Fiscal Office's analysis. Read More Jun 5, 2023 Legislative Report - Week of 6/5 At the urging of newly-elected Governor Kotek, the Oregon Legislature invested more than $215 million in the Early Session Housing Package. Read More May 29, 2023 Legislative Report - Week of 5/29 The continued Republican walkout has prevented 17 floor sessions from being held, with 150 bills waiting to be worked on by the Senate after significant effort and gaining bipartisan support. Read More May 22, 2023 Legislative Report - Week of 5/22 Fortunately, many critical housing policy bills and funding passed earlier in the session, but some are still under consideration or awaiting Senate action. Read More May 15, 2023 Legislative Report - Week of 5/15 Republican walkouts have prevented the full Senate from considering key housing bills that passed out of Senate Housing and Development and are ready for floor votes. In better news, the full House adopted SB 702, which will require racial justice and implicit bias training for home appraisers. Read More May 8, 2023 Legislative Report - Week of 5/8 Despite the controversy over sensitive bills and the walkout by Senate Republicans since last May 3, legislators continue to hold committee meetings with the intention of meeting their constitutional obligation to adjourn after 160 days, which is Sunday, June 25 at midnight. Read More May 1, 2023 Legislative Report - Week of 5/1 To address the state’s Homelessness State of Emergency Governor Kotek launched earlier this year an emergency response initiative made up of seven regional multi-agency coordinating groups (MAC). On April 28, the Governor and Oregon Housing and Community Services announced that the funding agreements have been signed and are being sent to the regional MAC groups to effectively distribute this critically needed emergency resource. Read More Apr 24, 2023 Legislative Report - Week of 4/24 Governor Kotek created the Housing Production Advisory Council to develop comprehensive recommendations to build 36,000 homes per year. On April 25, the Council released its Framework for Action Plan, which gives priority to solutions that will have the greatest impact in addressing the state’s housing shortage, and inequity and racial injustice. Read More Apr 17, 2023 Legislative Report - Week of 4/17 April is Fair Housing Month. This year marks the 55th anniversary of the passage of the 1968 Fair Housing Act. Read More Apr 10, 2023 Legislative Report - Week of 4/10 SB 216 Passed out of SCHC 3/1, Now in House Behavioral Health and Health Care. Read More Apr 3, 2023 Legislative Report - Week of 4/3 The Senate and House Judiciary Committees made their way through their backload of bills in work sessions on April 3 and 4. Read More Mar 27, 2023 Legislative Report - Week of 3/27 It has been another busy week for the Legislature as it works to meet a first-chamber deadline of April 4, when bills must be sent out of committee, either to the floor for a vote or to another committee for further consideration. Read More Mar 20, 2023 Legislative Report - Week of 3/20 Three key gun safety bills were heard together in a combined informational and public testimony hearing in House Judiciary on March 22. Read More Mar 13, 2023 Legislative Report - Week of 3/13 “Unprecedented” is frequently quoted if the Legislature passes Governor Kotek’s comprehensive $200 million funding request. Read More Mar 6, 2023 Legislative Report - Week of 3/6 SB 551, a bill that directs OHA to provide information on safe storage of firearms and prescription drugs to school districts for dissemination on their websites and social media, was heard in Senate Education on March 7. Read More Feb 27, 2023 Legislative Report - Week of 2/27 The League submitted supportive testimony on two bills, both heard on February 27 in the House Judiciary, related to programs at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility. Read More Feb 20, 2023 Legislative Report - Week of 2/20 The Legislature is introducing bold and innovative bills to address critical issues facing our state, including homelessness, evictions, social inequities, and a severe affordable housing shortage. Read More Feb 13, 2023 Legislative Report - Week of 2/13 Governor Kotek has underscored the need to address the state’s housing emergency, and the legislature is coalescing around bills to serve communities around the state in sheltering the unhoused, providing low- and extremely low-income housing, and serving those experiencing economic inequality. Read More Feb 6, 2023 Legislative Report - Week of 2/6 Oregon’s housing crisis demands a wide variety of tools aimed at keeping people who are housed in their homes and helping people with inadequate or no shelter into safe and stable housing. Read More Jan 30, 2023 Legislative Report - Week of 1/23 Action is converging around Governor Kotek’s priority to address the state’s housing emergency. Read More Jan 30, 2023 Legislative Report - Week of 1/30 The League submitted testimony in support of SB 529, heard in Senate Judiciary on January 31. The bill modifies alternative incarceration programs to specifically address the chronic disease of addiction. Read More Jan 24, 2023 Legislative Report - Week of 1/16 It is difficult to predict what will take place during the 2023 Legislative Session about issues related to reproductive rights in light of the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Dobbs vs. Jackson Women's Health. Read More Jan 17, 2023 Legislative Report - Week of 1/10 - 1/17 Debbie Aiona and Nancy Donovan attended the Oregon Housing Alliance’s membership meeting to learn about proposed legislation under consideration for its 2023 legislative agenda. LWVOR is an alliance member. Read More

/ Past Presidents / Past Presidents Past LWVOR Presidents, EF Chairs, and LWVUS Board Members 1973-75 President Betty Mack 1975-77 President Wanda Mays 1977-79 President Annabel Kitzhaber 1979-83 President Norma Jean Germond 1983-84 President Linda Dinus 1980-90 LWVUS Board Member Merilyn Reeves 1982-84 LWVUS Board Member Roberta Jaffe 1984-87 President Kris Hudson 1987-89 President Sharon Little 1991-93 President Kappy Eaton 1993-95 President Cheri Unger ​ 1995-97 President Mary Krahn 2001-03 President Beth Burczak ​ 1997-01 President Paula Krane 1995-97 President Mary Krahn 2001-03 President Beth Burczak ​ 1997-01 President Paula Krane 2000-04 LWVUS Board Member Rosie Stephens 2003-07 President Margaret Noel 2007-09 EF Chair Janet Calvert 2007-11 President Marge Easley 2009-11 EF Chair Jane Gigler 2011-13 EF Chair Betsy Pratt 2008-14 LWVUS Board Member Norman Turrill 2011-15 President Robin Wisdom 2013-15 EF Chair Becky Gladstone 2015-19 President Norman Turrill 2019-2023 President Becky Gladstone ​ 2023-2023 President Alice Bartelt ​ 2023-present Co-Presidents Rebecca Gladstone Lisa Bentson

Annie Goldner Issue Positions Chair League of Women Voters of Deschutes County since 2003 and on the local league board since 2017, as Event Chair and Program/Study Chair until present. Leader for LWVDC Study on Affordable Housing, completed in February 2021. Volunteered as LWVOR Interim Program/ Research Study Chair in October 2022 and was elected in this board position at State Convention in May 2023. Annie relocated to Bend in 2002 and worked part-time as a long-term care assessment nurse and running a bed and breakfast for 17 years. One of the primary reasons she moved to Bend was to become involved in and supportive of the community in a small town. She has volunteered with neighborhood associations and city committees. Annie has lived in Milwaukee, Washington DC, and New York City and has founded several businesses. She is an entrepreneur and community activist to the core! She is a mom of three grown children and five grandchildren living on both coasts and in the Midwest and visiting them as often as possible. Annie will encourage the state and local league members to understand our positions on issues to empower members to advocate with one voice to community leaders, league members and legislators. ​