The League of Women Voters of Jasper County was represented by Jane Odland and Ruth Campbell at the 2012 League of Women Voters of the United States 50th biennial nation Convention on June 8-12 in Washington, D.C.
Bonnie Pitz, state president of the League of Women Voters of Iowa, also attended. Campbell, Odland and Pitz were among 650 delegates in attendance.
While in Washington the local delegates attended workshops and caucuses and discussed many of the critical issue facing our democracy this election year. The league’s Power the Vote 2012 initiative was highlighted as delegates celebrated recent successes in protecting voting rights and transparency in elections. Building on this theme, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder addressed the convention discussing recent efforts to protect voting rights.
“I learned many new things and brought back important ideas for our League,” Campbell said.
Delegates reelected Elisabeth MacNamara of Georgia as national president and voted on the organization’s coming agenda, focusing on the impact of secret money in elections.
League members were treated to remarks by Kathleen Hall Jamieson of the Annenberg Public Policy Center and a panel featuring commentator Eleanor Clift, former Congressman Mickey Edwards and Trevor Potter, most recently known for his work with TV personality Stephen Colbert.
Pollster John Zogby addressed delegates at their dinner banquet, providing his insights on the coming election.