OUR MISSION
Education and Advocacy
The LWVSP encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. LWVSP promotes political responsibility through informed and active participation in government and acts on selected governmental issues.
Diversity and Inclusion
LWVSP affirms its commitment to reflect the diversity of Minnesota in its membership. We understand that diverse perspectives are important and necessary for responsible and representative decision-making; both diversity and pluralism are fundamental to the LWVSP values.
Practicing inclusivity enhances the organization’s ability to respond more effectively to changing conditions and needs.
In both its values and practices, LWVSP affirms that there shall be no barriers to participation in any activity on the basis of gender, race, creed, age, sexual orientation, national origin or disability. LWVSP will continue to seek new ways to enable direct participation of members from throughout the area.
Nonpartisan and Nonprofit
The LWVSP is a nonpartisan political organization focused on encouraging informed and active participation in government, influencing public policy through education and advocacy. As a nonpartisan organization, we do not endorse political parties or candidates. We also understand that as voters, our members make partisan choices. However, we take care to prevent and avoid in the eyes of the public, either an actual or apparent conflict of interest.
OUR HISTORY
League of Women Voters has long history in area
To get to the beginning, one must go back to September 8, 1919, on the day Minnesota ratified the 19th Amendment prohibiting voter discrimination on the basis of sex, and Clara Ueland, first LWV Minnesota president, declared, “Today is the commencement rather than the end of our work.”
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Lynn Solo, LWV St. Peter Area President, 2014-2021
The minutes of a League of Women Voters, Mankato pre-organizational meeting, held February 22, 1963 reads, “The women present were welcomed by Mrs. E.J. Diefenbach of the Edina League, who had assisted with some of the pre-organzational coffee parties.” Coffee aside, other members of the Edina LWV quickly got down to business, describing how the League functions, its goals and methods. After some back and forth, the forty women present voted Mrs. Kenneth (Arline) Brown temporary chairman. She served for a year and was followed by fellow organizer Barbara Brown.
A similar meeting took place in St. Peter on April 25th of the same year, this one sponsored by members of the Bloomington League. That gathering quickly elected Mrs. James Hauan president of the newly formed League of Women Voters of St. Peter.
However, these two events were only the latest iteration of local Leagues. To get to the beginning, one needs to go back to September 8th, 1919, the day Minnesota ratified the 19th Amendment prohibiting voting discrimination on the basis of sex, and Clara Ueland, first LWV Minnesota president, declared, “Today is the commencement rather than the end of our work.”
By the end of that year and early 1920 women in Blue Earth and Nicollet Counties were organizing local Leagues. Those eventually faded. In the late 1930’s Nicollet County again formed an active League. Nicollet County Historical Society director, Jessica Becker reports that early members visited farms and registered new women voters. Lynn Solo, current president of LWV St. Peter, says she once viewed a window sign from those days stating something along these lines: “A Woman in This Household Has Registered to Vote.” That WW II version of the League also faded. As noted, the League was reborn in 1963 and twenty five years later both celebrated their quarter century anniversaries.
In celebration of that anniversary, Betty Nelson wrote in her April, 1988 “Milepost 55” Mankato Free Press column of the earliest Mankato League that, “High on its first list of priorities for study were voter education, environmental concerns such as water quality and government organization at all levels. Global issues were topped by efforts toward world peace (at that time the League of Nations) and the problems of emerging nations. All of these are important issues for the League today.” The same goes for 2019.
The Mankato League of Women Voters closed in 2009 when its last president moved to Duluth. Two of its members then joined the League of Women Voters of St. Peter which continues as a vibrant and growing presence in the community. This non-partisan, yet political organization still encourages citizens to play an active role in government. Membership is open to anyone sixteen years of age or older.
[This article appeared originally in the Oct. 11, 2020 edition of The Mankato Free Press. Glimpse of the Past: League of Women Voters has long history in area]