Politically active women

History will be remembered when the League of Women Voters of Tennessee holds its spring council meeting in Chattanooga this weekend.

Linda Mines, the official historian for the city of Chattanooga and Hamilton County, will portray Abby Crawford Milton, the Chattanooga suffrage leader who became the first president of the LWV of Tennessee.

The spring council will draw league leaders from across the state to focus on “Keys to Democracy.” Sessions will cover voting issues, government transparency and the league’s agenda in the Tennessee Legislature.

Amanda Wintersieck, UC Foundation associate professor of political science at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, will share her research on best practices to get out the vote. There also will be a panel discussion about experience with the new online voter registration drives across the state. Linda Phillips, Shelby County administrator of elections, will report on the status of Instant Runoff Voting for local elections in Memphis/Shelby County.

Deborah Fisher, executive director of the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government, will provide an update on public records and open meetings issues in Tennessee. The league lobbyist, Stewart Clifton, will provide a briefing on the league’s priority issues and the state legislature.

The meeting is scheduled Saturday and Sunday at the DoubleTree Hotel, 407 Chestnut St., and is open to the public. Fee is $50, which includes a plated dinner Saturday evening ($40 for additional guest). Register at www.lwvtn.org.