Sunday, October 18, 2026 at 02:00 PM
LWV Northeast hosts: "Before You Vote: Tennessee's Constitutional Amendments"
Sunday, October 18, 2:00 p.m.
(come at 1:30 to socialize)Food City Community Room
920 N. State of Franklin, Johnson City TNTennessee voters will decide three proposed constitutional amendments
in November 2026. Each is described in only a few lines on the ballot, but each would change a different part of the state constitution and raise a different practical question. Our speaker, Brandon Burley, will explain the proposals in plain language:-expanding judges’ authority to deny bail for additional violent offenses
-creating constitutional rights for crime victims
-prohibiting state governments from taxing real or personal property.
Drawing from the official resolutions, existing law, and available fiscal and legislative records, the program will examine what each amendment would change, what it would leave untouched, and the strongest arguments offered by supporters and critics. It will also explain how constitutional amendments reach the ballot and why the exact legal language matters. The goal is not to tell voters how to vote. It is to help them understand the authority, safeguards, tradeoffs, and unanswered questions behind each proposal before they make that judgment for themselves.
Brandon L. Burley is a retired Tennessee detective, former infantry Marine, criminal-justice educator, investigative journalist, and host of The Redemption Project, recipient of a 2025 SPJ Podcast of the Year award. Full bio HERE.
Everyone is welcome to attend our educational programs. Please come and bring a friend! Light refreshments served.Monday, October 19, 2026 at 07:00 PM · 4 rsvps
LWVTN Poll Watcher Training 10/19/26
Training sessions for poll observers. LWV observers will learn how to document any process issues that impede voters' access to the ballot at polling sites. These reports will also help re-confirm for the public the majority of times the election process goes smoothly. As an additional incentive this year, your local league will receive $25 for each recorded observation from poll observers.
LWVTN will be repeating our training sessions on the following nights:
Dates: Mondays, October 12, 19, and 26.
Time: 7:00-8:00 CDT/8:00-9:00 EDT | Zoom LinkTuesday, October 20, 2026 at 12:00 PM
LWV Oak Ridge hosts Lunch with the League: Hannah Smith on identifying and treating domestic violence
Hannah Smith, LMSW, Domestic Violence Outreach Clinician Helen Ross McNabb Center, BA (psychology) from Carson-Newman University and a MS, Social Work from UTK. She specializes in identifying and treating families on domestic abuse in our community, how to identify it in our family/friends and most importantly how to assist.
The Lunch With the League (LWL) is scheduled for the first and third Tuesdays of each month (except September 2026) from September through May. The League meets in the Social Room of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, located at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike. Lunches may be purchased for a nominal fee beginning at 11:30 a.m. (eastern time) or attendees may bring their own lunch. Coffee and tea will be provided. The presentation by the speaker begins at 12:00 noon, followed by a question-and-answer session. Guests are welcome to attend these interesting and informative events. Members will be informed via email of any last-minute changes to the program.
Monday, October 26, 2026 at 07:00 PM
LWVTN Poll Watcher Training 10/26/26
Training sessions for poll observers. LWV observers will learn how to document any process issues that impede voters' access to the ballot at polling sites. These reports will also help re-confirm for the public the majority of times the election process goes smoothly. As an additional incentive this year, your local league will receive $25 for each recorded observation from poll observers.
LWVTN will be repeating our training sessions on the following nights:
Dates: Mondays, October 12, 19, and 26.
Time: 7:00-8:00 CDT/8:00-9:00 EDT | Zoom LinkThursday, October 29, 2026 at 12:00 AM
Early Voting for November 3, 2026 State & Federal General Election Ends
Tuesday, November 03, 2026 at 12:00 PM
LWV Oak Ridge hosts Lunch with the League: David Adkins on Benedict Arnold and Others
David Adkins is a historian who was an adjunct professor of history at RSCC and now teaches at Pellissippi and Walters State Community Colleges. He regularly teaches for ORICL and has been voted Instructor of the Year.
David Adkins did not come to the field of history by the usual route. He took the scenic route of careers, including but not limited to the military, industrial mechanics, book sales, foundry work, and security. He began college as a nontraditional student and earned both his undergraduate and graduate degrees in history, specializing in colonial economic history at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He runs the Youtube channel MercenaryHistorian, where he talks about history and he edits professional publications.
David will speak on an American Revolutionary War genius and herountil he wasn’t - Benedict Arnold, and his fellow Colonial co-patriots and generals: Thomas Conway and Horatio Gates - both of whom fared much better in American history.
We all know about Arnold’s notoriety for his absconding over to the British side but very little is known about the much greater breakdown of the Colonial leadership during the Revolutionary War. Traditional revolutionary war history is full of desperate moments, incredible heroism, and daring leadership. Behind the scenes the officer corps of the Continental Army was rife with doubt and valiant ambition. All of these desperate moments led to treason, political intrigue, and almost led to the defeat of the new nation. Come join us for a glimpse into this little known aspect of the war.
The Lunch With the League (LWL) is scheduled for the first and third Tuesdays of each month (except September 2026) from September through May. The League meets in the Social Room of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, located at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike. Lunches may be purchased for a nominal fee beginning at 11:30 a.m. (eastern time) or attendees may bring their own lunch. Coffee and tea will be provided. The presentation by the speaker begins at 12:00 noon, followed by a question-and-answer session. Guests are welcome to attend these interesting and informative events. Members will be informed via email of any last-minute changes to the program.
Tuesday, November 17, 2026 at 12:00 PM
LWV Oak Ridge hosts Lunch with the League: Dr. Michael Toomey on the Revolutionary War
Dr. Michael Toomey is a retired professor of history from Lincoln Memorial University where he was a member of the faculty of the Paul V. Hamilton School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. He was the recipient of the LMU prestigious Houston Award for Teaching Excellence. He was also managing editor of the Journal of East Tennessee History and curator of history for the East Tennessee Historical Society. He has written chapters to many peer reviewed books, authored numerous articles, and given professional presentations. Dr Toomey received his BA degree in history from the University of Tennessee - Chattanooga and his masters and PhD degrees from UTK.
We are all familiar with the many roles that slaves and slavery played in the Civil War. And, we are familiar with the 3/5th compromise made during the formulation of the Constitution regarding slavery. However, less known is the active role that many slaves and their families played during the Revolutionary War. Many ran away from their owners to take refuge in the promise of the British to protect them while granting them freedom and many died. Dr. Toomey will give us a deep dive into this part of our history - which in many ways was setting the stage for the inevitable Civil War.
The Lunch With the League (LWL) is scheduled for the first and third Tuesdays of each month (except September 2026) from September through May. The League meets in the Social Room of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, located at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike. Lunches may be purchased for a nominal fee beginning at 11:30 a.m. (eastern time) or attendees may bring their own lunch. Coffee and tea will be provided. The presentation by the speaker begins at 12:00 noon, followed by a question-and-answer session. Guests are welcome to attend these interesting and informative events. Members will be informed via email of any last-minute changes to the program.
Tuesday, December 01, 2026 at 12:00 PM
LWV Oak Ridge hosts Lunch with the League: Courtney Atnip of Capitol & 5th Public Strategies
Courtney Atnip, founding partner of Capitol & 5th Public Strategies, master’s degree, UTK, She is a government public relations consultant; where she serves as an independent Tennessee government public relations firm serving corporate, government, nonprofit organizations; and Lobbyists for the League of Women Voters TN, She will bring us up to date on the successful (and not so successful)legislation that was passed in the last two sessions and walk us through the legislative process of September 2026 Volume 89, Issues 1 Page 3 the Tennessee General Assembly and how we can engage with that process at the most beneficial time.
The Lunch With the League (LWL) is scheduled for the first and third Tuesdays of each month (except September 2026) from September through May. The League meets in the Social Room of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, located at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike. Lunches may be purchased for a nominal fee beginning at 11:30 a.m. (eastern time) or attendees may bring their own lunch. Coffee and tea will be provided. The presentation by the speaker begins at 12:00 noon, followed by a question-and-answer session. Guests are welcome to attend these interesting and informative events. Members will be informed via email of any last-minute changes to the program.
Sunday, December 06, 2026 at 12:00 PM
LWV Oak Ridge hosts Lunch with the League: Denise Kiernan on "Women who ignited the American Revolution"
Denise Kiernan is a New York Times best-seller and award winning author. Two of her previous works are particularly note worthy: the Girls of Atomic City and The Last Castle were instant best sellers.
Her latest narrative nonfiction title, Obstinate Daughters: The Rebels, Writers, and Renegade Women Who Ignited the American Revolution, arrived June 23, 2026. She is also the co-author of We Gather Together; Signing Their Lives Away; Signing Their Rights Away; and Stuff Every American Should Know. She has been published in The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Village Voice, Rolling Stone, Time, Ms. Magazine, and many more publications.
Throughout her career, Kiernan’s engaging personality and expertise has made her a featured guest on many radio and television shows, including NPR's “Weekend Edition,” “PBS NewsHour,” “MSNBC Morning Joe,” and “The Daily Show” with Jon Stewart. Kiernan is the creator and host of “CRAFT: Authors in Conversation,” works with nonprofits WriteGirl and Equal Playing Field, and serves on the Board of Governors of the William L. Clements Library at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. She lives in North Carolina. Books will be available for purchase and signing.