With the continued right-wing majority in government and the two recent disastrous Supreme Court appointees, women's rights are seriously threatened.

Our hard-won civil liberties, a gift from the fearless women who came before us, are in danger. To do our part to help protect these rights, it's important that we, as women, increase our involvement in the local political process. Even within our own political party, we cannot be complacent.

I'd like to personally encourage each woman to consider running for a Democratic Central Committee seat in your supervisorial district. You can file to run at no cost. You simply need to go to the Elections Division at the Government Center in Ventura to pick up a petition. It must be turned in by March 10 and have 20 verifiable signatures of registered voters from your district.

More women on the Democratic Central Committee means that we will maintain a strong voice for our issues at the local and state party levels. And we need women with diverse backgrounds - young or old, rich or poor, white, black, Latina or Asian, straight or lesbian, mothers, daughters, grandmothers - the party needs you!

- Laura Winchester,
Ventura County Democratic Central Committee, District 2, Thousand Oaks