| An update for League friends and subscribers. | | | Celebrating Arab American Heritage Month | From the Arab America Foundation: "The President of the United States recognized the month of April as National Arab American Heritage Month with a special commemorative letter. In 2022, Congress, the U.S. Department of State, and 45 state governors issued proclamations commemorating the initiative. Additionally, the following states have passed permanent legislation designating the month of April as NAAHM: Illinois; Oregon; Virginia; and Indiana (Senate)."
LWV-BMC celebrates Arab American members, friends, and family! Click here to find out more about this commemoration. | | | | April 3 Forum Features Mayoral Candidates | The April 3 LWV-BMC forum will feature mayoral candidates, all of whom have confirmed their attendance. Be sure to attend this session at the Tri-North Middle School Performance Center, beginning at 6:30 pm. If you have questions you'd like posed to the candidates, submit them to Ralf Shaw (voterservice@lwv-bmc.org) by April 1. The forum will also be livestreamed on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/BACDST1913.
- Click here to see all the current forums hosted by local nonpartisan organizations.
- For information on the May 2 primary, check Monroe County Election Central.
- Go to VOTE411 to view candidates, their backgrounds, and their stance on issues.
- Ralf Shaw | | | Final Legislative Update Scheduled for April 15 | A Legislative Update is scheduled for Saturday, 9:30-11:00, on April 15, via Zoom. The public is invited. Advance registration is required. To register and also obtain more information on previous updates, click here.
The updates, scheduled each month from January through April, are jointly sponsored by the Leagues of Women Voters of Bloomington-Monroe County and Brown County, the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce, and the Brown County Chamber of Commerce. At the updates, state legislators give introductory remarks on their priorities for the current session of the Indiana General Assembly. Then audience members ask questions. The updates are intended to be informative, not debates. All state legislators who represent a portion of Monroe County and Brown County have been invited. - Ralf Shaw | | | | Limestone Post Publishes Article on Voting in the Primary Election | In the March 10 issue, the Limestone Post featured a voter guide by LWV-BMC's Voter Service Committee co-chair, Ralf (Debora) Shaw. The article covered the following topics:
- A quick look at the May primary election
- Why a primary election?
- Register to vote
- ID required
- How to vote
- Be informed
The Limestone Post is "an independent, nonprofit, online magazine committed to publishing in-depth, informative, and inclusive stories about the communities in and around Bloomington, Indiana, and beyond." To get email notification of new stories, click here. - Ann Birch | | March Podcast Offers Report Card on Indiana Public Health | | In March, Civics Conversations welcomed Michael Lippert, a journalist with the Indiana Capital Chronicle, to discuss the 2022 American Health Rankings Report. Leppert talked to our host, Jim Allison, about where Indiana stands regarding public health in the United States. Overall, Indiana ranks 35th among all 52 states but ranks 45th in the nation for public health. In Indiana, we spend approximately $14 per person on public health. Leppert spoke about how this ranking comes from a protracted line of policy failures and lack of long-term commitment to the public health of Indiana citizens, saying that failure in Indiana's public health system is "not a weather event, but a climate event." To listen to the podcast, click here. - Becky Hill | | | | March 11 Legislative Update Focused on Controversial Bills | Thirty-six people attended the March 11 Legislative Update. Representative Matt Pierce was the sole legislator to participate. In his opening remarks he noted that this second half of the session has each chamber dealing with bills that passed the other. The conference session, during the last two weeks of April, will see additional changes to bills. He stated he is disturbed by the number and reach of bills such as SB480 (gender transition for minors), HB1407 (parental rights), and HB1608 (human sexuality instruction) addressing transgender and gender dysphoria issues. Click here for a full report on the discussion. This Legislative Update was not recorded.
| | | Moderator Sonia Leerkamp thanked Rep. Pierce for his consistent participation in the Legislative Updates. He thanked the people who attend the sessions and ask good questions.
You can find up-to-date information on bills at https://iga.in.gov/. Legislative Updates are co-sponsored by the Leagues of Women Voters of Bloomington-Monroe County and Brown County and the Chambers of Commerce of Bloomington and Brown County. Be sure to register for the April 15 Legislative Update at https://lwv-bmc.org/legis-update. - Ralf Shaw | | Get Out the Vote Messages from Alpha Kappa Alpha Forum | | The Kappa Tau Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. held their March 25 candidate forum at the Crestmont Boys and Girls Club to reach out to that neighborhood. The event began with three strong messages on the importance of voting. Speaking were Jeanetta Nelms, former director of the Indiana University 21st Century Scholars Program; Charlie Nelms, professor emeritus of higher education administration at IU; and Camille Scales, a sophomore studying law and public policy at IU, representing the Pre-Law Division of the Black Law Students Association. Click here for their remarks. - Ralf Shaw | | March 26 Forum Features All Candidates in Contested Council District Races | On a sunny Sunday afternoon, March 26, the League hosted a forum for candidates in contested district races for Bloomington Common (City) Council. Mark Fraley, LWV member and IU PACE Associate Director, moderated the event, which was held in the beautiful Grand Hall at IU’s Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center. The candidates participating were:
District 1: Joe Lee, Isabel Piedmont-Smith
District 2: Kate Rosenbarger, Sue Sgambelluri
District 3: Hopi H. Stosberg, Ron Smith, Conner Wright
District 5: Shruti Rana, Jenny Stevens
The forum was cosponsored by: Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Bloomington Alumnae Chapter; IU PACE (Political and Civic Engagement); Kappa Tau Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.; Monroe County NOW; NAACP Monroe County; National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum, Indiana Chapter; South Central Indiana Citizens’ Climate Lobby; and Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington.
Several candidates thanked the organizers for the thoughtful questions. The meeting also saw the initial use of the new LWV-BMC banner, which featured in several candidates’ photos after the event. CATS recorded the forum. It is available on their site and linked from the LWV-BMC Forum page. – Ralf Shaw | | April 4 Marks Week of Remembrance for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. | From the City of Bloomington: The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration Commission is planning a week of remembrance and celebration of African American history in Bloomington through art and storytelling. This week begins on Tuesday, April 4, which marks the 55th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s tragic and untimely death.
Each year, the MLK Commission remembers the terrible event that occurred on the balcony of the Memphis Lorraine Motel in 1968, where Dr. King was in support of Black sanitation workers who were on strike and demanding safer working conditions and better pay.
Click here for more information. | | | | Local Earth Day Celebration Planned for April 22 | Click here to find out more about the Earth Day Celebration on April 22, 1-4 pm, at Switchyard Park. In addition to this event, the City is hosting an Earth Day challenge from April 1-21, in which participants can win prizes for completing sustainability activities and tracking progress on Zero In Bloomington, the City’s community climate action platform. Challenge activities will relate to five sustainability categories: sustainable shopping, food and waste, transportation, energy, and greenspace. - Kristina Lindborg | | | | Indiana Chamber of Commerce Publishes Legislative Directory | From the Indiana Chamber of Commerce: Download the 2023 IGA Legislative Directory app for the most up-to-date contact information for all 150 state legislators. Highlights include the following:
- Legislator biographies, photos, contact information and office locations
- Committee assignments
- Updated seating charts
- Cross index by county and district number
Extra features with the phone app range from the ability to “favorite” legislators and committees for quick reference and interaction to downloading legislators into your mobile phone contact list. The web/mobile app can be viewed on all devices including iPhone and Android.
| | Bloomington Asks Residents to Participate in Survey; Apply for Appointments | The City of Bloomington is issuing a community-wide survey of residents. The first wave of invitations was mailed March 20; the second wave was sent March 27. Residents not randomly selected to receive the mailed survey can still participate starting April 17 by going to the City website. Data collection closes May 1.
In other City news, officials are accepting applications to serve on City Boards and Commissions. This is a great way to get more involved in your local government. Click here for more information and a link to the application. | | | |