An update for LWV-BMC members
and other Leagues | | | Celebrating Black History Month | From a 2022 NPR article: "Every February, the U.S. honors the contributions and sacrifices of African Americans who have helped shape the nation. Black History Month celebrates the rich cultural heritage, triumphs and adversities that are an indelible part of our country's history. ...February was chosen primarily because the second week of the month coincides with the birthdays of both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. Lincoln was influential in the emancipation of slaves, and Douglass, a former slave, was a prominent leader in the abolitionist movement, which fought to end slavery."
Learn more about this vital part of our American history. Visit the U.S. portal Black History Month, especially the events listed on the home page. Also of interest is the list of exhibits and collections, which opens a whole vista of what our national institutions have to offer. Click here for events in Bloomington. | | | | The League of Women Voters was founded on February 14, 1920, by Carrie Chapman Catt. This was six months before ratification of the 19th Amendment, which enabled women to vote. The purpose of this new organization was to be a means of teaching the newly enfranchised women about the mechanics of registering and voting; the process of nomination and election procedures; and our form of government. They thought the work might be accomplished in five years! Through the years, the League has evolved from an organization concerned with women’s needs and training women voters to one of both women and men concerned with the nation’s needs and to training and informing all voters.
Note: Our local League actually began as a Women's Franchise League in 1913. This was rolled into the League of Women Voters in 1920. | | | | Yoder and Pierce Attend January 27 Legislative Update | Senator Shelli Yoder and Representative Matt Pierce participated in the Legislative Update on Saturday, January 27, 2024. All state legislators representing Monroe, Brown, and Johnson counties were invited. About fifty-seven constituents attended. Rep. Pierce noted that the short legislative session is rushing by; next week will be the deadline for bills to pass out of their house of origin. He called attention to HB 1108, opening land with greater slopes to development; HB 1412, to prevent local governments from restricting dog sales in pet shops; and HB 1235, to stop the city of Gary’s lawsuit against gun manufacturers.
Sen. Yoder reported that the Environment Committee will hold its first meeting of the year for hearings on HB 1383, the wetlands bill. She remains concerned that much legislation on reading is passed without a basic understanding of how to improve students’ skills. She flagged SB 202, which would place additional controls on higher education equity measures and exert more control over appointment of trustees. Sen. Yoder and Sen. Vaneta Becker have co-sponsored SB 208 to reestablish licensing of abortion clinics.
Below are listed the questions/topics that were raised by constituents and responded to by legislators.
Rep. Pierce concluded by noting that the proposal to defund the Kinsey Institute has not died because no one wants to risk being primaried over the issue; he thinks it may disappear in conference. Sen. Yoder was pleased to report two bills that have made it through third reading: SB 252 on long-acting reversible contraceptives and HB 1568 allowing pharmacists to prescribe contraceptives.
Legislative Updates are co-sponsored by the Leagues of Women Voters of Bloomington-Monroe County, Brown County, and Johnson County and the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce. The recording of this update will be available on the Legislative Updates page soon. - Ralf Shaw | Questions/topics that were raised and responded to:
- HB 1376, limiting school funding referenda to general elections
- SB 170, on protection of election workers, does not mention guns
- Legislation (SB 1) to improve reading would have third graders who fail IREAD repeat that year. Sen. Yoder pointed to the podcast “Sold a Story” <https://features.apmreports.org/sold-a-story/>, about a vendor who sold schools on an unproven reading method.
- Potential ways to improve reading skills, such as universal pre-K and lowering the mandatory age to enroll in school
- How to stop unfunded and under-funded mandates on educators, including continuing changes in educational savings accounts
- Abortion restrictions (SB 208); although the bill is likely to pass, legislators should still hear about their constituents’ concerns
- How to persuade legislators; contacting friends and families who live in other districts can help. House district 62 is one that is not so gerrymandered that the outcome is decided in the primary election.
- Ethical and legal concerns about political email messages the attorney general and secretary of state send from their governmental accounts; the Inspector General would be a good place to start <https://www.in.gov/ig/>
- Lobbying by special interest groups, such as support for keeping PFAS (“forever chemicals”); dark money is insidious, and problems are exacerbated by the loss of investigative media as a means to inform voters. On occasion it is possible to partner with people who advocate for industry and educate them.
- How will medical students be educated if they cannot practice all aspects of healthcare for women?
| | Fearless: Women in Indiana | | For our December podcast, we welcomed Dr. Anita Morgan, the author of We Must Be Fearless: The Woman Suffrage Movement in Indiana. Morgan is the senior lecturer emerita at IU's School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI in Indianapolis. In the podcast, she shared the history behind the suffrage movement in Indiana and how it impacted Indiana women. She expounded on the role of African-American and Quaker women in Indiana and how they promoted the campaign. Finally, she discussed the role that the League of Women Voters played in the suffrage movement. Click here to go to the podcasts page. - Becky Hill | | Register for February and March Legislative Updates | | Legislative updates are scheduled for two more Saturdays in 2024 (February 17 and March 2), each from 9:30 to 11 am. These will be Zoom virtual sessions. All state legislators representing Monroe, Brown, and Johnson counties have been invited to report on their work and priorities for the 2024 Indiana General Assembly and take questions from attendees. These include: Sen. Aaron Freeman, Sen. Cyndi Carrasco, Sen. Rodric Bray, Sen. Greg Walker, Rep. Robb Greene, Rep. Craig Haggard, Rep. Michelle Davis, Sen. Eric Koch, Sen. Shelli Yoder, Rep. Dave Hall, Rep. Bob Heaton, Rep. Peggy Mayfield, and Rep. Matt Pierce. Click here to go to the Legislative Updates page where you can register for either or both sessions. Click here to find your legislators. - Monica Clemons and Ralf Shaw | | | | Poll Workers Needed! (...and you get paid) | Monroe County’s 2023 general election saw relatively few voters (10,441, for a 13.5% turnout). Nonetheless, community members were on hand to staff the Election Operations polls for four weeks of early voting and 25 polling locations on Election Day.
When League members Monica Clemons, Nancy Goswami, and Ralf Shaw got together after the election, we agreed that one of the rewards is getting acquainted with poll workers whom we would likely not meet in other venues. While working the polls, workers are not to discuss political topics; apolitical discussions ranged from learning a foreign language, to an easy cake recipe, to why human hearing is diminished when your head is below your heart, and beyond. All three of us had worked at some point with Hal Turner, former member of the Election Board, and were particularly impressed by his detailed understanding of voting operations and his friendly and supportive attitude toward everyone at the polls.
In a national sense, our democracy depends on ordinary people who make sure elections run smoothly and every vote is counted. In 2022, over 275,000 people signed up to keep polling places open. You (and maybe 15 of your friends) should consider joining the ranks of Monroe County poll workers in 2024. Both the primary (May 6) and general (November 4) elections look to be busy. Click here for information from Election Central. - Monica Clemons and Ralf Shaw | | News from Women's Health Advocates | Women's Health Advocates is a group within the Indiana state League that follows bills regarding women's health that are making their way through the state legislature. Below is a list of bills that the group is currently following and that you can take a closer look at and contact your legislators about if you wish. The list is divided into bills that the Advocates support and those they oppose. These stances are based on either an LWVIN or LWVUS policy position. - Ann Birch
| | BILLS ADVOCATES SUPPORT
- SB 10 Community Cares Initiative grant pilot program
- SB 174 Access to food program
- SB 203 Sales tax exemption for menstrual discharge collection devices.
- SB 208 Abortion - reestablishes the licensure of abortion clinics
- SB 242 Medicaid Pregnancy related reimbursement rates
- HB 1014 Infant formula price gouging
- HB 1024 Pregnancy Accommodations
- HB 1028 Medicaid coverage for pregnancy services
- HB 1046 Wage history and wage range
- HB 1110 Information concerning cytomegalovirus infection
- HB 1119 Consent for pelvic, prostate, and rectal exams
- HB 1125 Maternal health
- HB 1126 Funding of lactation rooms in public buildings
- HB 1267 Elimination of certain gender specific terms
- HB 1420 Contraceptive coverage
- HB 1426 Long active reversible contraceptive
| | BILLS ADVOCATES OPPOSE
- SB 98 Dependent child exemptions - a fetus is considered a dependent child…
- SB 128 Human sexuality instruction - governing bodies, etc.
- HB 1069 Prohibition of certain abortion funding - no state funds
- HB 1141 Crimes against unborn child - drug crimes by pregnant women
- HB 1164 Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect - various anti-abortion provisions
- HB 1266 Freedom of conscience in health care - providers can decide
- HB 1287 Protection of born alive infants - criminal prosecution
- HB 1291 Gender based terms - in sex discrimination - gender vs biological sex
- HB 1379 Unborn children - human being includes unborn child
- HB 1406 Assignment of offenders based on biological sex - Department of Corrections
| | | | Urge Rep. Houchin to Introduce Climate-friendly Bill in the House | Last fall, Sen. Mike Braun introduced S. 2990, the Benjamin Harrison National Recreation Area and Wilderness Establishment Act of 2023 (BHNRAW) in the Senate. The area encompassed is in Indiana District 9, so we now need to urge Rep. Erin Houchin to introduce a companion bill in the House.
The legislation would more than double the Charles Deam Wilderness Area. It would also establish a National Recreation Area (NRA) on an additional 29,382 acres of current national forest land. (You can see a map of the proposed wilderness expansion and NRA designation here.) While providing expanded recreation, protection of water quality, and protection of key habitat for rare and endangered species, the bill would also address climate change in two ways:
- Mature and old growth forests hold immense amounts of water. The BHNRAW will enhance the capacity of the Lake Monroe watershed to absorb precipitation and mitigate against the predicted increase in flooding due to climate change.
- It will also allow old growth hardwood forest in the BHNRAW to return to a 90-square-mile area, storing large amounts of carbon and avoiding management practices that would instead release that carbon.
|  | | | You can help make this bill become law! Please urge Rep. Erin Houchin to introduce a companion bill to S. 2990, the Benjamin Harrison National Recreation Area and Wilderness Establishment Act of 2023, in the House. Contact her here.
You can read more about the bill in the Limestone Post article "New Legislation Would Double Size of Deam Wilderness." - Kristina Lindborg | | Podcast: Vouchers and Schools | | For our January podcast, we welcomed Dr. Michael Hicks, Distinguished Professor of Economics and Business Research and Director of Center Business Economic Research at Ball State University. His work has appeared not only in scholarly sources but also in such publications and media as Rolling Stone, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, MSNBC, NPR, and Fox Business News. In the podcast, Hicks discusses the impact of Indiana's voucher program on school choice and public schools and how this impact affects a community’s economy. Indiana has spent approximately $80 million since 2019 on voucher programs and other charter schools. Indiana currently spends roughly $10,095 per student on public education, while the average amount in the US is $12,612 per student. | | | | In his research, Hicks has found that quality public schools contribute directly to a community's economy. For instance, 30% of all home buyers consider the quality of public schools when buying a home; even a school's test scores can contribute to home-buying decisions. Click here to listen to the podcast. - Becky Hill and Jim Allison | | LWVIN Co-sponsors 2024 Renewable Energy Day: Sign up now! | | The Indiana League of Women Voters (LWVIN) is proud to be a co-sponsor of Indiana Renewable Energy Day 2024! Join us at the Statehouse on February 13, 2024, 9 am to 3 pm, to dive into the world of renewable energy, learn from experts, and connect with passionate individuals who are driving change. Together, we can harness the power of the sun for a cleaner, more sustainable Indiana. There will be an interfaith opening service, a renewable energy fair, and a lunch followed by speakers who will discuss key renewable energy priorities. Click here to learn more and RSVP for this free event. - Kristina Lindborg | | | | LWV-BMC Sends Letter to County on Election Staffing | | On January 25, 2024, LWV-BMC sent a letter to the Monroe County officials and local news outlets about the lack of election staff for the upcoming primary. The B Square Bulletin posted the letter to their website and the Bloomington Herald-Times had an article based on the letter. - Ralf Shaw and Nancy Boerner | | "Twenty Pearls" Tells the Story of Black Collegiate Sisterhood | | Twenty Pearls: The story of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., is a 2021 documentary featuring the formation and contributions of the first intercollegiate African American sorority. The sorority was founded in 1908 at the historically black Howard University in Washington, D.C. AKA's mission is "to cultivate and encourage high scholastic and ethical standards, to promote unity and friendship among college women, to alleviate problems concerning girls and women in order to improve their social stature, to maintain a progressive interest in college life, and to be of "Service to All Mankind". The sorority currently has more than 120,000 active members and supports six national initiatives:
- Strengthen Our Sisterhood
- Empower Our Families
- Build Our Economic Wealth
- Enhance Our Environment
- Advocate For Social Justice
- Uplift Our Local Community
| | | The local chapter of AKA, Kappa Tau Omega, was chartered on April 10, 1976. Current programs and events include mentoring high school juniors and seniors as part of #CAP, conducting enrichment sessions through a partnership with local boys and girls clubs, hosting a ladies room series for women, awarding the Constance K. Holland Memorial scholarship annually, sponsoring the annual Pink & Green Holi-Day Party, hosting candidate forums, and adopting families for holiday food baskets. Among the organizations with which Kappa Tau Omega collaborates are Banneker Center, Morgenstern Bookstore, My Sister's Closet, Monroe County NAACP, First Financial Bank, Neal Marshall Black Culture Center, Monroe County NOW, and The Rise. LWV-BMC is pleased to have worked with the local AKA chapter on several projects and looks forward to more collaboration in the future.
Plan to watch this inspiring and interesting film. Twenty Pearls is now available for viewing on Amazon Prime. - Ann Birch and Jeanetta Nelms | | "Member" sections of the newsletter are only included in "The League Letter," which is sent to local League members and selected members of other local Leagues. The public newsletter, called "The Voter," does not include these sections. | | LWVUS President Turner Passes Away | LWVUS President Dr. Deborah Ann Turner passed away on January 28, 2024. A fearless advocate for voting rights and women’s rights, Dr. Turner devoted her life’s work to impacting meaningful changes in the lives of voters across the nation. As the 20th president of our 103-year-old organization, Dr. Turner played a pivotal role in fighting for a more fair and representative union while uplifting racial equity in the League’s mission work. Click here for more information on Dr. Turner's life and on the LWVUS leadership changes.
You may send condolences electronically to lwv@lwv.org and in writing to the national office at 1233 20th Street NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC, 20036. All messages will be shared with Dr. Turner’s family. | | | | We're happy to welcome new member Gail Londergan...we all look forward to meeting you! - Nancy Riggert | | Welcome Janani Eswaran, New Leadership Team Member | | Janani Eswaran is a student at Indiana University and joined the League last spring. We are pleased to announce that Janani has been appointed for a one-year term as a member of the Leadership Team active immediately. We look forward to working with her! - Annamaria Mecca | | A Call To Membership - Now's the Time to Volunteer | The nominating committee meets monthly to prepare for our annual meeting. We are responsible for nominating members of the Leadership Team as well as members of next year’s nominating committee.
We are working to grow the League’s leadership and membership and to ensure its sustainability. Our aim is to share the responsibilities and tasks among more people, so that the League will continue to succeed, and fewer people will be overburdened. Our sustained growth will allow us to build our community and common purpose. Please contact Annamaria Mecca (team@lwv-bmc.org) if you are interested in volunteering for the League either as a Team member or as a member of the nominating committee.
Nominating Committee:
Chair: Annamaria Mecca
Members: Marion Krefeldt and Carolyn Waldron | | Save the Dates: League Gatherings and Annual Meeting | | League gatherings and the annual meeting for 2024 have been scheduled. Please mark on your calendar March 19, September 17, and December 3 for 2024 League gatherings, all from 6:00-7:30 pm. The March and December gatherings will be at St. Thomas Lutheran Church; the September gathering will be at Bryan Park. The annual meeting is scheduled for May 21 for the annual meeting and will be at St. Thomas Lutheran Church from 6:00-7:30 pm. We'll have more information in the March newsletter. - Ralf Shaw | | Observer Corps Report: MCSSC School Merger | Public comment at the January 23rd school board meeting centered around the proposed mergers of University and Fairview elementary schools and Templeton and Childs schools.
The rationale for the mergers is to balance socioeconomic status (SES) disparities among students at the selected schools. SES was determined by using each school’s percentage of students eligible for free and reduced lunches. Fairview and Templeton have two of the higher percentages while University and Childs have mid-range and low percentages.
| | | | Twenty-five people spoke during public comments including teachers, parents, and one student. Most addressed the proposed merger and many asked why MCCSC would suggest such a stop-gap solution rather than addressing the disparity problem head-on with redistricting, which is long overdue. Click here to read the remainder of the report. Members will need to log in. - Elaine Gaul | | Be an Observer: It’s Never Too Early to Help Our Democracy! | | Haven't we all wanted to be that mouse in the corner at one time or another when local boards, councils, or commissions make decisions that affect all of us, or even just some of our schools and neighborhoods? Would you like to gain insight into why certain members of those governing bodies vote a certain way? Do you, like many of us, wonder if the health of our democracy at even the local level is what it ought to be? Or do you just want to see your government in action and find out how you can participate more actively? | | | If one or all those questions pique your interest, and you have a few hours available each month to attend local meetings, in person or via zoom, we encourage you to join the LWV-BMC Observer Corps.
This is important League work! We rely on up-to-date, informed understanding of local government to develop the League’s stands on important issues. Our communities need a League voice. Our nonpartisan status and commitment to act only after study and careful consideration give our advocacy more weight.
Observation and study are where the League differs from other organizations. We do more than register voters, hold forums, and disseminate election information. We learn, inform, and advocate, especially at the local level. Without our commitment, voters may underestimate the importance of the workings, politics, and policy opportunities of local government.
Observer opportunities require no prior experience or expertise. Our local Observer Corps coordinator provides training and will help you understand the basics, particularly the uses of sunshine laws. The League is a non-partisan organization. As one of our Observers, you must be impartial and not active in election campaigns relevant to the body covered. Writing skills are helpful, but the reporting will be cued by a template. Your efforts will require an average of 1 to 4 hours per meeting covered, depending on its length and complexity. The time includes both attending the meeting and writing your report.
What is in it for you, in addition to being more involved with your local League? Well, you will actively support our democracy and meet and work with other LWV members. You will gain experience and more direct knowledge of local government. Who knows where that will take you!
Democracy dies in darkness. The mere presence of an observer improves how governmental entities do their work because they know they are being observed. Making our democracy better – a little bit at least – is as simple as going to meetings and making it clear that you represent a nonpartisan voter information group! Make a difference NOW! Contact Diedre at observers@lwv-bmc.org. - Marion Krefeldt and Diedre Todd | Newsletter Staff
Editor: Ann Birch
Writer: Pat Day-Miller
Proofreader: Kristina Lindborg
Images provided by: Becky Hill, Kristina Lindborg, Library of Congress
Other contributions from leadership, committees, and units | |