| An update for League friends and subscribers. | | | | Mark Calendar for League Gathering, December 9 | Be sure to come to the next League Gathering on Tuesday, December 9, 6:00-7:30 pm. You don't need to be a member to attend. If you're interested in the League and would like to know more about what we're doing, please come! For new members, this is a good chance to get to know other members and get caught up with League activities. Our featured speaker will be Julia Vaughn, executive director of Common Cause Indiana. Julia will discuss the topic of redistricting in Indiana. There will be refreshments and lots of good conversation.
The event is at St. Thomas Lutheran Church, 3800 E. Third St., Bloomington. Please bring a selection of canned goods for donation to the Hoosier Hills Food Bank and the Community Kitchen. Questions? Contact membership@lwv-bmc.org. - Nancy Riggert | | 2026 Legislative Session Begins – Join Us for Monthly Updates | | The 2026 legislative “short session” began early, on December 1. The session will likely conclude by the end of February. Our League and those for Johnson and Brown (also serving Bartholomew) counties have invited legislators representing all four counties at the Statehouse to report on and discuss activities each month. Our Legislative Updates will be via Zoom on three Saturdays. Because of the December meetings on redistricting, the updates cannot yet be scheduled, but when the dates are known, they will be added to the update webpage at https://lwv-bmc.org/legis-update. - Ralf Shaw | | LWV-BMC Leadership States Concerns for Election Budget | In a recent letter submitted to the editor of the Bloomington Herald-Times, Debora Shaw, LWV-BMC spokesperson, stated:
"In Monroe County, we are accustomed to smooth running of elections; when problems do occur (such as the mid-term election ballot shortage in 2018), we lobby those in power to assure that the problems are not repeated. Interest in the 2026 mid-term election rivals what we saw in 2018. However, the county looks likely to appropriate significantly less funding than our election supervisor estimates is needed to pay for next year’s primary and general elections.
Safe elections with reliable results cost money. The smooth running of both early voting and Election Day polling across the county is a hefty logistics lift: from testing and securing poll books and voting machines, to training poll workers, to compiling election results promptly and accurately. Consider, as well, the work to prepare, mail, and count absentee ballots for voters who cannot reach polling sites. The League of Women Voters of Bloomington-Monroe County is concerned these tasks cannot be performed in a timely and dependable manner if sufficient funding is not provided.
We strongly urge citizens to let our County Council and Commissioners know that we need, and should pay for, elections on which we can rely." | | Pre-Session Town Hall: Preparing for 2026 State Legislative Session | Senator Shelli Yoder and Representative Matt Pierce participated in the League’s town hall meeting on Saturday November 15. Sonia Leerkamp from the Brown County League of Women Voters moderated and some 39 constituents attended.
The meeting began with a poll of participants’ priorities among nine issues in the news. Top ranked were healthcare, voting/election security, affordable housing, and environment/natural resources.
Both Rep. Pierce and Sen. Yoder noted that the proposed mid-decade redistricting has consumed a lot of attention. Organization Day on November 18 marks the start of the session. Local government budget reductions following SEA1 will be a major topic. Rep. Pierce doubted that funding would come from the budget surplus, but anticipated other relief efforts during the 2026 short session. He described Republicans’ message as “try to help yourself,” while Democrats are “the nuance people” who explain the implications of proposals. Sen. Yoder observed that budget limitations may force the legislature to choose between health and child care.
Participants raised several areas for interest and concern:
• efforts to limit voting rights
• fair redistricting
• women’s health
• decreasing college-going by Hoosier high school graduates
• difficulty of passing bills to protect the environment
• attempts to criminalize being unhoused
• SEA 1's impact on local governments
• environmental impact of data centers.
When asked about Democrats’ priorities for this term, Rep. Pierce listed “affordability” issues of child care, housing, and energy. Sen. Yoder concurred and also added voting. Both expressed again how much these discussions would be improved if more of the 16 legislators representing our four counties participated. They asked participants to contact their legislators and encourage them to attend.
Find up-to-date information on the legislature at https://iga.in.gov.
This town hall was co-sponsored by the Leagues of Women Voters of Bloomington-Monroe County, Brown County, and Johnson County, the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce, and the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Columbus, Indiana.
Updates with legislators during the 2026 session will be via Zoom. Because of the special legislative session this month, dates are undecided. They will be posted on the LWV-BMC website. You can register for them and see the CATS recordings of previous updates here. - Ralf Shaw | | LWV-BMC Remembers Charlotte Zietlow | Charlotte Zietlow, a public servant with over 50 years of political activism and work in Monroe County, died in early November. She was 91 years old. See articles in the Indiana Daily Student, WHFB (online), and Indiana Public Media to read about Charlotte's life and work.
Although never a member of the League, Charlotte was definitely a cherished friend of League members. Kathy Dilcher, a League member for 58 years, remembers her fondly. "When Charlotte was on the Bloomington City Council, she needlepointed a pillow during meetings featuring an owl with the letters LWV across its chest, which she presented to the League," said Kathy. "Later, when I introduced her as a speaker at an LWVIN state convention at the Indiana Memorial Union, I displayed it." Although the pillow is lost to history, the memories remain.
From Liz Feitl, a member of the League for 44 years: "I got to know Charlotte with her PCB and her Save the Courthouse efforts. She and I were fellow Bloomington Rotary Club members for about 20 years (including the subsidiary book club). Charlotte was one of the first two women Rotary Club members here locally. I gave Charlotte many rides home from the book club meetings and our conversations were always thoughtful and Charlotte always wanted to know what she could do to help a particular situation she cared about. I treasure the personal messages she left for me in the two books she wrote. Charlotte always supported my efforts in the community all the way from union organizing to United Way. I remember and will cherish the friendship we had. One person can have a lot of impact in a community." - Ann Birch | | League Members: Mark Your Calendar for League Day | | All League members are invited to League Day at the Statehouse, Wednesday, January 28, 10 am - 2 pm. The event is a chance to meet with legislators and to learn about critical issues from experts and other Leagues. Registration information will be given in the January newsletter, but you can contact Ralf Shaw (league@lwv-bmc.org) if you’d like to share rides or if you have questions. - Ralf Shaw | | ACLU Hosting "Organizing to Protect Democracy" | The stakes for defending our rights and communities are real and immediate in Indiana, and this moment calls for strategy and collective power. Join the ACLU of Indiana for a day of popular education and hands-on training designed to ignite your activism. We'll share the tools needed to organize, mobilize, and lead in this critical moment. Topics include:
- Defining authoritarianism in clear, accessible terms and examining how it takes hold in society.
- The history and proven power of mass nonviolent resistance, including the 3.5 percent principle.
- Concrete strategies for collective resistance and democratic defense in our communities.
This event is open to anyone ready to protect civil liberties in Indiana: students, advocates, community leaders and members alike.
Popular Education Summit: Organizing to Protect Democracy
Saturday, December 6, 9:00 am – 4:30 pm ET
Bloomington, IN
Venue to be confirmed for registered participants
Free (including breakfast and lunch)
Register Today! Capacity is limited; please save your spot today.
Please note: This link will take you to a third-party website, ngpvan.com. | | Local NAACP Condemns State of Indiana Actions at IU | | In a letter prepared by the Monroe County Branch of the NAACP, the organization "strongly condemns the recent takeover of the Indiana University Board of Trustees by Governor Mike Braun and the systematic dismantling of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts across the university. These actions are not only politically motivated they are dangerous, regressive, and deeply harmful to communities of color." Click here to read the entire letter. | Contacts, Events, and News Sources
| | Many citizens feel they have no say in their government. We can't have a say if we don't say anything. Contact your elected officials when you have something to say. Go to https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials to find the people who represent you in federal, state, and local governments. Contact them not only to urge action but also to show appreciation. | | Public Meetings and Events
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Proofreader: Kristina Lindborg
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