| An update for League friends and subscribers. | | | LWVUS was founded on February 14, 1920, six months before ratification of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. Their purpose 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 concerned with the nation’s needs and to training and informing all voters. Take a look at our history pages for our past work, but, better yet, take a look at the LWV-BMC, LWVIN, and LWVUS websites to see what's happening today. If you're already a member and are ready to volunteer, contact Nancy Riggert at membership@lwv-bmc.org. If you're not a member and would like to join, go to https://lwv-bmc.org and click Join at the upper right. Click here for the latest League news.
| | 1920 League of Women Voters Board of Directors. Top row: left to right: Miss Katherine Ludington, director 1st region; Mrs. Richard Edwards, treasurer; Miss Della Dorth, director 3rd region; Mrs. George Gellhorn, vice chairman and director 6th region; Mrs. James Paige, director 5th region; Mrs. Solon Jacobs, secretary. Lower row: left to right: Mrs. Maud Wood Park, president 1920-24; Mrs. Grace Wilbur Trout, chair hostess committee; Mrs. Carrie Chapman Catt, honorary chair. | | 2026 League of Women Voters Board of Directors | | Attend Hoosiers Vote Summit on February 28 | Indiana has one of the lowest voter turnout rates in the country. But we also have incredible advocates across the state who are ready to change that. Let’s work together. Save Saturday, February 28, for the 2026 Hoosiers Vote Summit in Indianapolis. Register here. The event is open to the public and is free. Statewide strategies on the following will be covered:
- Scaling up current great work
- Replicating successes
- Overcoming challenges
- Protecting voters in Indiana
Sponsors include LWV of Indiana, ACLU IN, Common Cause, Indiana Voices, All IN for Democracy, and Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights. Whether you’re leading an organization or volunteering on the ground, show up ready to swap tactics, build partnerships, and boost turnout, together.
Turning Boots on the Ground into People at the Polls
| | January 10 Legislative Update: Short Legislative Session Reconvenes | Senator Shelli Yoder and Representative Matt Pierce participated in the League’s Legislative Update on January 10. Sonia (Sunny) Leerkamp, Vice-President, League of Women Voters Brown County, moderated and some 46 constituents attended. Note: To look up a bill mentioned in the discussion below, go to https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2026/bills.
In opening remarks, Senator Yoder noted Democrats’ priorities on childcare, housing, health care, and utility rates. She worked with the DNR on SB 67 Studies relating to natural lands to study the impact of natural lands on public health and how to mitigate and recover from natural disasters affecting public lands. She flagged several bills of concern: SB 1 Human services matters attempts to limit Medicaid and SNAP benefits, SB 11 Firing squad allowing execution by firing squad, SB 12 Prohibition of ranked choice voting, SB 73 Masks at public assemblies criminalizing mask wearing at public assemblies, SB 138 School chaplains, SB 145 Law enforcement services in Indianapolis downtown allowing state policing in Indianapolis, and SB 236 Abortion inducing drugs and abortion reports.
Representative Pierce noted that the short session will move rapidly because it started in December. He highlighted important 2026 Session Legislative Deadlines. We will know on January 30 which bills will pass over to the other chamber. He pointed out that HB 1343 Military and veteran matters would allow creation of a military police force within the Indiana National Guard. House Republicans are emphasizing affordability with bills to cut local regulations on housing construction, reduce utility costs, and cut redundant boards and commissions. Democrats will seek increased support for healthcare, excluding medical debts from credit reports, and childcare tax credits.
The legislators and constituents discussed:
- SB 78 Wireless communication device policy and HB 1034 Student cellular telephone use
- SB 91 Syringe exchange program extension extends the expiration of the syringe exchange program to 7/1/2036. IGA publication
- SB 110 Indiana University board of trustees Restore three board seats to be elected by IU alumni.
- SB 117 Sales tax exemption for menstrual discharge collection devices
- SB 122 Various immigration matters enforcing immigration laws.
- HJR 2 County officers beginning constitutional amendment to appoint rather than elect county auditor, recorder, treasurer, coroner, and surveyor.
- How does the minority party of Democrats work to pass legislation in a majority Republican-controlled legislature?
- Redistricting - the Senate voted down S 4 in December and the issue cannot be brought up again in this session. Meaningful reform will require persistent advocacy, similar to the women’s suffrage movement.
- USPS change in when postmark is applied to mail will have little impact in Indiana because state law specifies counting absentee ballots based on when they are received, not postmarked.
- What is a vehicle bill? These serve as placeholders for future legislation
Legislative Updates are co-sponsored by the Leagues of Women Voters of Bloomington-Monroe County, Brown County, and Johnson County, the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce, Limestone Post Magazine, NAACP Monroe County Branch, and Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Columbus, IN.
The LWV-BMC website has links <http://lwv-bmc.org/legis-updates> to CATS recordings and registration for future updates. - Ralf Shaw | | Save the Dates for 2025 League Gatherings | We've set the dates for this year's League gatherings: March 10, May 12 (also the annual meeting), September 8, and December 8. 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. Mark your calendars and we'll have more information on the March gathering in the next newsletter. - Nancy Riggert | | League Day at the Statehouse | | l-r: Sen. Koch, Bob Andrews, Kathy Andrews, Becky Brass | Becky Brass and Ralf Shaw represented our League in meetings with legislators on January 28. They were able to meet with Representative Peggy Welch and Senators Ed Koch and Shelli Yoder. Discussion topics included:
- The potential to use Indiana National Guard as military police - HB1323
- Various bills on the costs and environmental implications of data centers
- Plug-in solar power - SB74, HB1084
- Cell phones in schools - HB1034
- Increasing costs of Medicaid - SB1
- Study of how public lands improve health outcomes - SB67
SB 67 is authored by Sen. Yoder and sponsored by Rep. Dave Hall. It also addresses ways to mitigate and recover from natural disasters affecting public lands. LWV-BMC member Kristina Lindborg attended League Day in her position on the state League’s natural resources group. She noted that almost all environment support bills failed to pass out of the house of origin. League support could help SB67 pass the house.
With Sen. Yoder, Becky and Ralf discussed ways to increase interactivity in Zoomed legislative updates. - Becky Brass, Ralf Shaw | | Emerald Ash Borer Assessment Begins | The grant application to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Community and Urban Forestry (CUF) program endorsed in October by the LWV-BMC Leadership Team was recently awarded to the City of Bloomington's Urban Forestry program. The grant includes funds totaling $50,000 matched 1:1.3 (50K grant, 67K city funds, through 2026 and 2027) to help maintain the city's healthy ash trees, to remove the dead and dying ones affected by emerald ash borer (EAB), and to replace the latter in parks and on streets with appropriate native trees.
| | | The first phase of ash tree health assessment is already under way. Over 500 ash trees will be examined and assigned a 1-10 overall health rating, which will be used to build out a longer-term plan.
If you have questions about the grant or even tree-related questions, please contact Haskell Smith, City of Bloomington urban forester, smithh@bloomington.in.gov. - George Hegeman
Photo courtesy Colorado State Forest Service. | | February is Black History Month | | February is home to Black History Month, a time to reflect and celebrate Black history, as well as uplift the contributions of Black activists who continue to power our democracy. Here are some resources:
| | | | See LWVIN Advocates List of Bills | | LWVIN Advocates have followed hundreds of bills, committee assignments, and committee meetings since the Legislature reconvened on January 5, 2026. Click here for their reports. They will continue to update the bills they are following and to create new Letter Campaigns throughout the session. | | NAACP Program Rescheduled for February 15 | The NAACP program, "Beyond Brown: Building Forward When Progress Is Rolled Back," has been rescheduled for Sunday, February 15, 3:30-5:30 pm, Monroe County Public Library, Rooms 1B/1C. This is a community gathering to revive the spirit and purpose of Freedom Schools and reclaim the unfinished promise of Brown v. Board of Education. Click here for more information. | |
Proofreader: Kristina Lindborg
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