| An update for League friends and subscribers. | | | | Indiana’s Primary Election Day is Tuesday, May 5. Early voting takes place at the Showers Building, 501 N. Morton Street:
Weekdays 8:00 am-6:00 pm through Friday May 1
Saturdays 9:00 am-4:00 pm
Monday May 4, 8:00 am-noon
On Election Day, May 5, Monroe County voters vote in the polling location assigned for their precinct. Every voter was sent a postcard with their specific voting locations. Monroe County has 90,403 registered voters. See how many of us have participated in early voting with the county’s daily update. Be sure to get your voting and candidate information on VOTE411. You can also check out our Elections page for FAQs. | | | | Click here to read the LWVUS response to the US Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision in Louisiana v. Callais, a case concerning the constitutionality of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. | | Annual Meeting Welcomes Speaker on Artificial Intelligence | | The LWV-BMC annual meeting is our major assembly for the year. This is your opportunity to meet local League members and hear about all the work we are doing. We will update you on the past year’s events and elect new officers and Leadership Team members. The Nominating Committee has successfully recruited all needed members for the Leadership Team, but nominations will also be accepted from the floor. You do not need to be a League member to attend.
Our speaker will be Dr. Scott Shackelford, professor of business law and ethics at the IU Kelley School of Business. The topic of discussion will be artificial intelligence. As with all our meetings and gatherings, there will be light snacks and drinks. The meeting will take place at St. Thomas Lutheran Church, Heritage Hall, 3800 E. Third St., Bloomington, on Tuesday, May 12, from 6:00-7:30 pm. - Marion Krefeldt, convener | | | | Podcast Features Immigration Discussion | | In April 2026, Civic Conversations welcomed Erin Aquino, Bloomington resettlement director for Exodus Refugee Immigration, to discuss immigration policies. Aquino explained Exodus Refugee's role in welcoming over 500 refugees to Bloomington, outlined constitutional rights of immigrants, described the complex roles of different government branches in immigration policy, and detailed ICE's operations and recent changes. The conversation covered how Indiana's state government has shifted toward more restrictive immigration policies. In addition, Aquino highlighted the economic and cultural contributions of immigrants, noting that refugees and immigrants contribute significantly to Medicaid, Social Security, and local businesses while committing fewer crimes than native-born citizens. You can listen to the podcast at Civic Conversations - Becky Hill and Jim Allison | | | | “Keys to the Candidates” Available as an E-book from MCPL | “Keys to the Candidates” is a print version of most of the information in VOTE411, the League’s online voter guide. “Keys” does not include town and township races or provide candidate contact information.
The Monroe County Public Library has included “Keys” as an e-book available through the Libby app and via the Overdrive web platform. You can find it here. You can also find it on our website here.
"Keys" is intended for voters who have difficulty accessing the online VOTE411 guide. The League provides paper copies to local assisted living facilities and retirement communities. - Ralf Shaw | | Candidates for Indiana’s 9th Congressional District Express Views | The League of Women Voters invited primary candidates for Indiana’s US House District 9 to a virtual forum on April 11. Tim Peck (D) had a schedule conflict, but presented a one-minute statement, as allowed by forum ground rules. Erin Houchin (R) did not respond to the invitation to the forum. Three candidates participated: Jim Graham (D), Brad Meyer (D), and Keil Roark (D). Moderator Sonia Leerkamp, vice-president of the Brown County League of Women Voters, facilitated an open discussion that provided examples of where candidates shared perspectives and where they differed.
Topics covered include healthcare, keeping people safe when ICE is present, affordable housing/homelessness, rural public education, whether impeachment of the president is warranted, regulation of social media for minors, the need for systematic change, why each would be the best candidate, how to work with someone on the opposing side, incarceration/detention camps, and how to repair recent damage to US foreign relations.
Forum hosts were the Leagues of Women Voters of Bloomington-Monroe County, Brown County, and Southern Indiana. Cosponsors were Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. - Kappa Tau Omega Chapter, Indiana University PACE, Monroe County NOW, Monroe County Branch NAACP, South Central Indiana Citizens’ Climate Lobby, and Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Columbus, IN. The CATS recording of the forum is linked from the LWV-BMC Candidate Forums webpage.
Three days later, Concerned Scientists at IU and their student affiliate, Advocates for Scence at IU, presented an in-person forum at the Monroe County Public Library. All four Democrats and Independent candidate Floyd Taylor participated. LWV-BMC was a co-sponsor. Questions focused on federal research funding cuts, healthcare, environmental regulation and climate change, and data centers. - Ralf Shaw | | Vision America 250 - We The People | On April 9, a group of Monroe County residents convened to consider concerns about the political future of the nation and the community. Representative Matt Pierce discussed the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution’s commitment “to form a more perfect union.” He highlighted the need to invest in people so that more people prosper, particularly through effective public education and early childhood education. Brookelyn Lambright, American Studies major at IU, criticized Indiana’s 2025 law to disband degree programs that do not lead to remunerative careers. She urged support for education that encourages critical minds and a well-rounded perspective on social problems. City Council Representative Sidney Zulich encouraged people to engage in community service and consider running for office to make a difference.
The League of Women Voters of Bloomington-Monroe County co-sponsored the meeting, and Marion Krefeldt spoke during brief presentations from community organizations. She described LWV efforts to register and inform voters, as well as candidate forums. CATS recorded the meeting, which can be accessed here. - Ralf Shaw | | March Gathering Hears from Township Trustees |  | At the LWV-BMC gathering on March 10, Efrat Rosser, Bloomington Township trustee, Rita Barrow, Van Buren Township trustee, and Michelle Bright, Benton Township trustee, joined us to share information about how townships operate and the types of services and support that the township offices can provide to residents.
As one might imagine, these three townships function fairly differently, due to size, location, and number of staff. While all townships endeavor to serve their residents who need extra assistance due to life circumstances, they do so in a variety of ways. Townships offer help with rental payment assistance, utility bills, access to food via pantries and food vouchers, cost of medical/dental care, cost of burials and cremations, and transportation for employment or medical purposes. The state legislates townships and sets guidelines but also recognizes that each township has different needs depending upon their population, and that they may need to adopt local guidelines with flexibility to meet the demands of each community. The State Board of Accounts audits township offices and trains new trustees across the state. All townships report to the Department of Local Government and Finance. There are around a thousand townships across Indiana, and eleven in Monroe County.
Bloomington Township (https://www.bloomingtontownship.in.gov/) is the second largest township of the eleven in Monroe County (Perry is the largest), with a trustee (Efrat) and five full-time staff. The township office is located at 924 W 17th St., Suite C, Bloomington, IN 47404
Van Buren Township (https://www.vanburentownship.org/) has a trustee (Rita), a three-person board, and five part-time staff. The township office is located at 352 S Fieldstone Blvd., Bloomington, IN 47403
Benton Township (https://bentontownshiptrustee.org/), a fairly rural area, has a part-time trustee (Michelle) and a three-person township board. The township office is located at 7616 E State Road 45, Unionville, IN 47468
The trustees have multiple responsibilities, including managing township properties, such as community centers; keeping records of township accounts; administering assistance of various forms to residents; care and maintenance of certain cemeteries; keeping accurate and accessible township records; and attending county-wide township meetings.
In order to apply for help from any township, the requestor (which can be a single person or a household) will need to meet the following requirements:
- Be a resident of the township
- Have proper picture identification
- Be at least 18 years of age
- Cooperate with the township’s investigation of their circumstances by providing information (such as financial records and proof of residence) and signing an application
- Apply for any and all other public assistance programs for which they may be eligible
- Seek assistance from their family
Our speakers described details about their day-to-day work, which includes reviewing applications for assistance and meeting with residents seeking help, but also stocking and staffing food pantries, meeting to coordinate partnerships with local organizations, advocating for township needs at the state level, budget creation and reporting, bookings for the community center, and more.
Van Buren Township was able to support the building and maintenance of a new community center of 5000 square feet, which is frequently booked out, and was paid for before use, so no debt for the taxpayers. They also assisted with building the fire station in Stanford.
Benton Township serves about 3500 residents near the Morgan-Monroe State Forest and is primarily able to address emergencies. Because many residents are rural, Michelle frequently needs to call residents and even receives and sends handwritten letters to residents without phone service. The volunteer fire department is now consolidated with another nearby unit.
All of the trustees expressed concerns about how residents would have access to help if some of these resources or township offices are consolidated for budgetary reasons. Many folks who seek out township assistance are coming on their hardest days, and it can be emotionally challenging to make decisions about who gets what support.
All township offices are funded by property taxes, as well as currently by LITs (local income taxes specifically levied to go towards township needs). A very small portion comes from commercial vehicle tax/excise taxes. There is state legislation currently underway to reduce these sources of funding for township offices, but county councils may choose to raise a complementary tax locally. Under Indiana House Bill 1461, 30% of unrestricted LIT collected will be transferred to road funding. Bloomington Township’s funding is currently about 75% property taxes and 25% LIT, so the LIT potentially going away is a significant concern. The county council would then have to make the difficult choice to levy a new local tax, which is typically very unpopular with residents, even though they may appreciate the services these funds can provide. Senate Bill 0270, if it passes, would merge smaller townships in an effort to consolidate resources.
Townships do not officially have responsibility over disaster preparedness or disaster relief, but because they do assist with housing needs, the offices often need to step in after a disaster (like a tornado) to help households who have been displaced. The township offices are often a key partner in connecting and organizing, working with Housing and Neighborhood Development (HAND), the Red Cross, the Chamber of Commerce, and others.
Audience members asked about how people learn that townships/trustees offer this kind of assistance. Various types of outreach were described: visits to schools (and a suggestion that students learn about them in government or economics classes); flyers and materials at community centers, hospitals, grocery stores; and even on social media. They encouraged attendees to help share this information.
The audience also asked how we can support townships, and all three trustees agreed that donations, whether of food or cash, are always needed and welcome. The trustees can work with other organizations, such as Hoosier Hills Food Bank, to purchase food for residents in need at a significant discount. Cash donations can be made as designated gifts if the generous donor would like those funds to go to a particular type of assistance. – Mary Helen Truglia | |
Proofreader: Kristina Lindborg
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