E-NEWS
Bonnie Cox, LWVIL President
FromFrom the President: 

Dear LWVIL members:

As I write this, I'm in the car enroute to Springfield for LWVIL Lobby Day. If all goes as planned, I will be "your voice" during a press conference in the morning and a Senate hearing in the afternoon in support of getting a Redistricting  Amendment on the ballot this fall. 
 
Our Issues/Advocacy  Committee and its Issues Specialists have Lobby Day packets of info ready to go for LWV members from around the state on other issues, too:  the Fair Tax Amendment, the ERA,  the Gun Dealers' Licensing Bill and more.  We're ready to make our voices heard and grateful to those who dedicate themselves to ensuring those voices are well informed. 
 
Be sure to do your part and respond to the Times for Action whenever you can. 
 
At the April LWVIL Board meeting, we were pleased to welcome three newly appointed board members:  Jenny Grochowski, Sue Khalaieff, and Amy Knutson-Strack.  Each comes to the board with a wealth of talent, skills, and experience.   We're very pleased to introduce each of them to you.  Read their bios below.  
 
Earlier this monrth, I had the pleasure of participating in a great "Drinks and Dialogue" event with members of the LWVs of Homewood/Flossmoor and Park Forest.  Next week, Jean Pierce,  LWVIL Membership/Leadiership Co chair, and I are looking forward to our swing downstate. We'll be visiting with several local LWVs and  some folks interested in starting some new LWVs, too!   If your LWV would like me or a member of our board to visit your LWV, please call or email us.   We'll do our best to get a visit scheduled

Yours in League, 

Bonnie Cox

P.S. It was an honor to represent the LWVIL at the Press Conference (view the video below!) and IL Senate Hearing on the Fair Map Constitutional Amendment during the LWVIL Lobby Day.  Thank you's go Heather Cunningham and Hilary Denk, our Advocacy/Issues Committee Co-Chairs,  and Executive Director Krista Grimm who did a wonderful job of organizing the day.  A very personal thank you on my part goes to Paula Lawson and Jane Ballengee,  the "go to" people with the coalition working on redistricting who guided me through the whole process.  Finally, but not least, thank you to each and everyone of the LWV members from around the state who participated in Lobby Day yesterday.  I especially appreciated the moral support that came from them being there at the Press Conference and the Hearing.   I am already looking forward to LWVIL Lobby Day next year!  
LobbyLobby Day Highlights
Fair Maps
State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Deerfield) is pictured here presenting her proposal to reform Illinois' redistricting process to a Senate subcommittee in Springfield. Earlier in the day, Morrison joined with her colleagues and reform advocates, including LWVIL President Bonnie Cox (to the Senator's right in the photo) at a press conference to discuss the importance of changing the way Illinois draws district boundary lines. 

Here are links to the two parts of the press conference. (Note that Bonnie is the first speaker in the second video):
 


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkWDeJVyVfk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76pDpPvAwOA
WelcomeWelcoming 3 New Board Members
We recently had to say good-bye and thank you to Meg Murray as she moved out of state to take on a new job opportunity.  Our search for one replacement ultimately led to filling three spots on the board!  We are pleased to welcome, Jenny Grochowski, LWV Chicago; Sue Khalaieff, LWV Downers Grove/Woodridge/Lisle and Amy Knutson Strack, LWV  Lake Forest-Lake Bluff. Jenny, Sue and Amy will all work with Communications. Click on their names below for biographical info.  
VoterVoter Service 
Sharon Alter/Jan Dorner, co-chairs

Moderator Training  Workshop: 
Saturday, June 9
LWVIL is scheduling a Northwest suburban moderator training workshop for both new and seasoned moderators.

Jan Dorner, LWVIL Voter Service Co-Chair and seasoned trainer, will conduct this Saturday, June 9 workshop from 9:30 am to 1:00 pm at the Mount Prospect Public Library, 10 South Emerson Street, Mt. Prospect, IL.

Friday, June 1 is the deadline to register.  To register, please send your (1) name, (2) name of your league, (3) your email address, and (4) phone number to voterservice@lwvil.org.  An email confirmation of your registration will be sent.

While space is limited, there must be a minimum of 10 Leaguers registered for the workshop.

Voter Guide Feedback Recap
LWVILEF's online voter guide for the primary election on March 20, 2018, was visited by over 24,000 voters statewide who wanted to be informed.  For those of you who want further details,  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZZrr0_mP0gdQsq37-dO6T9ueLs57nhlrftTQIy4rYhY/edit

  We've already met with BallotReady looking to future elections. They are working on some re-designs and we will be involved in reviewing them.     

Do you have an idea of a name for our voter guide that is custom designed for us?  Let us know! Send your ideas to voterservice@lwvil.org.
LWVUS LWVUS Convention 
Volunteer Registration is Open
Here's your chance to sign up to volunteer to work at the LWVUS Convention, to be held June 28-July 1 in Chicago. We need lots of volunteers, and it's an interesting and exciting way to be able to participate in the convention! You'll have a chance to attend the plenary session on the day you volunteer and there will be an opportunity for volunteers to purchase discounted Second City fundraiser tickets at the hotel.
 
Some of you have asked whether it's possible to be both a delegate and a volunteer. It is, but just make sure you don't sign up for a shift during any of your four plenary sessions.
 
It's easy to sign up! Just click here and follow the directions. We will be in touch with all volunteers as the convention nears.  

The Best of Second City! Fundraiser to benefit LWVIL and LWV Chicago
Enjoy an evening of laughter and benefit LWVIL and LWV Chicago at the same time. As host city and state, we are presenting famed Second City comedy in a special performance. A portion of proceeds will benefit the host Leagues. 

Mark your calendar for Friday, June 29, right on site of the convention at the Chicago Hilton Hotel Grand Ballroom, 7:30 - 8:30 p.m. Order tickets for yourself and friends today!

You do not need to be registered for the Convention to participate!

Note: $52 ticket price plus fees has a pre-convention purchase deadline of June 25. After that June 25 deadline, tickets may only be purchased onsite, at the Convention ticket price of $58 plus fees.
HistoryHistory of the League
This is the third in our series. See all of these articles on our website: http://www.lwvil.org/history-of-the-league.html

Who was Carrie Chapman Catt?
 
Carrie Chapman Catt was a teacher and eventually Superintendent of Schools in Iowa. In the 1880s she got involved in the women's suffrage movement in Iowa.
 
At the 1890 Convention of the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA), Catt attended as an Iowa delegate. With her vibrant voice and forceful ideas, she was recruited as an organizer for a forthcoming suffrage referendum campaign. Catt quickly rose to prominence, providing a "molding influence" over the suffrage movement. From 1890-1895 Catt received a demanding education in the politics of woman suffrage. READ MORE.
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League of Women Voters of Illinois 
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