The pandemic put a damper on our League getting together for in-person events. But now it's time to break out and meet and greet fellow League members! And how about inviting a prospective member to join us? On Saturday, February 11, from 11:00am–1:00pm, we will meet at Brookdale Senior Living, 1111 Ontario Street, Oak Park, for an in-person meet and greet. Enjoy lunch, say hello to old and new friends, learn about volunteer opportunities with the League, and enjoy the skyline view from the 13th floor dining room. We do need you to RSVP so we have sufficient food ordered. You are encouraged to invite prospective members, just please share their information with us. Members who bring someone new will be entered into a raffle for a prize! RSVP your attendance to our League email now.

The April 4 Municipal Election Races are set. If you haven't checked out our website calendar for the dates of our candidate forums yet, here's a quick list. Additionally, our website calendar lists forums sponsored by other organizations.

February 23 - Oak Park Village Trustees

February 27 - River Forest School District 90

March 2 - Oak Park-River Forest H.S.

March 6 - Forest Park Mayor and Commissioners

March 9 - Oak Park Library Board

We need your probing, insightful questions so we can decide which of these candidates deserve our votes. Send questions to our email address. Please tell us to which race the question is directed.

Please share our forum information with other organizations, houses of worship, and your friends and neighbors.

Our Observer Corps is slowly coming back. Amber Elmer is doing a great job reporting on a few of the local Board meetings (the Oak Park Village Board is the latest), but she needs help! Remember, one of the core missions of the League is to make sure government is transparent. Observing local Boards as they make decisions with your tax dollars is one way to ensure transparency. Your commitment often can be done from the comfort of your home since many boards still stream their meetings or record them to be viewed later. We then post the Observer Reports on our website. Contact Amber to find out more.

The annual LWV IL Issues Briefing is scheduled for Saturday, February 18, beginning at 8:45am and with the last session convening at 2:00pm. Cost for this virtual event will be $30. Check out the schedule and session details here.

As part of our ongoing commitment to sustainability, the LWV OPRF Environment Committee is proud to be a sponsor of The One Earth Film Festival. The schedule for upcoming films is now online. Tickets can be purchased starting Friday, February 3, at oneearthfilmfest.org. Virtual and in-person screenings are available. Please support this initiative; tickets are very reasonable.

The League of Women Voters has long supported the direct election of the President of the United States and the National Popular Vote as one way to achieve it. In fact, at the LWV US National Convention in June, 2022, the direct election of the president, including both National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (the more immediate pathway) and the abolishment of the electoral college by Constitutional Amendment (the moon-shot pathway) were made an explicit part of the Campaign for Making Democracy Work!!!

The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC) is a state-by-state agreement that assures that the nationwide winner of the presidential election becomes president. Happily, Illinois has passed the NPVIC, but additional states must pass the law to implement it. Several states have a probability of passage in their current legislative session, including our Midwest neighbors of Minnesota and Michigan. We can help get NPVIC passed in these states!

We are putting together a list of our league members (or others in IL who would like to participate) who are willing to help make phone calls or texts into the states considering the bill. We expect the bills in MN and MI to move rather swiftly, so please volunteer in this important effort. No fears-your personal phone numbers will not be disclosed. 

To volunteer or get more information about the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, contact Barb Paterick.

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