A Note From the President, February 2022
At the beginning of February, our Voter Service team kicked it up to a new level with four Voter Service Roundtables. In the space of 6 days, more than 100 local League presidents and voter service team members met to go over LWVIL’s new Get Out The Vote Idea Guide and brainstorm about ways to grow civic engagement and voter activation across our state. The energy, enthusiasm and creativity on display was IMPRESSIVE. You could feel the lift in the zoom room as the power of collaboration generated new ideas, approaches, and connections. As one League, we start the drive to the June 28th primary with renewed energized commitment. 

Our collaboration was on full display again on Monday–as Leaguers blanketed the state with our valentine and birthday graphics and posted hundreds of valentine thank you notes on Senator Durbin's and Senator Duckworth’s contact pages. 

I look forward to seeing our combined power to share information during Issues Briefing 2022 in two weeks. As always, Issues Briefing will generate energy, provide connections, and demonstrate the power of education to motivate folks right to the ballot box. 

An informed public is an activated public, and activated people make sure they get to the ballot box. Informed people understand the importance of voting for what matters most to them. Help keep all voters informed - start by encouraging your non-League friends and networks to attend Issues Briefing. We have a lot to share! 
President
League of Women Voters of Illinois
Once again Issues Briefing will be conducted remotely via zoom. This annual event sponsored by LWVIL invites outstanding speakers to inform members and non-members alike about current issues and about legislation being considered in the General Assembly. The event includes 12 sessions spaced over a week beginning March 5. There is one registration fee ($25) which covers entrance to any and all sessions. Scholarships are available. 

This year Issues Briefing will open at 9 am on Saturday, March 5 with three plenaries:
  • How to Make Your Voice Heard
  • How to Combat Election Misinformation
  • Making Plans to Anticipate and Minimize Disruptions at Public Events

Specific issues and legislation will be addressed Monday, March 7 through Friday, March 11, with separate sessions at noon and at 5:30. These sessions will address
  • Illinois Voter Guide
  • Culturally Relevant Instruction
  • Barriers faced by People with Arrest or Criminal Records 
  • Regulating the Disposal of Spent Nuclear Waste
  • Ranked Choice Voting in Illinois
  • Mental Health – Using 988 for Crisis Calls
  • Immigration
  • Electoral College
  • Gun Violence Prevention  
UPDATES FROM VOTER SERVICE
TOMORROW! Still time to register!
Moderator Training
Thursday, February 17, 7:00–8:00 pm
Well-moderated candidate forums are a League hallmark thanks to well-trained moderators! Constituents and candidates rely on the professionalism and neutrality of our LWV trained moderators. Learn how to facilitate a fair, informative, respectful, and inclusive forum.

Registration required. Members only. Registration closes 12 hours prior to the event. The event link will be sent a day in advance and one hour before the event.
Materials Available to Kick Off Election Season
With a mission to empower voters, every Leaguer is part of the voter service team during election season. You don’t have to help organize a candidate forum or be a deputy registrar to be involved in get out the vote efforts.

We can all help voters find out how to register, who is on their ballot, and where and when to vote. Sometimes, it is as easy as pointing them to the Illinois Voter Guide.

Want to do more? The LWVIL Voter Service team has put together a Get Out the Vote Idea Guide and accompanying toolbox that were presented at Voter Service roundtables last month. These valuable resources are now posted on the LWVIL website’s member resources page. All members are encouraged to take a look and contact their local League voter service team to find out how to best join in.  

As a League, we are all Team Get Out the Vote! 
UPDATES FROM ISSUES & ADVOCACY
Housing Access in Illinois: What Will it Take?
Thursday, March 3, 7:00–8:30 pm
LWVIL joins co-sponsors from around the state to present this virtual town hall. Panelists will explore the challenges faced by those looking for access to affordable housing: confronting racial discrimination, building housing permanence, and the impact of homelessness. Learn how you can help advocate for new laws that strengthen and enforce tenants' rights and civil rights. 

Panelists:
Micaela Alvarez, Chicago Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights 
Bishop Tavis Grant, National Field Director, Rainbow PUSH Coalition
Nancy Heil, Collaborative on Child Homelessness-Illinois
Jane Ramsey, Founder, Just Ventures, University of Chicago
Mike Rohrbeck, Executive Director, Voice of the People 
Illinois State Senator Ram Villivalam 
Coming Soon!
Materials for Legislative Interviews and Lobbying
Leagues will be notified as soon as legislative interview materials are available. LWVIL is not holding a Lobby Day this year, due to the shortened Illinois General Assembly term. This year's term adjourns on April 8, in order to accommodate the general primary election. The primary is being held on June 28th to accommodate delays in redistricting caused by delayed census counts related to Covid-19.

Local Leagues are encouraged to meet with their legislators:
  • To ask what they think about certain issues using legilsative interview questions provided by LWVIL and/or
  • To lobby for certain bills using information provided by LWVIL
LWVIL Event Calendar
Check out the event calendar on the LWVIL website and connect with other local Leagues. Find a variety of zoom opportunities, from issues education to virtual candidate forums. Go to the event calendar for information on how to submit your League's educational events for posting.
Go to the LWVIL event calendar to register for these upcoming opportunities:
Erie Family Health Centers: Health Equity and Access
Thursday, February 17, 7:00–8:30 pm
Liz Feldman, recently retired Medical Director, and Robin Varnado, Operations Director at Erie Health Center discuss the vital role that Erie plays in providing access to health care for underserved individuals and families. Erie's 13 health centers in the Chicago area serve more than 82,000 patients a year. Health equity is a vital concern in the US: 44 million adults have no health insurance and an additional 38 million lack adequate health coverage (National Center for Health Statistics, 2020). (LWV of Evanston)
Who Represents Me Now? Illinois Redistricting and You
Sunday, February 20, 2:00–3:00 pm
Madeleine Doubek, Executive Director of CHANGE IL and Paula Lawson, LWVIL Issue Specialist on redistricting will speak to the impact of the newly drawn district lines. During this informative virtual event, Doubek and Lawson will walk attendees through the district remaps for Winnebago and Boone Counties, discuss how maps are drawn, and explain what it will mean to lose a Congressional seat. (LWV of Greater Rockford)
Black Television Comedy: From Buelah to Blackish
Tuesday, February 22, 7:00–8:30 pm
Assistant Professor Adrien Sebro from the University of Texas at Austin examines the history of Black representation in television sitcoms and explains how shows like Amos 'n' Andy, Sanford & Son, Good Times, The Jeffersons, Martin, and Living Single have addressed social issues. Assistant Professor Sebro's specializes in critical media studies at the intersections of television, film, comedy, gender, and African Diaspora studies. (LWV of Glenview-Glencoe, RAIN (Racial Awareness in the North Shore), and the Northbrook Public Library)
Thank you for supporting our work to defend democracy and empower voters.