Leaders Update
In this Issue:                                                                    5/18/2017
ConventionConvention 2017

We are sending  Convention 2017 information again.  Please share as you see fit with your 2017 delegates.  Some materials will be updated and will be contained in the final convention packet which will be distributed during registration at the hotel. The materials can be found HERE.

Deadlines:
  • Convention registration: Monday, May 22nd
  • Pre-convention workshops: Thursday, June 1st 
PolicyNewly Approved LWVIL Voter Service Candidate Participation Policy
 
As many of you know, there has been extensive recent discussion on the LWVIL "empty chair" voter service policy.  Concerns were raised by a number of local leagues which proposed some changed language. LWVIL Voter Service Committee headed by Sharon Alter and Irene Pritzker plus the LWVIL Board and local league voter service chairs reviewed the proposed language.  Several items were added so that the policy would include, in one place, clarification of LWVIL policy. 
 
Five drafts later, LWVIL at its May 13, 2017 Board meeting approved the attached policy.  This attachment is the LWVIL policy which each League chapter can adapt for its own use.  
 
After the 2017 LWVIL convention, additional updates to LWVIL voter service materials will be distributed and made available on the LWVIL website.  
LetterConsider sending a Letter to the Editor of your local newspaper on Coal Tar Sealants

LWVIL has supported legislation to ban coal tar sealants for three years. Several local Leagues have or are currently supporting local bans, but this is only an option for those in home rule municipalities at this time. This amended bill is not the bill that we've been hoping for, but it will afford a choice to all Illinois communities.
 
Coal tar pavement seal-coatings contain high levels of PAHs. PAHs are known carcinogens, cause birth defects and are toxic to aquatic life. Direct (skin) contact, inhalation of fumes from, and ingestion of the dust of these sealants endanger public health and the environment.
 
Over time, the sealant flakes off as dust which enters nearby homes, schools, and community facilities, increasing children's exposure to PAHs. Children with elevated levels of PAHs face increased risk of health problems, including a much higher risk of cancer throughout their lives.  Those who experience fetal exposure (i.e., born to women with elevated levels of PAHs while pregnant) are more likely to be diagnosed with learning problems like Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

The sealant dust is also washed into nearby waters including Lake Michigan by stormwater runoff and collects in the sediment of streams and lakes. PAHs are toxic to aquatic organisms at the bottom of the food chain, disrupting the entire ecosystems.
 
Pavement seal-coatings that contain much lower levels of PAHs are readily available, at comparable or even reduced cost.
 
Templates of a letter we encourage you to send on behalf of yourself or your local league are included here in both Word and pdf  formats. 
OfficersOfficer Updates
As a result of annual meeting season, many local leagues had held their yearly officer elections. Please forward a list of your current officers and/or executive board members (including the roster manager) to rhborrino@lwvil.org
 League of Women Voters of Illinois 
332 South Michigan Avenue, Suite 634| Chicago, Illinois 60604 
Phone:  312-939-5935 | Fax:  312-939-6887 |  info@lwvil.org