Warmest Congratulations to
Betty Lee Ongley on her 100th birthday!

Betty Lee Ongley, lifetime League member and an active member of the LWVKA Book Group, has served the community in many ways over the past century, notably as Mayor of Portage at a time when women mayors were almost unheard of in this state. School guidance counsellor, library board member, city council member, supporter of many initiatives in literacy, education and the environment, we celebrate this milestone with a woman who has given much to our community.

(See the MLIVE article to learn more about this remarkable woman.)

Founders’ Day
Celebration Brunch

Saturday, February 21

Mark your calendar and join us for our Founders’ Day Celebration Brunch, February 21, 10am-Noon, Portage Zhang Senior Center! Invite your colleagues, friends, and/or family members who may be interested in the League. 

Susan Rosas, CEO of the YWCA Kalamazoo, will speak about how equity, inclusion, and collaboration strengthen our democracy.

Brunch will be provided by Off the Cuff Catering.



This is our annual recruitment effort. Please consider who you can invite/bring as a guest to the Founders’ Day Celebration; who in your circle of friends and/or acquaintances might like to know more about the League? You are more than welcome to invite multiple individuals.

Registration is required. Please email your RSVP by February 13 to mariamarkucki1@gmail.com, provide your guest(s) name and email address and pay ($35 for members, guests are complementary) via the LWVKA website or by mailing a check to LWVKA: P.O. Box 2106, Kalamazoo, MI 49003. We look forward to seeing you there!

Voter Services Update

Aimée Bedard

January was a busy month as potential partners and schools have already started reaching out to the League concerning voter education and registration opportunities. We are very excited to see this high level of interest and understanding that voting is very important.

The League is always excited to start the year talking to prospective voters at Kalamazoo Valley Community College’s Big Chill Event held at both the downtown Kalamazoo and Texas Township campuses. We handed out information for the upcoming August Primary Election and the November General Election. Thank you to members Ann Wright-Parsons and Sarah Erdmann for volunteering and connecting with voters. 

We are in the process of developing our Spring Voter Education and Registration Calendar for connecting with High School Students. We plan to partner with Delta Sigma Theta Sorority on some of these activities. We have started to discuss plans with Comstock Township, Portage High Schools and Kalamazoo College and our to-do list includes connecting with Kalamazoo and Gull Lake High Schools and Western Michigan University. Please talk to Aimee at Founders Day if you are interested in volunteering. 

Let Voters Vote!

Denise Hartsough, VP for Program & Advocacy

LWVMI hosted a panel on the needless harm that a proposed Documentary Proof of Citizenship (DPOC) addition to our state constitution would cause. You can watch the recording on YouTube.

Topics included the security and integrity of voting, unnecessary red tape of documentary proof of citizenship, potential impact on Michigan voters and impact in other states with such a requirement.  

Panelists were Chris Thomas, former Michigan Director of Elections; Melanie Macey, Policy and Government Affairs Director at Promote the Vote; and Valencia Richardson, Voting Rights attorney at the Campaign Legal Center.

Caution your friends and family! Many people sign the DPOC petition without realizing that we already affirm our citizenship and do not need barriers to voting. Showing a birth certificate alone would not suffice for the 80% of married women who have changed their name.  

This is What Local Advocacy Looks Like!

The Calhoun County Unit is using the LWVKA process for local advocacy! This starts with submission of a Support/Oppose form requesting approval by the LWVKA Board for support of, or opposition to, a local governmental situation. The form asks what League position justifies the requested action.

In this case, the Calhoun County Unit requested and received approval from the LWVKA Board that the Unit sign on to a letter from non-partisan organizations to the Calhoun County Sheriff and Undersheriff. The letter asks what the Sheriff’s Office will do to protect residents from rights violations by ICE agents. The relevant League position is the one on Immigration in the LWVUS’ Impact on Issues, 2024-26. 

If you would like to request that LWVKA support or oppose a local governmental situation or decision, please fill out the LWVKA Support/Oppose form and email it to denise.hartsough@gmail.com. 

— Denise Hartsough, VP for Program & Advocacy

Paid & Volunteer Help Wanted!

• LWVMI seeks a Project Manager to coordinate the Board of Canvassers Observation Program for the 2026 election cycle, building on the successful model used since 2022.

The Project Manager coordinates all aspects of the program: training, materials, scheduling, communication with local clerks, communication with League leads and volunteers, data collection, shift report monitoring, and final reporting.

The Project Manager will also serve as liaison with the VOTE411 Director and the printer to edit/finalize the print Voter Guide. The Project Manager is an independent contractor paid from May-December 2026. For more information, please contact Judy Florian, voterservice@lwvmi.org. 

• LWVMI seeks volunteers to support accessibility audits statewide of the 2026 August and November elections. Auditors will have election challenger status. Detroit Disability Power will provide 2 hours of required instruction including:
• how to audit
• rights and responsibilities of election challengers
• how to complete the audit survey

Detroit Disability Power will supply audit materials and election day support to answer questions. If interested, please contact Judy Florian, voterservice@lwvmi.org. 

— Denise Hartsough

Speaker on Immigration Challenges

On February 11th at 7:00 p.m. the LWVMI Membership Leaders Network will host Marcelo Betti, Legal Director for Immigration Law & Justice Michigan. Mr. Betti will address immigration challenges and their impact on Michigan. 

Please register here for this event. An email with the Zoom link for the meeting will

be sent to all registrants closer to the meeting. To submit questions in advance, email Carla Barrows-Wiggins at Membership@LWVMI.org.

— Denise Hartsough

Observer Corps

Regena Nelson

Over the past four months, League observers provided vital community oversight by attending or viewing meetings of the Kalamazoo City Commission (Andrea Allen), Kalamazoo Civil Rights Board (Mary Baggerman), Kalamazoo Public Schools Board (Regena Nelson), Kalamazoo Township Board of Trustees (Mary Baggerman), Portage City Council (Rick Freiman), and the Portage Public Schools Board (Terri McDonald). Their observations kept the League informed about key local issues, including the proposed rezoning of the Asylum Lake Nature Preserve, Portage’s successful plastic bag recycling initiative, and the handling of housing discrimination complaints in Kalamazoo.

Program Planning 2026

Denise Hartsough

At Program Planning on January 24th, twenty-six LWVKA members met on Zoom to: 

• outline plans for education and advocacy on local issues
• discuss the proposed LWVUS campaign Women Defend Democracy: Democracy Under Siege
• consider two proposed concurrences for the June 2026 LWVUS Convention

Action on Local Issues

Climate Action and Environmental Justice  

• LWVKA will promote biodiversity and use of native plants among the public and by local units of government.
• LWVKA will consider helping with the regular clean-ups of the Kalamazoo River.
• LWVKA is monitoring action on toxic emissions by Graphic Packaging.
• LWVKA could consider taking a stand on local proposals for data centers. 
• Interested? The committee meets 1st Fridays at 9:00 a.m. on Zoom. Contact Chris Kuthe for the link.

Immigration

• LWVUS and LWVMI have positions on rights of immigrants, under which LWVKA could offer education and advocacy.
• Interested? We need one or two people to take the lead. Contact Denise Hartsough.

Women Defend Democracy: Democracy Under Siege

• Consensus of the group was yes, LWVKA supports the proposed campaign by LWVUS, which would replace Making Democracy Work.

Concurrences

The group agreed that LWVKA should suggest to LWVUS that National Convention delegates in June consider adding by concurrence two stances to LWVUS positions:

• Religious Freedom—separation of church and state, free of social or political influence by any state or religious body (brief version)
• Protecting Immigrants—dignity and respect, public services, legal representation, and safety for all, regardless of immigration status or citizenship (brief version)

--Denise Hartsough, VP for Program & Advocacy 

LWVUS Update

Paula Manley



The Power Play Book 4 of Unite and Rise 8.5 Initiative is being released. The theme for February through April is Deepening Electoral Power. Watch your email for more information on this initiative.

The USPS recently issued a new rule defining postmarks which could affect mail-in voting. Local Leagues are urged to inform voters of this change and remind them to submit absentee ballots early. This change may affect overseas voters the most.

The LWV joined the League of United Latin American Citizens (LUAV) and Common Cause in calling on Congress to launch an immediate and independent investigation into a series of recent use-of-force incidents involving federal immigration enforcement personnel.



The LWVUS National Convention will be held in Columbus, OH June 25-28.

LWV National Convention Update 

HOLD THE DATE!

The LWV 2026 National Convention will be held June 25-28 in Columbus, Ohio. The number of Voting Delegates that can be sent from the LWV of the Kalamazoo Area and of the Calhoun County Unit will be based on our total membership and determined at the beginning of February. Please contact Aimee and Aedin if you are interested in attending. Stay tuned for more information in the coming months. 

LWVKA/Calhoun County Geographical unit

Susan Stuart

At the January meeting, Calhoun County board members re-dedicated ourselves to the League’s mission of Empowering Voters and Defending Democracy. Our focus for 2026 is on voter education and services, building and strengthening non-partisan partnerships in Calhoun County, and youth engagement.

Our first “table” event is Wednesday, February 4 at KCC’s Bruin Boost. We need volunteers to staff these voter education events, and member participation in communication, observer corps, legislative advocacy, Know What You Sign and preparing for the May 5 election. 

The Calhoun County unit of League of Women Voters continues to follow the leadership at both the national and state level with Unite and Rise and Women Defending Democracy initiatives. As a member, take the time to read the emails and newsletters you receive to discover where and how you can best use your skills and experience to take an active role in this important mid-term election cycle. 

Permitting Reform

Rick Freiman (richard.freiman@gmail.com)

LWVKA Climate Committee

To avoid the worst impacts of a warming planet in the coming decades, the World (including you and me) must stop creating excessive carbon dioxide and methane, which trap heat, and instead create energy from infrastructure that uses clean sources like the sun, wind, and water. Most new energy in the World is renewable but there is a lot of catching up to do and we can’t build it fast enough. One tool in the toolbox to reduce the bottleneck is Permitting Reform.

What Is Permitting Reform?

Permitting Reform generally refers to efforts to simplify, streamline, or accelerate the federal, state, and local regulatory approvals required to build energy infrastructure. Reforms may include setting firm timelines for agency reviews, reducing duplicative environmental analyses, expanding categorical exclusions, improving interagency coordination, or limiting litigation timelines. While these reforms or changes often target renewable energy projects, they can also affect transmission infrastructure, mining for critical minerals, and in some cases fossil fuel development.

There is bipartisan support in Congress for Permitting Reform but there are also different opinions about what types of energy to advance and what level of protection to include. Because 90% of the energy backlog is clean energy, proponents of clean energy are betting it will gain the most from permitting reform since renewable wind and solar are the cheapest to produce and fastest to deploy. The exception is nuclear energy which, although free of carbon emissions, is very expensive and can take a decade to build, not to mention the old problem of waste disposal. Fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas are losing their price competitiveness but are still needed in various applications like air and ocean travel as research continues on substitute fuels.

The Case FOR Permitting Reform:

1. Faster Deployment of Clean Energy

2. Lower Project Costs

3. Improved Electrical Grid Reliability and Energy Security

4. Economic Development and Job Creation

The Case AGAINST Permitting Reform:

1. Risk to Environmental Protections

2. Reduced Community Input

3. Uneven Benefits and Environmental Justice Concerns

4. Legal and Political Backlash

Finding Middle Ground

Many experts argue that the debate should not be framed as a choice between clean energy and environmental protection. Instead, effective permitting reform can focus on improving efficiency without sacrificing rigor. Potential approaches include:

• Early and meaningful stakeholder engagement to resolve conflicts before formal review.
• Better agency staffing and funding to reduce backlogs without cutting corners.
• Clear, enforceable timelines paired with strong environmental standards.
• Programmatic and regional planning to identify low-conflict sites for development in advance.

Conclusion

Permitting reform for renewable energy offers clear benefits in terms of speed, cost, and climate progress, but it also carries real risks if implemented poorly. The challenge for policymakers is to design reforms that accelerate the clean energy transition while preserving environmental safeguards, community participation, and public trust. Done thoughtfully, Permitting Reform can be a powerful tool for building a cleaner, more resilient energy system.

The League of Women Voters supports addressing Climate Change but has not had a Permitting Reform bill to support or oppose. Climate advocates have been lobbying legislators to shape the legislation and are positive about seeing something introduced this year. Maybe we will see an action alert in 2026.

If you feel moved to help protect our planet Earth for future generations, the best way to start is by connecting with an organization already doing the work, and look for strategies that are meaningful to you. Some choices are:

LWVKA Climate Committee 

LWV Michigan Environmental Network 

Citizens Climate Lobby - Federal policy

Kalamazoo Climate Crisis Coalition - Local projects

Third Act - Seniors 

Sierra Club

Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association

Tributes

The following tribute and memorial donations were received by the LWVKA.

In Memory of Julia Costello

NNNNJackie Wylie, Jessica Reiser

In Memory of Carol Marie Ott

NNNNClaire Ott

In Honor of Aedín Clements

NNNNSue Kovats-Bell

LWVKA Officers and Board Members