| September 2025 |
| Vol. 72 No. 1 | | |
President's Column
Aimée Bedard
As this summer comes to a close and I enter my third month of this co-presidency, I am struck by the dichotomy of what is happening in America and our work in the League. Our Democracy and the America we love is being bombarded on many fronts while the positive energy and our desire to positively impact our community, our state and our nation ramps up. I am so enjoying meeting League members and I am so impressed by the breadth of knowledge and the vast array of skills and talents that everyone brings to the League.
I had the chance to attend YWCA Kalamazoo’s Annual Women’s Equality Luncheon. The program included Keynote Speaker Dr. Eve L. Ewing who is a writer, scholar, and cultural organizer. She is the author of Original Sins: The (Mis)education of Black and Native Children and the Construction of American Racism. Eve was asked about what is going on in America and she said that change needs everyone. We need to show up and we need to show up as ourselves. What do you love to do? What are your talents? She also said to show up and “move a chair.” Volunteering can look so many ways. If you are new to the League, you might show up to a meeting to learn about a committee. You might deliver a stack of Voter Guides to a community partner. You might provide guidance on organizing a Candidate Forum. We appreciate the many ways that our League Members show up to move the League and Democracy forward. Aedin and I would love to hear from each of you. How can we help you best share your talents with LWVKA?
Thank you, League members, for showing up!
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Calendar
September 2025
N1 Labor Day
N5 Climate Change, Biodiversity & Environmental Justice
NNcommittee meeting, zoom, 9 a.m. (Chris Kuthe)
N7 Democracy Fest, League information table: 2-4pm, Bronson Park
15 National Hispanic Heritage Month begins
16 Candidate Forum City of Kalamazoo, Douglass Community Assn., Time TBD
16 National Voter Registration Day
16 International Democracy Day
17 Constitution Day
23 Book Group, Kazoo Books, 6:30pm
22 LWVKA Board Meeting, 6pm, Zoom (Aedín Clements/ Aimee Bedard)
24 LWV Calhoun County Unit Annual Meeting,
NN5-7pm, Marshall United Methodist Church
25 Voter Guide Distribution
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Membership
Terri McDonald
Welcome to the new members who have joined in July and August prior to the publication of this issue of the Voter. If you have not received any information from me, I will be sending it out in the next seven days. This is a new position for me with a learning curve. Thank you for your patience with me.
July
NNGeri Rinna, Portage
NNVicki Clinton, Hickory Corners
NNDawn Casselman, Coldwater
NNElizabeth Wheat, Marshall
August
NNKathy Hogg, Kalamazoo
NNPamela Smith, Marshall
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Voter Services Update
Aimée Bedard
In July, the League tabled at the Kalamazoo Farmers’ Market and at the Disability Network of Southwest Michigan’s ADA Celebration. Both events were great opportunities to get out into the Kalamazoo Community as was our participation at the Edison Neighborhood’s Night Out Event in August. We loved the energy of Night Out and hope to attend more of these events in the future. Thank you to volunteers Aedin Clements, Karen Gustafson, Chris Kindy, Moira Macleod, and Deb Noble.
In August and September, we head back to school, tabling at WMU’s Bronco Bash and KVCC’s Vibe Fest. We also will be tabling at Indivisible of Greater Kalamazoo’s Democracy Fest on Sunday, September 7. I encourage everyone to attend. I plan to be on the look-out for new ways to educate and share relevant information with voters. Please feel free to share any insights you have.
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2025 Women's Equality Day
Maria Gagnon-Markucki
| | Approximately 100 people turned out to join the LWVKA Women’s Equality Day Demonstration on Tuesday, August 26. Demonstrators stood along South Street in front of Kalamazoo City Hall, many wearing white in honor of the suffragists, and stretched east and west to the intersections of South Rose and South Park streets. Together, we celebrated the strides we had made in women’s equality and held signs indicating the important work yet to be accomplished. Dr. Regena Nelson closed the demonstration with brief remarks that emphasized the issues most affecting women — equal pay, affordable, high-quality childcare, threats to our reproductive rights, and remarked, “Collectively, we can affect change. We must unite to protect our rights and support equitable polices that support all women.” Afterward, about 40 people participated in the Unite & Rise 8.5 Campaign discussion in the First Presbyterian Church of Kalamazoo, led by Aedin Clements. Aedin spoke briefly of the work of the LWVKA and then participants broke into small groups to discuss ways the League can achieve its mission and create awareness and greater participation. | |  | Great turnout! Thanks to all who demonstrated. | Dr. Regena Nelson with Aedín Clements | | |
Take Action for Democracy!
Denise Hartsough, VP for Program & Advocacy
As part of the Unite & Rise 8.5 campaign, LWVUS asks all League members—and members of the public—to respond to these Action Alerts, available on the LWVUS Action Alert page.
- Tell Your Representative to Protect Equal Voting Rights
Since the 2013 Supreme Court decision in Shelby County v. Holder gutted the Voting Rights Act (VRA), a majority of states have enacted voting laws that make it harder to vote, with the burden falling hardest on Black voters and other voters of color. We need a fully restored VRA to defend our democracy and protect the freedom to vote.
- Hold Congress Accountable for the One Big Beautiful Bill
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act was enacted in early July. Read the blogpost, What is the “One Big Beautiful Bill” and Its Impact? and let your representative know how you feel about the bill
- Reject Anti-Voter Policies
The House of Representatives passed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would require citizenship documentation to register to vote even though voters in every state are already required to affirm or verify their citizenship status when registering. The SAVE Act would create one more barrier to the voting process, as many eligible voters do not have easy access to the necessary documents. Contact your senators to ask them to oppose the SAVE Act.
Thanks to Sandy Sorini Elser, LWVMI VP for Advocacy
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Climate Action Committee
By Chris Kuthe
Climate Change, Biodiversity and
Environmental Justice Committee
The protections for our environment are being attacked daily. It is important for us to stay vigilant and do what we can in our community. One issue in our own back yard is the Line 5 crude oil tunnel proposed by Enbridge under the Straits of Mackinac. Here is a link to a short video about this threat to our beautiful natural resource, Lake Michigan.
Please watch and share this video
Our Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environmental Justice Committee is planning activities to help educate our LWVKA members and community members about taking climate action. If you would like to help us in this important work, please contact Chris Kuthe at ckuthe57@gmail.com
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Deb Freiman with the LWVKA table at the Kalamazoo Climate Crisis Coalition
Annual Celebration on August 23rd
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Vote 411/Voter Guide Updates
LWVKA is contacting candidates for the November 4th election, for both Vote411 and for our League’s print Voter Guide. Covered November races will include the Kalamazoo City Mayor & Commission, the Portage City Mayor & Council, and Parchment City Commission, along with the text of each of the six ballot proposals.
We expect candidate responses to be available on the Vote411 website by September 25th. We also expect to begin distributing our Voter Guides on September 25th. Please watch for a request for volunteers to distribute the Voter Guide!
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LWVMI Updates
Petitions for 2026 Ballot Proposals
Denise Hartsough, VP for Program & Advocacy
Sponsors are developing statewide petitions for the November 2026 ballot. While not required, many sponsors choose to submit their petition to the Bureau of Elections for review of its form to avoid disqualification. A sponsor may also submit a 100-word summary of the petition to the Board of State
Canvassers for approval. The summary appears on the petition form and is often all that a voter reads before signing a petition.
- Constitutional amendments require 446,198 valid signatures collected during a 180-day period by July 6, 2026.
- Initiatives to create a new law or amend an existing law require 356,958 valid signatures by May 27, 2026.
- A referendum on legislation requires 223,099 valid signatures by the 90th day following adjournment of the legislative session at which the law was enacted.
The petitions whose summaries the Board of State Canvassers has
approved so far are:
Constitutional Amendments
- AxMITax – a constitutional amendment
- Protect Voters' Rights – a constitutional amendment
- Rank MI Vote - a constitutional amendment
- Americans for Citizens Voting – Version 1 - a constitutional amendment
- Americans for Citizens Voting – Version 2 - a constitutional amendment
- Invest in MI Kids – a constitutional amendment
Referendum
- Voters to Stop Pay Cuts – a referendum on Public Act (PA) 1 of 2025
New Law
- Michiganders for Money Out of Politics—a law to limit campaign support by utilities and State contractors
Constitutionally Required Ballot Measure (automatically on the ballot)
- Constitutional Convention -- Article XII of the State Constitution requires that voters consider this every 16 years.
See Know What You Sign at lwvmi.org for a link to a continually updated PDF with information on the potential ballot proposals.
Thanks to Judy Karandjeff, LWVMI Advocacy Committee.
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LWVUS Update
By Paula Manley
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September
n1 Labor Day
15 National Hispanic Heritage Month begins
16 International Democracy Day
NNNational Voter Registration Day
17 Constitution Day
National Voter Registration Day is an annual nonpartisan event which has been held on the third Tuesday each September since 2012. This year it is on Tuesday, September 16th. LWVUS participates each year encouraging Local Leagues around the country.to join the event. The League was the number one recruiting partner in 2024. Watch for upcoming information about opportunities to participate locally.
LWVUS is Defending Democracy and responding to situations as they occur. Watch for LWVUS Facebook posts, emails and opportunities for Action Alerts.
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LWVKA/Calhoun County Geographical Unit
Kitty Knoll
Calhoun County Unit is working in conjunction with grassroots organizations to participate in a Congressional District 4, Townhall Meeting to discuss the impact of Trump’s “BBBill” on the social safety net. August 26 from 6-8 at the Kool Family Community Center in Battle Creek. We are continuing to participate in tabling events to educate voters. Our Annual Meeting is scheduled for September 24, 5-7, Marshall United Methodist Church in Marshall, a middle of the county meeting place.
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LWVKA Book Group
Aedín Clements
Our book group has two more meetings this year. For September we are reading True Biz, a novel by Sara Nović that raises many questions about disability rights, sign language, and about the history of the Deaf community in the U.S. This meeting has been changed to avoid conflict with our City of Kalamazoo candidate forum, so please note the new date, September 23rd, at Kazoo Books at 6:30 (social time from 6 pm).
For November, we plan to read Paper Valley: The Fight for the Fox River Cleanup by P. David Allen II and Susan Campbell. The book is available in Kalamazoo and Portage public libraries.
| | LWVKA Officers and Board Members | | |
LWVKA Officers
Aimée Bedard
Co-President
Aedín Clements
Co-President
Maria Gagnon-Markucki
VP Organization
Denise Hartsough
VP Program
Tanya Potter
Treasurer
Deb Freiman
Secretary
LWVKA Directors
Kimberly Bender
Director
Barbara Dircks
Director
Rick Freiman
Director
Lisa Fuller
Director at Large
Karen Gustafson
Director
Terry Hluchyj
Vote411 – Voter Guides
Jules Isenberg-Wedel
Director – Vote411/Voter Guides
Teresa Johnson
Director
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Shardae Jones-Chambers
Director
Kitty Knoll
Liaison – Calhoun County
Geographical Unit
Chris Kuthe
Past President
Paula Manley
Calhoun County Unit Mentor
Terri McDonald
Director – Membership
MerriKay Oleen-Burkey
Director
Education Fund
Board Members
Rick Freiman
Chair
Jessica Reiser
Vice Chair
Barb Dircks
Secretary
Tanya Potter
Treasurer
Paula Aldridge
Director
Dennis Elmer
Director
Aedín Clements
Director (Ex officio)
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