Annual Meeting Reminder

Monday, May 11



Social: 6:00-6:30 pm

Meeting: 6:30-8:00 pm

Location: Friendship Village Clubhouse

Refreshments: coffee, tea, treats

Von Washington Jr., CEO of the Kalamazoo Promise, will be our guest speaker. Following, we will hold our annual business meeting, which will include approval of the proposed budget and election of Board officers. 

Please RSVP to Maria Gagnon-Markucki at mariamarkucki1@gmail.com and place “Annual Meeting RSVP” in the subject line. We look forward to seeing you there!

From the Membership Chair

By Terri McDonald (terrilzmcdonald@gmail.com)

Welcome to our recent new members:

Phyllis Leroy (Delton)

Aleah Heffron (Kalamazoo)

Pamela Cameron (Kalamazoo)

Have you tried accessing the member information on the LWVKA (lwvka.org) website? Let me know if you need any help with the login process. Many of you should have received login information when you first joined. It's possible, I may have missed sending that information. Your username is your email address and then we will send you a password for your first time accessing the website. In order to simplify the process, let me know and I will coordinate with our website administrator. This will be completed on a monthly basis to better manage our time.

As always, let me know if you have any questions.

Terri McDonald

Membership Chair

terrilzmcdonald@gmail.com

May Election Update

Aimée Bedard

Kalamazoo and Calhoun County League members should check Vote411.org to confirm if you have an election scheduled for Tuesday, May 5, 2026. Voters can review ballot proposals online. Make sure that you, your family and friends have a Voting Plan. For those who vote in person, polls will be open from 7:00 am to 8:00 pm Tuesday, May 5, 2026.

If you still have your Absent Voter Ballot, please either place in a ballot drop box or drop at your clerk’s office ASAP. It is too close to the election to place in the US Mail. Your ballot must arrive at your clerk’s office no later than election day. 

We will not be scheduling volunteers to observe the Board of Canvassers after the May Election. Stay tuned for information on training and the Board of Canvassers Observer Sign-up for the August Primary Election.

Thank you to League Members who observed the April 9th Kalamazoo County Public Accuracy Tests prior to the May 5th election: Andrea Allen, Kay Anderson, Rick Anderson, Susan Benston, Madeline Cimini, Gloria Foster-Wimbley, Denise Hartsough, Phyllis LeRoy, Mary Lou Rohwer, Lisa Stucky, and Mark Stucky.

Voter Service Update

Aimée Bedard

Thank you to Aedin Clements who held a Voter Registration Event for KILP – Kalamazoo Innovative Learning Program in April. We were able to register a few new voters prior to the May Election voter registration deadline. Thank you to Jennie Hill for connecting with KILP, and to Carol Pauly, Norma Johnson and Connie Ferguson who met with the KILP students.

Please be on the watch for League emails concerning Volunteer opportunities in May. We will be connecting with Kalamazoo high school students on voting information and ensuring students are registered to vote in the August Primary Election and the November General Election. Information will also be coming out on opportunities to Text and Send Get Out the Vote Postcards prior to the elections.

League Member Meetings

Aedín Clements

We had a good turnout at the LWVMI meeting in Oshtemo Library this April. We talked about League information and we worked on revising and improving our distribution list for the Voter Guide, one of the very important services that the League provides prior to the November Election.

As the Oshtemo Library location appeared to work well, we might schedule some future meetings there. Please let me know what you would like to see happen at future meetings!

Also, please don’t forget that our annual meeting is coming up on May 11th.

Local Advocacy Works! 

Denise Hartsough, VP for Program & Advocacy

LWVKA joined state partners All Voting Is Local, Voters Not Politicians and other organizations in urging the Kalamazoo County Commission to adopt a resolution against documentary proof of citizenship (DPOC). The County Commission on April 7th voted in favor of the resolution to oppose petitions that would add a DPOC requirement to the Michigan Constitution.

Kalamazoo County joins other local government bodies in opposition to DPOC:

Cities of Lansing, Detroit, Ypsilanti and Pontiac

Washtenaw and Wayne Counties

Meridian Township

LWVKA joined local partners on April 6th to urge the Kalamazoo City Commission not to accept federal grant funds for additional police officers. The grant came with conditions: the city would have had to cease DEI efforts, and cooperate with federal immigration officers (ICE). The grant was removed from the agenda, meaning it could not be approved by the deadline.

LWVKA Co-President Aedin Clements thanked the City Commission during public comment on behalf of the League.

Observer Corps

Regena Nelson

League observers provided essential community oversight by watching and attending meetings of local governing bodies. Observers included Vickie Vanas at the Kalamazoo City Commission; Mary Baggerman and Regena Nelson at the Kalamazoo Civil Rights Board; Karen Gustafson and Mary Baggerman at the Kalamazoo County Commission; Regena Nelson at the Kalamazoo Public Schools Board; Mary Baggerman at the Kalamazoo Township Board of Trustees; and Rick Freiman at the Portage City Council.



Their observations kept the League informed about key issues aligned with LWVKA priorities, including the City of Kalamazoo’s COPS grant award and its immigration-related requirements; advocacy urging the County Commission to oppose proof-of-citizenship requirements for voter registration; and Portage’s approval of a moratorium on data centers and battery energy storage systems.

Native Plant Tour

The importance of maintaining a healthy planet is becoming abundantly clear. One part of that is maintaining biodiversity. Most of us can help by having native plants in our yards. They can be grown in pots. They can be added to existing gardens or landscaping. They can be part of restoring natural areas.

LWVKA member Ruth Caputo started restoring abandoned farm land in south Portage 20 years ago. The area is looking more like the oak savanna/prairie with woodland that would have been here before settlement.

You’re invited to visit Ruth’s yard to see possibilities for adding native plants to your place and/or learning more about the natural areas around us. The tour is scheduled for Saturday, May 16 any time between 10am–1pm. Wearing long pants and sturdy shoes is recommended. Using insect spray is a good idea too. I’ll have some here if you forget yours. Feel free to call or email me if you have questions.



Ruth Caputo

10970 Poplar Bluff Ct

Portage MI

(269) 823-8913

rdecann47@gmail.com

*Photo Credit: "Sleeping Bee" ©2026 Tamara L Carpenter

Honor That Special Person with a Donation to LWVKA

May is the month during which we often think of honoring special people in our lives—mothers, grandmothers, teachers, graduates. Consider giving a gift to LWVKA to honor that special person in your life. Go to the lwvka.org website, click on Donate and note whom you wish to honor with your donation. Or send a check to League of Women Voters of the Kalamazoo Area P.O. Box 2106 Kalamazoo, MI 49003

LWVKA/Calhoun County
Geographical Unit

Susan Stuart

Spring and summer calendars are filled with dates for voter education at community events in Calhoun county, including Senior Expo, Pride events, and Juneteenth. Volunteer members are needed to provide voter information, mock ballot instructions, and encourage voters to stop the spread of mis/disinformation. Before signing, carefully read any ballot petitions for obstructions to voting and contact your congressional representatives to oppose proposed voter suppression legislation.

A Nominating Committee is forming, seeking members willing to take an active role for the ‘26-‘27 LWV Management Team. Contact Anne Flynn at 269-425-0318 to express your interest. Every position needs a back up. This is your opportunity to get involved at a deeper level. The election occurs at our annual meeting in June. 

There is only one ballot proposal for the city of Battle Creek to extend the terms of the Mayor and city council members from two to four years at the May 5 election. We are recruiting poll workers for the August primary and November elections for election day and early voting.  

https://www.michigan.gov/sos/elections/pollworker#BecomeAPollWorker.

LWVMI: Court Updates

Denise Hartsough

The State League monitors and sometimes engages in litigation affecting the League’s advocacy priorities. Recent legal actions include:

• LWVMI filed an amicus brief with the US Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit urging the court to uphold a lower court’s dismissal of US v. Benson. The Department of Justice sought Michigan’s unredacted voter rolls and the Michigan Secretary of State refused to disclose sensitive voter information. Read the LWVUS press release here. LWVMI supports voter protection.

• Dismissal of a lawsuit by the Republican National Committee and Michigan Republican Party attempting to invalidate the voting rights of Michigan’s military and overseas voters, specifically, spouses and dependents (4/22/26). LWVMI supports voting rights.

• Rejection by the US Supreme Court of Enbridge’s argument that the federal courts, not state courts, should consider a suit filed in 2019 by the Michigan Attorney General to shut down Line 5. This is just one of several legal actions concerning Line 5 and the tunnel proposed to encase the pipeline where it runs under the Great Lakes (4/22/26). LWVMI opposes Line 5 and the tunnel.

LWVUS Update

Paula Manley



MAY

Asian American Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
NN(AANHPI) Heritage Month

Jewish American Heritage Month

Mental Health Awareness Month

10 Mother’s Day

20 33rd Anniversary of the National Voter Registration Act

25 Memorial Day

The SAVE Act may return to the Senate floor at any time for discussion, amendments, or a cloture vote. If you have not yet done so, take action by contacting your Senators to voice opposition to this bill.

LWVUS continues to monitor efforts to provide additional funding for ICE and CBP. 

The League opposes additional funding and urges us to contact our members of Congress to let them know of the concerns.

 

The National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) went into effect thirty-three years ago. The League was active in a coalition to ensure its passage in 1993. The Act has allowed millions to register to vote and ensure that states promote voter registration through normal government processes. However, the law has been challenged by attempts to add citizenship requirements to voter registration, block voter registration at motor vehicle centers, roll back maintenance practices in the law and avoid compliance. The League continues to advocate to protect the NVRA.

LWVKA Book Group

Karen Gustafson

We will be meeting May 19, 6PM at Kazoo Books,
2413 Parkview Ave, Kalamazoo. 

Our Book this month is The First Ladies, by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray. Led by Regena Nelson

We plan to read three more books this year, with meetings in July, September and November. Our books are as follows:

July 21

Giving Up is Unforgivable: A Manual for Keeping a Democracy, by Joyce Vance.

Led by Aimee Bedard

September 15

Let the People Pick the President, by Jesse Wegman

Led by Lindy Rose

November 17

Original Sins: The (Mis)education of Black and Native Children and the Construction of American Racism, by Eve L. Ewing

We plan to meet as usual in Kazoo Books, 2413 Parkview, on the third Tuesday, every other month. All League members are welcome at our book discussion group. We would love to have you join us!

Please contact Karen Gustafson if you have any questions or would like to be added to our email list: 269-207-2441 kgustafson912@gmail.com

Kalamazoo River Cleanup

We have been invited to participate in the Third Annual Kalamazoo River Cleanup!

This takes place in Kalamazoo, Parchment and Comstock, and is a great way to improve our environment with good companions. Please see the website for more information and to register.

SATURDAY JUNE 20, 2026

River, trail and creek cleanup • 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Various Locations

Join the Afterparty • 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM | Mayors Riverfront Park

Register here: https://www.kalamazoorivercleanup.org/register/

Joelle Whitaker, graduate student at WMU's Political Science Department, winner of the Arden J. Elsasser Award, being congratulated by Aedín Clements.

LWVKA Officers and Board Members