Thank you to all who attended the LWVIL Issues Briefing on March 4th. Excellent presentations and great attendance contributed towards a fantastic annual event. We also thank all who contributed to the team effort: Issues Specialists and LWVIL Staff, with support from the entire LWVIL Board of Directors. Here is a link to the event power points and handouts to share among your members and community.
http://www.lwvil.org/issuesbriefing.html
New member, Andy Daglas, shared the following glowing review of the event:
"The 2017 Issues Briefing was my first experience with a League of Women Voters of Illinois event, and I came away impressed and motivated. I was drawn to the program by the comprehensive range of subjects on the agenda. Health care, environmental security, voting rights, economic justice, humane treatment of immigrants, well-funded and well-functioning public education-these are fundamental issues that affect all of us in some way.
However, since I am by no means a policy expert, I was initially concerned that I would not be the right audience. The opposite turned out to be true. The sessions were accessible and informative to laypeople, while going into enough analytical depth to satisfy the wonks in the crowd. Speakers from the state government and from nonpartisan research centers presented their arguments with clarity and rigor, as well as passion for their topics. Educators, social services workers, and nonprofit representatives shared the human side of the issues our state faces. The Issues Briefing offered not only solutions, but a critical reminder of the true nature of our problems.
Behind policy analysis and political wrangling are real people whose lives are dramatically impacted by our decisions as citizens. The League of Women Voters does not lose sight of this fact. Eager to get involved, I met several new contacts at the Issues Briefing who were equally eager to bring me into the fold. Every one of them stressed both the League's dedication to a fairer society and its thoughtful approach to advocacy. I look forward to doing my part to contribute."
MARCHES, RALLIES AND LOBBY DAYS:
April 4th is
Equal Pay Day and the there will be a lunch time rally in Daley Plaza in Chicago to commemorate the day women's wages finally equal those of men from 2016. Please join and wear your LWV buttons. Here are the details:
http://www.equalpaydaychi.xyz/
April 6th is an
Environmental Lobby Day in Springfield. Join our coalition partners to support state legislation impacting our local communities. Follow this link to the Illinois Environmental Council to sign up and list your organization as LWV.
http://ilenviro.org/2017-environmental-lobby-day
April 22nd, LWVIL will join thousands in the March For Science. Krista Grimm will share the LWV meeting place in a future e-blast. Here is general information about the Chicago March.
Please participate as proud LWV members and let us know at
hdenk@lwvil.org about other events we may support and can promote.
New Groups In Your Community? Let Them Know About LWV!
Since the November election, we have seen a huge interest in civic engagement, advocacy and issues. Many groups have formed through use of the Indivisible Guide and other sources, led by dynamic and energetic leaders. Many of our own League members are part of these groups too.
How should LWV interact with these groups? Many local Leagues have been interacting for months with great success, increasing their membership and involvement in local, state and national issues. It appears the key is to provide community information, act as advisers and in some cases, co-sponsor events, when they fall within the LWV non-partisan parameters.
Share your event fliers with these groups and attend their events too, announcing your upcoming LWV activities and explaining how LWV has been working in their communities for years on civic engagement. Share our advocacy guide "Making Your Voice Heard"
http://www.lwvil.org/making-your-voice-heard.html and "Where We Stand"
http://www.lwvil.org/where-we-stand-2015-2017.html. Hold prospective member coffees and recruit members to join your committees or to train as observers. LWV has a lot to offer newly engaged members of our community. Don't hesitate to jump in and mentor the next generation of Leaguers!
News from the Issues Committee
The Issues Committee is pleased to welcome...
Judi Szilak has joined the Issues Committee as a
Mental Health Specialist. As a long-time League member, Judy has served extensively in local league leadership, and she helped draft the current Mental Health position statement.
Making Your Voice Heard - As a League member
You have undoubtedly noticed that bills are being introduced and are moving quickly through the Illinois General Assembly, and LWVIL has e-mailed a number of Time for Action (TFA) requests. We are depending on our members to decide, based on email subject lines, whether or not you will respond to each request. We appreciate your efforts to share TFAs through social media or personal emails.
Given the fact that the League speaks with one voice, a question has arisen about when you can identify yourself as a League member advocating for a bill.
- If you are responding to a TFA to contact a legislator, please DO identify yourself as a League member.
- If you are responding to a TFA for filing a witness slip, please enter SELF in response to firm/business or agency and representation; LWVIL files a slip in the President's name representing our 2800 members.
- If you or your League would like to advocate for a bill which has not been the subject of a TFA, please contact issues@lwvil.org before taking action.
Legislative Interviews - Please submit Reports ASAP!
Don't forget to submit your Interview reports by
April 3rd if at all possible. It is important that Issues Specialists know what your legislators are thinking.
Issues Specialists Monthly Reports
Click
here to read summary reports from the Issues Committee.
