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Dear Friends,
It’s been a busy year for the League! We hosted more than 13 civic engagement events beginning with the Fall Kickoff on Ranked Choice and Final Five Voting systems. That was followed by meetings on topics such as civility in public discourse, the Electoral College/National Popular Vote Compact, the opioid epidemic, book banning, and local climate initiatives. The Environmental Committee promoted plastic-free living and helped educate restaurants on the polystyrene ban. Voter Services registered voters at senior living facilities and local libraries, helped voters fill out mail ballot applications, and participated in high school civic fairs. The Advocacy Committee met with local legislators and attended Lobby Day in Springfield.
This Fall is the Presidential election, and we will be as busy. The Fall Kickoff will focus on Misinformation and Disinformation and the threat to democracy and elections. Get out the vote efforts will include advertising voting deadlines, promoting the Illinois Voters Guide, and voter registration activities. In Oak Park, we will provide voters with information on the non-binding referendum that will be on their November ballot: “Should the state of Illinois adopt an independent citizen commission for the federal and state redistricting process?” In the spring, candidate forums for local municipal elections will be scheduled.
The monthly Second Tuesday event is changing its name and weekday to Thursday's Coffee and Conversation. This program, along with Drinks and Dialogue, will continue hosting civic education events. The Advocacy and Environmental Committees will resume their important advocacy and outreach. The League will look for opportunities to actively support our 50-year moonshot goal of abolishing the Electoral College and in the interim, promote the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact.
Beginning in 2025, we will be implementing the League’s Transformation process that was adopted two years ago at the national convention. This will impact all local chapters. A few highlights: membership will become pay what you can, and enrollment for all chapters, except for those paying by check, will occur at the national level. Family and student memberships will be eliminated. Renewals will be annual and based on the date you joined, rather than on July 1.
The Transformation should streamline local operations and will significantly increase the proportion of dues that local, and particularly state, Leagues retain. Local leagues will benefit from nationally run membership drives. These are big changes that will require concerted effort to implement, and there may be growing pains. Thank you in advance for your patience!
We will also take time to celebrate the League’s centennial on Oct. 20 at the Nineteenth Century Charitable Association. This Oak Park landmark was completed in 1928 and has hosted many LWV OPRF meetings. Join Honorary co-chairs Forest Park Mayor Rory Hoskins, Oak Park President Vicky Scaman, and River Forest President Cathy Adduci to celebrate. If you know of a business or an individual that would like to be a sponsor and be listed as a donor in the centennial program, the deadline for publication is in late July. Go to our website to become a donor.
Please mark your calendars for Saturday, August 10, 8:30am–12:30pm, to join League of Women Voters members from across the state at the 2024 State Assembly to coordinate the coming year’s work in person or virtually. There are more than 40 local Leagues in Illinois and the power to “speak with one voice” may never be as important as it will be this year. Register here.
Is there a better summer anthem than Guy Clark’s song? “Homegrown tomatoes, what would life be like without homegrown tomatoes. Only two things that money can't buy, that’s true love and homegrown tomatoes.” Whether they’re from your backyard or the farmers market, bon appetite, happy summer!
See you in September,
Jane Hastings
LWV OPRF President
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