Apologies for the lack of a MMN last week, tax complications and illness got in the way….
Speaking of taxes…. April 15 is always a good day to contemplate who is going to control the way your taxes are going to be spent for the next year (or four)… and who to vote for in the upcoming election….
And speaking of elections… early voting has started but is going very slowly…. 75 voters on the first day but less than 40 voters per day since then. In 2015, 7,027 voters turned out for the primary, about 550 more than in the 2011 municipal election, and about 20% of voters eligible to vote. This year’s turnout could be even lower.
Certainly some of the low turnout can be attributed to the lack of much of a republican presence in the primary. With only one representative on the ballot, there isn’t much of a reason for them to participate. People will also argue that the lack of a viable mayor’s race and two districts without competitive council races will also contribute to low turn out. But there are four competitive district races and six at-large council races that are competitive, with unique voices and differing ideas that deserve the attention of the voters.
And in a race where the turn out is so low, each vote takes on a greater significance, a few votes more or less could make the difference between a win and a loss. So this is a time when it’s not only critical to help out the candidates of your choice, but to get out the vote. We’ve got 14 days of voting left to go…. let’s make the most of them.
OUR ENDORSED CANDIDATE EVENTS and NEEDS:
Jean Capler: City Council, At-Large
Website: https://www.jeanforbloomington.com/
Facebook: Jean Capler For Bloomington
Needs volunteers for canvassing on April 27 and May 4, starting at 12:30pm - 3:30pm
Meet at Democratic headquarters, 116 S. Madison St., Bloomington
Training and everything you'll need including a great Jean Capler for City Council t-shirt, will be provided.
If canvassing is not quite your thing there are other roles for you too! Hang out around Election Central/The Farmers Market to capture those folks who still need to know about Jean or might be on their way to early voting. They’d love to have you!
Kate Rosenbarger : City Council, District 1
Website: kateforbloomington.org
Facebook: kateforbloomington
Needs help with:
Neighborhood coordinators to coordinate and facilitate Kate meeting your neighbors/friends/family and getting out yard signs.
Letters to the Editor. If you're up for writing a letter to talk about why you support me, why I'd be good for Bloomington/good on council, and what I'll bring to council. I can get you talking points. Canvassing weekday evenings (5-8p) and weekends (11-5).
Farmers Market. Volunteers needed to hangout near the Dems booth and talk to voters.
Sending Postcards to District 1 Friends.
Finding New Kate Voters. .
Facebook. Like, comment on, and share my posts. It helps more people see them. Invite your friends to like Kate for Bloomington.
To join Kate’s Email List email [email protected].
Dorothy Granger - City Council, District 2
Facebook: Granger for City Council
To find out how you can help contact Penny Githens at 812.369.9538 or Amy Harrison at 812.318.1524
Sue Sgambulleri - City Council, District 2
Website: SueForCityCouncil.com
Facebook: Sue Sgambelluri for City Council
Help with Canvassing, Yard Signs, Mailings and Research
Join Sue for canvassing on the following dates:
• Monday, April 22 - 6:30 to 8:00 pm (Blue Ridge)
• Wednesday, April 24 - 6:30 to 8:00 pm (Blue Ridge)
• Friday, April 26 - 6:30 to 8:00 pm (Blue Ridge)
• Saturday, April 27 - 1:00 pm onward (Blue Ridge/Matlock
Heights)
• Sunday, April 28 - 12:30 to 1:30 pm and 3:30 pm to 6:00 pm (Matlock Heights)
Please reach out to Sue at (812) 345-3215 or [email protected] for more info!
Miah Michaelsen - City Council, District 4
Website: Miah For Bloomington
Facebook: Miah For Bloomington
Needs help with your Good Word, Letters, Yard Signs
and Canvassing:
April 27: Anytime between noon and 6 p.m.
April 28: Anytime between 1 and 4 p.m.
May 4: Anytime between noon and 6 p.m.
May 5: Anytime between 1 and 5 p.m.
May 7: Staff polling locations during voting hours
Email her at [email protected] with any other ideas, good vibes, or moral support you can offer.
Isabel Piedmont-Smith - City Council, District 5
Website: Isabel Piedmont-Smith - Candidate For Bloomington City Council
Facebook: Piedmont-Smith for City Council
Isabel needs volunteers to:
• help with door-to-door canvassing
• write Letters to the Editor in support of her campaign
Key Endorsements for our DWC Endorsed Candidates: Our endorsed candidates continue to make headway on their campaigns, including by securing key endorsements from individuals and organizations. Please follow the link to our DWC website's candidates page to see the news on our endorsed women! News on each candidate is posted after her bio.
Link: https://www.democraticwomenscaucus.org/candidates
CANDIDATE FORUMS:
None Scheduled
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
Announcements
Events
Action Items
ANNOUNCEMENTS
The Monroe County Democratic Party is issuing a Call To Caucus to candidates and precinct committee people to fill the vacant seat for County Commissioner, District 3.
In order to be a candidate for this office you must live within District 3. To submit your name for the caucus, please send your information to the Party Secretary Sofia McDowell at [email protected]. The deadline to submit your candidacy is 72 hours prior to the caucus.
Because all Monroe County voters are eligible to vote for this office, all precinct committee chairs will be eligible to vote in the caucus. Precinct committee chairs who cannot be present at the caucus can submit a proxy for their vice chairs in writing to Party Chair Jennifer Crossley at [email protected] or in person, before or at the caucus.
The Caucus will be held on Sunday, April 28 from 2-4pm at the Monroe County Library.
JOIN THE DWC FOR A POST-CAUCUS GET TOGETHER ON APRIL 28: at Switchyard Brewing Company. This exciting new venue is dog and kid friendly! Everyone is invited. Watch Facebook for more details.
TRAININGS:
VAN Training for Candidates
Deputy VAN Chair Matthew Metz is offering VAN (Voter Action Network) training to all Bloomington Democratic municipal candidates. If you are a candidate and are interested in meeting with Matthew to receive this training as well, contact him at [email protected] to schedule a time to meet.
The Indiana Democratic Party Municipal Monday Webinar Series:
Brush up on your skills with these programs:
How to File For Office (Matthew Kochevar), Campaign Finance (Anna Foster), Social Media 101 (Trina Thomas), Pre-Filing Questions / Campaign Goals (Katie Doyle), Creating A Field Plan (Adi Ben-Yehoshua), Fundraising 101 (Katie Doyle), Creating A Campaign Message (Phil Johnson), Communicating with Press and Media (Phil Johnson), Municipal Finance (Oscar Gutierrez and Trish Whitcomb), Building an Absentee Chase Program (Adi Ben-Yehoshua), Filing Your Pre-Primary Finance Report (Anna Foster), How To Use Early Vote/Election Day Data In VAN (Adi Ben-Yehoshua), and City Government Offices (Portia Bailey-Bernard). To view recordings of the webinars go to: https://www.indems.org/webinar-trainings-recordings/
Citizen's Academy is ready for applications!
One of the best ways to learn about government, with like minded people and the folks who actually do the work in City Hall. Just the best experience ever!
The 2019 Citizens' Academy class will provide participants with an interactive learning experience about municipal government services, programs and departmental responsibilities. This year's Citizens' Academy session begins Thursday, August 29 and runs through October 24, the classes are from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. You can apply online at https://bloomington.in.gov/citizens-academy or contact Vickie Provine, [email protected] or call 812.349.3505.
OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS:
A reminder to all candidates: Pre-Primary Campaign Finance Reports (CFA-4) are Due April 22 at Noon
The pre-primary election campaign finance reporting period for candidates on the primary election ballot ended on April 12. The report is due at Election Central April 22, 2019 at noon.
Also note: a candidate who receives contributions that total $1000 or more between April 13 and May 5 at 6am
must be report those contributions no later than 48 hours after receiving the contribution by filing a CFA-11 form
Early Voting Hours and Primary Election Day:
Monday April 22- Friday April 26, 8 am-6 pm; Saturday, April 27, 9 am-4 pm
Monday April 29- Friday May 03, 8 am-6 pm; Saturday, May 04, 9 am-4 pm
Monday, May 6, 8 am-noon
Note: Election Central will be closed on Friday, April 19 for the Good Friday/Spring Holiday
Primary Election Day is Tuesday, May 7. Vote from 6:00am to 6:00pm at your precinct.
If you are confined to a location because of injury or illness or are caring for a confined person at a private residence, the first day you may vote before the travelling absentee board is April 18. Applications are available on line and at Election Central or call 812-349-2690.
CAN YOU WORK THE POLLS ON MAY 7??
The Monroe County Election Team is looking for democrats to work as Inspectors, Judges, Clerks and Sheriffs on Election Day. These positions are critical in making elections run smoothly and to help voters have a good experience when filling out their ballots. You can spend a rewarding day helping the people of Bloomington vote and make some money at the same time.
Contact Luke Robbins, the Democratic Recruiter for the Monroe County Board of Elections, at [email protected] or by phone at 317-682-7527.
You must be registered to vote in Monroe County and not be a candidate on the ballot or related to a candidate on the ballot.
You can get more information at this link
The Democratic Women’s Caucus is looking for a few good women to help distribute information about our endorsed candidates at the polls. Shifts are 2-3 hours in length and immediate needs are for Early Voting on Saturday, April 27 and Saturday May 4 at Election Central, 401 W. 7th St.
You can sign up here:
We are also looking for women to distribute our POS flyers on Primary Election Day. We will have information about these slots and a new sign up list coming soon. If you are interested you can also contact us at [email protected].
A memorial service honoring the career of Indiana’s former United States Senator and House Speaker Birch Bayh (1928-2019) will be held Wednesday, May 1, 2019, at noon EDT in the south atrium of the Indiana Statehouse. Senator Bayh was a champion for women’s rights throughout his career. He sponsored and co-authored the Title IX of the Higher Education Act and was also the Senate’s principal sponsor of the Equal Rights Amendment, which would have barred discrimination on the basis of sex. Among those remembering Senator Bayh’s accomplishments will be Governor Eric Holcomb, House Speaker Brian Bosma, Purdue President Mitch Daniels, former Congressmen Lee Hamilton and Baron Hill, and Federal District Court Chief Judge Jane E. Magnus-Stinson.
Indiana’s former Secretary of State, Governor and United States Senator Evan Bayh and Indianapolis attorney Christopher Bayh will eulogize their father. Former First Lady Susan Bayh will attend, as will their sons Beau (2LT, USMC) and Nick (2LT, USA). Senator Bayh’s widow, Katherine “Kitty” Bayh (née Halpin), will read a poem written by the Senator.
EVENTS:
Monday, April 22, 2019 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Film Screening and Panel Discussion: Year Of The Woman
IU Cinema
Monroe County NOW is thrilled to co-sponsor a special film screening of Year of the Woman. A panel discussion will follow the film.
Poet, activist, and journalist Sandra Hochman and an all-female crew documented and participated in the radical interventions of the Women’s Movement at the 1972 Democratic National Convention. These activists and filmmakers challenged media anchors, including Walter Cronkite, on the limited coverage of African-American Democratic Presidential candidate Shirley Chisholm. This rarely screened, recently restored film is a celebration of female filmmaking and feminist political action and includes appearances by Gloria Steinem, Liz Renay, Betty Friedan, Flo Kennedy, Coretta Scott King, Shirley MacLaine, and many others.
This partnership is supported through IU Cinema’s Creative Collaborations program. This program is sponsored by IU Libraries Moving Image Archive, Lilly Library, Monroe County NOW, and IU Cinema.
RSVP on the Facebook event page. This event is free, but ticketed. Tickets can be found at the IU Auditorium Box Office or online. Online tickets will include a $1 convenience fee. The IU Cinema is located at 1213 E. Seventh Street on IUB's campus.
Denim Day for Sexual Assault Awareness Month
Wednesday, April 24
Wear denim to challenge rape culture and show solidarity with the vision of a community free of sexual assault.
Wednesday, April 24, 8-9:30pm
HoosierAF: A Drag Show Benefit for the Hoosier Abortion Fund
The Back Door, 207 S. College Ave.
Support your local abortion fund while enjoying a night of drag performances by Bloomington's finest! Your door fee ($5-$15 sliding scale) goes directly to All-Options Pregnancy Center’s abortion fund and into the hands of Hoosiers who need it! While governor, Mike Pence signed a ban forbidding both public and private insurance from covering abortions for Hoosiers, and left 95% of counties without an abortion clinic. Support the Hoosier Abortion Fund by joining them for this night of fun, fierce fabulosity. RSVP today! https://www.facebook.com/events/2160667163979457/
Thursday, April 25, 2019 6:30pm-8:0pm
Consent 301: Accountability Workshop
The Banneker, 930 W. 7th St.
In recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Middle Way House’s Crisis Intervention Services team will offer a FREE accountability community education workshop in which they will explore the complexities of accountability and support for people who have done harm. Through facilitated discussion, skills-building activities and resources participants will build tools for demystifying the interpersonal harm.
Friday, April 26 at 8pm to Saturday, April 27 at 8am
Solidarity Sleepout for Shalom
First United Church, 2420 E. 3rd St.
Sleep out so others don't have to!! On Friday, April 26th, from 8pm to 8am, dedicated adults, teens, and children will be sleeping out to raise critical funds and awareness for people experiencing homelessness in Monroe County, Indiana. With sleeping bags, tarps, and tents, participants will gather on the grounds of First United Church to ensure people without homes have a safe place to stay. More information is available here: https://www.facebook.com/events/404319030371451/
Saturday, April 27, 11am-12pm
District 5 April Constituent Meeting with Isabel Piedmont Smith
City Hall, room 155
Come on out to talk about city issues at Isabel’s monthly meeting! Shop at the Farmer's Market and stay to chat. She will give a wrap-up of what the City Council has been working on, get feedback on upcoming decisions, and discuss topics brought by Bloomington residents.
Let's Talk About Diversity
Saturday, April 27, 2-3pm
Monroe County Public Library, Children’s Program Room (1st floor)
Let's talk about diversity and inclusivity in a safe, facilitated space. Will the discussion change how we see ourselves, our city, and its people? Will it help us create a more hopeful future? Join us as we stand together, talk, and celebrate our community. Age 6–12 with caregivers.
Saturday and Sunday, April 27 and 28
2019 League of Women Voters of Indiana Biennial Convention
Lafayette, Indiana
Details can be found here
Sunday, April 28, 2019 3:00pm to 5:00pm
Monroe County NOW April Chapter Meeting
Bloomington City Hall, 410 N. Morton Street
Featuring guest speaker Debra Morrow, Executive Director of Middle Way House, for an important discussion about sexual assault awareness. For information about Middle Way House and their work, please visit https://middlewayhouse.org.
RSVP on their Facebook event page.
Thursday, May 2, 2019 6:00pm to 8:00pm
Democracy For Monroe County Monthly Link-Up: Experiences as People of Color
Crazy Horse, 214 W. Kirkwood Ave., Bloomington
DFMC will host a panel of speakers (TBA) from a range of communities in Bloomington to talk about their lived experiences as people of color in the United States. Speakers will discuss a variety of topics related to their lived reality and daily experience of racism and different forms of oppression. We hope that you will come away with a deepened awareness of the undercurrents of racism and a renewed commitment to racial justice.
All-Options Drop-in Volunteer Action Hours
Friday, May 3, 9:30-11am
All-Options Pregnancy Resource Center, 1014 S. Walnut St.
Have you ever wanted to get involved with All-Options, but aren't sure about making a long-term commitment? Would you like to do some hands-on work in a judgment-free, supportive environment? Join All-Options for drop-in volunteer time -- usually the first Friday of every month. They will have projects available for you to jump right in. All ages welcome!
Saturday, May 11, 2019, 8:00am to 6:00pm
Indiana Democratic Party County Party Summit
Regional Council of Carpenters, 771 Greenwood Springs Drive, Greenwood
The Indiana Democratic Party is hosting the County Party Summit in Indianapolis on May 11 from 8am to 6pm! Join fellow county party executive members, officials, volunteers and activists for a day of training on how to build a stronger local presence to help elect Democrats up and down the ballot. Lunch will be served.
You can sign up here: https://secure.ngpvan.com/PH90DP3pIEWkyoT7Ye8g-g2
Thursday, May 16, 2019 6:00pm to 8:00pm
Monroe County Black Democratic Caucus May Meeting
MCDP Headquarters, 116 S. Madison St., Suite A
ACTION ITEM(s):
1. If you are eligible to vote in the Municipal Elections - VOTE!!!
2. Join us to hand out "Point of Sale" flyers for our endorsed candidates at Election Central on the two Saturdays before the Primary (April 27th and May 4th). Sign up for a 2-hour slot via the DWC Facebook page at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0b4eaca72ba2fd0-democratic
Don't worry--you'll get some brief training before you go.
3. Call Luke Robbins at 317-682-7527 or email him at [email protected] and sign up to work the polls on election day. We really need poll workers. Those of us who have done it will attest that it is rewarding and illuminating to meet our local voters and a rare privilege to see our election process at work.
BECOME A DWC MEMBER or RENEW your membership!
The DWC is dedicated to inspiring, recruiting, training, supporting and funding women to increase the number of progressive, pro-choice women in the political arena. We ALL help with this mission, together, collectively. Make sure you have full rights and privileges of membership.
Only $20 for one year’s membership.
Join online here: https://democraticwomenscaucus.nationbuilder.com/membership
Do you have news items? Send your items of interest to us at [email protected]
Deadline for MMN is noon on Sunday.
Paid for by DWPAC - Democratic Women's Political Action Committee
Democratic Women's Caucus
http://www.democraticwomenscaucus.org/