After the frenetic pace of the last three or four months, with issues of the Monday Morning News featuring long lists of fundraisers, candidate forums, and opportunities to volunteer, the post-election political scene feels strangely quiet. And yet we know that just as farmers use the winter months to fix farm machinery and plan for the coming spring, now is the time to look ahead to 2019 and 2020 and to continue the work of repairing and strengthening the foundation of American democracy: the vote. From putting the teeth back in the Voting Rights Act and fighting voter suppression, to demanding redistricting reform, to ensuring the security and integrity of voting equipment and systems, we have our work cut out for us. But this year’s elections, even when they didn’t yield the results we hoped for, showed that the American people are awake and ready to fight for a country that stands for opportunity and justice for all its citizens. Together, in the words of Rosie the Riveter, we can do it!
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
Announcements
Events
Action Items
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Democratic Party Caucus for County Council and Democratic Party Chair on January 13, 2019:
With Lee Jones’ victory in the County Commissioner race there will be a caucus to fill her position on the Monroe County Council. In addition, Mark Fraley has announced that he will be stepping down as Party Chair this January. On January 13, 2019 at 1pm there will be a Party Caucus to select replacements for these two positions. At the moment there are two likely candidates for each position. If you have any interest in these positions or would like more information, please contact Mark Fraley at [email protected].
City of Bloomington commission openings
Bloomington Arts Commission: The City of Bloomington Office of the City Clerk is accepting applications to fill a vacant position on the Bloomington Art Commission. The position is available for city residents.The Bloomington Arts Commission provides a means for the City of Bloomington to stimulate and encourage community appreciation for and participation in the arts. Sally Gaskill has offered to talk with any DWC member interested in the Arts Commission... you can reach her here.
Bloomington Commission on the Status of Women: The City of Bloomington Office of the City Clerk is accepting applications to fill a vacant position on the Bloomington Commission on the Status of Women. The position is available for city residents.
The City of Bloomington Commission on the Status of Women explores women's issues and concerns, celebrates women's accomplishments, and promotes solutions to the challenges and problems faced by women.
Bloomington Commission on Sustainability: The City of Bloomington Office of the City Clerk is accepting applications to fill a vacant position on the Bloomington Commission on Sustainability. The position is available for city residents. The City of Bloomington Commission on Sustainability (BCOS) promotes economic development, environmental health, and social equity in our community for present and future generations. The commission gathers and disseminates information; promotes practical initiatives; and measures, monitors, and reports on our community's progress toward sustainability.
To learn more about these commissions, and each of the City’s boards and commissions, including mission statements, membership requirements, current membership listings and term lengths, or for online applications, use the feature OnBoard at bloomington.in.gov/onboard, or by clicking on the “OnBoard” button on the City’s home web page. All board and commission meetings are free and open to the public. Potential applicants are urged to attend a meeting of their desired board or commission prior to applying. Meeting schedules and locations can be found under the “committee info” tab on OnBoard. Information and applications are also available at the City Clerk’s Office in Showers City Hall at 401 N. Morton.
EVENTS:
Tuesday, November 27, 2018 11:30am to 1:00pm
Monroe County Democrats’ Club Luncheon Meeting
DeAngelo’s Restaurant in Eastland Plaza
The group will be honoring our local Democrats who ran in the recent election—and saying a special goodbye to Mark Fraley, chairman of the Party. The public is invited to attend. (our apologies for posting the wrong date last week).
Thursday December 6, 2017 5:00pm - 7:00pm
Hoosier Women Speak 2.0 - Indiana Commission For Women
Monroe County Public Library, Room 1C, 303 E. Kirkwood Ave.
Join the Indiana Commission for Women, the Monroe County Women's Commission and the League of Women Voters of Bloomington-Monroe County on December 6th at the Monroe County Public Library for a public Listening Session. Light refreshments will be provided.
Between June and December of 2018, the Indiana Commission for Women (ICW) will be holding 13 regional and stakeholder listening sessions to identify key issues facing women, understand the critical needs that women and communities perceive as important, identify changes to key issues occurring between 2011 and 2018 and continue to build relationships with regional partners.
Full details at https://www.facebook.com/events/478095229367212/
Thursday December 6, 2017 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Monroe County NOW Legislative Session
Bloomington City Hall, 401 N. Morton St.
Thursday December 13, 2017 6:00pm
Monroe County Black Democratic Caucus Monthly Meeting
Democracy Lab, 116 S. Madison St., Bloomington
Including biennial elections (postponed from the November meeting) for the offices of President, Vice President and Treasurer. Each member of record in good standing is entitled to vote with the exception of associate and honorary members. A member is considered to be in good standing immediately upon payment of membership dues. A member must be in good standing for a period of at least one year in order to be considered as a candidate for office.
ACTION ITEM(s):
1. December is the time to renew your DWC dues…. Dues are $20 for the year and you can renew online at https://democraticwomenscaucus.nationbuilder.com/membership or bring your payment to the Breakfast on December 7 and give them to DWC Treasurer Vicky Sorenson or to any Steering Committee Member.
2. Speaking of the Steering Committee… consider adding your voice to the governance of the DWC. Up for election this year are the positions of Chair, Secretary and five at-large members. If you are interested or want to know more… please contact Amy Swain.
3. Work for gerrymandering reform in 2019. Fair elections and political decisions start with every voice being heard. Check out this new report from the Brennan Center on Redistricting and Competition that finds that states where one party in the legislature controls redistricting it results in less political competition. Sound familiar?
It's not too late to call or email your representatives in the Indiana House and Senate to urge them to support redistricting reform. Sign the redistricting reform petition at http://www.allinfordemocracy.org.
A PDF of the petition, along with many other resources to help you promote redistricting reform, can be found at the League of Women Voters of Indiana Website. Use these resources. We must keep the pressure on the legislators. Share on Facebook and Twitter.
4. If you can, consider making a donation to organizations fighting voter suppression and gerrymandering, such as Common Cause or the ACLU. An excellent source of information on all things voting-related is the web site of the Brennan Center for Justice at https://www.brennancenter.org/issues/voting-rights-elections.
BECOME A DWC MEMBER: 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/