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Deputy Registrar Training
Date: Tues, 2/4, 6:45pm
Where: LTHS North Campus
Community Room
LWVIL Help Needed for all Member Mailing (see below for details)
Date: Thurs, 2/5 and Fri, 2/6
Where: 332 S. Michigan Ave, Chicago
LWVLGA Meeting: Stormwater from the Ground Up
Date: Wednesday, February 18, 7pm
Where: LaGrange Park Public Library
555 N. LaGrange Rd, LaGrange Park
LTHS Voter Registration
Date: Wed, 3/5
Where: LTHS North Campus
LWVIL Issues Briefing
Date: Sat, Mar 7, 8-3
Where: see below for registration
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LWVLGA Meeting: Frances Willard & the Suffrage Movement
Date: Thurs, Mar 12, 7pm
Where: LaGrange Public Library
10 W. Cossitt, LaGrange
LWVLGA Meeting: LaGrange Community Nurse Association
Date: Tuesday, April 21, 7:15pm
Where: LaGrange Public Library
10 W. Cossitt, LaGrange
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Mary Klonowski will be working from 9-3 on Thursday, Feb 5. She is taking the train and suggesting PotBelly's or Corner Bakery for lunch. Directions to sign-up are below. Contact Mary at maryklon@comcast.net for details.
League of Women Voters Members:
We're using VolunteerSpot (the leading online signup and reminder tool) to organize our upcoming signups to assemble an all member mailing on February 5 & 6, 332 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 525. If you could join us in the League office downtown for a portion of the time it would really help!
Here's how it works in 3 easy steps:1) Click this link to see our Sign-Up on VolunteerSpot http://vols.pt/o6BPj62) Review the options listed and choose the spot(s) you like.3) Sign up! It's Easy - you will NOT need to register an account or keep a password on VolunteerSpot.Note: VolunteerSpot does not share your email address with anyone. If you prefer not to use your email address, please contact me and I can sign you up manually.
Hope you can join us, if not this time, another in the future. It is a fun way to meet other league members and accomplish a needed task.
Nancy Clark,
LWVIL VP
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DEPUTY REGISTRAR TRAINING
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Tuesday, Feb 3, 6:45pm, LTHS North. Contact Stephanie Nelson at crazybus@earthlink.net for information.
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February Meeting: Stormwater from the Ground Up
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If you are concerned about flooding & stormwater runoff threatening our homes & natural resources, you'll want to join us at the LaGrange Park Public Library on Wednesday, February 18th at 7pm.
Krista Grimm and the LWV Great Lakes have put together a great program.
You don't want to miss it. Invite your neighbors since this is important for all to know.
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Lyons Township High School Voter Registration
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Thursday March 5. Contact Stephanie Nelson at crazybus@earthlink.net if you are available to help.
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March Meeting: Frances Willard & the Suffrage Movement
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| Mark your calendars for this well-renowned program. March 12, 7pm at the LaGrange Library. Start inviting your friends to attend this program with you. |
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April Meeting: LaGrange Community Nurse Association
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WHAT WOULD WE DO WITHOUT COMMUNITY NURSE?
Since the 1920s our community has relied on its health services, and when did we not take our used clothing and furniture to the Carousel Shop for resale? But in the last two years Community Nurse has grown and reinvented itself right under our noses on Calendar Avenue. Find out about the changes!
On Tuesday evening, April 21, CEO Angela Curran will help us all understand how Community Nurse has expanded to meet area health care needs reaching more and more of our residents. Please plan to join us!
What: Presentation about the new Community Nurse
When: Tuesday evening, April 21, 7:15 p.m.
Where: La Grange Public Library downstairs meeting rooms
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New Members & Member Directory Updates
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We welcome a new member this month:
Kathy Nisbet
116 51st Pl
Western Springs
708-246-4569
kathynisbet@gmail.com
UPDATE to Directory: Vera Fina's phone number is now 708-579-7011
Be sure to update your membership directory
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LWVIL ANNUAL ISSUES BRIEFING
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Save the Date: Annual Issues Briefing
Saturday, March 7, 2015
8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
University Center, 525 South State Street (between Harrison and Congress)
Look for registration materials online at www.LWVIL.org and in upcoming issues of the E-News.
Registration will cost $60 per person if postmarked by February 21, 2015 and $65 after that.
General theme: The impact of the state's fiscal situation on our issues.
TENTATIVE AGENDA
8:30: Registration
9:00 Welcome
9:15-10:30 Plenary 1: The Fiscal Situation
10:45-11:45 Workshops:
Legislative Process/Legislative Interviews Immigration
Affordable Care Act and Reproductive Health Care
11:45 Lunch
12:30-1:45 Plenary 2: Mental Illness and the Jails
2-3 Workshops:
Education Equity and SB16 Environment
Environment
- How climate change will affect our climate action agenda Human Needs - How Human services are affected by state cutbacks
Issues Specialists Updates
Climate Change - Air
The United States and China reached an historic agreement to cut greenhouse gas emissions in the next two decades, which is good news. Probable bad news comes with the November 4th election results giving the Republicans the Senate majority. There is little chance the Senate will advance legislation to reach the goals set by President Obama, and there is a good chance they may try to impede progress in renewable energy. The Senate failed to advance a bill forcing the President to approve the Keystone XL pipeline, but the President has announced that he will veto the bill when it reaches his desk in 2015. The fate of the Illiana Tollway between I-57 in IL and I-65 in IN is still unknown, but opposition to the construction, termed a 'boondoggle,' is mounting. Our focus in 2015 will be on legislation to advance the Clean Power Plan in Illinois through prioritizing renewable energy and energy efficiency.
Climate Change-Fracking
The Rules for Fracking breezed through JCAR the day after the election. Senator Ira Silverstein was the only member who did not support them. They were not published in the Illinois Register as is customary - presumably because the lawsuit filed by a group of southern Illinois landowners included a provision that the Rules could not be published. The suit claims that IDNR violated numerous procedures, did not consider scientific studies and had no representative available to answer questions at statewide public hearings. On 11/21, Madison County Circuit Judge Barbara Crowder denied the request for a preliminary injunction against the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
http://www.bnd.com/2014/11/21/3524286_judge-issues-ruling-in-fracking.html
Although IDNR was reported to have made 400+ changes to Rules, the significant changes have been made to favor the oil and gas industry.
Related Articles:
http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/aalexander/illinois_fracking_rules_update_4.html http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeff-biggers/illinois-approves-secret_b_6118574.html http://www.sj-r.com/article/20141118/NEWS/141119518/1999/NEWS?rssfeed=true
Earthquakes
The biggest threat that Fracking presents to Illinois is earthquakes. A new seismic zone was recently discovered in Illinois - In addition to the known New Madrid and Wabash Valley Seismic
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zones. "It's an underappreciated zone of seismic activity that has potential implications for St. Louis and other populated areas in eastern Missouri and Southwestern Illinois... comparable to the Wabash Valley Seismic Zone in western Indiana, which is capable of producing moderate-sized earthquakes every few decades and perhaps has the potential for larger
earthquakes." http://news.indiana.edu/releases/iu/2014/11/ste-geneview-seismic-zone.shtml
Alabama - which is also in the New Madrid Seismic Zone - is concerned about increased local activity: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4H4Lv1x2Qk
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Education Funding
SB 16 was heard at a joint House committee subject matter hearing where proponents and opponents had the opportunity to testify. LWVIL submitted a witness slip in opposition with a statement explaining our position. It is important that League members follow up with the TFA sent out in November to encourage legislators to table the bill until the spring session when it can be amended to better serve Illinois students.
Immigration
President Obama, in a public address on Thursday, November 29th announced his plans for executive action to address a broken immigration system and the failure of congressional action. The biggest and most controversial part of his plan will allow up to 5 million undocumented immigrants currently living in the United States to apply to live and work here temporarily without threat of deportation. They have to be the parents of US citizens or legal residents and have lived in the US for at least 5 years. The intent
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is to keep families together, a "focus on deporting felons, not families." Most Americans support the idea of what the president is doing but not necessarily the way he is going about it; however, past presidents in recent decades carried out similar executive actions addressing immigration. Republicans are threatening to fight this executive measure. We shall see what happens.
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Mental Health
Illinois legislation regarding LWV Mental Health
SB0822 - Amends the Mental Health /Developmental Disabilities Administrative Act. Provides that whenever a State mental health facility operated by the Department is closed and the real estate on which the facility is located is sold by the state, the net proceeds of the sale of the real estate shall be deposited into the Community Mental Health Medicaid Trust Fund and used for specified purposes described in the Community Services Act. Provides that the net proceeds from the sale of a State mental health facility may be spent over a number of fiscal years and are not required to be spent in the same fiscal year in which they are deposited. Governor approved 8/1/20/2014 Public Act 98-0815.
Tinley Park plans to buy the 280-Acre Mental Health Center Property for $4.16 million so the village can control development.
News from the Associated Press - Eleven Health Centers in Illinois are receiving $2.4 million in federal funding to support mental health and substance abuse treatment. The money is made available through the Affordable Care Act, which expands mental health and substance use disorder benefits to people with health insurance. In Northern IL, Health Centers in Chicago, LaGrange, Rockford, Aurora and Rock Falls are receiving the funds. In Central and Southern IL, Health Centers in Galesburg, Carterville, Sauget and Springfield will get money.
Social Policies
Fiscal issues, minimum wage increase and budget level are the main issues of the veto session.
Sustainable Food and Water
Labeling of genetically engineered foods is not advancing in the General Assembly. The Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations regulations have been adopted but the issue of creating a state inventory is the subject of continued rule-making. Sustainable agriculture and environmental groups are concerned about the inadequacy of Illinois' voluntary DriftWatch program, intended to address the problem of pesticide drift, and are considering possible legislative fixes.
In October, LWVIL submitted comments supporting an EPA/Army Corps of Engineers draft rule which clarifies the definition of the "Waters of the United States" to which the Clean Water Act applies. LWVIL also signed on to a letter circulated by our coalition partner, the Healing Our Waters - Great Lakes Coalition.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has announced the next phase of the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin Study (GLMRIS). They will be analyzing the effectiveness of different technologies at preventing the transfer of invasive species, focusing on a single site, the Brandon Road Lock and Dam in Joliet, IL. It appears that they are not pursuing the separation of the watersheds at this time. Two public hearings will be held in December, 2014.
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