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Event Calendar

April 2023

April 3, Monday

  • Multi-age Book Group Discussion
  • Community Conversations about DEI – Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
  • Indiana Free Library
  • 7:00 p.m.

April 10, Monday

  • Multi-age Book Group Discussion
  • Community Conversations about DEI – Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
  • Indiana Free Library
  • 7:00 p.m.

April 12, Wednesday

  • Fair Districts, PA: Book Discussion Group
  • 7:00 p.m., Indiana Free Library
  • Book – Unrigged: How Americans are Battling Back to Save Democracy, Author – David Daley
  • Click here for more information

April 17, Monday

  • Multi-age Book Group Discussion
  • Community Conversations about DEI – Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
  • Indiana Free Library
  • 7:00 p.m.

April 22, Saturday

  • Earth Day Walk to White’s Woods

  • Sponsored by Friends of White’s Woods

  • 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

  • North 12th Street Entrance

April 24, Monday

  • LWVIC monthly board meeting
  • 7:00 p.m. via Zoom
  • Email lwvindianacounty@gmail.com for Zoom link

May 2023

May 1, Monday

  • Multi-age Book Group Discussion
  • Community Conversations about DEI – Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
  • Indiana Free Library
  • 7:00 p.m.

May 1, Monday

  • Last day to register to vote in May Primary Election

May 13/14, Saturday/Sunday

  • LWVIC Annual Yard Sale Fundraiser
  • Sports Barn, Indiana County Fairgrounds
  • Saturday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Regular Sale
  • Sunday, 12:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. $5 Bag Sale

May 16, Tuesday

  • Election Day: May Primary

May 20, Saturday

  • Annual Spring Membership Meeting
  • UU Church of Indiana, PA (unaffiliated)
  • 12:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
  • Luncheon: Salad Extravaganza
  • Award Presentation: 2023 Peggy Clark Grassroots Environmental Leadership Awards
  • Elections: President, Administrative Vice President, Secretary & Board Directors
  • Email lwvindianacounty@gmail.com for more information

June 2023

June 3, Saturday

  • Nature Palooza
  • Children’s Advisory Commission of Indiana County
  • 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
  • Blue Spruce Park

June 16-18, Friday-Sunday

  • LWVPA Convention
  • Crowne Plaza Hotel
  • Harrisburg

Winter & Spring 2023

Dates to be determined

  • “Meet & Greet” meetings with our legislators

  • Celebration: 50th Anniversary of the League of Women Voters of Indiana County

We Need You!

Opportunities to Get Involved

There’s a lot going on right now, and we need help.  Please consider volunteering for one of the following:

  • Twin challenges exist: 1) how to engage more college and high school students as active, educated citizens, and 2) how to communicate the dangers in two political practices that are wonky and hard to understand (gerrymandering and the practice of using rules to give a few elites the power to control the legislative agenda). To address this, the LWVIC, local Fair Districts of PA and IUP are joining forces to create a contest.  To be held in the spring, college and high school students will learn about gerrymandering and the legislative rules process, and then be invited to create a short creative message of some kind to educate others about these issues.  The messages could be a short video, art, an essay, etc.  Susan Welsh, chair of LWVIC’s Children Advocacy Committee and Education(?), Sid Reger of FDPA, and Dr. Aleea Perry, IUP’s Political Science Department are leading this project.  Please consider volunteering some time to help out with this fun project.  You can contact Susan Welsh at sbwelsh48@gmail.com to get started.
  • Our state legislature is working hard to put at least 5 constitutional amendments through for popular vote during spring’s primary.  These amendments would reshape the balance of power in the state government, restrict voting access, and establish that the state constitution does not guarantee any right related to abortion The League is strongly opposed to all of these five amendments and our local league is organizing a focused letter-writing campaign in the local newspaper about this.  We are seeking both letter writers and also people who prefer not to draft their own letter, but are willing to sign and submit a pre-drafted letter.  We will provide all the background information and details.  Our goal is to have letters to the editor published weekly after the first of the year to keep this issue in the public’s eye.  Dr. Deanne Snavely will be heading this project up. Please let her know if you can help at dlsnavely68@gmail.com.
  • There is much work to be done at the state level for the League.  The League has 4 working committees and two of them are in need of additional help right now.  These are the Social Policy Committee and the Government Policy Committee.  Each committee meets twice a month for about an hour.  The work of the committee is to monitor particular policy issues, and identify particular actions that might be needed.  Committees sometimes also draft information summaries on issues for the League to take up.  If you have interest in learning more about these committees, please contact Susan Boser at sboser12@gmail.com

League of Women Voters Mission

The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.

 

Climate Change is a Growing Concern

Click here to check out our new page on Climate Change under the Environmental Issues Committee tab

Community Monthly Meetings

Indiana Borough Council

Indiana County Children's Advisory Commission

Indiana County Commissioners

Indiana County NAACP

League of Women Voters Indiana County

White Township Board of Supervisors

League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania

Want to find out more about what the State League is doing and planning?

Read current and past Communicator newsletters here.

The October Communicator Spotlights Indiana County League, page 13

  • Click here to read the October Communicator

The October Communicator: Local League Member Susan Boser Elected to the State Social Policy Committee, page 8

  • Click here to read the October Communicator

Our Latest Newsletter

The 2023 Peggy Clark Grassroots Environmental Leadership Awards

The League of Women Voters of Indiana County is requesting nominations for the Peggy Clark Grassroots Environmental Leadership Award. Nominations should be submitted by April 1, 2023. This award recognizes citizens, groups, or businesses who show exemplary leadership and active participation in issues that involve protecting or preserving our environment. The award was established in honor of a longtime Indiana County grassroots environmental activist and League member and is awarded annually. There are two categories: individual and group. The nomination form for either category can be found here.
Please submit nomination to Laurie Lafontaine at lauriemlafontaine@gmail.com or send to 480 Airport Road, Indiana PA 15701. Questions, please call 724 422-3763.

PUBLIC SAFETY & GUN LEGISLATION

Susan Welsh (chair of LWVIC’s Child Advocacy Committee on
Education), Kay Smith (chair of Voter Services Committee), and Susan Boser (LWVIC’s representative to LWVPA’s Government Policy Committee) have been working together to provide sources of information on firearm law, firearm deaths, and firearms safety and control. We are not against responsible firearm ownership but are for a revaluing of public safety and public health in the face of unacceptably escalating gun deaths, gun suicides, and mass shootings. 

          Our first step in responding to local concerns about
escalating firearm violence was to seek education about gun laws and their enforcement in Pennsylvania.

          On July 20, 2022, State Trooper Clifford Greenfield gave a ZOOM presentation sponsored by the Indiana League.  His topic was “Current Gun Laws in Pennsylvania.”  Trooper Greenfield is the public information officer and community services officer for Troop A.  Links to the sources he referenced in his presentation are listed here: 

  • Title 18, Pennsylvania
    Crimes Code
    • Chapter 5, General Principles
      of Justification
    • Chapter 9, Inchoate Crimes
    • Chapter 27, Assault
    • Chapter 61, Firearms and Other
      Dangerous Articles
  • Pennsylvania State Police
    website, 
    psp.pa.gov for annual PA firearms reports.
  • Pennsylvania Office of Attorney
    General website, 
    attorneygeneral.gov for discussions of Firearms Education and Training in
    PA and Carrying Firearms in PA
  • Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
    website, 
    pa.gov  for a link to Concealed Carry Agreements
  • Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
    Firearms and Explosives website, 
    atf.gov for informative Q & A pages.

 

 

This portion of our site will expand as LWVIC expands its research into public health & safety, public policy, relevant legislation, and advocacy on this issue. 

 

FOR MORE ON LWVIC PUBLIC SAFETY & GUN LEGISLATION AND TO WATCH THE LATEST WEBINAR, CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE LWVIC GOVERNMENT AND SOCIAL POLICY PAGE

 

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: 

League of Women Voters of Indiana County (LWVIC) 

  • Child Advocacy Committee on Education 
  • Website: lwvindianacounty.org; Child Advocacy Committee 
  • Government and Social Policy  
  • Website: lwvindianacounty.org; Government & Social Policy 

 

League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania (LWVPA) 

  • Legislation Tracker- Relevant legislation  
  • Website: palwv.org; Social Issues; Legislative Tracker 
  • Gun Safety – LWVPA position 
  • Website: palwv.org; Social Issues; Gun Safety 

 

League of Women Voters of the United States (LWVUS) 

 

 INFORMATION: 

  • Cease Fire PA: ceasefirepa.org 
  • Moms Demand Action: momsdemandaction.org 
  • Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence: bradyunited.org 
  • Sandy Hook PROMISE: sandyhookpromise.org 

 

ADVOCACY: 

Local: Proposed – Second Amendment Sanctuary Ordinance 

  • Bimonthly meetings of the Indiana County Commissioners 
  • Second and Fourth Monday of each month 
  • 10:30 a.m. 
  • In-person at Indiana County Courthouse or via Zoom 
  • Indiana County Commissioners 
  • R. Michael Keith, Chairman: mkeith@indianacountypa.gov 
  • Robin Gorman: rgorman@indianacountypa.gov 
  • Sherene Hess: shess@indianacountypa.gov 

 

State  

  • For relevant legislation: Website: palwv.org; Social Issues; Legislative Tracker 
  • Elected officials 
  • Pennsylvania Senator Joe Pittman: jpittman@pasen.gov 
  • Pennsylvania Representative Jim Struzzi – 62nd Legislative District: jstruzzi@pahousegop.com 
  • Pennsylvania Representative Brian Smith – 66th Legislative District: repsmith.com 

Federal  

  • Bipartisan Safer Communities Act of 2022 
  • Summary: On June 25, 2022, the U.S. Senate and House passed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. This law addresses the rising rates of gun violence nationwide, protects our children and communities and preserves the Second Amendment. 

The zero waste approach seeks to maximize recycling, minimize waste, reduce consumption and ensures that products are made to be reused, repaired or recycled back into nature or the marketplace.

What is democracy? How can you protect democracy?

                                                    Click HERE for more information

DEI Hot Topics: The Untold Story of Women of Color in the League of Women Voters

Learn more

About the League’s DEI – Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Policy

News: League of Women Voters

From 1920 to 2022 and beyond...

Over One Hundred Years Of History

102 years and counting

League of Women Voters has a 102-year history of striving to make democracy work for all citizens. Its roots are in the suffragist movement, but it quickly moved from the enfranchisement of women to take on the issues of the day – always in a non-partisan framework supported by volunteers.

"The Fight for the Right to Vote"

This virtual presentation by The League of Women Voters of Indiana County, PA shares the story of the hard-fought campaign waged by American women for the right to vote. In addition, the LWVIC will discuss how the passage of Pennsylvania Act77 of 2019 has made voting more accessible and secure, including mail-in voting procedures.