News Releases

Who is Running for Governor?

Find out who is running for governor and their answers to three specific questions. You can also access similar candidate information sheets on the State Representative races for our District 79, District 78 and District 59 and the Senatorial District 21 race. All are available on the League of Women Voters of Michigan website.

There are some interesting races because of term limits. Unable to run again are Governor Jennifer Granholm, with seven men vying to take her place, the incumbent State Senator Ron Jelinek and John Proos, State Rep in District 79. However, John Proos can move up to the Senate, which is what he wants to do and five candidates want to take his place in District 79. See the candidate Forum information below.

LWVBCC/YWCA of Berrien County District 79 Forum for Primary Candidates Thursday, July 22--Consider all your options!

The League of Women Voters of Berrien and Cass Counties and the YWCA of Berrien County are co-sponsoring an opportunity for citizens to evaluate the Democratic and Republican candidates for the State Representative seat from the 79th  Legislative District. 

On Thursday, July 22 at the Saint Joseph Public Library, citizens can listen as candidates introduce themselves, take questions developed by the League and the YWCA, and then respond to written questions presented from the audience.  Starting at 6:45pm, the Republican candidates, Bruce Gorenflo, Paul Peterson and Al Pscholka will respond with their perspectives on a number of issues relating to the State of Michigan and District 79.  This will be followed by the Democratic candidates, Mary Brown and Julee Laurent, at 8:15.  The forum will end at 9:30pm.       

READ ABOUT WHAT THE CANDIDATES SAID IN THE SATURDAY, JULY 24 HERALD PALLADIUM.

LWVBCC Transitions to New Leadership at Annual Meeting

The League of Women Voters of Berrien and Cass Counties elected new board members and changed leadership in the basement of Orchard Hills Country Club in Buchanan the evening of June 23.  With tornado and severe thunderstorm warnings in effect, the almost 50 members and guests present moved the 53rd Annual Meeting of the League from the comfortable dining room to the basement to finish its most important business –the leadership transition. 

Susan Gilbert, president for four years and co-president for one year and co-president Darlene Heemstra passed the baton to new co-presidents Elizabeth Ennis of New Buffalo and Diane DeWitt of Galien.   Ms. Ennis commented on the highly qualified and diverse membership of the new 11-member board.

Guest speaker Rachel Wade, Community Impact Director for the United Way of Southwest Michigan, was the guest speaker and after her speech joined members in the basement.  Her topic was "The Case for Kids: The Economic Implications of Not Investing in Our Children."

The Candidates on Parade!

Three Oaks was the place to be on Sunday afternoon, June 13 for the big Flag Day parade. With the primary election coming up on August 3, many of the candidates in contested elections were marching in the parade. See them all in the "Candidates on Parade" photo album on the Recent Updates page!

Editorial on Michigan Prison Downsizing

The editorial in the Michigan edition of the June 14 South Bend Tribune points out that Michigan has more people in prison for longer than most states and at a higher cost and encourages state leaders to continue with efforts to downsize the prison population and rein in prison costs. Read the whole editorial.

The League of Women Voters of Michigan and the local Michigan Leagues have just completed a review of the LWVMI prison position, so many League members are particularly interested in the subject of prisons.

Voter Registration and Absentee Ballot Deadlines for August 3 Primary

July 6 is the deadline to register to vote if you want to vote in the August 3 primary. If you want to have the option to vote be sure you are registered at your current address. You can register at a Secretary of State's office or at your local municipal office.

July 31 at 2:00 p.m. is last day for voters to request an absentee ballot by mail. You can request an absentee ballot in person from your clerk's office until 4:00 p.m. August 2. Those requesting absentee ballots on August 2 must complete them in the clerk's office.

The League Supports Making Voting More Convenient!

Voting should be made easier and more convenient to increase citizen participation in the electoral process. More and more states, approximately 38 to be more precise, have adopted no excuse absentee voting and various methods of early voting. Michigan has not. There have been a number of bills pass the House, but there has been no action on them to date in the Senate.

The most significant bill allows for no excuse absentee voting. Currently you can only request an absentee ballot if you will be out of town on election day, you are physically unable to vote alone, you are 60 years old or older, your religious beliefs conflict, you are working as a poll worker in another precinct, or you are confined in jail awaiting arraignment or trial. In real life, many people vote absentee who do not qualify under any of the above “excuses.” Currently about 30% of the votes cast are by absentee ballot. Of the three Berrien and Cass state legislators, Matt Lori and Sharon Tyler voted in favor of the no excuse absentee voting bill and John Proos voted against it.

The League of Women Voters of the US Celebrates 90th Anniversary in 2010

The League was formed in 1920 by suffragists as a "mighty politcal experiment designed to help 20 million women carry out their new responsibilities as voters." Carrie Chapman Catt was a suffragette and a a founder of the League. She was widowed as a young woman and actually had to work for a living. That experience taught her a lot about the role of women in the power structure and she evolved into one of the leading suffragettes of her day (after she remarried!). A remarkable picture shows her leading a march in New York in 1917. Click on the link below to see the picture. She is the lady in white in the center. She was a formidable woman, to put it mildly. She didn't quit after the prize was won, but went on to help found the League of Women Voters.

LWVUS historic images

Watching How Your Federal Tax Dollars Are Spent

There are two websites that allow taxpayers to follow how their tax dollars are spent. Rolled out in December 2007, usaspending.gov is a searchable website for all federal contracts and grants over $25,000. A growing number of states are implementing similar websites for state expenses.

Then this February the Obama administration launched recovery.gov to track money spent in the federal stimulus package. Michigan has just implemented a website to inform residents of where stimulus money is going in our state. The Michigan Recovery & Reinvestment Plan can be found at michigan.gov/recovery.

The Your Government Officials contact information list is current and provides an easy and convenient way for you to contact your elected officials. Where e-mail addresses are available the links are live, so just click to send a message to the official of your choice. The list is available by clicking the Your Government Officials tab above.

The League encourages citizens to contact their Michigan government officials with their questions, concerns and suggestions. To help you and to understand better conditions in the state your representatives need to hear from you. The live links make it easy!