CALENDAR
March 20, 2024, A Conversation on Menstrual Equity, Via Zoom 7:30 PM PM
PRESIDENTS’ MESSAGE
Our March program will feature “A Conversation on Menstrual Equity”. Our member Laurie Kahn, Advocacy Vice-President` of the National Council of Jewish Women and Ruth Ross, National Council of Jewish Women, Essex County, Committee member of the Period Project and Eiko La Boria, Founder of the Flow Initiative (and a League member) will discuss what is being done to address issues related to menstrual equity. Since 2016 NCJW has worked towards alleviating period poverty by supplying more than one million products to food pantries, houses of worship and local agencies. They are raising awareness and educating the public about the barriers and stigma that menstruating people face in obtaining supplies as many cannot afford or access the products they need. The NCJW along with other partners helped successfully pass a bill that would require school districts to supply menstrual products in grades 6-12.This is an opportunity to learn more about this issue which is not always discussed. The link for the Zoom meeting which will be at 7:30 on March 20, is as follows:
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 853 6104 6947
Passcode: 082573
To celebrate Earth Month on April 17, 2024, Sally Rubin, Director of the Great Swamp Watershed Association, has agreed to speak at our meeting about this valuable local natural resource. Please come to hear more about the Great Swamp. Additional details will be provided.
Why Voting Matters Initiative
Amy Ipp and Robin Weiss attended and assisted at a presentation on the importance of voting organized by the League of Women Voters of the Montclair area to Juniors at St. Benedict’s Preparatory School in Newark. Students learned about elections, participated in a mock debate and many registered to vote. We will replicate this program at Livingston High School on April 17th. Our student members will be taking the lead. We would also like to bring this program to the Newark Academy and to the Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy as part of the “Energizing Young Voters” initiative of the LWVNJ, April 14th to April 20th. Please let us know whether you have any contacts at either of these schools.
Membership
Please remember to renew your membership if you have not already done so. You can fill out
membership forms and pay online this year. You will still be able to submit checks if you wish. Please contact us if you wish to pay by check or are unable to connect to our website:
Voter Service
On March 1st, Amy Ipp, Judith Friedman, Gloria Friedman, Joan Balash and Laurie Babij participated in the “Social Justice Day” at Caldwell University where we provided voter information and registered voters. Amy Ipp, Robin Weiss and Judith Friedman registered voters at a National Council of Jewish Women Event on March 5.
From LWVNJ
The New Jersey Senate is fast-tracking a just introduced bill (S2930) that guts the Open Public Records Act and we need you to help stop it!
The Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee is scheduled to hear the bill this Monday, March 11. The bill creates unnecessary hurdles to access public records, limiting the public's ability to hold government accountable. Among other things, the bill:
Exempts email and call logs, while also making it incredibly difficult to request any emails at all
Guts fee-shifting making it difficult for the public and even the media to sue to gain access to records
Sets up additional unnecessary hurdles for the public to request documents or receive them in their requested formats
Creates a vague and subjective "harassment" loophole that will lead to unreasonable redactions and request denials
Establishes an unbalanced task force charged with examining public access to police records without meaningful community or stakeholder engagement
Stand up for transparency and urge your Senator to vote NO on S2930!
Not only are the attacks on the Open Public Records Act being fast-tracked through the Senate, but the bill is now scheduled for a committee voting session in the Assembly State and Local Government Committee on Monday as well.
The bills are scheduled to be heard at the same time - 10am on Monday 3/11.
Please send an email today to urge State Assemblymembers and State Senator to vote NO on A4045/S2930. Say no to this anti-transparency legislation! If you can, please plan to attend a committee hearing on Monday to testify against this legislation.
Election Information
Important Dates/Deadlines:
April 10, 2024 – Affiliation Change Deadline
High School voter registration week: 4/14/24 through 4/20/24
May 14, 2024 – Voter Registration Deadline
May 28, 2024 – Vote-By-Mail Application Deadline (by mail)
June 3, 2024 – Vote-By-Mail Application Deadline (in-person)
May 29 - June 2. 2024 – Early Voting
June 4, 2024 – Primary Election Day
Thank You
Thank you to Patricia Russo for leading the Campaign School at Yale’s program on “The Basics” on How to Run for Elected Office on February 3. It was well attended and very well received. Thanks, Patti, for donating your time and the proceeds from the registration fees to our League and to the League of Women Voters of Montclair. A big thank you to our members Commissioner Patricia Sebold and Assemblywoman Rosy Bagolie for speaking so eloquently at this event.
Thank you to all of our members and friends who donated to the LWVNJ fundraising campaign in February. The Livingston League placed Eighth of all of the chapters in the state and we will receive 20% of the proceeds.
Condolences
We regret to inform you of the untimely death of our former Membership Chair, Robbie Blitz on February 18, 2024. We offer condolences to her husband Paul Erdheim and to her daughters Sami, Hannah and Lexi.
Treasurers Report
The closing balance on our checking account was $4,334.00 on February 26, 2024.
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