Dear editor, 

Jan. 3, 2019, marks the beginning of the new Congress, and the League of Women Voters (LWV) is proud to support the first piece of legislation introduced in the House — HR1 — a bill called For The People Act, that stands to improve American elections by making them more free, more fair, and more accessible to all eligible Americans.

HR1 includes comprehensive reforms, such as restoring the Voting Rights Act, improving Automatic Voter Registration, creating a public financing system through small donor matching funds, overturning Citizens United, ending partisan gerrymandering, and more. More information can be found at www.lwv.org/blog (4 key elements of HR1).

The League (LWVUS) worked behind the scenes to influence the language of this legislation, including a push to include Same Day Registration. This bill will make our elections fairer and put the power back into the hands of the American people. This bill deserves bipartisan support. More information can be found at https://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog (same day registration with HR1).

LWVUS is asking all of our members and supporters to visit the website www.ofa.us or call their representative and ask him to vote Yes for HR1. Our District 1 representative is Dr. Roger Marshall. When you call his staff will answer. The number to call is 202-225-2715. Please, tell them your name, that you are a voter in their district, and why you are calling. 

It is important to educate ourselves about issues that affect all of us and contact our legislators so they know how we feel. They may need to be reminded that they represent the voters.

Janice Walker

Great Bend

LWV member

Rebecca Dudrey

Great Bend

President LWV