League of Women Voters Linn County

Do you want to learn more about how government works? Check out Byte-Sized Civics, the new short video series from the Center for Cyclone Civics. Byte-Sized Civics is a collaboration between the Center for Cyclone Civics and ISU Extension and Outreach.

Watch the videos below or on the center’s YouTube channel.
https://youtube.com/?si=Q_oz3pVwoQacwg-o

https://cyclonecivics.iastate.edu/extension/

Extension – Center for Cyclone Civics Cyclone Civics is working with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach to develop civic education and free expression programming appropriate for Iowa communities.

Attending the League of Women Voters of Iowa State Council meeting at the beautiful Reiman Gardens! A great tone listening to leagues around the state and The Citizens’ Handbook authors Dr. Shaw and Clair Lewis.

Co-Chairs Marti Hurst and Trude Eliott hosted the Mount Vernon/Lisbon League of Women Voters - Unit of Cedar Rapids/Marion Annual Member Meeting! Speakers included LWV Linn County President Bre Oxley and Cornell College Associate Professor Megan Goldberg.

Congratulations to our newly elected LWV Linn County President Bre Oxley! Be on the look out for introductions to the rest of our newly elected board!

Thank you to our members that attended our annual meeting last week!

We had a great event at Coe College and hearing from the History Center’s Tara Templeton on women’s suffrage and the Cedar Rapids Public Library!

Congratulations to the 2026 Jean Oxley Service Award recipient Libby Slappey! Libby has done incredible work in Linn County and the league thanks her for her service!

Come join us for a Diplomacy Simulation on May 4!

This event is curated for a multigenerational audience of teens and adults. Participants are invited to connect with a deeper understanding of diplomacy together.

In this hypothetical simulation, patrons will take on the roles of the U.S. Department of State and other key stakeholders as they negotiate to resolve this crisis in our oceans. The exercise will develop skills in critical thinking, collaboration, problem-solving, communication, and global competence.

Learn more here: https://hiawathapubliclibrary.libnet.info/event/16276177

Belva Lockwood didn't just break the glass ceiling; she took it all the way to the Supreme Court. After forcing Congress to allow women to argue before the nation's highest court, she decided that if she couldn't vote, she would simply run for President instead. Her audacious 1884 and 1888 presidential campaigns paved the way for every woman who has sought high office since.

Matilda Joslyn Gage was the radical conscience of the early suffrage movement. While others focused solely on the vote, Gage was fighting for the separation of church and state, documenting the erasure of female scientists, and advocating for Native American sovereignty. Because she refused to compromise her sweeping vision for human rights, history often overlooked her—until now.

Communication is the lifeblood of any political movement, and Clara Bewick Colby understood that perfectly. By founding The Woman's Tribune in the Midwest, she ensured suffragists had a reliable platform to share strategies, news, and encouragement. Her pioneering journalism proved that the press is a powerful weapon in the fight for equality.