America First Republican Club

by Hope Horning

LW contributor

The America First Republican Club will meet on Wednesday, Jan. 21, at 4:30 p.m. with members bringing their favorite item for a potluck dinner. The business meeting will start promptly at 5 p.m.

Club officers seek to have a strategic planning session where members reexamine such topics as the club mission, vision, values, core purpose, organization and operations. The last time such a meeting was conducted, the club’s name was changed to include “America First,” and the start time was also changed.

The earlier 4:30 p.m. start time made it possible for more people to attend who did not care to drive after dark or stay out too late. It also provided a social time and using name tags gave the opportunity for members to get to know more fellow members. Having the business meeting start at 5 p.m. and conclude promptly at 6, as well as having members or guest speakers, has been a hit among members.

Club officers are looking forward to learning from members what has worked, what has not worked, and what changes or new ideas members can offer.

The club’s Voter ID petition signature gathering efforts helped contribute to a record-breaking haul with more than 1 million signatures collected statewide after 90 days. This demonstrates an overwhelming and broad-based support for the Voter ID initiative. Only 874,641 valid signatures are needed to place the proposition on the 2026 statewide ballot. Proponents intend to continue to collect signatures until they reach a comfortable 1.2 million to fully ensure the measure has more than enough valid signatures to qualify. Club members will continue to collect signatures on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday in front of Clubhouse 6 from 9-11 a.m. until Feb. 6, depending on the weather and the availability of volunteers. Residents are encouraged to stop by and sign the petition.