Volume 76, Number 2 | May 2025 | MAY MEETING
Saturday, May 3rd, 2025 | 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m.
Shawnee Mission Unitarian Universalist Church
9400 Pflumm Rd, Lenexa, KS 66215
Our May program will address Affordable Housing in Johnson County. We will welcome three panelists to share information and insights on this important topic:
- Megan Foreman serves as the Johnson County Housing Coordinator.
- Kristy Baughman is the Executive Director of the United Services of Johnson County, a nonprofit organization,
- Jon Birkel is the Director of Residential Development for Hunt Midwest.
We look forward to your participation as we consider this timely issue.
The SMUUCh FUUD Pantry always appreciates our donations of non-perishable food. Thank you!
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| LWVJoCo: Speaking Out & Making an Impact
Many members attended the protests in Topeka and around Kansas City on April 5th which was a part of the larger national protests held around the country.
JoCo League members also gathered at Mur-Len and Santa Fe streets on April 15th. The goal was to continue encouraging the public to take action on the issues they’re passionate about and to speak up for their democratic rights. Passing motorists responded with honks of support.
On April 22nd, volunteers helped new citizens following their Naturalization Ceremony in Wyandotte County and helped them find the tools to exercise their right to vote!
We love sharing photos of you participating in current events! Please send any event photos you would like shared with the League to communications@lwvjoco.org | _________________________________
| LWV Declares United States
in a “Constitutional Crisis,”
Announces New Initiative to Mobilize Voters
In a press release on April 17, 2025, Celina Stewart, CEO of the League of Women Voters, and Dianna Wynn, president of the League of Women Voters, released the following statement:
“It has now been 87 days since the start of the Trump administration. From the flagrant disregard for congressional authority and governmental checks and balances to defying Supreme Court orders to bring Kilmar Abrego Garcia back home, one thing is abundantly clear: our country is in a constitutional crisis.
We the people must fight back. That is why the League of Women Voters is launching a powerful new initiative, Unite and Rise 8.5. Unite and Rise 8.5 will engage and mobilize 8.5 million voters between now and November 2026 to protect and preserve our democratic institutions.
The foundational principles that have sustained our democracy — checks and balances, the rule of law, free and fair elections — are under direct and sustained threat. In this extraordinary moment, we cannot proceed with business as usual. All Americans — no matter who you voted for in 2024 — need to come together, stand united, and fight back to save our democracy. We cannot afford to fail the generations to come.”
Starting May 1, the League will launch the Unite and Rise 8.5 initiative, which aims to mobilize 8.5 million voters using the power of voter engagement as a cornerstone of our democracy. Unite and Rise 8.5 will showcase the many ways voters can drive change, including through advocacy, mobilization, civic education, and engagement. The initiative is part of LWV’s Women Defend Democracy campaign
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Join Us for a Fun Summer Picnic!
Mark your calendars for a fun summer evening full of good food and good company! We will gather at the Patio Shelter at Antioch Park to celebrate the sunny season together.
📅 Date: Thursday, June 5th
⏰ Time: 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
📍 Location: Antioch Park, Patio Shelter | 6501 Antioch Rd. | Merriam, KS
Check out this map of the park to find the Patio Shelter, located off the Administration Offices.
Please register, so we know how much food is needed: RSVP HERE
| | Observer Corps Report
The Observer Corps has open spots for the Board of County Commissioners, JCCC Board of Trustees, Olathe School Board, JOCO Parks & Rec Board, Olathe city council, and Lenexa City Council. Email observercorps@lwvjoco.org if you can help!
| | | PRESIDENTIAL UPDATE
The LWVJoCo’s April 5th meeting was very informative and well attended. All of us learned a great deal about Property Taxes from the panel of speakers and how different levels of government (city, county, state) impact and are impacted by the Property Taxes we pay. Please plan to attend the May 3rd meeting on Affordable Housing and invite others you know (especially young adults) to learn more about this critical topic in Johnson County.
A round of applause for the nine LWVJoCo Board of Directors who began their new terms of office (8) or continued their terms (1) on April 1, 2025. Except for the office of Treasurer, all were elected by the members at the March Annual meeting.
Five members of our local league participated in the League of Women Voters of Kansas 76th Biennial Convention held April 26 in Salina, KS with the title “Kansas Women Defend Democracy”. The morning keynote speaker presented issues related to youth justice, criminal justice, and child welfare. The afternoon one described the KS Woman Suffrage Movement and the new mural of “Rebel Women” at the State Capitol. New Officers for the KS Board of Directors were elected.
Congratulations to our League members who organized and participated in our recent protest on April 15 in Olathe to speak up for our democratic rights. Four more protests are scheduled in the next couple of months. Be sure to write/call your Congressional reps to voice what you want to say.
I want to welcome all our new members, especially those who have joined in the last 6 months, and encourage you to reach out to one or more of our teams (Membership, Voter Information, Voter Registration, Observer Corps, Speakers Bureau, etc.) and get involved; it’s good for you and for us. Additionally, I want to encourage members who have been with our league for many years to also reach out, because often we simply need small or easy tasks to be done, and we can use your experience and/or skill.
I extend my personal thanks as President to Alice Pierson and Erica Simon (who are new members and the newest members of the Communications team) for taking over putting out THE VOTER so Diana Carney could “retire” as Chair. I join with them (see a later article) in thanking Diana for her service and I also appreciate very much the other members of the Communications team for what they do to “get the word out”.
Harry Bognich
president@lwvjoco.org
| Reminder about New LWVUS Dues Payment
Here's a friendly reminder that your membership dues are now being managed by the LWVUS. Please note that dues have increased to $75 per year. You will receive a reminder from LWVUS 60 and 30 days prior to your expiration date, which has not changed. Please pay attention to your spam folder for this communication.
At any time, you can check the portal https://portal.lwv.org to access your account or to create one if you are not yet a member.
Please contact membership@lwvjoco.org with questions about the new portal or your dues.
| Thank you Diana!
As the newest members of the Communications team, we want to say thank you to Diana Carney for faithfully updating and sending out the Voter newsletter for the past 6 years! She was extremely gracious in her help to get us going on this latest addition. Her work to make sure we are all up to date has been vital to our league.
Thank you Diana!
-Erica Simon & Alice Pierson | | |
Help Needed to Assemble the League’s Annual Report
The League of Women Voters of Johnson County assembles an annual report each year. We are looking for help with the following tasks:
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We would meet with you to discuss what we like and don’t like about our current Annual Report and provide sample annual report examples.
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You would provide ideas on how to design our annual report and postcard.
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We would approve your designs and you would create the final documents.
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You would create the final documents from the content that we provide.
The timeframe:
Complete tasks 1 and 2 during April
Complete tasks 3 and 4 early in May
If you are interested please contact Ruth Cain at president@lwvjoco.org.
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