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Date: 2/2/2021
Subject: The VOTER Newsletter - February 2021
From: LWV of Johnson County




February Meeting - See You Online!
 
Feb 2021 gerrymandering
 
 How do we ensure equal voting rights for all voters?
 Eliminating gerrymandering is crucial. It undermines our democracy by allowing officials to select their voters, rather than voters electing their officials. Join us for a discussion about fair districting efforts in the Kansas legislature as well as LWV's efforts nationwide. 
 
 Moderator: Member Cathy Matlack
 Panelists:
  • Sheryl Spalding, former Republican member of the Kansas House of Representatives
  • Brett Parker, Democratic member of the Kansas House of Representatives
  • Demetrius Fisher, campaign manager, People Powered Fair Maps, League of Women Voters
  • Dagney Velazquez, Mathematics Professor, Kansas City Kansas Community College

DEI Joins Nonpartisanship as LWV Tenet

For 100 years, the hallmark of the League of Women Voters of the United States (LWVUS) was its commitment to nonpartisanship. In LWVUS’ bylaws, after the organization’s name and purpose, the sole policy listed was: “The League shall not support or oppose any political party or any candidate.” 

In June 2020, at the League of Women Voters national convention, delegates voted to amend our bylaws to codify our commitment to DEI throughout the organization. The following policy was added: “The League is fully committed to ensure compliance - in principle and in practice - with LWVUS' Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Policy.

For the next 100 years and beyond, our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) will sit alongside nonpartisanship as a foundational value of our organization.

Article 1 of our bylaws states that “LWVJoCo is an integral part of the League of Women Voters of the United States.” Our bylaws may not conflict with the national bylaws. A change in Articles 1, II or III of LWVUS’ bylaws does not require any action or vote by our local League. As emphasized in LWVUS’ November 2020 webinar, such bylaw changes automatically replace previous text. You can see the DEI policy reflected in LWVJoCo’s updated bylaws on our website.

From its beginning, the League was nonpartisan in principle and practice. That has not been the case with diversity, equity and inclusion. Changing bylaws does not in any way alleviate the pain and suffering caused by decades of discrimination and systemic racism perpetuated by our country and organizations like ours. Instead, it is a small but important step in LWVJoCo’s mission to imbed DEI in our culture.  

Amber Stenger and Ellen Miller, Co-Presidents

 


What’s Your Job?

January means it’s time to start making phone calls and sending emails. The recipients? Our Kansas legislators. In January, the LWVJoCo board finalized our top legislative priorities for the 2021 session. All four dovetail with LWV positions at the local, state or national levels. 

  • Expand Medicaid coverage (cover 150,000 more Kansans). Despite getting close in 2020, this legislation is still pending. If approved, it would create jobs, bring millions of Kansas tax dollars back to the state and protect rural hospitals. We will work with LWVK and the Alliance for a Healthy Kansas https://www.expandkancare.com/ on expanding Medicaid coverage.  

  • “People Powered Fair Maps” (fight gerrymandering).  This LWVUS initiative seeks maps that fairly represent all voters. By law, states must revise congressional and other districts using 2020 census data. In Kansas, it’s the legislature’s responsibility. Too often, partisan control of that process has negated votes. Working with LWVK, member Connie Taylor has drawn up a field map for JoCo’s action.

  • National Popular Vote for President (abolish the Electoral College). Currently it takes 270 Electoral College votes to choose a President. Instead, every voter’s ballot for president should count, not state rules that dictate how its members of the Electoral College vote.

  • Government transparency (hold officials accountable for votes and actions). Needed steps include disallowing anonymous bills, recording all committee votes and empowering the entire House and Senate – not just the leaders -- to vote on committee rules.

Where do you fit in? Watch for LWVJoCo alerts. Call or email your legislators. Be sure to say you’re a constituent! When we don’t speak up, officials say, “Nobody cares!” 

Did you miss the Advocacy Workshop?

You can watch a recording here

 Whether you are new to advocacy or have your legislators saved to your contacts, get tips and suggestions about getting your message across effectively.
 
During this workshop, Carrie Lancaster, LWV of Kansas Advocacy Chair, shared practical strategies. Kansas Representative Susan Ruiz and former Kansas Senator John Skubal provided perspective on what works and what doesn't from their experience in the legislature.
A few more tools that may help you in your advocacy efforts:

📣 Position statements:

League of Women Voters (LWV) of Johnson County

LWV of Kansas

LWV of the United States

📣 Kansas Legislature website

📣 Link to submit a letter to the editor to the Kansas City Star

📣 How a Bill Becomes a Law

📣 A Shy Person's Guide to Calling Your Rep

📣 LWVK's Policy Watch legislative updates, legislative priorities and Observer Corps form


Not Your Mother’s Annual Meeting!

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed so much. That includes how LWVJoCo will conduct its first-ever virtual annual meeting on Saturday, March 6. The accompanying annual report will be different, too.

For 2021, sorry, but no yummy breakfast, no in-person chats, no pretty table decorations. Also, no printed annual report waiting on your chair. 

But fear not; many annual meeting features will be the same:

  • An important keynote address. This year nationally recognized former Johnson County Election Commissioner Connie Schmidt will discuss the importance of fair and secure elections 

  • Information on all voteable items will go to members by 2/12/21 

  • The business meeting will propose the slate of nominations and the FY2021-22 budget to members

  • Exceptional members will receive awards recognizing their contributions

What’s different? The annual meeting will be conducted by Zoom, using the chat box to pose member questions and polls to cast votes.  Members may participate via computer or audio/telephone. To assure meeting safety, members must register ahead of time.

Three weeks before the annual meeting, members will receive a digital annual report emailed as a pdf. A printed version will be mailed at the same time to our 15 or so members lacking web access (they also get the VOTER by mail). Members can review the report at their leisure, preparing comments or questions. The annual report will be shorter than last year’s 60 pages due to using a mix of text and online links to lengthy sections. 

Yes, change happens whether we like it or not. One plus: Using virtual technology means that for the first time, “home alone” members can ask questions and vote on decisions that will frame LWVJoCo’s work in 2021. We look forward to seeing you on Saturday, March 6.

 

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT IN SCHOOL:  AN OPPORTUNITY FOR TEACHERS

Over the years LWVJoCo has worked to engage high school students in meaningful ways. Today we are excited about this opportunity to enlist the help of teachers in our endeavor.

Case Method Institute for Education and Democracy

In 2015, Harvard Business School launched the Case Method Project, a unique pilot that aimed to discover whether the case method might enable high school students to train for active citizenship in the same way MBA candidates train for leadership in business. 

Over the next five years, the Project worked with hundreds of high school teachers across the country to incorporate cases from the popular Harvard course, “History of American Democracy,” into their U.S. history, government, and civics classes. 

Having reached more than 30,000 high school students nationwide, the project documented extraordinary results across the full spectrum of schools and classrooms, including improvements in students’ critical thinking, their retention and understanding of course material, and—perhaps most striking of all—their civic interest, knowledge, and engagement. 

Since 2019, over 60 League chapters in 28 states have nominated nearly 100 teachers to take part in this project. Together, we have reached thousands of high-school students and members of the broader community with Harvard case studies and rich discussions exploring critical moments in the history of our shared democracy.

This unique and exciting program includes: 

  • An afternoon of live, online training with Harvard Business School Professor David Moss on Saturday, April 3, including an interactive case discussion.

  • A full curriculum of Harvard cases free of cost from “History of American Democracy.”

  • An 8-hour asynchronous training program where participants will become familiar with case method teaching.

  • A certificate from the Institute detailing 32 hours of professional development.

If you have in your mind right now an enthusiastic, impactful high school social science teacher, contact Candy Birch (candylwv@yahoo.com) to learn more or to nominate a teacher who might be interested in this exciting FREE professional training. We can nominate as many worthy candidates as we want.

▶ News & Videos - Case Method Project - Harvard Business School (hbs.edu)

Making History More Relevant, One Case At A Time (wgbh.org)

Submitted by Candy Birch

Annual Planning Meeting Wrap-up

Members set the course for 2021

 Once again, members provided outstanding ideas and comments during the annual planning session held virtually for the first time on Jan. 9. Nearly 80 people joined us to contribute suggestions for the organization in our next fiscal year, which begins April 1. 

Members broke into small groups to discuss what the League's role should be given the events of the past year, and how the League can infuse diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) throughout the organization. Take a look at the array of comments offered during the breakout sessions here.

During the meeting, members were asked to weigh in on program topics as well. Here are the survey results. The board will use these ideas in creating our program lineup in 2021.

In addition, members had the opportunity to ask the League board several questions including:

  • The upcoming 2021 Charter Commission’s work and maintaining nonpartisan elections for the Board of County Commissioners (the League position is that this should remain nonpartisan)

  • Whether municipalities using Home Rule might increase voter turnout

  • What presentation topics our Speakers Bureau offers

  • How the League can build awareness of its positions (Members are welcome to share these as they are public information.) 

A later emailed question addressed disinformation and unfair treatment of nonwhite voters and protesters. We continue to take direction from the national League on these important national issues, and LWVUS regularly addresses them through press releases and statements, blog posts and educational opportunities for members. On the local level, LWVJoCo will continue working with Mainstream Coalition, the Johnson County Latina Leadership Network, DotteVotes, NAACP, and other groups in Johnson and Wyandotte counties. We’re delighted that former Johnson County Election Commissioner Connie Schmidt will address safeguarding our elections as our keynote speaker during our annual meeting on March 6.

Thank you to everyone who participated and contributed their ideas. Special thanks for technical help goes to Marsha Ratzel, Danielle Keller and Deb Scott and to the rest of the board for facilitating the two breakout sessions. Members’ contributions during our 2021 planning session will guide the board throughout the year.


 

Another Honor For Wandra Minor

“Volunteer extraordinaire” says it all about Wandra Minor. Just a few of her community activities include registering voters, working political campaigns and increasing civil rights awareness.

Recently, Wandra was the first African American to receive the Johnson County Bar Association’s Liberty Bell award. Outgoing Bar Association president Kevin Breer cited her work with the county’s law enforcement agencies and the judicial justice system. Her involvement includes several community forums, law enforcement events and bridging partnerships with non-partisan organizations. She’s served as a board member of the Johnson County Adult and Juvenile Correction Committee and the DMC (Disproportion Minority Committee) Subcommittee. 

An active member of Oak Ridge Missionary Baptist church, Wandra is past president of the Johnson County NAACP. She has received NAACP leadership awards at the local, regional and national levels. Married 52 years, Walter and Wandra Minor live in Shawnee.

LWVJoCo thanks Wandra for her long-time community service. She truly goes “The Extra Mile,” year in and out. For details about her other activities, see her “Member Spotlight” here.

 
 

Nancy Allen

Isabelle Frankel

Constance Hays

Janet Novin-Casey


Observer Corps Reports

Catch up on the actions, decisions and proposals of our local public officials. 

Read the latest summaries by League members who attend several public meetings in our area.

Board and Committee Briefs

⚖️ New Criminal Justice position: A team of League members throughout Kansas worked together to update our 1972 Adult Corrections criminal justice position. You can review the current position here, and the proposed update here. The state League will be reviewing comments from members about the proposed update before deciding to bring it to a vote at the state annual meeting in April. Please send any comments you have about the updated position to jocoleague@gmail.com before February 8.

For additional information, review the article in January's VOTER newsletter.


🗳️ Redistricting update: Connie Taylor will lead LWVJoCo’s efforts to make sure voters retain fair representation when the Kansas Legislature draws new district maps in 2022. As our Redistricting Champion, Connie will work with other Leagues throughout the state as well as community partners to educate voters about the importance of redistricting and coordinate our actions. Contact Connie if you are interested in working on this important issue.


✔️ What’s happening at the legislature? Longtime political analyst Paul Johnson writes Policy Watch Weekly Update during the legislative session. Find it here! Along with LWVK testimony, Action Alerts, resources, and Legislative Observer Corps reports.Stay abreast of all that’s happening during the session. 


♀️ Turning Point Suffragist Memorial update: Progress continues on the women’s suffrage national memorial, to which LWVJoCo donated $1,000 from the proceeds of our local 19th Amendment centennial celebration in 2020. The memorial will include part of the fence that was outside the White House during the days of the Silent Sentinels. Watch this 6-minute video or this 12-minute video to learn more.


📰 LWV of Kansas news: Read about latest work of Leagues throughout the state in the latest issue of LWVK’s VOTER Notes newsletter.

 
🗳️ “Vote Anywhere” Law:  As it stands, the “Vote Anywhere” law, passed in 2019, would not be implemented until 2023, because current law dictates that Secretary of State Schwab must adopt the rules and regulations for this law before it becomes practice.Those rules are undergoing a 60-day public comment period. The rules will then be subject to a public hearing before being finalized. The deadline for written comments is by noon Tuesday, Feb. 16 to  
garrett.roe@ks.govRead more here and here.

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