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Date: 3/30/2021
Subject: The VOTER Newsletter - April 2021
From: LWV of Johnson County




Equal Opportunity Housing

Improving Equity of the Housing Market in Johnson County

 

The League of Women Voters of Johnson County supports safe, affordable housing for people of all income levels. The availability of such housing within the county is integral to individual and community well-being.

Join us on Thursday, April 8 at 6 pm to learn about the Johnson County Municipalities Community Housing Study. Panel members from the Johnson County Health Equity Network and United Community Services will drill down on the complexities of overcoming barriers and present opportunities for making Johnson County a welcoming place for all.

 Register now.


 Making Sure People’s Votes Do Matter

As Leaguers, we know that there are all kinds of tools in the voter suppression toolbox that actively thwart citizens in their efforts to cast their ballots and to make those votes count equally.

Gerrymandering is one such tool that undermines representative democracy by allowing officials to select their voters rather than voters to elect their officials. The two main forms are racial, the intentional manipulation of the redistricting process to reduce the political power of a certain racial group, and political, the intentional manipulation of the redistricting process to favor one political party over another. (To learn more about redistricting, watch our February program.)

This year, states will be drawing their district maps using the 2020 Census data (which is not expected to be final until July at the earliest). The new districts will stand for the next decade, until the process is repeated after the 2030 Census.

Take Part in LWVK’s Week of Action

Leagues throughout the nation will be hosting events on April 29, People Powered Fair Maps™ (PPFM) Day of Action, to shine a light on the redistricting process and demand fair maps,

Both the Kansas and the Johnson County Leagues have made redistricting and fair representation a priority. Members from Leagues throughout the state are working diligently to create a strategy for us to work in concert and with partners to educate voters about the importance of redistricting and advocate for the establishment of an independent redistricting commission to oversee the process. 

Thanks to the efforts of LWVJoCo’s Redistricting Champion Connie Taylor and many other League members throughout the state, Kansas will have a PPFM Week of Action, April 24-29. The Week of Action will kick off at the LWVK State Convention with the premiere of the first of three videos LWVK plans to create to educate voters about redistricting.

Other events planned for the week include a discussion with the creator of “The Line in the Street,” social media activism and a coordinated email/letter-writing campaign to state legislators. Keep apprised of all of the events throughout the week on our website.

Our job as League members is to help the fair maps snowball grow and gather speed. This is where you come in. It will take all of us to make sure fair district maps are a goal for each elected official at the state level. Take part in one or all of the events planned during our Week of Action, tell a friend about our Week of Action, talk to a coworker about how redistricting can be used to silence a group of voters, or email your state representatives to tell them why this is important. 

Do all you can to ensure that every vote matters equally.

Amber Stenger, President


 

Above & Beyond Awards

 

Three members who have provided exceptional leadership and service over the past few years were honored with the Above & Beyond Award at our annual meeting in March. Their tireless efforts have made our organization more effective in reaching, educating and informing voters. 

 Anita Kaiser has served nine years on this board, all but one of them as our treasurer. This past year she served as Membership Chair. Besides being the organization’s financial steward, she was a key player in selecting and implementing Club Express, our cloud-based membership management system. And this past year, she provided the five years of financial data needed for our application for tax-deductible IRS 501(c)(3) status.

Anita Kaiser

Mary Lou Jaramillo and Dr. Ann Sanders became LWVJoCo’s first DEI co-chairs two years ago, accepting LWVUS’ challenge to every local and state League to launch a diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiative. In this new board-level position, they designed and implemented Phase 1 of this vital initiative through a careful process using the “leaders of leaders” training model. Today, the 12-person Phase 2 Planning Team is crafting a proposal to build on the foundation they created to embed DEI in our League’s culture.
Mary Lou Jaramillo and Dr. Ann Sanders   
Congratulations to Anita, Mary Lou and Ann.

Thank you for your incredible contributions to our League.

 


Legislative Coffees
 
 Discover what's percolating in the Kansas Legislature. Representatives and senators in Johnson County will discuss the new legislative session with constituents, followed by Q&A. You bring the questions! This series is presented in partnership with the Johnson County Library. See below for the elected officials attending each session.

This program will be hosted using the meeting software Zoom. A Johnson County Library staff member will contact registrants via the email you registered with the day of the program with instructions on how to access the Zoom meeting. You do not need to download any software or create an account.
 
Register using the links below.
 
April 3
Senator Ethan Corson, District 7
Representative Linda Featherston, District 16
Representative Lindsay Vaughn, District 22
Representative Jarrod Ousley, District 24
 
April 10
Representative Stephanie Clayton, District 19
Representative Jerry Stogsdill, District 21
Representative Jennifer Day, District 48

After registering, you will receive an email on the day of the event containing information about joining the meeting.
 

 

Strengthening Democracy: Beyond 100

  

State Convention - Virtual via Zoom

April 24, 2021, 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

We’ve reached our 100th birthday! What now? Empowering Voters and Defending Democracy remains at the heart of the League’s work, even in the middle of a pandemic and a very divided electorate. Join us as we gather virtually to learn how Kansas League members strengthened democracy in 2020 and the plans for the next biennium. We will share ideas to further the work, and receive a bit of inspiration to sustain us as we enter our second century.

We will gather via Zoom. The $10 fee defrays convention costs. After completing the registration form, you will receive a Zoom link and electronic copy of the Convention booklet prior to the Convention.

Our keynote speaker is Dr. DeAngela Burns-Wallace, Kansas Secretary of Administration.  Prior to Governor Kelly’s appointment, Dr. Burns-Wallace served as the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies at the University of Kansas. Dr. Burns-Wallace began her career as a Foreign Service Officer (FSO) with the U.S. Department of State. She served Foreign Service tours in Guangzhou and Beijing, China; Pretoria, South Africa; and, in Washington D.C. Click her bio above (linked to her name) for more info. Dr. Burns-Wallace is a dynamic speaker on a variety of topics and has a special interest in women’s leadership and issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Register for Convention 2021 today!

You will be asked to pay the $10 fee via PayPal or check. The PayPal link is included on the registration form. Here it is if you need it: https://paypal.me/LWVKansas

The LWVJoCo board will appoint 22 of our members to be delegates to vote on items.

However, ALL members (and the public) are welcome to attend.

 





Letter to the Editor: Making your Voice Heard

 Letters to the editors can help influence public opinion and can be a catalyst to change public policy. 
Join LWVJoCo members and Derek Donovan, community engagement editor of the Kansas City Star, to learn how to effectively express your view on a current issue of importance to you. Donovan will share what he looks for in a letter to the editor and answer your questions.
Open to LWVJoCo members only.
Advance registration required.

Voting in a pandemic: KS was ready 

At the League's recent Annual Meeting, former Johnson County Election Commissioner Connie Schmidt provided a recap of what it took to manage a successful election season in Johnson County during a pandemic.

 Some of the reasons:

☑️  Existing laws allowing for early voting, no-excuse mail-in ballots, and early in-person voting
☑️  Enhanced equipment procured through federal and state CARES Act funding
☑️  A highly collaborative effort to install ballot drop boxes
☑️  Continuous communication (helped in part by the League!)
☑️  Over 500 volunteer hours donated to the election office (also thanks in part to the League!)

 A few results:

🗳️ Election Day results were tabulated by 8:15 p.m. (a new Johnson County Election Office record)
🗳️ 44% of voters voted by mail (77% of those were returned via a drop box); 34% voted early in-person; 22% voted on Election Day
View the full presentation here.

 
Graphic says "So you're interested n public service" and describes content in this email.
 
Are you interested in public service, either as an elected official, or in an appointed position? Or maybe you're interested in helping someone else get there? The Mainstream Coalition is hosting the Step Up & Lead series of free, virtual workshops for anyone interested in public service.
This is a nonpartisan series focusing on the fundamental aspects of running a campaign, including fundraising, messaging, digital communications, and field operations.
The first session is introductory, and is being held before the June 1 filing deadline for local or municipal office this year. The two following sessions are workshops for those who are seeking public office, or those helping them.
You can register for just one, two, or all three. If you're not sure, consider signing up for the first introductory session, then signing up for the others once you have made up your mind. But space is limited!



 
Member Spotlight - Janet Milkovich
 
Our new VP saw the League as an effective way to continue her efforts to advocate for change and to improve the lives of underserved individuals. Learn more about Janet.

Susan Martin
Amalia Murguia 
Sally A Murguia
Patti Parks
Diane Pickett
Juliet Kaihui Sinclair 
Shelley Stelmach  

Observer Corps Reports

This month, highlights include housing and the impacts of COVID-19. 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 

🎉 LWVJoCo Receives Redistricting Grant: Thanks to the foresight and organization of our Redistricting Champion Connie Taylor, LWVJoCo was randomly selected to receive the $500 prize from LWVUS for filling out the Day of Action registration form by March 15. The money will be used to educate the community about this important issue.

👏🏽 New Member Orientations Go Virtual: Kudos to Victoria Smith and Eileen Manza for launching our virtual New Member Orientations. Our new membership chairs met with nearly 20 new members over three Zoom meetings in March to introduce them to our League and share ways to get involved. They’ll organize more as our membership grows.

📝 Members Take Care of Business: At the annual meeting on March 6, members approved the budget and elected new officers. Members also gave the board directions to consider for the coming year. If you missed it, you can find out more about what the meeting covered and read about the work of the various committees in the annual report.

📣 Tell the Senate to Support S1! The For the People Act is the democracy reform bill the American people want and deserve. The House has again passed the bill. We cannot let it get stalled in the Senate again. Contact your Senator today and tell them to support the For the People Act (S1).

✔️ 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. 

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


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Find out more about what the Kansas League is doing.
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