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Date: 5/28/2021
Subject: The VOTER Newsletter - June 2021
From: LWV of Johnson County




 
Join us for an engaging conversation with the election commissioners of two of the largest counties in Kansas: Fred Sherman of Johnson County and Michael Abbott of Wyandotte County. Both were appointed to their positions in 2021. We'll discuss how they plan to serve voters in 2021 and beyond.
Free and open to the public. Advance registration required.
 
 

Legislative Recap: The Good, the Bad & the Oh-So-Very Ugly

What just happened? If that's what you've been asking, tune in to our conversation with community leaders about the 2021 state legislative session. We'll discuss the status of the issues we care about most and talk about next steps.

Panelists:

Sherman Smith, editor, Kansas Reflector

 Heather Ousley, president, Shawnee Mission School District Board

Jacqueline Lightcap, co-president, League of Women Voters of Kansas

Moderator: Janet Milkovich, vice president, LWV of Johnson County



 

Pandemic Creates Opportunity To Thoughtfully Shape Our “New Normal”

The pandemic was nothing if not disruptive. One upside of disruption can be a from-the-balcony viewpoint often difficult to achieve in the heat of keeping things moving forward.

As we straddle pandemic and post-pandemic life, our organization has the opportunity to shape our new normal. Your League leaders are seizing this chance to assess whether what we’ve “always done” continues to best serve our organization and mission. 

One of the most obvious areas to re-evaluate is our events, which can be categorized loosely as educational programs and member events. Our League is known for its high-quality, nonpartisan educational programs, which have been held the first Saturday of the month for many years, if not decades.

Through the dedication and collaboration of many members (Janet Milkovich, Kathleen Morrow and Ellen Miller, to name a few), we were still able to deliver high-quality educational programs in 2020 and 2021 using Zoom. We had eight virtual events in 2020 and 11 so far this year. Two more are planned this month. (See above.)

You may have noticed that several of our events this past year have been offered on different days and times. For the past two years, members have directed the board to consider varying the times of our events to accommodate those for whom family, work or religious commitments preclude attending Saturday morning events. 

Zoom provided the flexibility to offer programs on different days and times because virtual presentations require no venues. As we plan for the fall programs, we are exploring ways to combine the best of the virtual and physical event venues. (See the “Help Wanted” section if you can offer your skills in helping us do this.)

We’ve also expanded the formats of events, adding advocacy workshops and lunch-and-learns to our tried-and-true panel discussions. 

Staying connected

The pandemic highlighted the importance of staying connected. For many years, LWVJoCo has hosted three events annually designed to provide opportunities for members to socialize and focus on our work and accomplishments: the June picnic, the August preview party and the December holiday party. In 2020, we canceled the picnic and held the preview and holiday parties virtually. 

As we look ahead, we are analyzing the purpose and timing of some of these traditional events. The preview party, for example, was LWVJoCo’s “back-to-school night,” when we showcased the array of ways members can become involved. But is this event still the best way to do that? Could we introduce members to our committees more effectively in other ways? Because LWVJoCo no longer takes summers “off” and has become a year-round organization, is August the best time to do this?

These represent just a few of the issues we’re considering as we plan for a post-pandemic world. During 2020, we closely followed the guidance of the CDC and local public health officials, and we will continue to do so. Our June events are virtual. We don't have any events planned at this time for July, and we are considering options for August. Working with Atonement Lutheran Church, we will make a decision in mid-July about whether our September 11 meeting will be in person at Atonement..

Our events are one of several areas that can benefit from a rethink if not a reset. What we did in 2019 may not be what we need to do in 2021. It’s important for our members to know that we are evaluating how best to keep members connected and voters engaged. 

We invite you to get on the balcony with us. Let us know what LWVJoCo’s new normal should look like and then help us make that a reality.

Amber Stenger

President

913-620-5172 | jocoleague@gmail.com


Charter Commission Update

The 2021 Charter Commission is currently meeting to examine the county government for potential improvements. Our county government is in charge of so many things that we use every day, such as:

  • Election office

  • Wastewater, roads, bridges

  • Emergency alerts and services

  • Public library

  • County parks and recreation opportunities

  • County jail, crime lab

We care what the Charter Commission is doing, because it can have a significant impact on our everyday lives.

What is “Home Rule?” Cities and counties have the power to “rule themselves” only if it is granted to them by the state constitution or legislature. In 1960, Kansas voters approved the City Home Rule Amendment (Kansas Constitution, Article 12, Section 5), which gave limited home rule to municipalities in Kansas. 

What about Home Rule for counties? That comes from the County Home Rule Act, passed in 1974. Unless limitations on home rule are found in K.S.A. 19-101a, the Board of County Commissioners can do business and administer the County as it sees fit, without a charter or election to implement home rule. However, any county designated by the legislature as an “urban area” (Johnson and Sedgwick, for example) is authorized to adopt and amend a charter for its government. 

Voters enacted the Johnson County Home Rule Charter in 2000 and required it to be reviewed every 10 years for possible revisions. The second Charter Commission proposed no amendments to the Charter in 2012. 

The third Charter Commission will present its recommendations, if any, to the Board of County Commissioners in February 2022, for presentation to the voters in the November election. Therefore, our League is observing the proceedings and will monitor issues relevant to the League. Stay tuned!

 Submitted by Alleen VanBebber and Eileen Marshall, LWVJoCo's Charter Commission Observers

Observer Corps Opportunities 

LWV Observers watch the meetings of a public body and write a short report for the newsletter. It’s a fun way to stay informed! For more info, contact Eileen Marshall at emarshall59@sbcglobal.net.

Current Openings:

  • WaterOne Board – 2nd Tuesday, 7:00 p.m.
  • Johnson County Parks & Recreation Board – 3rd Wednesday, 7:00 p.m.
  • Johnson County Community College Board of Trustees – 3rd Thursday, 5:00 p.m.
  • Olathe City Council – 1st and 3rd Tuesdays, 7:00 p.m.
  • Lenexa City Council – 1st and 3rd Tuesdays, 7:00 p.m
Hybrid Event Coordinator

 Looking ahead to when public health officials say it's safe to gather in large groups indoors again, we'd like to explore how to incorporate Zoom or virtual platforms with our in-person events. We need a volunteer coordinator to guide us. Are you working on this issue in your workplace or would you like to learn with us as we go? If so, please contact us at jocoleague@gmail.com.

The VOTER Newsletter

The Communications Committee is looking for one or two volunteers to edit and format two of the regular features for The VOTER newsletter each month. Contact Diana Carney at dmcarney@gmail.com

Time commitment for each feature is 2-3 hours per month; training will take approximately two hours.

The Advocacy Committee

In addition to voting efforts, many join the League to delve into influencing policy making. Various subjects, like housing equity and mental health, have been tackled in recent years and need ongoing advocacy by our members.


We are calling for volunteers to help reboot the LWVJoCo’s Advocacy Committee!

  • Help educate members about how we advocate for positions we take as a group
  • Contribute to the committee’s support for members as they become active, independent citizen lobbyists
  • Collaborate on opportunities for group activities for these citizen lobbyists
  • Brainstorm new ways of using social media, our webpages and resources to boost member advocacy

Please email Leslie Mark (ldmark61@gmail.com) with any questions or expression of interest in joining the League of Women Voters of Johnson County’s mighty advocacy committee. This work will help ALL members of the League promote democracy best practices in 2021 and beyond!




 
LWVJoCo extends our sympathy to the families of two long-time members.
 
Frank Neff, 95, died unexpectedly on May 1. Frank first joined LWV because of his interest in international trade agreements. He proposed and led a study on the impact of trade agreements on local governments. Then he shared the info with city councils. Later Frank led a three-year study to update our immigration position.
 
When LWVJoCo had booked a speaker on Affordable Care Act in 2012, the speaker failed to show. Thankfully, Frank and Dolores Furtado stepped up to share their knowledge about ACA.
 
Frank participated in the Great Decisions discussion group and he served on the LWVJoCo Board.  When LWVJoCo recognized six League men at the December 2013 Holiday Party, Frank was among the honorees. As an activist, Frank was also involved with several local groups, including MoveOn.org and Cross Border Network. He headed the KC Fair Trade Coalition.
 
He was active in the Shawnee Mission Unitarian Society/Church for many years. A memorial service will be held via ZOOM on Saturday June 19 at 1:00 p.m. CST. To view the service for Frank at that time, use these details provided by the church: 
  • Link
  • Meeting ID: 871 0362 2789
  • Passcode: 189354
Beth Markley (1943-2021) passed away on May 11. Beth was a regular attendee at the monthly Saturday meetings and helped with various committees. For more than 10 years, Beth volunteered to fold, address, stamp and mail about 90 copies of the VOTER to our membership. 
Services were held at Village Presbyterian Church on May 15. See her obituary for details.
 
Submitted by Ann Norbury

Affordable Housing News
 
HB 2187, which establishes savings accounts and an associated tax credit for first-time homebuyers, has passed in the Kansas legislature and was approved by the governor on May 17. This law is effective July 1, 2021.
 
 

Annette Becker
Judie Becker
Rebecca Crowl
Tracey DeMeara
Keith Grigsby
Ada Niedenthal
Andrea Vieux
Marcus Winn

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 
 

⚖️ Juvenile Justice Program: Thank you to the nearly 70 people who attended our program on May 1 to learn about alternatives to the incarceration of youth. And a special thank you to our vice president and moderator, Janet Milkovich, and our outstanding panelists: Darryl Burton, co-founder of Miracle of Innocence; Barbara Staib, director of development and communications of the National Association of Shoplifting Prevention; and Lora McDonald, executive director of Metro Organization for Racial and Economic Equity (MORE2). Interested in learning more? Read about how the justice system in Kansas could serve youth better: National Juvenile Defender Center Kansas Assessment The state League is still looking for members to participate in a one-year study to update our position on juvenile justice. Please contact Ann Zimmerman  to express your interest.

✉️ Making Your Voice Heard: More than 30 people joined LWVJoCo’s recent lunch-and-learn to get tips on how to write letters to the editor that actually get published! Our guest, Derek Donovan, the community engagement editor of the Kansas City Star, shared what he looks for when deciding what to publish in the opinion pages of the newspaper. Two of our members who attended the workshop have already had letters published. If you missed it, watch a recording of the workshop here.

👏🏽High School Voter Registrations Return: Kudos to members Susan Martin and Beth Seberger who registered students at Bonner Springs High School and Ward High School--our first in-person high school voter registrations since March 2020.

🏆Helen Fluker Open and Accessible Government Award: LWV of Lawrence-Douglas County invites you to nominate a person worthy of recognition for contributions to your community. The award was established in 1999 to honor those who have worked to promote transparency in government. Your nominee does not need to be a League member. Find out more about the award here.

✅"Auschwitz: Not Long Ago, Not Far Away" For the first time, 75 years after the liberation of Auschwitz, a touring exhibition dedicated to the historical significance of the camp is being presented to a U.S. audience. This exhibition opens June 14 at Union Station. Find more informaiton and buy tickets here.
📅Juneteenth: 2nd Annual Advocacy and Awareness Peace March and Rally to be held June 19. No registration required. Event details. 

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

 
 
 

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