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Date: 4/14/2022
Subject: LWVJoCo Update: Spring social, LWVK Council 2022 and more
From: LWV of Johnson County



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Hello ~~first_name~~:

In this issue: 
🌷Spring Social
📅LWVK Council 2022
✨ Ways to celebrate National Arab American Heritage Month
💡May meeting, key election dates and more


springsocial2022

Join us for our Spring Social, 4/21

Make time to stop by and greet your League friends. Take in the sights and sounds of spring at beautiful Antioch Park, the county’s oldest park, where the Vietnam Memorial, playground area and natural beauty add to its popularity. All are welcome, including children and guests.
 
Antioch Park Patio Shelter
6501 Antioch Road, Merriam
Thursday, April 21,4-7 p.m.
No reservations needed.
 

Take part in LWVK Council 2022, 4/23

All League members are invited to attend League of Women Voters of Kansas Council 2022. The keynote speaker wil be Claire Bishop of American Public Square. She will discuss the how-to’s of civil discoursewhy it matters and how we, individually, can help to facilitate it. The second presentation will include  panelists who will discuss the upcoming August election with the constitutional amendment on women’s health and reproductive rights.
Register here by April 20, 2022 and visit our website for information on Council here!

ArabAmericanHistory

Ways to celebrate Arab American Heritage Month

This month, we recognize the achievements of Arab Americans and honor the contributions of this diverse community. In addition to reading the suggested resources in the DEI Moment below, we offer the following opportunities to participate:
 
Community Conversation: Join a presentation by James Zogby, Ph.D., co-founder and president of the Arab American Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based organization that serves as the political and policy research arm of the Arab American community. The event is hosted by KU Medical Center. Click here for more information. 
PBS film series: Watch films about Arab American communities and documentaries by Arab American filmmakers. Click here for more information. 
Kansas City Library resources: Learn more about the culture, heritage and history of Arab Americans through this resource list curated by the Kansas City Library. 


DEI Moment - Abortion access through a DEI lens

Laws that restrict access to reproductive health services, including abortion, disproportionately impact low-income women and women of color. Because of restrictive abortion laws, for example, women often must travel to receive services, further stressing their financial resources and requiring time off from work. Many private insurance companies do not cover abortion services and federal money can only be used in certain cases, which means services may only be available if the patient pays out-of-pocket.  

Included below are some resources as well as a link to a Kansas organization that helps women with financial assistance:

 
 
 
 

Stay Engaged

  
☕️Plan to attend (in-person or virtually!) LWVJoCo's May meeting
LWVJoCo has been working for decades to support comprehensive mental health services in JoCo. Join us Saturday, May 8, from 9 to 11 a.m. at Atonement Lutheran Church, 9948 Metcalf Ave in OP for "Spreading Empathy: Fighting the Mental Health Stigma." The panel, led by Tim DeWeese, director of the JoCo Mental Health Center, will discuss mental health services now available to residents. We're thrilled to gather in person for the first time since 2020. You can also watch it virtually on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/LWVJOCOKS4VOTERS

✊🏾Fight for reproductive rights
 Nearly 90 people tuned in for our April meeting, "The Assault on Reproductive Rights." If you missed it, you can watch a recording here. During the August 2022 primary, Kansans will vote on an amendment that would remove our constitutional right to have an abortion. Visit Kansans for Constitutional Freedom to learn about the bipartisan coalition the League has joined committed to defeating the amendment, and sign up here for updates and volunteer opportunities. You can also visit our updated Reproductive Rights page to learn more about the amendment and actions you can take.
 
🏛 Advocate for ERA
March marked the 50th anniversary of the passing of the Equal Rights Amendment. Although we have made considerable progress in those 50 years, women and nonbinary people continue to face systematic discrimination at disproportionate rates. We have the required 38 states needed to ratify the amendment, so now is the time to move forward with certification. Please go to our action alert to call on the US House to pass HR891 and add the ERA to the Constitution.
  
🗓 Save these election dates
The August 2 Primary Election will include a proposed constitutional amendment on reproductive rights. This means that everyone, including Independents, should be prepared to vote. Keep these dates in mind!
July 12: Deadline to register to vote in the Primary Election
July 13: First day advance ballots are mailed and advance in-person voting may begin
July 26: Deadline for voters to apply for an advance mail ballot
August 2: the Primary Election
 
🙋🏼‍♀️ We need you!
Voter Information is looking for leads, co-leads and volunteers for our Voter to Voter (The Voter Network) and Vote411 initiatives. Leads on Voter to Voter would work with the Mainstream Coalition and our League team to recruit, train, and support voting ambassadors. Vote411 leads would work with a small team of volunteers and the State League to identify local candidates for each election, provide that information to the state Vote411 team, and remind the candidates to respond. For more information or to express interest, contact Marie Hernandez at lwvjocovi@gmail.com. 



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