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Date: 8/30/2022
Subject: The VOTER Newsletter - September 2022
From: LWV of Johnson County




Stormwater Management: Preventing Runoff and Flooding

Wednesday, September 7 | 1:00 to 2:30 p.m.
JCCC Cap Fed Room (RC 101)

Featuring guests from JCCC’s Center for Sustainability, the Mid-America Regional Council, and Climate Action KC, this program focuses on how communities and individuals can capture stormwater, slow water runoff, and prevent flooding.

Presented by the League of Women Voters of Johnson County, KS, and co-sponsored by JCCC’s Center for Sustainability and Department of History and Political Science.

Parking info:

The Regnier Center is located on the east part of campus. There is a parking garage with elevator access underneath the building. There is additional parking in lots around the building.

Entering from the stop light at Quivira Rd. and S. Campus Dr., briefly head west in the right lane. Turn right at your first chance onto N. Campus Dr. Follow until your first chance to turn left, then turn left onto an access road between the Regnier Center and the Wylie Hospitality and Culinary Academy (and parking lots). From the access road, turn right into the parking lot.

Extra! Extra! Learn All About It!
The Oct. 1 meeting is All the Extra on Your Ballot, a panel discussion informing our community about the two constitutional amendments and judge retention on our November election ballot.
Meeting details coming soon! More information in Board Briefs.
 

Celebrating Voter Turnout, Looking Forward

Dear League Members,

You have been working so hard and together we can celebrate terrific voter turnout in the August Primary! Whether you served as a Voter to Voter Ambassador, helped with the Candidate Forums, knocked on doors, made calls, worked multiple voter information events, or served as a poll worker, your efforts made a difference! 

You’ve earned a brief (very brief) respite and we’re inviting you to join us for an extraordinary program on Wednesday, September 7 called Stormwater Management: Preventing Runoff and Flooding. We’ll be meeting in the Cap Fed Room at JCCC from 1:00-2:30 pm. Light refreshments will be served. I want to share our reasons for meeting on Wednesday, September 7. 

Why are we meeting on a Wednesday instead of our normal Saturday schedule?

Because many members have asked us to provide our quality programs on a day and time other than Saturday morning so that they are able to participate. 

Why at JCCC?

Our strategic plan calls for us to expand outreach to college campuses in our community beyond voter registration and to explore and pursue interventions to engage college students. Co-VP Andrea Vieux is an Associate Professor of Political Science and has leveraged her position at JCCC to secure a first-rate meeting facility as well as subject matter experts to present. We selected one o’clock because that is a favorable time for students who are finishing their morning classes and may be more likely to participate.

Ample free parking is available. Please let us know if you require easy access parking.

Why is the League talking about Stormwater Management?

Dating back to 1971, LWVJoCo ratified positions on Water Management Policy and Sewers. We also adopted a position on Natural Resources including land use and flood control and a Water Strategies Policy. 

Please come and learn what you can do to mitigate runoff and flooding! 

And while you are there, you are invited to visit the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art and experience the creations of the top internationally acclaimed and upcoming artists of today. Admission is free! 

I appreciate you!

Janet

Janet Milkovich

DEI Moment - Environmental Justice

Multiple studies have shown that low-income, immigrant and minority groups are disproportionately affected by poor air quality, lack of clean water, exposure to pollutants and lead exposure. 

Response to these inequalities is often referred to as environmental justice, which the Environmental Protection Agency defines as “the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.”

In 2021, the Kansas City group CleanAirNow (CAN) and the Union of Concerned Scientists released a report which is listed below, examining exposure to pollutants and toxic substances in Kansas City communities. This report showed that facilities that release toxic pollutants are often located near high population density areas, but the areas are not always closely monitored – resulting in poor data.

The report highlighted the Armourdale neighborhood as one surrounded by industrial areas but far from any EPA air pollution monitor that could accurately record the levels experienced by the community.

A 2021 study in JAMA Pediatrics also found that, “Children living at or below the poverty line in older housing or in communities with high concentrations of poverty are at the greatest risk of the toxic effects from lead.”  

Factsheet on the EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice

Office of Environmental Justice in Action

Environmental Racism in the Heartland, (CleanAirNow and Union of Concerned Scientists, 2021) Environmental Racism in the Heartland

Sources of Pollution in Kansas City (CleanAirNow and Union of Concerned Scientists, 2021)

https://www.ucsusa.org/sites/default/files/2021-11/ucsusa_41515643.pdf

Individual- and Community-Level Factors Associated With Detectable and Elevated Blood Lead Levels in US Children (JAMA Pediatrics, 2021)

http://www.monaacp.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Individual-and-Community-Level-Factors-Associated-With-Detectable-and-Elevated-Blood-Lead-Levels-in-US-Children_-Results-From-a-National-Clinical-Laboratory.pdf


LWVJoCo Leadership 2023
Nominations Now Being Accepted

The League of Women Voters of Johnson County is the largest League in Kansas. Our 300+ members work every day to promote citizen political responsibility, defend democracy and educate and empower voters. 

The organization is governed by an 8-member Board of Directors who serve as the administrative and policy making team for LWVJoCo. As such they are responsible for planning and decision-making in three interdependent areas: Organization and Management, Voter Service/Citizen Involvement and Programming. 

The Nominating Committee IS INVITING YOU TO SUBMIT NOMINEES to serve on the 2023 board of directors. Nominations are now being accepted for the following positions. 

  • President
  • Vice President
  • Secretary
  • Treasurer
  • Membership Committee Chair
  • Communications Committee Chair
  • Voter Registration Committee Chair
  • Voter Information Committee Chair

See LWVJoCo Bylaws for job descriptions. All positions except Secretary may be shared.

If you want meaningful, challenging, productive volunteer service, a League leadership position may be what you are looking for. Our League is known for a high level of engagement helping members grow leadership skills, visibility, and influence. Please submit the names of individuals who you think could help provide the leadership to take us into our voter registration, membership, information and advocacy efforts for 2022-2024.

For Information contact Mary Lou Jaramillo, Nominations Committee Chair.  



 
Observers Needed!
Our chapter has a dedicated team of Observers, and there is always room for YOU to join us!
Observers volunteer to watch the meetings of an elected body and then make a brief report for The VOTER newsletter. It’s a great way to see democracy in action and find out how decisions are made locally.
We have several openings right now, including:
❇️ Board of County Commissioners
❇️ JCCC Board of Trustees
❇️ JoCo Parks & Recreation Board
❇️ City Councils – Overland Park, Olathe, Shawnee and others
To learn more, please email Eileen Marshall at emmarshall59@outlook.com. No obligation!

 
Jane Hess

LWVJoCO Lifetime Member Jane Hess (Margaret Jane Kirkpatrick Hess) died July 24, 2022. See Jane's Obituary.
 
From A Tribute to LWVJoCo Lifetime Members, December 2018

Jane Hess
Joined: 1946
Where she joined: Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota
League committees and positions held: Worked on committees dedicated to advocating for specific local issues
Recollections: “I like that the League studies issues and that it is bipartisan. I’ve always felt I needed to contribute to the community where I lived. League was one way I did that.”
Fun fact: Jane’s niece is married to a U.S. representative from Oregon.

Patricia Bennett
Elaine Johnson
Sharon Ritter
Becky Ryder
Jade Tucker

Member Spotlight: Kay Heley
 
With a long personal and family tradition of civic engagement, Kay Heley finds the League fits right in.

Learn more about Kay.

Observer Corps Reports

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

 
  1. Kansas Open Meetings Act - updated interpretation from KS Attorney General
  2. Blue Valley School Board reduces mill levy for 2023 budget
  3. Olathe School Board improves school security
Read the latest summaries by League members who attend several public meetings in our area.

Board and Committee Briefs

🗳️ Information from the LWVK Board: In addition to the candidates on the Nov. 8 ballot, there are two additional constitutional questions:
HCR 5022 Would require that Kansas counties elect sheriffs.
HCR 5014 Requires Legislature to have additional oversight over Rules and Regulations.

 ⚖️ Also on the Nov. 8 ballot will be retention of our Supreme Court Justices that were selected by our long-standing, merit-based system, a selection system that has avoided any hint of corruption since its inception in the 1950s.

❓Anyone interested in joining the LWVK Election Administration committee can email richard.pund@gmail.com to volunteer. This committee will look to answer the question "How should we choose our representatives?" This is a very important decision to make as the election method affects who runs for office, who wins seats, and whose votes matter. The most common method we currently use in Kansas can be described as winner-take-all or plurality elections. However, this is not the only option out there. Many countries elect their legislatures using proportional election methods while several cities and states in the U.S. allow voters to rank their preferred candidates. 

📺 The LWVJoCo will be collaborating with Mainstream Coalition on some educational programming that will be live-streamed on Facebook. Knowledge is power!

🙏 Thank you to all League members who responded to the call of the JoCo Election office to help with the gargantuan task of hand counting nearly one quarter million paper ballots!

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


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