Where she’s from
Annette Becker is originally from Shawnee, Kansas. She works at Children’s Mercy Hospital and attended pharmacy school at K.U. After graduating she spent three years with Appalachian Regional Healthcare in southeastern Kentucky. This was followed by 10 years in Cincinnati, where she met her husband and they started their family. She returned to Shawnee in 2000.
About her family
Annette and her husband David, whom she met on a Sierra Club hike in 1991, live in Shawnee. They are the parents of three children in their twenties, all of whom live in the area.
Why she joined the League
Annette joined the LWVJoCo recently as a result of her attendance at several LWVJoCo events. She notes that the 2016 election was a motivating factor and that the League offered both education and action on important social and political issues.
What she thinks the League does well
Annette feels that League educational events are a great strength, offering programs that inform and educate voters as well as provide opportunities for action on current issues. Also, in Annette’s estimation, Voter Registration Outreach is an important part of the League program.
Where she would like to see the League focus in the future
In light of the uptick in efforts to suppress the vote in the United States, Annette feels that the League should be diligent in securing and sharing information about all voter suppression efforts both locally and nationally. Informed advocacy is an important tool which the League can use to overcome these efforts.
What she does strengthen our democracy
Annette recruits and works with others to conduct neighborhood canvassing and voter registration. She has served as a Poll Watcher at different sites. In the most recent presidential election, she was an observer on the first day of early voting at the Argentine Community Center in Wyandotte County. Several problems were noticed at that site including 1) no provisional ballots available, 2) no effort to assist with accessibility for disabled voters and 3) no interpreters available for Spanish speaking voters, in addition to misinformation given to some questions. She questioned the presiding judge and was told they were told not to offer provisional ballots at any locations until election day. Her reporting of these issues led to a lawsuit on behalf of the voters whose rights were infringed. As a result, election officials agreed to remedy the voting deficiencies for the county for the remainder of voting days.
Fun Fact
Annette and her husband have visited 52 of the 63 National Parks in the United States. Highlights include Isle Royale and Lassen Volcanic National Park. In September they will add The Channel Islands to their list.