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Date: 1/14/2021
Subject: LWVJoCo Update: Defend our democracy
From: LWV of Johnson County

Hello ~~first_name~~:

We are still reeling from the events of last week, and our email this week features the League's position on the attacks and the impeachment of the President. We also include information on advocacy training, the proposed update to the position of the state League on criminal justice, and an informative article on ballot rejections and potential future voting restrictions. We encourage you to read on, and participate where you can to keep our democracy strong.

Help defend our democracy

January 6 was supposed to be a ceremonial milestone. Instead, we witnessed an attack on our nation's Capitol and the institutions it represents.

The League of Women Voters (LWV) has condemned the attack as domestic terrorism and called for the impeachment of the President for his role in instigating and supporting the attackers. This is not a partisan response. LWV calls for the immediate removal of Donald Trump as the President of the United States via any legal means.

If you have not already done so, contact your Senator today to call for his impeachment. To quote the LVWUS Board President, Dr. Deborah Ann Turner, "We ask you to stand together in this decision to defend democracy as we have for 100 years."

Advocacy training: How to be effective

Whether you are new to advocacy or have your legislator saved to your favorite contacts, get tips and suggestions about how to get your message across effectively.

During the workshop, Carrie Lancaster, LWV of Kansas Advocacy Chair, will share practical strategies, and Kansas Rep. Susan Ruiz and former Kansas Sen. John Skubal will share what works and what doesn't from their experience in the legislature.

Thursday | Jan. 21 | 6-7 p.m.

Proposed update to LWVK's criminal justice position

A team of League members throughout Kansas worked together to update our 1972 Adult Corrections criminal justice position. You can review the current position here, and the proposed update here.

The study committee drew on the work of other Leagues to create the new position. The state League will be reviewing comments from members about the proposed update before deciding to bring it to a vote at the state annual meeting in April.

Please send any comments you have about the updated position to jocoleague@gmail.com before February 8.

For additional information, review the article in January's VOTER newsletter.

2021 planning meeting recap

We had almost 80 people join us on Saturday, Jan. 9 to provide direction for our League in 2021.

If you did not have a chance to participate, you can still provide input on areas on which you would like to see the League focus here.

Thank you to everyone who joined and/or filled out the survey. We will share a compilation of the ideas presented in an upcoming VOTER newsletter, and we look forward to a productive 2021!

DEI Moment - Pronoun and gender guidance

New pronoun and gender guidance

This guide is to help anyone learn how to use people's correct pronouns and to foster a more inclusive space at the League. Everyone in the League should engage in learning, educating, and advocating for the inclusive use of pronouns for all. We encourage you to read the guide and discuss this information with your fellow League members.

Stay engaged

Nominate your favorite history teacher

This spring, the Case Method Institute is inviting Leagues across the country to nominate high school history, government and civics teacher to attend its free online professional development workshop. After completing this workshop, teachers will be equipped to lead case-method style discussions in their classrooms and community forums. The training is designed to help teachers more effectively train students for active citizenship. If you know an enthusiastic, impactful high school social science teacher, contact Candy Birch to learn more or to nominate a teacher who might be interested in this exciting FREE professional training. We can nominate as many worthy candidates as we want.

Fewer rejected ballots. New potential restrictions.

Prior to the November election, many states were concerned about potentially high volumes of rejected ballots. In many cases, this led to widespread education campaigns addressing common reasons for rejected ballots. There were also extended "cure periods" to allow voters an opportunity fix minor errors.

The actual rate of rejected ballots dropped significantly. This implies the many education campaigns, improved instructions, and other efforts to reduce rejections worked, but some lawmakers argue that the drop supports theories of fraud. Several have pledged to restrict voting by mail in the future.

Read the full USA Today article, including rejection statistics, proposed changes, and more.

The For the People Act

The For the People Act, previously passed by the House but not voted on by the Senate, has been reintroduced to the House of Representatives. This Act contains a package of reforms that would:

Expand and protect voting rights and access to the ballot
Put ordinary Americans ahead of Big Money donors
End gerrymandering to ensure electoral districts are fairly drawn

The national League is a sponsor of this act. Sign your name to show your support here.

SMSD bond issue

If you live in the Shawnee Missions School District area, your ballot on the district's proposed bond package should have arrived sometime last week. You can review information about the bond package here. Ballots are due by Jan. 26.

MLK Day virtual celebration

The University of Missouri will host “Infinite Hope: The Power and Possibilities of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Vision” with keynote speaker Ambassador Andrew Young. All members of the community are invited to this virtual celebration of Dr. King’s legacy, his civil rights work and how the changes he advocated for are profoundly affecting our world today. The event will take place 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 26. More information, including a link to attend the event, is at www.mlk.missouri.edu

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