The Voter Newsletters - League of Women Voters of Johnson County

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Date: 2/12/2021
Subject: LWVJoCo Update: Advocacy, Fair Maps, and the Annual Meeting
From: LWV of Johnson County

Hello ~~first_name~~:

Our annual meeting is just around the corner on Saturday, March 6. This email contains links to the votable items and a digital copy of our annual report. Please review prior to the meeting, and don't forget to register for that event ahead of time. In addition, this e-blast contains helpful advocacy tips from our workshop last month, a link to our redistricting meeting recording and our DEI moment focused on unsung Kansas City heroes. Read on!

Register now for the annual meeting

LWVJoCo will host its first-ever virtual annual meeting on Saturday, March 6. As promised, the votable items are included here, and the annual report is available here. Please review each to prepare for the meeting.

The meeting will begin with a keynote address by former Johnson County Election Commissioner Connie Schmidt, who will share her insights about how to keep our elections fair, safe and accessible. Exceptional members will be honored for their service as well.

Registration for this event is required.

Advocacy tips

Many thanks to those who were able to join our Advocacy Workshop last month! We have a few more tools to offer for those interested in pursuing advocacy efforts.

📑 View the position statements from, LWVJoCo, LWV of Kansas and the national LWV.

📰 Submit a letter to the editor to the Kansas City Star.

🖥 Review how a bill becomes a law.

👓 Read the "Shy Person's Guide to Calling Representatives," originally published by the Action Friday blog on Tumblr, or the LWV of Kansas's "How to Communicate with Elected Officials."

✅ Check out the Policy Watch sponsored by the LWV of Kansas, Kansas Natural Resources Council and others.

🖥 Monitor the Kansas Legislature website.

How you can help create fair maps

Thank you to the nearly 200 people who attended our February program on redistricting. Our presenters shared background information on redistricting, an update on fair districting efforts in the Kansas legislature, and an overview of LWV's nationwide People Powered Fair Maps program. One major takeaway is the need for people to get involved to ensure the new maps, which impacts voting for the next 10 years, are fair.

If you missed it, you can view it here.

If you are interested in working on this important issue, email Connie Taylor, our redistricting champion, at taylorconniem@gmail.com.

Kansas City Black History

Everyone is familiar with Charlie Parker and Buck O'Neil, but Kansas City's Black history is much deeper than that. The Black Archives of Mid-America in Kansas City has teamed up with other organizations to create a 44-page resource featuring local Black community leaders, entrepreneurs, educators and more. Read about their effort and access the document in this NPR article.

Stay informed and engaged

LWVUS priorities for the Biden Administration

The National League sent a letter to the Biden Administration ahead of the inauguration outlining nine key issues the League believes should be prioritized to improve our democracy, together. Those priorities are:

Protect democracy by passing the For the People Act.
Restore the Voting Rights Act.
Implement fair redistricting.
Ensure equal rights for all.
Comprehensive immigration reform. (See the League's response to the Biden Administration's Executive Orders on immigration here.)
Address climate change crisis.
Ensure quality health care for all Americans.
End gun violence in America.
Secure peace and climate justice abroad.

Join the in-League network for health care reform.

The in-League network "Health Care Reform in the United States" (HCR4US) drew 425 participants to their caucus at the June 2020 LWV Virtual Convention. That caucus was live-streamed, and is now available on YouTube. Members interested in getting more involved with Medicare for All can contact Barbara Pearson at bzpeason@gmail.com.

The For the People Act

There is still time to show your support for the For the People Act, a set of reforms to strengthen our democracy and put power back in the people's hands. The national League is a sponsor of this act. Sign your name to show your support here.

Vote Anywhere law update

The Vote Anywhere law passed in 2019 will not be put into effect until 2023 unless a bill to speed up implementation passes. Do you want a say in which polling place you can use on Election Day? How soon would you like that option?

The proposed administrative regulation of the Vote Anywhere law is currently undergoing a 60-day public comment period. Comments are due to garrett.roe@ks.gov by noon on Tuesday, Feb. 16. The rules will then be subject to a public hearing at 1 p.m. that day, at Memorial Hall in Topeka. Read more here.

Join the team

The LWV of Kansas is looking for an advocacy-minded, organized and tech-savvy individual to fill their Office Administrator position. The state League hopes to identify a candidate by mid- to late-March. Please share the job description with others, and if interested, contact the League at contactus@lwvk.org.

Questions or concerns?

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