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Date: 3/2/2021
Subject: The VOTER Newsletter - March 2021
From: LWV of Johnson County



LWVJoCo Trifecta on March 6

LWVJoCo’s fiscal year closes out annually with a three-part stellar event. On March 6, the curtain goes up on keynoter Connie Schmidt, the nationally recognized former Johnson County Election Commissioner. She’ll discuss “Going the Extra Mile to Safeguard Elections.” Next, these exceptional members will be honored for their hard work and service: Mary Lou Jaramillo, Anita Kaiser and Dr. Elizabeth Ann Sanders.

Act three? Our annual business meeting, including member votes on the proposed operating budget and nominations for the board; members also submit directions to the board. Find details on the two votable items here and the entire Annual Report here.

Per our bylaws, a quorum for the annual meeting is 15% of the membership, or 50. Don’t miss out!
 

LWVJoCo:  Three Years Later

It’s hard to remember May 2018, almost a lifetime ago. The voter registration deadline for the August primary was only 10 weeks off. Hotly contested mid-term congressional races loomed. Voter registration and candidate forums had to get started ASAP. The board and committee chairs got the crunch job done, but it was clear changes were needed. 

Since then, the board, committee chairs and members have worked together to:
  • Change the annual meeting to March, gaining two months to help voters prior to the August primary election.

  • Change the fiscal year to support a March annual meeting, from July through June to April through March. 

  • Select annual legislative and administrative priorities to implement the 2016-2020 strategic plan.

  • Apply for IRS 501(c)(3), tax-deductible status in August 2020. That status is required for serious consideration by foundations, and it attracts donors. It could take as long as 18 months to get a decision.

  • Save time by utilizing online tools like SignUpGenius and Club Express' volunteer module to schedule volunteers for voter registration, naturalization ceremonies, candidate forums and legislative coffees.

  • Adopt the cloud-based membership management system, Club Express. We use it for the website and e-blasts. Its firewalls protect member profiles and renewals. Only members can access the member directory. LWVUS and over 20 other state/local leagues use it.

  • Launch the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Initiative urged by LWVUS. DEI is co-equal with nonpartisanship for all Leagues. Currently a planning team is designing ways to imbed DEI in our League.

  • Streamline the board’s organization, including updating the Leaders Manual (previously the Board Manual).

  • Raise individual dues to $70 ($10 increase) and household dues to $105 ($15 increase) to assure financial stability. 

  • Expand partnerships with other groups that protect voting rights, such as Mainstream Coalition, Johnson County Latina Leadership Network, NAACP, Dotte Votes and Johnson County Community College. 

In 2020 COVID hit. Leadership had to quickly pivot from our “in person” model to virtual methods. Zoom software became our best friend! We use it for everything from committee meetings to monthly, Saturday programs on policy issues. Will virtual meetings cease after the pandemic? Not likely, as they draw large audiences; for example on Feb. 6, 2021, 196 people joined our redistricting panel discussion.

Thanks so much for selecting me as president in 2018. When elected, I warned that I was “a porcupine on a skateboard”  on the move! Being a top leader for the past three years has been an honor  and exhausting. The proposed officers and board, under current co-president Amber Stenger’s leadership, is outstanding. They are the right team to take the JoCo baton forward.

Ellen Miller  


Centennial Celebration:  Looking Back

 One year ago on Feb. 29, LWVJoCo celebrated the founding of LWV and passage of the 19th Amendment with an event at Yardley Hall at JCCC. We had no idea that this event would be our next-to-last in-person event. One week later, our annual meeting was held in person, then COVID-19 hit.

The 100th anniversary celebration was a unique project. Planning started in 2003 when Dolores Furtado and Janice McMillen began raising funds through donations and speaker events. Over the years, LWVJoCo transferred a few hundred dollars each year from the Operating Account to the 2020 account. By January 2019, the balance in that 2020 account had reached $19,532.01; serious planning started for a celebratory event in 2020. Donna Lauffer chaired a committee of 18 tasked with planning and implementation.

 Since January 2019, an additional $20,473.80 was raised through donations, VOTE pin sales, a silent auction and tickets sales to the Feb. 29 event. Expenses in that period included engaging Rosie Rios as speaker, printing, publicity, VOTE pin purchases and Yardley Hall rental for a total of $32,607.27 spent. After all expenses were paid, the event netted $7,398.54. We were able to transfer $6,898.54 to the operating account and to donate $500 to the new Souls to the Polls initiative. 

Without doubt, the Centennial Celebration was our League’s largest project ever, involving dozens of members and supporters. They did everything – fundraising, planning light refreshments, inviting local officials and leaders to join us, and so much more. The outcome? Attendance was about 500 including 25 elected officials. Unfortunately, COVID-19’s onslaught within days prevented celebrating this very successful event.

One year after our outstanding in-person Centennial Celebration, it’s timely to show our appreciation to the committee that made it possible:  Chair Donna Lauffer, Susan Horst, Dolores Furtado, Janis McMillen, Candy Birch, Mimi Rainen, Julie Rainen, Caryn Rains, Ellen Porter, Amber Sellers, Mary Lou Jaramillo, Royceann Mather, Julie Miguel, Jodie Dietz, Betzaid Imperiale, Nancy Gatz, Marie Hernandez, Amber Stenger and Joan Cabell. Your enthusiasm, talents, ideas and connections created a successful community event. Thank you!


Donna Lauffer, Centennial Committee Chair

Anita Kaiser, Treasurer through March 2020

Ellen Miller and Amber Stenger, Co-Presidents

 



Worth Your Time: LWVUS’ Virtual Meetings 


Q: How to describe LWVUS’ “Community Call” virtual series? 

A: Very spirited discussion!

This new resource tackles tough issues, often related to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). LWVUS staff and board members conduct the sessions. Participants (often 250+) keep the chat ablaze with questions, comments and opinions. 

Recently, one hot topic, “Navigating Nonpartisanship in Hyper-partisan Times,” ran out of time. So LWVUS scheduled a follow-up session to address unanswered chat questions. The first session was held on Jan. 26 and the second one on Feb. 9.

For community call recordings go here. Also, check out the DEI webinar series.

Community calls and DEI webinars are part of LWVUS’ greatly expanded outreach to state and local Leagues in the past year. For example, early webinars addressed coping with COVID. Topics ranged from virtual meeting platforms (FaceTime? Zoom? Or?) to virtual etiquette (Mute that mic!). LWVUS provides resources that members and boards need.  


DEI on the Move

In the past five years, LWVUS has blazed a new path towards an inclusive, welcoming organization. It has called on each state and local League to adopt diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in all areas. For an overview and progress towards that goal, see

Transformation Roadmap: Progress and Continuing Strategic Goals.

 Under the guidance of Ann Sanders, PhD, and Mary Lou Jaramillo, MPA, our LWVJoCo DEI Initiative launched in late 2019. Phase 1 used the “leaders of leaders” model covering the board and committee chairs. Also, selected member activities began. They included getting member ideas on possible DEI steps at both the 2020 and 2021 planning sessions, and the September 2020 virtual event “Call to Action: Your Personal Exploration of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.”

Late in 2020, attention turned to reaching our entire membership. Over a dozen Leaguers volunteered to serve on the DEI Phase 2 Planning Team (P2PT). The goal? Prepare a board proposal on embedding DEI in our LWVJoCo culture. Monthly team meetings have generated ideas on helping individuals measure implicit bias, dealing with inappropriate behavior and reaching out to underrepresented communities. The board proposal will be presented later this spring. 

The P2PT members are Barbara Delcore, Mary Grant, Esther Grenz, Marie Hernandez, Mary Lou Jaramillo, Jeannine Linnane, Ellen Miller, Cindy Neighbor, Amber Pugh, Ann Sanders, Amber Stenger, Kay Heley and Amanda Vega-Mavec. Many thanks to them all for their candor and ideas as we launched this initiative with intentionality and unwavering commitment.


 


Your Ideas in Action

At our January Planning Session, several study topics without a designated leader were suggested. (Read about the member planning meeting here.) While having a leader is required to be proposed as an official study (and then voted on at the March annual meeting), we are addressing several of them in other ways: 

Civics education for all county residents, beginning in 8th grade and expanding to include all ages and socioeconomic groups. Civics education is essential in strengthening our democracy. Our Voter Services team will actively explore ways of engaging more voters of all ages and underrepresented voters in 2021, which will include educational opportunities for primary, secondary and college-aged students, new citizens and people who recently completed parole.

Keeping county commissioner races nonpartisan. Two of our members, Sandra Sanchez and Eileen Marshall, have agreed to be LWVJoCo’s representatives and monitor the work of the 2021 Charter Commission’s work, which will determine whether Board of County Commissioners elections remain nonpartisan. LWVJoCo’s official position is that this should remain nonpartisan. We’ll use our venues to educate the community about our position and keep members apprised of the commission’s work. 

Gerrymandering. Fair redistricting is a priority for the League at both the state and national levels. We hosted an engaging and informative panel discussion about this issue in February. If you missed it, you can view it here. As our Redistricting Champion, member Connie Taylor is actively working with League leaders throughout the state to coordinate our efforts to ensure fair representation in the redistricting process. Watch for details about our national day of action on April 24. If you are interested in taking an active part in the planning of our redistricting efforts, email Connie.

Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). LWVJoCo is committed to infusing DEI throughout our organization. A team of members has been meeting to present a strategy and action steps to present to the board to advance this mission in 2021. 

Members raised several other related important issues, such as racial justice, bail reform, climate change, mental health services and the status of affordable housing in Johnson County. Janet Milkovich, our vice president, is incorporating these suggestions as she plans our programs for 2021. 

Keep those ideas coming!

Have other questions or ideas? Don’t wait for the next planning meeting. Send them to contactus@lwvjoco.org

 

LWVJoCo Reviews Top Priorities with Rep. Davids

Right after the 2020 election, LWVUS urged local Leagues to meet with their federal representatives and state Leagues to meet with federal senators to impress LWV legislative priorities upon lawmakers. 

During a 30-minute virtual meeting Feb. 1 with Amber Stenger of LWVJoCo and Michael Poppa of Mainstream Coalition, U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids made it clear that she remained focused on protecting voters in the next election and beyond.

Davids said that after COVID-19 relief, the For the People Act (H.R. 1) is a top priority. The League has supported H.R. 1 since its introduction last year and has lobbied legislators to support the package. The act would expand automatic voter registration, same-day voter registration and online voter registration, as well as end political and racial gerrymandering once and for all. (Read more about the bill here.) Davids didn’t think the bill would have trouble passing the House again, but couldn’t speak to its chances in the U.S. Senate. 

The climate crisis is also a top priority, Davids said. In her work as vice chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure, she tries to view all bills through a climate lens. She said the committee will be sponsoring infrastructure roundtables this spring to raise awareness of issues related to green infrastructure. 

Davids is also advocating for reforms for transit police to ensure fair and equitable treatment of citizens. Funding of public transit is also a racial justice issue, she said, especially in the Kansas City region where a small percentage of jobs are accessible by public transit.

Stenger, LWVJoCo co-president, invited MainStream Coalition, LWVJoCo’s frequent partner in local voting information and get-out-the-vote activities, to participate in the discussion. Brandon Naylor, Davids’ legislative director, also sat in on the call.

Stenger asked Davids how LWVJoCo members could support her efforts to strengthen democracy. She encouraged voters to call her office when they support specific actions or legislationnot just when they disagree. She knows her constituents support voting rights legislation, she said, “but it helps to be able to say, ‘I've heard from X number of people’ or ‘X number of people have called my office in support of this.’"

Find ways to contact Davids here.


Legislative Coffees
 
 Discover what's percolating in the Kansas Legislature. Representatives and senators in Johnson County will discuss the new legislative session with constituents, followed by Q&A. You bring the questions! This series is presented in partnership with the Johnson County Library. See below for the elected officials attending each session.

This program will be hosted using the meeting software Zoom. A Johnson County Library staff member will contact registrants via the email you registered with the day of the program with instructions on how to access the Zoom meeting. You do not need to download any software or create an account.
 
Register using the links below.

March 20
Senator Pat Pettey, District 6
Representative JoElla Hoye, District 17
Representative Brett Parker, District 29
Representative Brandon Woodard, District 30
 
March 27
Senator Dinah Sykes, District 21
Representative Mari-Lynn Poskin, District 20
Representative Rui Xu, District 25
 
April 3
Senator Ethan Corson, District 7
Representative Linda Featherston, District 16
Representative Lindsay Vaughn, District 22
Representative Jarrod Ousley, District 24
 
April 10
Representative Stephanie Clayton, District 19
Representative Jerry Stogsdill, District 21
Representative Jennifer Day, District 48

After registering, you will receive an email on the day of the event containing information about joining the meeting.
 

Equal Opportunity Housing

Improving Equity of the Housing Market in Johnson County

 

The League of Women Voters of Johnson County supports safe, affordable housing for people of all income levels. The availability of such housing within the county is integral to individual and community well-being.

Join us on Thursday, April 8 at 6 pm to learn about the Johnson County Municipalities Community Housing Study. Panel members from the Johnson County Health Equity Network will drill down on the complexities of overcoming barriers and present opportunities for making Johnson County a welcoming place for all.

 Register now.


 
Member Spotlight - Connie Taylor
 
Our Redistricting Champion has ties to three home states. Learn more about about Connie.

Julie Sayers

Barbara Stillman

Angela Thornton-Millard


Observer Corps Reports

Good News: We have a new Observer, Elise Kammeyer, reporting on the Blue Valley School Board. Catch up on the actions, decisions and proposals of our local public officials. 

Read the latest summaries by League members who attend several public meetings in our area.

Board and Committee Briefs 

🗳️ Redistricting update: Nearly 200 people attended our February meeting about redistricting. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive: informative, relevant, good moderator, variety of perspectives presented. Thank you to everyone who attended. A special thanks goes to Cathy Matlack, Kathleen Morrow, Marsha Ratzel, Connie Taylor and Janet Milkovich for making the program such a success. If you missed it, you can watch it here. And if you are interested in volunteering on our League’s redistricting team, please contact Connie Taylor

👏🏽 Kudos to Jeannine Linnane for her outstanding work on our Annual Report. Because of her editing prowess and expertise, our first-ever digital annual report provides easy access to everything you need for our annual meeting on March 6 and contains a wonderful overview of our members’ efforts throughout this unprecedented election year.

✔️ What’s happening at the legislature? Longtime political analyst Paul Johnson writes Policy Watch Weekly Update during the legislative session. Find it here! Along with LWVK testimony, Action Alerts, resources, and Legislative Observer Corps reports.Stay abreast of all that’s happening during the session. 

💵 Financial update: LWVJoCo has collected 96% of its projected revenue for this fiscal year and spent only 76% of its anticipated expenses, which means we should have money to carry over into the next fiscal year. The new fiscal year begins April 1.

⚖️ Racial justice: As the League has become a more vocal ally for racial justice activists, our nonpartisanship has sometimes been called into question. Our organization remains unapologetically nonpartisan, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t take positions, and when it comes to addressing racial injustice, there is nothing partisan about that work. We must stand on the side of justice. Read more from our CEO Virginia Kase about Remaining Nonpartisan in Hyper-partisan Times.

⚕️ Health care reform: Are you interested in joining the in-League network “Health Care Reform for the United States” (HCR4US)? At the 2020 LWV national convention, this group drew 425 participants to their caucus “America's Choices in the Health Care Debate - Defining the Priorities, Understanding the Costs, and What We Can Do.” You can watch the caucus here. Interested members who want to get more involved with Medicare for All can contact Barbara Pearson at bzpearson@gmail.com.

📅 Save the date: Kansas Secretary of Administration Dr. DeAngela Burns-Wallace will be the keynote speaker at LWV of Kansas State Convention on Saturday, April 24. Watch for registration details.

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


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