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Date: 1/18/2022
Subject: LWVJoCo Update: Teach the Truth and so much more
From: LWV of Johnson County



JoCo League logo

Hello ~~first_name~~:

In this issue:
📍The KS legislative session has begun, and redistricting activities continue
☑️Join the #TeachtheTruth Rally
💲Poverty in American Awareness Month
🙋🏻‍♀️Volunteers needed!
And more... 


PPFM_Update

Redistricting updates

The KS legislative session kicked off last week, and things on the redistricting front are likely to move quickly. The House and Senate Committees will tackle congressional maps before moving on to state legislative maps. The Kansas LWV People Powered Fair Maps working group met with a member of the Kansas legislature who is willing to sponsor the League's proposed Congressional Map. The League will deliver its Congressional Map submission to the KS Legislative Research Department today.
 
The KS Fair Maps Coalition is calling on all Kansans to submit testimony as maps are considered. Sign up for updates hereAnother group (and partner of LWVJoCo), The Voter Rights Network of Wyandotte County, has a new website to follow for Wyandotte voters. Wyandotte could be particularly affected by this year's maps - possibly losing its current representative. Learn more at voterrightsnetwork.org.

TeachTheTruth-BlackHistory

Join the #TeachtheTruth Rally

The Kansas Interfaith Action Coalition opposes legislation to limit the teaching of American history in school. Suppressing the truth of American history, even the hard parts, is disrespectful to those who fought for equality and freedom. 

Teaching the truth sets our children up to succeed in the most diverse American workplace ever.
 
Join the #TeachTheTruth Rally at the KS State Capitol on 2/15 at noon! 
 

Save the date for our Annual Meeting

Democracy has had a few very bad years, and it is tempting to take a break from working toward a more perfect union. For our annual meeting, Irene Caudillo, president and CEO of El Centro, will discuss why we need to stay in the fight.
 
After the keynote session, LWVJoCo members will vote on the proposed budget and board/officer nominations. Information on votable items will be shared in the digital Annual Report, which will be distributed to members in mid-February. 

The annual meeting is open to the public and all are welcome. Advanced registration is required.
Saturday, March 5 | 9 a.m.
 

DEIMoment-PovertyandVoting
January is Poverty in America Awareness Month. More than 37 million people live below the poverty line in this county. A recent study found that low-income voters are 22 percent less likely to vote in national elections than those with higher incomes.
 
If low-income citizens had voted at a similar rate as high-income citizens in the 2016 election, they would match or exceed the presidential election margin of victory in 15 states. No one knows how those voters would have voted, but their numbers were large enough to potentially change the results. Ensuring wider participation will strengthen our democracy and help ensure that our leaders implement policies that address the priorities of the majority of our citizens.

Stay Engaged

  
Plan to attend our February program
The League's February session, "Segregated History," discusses the question, "What value can be derived from segregating the study of Black history from the study of white history or Native American history?" 
Moderator: Mark McCormick, director of strategic communications for the ACLU Kansas and a historian and speaker
Panelists:
  • Gretchen Cassel Eick, award-winning author and professor of history at Friends University in Wichita
  • Dr. Robert Weems, Jr., a Willard W. Garvey Distinguished Professor of Business History at Wichita State University
Saturday, February 5 | 9 - 10:30 a.m.
 
I Have a Dream Action and Celebration event
The I Have a Dream event originally scheduled for January 16 has been moved to February 26 at 4 p.m. This free event, sponsored by STAND UP for Black Lives+ Prairie Village, JCNAACP, Prairie Village Diversity Committee, Village Church, and Race Project KC, has been organized to help bring awareness to civil rights issues and encourage practical steps towards action to promote a more welcoming Prairie Village to diverse people groups. Register here.
 
Voter Girl - new date, volunteers still needed
The Voter Girl event planned for January 29 in partnership with the Girl Scouts of Northeast Kansas and Northwest Missouri has been moved to April 9 due to COVID concerns. The location will still be the Kansas State Olathe campus, and we could still use volunteers. If you are interested, please contact lwvjocovi@gmail.com.
 
Voting restrictions and communities of color
The Senate may begin debate on legislation that combines the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. The Brennan Center recently published an article summarizing several studies on the impact of voting restrictions on communities of color. This further supports the need for federal legislation. Read the article here.


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