help_outline Skip to main content
HomeEmailingsNewsletters/Emailing
Date: 2/16/2022
Subject: LWVJoCo Update: Participate. Educate. Celebrate.
From: LWV of Johnson County



JoCo League logo

Hello ~~first_name~~:

In this issue:
☕️ Legislative coffees are here!
🚺 Reproductive freedom in KS
👏 Ways to celebrate Black History Month 
✅ Legislative priorities, the Annual Meeting, racial equity and justice, and more... 


Legislative coffees are here!

Discover what's percolating in the KS legislature that can have direct effect on your community. Representatives and senators with constituents in Johnson and Wyandotte counties will discuss the new legislative session, followed by Q&A, all on Zoom.
 
Register here for any of the following Johnson County sessions, co-hosted by the Johnson County Library
Wyandotte County sessions:
  • Saturday, Feb. 26, 9-10 a.m., co-hosted by the Kansas City, KS Public Library Main Branch (register here, submit questions here)
  • Saturday, March 26, 9-10 a.m., co-hosted by the Bonner Springs Public Library and Bonner NAACP (register here, submit questions here)

BlackHistoryMonth2022

A few ways to celebrate Black History Month

Black History Month is about half over, but there's still time to educate, participate and celebrate. Here are just a few suggestions:
  • Visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, courtesy of Royals Charities.
  • Attend the re-scheduled "I Have a Dream" event on Feb. 26 at Village Church in Prairie Village.
  • Participate in the Kansas Black History Month Challenge at the KCK Public Library in the main library lobby, Feb. 28.
  • Read this article, "When George Washington Carver came to Olathe."
  • Celebrate Black History at any of a number of events and attractions listed by Visit KC.
  • Watch (or re-watch) LWVJoCo's panel discussion on Segregated History from earlier this month.

AssaultonReproFreedom-EM

Reproductive freedom in KS

Reproductive freedom is, once again, under attack in Kansas. Join us for a robust discussion about the importance of defeating the August 2022 ballot measure to amend the Kansas Constitution. Learn how you can protect the right to control personal decisions about reproductive heath and abortion care. This session is free and open to the public. 
 
Saturday, April 2, 9 a.m.
 

DEIMoment-PovertyandVoting
The 2022 theme for Black History Month, "Black Health and Wellness," focuses on how our health care system often underserves African Americans. No statistic is more compelling than the maternal mortality rate by race. According to the CDC, the maternal mortality rate (per 100,000 live births) in 2019 was 44.0 for non-Hispanic Black women, compared to 17.9 for non-Hispanic white women - more than double. 
Learn more on the statistics here.
 
Steps you can take: 
  • Consider supporting Uzazi Village, a local nonprofit "dedicated to decreasing maternal and infant health inequity among Black and Brown communities."
  • Learn more about the Johnson County NAACP.

Stay Engaged

  
🗓 Attend the League's Annual Meeting
The League's Annual Meeting, open to everyone, will feature Irene Caudillo, president and CEO of El Centro, on the topic of restoring faith in our democracy. After the keynote session, League members will vote on the proposed budget and board/office nominations.   
 
☑️ LWVJoCo's legislative priorities
The board selected three issues from the LWV of Kansas's legislative priorities to be our focus this year: People Powered Fair Maps/redistricting; reproductive rights and the defeat of the August primary ballot measure; and allowing for permanent or semi-permanent advance voting by mail. Look for more on these topics throughout the year.
 
💧 Urgent: Give feedback and testimony on water
Many League members attended the Pivotal Role of Water program to learn about the precarious state of water in Kansas. The House Committee on Water has introduced HB2686 and invites testimony and feedback up to 24 hours before the hearing date, which is still TBD. Read the bill here. To testify, contact the committee assistant at Tony.Prohaska@House.ks.gov.
 
💡 Racial equity and justice recommendations
The KS Governor's Commission on Racial Equity and Justice (CREJ) has developed recommendations to address racial equity in the state by focusing on social determinants of health. View more details on the recommendations and sign up to attend a live webinar discussion here.
 
🙋🏻‍♀️ The LVWUS 55th Annual Convention
LWV's next annual convention will be held as a hybrid event June 23-26 in Denver, CO. Several LWVJoCo members typically serve as delegates, and our League helps pay for delegate travel expenses. Start considering if you'd like to attend and watch your email for more information. Let us know at contactus@lwvjoco.org if you are interested.
 
💻 Meet the new LWV!
The LWVUS launched a new website last month to showcase League work better and improve user experience. The new site includes a home page that highlights focus areas, recent news and voter tools as well as enhanced search, advocacy and donation options to make it easier to take action. Take a look at the new site today!
 
🗓 2022 Regional Climate Action Summit
Save the date for Climate Action KC's 2022 Regional Climate Action Summit from 1-4 p.m. on April 9 at Johnson County Community College. The event will feature an in-person expo, optional VIP reception, and local and regional keynote speakers in the climate action field. Register here.


Questions or concerns?

Contact Us