help_outline Skip to main content
HomeEmailingsNewsletters/Emailing
Date: 5/18/2022
Subject: LWVJoCo Update: Legislative Sessions, Reproductive Rights, Maps and more
From: LWV of Johnson County



JoCo League logo

Hello ~~first_name~~:

In this issue:  
📅 Three events you don't want to miss in June
✨Join the Vote No campaign
💡Learn about AAPI Heritage month
And more!


Learn about the 2022 legislative session at the library!

LWVJoCo is excited to partner with the Mainstream Coalition and the Voter Rights Network of Wyandotte County on a discussion to help us make sense of the 2022 legislative session. This session, moderated by Clay Firestone, Kansas Reflector Opinion Editor, will focus on legislation affecting redistricting, voting rights, public education, and LGBTQ rights. Registration is encouraged but not required.
 
June 11, 9:30 a.m.
Kansas Legislative Session: The Highs and Lows. What do we know?
Johnson County Central Resource Library, Carmack Community Room

Vote No on Aug 2022 Amendment

Join the Vote No campaign

LWV of Kansas has joined forces with Kansas for Constitutional Freedom (KCF), a bipartisan coalition of reproductive rights advocates and allied organizations, to defeat the proposed constitutional amendment on the 2022 primary ballot. If you missed the Vote No Kickoff this past Saturday, no worries - you can still help. Visit kansansforfreedom.com to sign up to volunteer. You can also join the Voter to Voter team to encourage people in your own networks to cast their votes in August. 

For more info on the amendment, visit KCF's Amendment Information page. The Shawnee Mission Post has also published this helpful article 

More events in June

LWVJoCo is sponsoring two additional events in June - we hope to see you there! 

June 16, 12 - 1 p.m. | Super PACs and the Courts: The Impact of Citizens United. The panelists will analyze the Justices' opinions and their impact on campaign finance trends.
Tomahawk Ridge Community Center. Bring your own lunch and non-alcoholic beverage.
Registration is required. Register here
 
June 25, 9:30 a.m. | Kansas Legislative Session: Spotlight on Wyandotte County. Co-sponsored with the Mainstream Coalition and the Voter Rights Network of Wyandotte County. Legislators and activists will help citizens make sense of the 2022 session. 
Memorial Hall
Registration is encouraged. Register here.

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. While it provides an opportunity to pause and appreciate the contributions of AAPI people, it is also important to acknowledge the drastic rise in reported hate incidents since the pandemic began.

 
According to one source, anti-Asian hate crime increased by 339 percent in 2021 compared to the year before, on top of a 124 percent increase in 2020. Another source, the Stop AAPI Hate National Report, details the almost 11,000 hate incidents that were reported to the Stop AAPI Hate organization between March 2020 and December 2021. 
 
Learn more by checking out any of the great resources below:
 

Stay Engaged

  
🚙 Souls to the Polls is back!
 Mark you calendars to participate in Souls to the Polls on July 9 and October 15, when caravans of vehicles will drive through neighborhoods with recent low voter turnouts to encourage people to vote. Stay tuned for more information.
 
📍Redistricting update
Late last month, a Wyandotte County judge rules that the congressional map drawn by Kansas legislator is unconstitutional. Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt then filed a petition to the Kansas Supreme Court to review the legislative maps for validity. The Court heard oral arguments on the attorney general's petition this past Monday, May 16. Stay tuned for additional updates.
 
💡 Coming soon - field trip! 
LWVJoCo is planning a field trip to the Johnson County Arts and Heritage Center to see the special exhibition, "Redlined: Cities, Suburbs and Segregation." Details are coming soon. Please email Kay Heley at kayheley@gmail.com if you're interested.
  
🗓 Juneteenth events
In 2022, Juneteenth will be recognized by Johnson County for the first time on Monday, June 20, since June 19th falls on a Sunday. This year's theme is "Learn the Past... Change the Future." Learn more about Black History in JoCo and upcoming events on the JoCo government website
 
You can also check out JuneteenthKC events here
 
👩🏻‍🍼 Medicaid expansion
In positive legislature news, the Kansas Legislature and Governor Kelly passed Senate bill 267 into law, extending Medicaid postpartum coverage from the current 60 days following birth to 12 months. This offers more time for mental health services and could also result in a higher rate of women seeking well-child visits and immunizations. Approximately 30 percent of Kansas births are covered by Medicaid (KanCare). Read the full article from The Reflector.



Questions or concerns?

Contact Us