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Date: 7/2/2023
Subject: The VOTER Newsletter - July 2023
From: LWV of Johnson County


ANNOUNCING OUR NEW MEETING FACILITY
We have a new home!

 

Jennifer Day, our wonderful vice president, with her thoughtful leadership, suggested Shawnee Mission Unitarian Universalist Church (SMUUC - how cool is this for short)  in Lenexa as a potential site for our new home. SMUUC checks all our boxes:
  • ample parking, including handicap parking
  • easily accessible from the parking lot to the building
  • great audio-visual system that also incorporates our microphones for quality video production for uploading to our YouTube channel
  • ability to use the kitchen facility for our hospitality needs
  • great lobby to welcome members and guests
  • opportunities for collaboration and ways to "pay back" SMUUC's hospitality
  • price competitive and cost effective
Mark your calendars now for our Saturday, Sept. 9 program at SMUUC, 9400 Pflumm Road, Lenexa. Bring your friends, family and neighbors. We look forward to seeing you there!
Director of Communications for the Kansas ACLU Mark McCormick, President and Founder of Grandparents for Gun Safety Judy Sherry, Co-Presidents Connie Taylor and Janet Milkovich, and Vice President Jennifer Day
Gun Violence As A Public Health Issue
Our June program "Gun Safety Impacts Public Health" featured a table discussion on gun violence impacts and prevention. Award-winning journalist and Director of Communications for the ACLU of Kansas Mark McCormick and President/Founder of Grandparents for Gun Safety Judy Sherry joined LWVJoCo Vice-President Jennifer Day to provide facts and ways to personally advocate for improved gun safety to our members and guests.
 
If you missed this lively and important discussion, you can watch the recording.
 
More information:
 
 
HAPPENING IN JULY
July 1
Anniversary of the 26th Amendment, which lowered the voting age to 18 in 1971
July 4
Independence Day
July 19-20
Anniversary of Seneca Falls Convention in 1848

Presidential Update

 

Growing up, summer meant family vacations. We’d pack ourselves into the station wagon and head off to a national park or famous landmark or to visit family. As I got older, my parents would still send me off on a summer vacation staying with grandparents or my aunt and uncle. My parents would remain home and continue working or completing a project that needed their attention.


Summer for the League means a break in our monthly meetings. However, it also means other committees are continuing to work and completing projects. Let me fill you in on what’s being planned for the summer with the League.

  • Our Voter Registration teams are hard at work staffing tables at various events like this one at the Juneteenth Celebration at Prairie Fire in Overland Park. Our team had their picture taken with K.C. Wolf (see below).
  • Our Voter Information team is setting up Candidate Forums and Candidate Meet & Greets for municipal races as well as school board races in both Johnson and Wyandotte counties (see below).
  • Our newly formed Advocacy Committee is working throughout the state to gear up for 2024. We’re excited to see how they will lead us in contacting our legislators about bills that will be introduced during the upcoming Kansas Legislative Session.
  • Our vice president is busy securing a new venue to call home. In addition, she continues to plan our educational and engaging monthly programs that will re-start in September.

Summer also means the beginning of the election cycle. Whether you live in Johnson County or Wyandotte County, these local elections are just as important and impact your daily life. Every election is important and YOUR vote matters.


How will you spend your summer?

Connie Taylor

Co-President

 

_____________________________

Janet Milkovich and Connie Taylor

Co-Presidents
Voter Reg Team KC Wolf
Primary Election Candidate Meet and Greet Events
 
These events are co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Johnson County, Mainstream Civic Engagement, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Upsilon Rho Omega Chapter.
Registration is not required. Check our Events Calendar throughout election season.
 
🗳️ July 8 | 9:00 - 11:30 a.m. | Central Resource Library
Johnson County Commission races include the following:
Lenexa City Council Ward 1
Merriam City Council Ward 2
Overland Park City Council Ward 1
Prairie Village City Council Ward 3


🗳️ July 10 | 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. | Olathe Community Center
Olathe City Council Ward 1 
Olathe City Council  At-Large
USD 233 Member 7 At-Large


🗳️ July 17 | 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. | Kansas City, Kansas Public Library, South Branch
3104 Strong Ave, Kansas City, KS 66106
Board of Public Utilities 1 and 3
Unified Government Commissioner 3 and 4
 

DEI Moment

During the month of June, the DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) Committee urges all of us to take a closer look at groups we are involved with and apply a DEI Lens. Our League’s website has a DEI Resources tab with many helpful links.  

DEI Resources - League of Women Voters of Johnson County 

Some questions that we continue to ask ourselves as we look at League activities and community collaborations include: Who is involved in the process? How diverse is the group of decision makers? Who will be impacted – who benefits and who is burdened? What are the intended and unintended outcomes? Does this align with our vision for an equitable and inclusive organization? What barriers might this place in the way of achieving equity?

Our League is committed to being a more diverse, inclusive and welcoming place for guests and members. Each of us plays an important role inviting a guest to attend a League event, welcoming all who attend, sharing ideas for new potential partners for voter registration/information events, educating ourselves about terms, our own implicit/unconscious biases and practicing looking at our lives through a DEI Lens.

Thank you for all you do!
Member Spotlight: Danielle Keller
Our new Advocacy Committee Co-Chair is excited about encouraging others to become more civically engaged and to take direct action to impact legislation.
Learn more about Danielle.
Mary Anne Hile
Ann Taylor

Observer Corps Reports

Catch up on the actions, decisions and proposals of our local public officials. 

 
  1. New Obervers needed  for the Library Board, Overland Park City Council, Shawnee City Council and the JCCC Board of Trustees! Email observercorps@lwvjoco.org for more info.
  2. Attainable housing initiatives gaining ground.
  3. JoCo election workers getting a raise.
Read our latest reports here.
 
Get the Latest Kansas Legislature News
 LWV Kansas is a supporter of Kansas Rural Center's Policy Watch updates.

Our partners at Mainstream and Loud Light publish newsletters with their observations on legislative action: 

*Mainstream Coalition

Loud Light  
Board and Committee Briefs
  
📆 Next Monthly Program: Saturday, September 2, 2023, 9:00 - 10:30 a.m.
 
📧 Click here  to contact Board Members by office.
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Find out more about what the Kansas League is doing.


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