 | It's May - In with the new!
By Martha Pint, LWVK President
What a whirlwind month April turned out to be! I think I’m still reeling. Between the successful completion of our 75th Biennial Convention and the wrapping of the 2023 Kansas Legislative session, it truly was the good, the bad, and the ugly.
We wish to thank LWV Wichita-Metro for hosting an awesome day mixed with business and education. From the warm words of welcome from Wichita Council member Maggie Ballard to the closing words of outgoing Co-President Jacquie Lightcap, it was truly a League-worthy event. I think many people in attendance realized just how much they’d missed being in the face-to-face company of their League sisters and brothers. Four years is a long time!
As for the 2023 Legislative session, it seems that for every single piece of legislation that we were grateful didn’t pass into law, there were two that did. We have faith that League members understand that our education and advocacy efforts are not a sprint, but a marathon. The opportunities to speak to our legislators and share our thoughts on the issues will never end. There will always be the next bad bill that needs to be spoken against. So, the key is to not quit, but to rest as needed. If there are enough of us to rotate between towing the line and resting, there will always be League voices speaking out.
With that in mind, this “boat” called the League of Women Voters of Kansas doesn’t row itself. I want to welcome our new and returning members to the board. I also want to acknowledge those off-going members, Membership Chair Jean Lee and Voter Services Chair Susan Horst. Their service and dedication set up their successors to carry on the work in their respective areas. And while outgoing Co-President Jacquie Lightcap left big shoes to fill, I know there is someone out there that’s uniquely situated to take up the baton and carry on the race. I ask each of you to do some soul searching to see if that might be you. If you want to know more, please reach out to me at president@lwvk.org and we can visit about the possibilities. | | LWV Table at W.E.A.L.T.H. Day
Cille King, LWVK Advocacy Chair, answers questions at the LWV table during W.E.A.L.T.H Day at the Kansas Capitol on April 4. Sponsored by the Climate & Energy Project, W.E.A.L.T.H stands for Water, Energy, Air, Land, Transportation, and Health.
| | | Local League Highlights
By Cathy Hedge, LWVK Communications Team, LWV of Manhattan-RC
As we held our breath through the veto session and now breathe out as our new 2023-2024 fiscal years begin, we thrive on being together. It is good to know we are not alone!
LWV Great Bend/BC: On April 4, their League joined with the Great Bend Senior Center to host “What does the Kansas Water Plan mean for Barton County?” Veronica Coons, County Conservation District Manager, gave an overview of that plan and the Great Bend Prairie Aquifer Planning Area. A video has been created by Dan Heath and his Great Bend High School class: “100 Years of Suffrage,” a 2020 discussion, organized by Janice Walker and Carole Converse, of the voting experiences of women.
LWV Johnson County hosted a panel on the legislative veto session on April 25. The panel featured speakers from Loud Light, Equality Kansas, ACLU of Kansas, and Six Degrees of Activism. (Recording here.) They had a new member orientation on May 2 and held voter registration information events at Thomas Aquinas during student lunch hours on May 1 and on May 6 at the Argentine Festival. Their “Focus on your Voice” program will be from 9-11 a.m. on May 6 (live stream here).
LWV Lawrence Douglas County is awarding scholarships to high school seniors who demonstrate an interest in political science and government in their scholastic record and extra-curricular activities. Congratulations to the recipients! Also, on Saturdays in May, members of the LWV Lawrence/DC will be doing tabling events at the Downtown Farmer’s Market.
LWV Wichita-Metro: For the April 20 “Resilient Wichita Series: Inclusive Community Engagement,” Jamie Hofling, sustainability impact analyst and Connie Fiorella Fitzpatrick, food systems specialist for Douglas County spoke. They shared how community voices and involvement, climate plans, and analysis of food systems came together to become the Douglas County Food Systems Plan (adopted in 2017). On April 27, their League and the Wichita Beacon Community Engagement Bureau offered a community event to talk about ways to become civically engaged.
LWV Topeka-Shawnee County Tuesday Topics on May 2 hosted Dennis Bosley and Susan Wallace from Topeka NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness. They discussed mental health issues, the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT), Family to Family, and Assisted Patient Treatment.
Thank you, League leaders and members for your continued involvement. You let us breathe more easily. Please continue to send us your news! | By Carole Neal
Vote411.org continues to grow in Kansas. In 2022, we had 45,772 users on the site. You can verify you voter registration, register to vote, prepare a voter checklist, and find who is running for a particular office. We send out invitations to all candidates running for office to participate in answering questions we post. Local League may also submit any Candidate Forus or Elections activities happening.
If you haven't checked it out, please do so! |  | LWVK Convention - A Day of speakers, information, sharing!
By Janice Walker, LWVK Intra-League Co-Coordinator
The 75th Biennial Convention of the League of Women Voters of Kansas was held in Wichita on April 22. Delegates attended from all nine Leagues: Emporia, Great Bend/BC, Johnson County, Lawrence/DC, Leavenworth, Manhattan/RC, Salina, Topeka/SC, and Wichita-Metro. After a welcome by Wichita City Council member, Maggie Ballard, and the first business session, the 70-plus attendees heard from our keynote speaker.
Sara Jane Crespo from radio station KMUW, introduced the One Small Step initiative that she has helped produce since 2020. Created by StoryCorps, One Small Step is an effort to remind us of the humanity in all of us, even those with whom we disagree. The initiative brings strangers with different political views together to record a 50-minute conversation — not to debate politics, but to learn who they are as people. Audio recordings of each interview are archived at the Library of Congress.
Interested parties first fill out a questionnaire here. After being interviewed the person is matched with a conversation partner for an in-person meeting or an online session if they are out of the Wichita area. To engage both people with curiosity and respect, there are ground rules of conduct, and these questions are asked: 1) Why did you want to do the interview today? 2) Who are you? 3)Who were your biggest influencers? 4) Describe your political values. 5) What political issue would you like to see progress on?
The results are often surprising. Participants may find that they share traumas, or similarities within their families, and may even continue their conversations after the recording is completed. Unfortunately, there is a multi-billion-dollar effort in our country to make money on hate. One Small Step does not strive to change people’s minds about politics, but to change everyone’s mind about people. You may can listen to the Wichita recordings on the Story Corps website at Stories.
Read entire Convention wrap-up: panel, break-outs, new LWVK Board members, here.
| Kansas Suffragist Memorial
The Suffragist Memorial Committee, with the assistance of the Capitol Preservation Committee, reviewed the submissions of 21 artists and selected 6 finalists who will be given a stipend to develop their idea for the Suffragist Memorial to honor and commemorate the courageous women of Kansas who had statewide and/or nationwide impact in the suffrage movement.
Please check our website: kssuffragist.org or our Facebook page: Kansas Suffragist Memorial for information and the opportunity to print out a form and send in your donation to this long-overdue commemoration. All donations are held by the Treasurer's office, are tax-deductible, and restricted to the direct payment for the project. | LWV, the United Nations, the UN Conference on the Status of Women
By Carol Williamson, Lawrence/DC President
At the Lawrence-Douglas County LWV Annual Meeting on March 29, LWVL-DC member and past-president Kristin Salmans shared slides about her experience as a delegate at the 67th United Nations Conference on the Status of Women in March of 2023. Kristin’s fascinating presentation can be viewed through the slides linked above. A particularly salient part of the presentation is the video of how the League of Women Voters was integral to the establishment of the United Nations. We urge all League members to watch this 3-minute video to be reminded of the powerful part LWV played in the formation of the UN and is still playing as the UN serves such a vital role in our quest for a peaceful world. | Board Briefs
April 21 and 22, 2023
By Sara Funk, Acting LWVK Secretary
The LWVK board met at Walt's East in Wichita on Friday evening, April 21. Several other League members who were in Wichita for Convention joined the meeting. The board approved starting a committee to review last year's financials. Alicia Hay, our Office Administrator, will be leaving us the end of May to begin an internship that furthers her law education.
Jacquie Lightcap made her last Co-President's report, although she will continue to be our point of contact for on-going litigation. Jean Lee, Membership, and Susan Horst, Voter Service, gave their last reports, as their terms are also ending. Janice Walker and Vicki Arnett reported as Intra-league Coordinators. Cille King gave reports on both the Observer and the Suffragist Memorial Committees. Friday Observer Zoom meetings will resume as the Legislature returns to session. Six of 21 artists have been selected as finalists for the Suffragist Memorial artwork that will be installed in the Capitol Building.
Immediately after the Convention adjourned on April 22, the new LWVK board met to make several appointments and reappointments. Beverly Hall will be 2nd VP/Communications Co-Chair (external). Teresa Briggs (People Powered Fair Maps Chair) and Grace Wilson (Communications Co-Chair/VOTER Notes Editor) were appointed to 1-year terms as Directors. Off-Board Chairs are Danielle Keller, Social Media Communications and Richard Pund will Election Administration study update. Teresa Briggs and Cille King were appointed as LWVK board representatives to the LWVK Nominating Committee.
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The League of Women Voters of Kansas is a grassroots, volunteer, political organization with members at large and nine local Leagues across the state. For nearly 100 years, LWVK has encouraged the informed and active participation of citizens in government and influenced public policy through education and advocacy. The League does not endorse candidates or political parties.
Support our ongoing work. Donate to LWVK today.
LWVK information is available on our website. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook or Twitter.
Making Democracy Work®
League of Women Voters of Kansas President
Martha Pint
president@lwvk.org
“VOTER Notes” Editor
gracewilsoneditor@gmail.com
LWVK Office Administrator
Alicia Hay
office@lwvk.org
About the Newsletter
Does your League have a success story, innovative program, or commendable action you want to share with your sister Leagues across the state? Send it to the VOTER Notes so we can feature a League each month! Share your stories; they encourage other Leagues and help everyone know that we are all in this work together.
- LWVK sends the VOTER Notes monthly newsletter to local board presidents and communications teams to distribute to their local League members, generally the first week of every month. If you are finding it online and not in your inbox, please tell us. At-Large Members receive the newsletter directly via email. Newsletters are also posted for public viewing on lwvk.org.
- During the legislative session, LWVK sends a weekly email containing Paul Johnson’s “Policy Watch.
- Submit photos or stories of your LWV activities. Deadline for the May 2023 VOTER Notes is Tuesday, May 23
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