Monthly meetings are held the first Saturday in Sept., Oct., Nov., Feb., March, and April at Atonement Lutheran Church (lower level Charter Hall), 9948 Metcalf, Overland Park, KS.
Coffee and snacks are provided. Social time begins at 8:30 a.m.; the meeting starts at 9 a.m. The public is welcome to attend. Programs are recorded and posted to our YouTube channel for later viewing.
Find meeting dates, locations and more on our public Facebook events page.
2016-17 Meetings and Topics
February 4, 2017 Death Penalty: An Eye for an Eye?
Our speakers were Sean O’Brien (associate professor, UMKC School of Law), and Tricia Bushnell (legal director, Midwest Innocence Project). They presented the history, the statistics, and the arguments for and against the death penalty. Watch video
Slide show Recommendations for action
January 7, 2017 LWVJoCo Planning for 2017-2018
Member brainstorming meeting. This was our opportunity to suggest programs and projects for 2017-2018. Ann Sanders presented an overview of what comprises a League study and fielded suggestions from the membership for new study possibilities. Breakout groups created ideas for our 2017-2018 general meeting topics.
December 3, 2016 Holiday Party at Central Resource Library 2-4 p.m.
Recognition of 2016 Candidates
November 5, 2016: Juvenile Justice: Corrective or Punitive?
The speakers were Betsy Gillespie (director, JoCo Corrections), Representative John Rubin, and Judge Thomas Foster (JoCo District Court-Juvenile Docket). Watch video on YouTube: Part One Part Two
October 1, 2016: Money, Money, Money; Buying Democracy
Panel included: Mark P. Johnson (Partner, Dentons, US, LLP and lecturer, KU Schools of Law and Journalism),
Clay Barker (executive director, Kansas Republican Party), Joan Wagnon (former chair of Kansas Democratic Party). Watch video on YouTube
September 10, 2016: Kansas Judiciary: Selection, Retention, Issues
The speakers were Paul Davis (attorney and former Kansas House Minority Leader), Dan Biles (Justice, KS Supreme Court), Karen Arnold-Burger (Judge, KS Court of Appeals), and Kelly Ryan (Judge, Johnson County District Court). View panel presentation. Part Two: Q and A. Or read the answers.
March 4, 2017 Battle for the Ballot: Kansas Voter Suppression
Speakers Marge Ahrens and Carol Neal (co-presidents LWVK) will chronicle the successful history of the League and ACLU lawsuit against voter suppression. Join the battle to abolish the Kansas Secure and Fare Election (SAFE) Act, which established monumental barriers to voting rights. Learn why Documentary Proof of Citizenship (DPOC) is a violation of the 14th amendment of the U.S. Constitution. More detail.
April 1, 2017 Guns: Emotion, Second Amendment, Public Safety
Speakers will be John Douglas (Shawnee Mission Schools Director of Security) and Alisa Pacer (JCCC Emergency Preparedness Manager)
May 6, 2017 Annual Meeting and Awards
May 7, 2016: Annual Meeting
Our League end-of-year annual meeting was attended by over 100 members and honored guests. We presented the ‘Making Democracy Work’ award to Dave Helling, Kansas City Star columnist. He spoke of the importance of voting and making the voting process more uniform and easier for voters.
Two high school seniors received scholarships for their submissions to our ‘Activism Through Arts’ program. Diane Tejeda won first place for her essay. Emma Arnold received an honorable mention for her painting.
We recognized our 50-year members with certificates. The co-presidents presented the ‘Above and Beyond’ awards to Kathy Jennings for membership growth and to Ellen Miller for guiding our 2016-2020 Long Range Plan.
April 2, 2016: Three Ways to Vote
Panelists:
- Ronnie Metsker , Johnson County Election Commissioner
- Irene Caudillo, President and CEO of El Centro
- Paula Hurt, Commission on Aging member
- Will Bledsoe, Shawnee Mission East student
March 5, 2016: Poverty in Johnson County
Panelists:
- Karen Wulfkuhle, Executive Director of United Community Services of Johnson County.
- Paula Neth, Vice President of Programs at The Family Conservancy.
- Judge Keven O’Grady, Johnson County District Court Help Center
- Judge Timothy McCarthy, Veteran’s Court.
February 6, 2016:
Lee Kellenberger and Heather Schmidt of the Johnson County Stormwater Management Program Watch video
