The latest from the Leavenworth County Democrats: News you can use
February 15: Greetings from the Leavenworth County Democrats! We hope that you are staying warm as we endure Polar Vortex 2021. We had a great meeting on 13 February, with moving comments on the continuing fight for equity from State Representative Valdenia C. Winn (KS-34). Below is the latest news from the Leavenworth County Democrats with important information about the ongoing legislative session, the COVID 19 vaccine, and the upcoming annual Washington Days (hosted by the Kansas Democratic Party, on 27 February.
KS Legislative Update
The Kansas Legislature is about a third of the way through the annual 90 day session for 2021. It will continue through May. Monday was the last day for most bill introductions for 2021. Last week, the Senate met to review bills that had come out of committees. The bills shown below passed out of the Senate and are on their way to the House. Senator Pittman highlighted two of these that are quite concerning: SB 22 and SB 61.
SB 22, if passed, will introduce huge tax cuts, many for corporations, at a time when we are just coming out of the Brownback disaster and in the midst of a pandemic. Even as the state struggles with the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, SB 22 would cut the state budget by over $1 billion over three years. Such cuts would jeopardize the state's ability to fulfill its constitutional duty to adequately fund our public schools and to keep our roads and bridges safe.
SB 61 is troubling because it uses state dollars to subsidize kids at private schools--essentially school vouchers "lite." While many amendments were introduced to keep SB 61 targeted toward students in struggling schools, and to ensure that these qualifying private schools are held to the same accreditation, reporting, and non-discrimination standards as our public schools, these efforts were rejected along party lines. All Kansas children have a right to high-quality public education, but redirecting public dollars to private schools creates an unlevel playing field for public education students.
There will also be a hearing this week on a proposal to allow Corrections Officers to be in the KP&F retirement fund vs the KPERs fund if they elect to do so. The KP&F is a more secure version of the retirement fund set up for Police & Firefighters. There is a higher benefit level and an earlier retirement age. Senator Pittman introduced this bill to give better benefit to local Correction officers. Hearing will be at 9:30 Tuesday in Financial Institutions. It is SB 135.
Tuesday will also see a hearing on SB 108 — Creating the veterans benefit lottery game fund and transferring monies to veterans service programs, which basically serves to ensure money from the lottery flow more steadily towards veterans programs than it has in the past.
VETERANS HOME - **LOCAL ACTION ITEM!**
Senator Pittman reintroduced in this term a bill he sponsored last year as a House member for a new veterans home. This bill, SB 109 (Requiring the Kansas Commission on Veterans Affairs to apply to the Federal Government VA for cost sharing a VA home in NE Kansas), will get a hearing on Wednesday, Feb 17 in the Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee. This committee meets at 10:30 a.m. in room 144-S. There is a companion bill in the House that passed the House Appropriations committee. I am excited that both bills have made it this far.
Senator Pittman invites supporters to submit proponent testimony and help get this important bill passed. Written testimony must be submitted for this committee meeting by Tuesday at noon. To do so, write up a 1 or 2 page letter in MS Word, save as a pdf and email it to Connie.Burns@senate.ks.gov , the committee assistant for the Fed & State. You can also cc: Senator Pittman at jeff.pittman@senate.ks.gov Put in the email subject: Proponent testimony for SB 109
Again, your written testimony must be submitted by noon Tuesday Feb 16. If you wish to speak at the committee, you must inform the committee assistant beforehand. It's best if you submit your written testimony first, and in the email tell the committee assistant you'd like a webex link to the meeting at 10:30 on Wednesday Feb 17 to speak as a proponent for SB109. Here is an example of what your written testimony would look like:
<Name>
<Address>
<Org/Rank if applicable>
"Mr Chairman and members of the Fed & State committee--
Thank you for the opportunity to write in support of SB 109 which would direct the state of Kansas to apply to the Federal VA to cost share a new Veterans Home in NE Kansas." <Write something about yourself, why it's important, importance of a new home in NE Kansas, doing more for our veterans, etc>
<Finish with a thank you and your name>
If you have any issues, contact Connie Burns, Committee Assistant–785-296-4335 or email Senator Pittman's assistant Sue.perry@senate.ks.go
COVID 19
As of today, the Kansas Vaccine Dashboard shows that 273,428 Kansans are reported as vaccinated — over 9% of our population. You can find the Kansas COVID-19 vaccine dashboard HERE. It is updated every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday by 12:30pm. Recently, Governor Kelly’s administration rolled out the Find My Vaccine Tool. The mapping tool is designed to help Kansans locate sites that are administering vaccines in their communities. Kansans in vaccine phase 1 and 2 are recommended to use this tool as a resource for finding providers who are or will be offering the vaccine.
Washington Days
Washington Days is the largest annual gathering of Kansas Democrats in the state and dates back to 1905. The convention has drawn speakers such as Woodrow Wilson, Edward Kennedy, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Bernie Sanders. This year, the celebration goes virtual for public safety considerations, and will take place on Saturday, 27 February, with two sessions. The morning session begins at 10 am CT and features Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM), Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), and Kansas Governor Laura Kelly. The evening session, which begins at 7 pm CT, features Colorado Governor Jared Polis, HUD Secretary Julián Castro, Representative Sharice Davids (D-KS 3), and Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ).
To register for the morning and/or evening sessions, click HERE.
The Leavenworth County Democrats will hold their next monthly meeting on March 13, 2021 at 10 AM (via Zoom). Stay tuned for details by following us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram using the links below, or by maintaining your subscription to our newsletter and monitoring us here at the Leavenworth County Democrats homepage.
Please join us this Saturday at 10 am for the monthly meeting of the Leavenworth County Democrats. Our guest will be State Representative Valdenia C. Winn.
This is an online meeting via Zoom. Meeting link
Meeting ID: 814 8259 2580 Passcode: 725316
Or, one tap mobile
+16699009128,,81482592580#,,,,*725316# US (San Jose)
+12532158782,,81482592580#,,,,*725316# US (Tacoma)
This is an online meeting via Zoom. Meeting link
Meeting ID: 814 8259 2580 Passcode: 725316
Or, one tap mobile
+16699009128,,81482592580#,,,,*725316# US (San Jose)
+12532158782,,81482592580#,,,,*725316# US (Tacoma)
The latest from the Leavenworth County Democrats: News you can use
January 9: Happy New Year from the Leavenworth County Democrats! We hope that you have a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2021. Below is the latest news from the Leavenworth County Democrats with important information about the upcoming legislative session, COVID 19 vaccine distribution, the 2021 Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, and the Biden-Harris Inauguration.
Here is the latest news from our most recent monthly meeting:
KS Legislative Update
The legislature reconvenes this week, and Leavenworth's newly-elected Senator, Jeff Pittman, will be sworn in on Monday, January 11th. High on the agenda will be addressing the renewal of the Kansas Emergency Management Act, which expires on January 31st. The act will need to be renewed in order to continue to have access to federal dollars to deal with the impacts of the pandemic. Republicans will likely resist efforts by Governor Kelly to continue operating under the KEMA, but funding for the distribution of the COVID vaccine is tied directly to the act's renewal. Contact your state representatives to voice your support for KEMA's renewal. Senator Pittman will be paying close attention to any efforts to curtail the Governor's authorities in the near-term in order to ensure the safety of Kansans is not put at risk in any effort by the GOP caucus to score political points.
The legislature is also working to improve the means for the public to view meetings live online. To check out what is on the legislative calendar, find information on a particular bill, or find the link to House and Senate proceedings, go HERE.
The legislature reconvenes this week, and Leavenworth's newly-elected Senator, Jeff Pittman, will be sworn in on Monday, January 11th. High on the agenda will be addressing the renewal of the Kansas Emergency Management Act, which expires on January 31st. The act will need to be renewed in order to continue to have access to federal dollars to deal with the impacts of the pandemic. Republicans will likely resist efforts by Governor Kelly to continue operating under the KEMA, but funding for the distribution of the COVID vaccine is tied directly to the act's renewal. Contact your state representatives to voice your support for KEMA's renewal. Senator Pittman will be paying close attention to any efforts to curtail the Governor's authorities in the near-term in order to ensure the safety of Kansans is not put at risk in any effort by the GOP caucus to score political points.
The legislature is also working to improve the means for the public to view meetings live online. To check out what is on the legislative calendar, find information on a particular bill, or find the link to House and Senate proceedings, go HERE.
CountyState-wide COVID 19 Vaccine Plan Governor Kelly released her latest plan for the COVID vaccine on Thursday. The phased plan calls for vaccines to be distributed based on the risks associated with specific populations within the state, with the primary population consisting of frontline healthcare workers, long-term care residents, and workers critical to COVID response continuity. From there, subsequent phases focus on vaccinating groups working from high to lower risk populations. Many have raised concerns about the Governor's placement of prisoners within the Phase 2 group, but it is important to understand that such a plan is essential to protecting law enforcement, corrections workers, and medical workers within our community who could easily carry the disease into the community in the event of another prison outbreak. To see the details of the Governor's plan, go HERE.
Local COVID 19 Vaccine Planning
The VA is receiving vaccines slowly. Their priorities are first to the VA medical staff, and then VA patrons based on age and medical conditions. The VA will contact eligible recipients to schedule for vaccination as the vaccine becomes available through an automated call system, followed up by a representative to make the actual appointment. For more on the VA's plan, go HERE. You can find the latest from Leavenworth County HERE.
Munson Army Health Center is also administering the vaccine for military personnel and other Tricare recipients, but like everyone else, have prioritized distribution based on risks and operational needs. You can find out more about the COVID vaccine plan for the military health system HERE.
Information for the Kansas, Leavenworth County, VA, and military plans have also been posted to the Leavenworth County Democrats Facebook page. Please take the time to read through all three to see where you stand in the priority lists. Given the pace of vaccine distribution, the best bet for Vets is going through the VA. Bottom line, all three agencies say DO NOT CALL THEM, they will CALL YOU.
Local COVID 19 Vaccine Planning
The VA is receiving vaccines slowly. Their priorities are first to the VA medical staff, and then VA patrons based on age and medical conditions. The VA will contact eligible recipients to schedule for vaccination as the vaccine becomes available through an automated call system, followed up by a representative to make the actual appointment. For more on the VA's plan, go HERE. You can find the latest from Leavenworth County HERE.
Munson Army Health Center is also administering the vaccine for military personnel and other Tricare recipients, but like everyone else, have prioritized distribution based on risks and operational needs. You can find out more about the COVID vaccine plan for the military health system HERE.
Information for the Kansas, Leavenworth County, VA, and military plans have also been posted to the Leavenworth County Democrats Facebook page. Please take the time to read through all three to see where you stand in the priority lists. Given the pace of vaccine distribution, the best bet for Vets is going through the VA. Bottom line, all three agencies say DO NOT CALL THEM, they will CALL YOU.
MLK Day of Service - January 18, 2021
The Martin Luther King Jr. holiday on January 18th is the 26th anniversary of the day of service that celebrates the Civil Rights leader’s life and legacy. Observed each year on the third Monday in January as “a day on, not a day off,” MLK Day is the only federal holiday designated as a national day of service to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities.
The Leavenworth Chapter of the NAACP (Branch Unit# 4036) will be hosting one such event, caring for the resting places of ancestors who endured the hardships of segregation and forged the cause for civil rights in Leavenworth County, the State of Kansas, and our Country. You can find out more on the NAACP's MLK Day Of Service: Tending Our History to Grow our Future by going HERE.
You can search for other MLK Day of Service opportunities by going HERE. Or you can organize an event of your own. Whatever you choose, we strongly encourage you to find an opportunity this year to participate by giving back to our community.
The Martin Luther King Jr. holiday on January 18th is the 26th anniversary of the day of service that celebrates the Civil Rights leader’s life and legacy. Observed each year on the third Monday in January as “a day on, not a day off,” MLK Day is the only federal holiday designated as a national day of service to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities.
The Leavenworth Chapter of the NAACP (Branch Unit# 4036) will be hosting one such event, caring for the resting places of ancestors who endured the hardships of segregation and forged the cause for civil rights in Leavenworth County, the State of Kansas, and our Country. You can find out more on the NAACP's MLK Day Of Service: Tending Our History to Grow our Future by going HERE.
You can search for other MLK Day of Service opportunities by going HERE. Or you can organize an event of your own. Whatever you choose, we strongly encourage you to find an opportunity this year to participate by giving back to our community.
Presidential Inauguration - Building Back Better
The big day is almost here. When President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris are sworn in on January 20th, we’ll usher in a new era of building our country back better -- and it’s all thanks to supporters like you. Though COVID will make this year's historic event different, it also opens new opportunities to be part of the celebration. Consider hosting a virtual watch party with friends to mark this joyous occasion. Make sure to check out the Presidential Inaugural Committee Store to ensure you have everything you need for the historic day and follow the Biden Inaugural Committee on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for the latest on the Inauguration.
The big day is almost here. When President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris are sworn in on January 20th, we’ll usher in a new era of building our country back better -- and it’s all thanks to supporters like you. Though COVID will make this year's historic event different, it also opens new opportunities to be part of the celebration. Consider hosting a virtual watch party with friends to mark this joyous occasion. Make sure to check out the Presidential Inaugural Committee Store to ensure you have everything you need for the historic day and follow the Biden Inaugural Committee on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for the latest on the Inauguration.
The Leavenworth County Democrats will hold their next monthly meeting on February 13, 2021 at 10 AM (via Zoom). Stay tuned for details by following us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram using the links below, or by maintaining your subscription to our newsletter and monitoring the Leavenworth County Democrats homepage.
