Women of Kansas Newsletter, Nov. 25, 2019

WE'RE TAKING A DECEMBER BREAK...BE BACK IN 2020 We want to thank you for all you've done to help change the political climate in Topeka. In January, when W4K activities resume, we will be looking toward the next year and an all-important 2020 election. Not only do we need to protect the incredibly positive gains we've made, we need to make sure our voices are heard when the legislature convenes. That means offering ideas for policy improvement as well as positive reinforcement for the work of our new legislators. Be sure to Like and follow us on Facebook and Twitter and visit our website at womenforkansas.org for information about upcoming events and how to contact a Chapter near you.    And again, thank you for your belief and confidence in Women for Kansas and all we can accomplish together. With your support, we will again help lead the way!

WOMEN FOR KANSAS LEADERSHIP:

WOMEN FOR KANSAS CHAPTER LEADERS:

Barton County Krystall Barnes Pam Martin   Butler County Mary Martha Good Becky Weston Annie Wilson   Cowley County Pam Moreno   Hays/Russell Dawn Berry Ann Blessing-Deyoe Janis Lee Kathy Rome Hutchinson Area Tomi Foust Betty Taylor Independence Valerie DeFever Lea Shepard   Manhattan Susan Adamchak   Newton Evelyn Adams Virginia Benninghoff Mary Collier Sue Ice Gini Johnson North Central Janice Norlin  Northeast KS Ethel Edwards Tai Edwards Sue Wine Southeast Susy Hammons Marcia Weeks   Wichita Julie Long Melissa Gregory Kathy Webb

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS - WICHITA HOST METRO MEMBERSHIP RALLY The League of Women Voters-Wichita Membership Rally was a great success with than 50 members attended with many signing up to join our numerous League committees. In 2020, Sedgwick County voters will have as many as 47 separate offices on their ballots, before any questions have been added. We have the longest ballot in the State of Kansas. This means it could take more than 5 minutes per voter to complete the ballot. Since the election is predicted to have a high turnout, we have the potential for long lines at the polls, certainly on election day and perhaps for early voting as well.  Voting from home gives you the time to carefully complete your ballot. So plan now to skip the line, save time & gas, and enjoy the convenience of voting by mail. We'll share more info next year on how to make your mailbox your ballot box. Learn more about LWV-WICHITA.

SUPPRESSED: THE FIGHT TO VOTE Robert Greenwald Film, bravenewfilms.org Suppressed: The Fight to Vote, the new documentary by Robert Greenwald weaves together personal stories from voters to paint an undeniable picture of voter suppression in the 2018 midterm election. The issues faced included polling place closures, voter purges, missing absentee ballots, extreme wait times and a host of voter ID issues - all of which disproportionately prevented many students and people of color from casting their ballots. Watch here.

VOTE 2020: SECURING YOUR VOTE - MISINFORMATION Pilar Pedraza, kake.com You may not believe it, but Kansas is on the front lines of the psychological war over elections being fought during the next year. We're not talking about politicians fighting for your vote, we're talking about other countries fighting to make you hate the United States. This all makes election security a primary concern for local voters.  Loyal voter Dan Jacobs agreed, "Misinformation is probably one of the biggest concerns when it comes to any election." They understand it's a battle for their trust, but those we spoke with just don't see it as being a big deal here in Kansas. Read more here.

EDUCATION TOPS LIST OF CONCERNS ON LISTENING TOUR Gale Rose, gctelegram.com Education, infrastructure and health care were chief among topics at the governor's Kansan to Kansan budget listening session on the Garden City Community College Campus. During her opening remarks before the group sessions, Kelly admitted she was a total budget "wonk" and liked nothing more than working on budgets. She said she spent 10 days in a windowless room going over the last budget line by line and enjoyed every bit of it. Kelly's goal for the 2020 budget is to be fiscally responsible, fund critical services, be able to put funds away for a rainy day and to be balanced. Read more here.

KANSAS TEACHERS ASK FOR MORE SUPPORT FROM STATE: "WE'RE BURNED OUT" Nextar Media Wire, fox4kc.com Kansas schools are set to receive 615 million dollars in education funding over the next few years. For educators, this money could make a big impact. While the numbers vary, it's said that teachers can spend upwards of $500 per school year on supplies and necessities for their classroom. The hope is that the additional funding for education will go directly to the classrooms. "The expectations that have been put on teachers have gone up considerably. The workload has gone up considerably...and we're burned out," says Tammy a 6th grade teacher in a low-income area of Kansas. She has been teaching for 27 years. Watch here.

MEDICAID PLANS CAUSE FRICTION IN THE KANSAS STATHOUSE Martin Hawver, hayspost.com There will be times, maybe when your aunt at Thanksgiving dinner says she's decided to buy a pickup truck or that she's taken up break-dancing at her neighborhood bar, that the atmosphere in a room changes. We've all been there, but we didn't expect that change in atmosphere, that chill, to occur at the Special Committee on Medicaid Expansion in the Kansas Statehouse last week. That Chill? Read more here.

AETNA CLAIMS REBOUND FROM MEDICAID MISCUES; SKEPTICS NOT CELEBRATING Tim Carpenter, salina.com Executives of state contractor Aetna Better Health appeared Tuesday to have nudged the company away from a political lava flow that erupted three months ago amid evidence of failure to abide by a $1 billion contract to serve disabled, elderly and other people on Medicaid. In July, KDHE sent a notice of contractual noncompliance to Aetna. The company's initial plan to correct inadequacies filed in early August was rejected by KDHE because it didn't sufficiently respond to chronic complaints of service providers and people enrolled in the system. Read more here.

TRAGEDY AND TRIUMPH: VIEWS ON KANSAS' SUPPORT OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES Tim Carpenter, gctelegram.com Robbie Kramer was mourning the loss of her 27-year-old son as she stepped to a microphone at the Capitol to speak from the heart to a Kansas Legislature oversight committee about the potency and cruelty of the state's services for people with disabilities. "This system can be very cruel to parents and people with disabilities. The programs are a lifesaver when they work," she said. "While Keith is now gone, I hope by sharing our experiences with the 'system' might help make things better for other families to not be isolated." Read more here.

SOCIAL SECURITY DOES NOT ADD TO THE FEDERAL DEFICIT Teresa Ghilarducci, forbes.com This is not a political column, it's a push back on the political distortion of legal and math facts about Social Security. Recently political leaders are gunning to cut Social Security benefits to reduce the federal deficit. But Social Security can't, by law, add to the federal deficit. Medicare and Medicaid can, but not Social Security. Social Security is self-funded. Read more here.

Helping navigate the confusion that is politics today, these 'clickable links' can help answer many of the questions you may have about voting, the legislature, and the facts. ACLU-KS Alec Exposed Ask A Librarian Ballotpedia Climate Forward Countable Democracy on Tap Fact Check Fairvote Icivics Indivisible.org KS-Secretary Of State KSVotes.org League of Women Voters-Kansas League of Women Voters Wichita Mainstream Coalition Open Secrets: KS Donors Open States Politifact Secure Our Vote The Active Age Vote411.org VOTE.org Vote Smart Voter to Voter As always, visit the event calendar located on the W4K website, for information about upcoming events from around the state.

The "Sanders Prank Caller Mystery" on RFK

Kansas Sampler Foundation, News Release Explorer Extra!

PHOTO CREDIT: Union Pacific. Union Pacific Steam Team members, from left, Garland Baker, Ed Dickens, Austin Barker, Kirt Clark, Bruce Kirk, Troy Plagge, Jimmy Thompson and Ted Schulte stand in front of the recently reconnected Big Boy, locomotive No. 4014. Thank you to Andrea Etzel, Kansas Magazine, for permission to reuse this photo and share their article about the steam engine found at travelks.com. UNION PACIFIC STEAM ENGINE COMING TO KANSAS! Take this fabulous opportunity to watch a steam locomotive come down the tracks. To mark the 150th anniversary of the transcontinental railroad, the Union Pacific is sending their steam locomotive No. 4014 down the tracks. It will be in Kansas the week of November 17. Here is the schedule (though subject to change). Learn more about locations where train will stop here. Nov. 16, Coffeyville. Arrives 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 16, departs Nov. 17 at 8 a.m. Nov. 17, Neodesha. Arrives 9:30 a.m., departs 9:45 a.m. Nov. 17, Durand (Woodson County). Arrives 11:15 a.m., departs 11:45 a.m. Nov. 17, Garnett. Arrives 1:30 p.m., departs 1:45 p.m. Nov. 17, Osawatomie. Arrives 2:30 p.m., departs 3 p.m. Nov. 17, Kansas City, Mo. Arrives 6:30 p.m. and is on display at Union Station Nov. 18 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Departs Nov. 19 at 8 a.m. Nov. 19, Lawrence. Arrives 10:15 a.m., departs 10:45 a.m. Nov. 19, Topeka. Arrives 11:45 a.m. at the Great Overland Station, departs 12:30 p.m. Nov. 19, Topeka. Arrives at NW Norris and Clay at 1 p.m. Departs Nov. 20 at 8 a.m. Nov. 20, Manhattan. Arrives at S. Manhattan Avenue Crossing at 9:30 a.m., departs 10:15 a.m. Nov. 20, Junction City. Arrives 11 a.m., departs 11:15 a.m. Nov. 20, Abilene. Arrives 12:15 p.m., departs 12:35 p.m. Nov. 20, Salina. Arrives 2:15 p.m., departs Nov. 21 at 8 a.m. Nov. 21, Ellsworth. Arrives 9:30 a.m., departs 10:15 a.m. Nov. 21, Russell. Arrives 12 p.m., departs 12:15 p.m. Nov. 21, Hays. Arrives 1:45 p.m., departs Nov. 22 at 8 a.m. Nov. 22, Ellis. Arrives 8:45 a.m., departs 9 a.m. Nov. 22, Quinter. Arrives 10:30 a.m., departs 11 a.m. Nov. 22, Oakley. Arrives 12:30 p.m., departs 1 p.m. Nov. 22, Sharon Springs. Arrives 2:15 p.m. MT, departs Nov. 23 at 8 a.m. MT.

US Military FEARS Societal Collapse

Kansas News Service, Oct. 25, 2019

View this email in your browser October 25, 2019

Bigger farms, fewer townsfolk In many ways, the successes of modern agriculture are killing rural communities across the Great Plains. From GMOs to GPS precision, advances make it possible for a lone farmer to work ever-larger stretches of land. That inexorable trend of fewer and bigger farms means the small cities and towns that sprung up across vast swaths of Kansas saw their economic lifelines fade away. Many large, commodity farmers insist they must continue expansion to keep their operations solvent. Tight margins and volatile markets tell them that increasing size offers their only chance at survival. Meanwhile, some farmers see cultivating tens of thousands of acres of beans, corn or wheat as a hamster wheel existence. They’ve shifted to boutique, and often organic crops sold more directly to families rather than to large commodity traders. Those small-scale outfits offer some hope to their nearby towns. They’re a promise of more farmers per acre, more customers for the shops in town, more kids for the schools, more energy to a community. But they’re far less efficient on a food-to-acre basis. That phenomenon anchors the latest episode of the second season of our “My Fellow Kansans” podcast. It’s available from whatever app you plug into. Subscribe. Share. Review. Let us know what you think. — Scott Canon, Kansas News Service managing editor   "It bothers me ... that what we're doing on our farm is, in a way, contributing to the decline of the local community." — Don Hineman, a state representative and the operator of a large farm, in the second episode of the new season of My Fellow Kansans   Principal interest You’re not rich. Neither is your family. You don’t have credit, but you need cash pronto. Payday loans fill a need. But those storefront lenders also can charge extortionary interest fees, sucking the poor into nearly inescapable cycles of deepening debt. A coalition of nonprofit groups hopes this marks the year they convince Kansas lawmakers to impose tighter payday loan regulation. Read about it. Share Tweet Forward Kansas Compromise? The majority of the Kansas Legislature has made clear it’s ready to expand Medicaid. The conservative Republicans who dominate leadership positions in the House and Senate, on the other hand, have stopped that from happening. Lawmakers left Topeka in late spring promising to use their offseason to craft a plan that could break through the legislative bottleneck. A key Republican has crafted a plan — one that nudges more people into the job market and intertwines Medicaid with the private insurance market. Now we’ll see what moves forward. Here’s the latest. Share Tweet Forward Sparks flew Investigators concluded that it was a welding torch that sparked the fire in Holcomb, Kansas, which shut down the Tyson meatpacking plant in early August. The fire closed the western Kansas plant, which slaughters about 5% percent of the nation’s cattle, for weeks. That was followed by a temporary spike in beef prices across the country. Learn more. Share Tweet Forward

"A BUSY LAST FEW DAYS" @ Abbie Hodgson for Congress

Dear Michael, The opportunity to travel throughout the 2nd Congressional District and connect with voters is without a doubt, the best part of the campaign. This weekend, I traveled over 200 miles in Northeast Kansas, hitting events in Atchison, Brown, Jefferson, and Leavenworth Counties. Saturday was overcast, and there were a few raindrops, but there was a lot to see along the road. I saw corn harvest beginning, soybeans maturing, and cattle grazing. I saw old stone churches, old brick schools, and old wooden barns. But it wasn’t what I saw, so much as who I talked to and what I learned that made the day so special. I spoke with local residents in Atchison about issues of concern to the community. Top of the list was healthcare and education. In Brown County, I went to the Hiawatha Maple Leaf Festival, where I enjoyed meeting local residents like the cuties below and eating kettle corn. In Jefferson County, I attended the Ozawkie Heritage Festival where I learned about the Delaware Indian Reserve, the Border War, and the building of Perry Lake at an oral history event. And in Leavenworth County, I celebrated the accomplishments of the local Democratic Party at their annual picnic. Your donations fund our campaign's ability to go to these critical community events and have conversations with voters that build trust and lay the groundwork for victory next year. So with our end-of-quarter deadline just one week away, I'm asking for your help. Please pitch in $10 (or more, if you can!) before our fundraising numbers go public. We need to raise $12,000 more by September 30. DONATE NOW » Thank you, Abbie P.S. On the road I enjoyed listening to The Homecomers, a podcast by Kansan Sarah Smarsh. Conversations focus not on the familiar narratives about the decline of small towns and rural areas, but on preserving and strengthening local communities. Abbie Hodgson is a fifth-generation Kansan, a teacher, and a policy expert and advocate. She’s a problem solver who will be a strong voice for Kansas’ 2nd District on education, agriculture, and affordable healthcare. Will you pitch in to help elect her to Congress? CONTRIBUTE Paid for by Abbie Hodgson for Congress Abbie Hodgson for Congress P.O. Box 126 Lawrence, KS 66044 United States If you believe you received this message in error or wish to no longer receive email from us, please unsubscribe.