Issues Teams Updates
Climate Justice
The Climate Justice Team has started working on an initiative to encourage Kentucky state government to commit to being carbon neutral by 2045. The CJ Team is working to have Kentucky join 22 other states who have made concrete commitments to address their climate damaging behaviors. In the coming weeks, the CJ Team will be working with partner organizations and state government to see what partners we can find to make progress in this effort.
Democracy
Despite efforts by the KY League of Women Voters, KY NAACP, KUUJAN supporters and other Kentuckians, the legislature passed redistricting maps that do not put voters’ interests first. KUUJAN readers are encouraged to visit the League of Women Voters website (https://www.lwvky.org/) to keep updated about the issue as the lawsuit filed to stop the maps from being implemented moves forward.
Here are some HOT Legislative issues for 2022 as identified by the KUUJAN Democracy Team:
- How history is taught in Kentucky / First Amendment issues
- Voting Rights
- Redistricting
The “DEM TEAM” encourages you to use the amazing bill tracker created by Kentuckians for the Commonwealth to keep abreast of the legislative movement in Frankfort: https://archive.kftc.org/bill- tracker The tracker provides information about both “good” and “bad” bills being considered by the Legislature, shows their current status, and provides talking points to use when contacting your legislators via the Legislative Message Line: 800-372-7181.The list of justice-related topics addressed by KFTC is quite broad – check it out to find one or more topics about which you are passionate.
Racial Justice
The Racial Justice Team continues to focus on the Racial Justice ToolKit that will be designed to help develop UUs in Kentucky confidence to engage in meaningful racial justice efforts. The RJ team plans to launch this toolkit on the KUUJAN website in the coming weeks. Stay tuned!
They are also working with the Democracy Team on addressing and responding to the threats to Critical Race Theory.
Reproductive Justice
The Reproductive Justice Team has to main foci for the coming year:
Defeating a constitutional amendment that will be on the Nov Ballot that will make abortion services illegal in Kentucky should Roe V Wade be overturned, and
Supporting a Maternal and Child Health and Well-Being Legislative Package developed by the Women’s Democratic Caucus.
(If you are interested in joining the Reproductive Justice Team, contact Natalie Barman at NBarman14@gmail.com, or Rus at rus@kuujan.org.)
The best way that you can be involved is through one of the Issues Teams. If you don’t have the time or energy right now to join, please do feel free to contact me (Rus) at any time with your thoughts, ideas, or suggestions for what else we can do or what else you’d like to see KUUJAN be engaged in. |
