May 2020 – Balancing the Scales

VOLUME 39 NUMBER 2

MAY 12, 2020

INSIDE … » Updates on KFTC’s COVID-19 response, including how we’re taking care of each other, helping challenge institutional injustices and adapting our voter empowerment strategies. » Update on the KFTC Annual Membership Meeting » Final 2020 General Assembly notes

… and much more!

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Kentuckians For The Commonwealth P.O. Box 1450 London, Ky. 40743

BALANCING THE

www.kftc.org | May 12, 2020

2 | Balancing the Scales

is a statewide grassroots social justice orga­­ni­ zation working for a new balance of power and a just society. KFTC uses direct-action organizing to accomplish the following goals: • foster democratic values • change unjust institutions • empower individuals • overcome racism and other discrimination • communicate a message of what’s possible • build the organization • help people participate • win issues that affect the common welfare • have fun KFTC membership dues are $15 to $50 per year, based on ability to pay. No one is denied membership because of inability to pay. Membership is open to anyone who is committed to equality, democracy and nonviolent change.

KFTC STEERING COMMITTEE Cassia Herron, chairperson Alan Smith, vice chairperson Rebecca Tucker, secretary-treasurer Fannie Madden-Grider, at-large member Meta Mendel-Reyes, immediate past chair Chapter Representatives Emily Baldridge, Big Sandy Tiffany Duncan, Central Kentucky David Miller, Cumberland Carl Shoupe, Harlan County Connor Allen, Jefferson County John Wade, Madison County Greta Elenbaas, Northern Kentucky Courtney Combs, Perry County Amelia Cloud, Rolling Bluegrass Alvin Madden-Grider, Rowan County Joy Fitzgerald, Shelby County Summer Bolton, Southern Kentucky Jim Gearhart, Western Kentucky Shannon Scott, Wilderness Trace Alternates: Mikaela Curry, Big Sandy; Rachel Norton, Central Kentucky; Stephanie Kingsley, Cumberland; Chase Gladson, Harlan County; Courtney Kearney, Jefferson County; Susan Haddix, Madison County; Paul Schwartz, Northern Kentucky; Bobby Duff, Perry County; Kali Reagan, Rolling Bluegrass; Allie Secor, Rowan County; Tammy Barrett, Shelby County; Teresa Christmas, Southern Kentucky; Shannon Davis-Roberts, Western Kentucky; Eric Mount, Wilderness Trace

Table of Contents KFTC News Reshaping the ways KFTC organizes and builds power .......................................................... 3 This moment calls forth each and every one of us ..................................................................... 4 What about the KFTC Annual Meeting? ......................................................................................... 8 Mikaela Curry: “Breathing in times of Pandemic” ....................................................................... 9 Issues and work highlighted in KFTZines by Sabre Semrau ................................................. 18 KFTC Calendar of Events ................................................................................................................... 19 Voter Empowerment Primary election moved to June 23 ................................................................................................. 5 Visit GoVoteKY.com after May 22 to learn how to request a mail-in ballot ...................... 5 How do I know if Beshear’s executive order applies to me? .................................................. 6 More participation will assure success for digital voting app ................................................ 7 Using the Civil Rights Restoration website ................................................................................... 7 What you need to know about responding to the U.S. Census..............................................16 Building Grassroots Power Berea community responds together to the COVID-19 crisis .............................................. 10 NKY members get DACA update, hear personal stories............................................................11 Three NKY Coffees for the Commonwealth held..........................................................................11 Fairness growing in northern Kentucky............................................................................................11 New Energy and Just Transition Revisioning a Just Transition with a racial justice lens...............................................................12 Empower Kentucky Leadership digs into race-class narrative...............................................13 Coal miners urge support amid dual threats from black lung and COVID-19 ................ 17 Kentucky General Assembly Grassroots involvement challenges legislative powers............................................................. 14 Legislators pass SB 2 to make voting harder for some.............................................................15 Legislative work moves Voting Rights campaign........................................................................15

Balancing the Scales is published by Kentuckians For The Commonwealth and sent as third class mail from Louisville. Reader contri­butions and letters to the editor should be sent to P.O. Box 864, Prestonsburg, KY 41653 or jhardt@kftc.org. Subscriptions are $20/yr.

www.kftc.org | May 12, 2020

Balancing the Scales | 3

KFTC News

Reshaping the ways KFTC organizes and builds power Over almost 40 years, KFTC has built an organization through relationships – often conversations in person – so as the COVID-19 pandemic was reshaping the world in numerous ways, it also was changing the way we think about organizing for justice.

KFTC members started 2020 with an ambitious plan to impact the elections through thousands of in-person conversations about voting and candidates.

We expected to meet folks at their front doors and at numerous community events and campuses across Kentucky. Instead, we were forced to stop, stay home, slow down and rethink.

In the early days of the pandemic, when it became clear the virus was spreading rapidly and Gov. Andy Beshear asked folks to stay home, KFTC’s first concern was the health and safety of our members and staff.

We sent an email on March 17 that began: Here in Kentucky, we do better together – even when that means keeping our physical distance.

We’re in a moment that reminds us that we must choose each other across our differences and against anything and anyone who seeks to divide us.

As individuals, we can wash our hands, avoid unnecessary travel and gatherings, and check in on our friends and neighbors. As a united force, we can demand our local, state and national governments do everything possible to protect the health and well-being of all of us, no exceptions.

As the weeks wore on and folks were still at home, we stayed connected through email and social media. Members came together on March 30 for a virtual check-in to connect, share hopes and concerns, and see each other’s faces by video.

The following day, KFTC Vice Chairperson Alan Smith sent an email announcing that KFTC staff would take a two-week slowdown to address personal, family and community needs. Staff returned to work after two weeks, but are working from home and continuing to take leave as needed for childcare, eldercare and other responsibilities.

After the first virtual meeting on March 30, staff and leaders worked to build additional webinars, including a town hall on April 28 with U.S. Senate candidate Charles Booker and trainings on phone banking, registering people to vote, racial justice,

voting rights and more. At the same time, chapters and issue committees started meeting by video, learning to use virtual spaces to do our work.

Elections are still happening in Kentucky this year, and the outcomes are important. The pandemic has revealed just how much we need leaders who will show up with us and for us, who want what’s best for all of us.

Gov. Beshear pushed back the primary election originally scheduled for May 21 until June 23. With the extra time, KFTC developed a plan that relies more heavily on virtual training, phone calls, texting, emails and social media – what we call digital engagement.

KFTC Chairperson Cassia Herron sent an email on April 21 inviting members to go all in together to impact the primary election.

It will take each and every one of us to register folks to vote, talk about issues, lift up good candidates and ensure we have a voting process that’s fair and accessible. And we can do it, even from home. (Read the full email on the next page.)

As our organizing work has started to move again in this virtual space, KFTC continues to prioritize the health and safety of our members, staff and communities. The pandemic has disproportionately affected communities of color, low-income folks, essential workers and others. We’ve lifted up these disparities through our social media and shared resources for mutual aid through a web page (kftc.org/ covid19-resources).

Along with allies across the country, we’ve signed on to letters and petitions urging an end to evictions and shutoffs, a halt to criminal prosecutions of migrants, and no bailouts for fossil fuel industries.

KFTC joined 500 other groups in asserting principles for a People’s Bailout. And we signed on to the Essential Worker Bill of Rights.

In the coming weeks, KFTC will continue to observe guidelines for social distancing and do our part

to keep our communities healthy and safe. We’ll continue to assess – week by week – how best to do powerful voter engagement work within these guidelines.

For the time being, this work will continue digitally, with the hope that eventually we might resume some activities such as literature drops in neighborhoods.

Resuming door-to-door canvassing and tabling before the primary seems less likely.

How we approach our statewide annual meeting, originally planned for July 24-26 at Berea College, is still coming together. See page 8.

For now, we’re committed to do what we can, while prioritizing the well-being of our members, staff and communities.

www.kftc.org | May 12, 2020

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KFTC News

This moment calls forth each and every one of us On April 23, two months before the primary election and after Kentuckians had been sheltering at home for more than a month, KFTC chairperson Cassia Herron sent the following email to members.

I am sending love and good vibes to you and your family. I hope you are well.

Each of us have very different situations right now, but we share a few things in common – our responsibilities as Kentuckians is one of them. One of the best ways we can contribute is through the ballot box. With all that’s going on, we’ll have a primary election just two months from today. Are we ready?

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, we knew the importance of this year’s elections. Now, more than ever, we understand how critical it is to choose leaders who put Kentuckians first and want what’s best for all of us. This year we will choose a U.S. president, a U.S. senator, six U.S. House reps, and dozens of state legislators, city council members, judges and more. Who will we choose?

Because we worked hard and helped elect Gov. Andy Beshear, this year we’ve witnessed consistent, compassionate leadership that has built community and comforted Kentuckians – especially during this crisis. We’ve also seen how Kentucky’s legislative leaders have put their own political agenda ahead of the health and safety of Kentuckians, by continuing to meet after the capitol was shut down for COVID-19, pushing bad bills that would separate our families, limit voting and endanger reproductive rights, and ignoring good bills that would expand clean energy and support miners with black lung.

Despite what our elected officials do, every day Kentuckians are choosing each other. We look out for our neighbors, our children, and our elders.

We want leaders who choose us too – who show up with us and for us, who won’t divide us for political gain or put their wealthy donors first.

This year’s elections are so important. Everything we care about is at stake. As KFTC members, we can make an impact, like we did in 2019 when we helped elect Andy Beshear. We can do more! We have to do more!!

It will take each and every one of us to register folks to vote, talk about issues, lift up good candidates and ensure we have a voting process that’s fair and accessible. And we can do it, even from home. Here’s how you can help:

Make sure your family, friends and neighbors know about voting and the US Census (2020census.gov). You can call, text, make posts on your social media or host meet-ups online. Reach out to your local organizer or Democracy Leader for organizing support.

Some folks have already gotten started. Check out our schedule of online trainings and volunteer actions and make plans to participate! (KFTC.org/ meetonline) Sign up to volunteer (WeAreKentuckians.org/volunteer). Join other KFTC members for various volunteer opportunities.

Ask 5 Kentucky friends if their voter registration is up-to-date and point them to WeAreKentuckians.org/vote to register or help someone else.

Now is the time to be creative and work in partnership with our elected officials to ensure fair and equitable access to voting. Let us know if you have ideas about how the primary and general elections should be run. Reach out to your organizer to share your thoughts.

And, if you can, please continue to support this work financially (KFTC. org/support). I know that won’t be possible for everyone, but if you’re able, your support will make a difference.

During this time, we must remember our duties as Kentuckians. We must make sure our elections are fair and accessible. We educate our neighbors. We support good candidates. We vote, and when we go to the polls we don’t just choose between candidates – we’re choosing what kind of Kentucky we want to call home.

Working together, consistently, a little bit at a time, we are sure to reach our goals. Let’s commit to our responsibilities so we can celebrate more wins together in June and November.

Take care,

Cassia Herron, KFTC Chairperson

The KFTC Executive Committee is (left to right) Cassia Herron, chairperson; Rebecca Tucker, secretary-treasurer; Fannie Madden-Grider; at-large representative; Meta Mendel-Reyes, immediate past chairperson; and Alan Smith, vice-chairperson.

During the first months of the year, with a focus on the 2020 Kentucky General Assembly, committee members talked weekly and served as KFTC’s legislative strategy team to review and take positions on legislation, along with their normal business.

Since the coronavirus pandemic became the primary focus in early March, the executive committee has continued to meet almost weekly, helping shape KFTC’s support for staff and members and shift strategies to build power and influence the outcome of the June 23 primary elections.

www.kftc.org | May 12, 2020

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Voter Empowerment

Primary election moved to June 23 Voting by mail to be the preferred method of voting

All registered voters will be able to vote by mail in the June 23 primary election, thanks to an agreement between Gov. Andy Beshear and Secretary of State Michael Adams, and action by the state Board of Elections.

Beshear signed an Executive Order on April 24 that included a letter from the Secretary of State, both authorizing expanded mail-in voting and other changes for the June 23 elections. They both empowered and directed that Board of Elections to develop procedures and rules on how to conduct mail-in voting.

Meeting on April 24 and since, the Board of Elections confirmed that: • • • • • •

• • •

Every Kentucky voter who wants to can vote by mail; in fact, it is the preferred method of voting.

Any voter who cannot vote by mail-in ballot will have expanded opportunities to vote in person on and before June 23.

A postcard will be sent to all registered voters with steps to take to get a ballot – through an online portal or calling their county clerk.

There will no longer be a two-part process where people have to mail in a ballot request before they get their ballot.

There's a June 15 deadline to request a mail-ballot.

Ballots need to be postmarked by June 23 and received by the county clerk by June 26; there will be drop-off locations for ballots, too. Postage will be prepaid for ballots returned by mail.

There will be in-person voting by appointment June 8-June 22 (except Sundays) at county clerks' offices or other designated and secure locations.

There will be some kind of cure process to let voters know about errors in their ballot and to let them make corrections.

There will be limited in-person voting on June 23, and counties are authorized to eliminate some in-person voting locations. Many counties may set up drive-through voting, to prevent unnec-

•

essary contact between voters and poll workers.

Personal protective equipment will be provided to poll workers.

County clerks and the secretary of state will report partial election results on June 23 and full results by June 30.

What steps should voters take?

• • •

Make sure you are registered to vote and that your address is correct. Register or confirm your registration online at GoVoteKY.com When you receive the postcard, follow the instructions for requesting a mail-in ballot (request one online or call your county clerk).

If you do not receive that postcard by June 10, call your county clerk or visit their website to let them know you want an absentee ballot.

•

•

You also will be able to find the link to the online portal to request a mail-in ballot at: www.GoVoteKY.com after May 22.

Make sure your ballot is mailed no later than June 23 (earlier is fine) or dropped off at a designated location.

If you are unable to vote by mail, county clerks were directed to establish early in-person voting from June 8 through June 22 (not including Sundays, and Saturdays may be optional) at a safe location(s). This voting may be by appointment only (in order to prevent any crowds), and may look slightly different from one county to the next. Check with your local county clerk and monitor local media for details on how this will take place in your community.

An online list of county clerks can be found at: www.kentuckycountyclerks.com.

In early March, KFTC hired nearly 30 Voter Empowerment organizers to work through the November election, many of whom participated in an orientation training the first weekend of March. The day after their orientation ended, public health restrictions were implemented by KFTC and the state of Kentucky, ending opportunities for door-to-door canvassing, tabling at community events and voter registration on college campuses for the primary election. Many of the Voter Empowerment organizers continue to help implement digital engagement strategies and do phone banking.

Visit GoVoteKY.com after May 22 to learn how to request a mail-in ballot

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Voter Empowerment

How do I know if Beshear’s executive order applies to me?

After Governor Andy Beshear signed an executive order restoring the right to vote to an estimated 152,000 Kentuckians with felonies in their past, the Campaign Legal Center put together a great tool at www.RestoreYourVote.org to help people figure out whether Beshear's Executive Order applies to them.

It asks a series of questions to determine if someone can register to vote, and, if so, connects to an online voter registration portal. For people excluded from the executive order but who have served their time, there's still the option of requesting voting rights through an individual partial pardon from the governor.

In addition, one does not yet have the right to vote if they are still on probation or parole, have any pending felony charges or arrests against them, or if the felony was an out-of-state or federal conviction.

Exclusions in the executive order are people convicted of: • Any capital offense; • Any Class A felony; • Any Class B felony involving death of the victim or serious physical injury to a victim; • Any Class B felony involving attempted murder if the victim of the offense is a clearly identifiable peace officer or firefighter acting in the line of duty, regardless of whether an injury results (KRS 506.010); • Any attempted felony sexual offense (KRS Chapter 510); • Any Felony Sexual Offense (KRS 510);

• • • • •

• •

If one determines that the executive order includes them, simply register to vote by going to the local county clerk’s office and filling out a voter registration card, or register online at GoVoteKY.com.

A lot of exclusions were included in the executive order, which can make trying to register voters with felonies in their past tricky. KFTC will be putting together some resources and workshops in the coming weeks to equip people to register voters who just got back their right to vote.

KFTC believes that every adult deserves the right to vote, which is why we continue to push for passage of a proposed constitutional amendment that’s much simpler and much more permanent to restore voting rights to everyone once one has completed a sentence (House Bill 6 in the 2020 General Assembly).

Assault 1st or 2nd (KRS 508.020) Assault under extreme emotional disturbance (KRS 508.040(a)); Bribery in an election (KRS 521); Burglary 1st accompanied by commission or attempted commission of kidnapping (KRS 509.040); Burglary 1st accompanied by commission or attempted commission of an assault described in KRS 508.010, 508.020, 508.032, or 508.060; Criminal abuse 1st (KRS 508.100); Fetal Homicide 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th (KRS 507A)

• • • • • • • • • •

Human Trafficking (KRS 529.100); Manslaughter 1st or 2nd (KRS 507.030.040); Murder (KRS 507.020); Promoting a sexual performance by a minor (KRS 531.320); Unlawful transaction with a minor 1st (KRS 530.064(1)(a)); Use of a minor in a sexual performance (KRS 531.310); Reckless Homicide (KRS 507.050); Robbery 1st (KRS 515.020); Strangulation 1st (KRS 508.170) Treason

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www.kftc.org | May 12, 2020

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Voter Empowerment

Participation will assure success for digital organizing app One thing that hasn’t changed is that the elections this year matter. A LOT. Actually, they probably matter more than they did before the pandemic. The stakes are high for our own lives, our loved ones and Kentuckians everywhere who are struggling. We can still make sure to choose candidates who know our struggles and will show up for our values, even during a pandemic.

KFTC is re-focusing on digital organizing as the key way to engage people we know and people we don’t know. It’s a fact: people are much more likely to vote if they are contacted directly and often by someone they know or who looks/talks/ lives like them. This is called relational organizing.

Here are four ways to organize in this digital, important moment: 1. Join a Jumpstart Call for volunteers EVERY TUESDAY from 7 to 8:30 p.m. ET / 6 to 7:30 p.m. CT. Get inspired, get oriented, build community. Learn about ways to volunteer safely from home and choose options that work best for you. Happening every Tuesday between now and the June 23 primary.

2. Help call Kentucky voters. Tech needed: you have access to a telephone – smartphone or landline. Access to the internet is great. If you don’t have internet access but want to make phone

calls, contact Jess Hays Lucas at 859276-0563.

3.

Register, inform and inspire your personal network to vote. Another fact: folks are 2 times more likely to turn out and vote if they get a turnout message from someone they know, versus from a random organization. We are using an app called EMPOWER (MyRVP). Tech needed: access to a

smartphone that can download an app OR a computer that can access web pages. Email Lisa Abbott at lisa@kftc.org to get started.

4. Join one of our social media hype teams!

Create content with other KFTC members about getting registered, voting by mail and supporting progressive candidates. Contact Meredith Wadlington at meredith@kftc.org or 859-2760563 if you’re interested. Tech needed: access to the internet, computer or smartphone.

Using the Civil Rights Restoration website Kentucky Democracy won a major victory late last year when Governor Andy Beshear signed an executive order restoring the right to vote to an estimated 152,000 people with felonies in their past. About half of people who are off of probation and parole got their right to vote back.

The problem is that in most cases, no one has told them that.

Earlier in the year the state rolled out a tool at CivilRightsRestoration.KY.gov people can use to see if they got their right to vote back through that order. The site provides background information, a way to check one’s status against the state’s database, and what to do if the results are inconclusive.

Those who do not qualify under the governor’s executive order may still submit an Application for Restoration of Civil Rights to request an individual pardon from the governor. That application also is available at CivilRightsRestoration.KY.gov.

Were it not for the COVID-19, KFTC and allies would be knocking every door in many communities across the state, registering voters and spreading the word about the executive order. As it is, KFTC is reaching out to recovery houses, holding online trainings, spreading the word through social media, Teri Blanton worked partnering with organizations that with Susan Grant, her deliver meals and other essential serhousemate in Madison vices to low-income communities to County, to help her spread the word. figure out if she got her To help other Kentuckians to right to vote back. She vote, the website www.GoVoteKY. did, and registered to com is the best site to register online. vote online right on the And go to www.KentuckyElection. spot. org to learn about candidates who will be on the June 23 ballot.

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www.kftc.org | May 12, 2020

KFTC News

What about the KFTC Annual Meeting?

In-person gathering was set for July 24-26

The KFTC Annual Membership Meeting is more than the weekend where hundreds gather for learning, inspiration and community, and to guide the organization (elect statewide officers and adopt an updated platform).

In a normal year, the annual meeting process starts in May when we begin accepting nominations for statewide officers (chair, vice-chair, secretary-treasurer and at-large member of the Executive Committee) and statewide issue and governance committees.

In May and June, chapters hold their annual chapter meetings during which members review and make suggested changes to the KFTC Platform, nominate members for statewide positions and set annual chapter goals.

The Steering Committee and Leadership Development Committee process all this input and prepare a proposed platform and slate of officer nominees for members to decide when they come together for the annual meeting weekend.

The annual meeting itself has distinct components: community building (social activities, awards ceremony), a keynote speaker, education (workshops, plenary sessions) and the annual business meeting. KFTC bylaws require an annual business meeting, when officers are elected and the platform adopted, held no later than 18 months until after the

previous meeting. That allows until early next year since the previous meeting was in August 2019.

KFTC leaders are talking about how we should proceed with all annual meeting activities this year. There is agreement that because of the coronavirus pandemic, it is not feasible to move forward safely with the established date, location and plan (the last weekend in July on the Berea College campus). Outside of that timeline, there’s actually quite a bit of flexibility for changing the date and program to meet our capacity and needs.

The plan is to discuss options for a revised annual meeting program and schedule at a Steering Committee video meeting on May 20. Among the options is that the annual meeting components – workshops, a keynote speaker, business meeting, community building – can be separate events throughout the summer and fall. A nominations process and annual chapter meetings can be coordinated with those decisions.

Already KFTC has an expanded offering of online workshops and gathering. And many chapters are holding online meetings. Visit www.KFTC.org/MeetOnline to learn about these.

Look for communications from KFTC about the annual meeting after May 20.

www.kftc.org | May 12, 2020

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KFTC News

Mikaela Curry: “Breathing in times of Pandemic”

By Mikaela Curry Breathe in,breath out Here is what I know washing hands can become a prayer, even when it might feel like a penance We could make it sacred for however long we’re in this, and for the time that follows too Here, the water running - sacred the soap, - sacred this skin - sacred the smallest action of care - sacred the space between these fingers - sacred the space between us - sacred the joining of these palms - sacred Breathe in, breathe out and lift our sacred hands Slow down. Let us witness this both disruption and repetition Let us hold hope of better conditions, of accountable politicians, of abolition Let us see this as more than interruption, more than destruction Let it guide us and be instruction for the future we are capable of constructing

This is the time for rest This is the time for work This is the time for letting go This is the time for learning This is the time for the bones of the world to curl weary and sleep, and in these separate spaces to call to the new future who is waiting This is the time to see how to set down the ways which fail us - here is the time to let go Breathe in, breathe out and lift our sacred hands Letting go of what has been holding space for what will be

Mikaela Curry reads her poem at: https://vimeo.com/402549234

Here again comes sorrow to our doors, grief upon our hearts, which has not ever left us Not when our brothers and our sisters and our children are in cages Not when there is the violence of poverty, of homelessness, of health care, of capitalism – this other relentless disease Let us hold ourselves in quiet sorrow Let us rage in righteous anger Let our tears fall freely and our outraged voices cry

Staying still, and also everything shifting uplifting, resisting, persisting, coexisting

Let the seeds fall gently from our hands for the earth just waiting to receive them Let us see the abundance which surrounds us, the wild winds of other ways Watch these gardens grow and see how we tend each other

Be gentle, to yourself - to everyone else, too

Breathe in, breathe out and lift our sacred hands.

Kentucky Poor Peoples Campaign Digital Speak Out Monday, May 18 – 2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. CT Register Here: https://bit.ly/3bl1lu4 The COVID-19 pandemic reveals the already deep fissures of inequality and injustice in our society. In fact, it has spread most rapidly along those fissures. Now is the time to work to protect vulnerable communities that continue to be most impacted! It is not the time to allow states and locali-

ties to "declare bankruptcy" as Senator McConnell wants. It is the time to protect and value the lives and humanity of essential workers! To provide Medicare-for-All! To stop bailing out wealthy corporations and meet the needs of 140 million poor and low wealth people!

www.kftc.org | May 12, 2020

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Building Grassroots Power

Berea community responds together to the COVID-19 crisis

By Meta Mendel-Reyes Madison County chapter members helped to create the Berea Community COVID-19 Committee (BCCC-19), which brings together a wide range of community individuals, organizations and agencies to develop and lead a community-wide response to the pandemic.

Lots of good work is already happening in Berea but the different groups have not come together. Our purpose is not to duplicate efforts, but to share information and to identify and help to fill gaps in Berea’s efforts to keep our community safe and well.

In the spirit of KFTC’s actions to help to defeat COVID-19 statewide, we are focused on our local community and grassroots organizing.

BCCC-19 was created on a Zoom call convened

by Meta Mendel-Reyes, from the KFTC Executive Committee and the Madison County chapter, and

by Dr. Lyle Roelofs, president of Berea College, with support from Mayor Bruce Fraley. More than 25 people joined the call, representing a wide cross-section of the Berea community.

The attendees included members of the Madison County KFTC Chapter and leaders from the school district, city government (the mayor, city manager and chief of police), the Berea Food Bank, Kids Eat, the hospital (CHI St. Joseph Berea Health), the Madison County Public Health Department, the Berea Public Library, Berea Home Village (senior housing), Berea College (Campus Christian Center, Hispanic Outreach Project and CELTS – the center for student service and service learning), Union Church (the head of Kentucky Council of Churches), and others.

On the call, we created a list of all the good work that is already being done and can be built upon, and Follow the Madison County chapter on social media – Twitter: @MadCo_KFTC, Facebook.com/MadisonCountyKFTC/

Thanks

gaps that need to be addressed.

The group created a community-wide committee that has more than 20 members and is still growing; like the original call, BCCC-19 represents a wide range of the Berea community.

On our committee calls we have identified issues such as violations of social distancing, especially, among young people; we are working to create a social media campaign directed toward youth and designed by youth.

We have also helped to develop new collaborations among our organizations; for example, the Food Bank has experienced much greater need but a decline in volunteers, so the chief of police offered to help with food deliveries.

We are also looking at ways to increase awareness of community programs and resources, building on the work that has already been done, such as the informative website created from the city. For example, Berea Municipal Utilities is not disconnecting service or charging for late payments, but many people don’t know about this.

I’d like you to know that the Berea community has been divided in many ways, between progressives and conservatives, college and town, people who display the Confederate flag and protesters against it,

etc. These disputes have been heated; people on both sides still reference the decision of the city council to vote against a Fairness Ordinance. So, if you’re thinking that the towns in your chapter are too divided for community-wide responses, maybe you’ll find that creating a committee to fight the virus can help bring you together.

As result of KFTC’s participation, the creation of BCCC-19 has been strongly aligned with our values and our approach to organizing. In the spirit of KFTC, we are focused on the grassroots and strengthening a local community.

Our membership is inclusive – we are attempting to “bring everyone to the table” and to pay particular attention to the most vulnerable members of our community, such a seniors and ethnic and racial minorities.

The committee process is democratic – we listen to all voices, and we seek opportunities for leadership development.

Personally, as a coordinator of BCCC-19 and a member of the KFTC Executive Committee, member leader, I am so proud to be part of an organization that is playing such a critical role, at the state and local levels, in responding to this unprecedented crisis. As Kentuckians we choose each other. Working together we can build a better and healthier Kentucky.

KFTC has built a web page with resources and ideas gathered and created from a wide range of sources to support safe, creative and spirit-filled organizing in the time of COVID-19. kftc.org/covid19-resources for being a member or supporter of KFTC. You make the work you read about in Balancing the Scales possible – 38 years of it!

www.kftc.org | May 12, 2020

Balancing the Scales | 11

Building Grassroots Power

NKY members get DACA update, hear personal stories On March 26, the Northern Kentucky chapter co-hosted a Zoom video conversation about immigration rights. The call focused on the status of the DACA (Deferred Action for Child Arrivals) program, the challenges facing the local immigrant community and how that fits into this unique moment dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Member Serena Owen helped lead the event, co-facilitating the call with local immigrant activist Heyra Avila. Avila has been active in this work since she was in middle school. She was born in Vera Cruz, Mexico and grew up in Boone County.

Since she was 13 years old Avila has helped organize her community to fight for comprehensive immigration reform, and fight for protections for every Kentuckian, regardless of immigration status.

Three NKY Coffees for the Commonwealth held

who are current would remain. The The discussion focused on this process of renewal, which is done every moment we are in. Proposed anti-immigration legislation and the two years, currently costs $495. If it is COVID-19 pandemic mean that she invalidated, it would push many people has become the main income source back into the shadows. for her family.

As a result, many people are seeking to renew their application before Making things more difficult, undocumented members of the commutheir two years expires. Even if DACA nity, including members of her family, recipients win their case, the Trump are not eligible for unemployment benadministration is increasing the costs Heyra Avila efits. Nor will they receive any benefits of renewal by 55 percent. That means from the federal relief bill. future renewals would be $765.

Her ability to provide would change if the U.S. Those who may become eligible for naturalization Supreme Court overturns the DACA program. This are set to see a steeper increase. The set increase will could happen in June, when justices hear the challenge be 83 percent, making naturalization cost $1,170. As from President Trump. This would remove the work a result, it is vital that those who can reapply do so as authorization that Avila and others use to work in the soon as possible. community. The program itself has been around since This event also served as a fundraiser for Avila.

2012, and assists undocumented residents who moved The community’s recognition of her tireless work allowed her to raise enough money to cover her renewal here as children.

If the court ends the program, only recipients application.

Fairness growing in northern Kentucky

During this past session of the Kentucky General Assembly, members of the Northern Kentucky KFTC Chapter hosted conversations at local coffee shops with legislators. The events, inspired by Cafe LOUIE hosted at the Louiville Free Public Library, were held in each of the three counties of the chapter: at Roebling Point Books and Coffee in Covington, Velocity Bike and Bean in Florence and Trailhead Coffee in Newport.

More than 50 members of the community came out to these three events, eager for a chance to have a conversation with their legislators about the issues they care about.

Legislators who attended included State Representatives Buddy Wheatley, Rachel Roberts, Kim Moser, Kim Banta and Ed Massey.

Northern Kentuckians continue to come together to fight for fairness and a more just future for all.

In March, Newport become the 20th city in Kentucky to pass a fairness ordinance, and neighboring Covington became the first local government in Kentucky to ban conversion therapy. Conversion therapy was defined by the city of Covington as “the use of psychological or spiritual interventions in attempts to force a person to change their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.”

The Fairness Campaign, Northern Kentucky Fairness, the Coalition to Ban Conversion Therapy as well as the KFTC chapter all helped make these successes possible.

However, members realize the work is far from over. The Daviess County Fiscal Court failed to pass a fairness ordinance for its county in early April, with

the vote being a 2-2 tie.

While the reading and vote is a step forward, it also shows how much farther Kentuckians have to go to support LGBTQ+ neighbors across the state.

Kentucky communities with LGBTQ Fairness Ordinances are Louisville (1999), Lexington (1999), Covington (2003), Vicco (2013), Frankfort (2013), Morehead (2013), Danville (2014), Midway (2015), Paducah (2018), Maysville (2018), Henderson (2019), Dayton (2019), Georgetown (2019), Versailles (2019), Bellevue (2019), Highland Heights (2019), Fort Thomas (2020), Woodford County (2020), Cold Spring (2020) and Newport (2020).

Source: Kentucky Fairness Campaign

Follow the Northern Kentucky chapter on social media: Instagram @northernky_KFTC Twitter: @NKY_KFTC • Facebook.com/nky.kftc

www.kftc.org | May 12, 2020

12 | Balancing the Scales

Racial Justice

Revisioning a Just Transition with a racial justice lens The Empower Kentucky Leadership Network – a cohort of 40 grassroots leaders across Kentucky dedicated to growing a stronger movement for Just Transition and climate justice – had its first gathering in Bowling Green in early November 2019. Among many resources provided to the cohort during this weekend was the KFTC document “Appalachia’s Bright Future – Working Together to Shape a Just Transition.” This document was created in 2013, but is still frequently used to reflect KFTC’s work related to Just Transition.

During a generative group discussion at this first gathering, a member of the cohort pointed out that there were problematic aspects of this document. For instance, the document’s list of frontline communities whose leadership should be centered in a Just Transition did not include people of color. The document also included a photo of a KFTC member of color who had been a strong leader in KFTC’s just transition work, but the lack of actual content emphasizing the importance of centering racial justice made the image feel tokenizing in nature.

Questions arose as to how these problems might be addressed, and a working group formed to work on a revisioning process for this document. It is not that unusual for organizations to find problems like this identified, even with the best of intentions, and KFTC is no exception. But often these mistakes go unchecked, or the problematic document or process is redacted once the problem is identified.

What if part of the work that we need to do around these issues is to have more dialogue about it – about how it came to be, and how we move forward differently? What might it look like to have a transparent process that allows us to work forward through these issues?

Inspired by these questions, a small work team of leadership cohort members formed to create a process that could both address the immediate needs relating to the 2013 document, and also root our organization

more fully in accountability and transformation. Such a process feels particularly important given that another main piece of KFTC’s work this year is an organization-wide Racial Justice Transformation.

The tentative goals of this process, as identified by the work team, are for KFTC to: • engage in an open, inclusive, transparent process to update and affirm a broadly shared description of our Just Transition vision, principles and platform; • do so in a way that repairs and builds relationships and builds understanding, ownership, power and trust across diverse frontline communities and constituencies within Kentucky; • do the above in a way that generates useful materi-

als for communicating broadly and engaging new folks in the work of making Just Transition real in our lives and communities.

So, we are starting here, with this clear documentation of our process and why it is needed – to let you know what we are doing and to be transparent. We will reach out soon (and often) to make sure KFTC leaders and directly impacted folks have the opportunity to contribute to this process. For now we invite you to share your questions and ideas with us by emailing nikita@kftc.org or calling 502-554-6633.

Signed: Mikaela Curry, Trinidad Jackson, Tona Barkely, Nikita Perumal and Lisa Abbott

Members of the Empower Kentucky Leadership Cohort with KFTC staff at their November 2019 retreat.

www.kftc.org | May 12, 2020

Balancing the Scales | 13

Racial Justice

Empower Kentucky Leadership digs into race-class narrative The Empower Kentucky Leadership Network – an ongoing cohort of 40 Kentuckians committed to building a stronger movement for climate and just transition – continues to grow and learn through monthly webinars and peer coaching calls.

The cohort’s April webinar concerned the “raceclass narrative” and featured special guest speaker Minister JaNaé Bates, the communications director of Faith in Minnesota and ISAIAH (a faith-based coalition of clergy, congregations and people of faith acting for racial and economic justice).

The race-class narrative, or “RCN” is a narrative strategy framework and organizing tool that KFTC leaders have been digging into for more than a year.

The RCN draws on empirical research to illustrate how talking explicitly about race and class is imperative to blocking the dog-whistle racism that the powerful use to divide working people, and to successfully energize and expand KFTC’s base.

Some members of the cohort had heard about the race-class narrative already through other leadership roles they play at KFTC, or through their familiarity with KFTC’s new RCN-grounded narrative campaign, “We Are Kentuckians: We Choose Each Other.”

Members were curious, though, to dig into how the RCN could apply to work on climate justice and just transition, as well as how it can be used to communicate effectively about the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bates, who is a United Church of Christ Minister, works to operationalize a stunningly successful RCN-based communications campaign in Minnesota, called “Greater than Fear.” She started off with a basic grounding in the narrative, breaking down that we can combat the basic elements of the “dog-whistle

ural instinct to try to cater to the opposition sometimes, this is usually a sign that we’re weakening our message so much that neither the base nor persuadables will find it energizing.

“You would never want to say anything that’s going to undermine what our viMinister JaNaé Bates speaking on Zoom. sion is for the world,” Bates advised.

Before practicing using the narrative, Bates noted 1. open with shared value, naming race and that there are some recently emerging pieces of research class; on the race-class narrative that she’s excited to unpack 2. name racial scapegoating as a weapon that more. For instance, when discussing alternative energy, economically harms all of us; the term “renewable” actually resonated more with 3. emphasize unity and collective action to base and persuadable audiences than the term “clean.” solve problems; And the term the “Green New Deal” isn’t really 4. invoke previous cross-racial solidarity wins, well known enough to resonate with audiences across as a way to combat cynicism; and the country – but that doesn’t necessarily mean we 5. connect joining together to achieve desired need to stop saying it or advocating for the world it outcomes. would make possible.

The group wrapped up by practicing rephrasing Another key principle that Bates emphasized is racial scapegoating statements about the COVID-19 that the most strategic messaging is geared towards crisis, into messages that could unite readers across race “engaging and unleashing” the progressive base into and class to push for the policy solutions we really need repeating a bold message capable of moving “persuad- for this pandemic. ables” towards our vision.

“It was a lot harder than it looked!” reflected one This bold message should be strong enough to cohort member. alienate our opposition; although it feels like a nat- Members of the cohort expressed how fascinating and helpful this narrative strategy was.

“Seems like this whole framework is a way to reframe small-self individualism towards aspirational collectivism,” member Bob Martin of Rockcastle It's been three months since the Empower Kentucky Leadership Network – a cohort of 40 County reflected.

Kentuckians dedicated to building a stronger movement for climate and just transition in Kentucky “When [JaNaé] talked about how our real op– had its in-person launch retreat in Bowling Green. Since then, members of the cohort have leaned position [is] our own cynicism – I really appreciated into relationship building, peer coaching and group learning through a series of peer group calls, that. Because it’s like, how can we be fully investing monthly all-cohort webinars and one-on-one connections. ourselves into own work, if at the same time we believe

As the cohort continues to learn about what it's going to take to win on climate, environmenit’s not possible. And how are we going to bring people tal, racial and economic justice in Kentucky, its members want to share what they’re learning! along with us through that?” asked Mikaela Curry of Take a look at kftc.org/leadership-network for a list of recommended resources and the rePike County. cordings of the first two webinars. This page will continue to be updated with more resources as Although the webinars are available live only to the cohort progresses. the cohort, a recording of the webinar with Bates, as

The first two webinars were on "Centering Racial, Economic and Gender Justice in our work" well as previous sessions, are at kftc.org/leadership-netand "The Climate Crisis and the Green New Deal." work. politics” narrative – racial fears, economic resentment and distrust of government – by evoking cross-racial solidarity, shared prosperity and the notion of “government for all.”

The race-class narrative research has built on these findings to propose a basic 5-part anatomy of a winning narrative:

Empower Kentucky cohort has resources to share

www.kftc.org | May 12, 2020

14 | Balancing the Scales

2020 Kentucky General Assembly

Grassroots involvement challenges legislative powers The 2020 General Assembly ended with a flurry of last-minute legislation that will have lasting impacts on Kentuckians – all passed with a Republican supermajorities while Kentuckians were prevented from entering the capitol because of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Much of the legislation claims more power for themselves and more wealth for their special interests, all passed while Kentuckians were locked out.

However, thanks to hard work of members of KFTC and ally groups all over the state, some terrible bills were stopped that appeared poised for passage – bills that would have penalized folks for being poor or having health issues, or would have terrorized Kentucky’s immigrant communities.

But some bills did make it through, especially in the final days. Here’s an overview of some of the bills passed, stopped or ignored. It’s not comprehensive or complete; many more of the bills KFTC tracked are listed on the KFTC Bill Tracker at kftc.org/bill-tracker.

The budget

Pointing to the impact that the pandemic will have on the state budget, legislators passed a one-year budget instead of the usual two-year budget. Despite the 244 pages of the bill (which legislators received about 45 minutes before voting on it) the budget is slim – basically enough to keep government functioning over the next year.

An overview of the budget by the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy shows flatline funding levels for K-12 schools, no raises for teachers and classified school employees, and no funding for textbooks. It puts in place a “performance funding formula,” according to KCEP. “That system, as we have noted, is disadvantaging universities and community colleges with more low-income students and students of color.”

The budget scales back funding for variety of human services. There are more than 9,000 people on waiting lists for those services.

A separate “revenue” bill (HB 351) passed without a fiscal analysis, though legislators reported it would raise only $5 million because its small new vaping tax is mostly offset by new tax breaks for the coal, alcohol and agricultural industries.

Governor Beshear’s line-items vetoes on several pieces of the budget bills were overridden.

Bills stopped House and Senate GOP leaders made clear their top legislative priorities – going after the poor and

going after immigrant families, respectively.

Each passed their bill, though it eventually stalled in the opposite chamber.

House Bill 1, the “War on the Poor” bill, would have made it harder for Kentuckians to get help for food, doctor’s appointments, child care and more. HB 1's provisions undermine health care and Medicaid, SNAP and food benefits, and other important programs, creating more obstacles for Kentuckians who are already struggling During the Voting Rights Lobby Day early in the session, members delivered a Thank You card to Governor’s Beshear’s to make ends meet. office in appreciation for his December executive order restor• Senate Bill 1, the “family Separation ing voting rights to many people with a felony in their past.

Bill,” requires all state agencies to proactively comply with federal anti-immi• House Bill 239 and Senate Bill 215 would have gration actions; bars DACA (Deferred repealed language in the 2018 workers' comp law Action For Childhood Arrivals) students from limiting who can perform evaluations in occuenrollment in higher education; prohibits any pational disease claims; this law has been used to sanctuary spaces; and more. make it much harder for miners with black lung • Senate Bill 11 would have made renters crimidisease to qualify for compensation. nals if there was damage to rental property, even • House Bill 237 and Senate Bill 154 would have though landlords already have the ability to sue prohibited application of the death penalty if the for compensation. It would have had a disproaccused has a diagnosis of serious mental illness. portionate impact on the poor, working class and SB 154 did pass a Senate committee but was people of color. It passed both the Senate and killed by Senate leaders.

House, and was stopped by Gov. Beshear’s veto.

• Similarly, Senate Bill 9 was stopped by a Beshear • House Bill 323 would have amended various provisions of the anti-solar energy net meterveto after the session had adjourned (so the GOP ing law that passed in 2019. It also would have did not have the chance to override the veto). It provided more time before the full provisions of was an anti-choice bill, not to change medical the 2019 law are implemented. HB 323 would practices (it doesn’t) but to perpetuate myths have slowed some of the damage impacting the about women who seek abortions and to attack solar energy industry in the state from the 2019 lawmakers who defend those rights. The Senate legislation. also folded in another bill (HB 451) that gave the attorney general (rather than health care officials) Other bills in this category would have raised the authority over Kentucky’s abortion providers. minimum wage (HB 39, SB 13), required the Public Service Commission to consider whether electricity Bad bills that will become law rates were affordable (HB 126), banned conversion Tops among these is Senate Bill 2, designed to therapy (HB 199, SB 85), made voter registration make it harder for some people to vote. See story on and voting easier (SB 43, HB 78, HB 80, HB 81), the next page. made state taxes more fair and raise significant new Also, Senate Bill 8 requires guns in schools, carrevenue (HB 416), made fairness statewide (HB 225), ried by school resource officers. taken politics out of legislative redistricting (HB 326), added cultural traits historically associated with race Good bills that were ignored to various civil rights protections (HB 33) and several There were many that, for the most part, were de- others. nied a hearing or a vote. The list includes at least three See updates on the efforts to pass Voting Rights legislation on the next page. bills with strong bipartisan support: •

www.kftc.org | May 12, 2020

Balancing the Scales | 15

2020 Kentucky General Assembly

Legislators pass SB 2 to make voting harder for some Although KFTC, ally organizations, Governor Beshear and Democratic leadership fought it every step of the way, Senate Bill 2, a regressive Voter ID law passed was pushed through the General Assembly.

SB 2 is a complicated 57-page bill designed to make it harder for some people to vote by restricting the kinds of IDs people can use to confirm their identity on Election Day. While a great many voters have drivers licenses and use them to vote already, many low-income and elderly Kentuckians don’t have and don’t normally need a drivers license or other type of photo ID. SB 2

creates extra hoops for them to jump through in order to vote, creating hassles that will discourage voting and frustrate poll workers and other voters..

About 11 percent of U.S. citizens do not have a government-issued photo ID. Mandatory photo ID laws are shown to reduce turnout by about 2-3 percent in states where they are in effect.

In vetoing SB 2, Gov. Beshear noted that, beside just being a bad idea, SB 2 is ill-timed coming during a pandemic when we don’t want people waiting in long lines and when the government offices that would normally issue IDs are closed.

How legislators voted on Senate Bill 2 There were two votes in each chamber (to pass the bill and override the veto).

Here is how they voted on overriding the veto (the preferred vote is NO – to not override the veto)

How senators voted on Senate Bill 2 VOTED YES ON SENATE BILL 2 (27): Ralph Alvarado, Tom Buford, Jared Carpenter, Danny Carroll, Matt Castlen, CB Embry, Rick Girdler*, David Givens*, Ernie Harris, Jimmy Higdon, Paul Hornback, Stan Humphries, Chris McDaniel*, Stephen Meredith, Robby Mills, Michael Nemes, Julie Raque Adams, Albert Robinson*, John Schickel*, Wil Schroder, Robert Stivers, Damon Thayer*, Steve West, Whitney Westerfield, Phillip Wheeler*, Mike Wilson, Max Wise VOTED NO ON SENATE BILL 2 (6): Morgan McGarvey, Gerald Neal, Dennis Parrett, Reginald Thomas*, Johnny Ray Turner*, Robin Webb NOT VOTING (7): Julian Carroll, Perry Clark, Denise Harper Angel, Alice Forgy Kerr, Brandon Smith

How representatives voted on Senate Bill 2 VOTED YES ON SENATE BILL 2 (60): Kim Banta*, Joe Fischer*, Kim King, Robby Miles, Steve Rudy*, Lynn Bechler*, Deanna Frazier*, Matthew Koch*, Jerry Miller*, Sal Santoro, Danny Bentley, Chris Freeland*, Adam Koenig*, Kimberly Moser*, Dean Schamore*, John Blanton*, Chris Fugate*, Stan Lee, Jason Nemes*, Steve Sheldon, Adam Bowling, Robert Goforth*, Derek Lewis*, David Osborne*, John Sims, Kevin Bratcher*, Jim Gooch*, Scott Lewis, Jason Petrie, Nancy Tate*, Travis Brenda*, David Hale*, Savannah Maddox, Phillip Pratt*, Walker Thomas*, Randy Bridges*, Mark Hart*, Ed Massey*, Melissa Prunty*, James Tipton*, Myron Dossett, Richard Heath*, Bobby McCool*, Brandon Reed*, Ken Upchurch*, Jim DuPlessis, Samara Heavrin*, Chad McCoy*, Steve Riley*, Russell Webber*, Larry Elkins, Regina Huff*, David Meade, Rob Rothenburger, Richard White*, Daniel Elliott*, Thomas Huff*, Michael Meredith*, Bart Rowland*, Les Yates* VOTED NO ON SENATE BILL 2 (29): Tina Bojanowski*, Jeff Donohue*, Angie Hatton, Russ Meyer, Ashley Laferty Tackett*, Charles Booker, Al Gentry*, Kathy Hinkle*, Patti Minter*, Susan Westrom*, Terri Branham Clark*, Jim Glenn*, Cluster Howard, Josie Raymond, Buddy Wheatley*, George Brown, Derrick Graham*, Joni Jenkins, Rachel Roberts*, Rob Wiederstein*, Tom Burch*, Joe Graviss, Nima Kulkarni*, Attica Scott, Lisa Willner, McKenzie Cantrell, Chris Harris, Reginald Meeks, Cherlynn Stevenson* NOT VOTING (11): John Carney*, Mary Lou Marzian, Ruth Ann Palumbo, Maria Sorolis*, Wilson Stone, Kelly Flood, Charlie Miller*, Rick Rand, Jim Stewart, Tommy Turner, Jeff Hoover * Has either a primary or general election race in 2020.

Legislators overrode Beshear’s veto by votes of 27-6 in the Senate and 60-29 in the House.

Supporters of SB 2 say it will keep someone from impersonating another registered voter. But no one has been convicted or even accused of impersonating another voter in Kentucky this century, and it’s an incredibly rare, near-non-existent crime.

SB 2 is not slated to go into effect for the June 23 Primary Election but will be in effect for the November 3 General Election.

The most likely next step is a lawsuit to stop implementation of this change. Taxpayers will have to pay for defending the Republican law.

Legislative work moves Voting Rights campaign Significant progress was made during the 2020 legislative session in the campaign to restore voting rights for people with felonies in their past.

KFTC members and allies had several big lobby days at the capitol, with nearly 100 individual meetings with legislators. Members with felonies in their past were able to testify in a committee hearing, at press conferences, at rallies and in the news. Members worked tirelessly, building on a 16-year campaign and bringing the campaign closer to a win.

House Bill 6, sponsored by Rep. Charles Booker, ended up with 25 cosponsors, both Democrat and Republican. This was the cleanest version among several Voting Rights bills in the session. It would have restored voting rights to everyone with a felony in their past after serving prison time, probation and parole.

Senate Bill 62, sponsored by Senator Jimmy Higdon, was more complicated. It was the version that passed the Senate, though it applied to few if any voters who didn’t already get their right to vote back through Gov. Beshear’s December executive action However, with bipartisan support, SB 62 was amended by and passed unanimously through the House Elections and Constitutional Amendments Committee to closely mirror HB 6, with only a few exclusions for election-related fraud and treason.

However, the amended SB 62 was not taken up by the full House in the closing days of the session.

HB 6 and SB 62 give hope that work this year will create a new starting place for the push in the next General Assembly.

www.kftc.org | May 12, 2020

16 | Balancing the Scales

Economic Justice

What you need to know about responding to the U.S. Census First, responding to the Census is important!

Census data determines allocation of more than $800 billion annually in federal government resources, draws legislative boundaries, helps decide fair market rent prices, and more. In short, it’s a “vital tool to address the nation’s legacy of slavery, racism and discrimination” (Asian Americans Advancing Justice). Here’s what else you need to know: Is there a deadline to respond to the Census?

We can respond to the Census anytime (via phone, mail or online) from now until October 31.

In early April, the Census Bureau extended the self-reporting date from July 31 to October 31 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Source: Census Bureau Media Release Number CB20-RTQ.16, April 13, 2020 If you haven’t responded yet, you may receive at least one more reminder letter in the mail. After that, the Census Bureau will want to follow-up in person.

They hire temporary staff to go around neighborhoods, knock on doors, and walk folks through the process of filling out the Census.

The outbreak of COVID-19 forced the Census Bureau to postpone its field operations in early March.

These field operations are in-person visits to households that haven’t yet filled out the Census. This activity is now scheduled to be reactivated after June 1.

Who needs to respond to the Census?

Fill out one census form per household: • • •

Count everyone who was living at your home as of April 1, 2020. This includes anyone (related or unrelated) that lives/sleeps at your home Count roommates, young children, babies – anyone occupying space in your home!

For college students, the Bureau says, “if someone such as a college student is just living with you temporarily due to the COVID-19 situation, they should be counted where they would ordinarily be living on April 1, 2020.

There is NO CITIZENSHIP QUESTION on this year’s Census. The Census also will never ask for Social Security numbers, bank or credit card account

numbers, money or donations, or anything on behalf of a political party.

What questions can you expect?

Most of the questions will be similar to what census forms have asked for in recent counts: • • • • • •

The number of people living or staying in a home on April 1, 2020.

If the home is owned with or without a mortgage or loan, rented or occupied without rent.

A phone number for a person in the home.

The name, sex (only options currently are male or female), age, date of birth and race of each person in the home.

Whether each person is of Hispanic, Latino or Spanish origin.

The relationship of each person to a central person in the home.

•

• •

There are different ways to respond to the Census: • • •

Have other adjustments happened to the Census due to COVID-19?

Yes, the Census Bureau published a timeline that shows some rescheduling that happened. Here are some important timelines to know: • Self-Response Phase (online, phone, mail) was going to end on July 31 but now will end on October 31.

• Census counts people experience homelessness outdoors: going to start April 1 but moved to until a later date to be determined

Deliver apportionment counts to the President (meaning, how many Congressional representatives each state should get, based on Census results): on schedule for April 30, 2021 Deliver redistricting counts to states: on schedule for July 31, 2021 Source and more info at www.2020census.gov

•

By mail. You can fill out the paper form and mail it back.

Go to www.2020census.gov to start filling out the census online.

Paper forms are available in English and Spanish.

You can also respond over the phone in English and Spanish. Call these numbers: » English (for 50 states and Washington, D.C.): 844-330-2020 » Spanish (for 50 states and Washington, D.C.): 844-468-2020 » For non-English and non-Spanish speakers, you can respond online or by phone in Chinese (Mandarin), Chinese (Cantonese), Vietnamese, Korean, Russian, Arabic, Tagalog, Polish, French, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, and Japanese. See a list of numbers you call in each language at https://2020census.gov/ en/ways-to-respond/responding-by-phone. html. Hours of operation are 8 a.m.-10 p.m.

EST Monday-Friday.

The Census Bureau is also providing video and printed guides in 59 non-English languages, as well as a video in American Sign Language.

RESPOND ONLINE

RESPOND BY PHONE

RESPOND BY MAIL

https://2020census. gov/en/ways-to-respond/responding-online.html

https://2020census. gov/en/ways-to-respond/responding-by-phone.html

https://2020census. gov/en/ways-torespond/responding-by-mail.html

www.kftc.org | May 12, 2020

Balancing the Scales | 17

New Energy and Transition

Coal miners urge support amid dual threats from black lung and COVID-19

By Willie Dodson Front Porch Blog Appalachian Voices The president of the Black Lung Association (BLA), members of Women of Black Lung, and officers of 11 local BLA chapters across Appalachia

But despite an alarming increase in black lung disease, the federal Black Lung Disability Trust Fund is running dangerously low. Call (855) 980-2358 to hear a script and be connected with your U.S. representative to protect the benefits sick miners need by extending the fee coal companies pay into the Black Lung Fund for 10 more years. In this time of crisis we need to ensure the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund is fully funded

sent a letter to congressional leadership on April 23, calling on legislators to protect the health of coal miners and continue support for workers and small businesses in the face of unique threats posed

by COVID-19. They also urged Congress to reject renewed calls by industry lobbyists to cut the Black Lung Excise Tax, and instead extend it for 10 years at its historic rate.

The Black Lung Excise Tax is paid by coal companies on each ton of coal mined in order to fund the federal program that provides health care and disability benefits for approximately 25,000 miners with black lung disease and their families. The program is already millions of dollars in debt.

Congress allowed the tax to be halved in December 2018. At the end of 2019, Congress restored the rate of the tax to $1.10 per ton for underground mines and $0.50 per ton for surface mines for one year, after which it will automatically be halved again in 2021 without congressional action.

In March, the National Mining Association sent a letter to President Trump and congressional leaders asking for a 50 percent reduction in this tax to be included in legislation responding to the COVID-19 crisis.

“I think it is disgusting,” said Kentuckian Cheryl Banks, a member of Women of Black Lung and the wife of a miner with black lung disease. “You can’t keep taking from a program that is needed. It is disheartening to think that they would do that to coal miners who have worked all their lives and now have an occupational disease.”

Additionally, the letter calls for congressional scrutiny into the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration’s (MSHA) tepid response to COVID-19, echoing concerns first raised by the United Mine Workers of America and the National Coalition of Black Lung and Respiratory Disease Clinics in March.

Thus far, guidelines issued by MSHA are not mandatory, and rely on voluntary compliance by coal companies.

The letter also expresses support for measures making resources available to small businesses that have been impacted by COVID-19, as well as to individual workers who have lost income due to the pandemic.

Contact members of Congress Sen. Mitch McConnell (202) 224-2541 – Washington Online: https://www.mcconnell.senate. gov/public/index.cfm/contactform Sen. Rand Paul (202) 224-4343 – Washington Online: https://www.paul.senate.gov/ contact Rep. James Comer, 1st District (202) 225-3115 – Washington (270) 487-9509 – Madisonville (270) 408-1865 – Paducah (270) 487-9509 – Tompkinsville Online: https://comer.house.gov/contact Rep. Brett Guthrie, 2nd District (202) 225-3501 – Washington (270) 842-9896 – Bowling Green Online: https://guthrie.house.gov/contact Rep. John Yarmuth, 3rd District (202) 225-5401 – Washington (502) 933-5863 – Louisville (502) 582-5129 – Louisville Online: https://yarmuth.house.gov/ contact-john2 Rep. Thomas Massie, 4th District (202) 225-3465 – Washington (606) 324-9898 – Ashland (502) 265-9119 – LaGrange (859) 426-0080 – Crescent Springs Online: https://massieforms.house.gov/ contact Rep. Hal Rogers, 5th District (202) 225-4601 – Washington (606) 679-8346 – Somerset (606) 886-0844 – Prestonsburg (606) 439-0794 – Hazard Online: https://halrogers.house.gov/ contact-hal Rep. Andy Barr, 6th District (202) 225-4706 – Washington (859) 219-1366 – Lexington Online: https://barr.house.gov/contact

www.kftc.org | May 12, 2020

18 | Balancing the Scales

KFTC News

Issues and work highlighted in KFTZines by Sabre Semrau

For many zine creators, a zine serves as a way to share stories and information about a topic they are passionate about.

Such was the case for Sabre Semrau, a southern Kentucky KFTC member.

Semrau developed a passion for queer student groups in high school when she helped lead her school’s first gay-straight alliance. As a pansexual woman, she said this experience served as an instrumental part of her life.

When Semrau started college at Western Kentucky University she got involved in the Queer

Student Union and started writing for ENYO zine, Art and activism go hand in hand, and I encourage which aims to promote intersectional, feminist voices. everyone to let their creativity flow in a way that calls Follow Semrau on Instagram @friendsofdorothyzine for justice and intersectional equity.”

"I love zine-making because anyone can do it. In 2020, Semrau worked as a Voter EmpowerYou can have as few supplies as a piece of paper and a ment staff member in the Southern Kentucky Chappencil and still make an incredible zine that informs, ter supporting members and registering and educateducates, inspires, provokes, entertains, empowers, ing voters. or otherwise delights Follow these links to read and enjoy Semrau's three KFTZzines your own mind and those of the people you share it with, Samrau said.

“Zines make big concepts accessible and enticing, and provide a platform for individuals to represent https://issuu.com/kftc/ https://issuu.com/kftc/ https://issuu.com/kftc/ their identities from docs/1__kftzine_1 docs/1__kftzine_2 docs/1__kftzine_3 their own perspective.

With KFTC members and staff staying at home, KFTC moved chapter meetings and other events to online video conferences. There are many trainings and meetups scheduled for the coming weeks. Find them at:

KFTC.org/meetonline

Become a Sustaining Giver or increase your Sustaining Gift today Your automatic, recurring gift provides steady income to support KFTC’s work. Become a Sustaining Giver or increase your existing Sustaining Gift today and help build grassroots power.

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NAME: __________________________________________________

To update an existing Sustaining Gift, contact Ashley at ashley@kftc.org or (606) 878-2161.

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Select what organization you would like to donate to: □ KFTC: Donations are not tax-deductible and may be used for electoral work. □ Kentucky Coalition: Donations are tax-deductible and will be used to

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Payment Method: □ Electronic Funds Transfer (best option for Sustaining Givers): Please return this form with a voided check.

□ Credit card: □ Visa □ Mastercard □ Am. Express □ Discover Card Number: __ __ __ __ -__ __ __ __ -__ __ __ __ -__ __ __ __ Expiration Date ___ ___ / ___ ___ Authorized Signature: _____________________Date: _________ Mail this form to: KFTC • P.O. Box 1450 • London, Ky. 40743

www.kftc.org | May 12, 2020 K

Balancing the Scales | 19

www.KFTC.org/MeetOnline In early March KFTC suspended all in-person activities until people can gather safely.

Several chapters are now meeting through online video conferencing, and we’ve added many trainings, cultural events, phone banks and more where members can learn, take action and be in solidarity with one another.

We list them at: www.KFTC.org/MeetOnline. New activities are continually being added.

We make space at every online event for people to get to know each other, really interact and make connections.

Anyone can connect by computer if you have a webcam, mic and speakers. Or you can join by phone. We use Zoom video conferencing.

However, you need to register so that we can send you the appropriate Zoom link or phone number (or event location when we are able to safely meet in person again).

Visit www.KFTC.org/MeetOnline and register for the events you want to join in order to receive an invitation to the Zoom video conference.

Harlan chapter online meetup May 14, 5:30 - 7 p.m. ET Info: Jacob@kftc.org or 606-497-9262 Real Stories from Real People: Economic Justice Webinar with KFTC May 14, 7 PM - 8:30 PM ET Hear stories often left untold about the ways this global pandemic compounds income instability and poverty and all the consequences that go along with it. We'll find ways to take action together that supports a new "normal," one where all Kentuckians can thrive.

Northern Kentucky Chapter Meeting May 19, June 16, July 21 : 7 - 8:30 PM ET Info: Joe@kftc.org or 859-380-6103 KFTC Democracy Jumpstart Call: Volunteer Support and Updates May 19, May 26 (every Tuesday) 7 - 8:30 PM ET Get to know fellow volunteers and learn ways to jump in, get started, or do more.

Western Kentucky Chapter Meeting May 20, June 17, July 15: 7 PM CT Info: Laura@kftc.org or 502-216-6642 Rowan County Virtual Chapter Meeting May 21, June 18, July 16: 6 - 7:30 PM ET Info: Nikita@kftc.org or 502-488-3830

Madison County Chapter Meeting May 25, June 22 7 - 8:30 PM ET Info: Julia@kftc.org or 859-868-1179 Cultural Sharing Webinar May 27 , 7-9 PM ET This webinar will link artists, writers, chefs, faith leaders and musicians across race, class, and geography by connecting to a Kentucky culture that unites us, and allows us to choose each other.

Just Recovery? A People's Bailout? What do Kentucky communities need now and for a livable future?

May 27, 7 - 8:30 PM ET A statewide conversation about the support Kentucky's workers and communities need to recover from this crisis in ways that improve community health, create good jobs, advance racial and economic justice, and protect us from future threats, including climate change.

Rolling Bluegrass Chapter Meeting June 4, July 2: 6:30 - 8:30 PM ET Info: Joe@kftc.org or 859-380-6103 Jefferson County Chapter Meeting June 8, July 13 (second Monday) 6:30 - 8 PM ET Info: Coreydutton@kftc.org or 502-589-3188

Also find many voter engagement opportunities at www.KFTC.org/MeetOnline

/

KFTC OFFICES AND STAFF MAIN OFFICE Morgan Brown, Burt Lauderdale, Ashley Frasher and Kevin Short 131 North Mill Street P.O. Box 1450 London, KY 40743 606-878-2161 | Fax: 606-878-5714

FIELD OFFICES Louisville E’Beth Adami, Alicia Hurle, Carissa Lenfert, Chandra Cruz-Thomson and Corey Dutton 735 Lampton Street #202 Louisville, KY 40203 502-589-3188 Bowling Green Laura Harper Knight and Alexa Hatcher 958 Collett Ave., Suite 500 Bowling Green, KY 42101 270-282-4553 Northern Kentucky Joe Gallenstein, Caitlin Sparks and Dave Newton 640 Main Street Covington, KY 41005 859-380-6103 Central Kentucky Jessica Hays Lucas, Heather Mahoney, Laura Greenfield, Erik Hungerbuhler, Meredith Wadlington, Tayna Fogle and Nikita Perumal 250 Plaza Drive, Suite 4 Lexington, KY 40503 859-276-0563 Floyd County Jessie Skaggs, Jerry Hardt, Jacob Mack-Boll and Taylor Adams 152 North Lake Drive P.O. Box 864 Prestonsburg, KY 41653 606-263-4982 Berea Lisa Abbott, Amy Hogg, Michael Harrington and Julia Basil 210 N. Broadway #3 Berea, KY 40403

859-868-1179

Email any staff member at firstname@kftc.org except for Laura Greenfield use lauragreenfield@ kftc.org

www.kftc.org | May 12, 2020

20 | Balancing the Scales

The elections this year are important.

Even in the pandemic, KFTC is engaging Kentuckians to get involved and vote for the kind of Kentucky we want to call home.

Sign up to volunteer at WeAreKentuckians.org/volunteer Donate to support the work at kftc.org/support

WE ARE KENTUCKIANS. WE CHOOSE EACH OTHER.