Our Accomplishments

  1. Fought the Kansas Marriage Amendment in April 2005 by distributing bumper stickers and yard signs with the slogan, "Celebrate Commitment, Value Tolerance." We received wonderful coverage for this, including a feature story on Channel 41, a broadcast from our watch party, by Channels 41 and 4, and an interview in the Johnson County Sun.
  2. Featured in a Kansas City Star article "Blue Women in Red States," in June, 2005.
  3. Voted "Best Hope for Johnson County" in The Pitch, October 2005.
  4. Advocated successfully for a revision in Johnson County Community College's nondiscrimination policy to include sexual orientation, April 2006
  5. Interviewed on Up to Date with Steve Kraske, KCUR, November 2006
  6. Compiled comprehensive voter guides for the elections in 2006 and 2008, including a presidential scorecard.
  7. Hosted an informational booth at Ranchmart Hardware promoting residential energy efficiency. A portion of the Day to Day radio piece was recorded at this event.
  8. Featured on National Public Radio, Day to Day, January 2008. Democrat Moms Keep 'True Blue' in Kansas City
  9. Sponsored quarterly general meetings on topics such as stem cell research, landfill issues, sex education, end of life planning, No Child Left Behind, and gender and race in politics.
  10. Worked to stop the addition of new coal-fired generators in Holcomb, Kansas. Wrote letters to legislators, rallied at the Capitol for Clean Energy Day, testified at bill hearings and met with legislators.
  11. Secured top quality presenters, including Governor Kathleen Sebelius, Rep. Dennis Moore, Kansas City Star reporter Steve Kraske, former Kansas City, Kansas, Mayor Carol Marinovich, and Bridget Williams, AFL-CIO local president.
  12. Worked with our allies to regain and then maintain a moderate Kansas School Board.
  13. Launched a postcard campaign advocating local municipal adoption of the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement.
  14. Helped bring Greg Mortenson (Three Cups of Tea) to Kansas City to spread the word about efforts to educate girls in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Future True Blue students at Shawnee Mission East and Briarwood Elementary organized three Pennies for Peace drives that raised over $3,500 in 2008, 2009 and 2010.
  15. Worked to implement an "idle free" policy in the pick-up and drop-off lines at several schools.
  16. Rallied for peace on Mother's Day 2008 with Julia's Voice.
  17. Hosted Justice Janice Russell, who educated us on the ballot initiative that would politicize the selection of judges, and conducted door-to-door canvassing in support of Say No to Question #1, which would have called for elected judges.
  18. Registered over 250 new voters at the Overland Park Farmer's Market in 2008
  19. Worked together and across state lines to elect progressive leaders in local, state and national races in 2008, meeting our original 2005 goal of electing a progressive president of the United States of America!
  20. Partnered with the Kansas Action for Children to disseminate information and put out 200 yard signs encouraging voters to put Kansas kids first.
  21. Formed Missouri True Blue Women to work on issues of concern to Missouri members, such as the Kansas City school district.
  22. Increased youth participation in elections by having our Future True Blue students at Shawnee Mission East High School distribute caucus information to students in February 2008 and holding a voter registration drive in October 2008.
  23. Held a home energy audit in October 2009, and helped retrofit a home with energy saving devices.
  24. Created and exhibited a display on the negative environmental implications of buying bottled water. Volunteers shared the display at numerous events across the area.
  25. Walked in the CROP walk, 2009.
  26. Supported Kansas Action for Children's fight to get SCHIP (children's health insurance) fully funded, as well as their efforts toward the passage of a graduated drivers' license law in Kansas, which took effect January 1, 2010.
  27. Gathered True Blue Women at Village Presbyterian Church's symposium on the uninsured in America.
  28. Learned more about health care reform and end of life issues through general meetings featuring guest speaker John Carney from the Center for Practical Bioethics in the fall of 2009.
  29. Advocated for a comprehensive smoking ban in all indoor public places in Kansas. This law was passed in February, 2010.

 

Best Hope for Johnson County

True Blue Women

We know a few liberal women who live in Johnson County, and we know how lonely they can get. Happily, though, some of them found each other this year. Depressed after last November's election, these red-state women formed a group with a simple (yet daunting) mission: "True Blue gathers progressive women to advocate social change, profide education and promote camaraderie."

Their first official event was just some moms from Briarwood Elementary School having dinner at a Pizza Shoppe last January. They went on to campaign against Kansas' anti-gay marriage amendment in April - an effort that obviously failed spectacularly, but the women claim victory anyway, noting that their message - "Celebrate Commitment, Value Tolerance" - got out via yard signs and bumper stickers and the news.

They're still brainstorming strategies, but the letter-writing group and the book club are up and running, and the website is live. "It feels a lot better now that I know these other women were here, too," says co-chair Dena Sneed. "I know there are so many more women, and I think we will continue to grow and to speak out." At the moment, they claim 200 members. That leaves 252,044 women in the county go go, but it's a start.

-The Pitch
October 2005

 
 
 
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True Blue Women
P.O. Box 8065
Prairie Village, Kansas 66208
 
True Blue Women is a 501(c)4 organization. All contributions are non-tax deductible. 
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