KEJA Conference: “Putting Economic Justice on Kentucky’s Political Agenda”

(Message from Jessica Hays)

KEJA Conference, January 20th, Central Christian Church

“Putting Economic Justice on Kentucky’s Political Agenda”
Please join us in Lexington on January 20th for the Kentucky Economic Justice Alliance conference, “Putting Economic Justice on the Political Agenda.” We have a great list of participants and topics, and the conference will give us a powerful kick-off to our work for not only the legislative session and the gubernatorial race, but for long-term change in Kentucky.

Presentations

• “Making Government Work in Kentucky: Putting Economic Justice on the Political Agenda” – Opening presentation that sets the stage for the rest of the day by making a case for the attainability for economic justice in Kentucky. We’re in the game!

• “Raise the Wage” – A presentation on Kentucky’s fight to raise the state minimum wage, including an overview of the legislation to raise the state wage, the strategies to get that legislation passed, and insights about ways to frame the issue powerfully and compellingly.

• “Talking About Government” – A Demos presentation about how to talk about government in a way that conveys everyone’s responsibility to invest in the public good. Demos is a public policy group that focuses on crafting messages to build support for democratic ideals. If you like George Lakoff, you’ll love the Demos presentation.

Strategy Workshops

• Tax Justice – A workshop explaining the need for fair and adequate tax reform and showing how KEJA’s comprehensive tax proposal would fill that need.

• Who’s Affected? – A workshop by Women in Transition that focuses on building leadership within lower-income groups and strategies for empowering people who have been affected by economic injustice.

• High Road – Introduction to High Road, the collaborative work of KFTC and MACED to bring sustainable economic development to Kentucky communities, and to how you can get involved in the campaign.

• Electoral Organizing for Economic Justice – Louisville’s Amy Shir ran an effective grassroots campaigns that inspired people to take part in changing their government. She and organizer extraordinaire Dave Newton will offer insights and strategies for including people in government by invigorating their belief in the democratic process.

• Building Support for Single-Payer Health Care in Kentucky – Kay Tillow, Executive Director of the Nurses Professional Organization and Coordinator of Kentuckians for Single Payer Healthcare, and Mark McKinley, an active force in the campaign, will demystify single-payer health care, and will discuss their strategies and lessons in the successful Louisville campaign to endorse single-payer health care. Sally Evans will address the progress that’s underway in Lexington.

• Demos Workshop – Patrick Bresette from Demos, our special guest, is offering a workshop for people particularly interested in learning to communicate about government and economic justice more effectively. If you leave the Demos presentation wishing for more about framing our message of the need for economic justice, come to this workshop.

The Conference will be held on January 20, 10:30-5, at Central Christian Church in Lexington (205 East Short Street). It is free and open to the public. To register, send your contact information and veggie/non-veggie lunch preference to Jessica Hays at jessicabreen at kftc.org or 859.533.0613.
Directions to Central Christian Church

From the east:
From I-75, take Exit 110 toward Lexington. Turn left onto Winchester Rd (US 60). Stay in Winchester for 3.4 miles, then take a slight left onto Midland Ave (still US 60). From Midland, turn right onto East Main and follow for .3 miles. Turn right onto North Martin Luther King Blvd. You’ll see Central Christian Church on the corner of MLK Blvd. and Short St. The parking lot is on MLK, at a one-way sign just past the church. There is also street parking available.

From the west:
From I-64, take exit 115 toward BG Parkway/Airport/Lexington. Merge onto Newtown Pike and follow for 3.3 miles. Turn left onto Main St and follow for less than a mile. From Main, turn left onto North Martin Luther King Blvd. You’ll see Central Christian Church on the corner of MLK Blvd. and Short St. The parking lot is on MLK Blvd., at a one-way sign just past the church. There is also street parking available.


From the Bluegrass Parkway:
Follow Versailles Rd. for about 10 miles until South Broadway. Turn left onto South Broadway, then turn right onto W. Short St. You’ll see Central Christian Church at the corner of Short Street and North Martin Luther King Blvd. Turn left onto MLK Blvd. for the church’s parking lot.


Putting Economic Justice on the Political Agenda

10:30-10:45 Welcome Session

10:45-11:30 Presentation: Making Government Work in Kentucky: Putting Economic Justice on the Agenda

11:30-11:45 Break

11:45-12:45 Demos Presentation: Talking about Government (Patrick Bressette)

12:45-1:30 Lunch

1:30-2:00 Raise the Wage Presentation (Ed Monahan and Lisa Abbott)

2:00-2:15 Break

2:15-3:15 Strategy Workshops, Round 1
• Tax Justice (Deb Miller and Heather Roe Mahoney)
• Who’s Affected: Building Leadership (WIT)
• High Road (MACED)
• Electoral Organizing (Amy Shir, Dave Newton)
• Demos: Talking About Government

3:15-3:30 Break

3:30-4:30 Strategy Workshops, Round 2
• Tax Justice (Deb Miller and Heather Roe Mahoney)
• Who’s Affected: Building Leadership (WIT)
• High Road (MACED)
• Electoral Organizing (Amy Shir, Dave Newton)
• Building Support for Single-Payer Health Care in Kentucky (Kay Tillow et al)

4:40-5:00 General Session: Next Steps
• Individual Action
• Organizational Action