https://s3.amazonaws.com/omeka-lplks/original/aeb6fff50a60401bf3085ebf354cd6d7.pdf 74f87296e36ada3947c8f11cf6165eff PDF Text Text SELECTED CHRONOLOGY OF POLITICAL PROTESTS AND EVENTS IN LAWRENCE, KANSAS 2001-2020 By Clark H. Coan Jan. 20, 2001 Inauguration of George Bush. Many Lawrence residents are dismayed that ultra conservative George W. Bush is inaugurated as the 43rd president of the United States. They are appalled that the Republican-dominated US Supreme Court stopped the vote counting in Florida thereby throwing the election to George W. Bush, the most conservative president since the 1920s. Bush didn’t even receive a majority of the popular vote. Green Party candidate and famous consumer advocate Ralph Nader receives 10% of the vote in Douglas County (even higher in Lawrence proper) and nearly three percent of the vote nationally. There is a counter- inaugural march in Washington, DC which results in the inaugural parade being halted temporarily. Sept. 13, 2001 Candlelight Vigil Held at Campanile Hill. An estimated 1,000 students and residents hold a candlelight vigil on KU’s Campanile Hill in remembrance of those killed by the Terrorist Attack on World Trade Center and Pentagon four days earlier. Lawrence residents are stunned and shocked by the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon which results in the deaths of nearly 3,000 people. Yellow ribbons are tied on trees and blood donations soar. The US invades Afghanistan the following month to eliminate al-Qaeda terrorist bases and the Taliban government which allowed the bases on Afghan soil. According to Wikipedia, “In Osama Bin Laden’s November 2002 ‘Letter to America’, he explicitly stated that al-Qaeda’s motives for their attacks include: Western support for attacking Muslims in Somalia, supporting Russian atrocities against Muslims in Chechnya, supporting the Indian oppression against Muslims in Kashmir, the Jewish aggression against Muslims in Lebanon, the presence of US troops �in Saudi Arabia, US support of Israel, and sanctions against Iraq.” The war in Afghanistan becomes the longest war in US history at 20 years with 2,400 US troops killed. July, 2002 Progressive Lawrence Campaign Forms. A Smart Grow political action committee (PAC) forms to support candidates for the city commission who will push for Smart Growth policies and policies that enhance older neighborhoods. Smart Growth is a development philosophy that concentrates growth in compact, walkable urban centers to avoid sprawl and the environmental and financial costs associated with sprawl. Melinda Henderson is the group’s coordinator and co-founder. The organization’s candidates win a majority of seats on the city commission in 2003. Sept. 7, 2002 Iraq War Peace Vigils Begin. The Lawrence Coalition for Peace and Justice (LCPJ) begins holding weekly peace vigils at 9th & Mass. St. to witness against the preparation for an invasion of Iraq by the U.S. Many times there are 100+ in attendance. On Jan. 18, 2003, there are nearly 400 in attendance. The vigils are initially in front of the courthouse but move to 9th & Mass. In 2010. They become monthly in 2011. Secretary of State Colin Power gave false testimony before the United Nations that Iraq had Weapons of Mass Destruction and that was the justification for the invasion. However, a few weeks after President George Bush took office he told his national security staff that he wanted to invade Iraq and take out Saddam Hussein (his father failed to do this in the Gulf War). Nov. 2002 No War Toys Event Held. The Lawrence Coalition for Peace and Justice holds annual “No War Toys” events the first Friday after Thanksgiving at 9th & Mass. Participants hand out fliers urging parents not to buy war toys for their children. LCPJ members say children should not be exposed to violence or taught to make games from it. Group members distribute fliers that say, “In this season of peace, don’t give the children you love toys of violence and war.” Feb. 15, 2003 March Against Preparation of Invasion of Iraq. An anti-war parade in downtown Lawrence attracts an estimated 1,600 marchers, as onlookers flashed peace signs from stores and sidewalks lining Mass. St. This is one of the largest marches in Lawrence’s history. According to BBC News, between six and eleven million people took part in protests in up to sixty countries over the weekend of February 15 and 16, including an astonishing 3 million in Rome and 300,000-400,000 in New York City. President Bush ignores the protests and invades Iraq a month later. Mar. 18, 2003 Tree Sitter in Giant Cottonwood Tree. A woman calling herself “Sihka” climbs up into a giant cottonwood tree east of Borders Bookstore because workers were starting to cut it down to make way for a parking lot. She camps out for days to protect the tree. Eventually, the owners agree to keep the tree but they either intentionally or �unintentionally pave under the drip line which causes it to die. Sihka’s action is similar to Julia “Butterfly Hill” who sat in a 1,500-year-old California redwood tree for two years in 1998 and 1999. Mar. 20, 2003 Protest against Invasion of Iraq. Hundreds of people protest in front of the courthouse the invasion of Iraq (“Shock and Awe”) begun the previous day. Also, on that day thousands of protests and demonstrations are held around the world. In many cases, these protests were known as “Day X” protests, reflecting the fact that they had been organized to occur when war started, whatever day that might have been. At least 350,000 people participate, but the turnout is far less than protests held February 15-16. Also, in March, Mass. St. serves as a venue for a “die-in,” where an Uncle Sam impersonator smeared blood on people lying in the street. Plus, there is an impromptu march by anarchists carrying a banner demanding the end of U.S. imperialism. The antiwar, anti-imperialism movement then escalates, and a tent city sprouts in South Park. About 25 tents have been pitched by 80 or so people who describe themselves as a mix of anti-war protesters, anarchists and secessionists. The encampment calls itself the Lawrence Free State Against the War. The war lasts a brutal eight plus years, the third longest war in US history, and costs the lives of 4,500 Americans, and an estimated 182,000 Iraqi civilians (including 52,000 children). Mar. 2003 Progressive Lawrence Campaign Wins City Commission. A slate of candidates backed by the Progressive Lawrence Campaign—Dennis “Boog” Highberger, David Schauner, and Mike Rundel—is elected to the Lawrence City Commission in the general election. It is the city’s first political action committee. The trio support Smart Growth policies. They are successful in adopting a new development code which has Smart Growth components and a Living Wage Ordinance which covers very few workers. Some progressives are disappointed that they didn’t push for more progressive legislation. April, 2003 Lawrence Bill of Rights Defense Committee Forms. A group of Douglas County residents forms the Lawrence Bill of Rights Defense Committee (LBORDC) to request that the Lawrence City Commission pass a resolution asking Congress to repeal the USA PATRIOT Act which was adopted on October 26, 2001, just after the 9-11 attack. The act allows: (1) “sneak and peek” searches of homes or businesses without informing the owner until long after the search; (2) government agents to force libraries to disclose titles of books borrowed of targeted individuals and prohibits libraries from informing patrons of such requests; (3) federal agents to use hidden devices to trace the telephone calls or emails of people who are not even suspected of a crime; (4) government agents to arrest and detain individuals “suspected” of terrorist activities and to hold them indefinitely, without charge, and without access to an attorney. Even �US citizens may be picked up and not receive due process under the law; (5) federal agents to conduct full investigations of American citizens simply because they have participated in activities protected by the First Amendment, such as writing a letter-tothe-editor or attending a peaceful rally; and, (6) the CIA to spy on American citizens, a power that has previously been denied to this international espionage organization. Members march down Massachusetts Street during the Lawrence Sesquicentennial Commission’s Fourth of July parade. The group’s float in the parade included a Statue of Liberty made of papier-mache. The Committee has a booth at the Douglas County Fair and downtown and gathers signatures on a petition in support of the resolution. The Committee presents the petition to the City Commission and the Commission passes a watered down resolution on April 20, 2004. The petition requests repeal of certain sections of the Act and directs the Lawrence Public Library Board of Trustees post in· ·prominent places a notice to library patrons as follows: “NOTICE. Under Section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act (Public Law 10756), records of books and other materials you borrow from this library may be inspected and retained by Federal agents. Librarians are prohibited from informing you if records about you have been obtained by federal agents.” The effort is part of a national movement to repeal the PATRIOT Act which was a response to the 9-11 terrorist attacks. However, the national campaign was not successful and a degree of privacy and freedoms of US citizens was lost. Some of those involved include Dinah Lovitch, Steve Stemmerman, Clark H. Coan, and Don Phipps. May 1, 2003 Anarchists Blockade Intersection of 23rd & Mass. About 30 members of anarchist Solidarity! March from South Park to the intersection of 23 rd & Mass. And begin blockading it using yellow tape and their bodies. Traffic backs up for about ten minutes. Motorists appear to be fairly tolerant, amused and supportive. The purpose of the blockade is unknown. Aug. 19, 2003 Living Wage Ordinance Enacted. After a three-year campaign by Kaw Valley Living Wage Alliance, the City Commission adopts a Living Wage ordinance which requires that certain new businesses seeking tax abatements pay a living wage. The Living Wage level is set at 130 percent of the federal poverty level for a family of three. However, median wages remain low in Lawrence compared to university cities such as Ames and Iowa City, Iowa. The ordinance has limited effect as it doesn’t apply to City employees, subsidiaries, or contractors or to organizations receiving City funds. The Kansas Legislature passed a law prohibiting cities from enacting minimum wage ordinances which is contrary to the spirit of Home Rule. Using the initiative and referendum process, Missouri voters approve in 2018 increasing the state minimum �wage to $12/hour by 2023. The Kansas legislature refuses to increase its minimum wage of $2.65/hour and grant Kansas voters the right of imitative and referendum. April 25, 2004 March for Women’s Lives. A march for reproductive rights and women’s rights with between 500,000 and 1,100,000 in Washington, DC. At least 200 Lawrence residents attend this huge march. June 19, 2004 Drone Attacks Kill Civilians. President Bush launches drone strikes on terrorist targets. The program escalates under President Obama who weekly personally authorizes each attack. President Trump delegates the decisions. By mid-2020 there have been over 14,000 strikes and up to 2,200 civilians (including 454 children) have been killed in the attacks in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen and other countries. This could be considered a war crime and against international law. Part of this “collateral damage” is due to terrorists surrounding themselves with civilians thinking they are less likely to be attacked. There is little opposition to this program despite the killing of civilians. August 29, 2004 Republican Convention Protests. As part of the 2004 Republican National Convention protests, United for Peace and Justice organize a mass march, one of the largest in New York City’s history, in which protesters marched past Madison Square Garden, the site of the convention. Estimates of crowd size ranged from 120,000 to over 500,000. At least 100 Lawrence residents attend the protest. Nov. 2004 President Bush Reelected. President Bush is reelected despite being one of the worst presidents in US history. Many Lawrence residents are shocked or disappointed by the results. By the end of his second term Bush has one of the lowest approval ratings on record. March 29, 2005 Ann Coulter Protest at Leid Center. About 30 people protest rightwing columnist and author Ann Coulter who speaks before a crowd of 1,800 at the Leid Center. She receives both standing ovations and heckling. March 31, 2005 Condoleezza Rice Protested at Holidome. About 20 people protest Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice who is scheduled to give a talk at the Dole Institute (she stays overnight at the Holidome). Protesters wave signs when her limousine drives out of the Holidome parking lot. The protesters consider her a war criminal because of her role as National Security Adviser in planning the illegal invasion of Iraq which ultimately results in the deaths of tens of thousands of children and 4,500 US soldiers. Most of the protesters are anarchists. Police Chief Ron Olin orders his officers to arrest the anarchists for blocking the highway. The officers throw the protesters to the ground, handcuff them and put them into paddy wagons in a clear display of the brutality and use of excessive force. �Sept. 24, 2005 “Cost of War” March and Rally. About 400 people march through downtown Lawrence proclaiming the cost of the Iraq War and calling for the end of US involvement in Iraq. A bagpiper plays during the march. A rally is held in South Park. A rally in Washington, DC on the same day has from 150,000 – 300,000. The Lawrence Coalition for Peace and Justice sponsors the events in Lawrence. May 1, 2006 Immigrants Protest. Immigrant workers in Lawrence and elsewhere across the state including Emporia and the nation protest proposed immigration reforms, taking the day off work and snarling projects at some local businesses. In Lawrence, more than three dozen people gathered downtown at noon to collect signatures on petitions against the legislation, then march to the office of U.S. Rep. Dennis Moore, D-Kan., to deliver the demand. Later in the day, demonstrators hold a candlelight vigil at City Hall. October 5, 2006 Iraq War Protest. Demonstrators march in Lawrence against the continuing war in Iraq. Actions across the United States took place in nearly every state. An organization called World Can’t Wait organized the nationwide event. Demonstrations took place in cities such as New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Houston, and other places. Over 200 protests were organized. April 24, 2007 Sustainability Advisory Board Established. The City Commission creates a Sustainability Advisory Board with a mission to: “promote environmental protection, and advocate for policies which support sustainability (including environmental protection, waste reduction, recycling, energy conservation and natural resource conservation) in the City of Lawrence and to enhance the quality of life by enhancing the City’s efforts in these areas.” A Sustainability Coordinator is hired in 2010 whose salary is paid for jointly by the City and County. The coordinator launches several initiatives that save the City and County energy and money. June 30, 2007 Picket of Donald Rumsfeld. About 35-40 people protest Donald Rumsfeld at the Dole Institute where he is scheduled to speak. As defense secretary, Rumsfeld was partly responsible for the illegal and unjust Iraq War. For his role as well as authorizing torture, and cruel and inhumane treatment, a case can be made he is a war criminal. Protesters from the stridently anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka are also present. Aug. 1, 2007 Domestic Partnership Registry Begins. Lawrence same-sex couples gain the right to register their Domestic Partnership with the City Clerk. The ordinance also covers opposite-sex couples who are living together but who don’t want to marry. The certificate granted confers certain benefits to the couples and recognition of the legitimacy of their relationship. On June 25, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court legalizes �same-sex marriage in a 5 to 4 decision. The Court rules that same sex couples have a constitutional right to marry. Sept. 17, 2007 Soap Box Speaking Against the Iraq War. The Lawrence Coalition for Peace and Justice creates a soap box event where the public can talk about the Iraq War. Nationally, there is a march to the U.S. Capitol two days earlier on September 15, 2007. The latter was organized by Veterans for Peace and the Answer Coalition. Volunteers were recruited for a civil disobedience action, which included a die-in in Washington. Organizers estimated that nearly 100,000 people attend the rally and march. Many are disturbed by the torture of terrorist prisoners of war at the U.S. prison at Guantanamo, Cuba and the torture of prisoners of war at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. Nov. 4, 2008 Lawrence Transit Tax Referendum. Voters approve a ¼ cent sales tax to expand Lawrence transit operations. Also, in 2008 it consolidates with KU on Wheels. Initially the bus system was funded with federal transit grants and a City set aside of 3 mills of property taxes to provide the required local match. The system started operating in December, 2000. By 2015 the combined systems provide 3 million rides annually. In 2021 five electric buses and three hybrid buses go into service. Oct. 7, 2008 Protest at Chipotle Restaurant. A march is held downtown and protest held at Chipotle Restaurant. Products sold at the restaurant chain are picked by farm workers who are routinely exploited by farmers. The events are sponsored by Lawrence Fair Food. Nationally the protests are sponsored by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. Alliance for Fair Food (AFF) issues a report: “Challenging Chipocrisy:“Food With Integrity” Must Respect Farmworkers’ Human Rights”. Nov. 20, 2008 Wolf Creek Nuclear Plant License Extended 20 Years. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission extends the plant’s license from 40 to 60 years which means it can operate until 2045! The risk of an accident continues to grow as the aging plant’s reactor vessel becomes embrittled and the cooling pipes become corroded. Many expensive parts have to be replaced to keep the plant safe. Meanwhile, since no permanent repository for spent fuel currently exists in the United States, the reactor owners have to keep the highly-radioactive spent fuel rods at the reactor site where they pose a dangerous hazard to Kansans and Lawrencians if there is a malfunction, a natural disaster, or a terrorist attack cause the cooling pools to lose water thereby triggering the high-level waste to explode spewing radioactivity into the atmosphere. Each 1,000 MW reactor produces 33 tons of hot, extremely radioactive waste each year. Also, each reactor releases millions of curries of radioactive isotopes such as Krypton, Xenon and Argon in to the air and water each year. It may also cost ratepayers more than a $1.5 billion to decommission the plant (the Fort Calhoun Nuclear Plant in �Nebraska will cost this much to decommission). Some Lawrence residents are concerned about the safety of the aging plant since the city is 50 miles downwind from the reactor. April, 2009 City Adopts Climate Protection Plan. Grassroots lobbying results in the City Commission adopting a Climate Protection Plan which has an ultimate goal of reducing greenhouse gases by 80% by 2050. The plan includes the goal of reducing communitywide greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent by 2020 and by 50 percent by 2030. July 4, 2009 Alternative Independence Day Celebrated. Over 20 people gather on the courthouse steps listening to speakers reciting the words of famous Americans who advocated for peace and justice and a clean environment. These included Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rachel Carson. Oct. 11, 2009 National Equality March. Approximately 200,000 people demonstrate in support of equal protection for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in Washington, DC. It is estimated that eight percent of the population of Lawrence is LGBT, the highest in Kansas. Several dozen Lawrence residents attend. Feb. 10, 2010 Save our Neighborhood Schools March and Rally. Hundreds of people march through the downtown in protest of the school board’s plan to close neighborhood schools. The school board reverses its decision and keeps the schools open (except for East Heights). Mar, 21, 2010 March for America. Many Latinos and supporters march for comprehensive immigration reform in several cities, including Washington, DC where 200,000 gather. The marches appear to influence decision-makers but due to gridlock, Congress doesn’t act. Feb. 5, 2011 New START Treaty Goes Into Effect. This nuclear weapons limitation treaty enters into force on February 5, 2011. It limits both the US and Russia’s deployed nuclear warheads to 1,550; deployed missiles and bombers to 700; and deployed and non-deployed launchers to 800. These obligations must be met within seven years. Russia had 2,787 deployed nuclear warheads and America had 2,202 deployed warheads in 2009. Meanwhile, both sides are still on hair-trigger, launch-on-warning which can result in an accidental nuclear launch. Lawrence residents, particularly those involved in the anti-nuclear weapons activism in the 1980s, are thankful for further reductions but realize that 3,100 warheads can still destroy humanity. April 21, 2011 20th Anniversary of Gregg Sevier Killing. Gregg Sevier, a 22- year-old Creek/Choctaw Native American was killed by Lawrence police on April 21, 1991. Sevier’s parents called 911 to have a professional come help Sevier because he was depressed and not responding to them. Instead of sending a trained professional, police �arrived and in a matter four minutes Gregg was dead. The 911 dispatcher was advised that Gregory Sevier had a knife and that the Seviers wanted someone to check on him. Officer Ted Bordman was the first officer to arrive at the Sevier home. Without consulting the Sevier family, Officer Bordman made contact with Gregory Sevier by shouting orders and acting in a confrontational manner. Officers Phillips and Wheeler subsequently arrived at the Sevier home. Although Gregory Sevier posed no significant threat of death or serious injury, Officers Bordman and Phillips fired their service revolvers at Sevier who was struck with six bullets and was killed. June 1, 2011 Natural and Cultural Heritage Grant Program Established. The Douglas County Commission establishes the Douglas County Natural and Cultural Heritage Grant Program to ensure the conservation of the county’s natural and cultural heritage. Natural areas conserved include the Hamilton Conservation Easement located east of Lawrence consisting of 276 acres of prime farmland and an important riparian buffer along the Kansas River. Oct. 15, 2011 Occupy Wall Street Encampment in South Park. A group of Lawrence residents and KU students creates an encampment on the west side of South Park in support of the Occupy Wall Street protests in New York City which were started to highlight the unfair influence of financial and corporate interests in government and media against the public interest. It is part of the national Occupy Wall Street Movement which began in New York City on Sept. 17, 2011. The movement is in response to the Great Recession which was caused by unscrupulous practices by banks on Wall Street. The Great Recession resulted in millions of Americans losing their homes, savings and jobs. Although it seemed disorganized and ineffective, Occupy not only helped redefine the political conversation in the United States, it served as a dress rehearsal for many organizations and movements that followed. Through policies proposed and passed in its wake, to the individuals it set up to lead a new generation of social movements and political institutions, Occupy Wall Street left a powerful legacy. The movement helped shape public opinion and articulated new solutions, many of which needed more longstanding organizations to carry them through. Summer, 2012 Occupy Wall Street. Solidarity! Organizes a protest at 9th & Mass. About 40 participate. A man with a Guy Fawkes mask leads chants from the roof of Weaver’s. The police call a fire truck with a hook and ladder which is used to arrest the man. 2012 20th Anniversary of LA Rodney King Riots. After the acquittal of the white police officer who beat black motorist Rodney King, there were five days of rioting in which more than 60 people died, 2,000 plus were injured and thousands arrested, with property damage topping $1 billion. �April 10, 2013 New Hydroelectric Plant Begins Operating. A new $25 million hydroelectric power plant begins operating on the north bank of the Kansas River. Combined with the old plant on the south bank, the two plants generate enough Green electricity to power 5,400 homes when operating at normal capacity. This avoids the release of 67 million pounds of CO2 annually. Although the power is officially sold to the Kansas City, Kansas Board of Public Utilities, once the electricity is in the grid it flows to where it is needed which is most likely Lawrence. The main problem for the owner, Bowersock Mills and Power Co., is the lack of sufficient water in the river to power the new plant. Climate Change is causing droughts which affect Kaw River water levels. Sarah Hill Nelson spearheaded this initiative. Some renewable energy advocates believe Lawrence should be getting this benefit from its homegrown producer. April 15, 2013 Save the Wetlands March at KU. About 100 people march from the Chi Omega Fountain to the Kansas Union with signs that say, “Tell the Chancellor to give us our land back”. Twenty acres of the wetlands are owned by KU. The land once was part of Haskell Institute but was transferred in the 1950s to KU without consulting the students, faculty or constitute tribes. The chancellor refuses to do this because giving the land back would block the completion of the South Lawrence Trafficway through the Baker Wetlands. Sept. 21, 2013 International Day of Peace. LCPJ celebrates International Day of Peace in downtown with helium-filled balloons and peace beads. Approximately 25 participate. According to a UN website:, “The International Day of Peace (“Peace Day”) is observed around the world each year on 21 September. Established in 1981 by unanimous United Nations resolution 36/37, the General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to “commemorating and strengthening the ideals of peace both within and among all nations and peoples.” Sept. 28, 2013 Crop Walk to End Hunger. A walk to end hunger is held and is sponsored by LINK, Jubilee Cafe and the Church World Service. The walk’s purpose is to raise funds to end hunger at home and around the world. About 100 people participate. Oct. 12, 2013 March Against Monsanto. A march against Monsanto is held in downtown Lawrence with about 50 people participating. Monsanto produces Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and Roundup, a herbicide. The protest is part of an international movement. The first marches held in March garnered around 2 million people in 400 cities. June 22, 2013 Brownback Wall of Shame. A Wall of Shame is erected at 9th & Mass. On which people can post stories about how Governor Brownback’s terrible budget and tax cuts have affected them and Kansans. The event is held three times and the stories �are presented at the governor’s office. Brownback and his Far Right supporters in the Legislature eliminate taxes for many businesses, doctors, lawyers, and farmers which operate as Limited Liability Companies. This plus other tax cuts creates a multi-year budget crisis and the state’s bond rating is lowered. Despite his unpopularity, Kansas voters re-elect him. Sept. 21, 2014 People’s Climate March. A People’s Climate March in solidarity with the national People’s Climate March in New York City, is held in South Park attended by about 100 people. It is part of a national People’s Climate March Movement which is organized by the environmental organization called 350.org, founded by Bill McKibben. An estimated 400,000 turn out in New York City in the largest climate change march in history just days before the world’s leaders debate environmental action at the United Nations Climate Summit. Locally, the Citizens’ Climate Lobby, a coalition of 11 local religious, ecological and humanitarian organizations and businesses, put on the event to raise awareness about climate change. Oct. 1, 2014 Citywide Curbside Recycling Program Begins. The City of Lawrence begins providing a single-stream recycling collection service for every household. The fee is $2.81/month which is far cheaper than the existing private recycling collection services. It is a success with 5,300 tons of materials diverted from the landfill in 2015. This is about 112 pounds per person. However, each person produces about 1,600 pounds of trash (including recyclables) each year. Recycling is the last action for consumers to take: “remember the three Rs: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle”. In 2003, a petition with 2,500 signatures calling for curbside recycling was presented to the City Commission. It takes nine years of studying the issue before the City finally acts. Nov. 3, 2014 Referendum for New Police Headquarters Fails. Due to a low-keyed, grassroots campaign, Lawrence voters narrowly reject a citywide sales tax to fund a new police headquarters. Voters reject the proposed 0.2 percent sales tax by a margin of about 52 percent to 48. Not be be deterred the Lawrence City Commission finds another funding mechanism and breaks ground for a new $20 million police headquarters in 2019. Many voters believe this is against the will of the people and is anti-democratic. The new building opens in late 2020. Nov. 10, 2014 Justice Matters—Lawrence Forms. The interfaith group of 22 Lawrence congregations with a total of 10,000 members holds a founding convention at the First Presbyterian Church. It later adopts three action issues selected during its first year: expanding local mental health services, affordable housing and child welfare. Subsequently, it adds over-incarceration and racism. It is affiliated with the national Justice Matters organization. It has considerable success within just two years. Its mission is to: � Move Lawrence toward a city where justice rolls down like a mighty river  Surface, understand, and address issues of justice in the region  Strengthen understanding of the scriptural imperative to do justice June 25, 2015. Supreme Court Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage. Many Lawrence residents are elated that the U.S. Supreme Court legalizes same-sex marriage in a 5 to 4 decision. The Court rules that same sex couples have a constitutional right to marry. Lawrence has an estimated 6-8 percent gay and lesbian population—the largest percentage in the state. Lawrence has had a Domestic Partner Registry since 2007. Oct. 10, 2015 Walk for Indigenous Peoples Day. A walk supporting Indigenous People’s Day is held from Haskell Indian Nations University to City Hall. This is in opposition to celebration of Columbus Day. Explorer Christopher Columbus committed genocide against Native Americans in the Caribbean on his second voyage. Native Americans actually discovered America thousands of years ago. Dec. 9, 2015 KU Students Protest for Diversity. About 100 students march to the KU chancellor’s office demanding more and faster action on diversity issues. The protest was organized by Rock Chalk Invisible Hawk. The students want the administration to be more inclusive. They agreed to disperse after receiving a promise from the interim provost that her office would release a written statement in support of their efforts and the Black Lives Matter movement. Nov. 9, 2016 Agnes the Frog Declared Dead. The fictitious Agnes the Frog is declared dead by former state representative Stevi Stephens when the South Lawrence Trafficway which bisects the Baker Wetlands opens. At one point the wetlands had a rare population of northern crawfish frog. Stephens wore the Agnes the Frog costume in the 1986 write-in campaign and later. March 3, 2016. Socialist Bernie Sanders Rally. Self-described Socialist Bernie Sanders, a US senator from Vermont and candidate for the Democratic Party nomination for president, holds a rally with 4,200 people at the Douglas County Fairgrounds in Lawrence. Two days later, Sanders goes on to win the Democratic Party Caucuses in Kansas by a three to one margin against Hilary Clinton. Hundreds of Lawrence voters turn out for the caucus and support him. Sanders loses the nomination to Clinton who then loses the general election to billionaire Donald Trump. Mar. 12, 2016 Rally for Public Education. A rally for public education is held in South Park. It is against Governor Brownback’s cuts to public education. KU and other higher education learning centers suffer the most from the cutbacks. By 2017, KU only receives 17% of its revenues from the State of Kansas. �Aug. 1, 2016 Affordable Housing Trust Fund Restored. Although the City established the Affordable Housing Trust Fund in 2000 and deposited a one-time payment of $500,000, a dedicated funding source of revenue was never established. In 2016, the City allocates $300,000 in general funds for 2017 and 2018, rising to $350,000 in 2019. A dedicated source of revenue has yet to be identified and established. Rising housing costs and low wages are the primary causes of the lack of affordable housing. Lawrence’s wages are considerably lower than some university cities such as Iowa City and Ames, Iowa. Sept. 30, 2016 Lawrence Stands for Standing Rock March. A march attended by about 300 people goes from Constant Park down Mass. St. and then to East Lawrence. The marchers support the protesters of the people of Standing Rock in their struggle to defend their land and water and sacred burial sites pursuant to the treaties of 1851 and 1868. The Dakota Access Pipeline threatens to pollute the waters of the Missouri River runs through the Standing Rock Reservation in South Dakota. There are about 300 oil pipeline leaks every year nationwide. Dozens of Haskell Indian Nations University students join the protesters at Standing Rock who number in the thousands and celebrities. The Corps of Engineers agrees to delay the project until a full Environmental Impact Statement is prepared. Then after newly-elected Donald Trump issues an executive order mandating approval of the project, the Corps reverses itself and cancels the EIS, approves the project and issues an easement. The protesters are evicted by the feds and construction resumes. Oil begins flowing through the pipeline in March, 2017. President Biden refuses to reverse this decision. July 2, 2016 Green Party Candidate Jill Stein Speaks in Lawrence. Green Party candidate Dr. Jill Stein speaks to a standing-room-only crowd in the Lawrence Public Library auditorium. She gets 1,485 votes or 3% in Douglas County compared to 2% both nationally and statewide. Apparently, the 4,200 people who turned out for a speech by Socialist Bernie Sanders in March didn’t vote for her even though their platforms are similar. Bernie Sanders supporters apparently either stayed home or voted for Clinton. Sept. 6, 2016 Black Lives Matter Sit-in at City Commission Meeting. About 20 members of Black Lives Matter—Lawrence stage a sit-in at a Lawrence City Commission meeting demanding solidarity letters with BLM and the protesters at Standing Rock Reservation opposing the Dakota Access Pipeline to be built under the Missouri River just north of the reservation. After delaying the meeting for about 45 minutes, the City Commissioners accede to their demands. The letters are drafted and approved at a specially called meeting the following day. Members said that not issuing the letters would be an act of “white supremacy”. �Nov. 9, 2016 Anti-Trump Protest March. A march of about 300 people is held in the evening in downtown to protest the election of billionaire Donald Trump. Protesters are shocked and dismayed that such an erratic Extreme Right billionaire is elected president. Trump wins the electoral college vote but loses the popular vote by nearly 3 million votes to Hilary Clinton, the first woman to run on a major party ticket for president. This is a democratic system failure as this is the second time in 16 years that a candidate who doesn’t win the popular vote wins the election. Many call for substituting a direct popular vote for the antiquated electoral system. Nov. 12, 2016 Lawrence Stands for Standing Rock Rally. A rally attended by about 300 people is held in South Park. The rally is in response to the shocking violence perpetrated against Indigenous peoples and their allies at the Standing Rock Reservation in South Dakota by law enforcement officers at the construction site of the Dakota Access Pipeline on October 27. The rally is sponsored by the Lawrence Coalition for Peace and Justice, Lawrence Ecology Teams United in Sustainability (LETUS), Wakarusa Group of the Sierra Club, WATR: We Are the Revolution (formerly the Douglas County Coalition for Bernie Sanders). Within days of taking office, the Trump Administration reverses the previous decision and issues the easement to build the pipeline under the Missouri River just north of the Standing Rock Reservation. Construction immediately resumes and oil begins flowing through the pipeline in March, 2017. Dec. 12, 2016 School Board Meeting Disrupted. A group calling itself Black Lives Matter—Lawrence disrupts the school board meeting by screaming, cursing and trying to take over the meeting, demanding that the school district release the results of an investigation of a South Middle School teacher who allegedly made racist comments before a class. He later resigns but could work for another school district. The school board president is forced to adjourn the meeting. Protesters deny First Amendment rights of free speech and peaceably assembly to other audience members and members of the school board itself. The group also develops a boycott list of businesses that refuse to sign a letter of support. Business are put on the list even if the group is unable to contact the manager or owner to see if they would sign the letter. Much of the general public believes that the tactics are not appropriate. Jan. 11, 2017 Kansas People’s Agenda 2017 Rally. Several hundred Kansans, including many Lawrence residents, participate in a rally at the Capitol Building calling for Racial and Indigenous Justice, Economic Justice, Healthcare Access, Environmental Stewardship, Gender Equity, Immigrant Rights, Adequate & Equitable Public Education, and a Responsible Gun Policy. The protesters are especially against Governor Sam Brownback’s disastrous tax and budget policies. State programs have been hurt by the �cutbacks. State employees haven’t received a raise in nine years and inflation ate away their salaries. Jan. 20, 2017 Huge Anti-Trump Rally Held at State Capitol. From 3,000 to 4,000 Kansans, including hundreds of Lawrence residents and KU students, protest billionaire Donald Trump’s inauguration and his proposed policies. The protesters oppose his proposed policies against reproductive rights, indigenous people’s rights, people with disabilities, the environment including climate change, etc. This is one of the largest protests at the Capitol Building in years. By the end of his term it has become clear that he is by far the worst president in US history. Feb. 4, 2017 Immigrant Rights Rally Held in South Park. An immigrant rights rally with 400 participants is held in South Park. The event is nonpartisan and educational and not a protest per se. Although the speakers don’t mention it, participants are concerned about President Trump’s recent executive order temporarily banning citizens from seven Muslim countries from entering the U.S. About one-third of event participants are from Muslim countries. There are educational tables representing the seven countries covered by the executive order. The event is organized by CARE. There are about 11 million people who are not residing in the country legally. The Trump Administration begins taking action to deport many of these people. Feb. 2017 22-mile Trail Loop Plan. The City of Lawrence adopts the new Parks and Recreation Plan which includes a plan to build a 22-mile recreational trail loop around the city. It is already at least 75% complete and only disparate trail sections just have to be connected. The trail is 10’ wide concrete multi-use paths. Federal Transportation Enhancements grants, Sunflower Foundation grants and city general fund allocations are being used to finance the projects. The goals are to reducing the need to drive and provide safe outdoor recreational opportunities (exercise) for families, children, young people and seniors. It is expected the trail loop will be completed within five years. Also, that month, a group called Healthy Built Environment, a work group of the LiveWell Lawrence coalition, forms and pushes for completion of the trail loop. Friends of Lawrence Area Trails (FLAT) also forms and pushes for completion of the trail loop. Mar. 7, 2017 Sanctuary City Proclamation Issued. The Lawrence City Commission issues a proclamation welcoming immigrants, legal or not, to the community. This action is spurred by Lawrence High School and KU students. The proclamation does not declare Lawrence a Sanctuary City because this could jeopardize both state and federal funds but proclaims that the City of Lawrence, Kansas continues to be “a ‘Welcoming City,’ and that it is an inclusive community that thrives on the diversity of backgrounds that inhabit it, and that the safety of all people should be protected regardless of their background, race, religion, or country of origin.” The proclamation is in response to �President Trump’s executive orders. One bans immigrants from selected Islamic countries and another urges the quick deportation of the 11 million illegal immigrants. Another orders the building of a wall along the Mexican border. Local law enforcement already don’t enforce federal immigration laws by asking the status of those they detain or holding them for the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). There is no law requiring local law enforcement officers enforce federal laws. Mar. 7, 2017 Stand Up to Hate Rally Held. A rally is held outside of Victory Bible Church in support of immigrants and their rights. About 150 participate. Some protesters with signs go into the church. The rally is in response to the Douglas County Republican Party bringing an anti-immigrant advocate Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff from Austria to speak at the church on “When Migrants Arrive, Free Speech Depart”. She has said that the rape of children is dictated in Islam and Muslims are conducting a secret Jihad that was spreading throughout Europe through immigration and high birth rates. Sharia Law does condone child marriage which is still widely practiced in Islamic countries. However, the vast majority of emigrants are migrating to Europe for safety, freedom and a better standard of living. Muslim women in Europe have on average 2.1 children each compared to 1.5 children for other European women. Mar. 8, 2017 A Day Without a Woman/International Women’s Day. What would happen in a world where women didn't exist? That's what people around the globe on demonstrate by taking part in one of the largest-ever International Women's Day protests. "A Day Without a Woman," encourages participants to skip work or school and avoid purchasing anything in stores or online to show just how critical a role women play in society. In Lawrence a seven-hour event is held in Watson Park with speakers, poetry and live music. The crowd peaks at about 200. April 1, 2017 Community Mercantile to Go Solar. The Community Mercantile, a natural foods cooperative with 7,000 member—owners, announces it will go solar. It will have Cromwell Environmental install solar panels on the roof and on a car port in the parking lot. The panels will provide 29% of the electricity needs of The Merc which is considerable due to the freezers and refrigerators. There will be a plug-in for electric cars so they can charge up using solar power. A Baldwin bank will finance the project. The installation begins in late October. April 22, 2017 March for Science. On April 22—Earth Day—in Washington, D.C. and across the globe, thousands of scientists and their supporters gathered in 600 satellite marches from Sydney to southern Manhattan, to march in solidarity with science over politics, facts over fiction, and the unbridled pursuit of progress. According to organizers, the march is a non-partisan movement to celebrate science and the role it plays in everyday lives. The goals of the marches and rallies were to emphasize that science �upholds the common good and to call for evidence-based policy in the public's best interest. The March for Science organizers and supporters say that support for science should be nonpartisan. The march is being organized by scientists skeptical of the agenda of the Trump administration, and critical of Trump administration policies widely viewed as hostile to science. The march's website states that an "American government that ignores science to pursue ideological agendas endangers the world.” From the staffing of the EPA with climate change deniers, to the rolling back of President Obama’s environmentally protective orders, to the appointment of an oil executive as Secretary of State, the Trump administration seems to be conducting a war against the planet. Many Lawrence scientists attend either the march in Washington, DC which had several hundred thousand participants or the event in Kansas City which has 5,000 in Washington Park. April 29, 2017 People’s Climate Change March in KCMO. A People’s Climate Change Rally and March is held in Kansas City. About 200 participate in the march which is held in the rain. In is held in conjunction with a large march in Washington, DC which has 200,000 participants. The marchers are opposed to the Trump Administration which is rescinding initiatives President Obama adopted to reduce CO2 levels. Ignoring the protests he announces on June 1 that he is pulling he US out of the Paris Climate Accord. Trump has appointed several people to his cabinet who don’t believe that Climate Change is due to human activity. Several Lawrence residents attend the Kansas City event. Twice as many turned out in September, 2014, in New York City for a similar march. Jun 28, 2017 Health Care Bill Protest in Olathe. About 100 protesters protest outside of U.S. Senator Jerry Moran’s district office in Olathe calling on him to vote against the Senate Republicans’ Health Care bill which would repeal the Affordable Care Act and result in 23 million losing their health insurance. It is co-sponsored by Indivisible Lawrence. August 13, 2017 Lawrence: Solidarity with Charlottesville Rally. An anti-hate rally in solidarity with those killed and injured Charlottesville is held in South Park. About 400 participate. On August 12, hundreds of White nationalists attacked counter demonstrators in Charlottesville, VA. One is killed and dozens are injured but the injuries could have been greater. Reportedly, about 20 members of a group called the Redneck Revolt, which describes itself as an anti-racist, anti-capitalist group dedicated to uniting working-class whites and oppressed minorities, carried rifles and formed a security perimeter around the counter protesters in Justice Park and saved many counter protesters from attack. Redneck Revolt was formed by former members of Lawrence Solidarity!, an anarchist group active in the early 2000s. Over the past year �Trump encouraged xenophobia and violence at his campaign rallies and other events. His close advisor Steve Bannon is active in the Alt-Right movement. The Lawrence rally is sponsored by The Resistance LFK and the Women's March on Washington – Kansas. Most of the speakers are Black militants who harangue the mostly white audience and tell the crowd to look at the racism was in their own hearts and in Lawrence itself and that they need to act. A moment of silence is held. Aug. 2017 Probability of a New Civil War. Foreign Policy magazine asks a group of national security experts to assess the chances of a civil war over the next 10 to 15 years. The consensus stood at 35 percent. August 21, 2017 Mass Meeting for the Poor People’s Campaign. A mass meeting is held in Topeka calling for a new Poor People’s Campaign like that proposed by Martin Luther King in 1968. The keynote speaker is Rev. William Barber who launched the "Moral Monday Movement" in his home state of North Carolina in response to extremists there, where a large group have gathered in their state house every single Monday for five years to make certain that their state legislators hear about the people's needs. Over 800 people attend the event including many Lawrencians. Barber calls for highly publicized civil disobedience and direct action over a 6-week period in at least 25 states and the District of Columbia during the Spring of 2018, the Poor People’s Campaign will force a serious national examination of the enmeshed evils of poverty, racism, the war economy and environmental devastation during a key election year while strengthening and connecting informed and committed grassroots leadership in every state, increasing their power to continue this fight long after June 2018. Apparently, a national campaign does not materialize. Sept. 7, 2017 Lawrence Defends DACA Solidarity March. In response to President Trump rescinding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, a march with about 150 participants is held downtown. Mayor Leslie Soden addressed the crowd after the march. DACA is an American immigration policy established by the Obama administration in June 2012. DACA allows certain illegal immigrants who entered the country as minors to receive a renewable two-year period of deferred action from deportation and eligibility for a work permit. Approximately 800,000 such young people (referred to as "Dreamers" after the DREAM Act) were enrolled in the program as of 2017. The program will end in six months unless Congress or the courts act. This will force Dreamers to go underground or back to the country where their parents’ country of origin. Kansas has an estimated 7,000 Dreamers who are contributing to the state’s economy or are in school. There could be up to 200 Dreamers in Lawrence. In 2020, the US Supreme Court rules that the program can’t be ended by the Trump Administration �unless the Administrative Procedures Act is followed. Sept. 2017. New Plant at Landfill Capturing Methane Opens. Hamm’s Quarries opens a $20 million plant which captures methane at Lawrence’s landfill and is producing 4 million gallons of fuel a year used by a number of municipalities and trucking fleets with vehicles powered by compressed natural gas. The EPA estimates that about 20% of all methane (a potent Greenhouse gas) is released by landfills. Sept. 5, 2017 Protest Against Tyson Chicken Plant. Protests begin against a proposed chicken processing plant south of Tonganoxie which is just 10 miles from Lawrence. Tyson has been fined for water and air pollution caused by other plants. The plant would employ 1,600 workers which could put a strain on schools and housing. A few days later an organizational meeting in Chieftain Park has up to 1,000 in attendance including some Lawrence residents. The plant could also have a negative impact upon Lawrence. Then on Sept. 15, 2017, about 2,500 people attend a public forum on the proposal in Chieftain Park. Three state legislators attend event and are at first neutral and want more information, but by the end of the event they are opposed to the factory. Subsequently, Tyson puts the project on hold and other communities in the state volunteer to host the plant. Oct. 1, 2017 Let the People Vote Campaign Launched. ACLU People Power and ACLU of Kansas holds a launch event for a new voting rights campaign, Let People Vote. This event is at the Lied Center in Lawrence, KS and live streamed into house parties across �the country. This is in response to voter suppression campaigns in Kansas and across the country. Five states including Oregon and Utah have voting by mail in which all registered voters are mailed ballots. This increases voter participation. Oct. 15, 2017 Me Too (or #Me Too) Movement Takes Off. The Me Too (or #MeToo) movement, is a movement against sexual abuse and sexual harassment where people publicize allegations of sex crimes committed by powerful and/or prominent men. The phrase "Me Too" was initially used in this context on social media in 2006, on Myspace, by sexual harassment survivor and activist Tarana Burke.[4] Similar to other social justice and empowerment movements based upon breaking silence, the purpose of "Me Too", as initially voiced by Burke as well as those who later adopted the tactic, is to empower women through empathy and solidarity through strength in numbers, especially young and vulnerable women, by visibly demonstrating how many women have survived sexual assault and harassment, especially in the workplace. Following the exposure of the widespread sexual assaults by Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein in early October 2017, the movement began to spread virally as a hashtag on social media. On October 15, 2017, American actress Alyssa Milano posted on Twitter, "If all the women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted wrote 'Me too' as a status, we might give people a sense of the magnitude of the problem," saying that she got the idea from a friend. Lawrence women are interested in this as several KU professors and even one former chancellor have been accused of sexual harassment or abuse. Oct. 28, 2017 Resist Tricks or Tweets—Dump Trump March. A small crowd of perhaps 50 protest Trump and his policies in South Park. The turnout is much lower than one year ago after he was elected when 300 marched downtown. There are many possible reasons why the turnout is lower including lack of publicity, cold temperatures, the public has become resigned to the new political reality, and a perception that protests have little effect. It is sponsored by MoveOn of Johnson County. Nov. 6, 2017 Affordable Housing Proposition Passes. A proposition funding affordable housing initiatives is approved by Lawrence voters by a wide margin after a grassroots campaign by Justice Matters. According to the organization it called on 28,000 voters, delivered up to 15,000 fact sheets, and put up hundreds of yard signs. The sales tax of 0.05% will yield about $1 million in revenues annually which can be leveraged into funding affordable housing projects. A significant percentage of households in Lawrence �are spending more than they can afford on housing. The tax is regressive, especially since food is taxed in Kansas, but at least visitors to the community will help pay for it. Nov. 6, 2017 First Female Majority Elected to City Commission. Lawrence voters elect the first female majority to the city commission. These commissioners are Lisa Larsen, Leslie Soden and Jennifer Ananda. Jan. 20, 2018 Women’s March. On the one year anniversary of the inauguration of President Trump and the first Women’s March, 2,500 people rally in South Park and march down Mass. St. The protesters were protesting Trump’s policies and actions plus advocating for women’s rights. Since Kansas City and Topeka didn’t have marches this year it is thought that many attendees came from those cities. 2018 Community Police Review Board Established. The City Commission establishes the Community Police Review Board. However, it has no real power nor does it reflect the diversity of the community. By mid-2020, it doesn’t investigate a single complaint. There may be a general perception that LPD internal affairs investigations are not be truly independent. Without having the option of appealing to an independent body, citizens who experience a negative interaction with a police officer have no real recourse, except for pursuing a costly lawsuit. The Board should have the power to initiate its own investigations and have broad subpoena powers to produce witnesses and documents. Plus, the LPD should be required to turn over all evidence and videos related to the incident. The board could contract with an independent investigator who reports only to the Board. Further, the Board should have the power to discipline officers if the police chief fails to do so and recommend new or revised police department policies or practices. Such a reconstituted Board should have representatives from the NAACP, ACLU, HINU, Justice Matters and the Fraternal Order of Police. A strong and independent Community Police Review Board would not only expand justice in the community, but reduce the possibility of costly lawsuits and civil unrest. Feb. 3, 2018 March to Protect the Flag. About 75 men who call themselves “Defend the Flag”” and are possibly part of the Alt-Right march downtown in support of protecting the American flag. This event is in response to an Internet rumor that people were going hold a “Drag the Flag” event in South Park which never occurred. Many carry the American flag but some also hold the Confederate flag. One person is arrested. A counter-protest by perhaps 50 Black Lives Matter and others is held a few hours later. For some, the flag is a symbol of freedom and liberty, our common home and all values we hold dear. For others it symbolizes oppression and imperialism. In 1989 the US Supreme Court ruled that burning the flag is protected speech under the First Amendment. �Feb. 8, 2018 March in Support of Scientist. About 150-200 people march in downtown Lawrence in support of Syed Ahmed Jamal, a Bangladeshi-born Lawrence scientist who was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on a deportation order after 30 years of residency in the U.S. Jamal overstayed his visa but still has a valid work permit and no criminal record. However, the Trump Administration has started deporting immigrants who do not have permission to stay in the country. Feb. 21, 2018 High School Students Stage Walk-out. More than 400 Free State High School students walk out of classes Wednesday morning in protest of gun violence in schools, including the mass shooting exactly one week ago at Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. The protest is part of a national response to the Feb. 14 tragedy in Parkland, where former student Nikolas Cruz is suspected of fatally shooting 17 people, most of them teenagers. The crowd stands in silence for 17 minutes to honor the 17 victims in the Florida shooting. Many students carried signs bearing handwritten pleas for gun control: “Protect kids not guns,” “Enough is enough” and “Kids should learn reading not hiding.” About 75 Central Middle School students and 40 LHS students stage a walk-out in solidarity. Both President Trump and Congress which is controlled by Extreme Right Republicans, refuse to address gun control issues, primarily because they receive campaign contributions from the National Rifle Association (NRA). The NRA is also effective in mobilizing members to lobby Congress. March 3, 2018 Rally Against Jail Expansion. A coalition of four groups holds a rally on the steps of the Courthouse against expanding the county jail. About 40 people participate. The coalition is composed of Justice Matters, Kansas Appleseed, Lawrence Sunset Alliance, and the local chapter of the NAACP. The coalition urges voters to vote against the mail ballot referendum proposition approving a sales tax for expanding the jail and building a mental health crisis center. Opponents believe the projects should have not been in the same question. They also believe that all alternatives to incarceration in jail should be exhausted before any jail extension and that a sales tax (esp. on food) is regressive. If the proposition fails, the Douglas County Commission has stated it will expand the jail in phases using property taxes but not build a mental crisis center. After citizens voted down a new police headquarters a few years ago, the City Commission imposed a 1.25 mills levy beginning January 1, 2018, to pay for a new police headquarters. Many contend that these actions are anti-democratic because they subvert the will of the voters. After a contentious and intense campaign (both sides utilize yard signs and mailings), the referendum fails by a slim margin (53-47%). Subsequently,, the County Commission holds a public forum on how they should go forward and nearly 500 attend. The project is canceled in 2021. �March 14, 2018 Gun Control Walkout. For 17 minutes starting at 10 a.m., hundreds of Lawrence students join countless others across the country in a walkout to honor the 17 victims of last month’s Parkland, Fla., shooting and to protest gun violence. Wednesday marks one month since the shooting at Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, a tragedy that has not faded from the minds of young activists at Lawrence High School. Around 400 students walk out of classes Wednesday and gather near the school’s front entrance, where sophomore Elliot Bradley reads the 17 names of the Parkland victims aloud. His peers stand silently as Bradley spoke of the victims and lives cut short by gun violence. He and his fellow protesters are seeking legislative change in an effort to prevent such shootings in the future, and they say they aren’t backing down. Lawrence High School is also the site of “Wrap the Walkout,” a local initiative calling on adults to “wrap” themselves around the school in a symbolic show of support and protection. Around 200 parents and community members participate (Lawrence Journal-World 3-15-18). On April 20 about 100 LHS students walk out and march to South Park for a rally where they are joined by about another 500 people. Due to the power of the NRA and Far Right Republican leadership, Congress fails to take any action such as re-instituting the ban on assault weapons and raising the age to buy firearms to 21. Due to the power of the NRA the Kansas legislature completely pre-empted any local regulation of firearms. March 20, 2018 Tobacco 21 Campaign to Raise Age to Buy Cigarettes. A group of Boys and Girls Club members ask the Lawrence City Commission to raise the age to buy regular cigarettes and e-cigarettes to 21. They say that many in high school are using ecigarettes which is negatively affecting their health. Research shows that tobacco is readily available to teens under 18 and the younger one starts smoking, the harder it is to quit. Tobacco 21 is a national campaign to raise the age to 21. In Kansas 19 cities and counties have already raised the age to 21. Lawrence Tobacco 21 Task Force is planning to propose that the Lawrence City Commission adopt an ordinance raising the age to 21. The FDA is proposing to lower nicotine levels in cigarettes to a level where tobacco is not addictive. In December, 2019, the US Congress passes a bill outlawing the sale of tobacco and vaping products to those under 21. The Kansas Dept. of Revenue will enforce this, apparently negating the need for additional action by the City. March 24, 2018 March for Our Lives. A rally and march are held in support of legislation sensible gun control. Over 1,700 people rally in South Park and then march downtown. There are very few high school students. The slogan is “Enough is enough”. Participants are encouraged to register to vote and vote in the upcoming elections. Hundreds of thousands marched in Washington, DC and more than 800 cities in the US and around the world. An estimated 5,000 gather in KCMO and outside of the capitol in �Topeka. Many want to re-institute the ban on assault weapons and raise the age to buy firearms to 21. In the last eight months there have been three major mass shootings in the US. The Kansas Legislature passed a law prohibiting cities and counties from regulating firearms in any way. This law violates the spirit of Home Rule. April 4, 2018 50th Anniversary of The First Great Uprising. Fifty years ago on US paused to honor and remember the slain Civil Rights leader, including 10,000 at Liberty Memorial in Kansas City. In Lawrence on April 7, a vigil by Blacks and Whites was attended by some 1,000 people in South Park. After the assassination, the worst racial civil unrest in US history occurred in over 125 US cities. Baltimore, Chicago, Washington, DC and Kansas City were the hardest hit cities rocked by violence including rioting and looting. Nearly 70,000 troops were called out to quell the violence and 47 people were killed. In Kansas City, five Blacks and two police officers were killed in a gun battle on April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in Memphis. Millions across the between Black militants and police and the national guard. Topeka also had racial disturbances that were quelled by the national guard. The widespread civil unrest is called The Great Uprising by some historians. May 14, 2018 Poor People’s Campaign Civil Disobedience in Topeka. Two dozen people are issued citations after engaging in an act of civil disobedience at 9th and Topeka Blvd. The protest was part of actions by the Poor People’s Campaign, a nonviolent group that united across the state to mobilize voters and deliver hope to people in poverty. Around 3 p.m., a group of protesters begins blocking the middle of the intersection and the entrance to the Kansas Chamber of Commerce office on Topeka Blvd. It is thought that several protesters are Lawrence residents. June 30, 2018 Immigration Rally & March. About 700 people attend a rally in South Park and march down Massachusetts Street to protest President Donald Trump’s "zero tolerance" immigration policies which have resulted in the arrest and prosecution of refugees and the separation of 3,000 children from their parents along the southern US border. The event is organized by Families Belong Together and the KU Chapter of Amnesty International. There an estimated 750 other rallies across America the same day. Due to public outcry President Trump is compelled to sign an executive order reuniting families and stopping the practice of separating children from parents. However, this process takes months. The latter is contrary to international law. Many crossing the border have been seeking asylum as refugees from Central America trying to escape violence. Refugees have the “right to seek and be granted asylum in a foreign territory, in accordance with the legislation of the state and international conventions.” [American Convention on Human Rights, art. 22(7); African [Banjul] Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, art. 12(3).] In 1984, a group of Latin American governments �adopted the Cartagena Declaration, which like the OAU Convention, added more objectivity based on significant consideration to the 1951 Convention. The Cartegena Declaration determine that a 'refugee' includes: Persons who flee their countries because their lives, safety or freedom have been threatened by generalised violence, foreign aggression, internal conflicts, massive violation of human rights or other circumstances which have seriously disturbed public order.[7] August 11, 2018 Art is the Voice for Freedom Counter-protest. Ten “Defend the Flag” alt-Right protesters meet in South Park but decide not to march down Mass. St. Organizers say it is not in response to alleged desecration of the American flag in artwork with black blotches depicting the divisions of America on the US flag on the KU campus on a flag pole and later in Spencer Museum of Art. Although they say it isn’t in support of the violent alt-Right protests in Charlottesville, VA which resulted in the death of one anti-racism protester. one year earlier, the timing is suspicious. At least 600 people wearing t-shirts with the words, “Art is the Voice for Freedom” and black tshirts line sidewalks along Mass. St., in a counter-protest. In early July Governor Colyer had ordered the KU chancellor to remove the flag art piece from a pole in in front of Spooner Hall. So, the flag art piece was put on display in Spencer Museum of Art. This was contrary to freedom of expression protected under the First Amendment and academic freedom at universities. The Supreme Court ruled in 1989 that burning the American flag is protected under the First Amendment. Oct. 6, 2018 Anti-Trump Protest in Topeka. Dozens of Lawrence residents attend an anti-Trump protest at the Expo Center in Topeka where the president speaks to 11,000 people in support of extreme right Republican candidate Kris Kobach running for governor. An estimated 500 protesters line the outside boundaries of the Expo Center property protesting Trump’s policies and actions. Nov. 3, 2018 Midterm Election to Result in Democratic Control of US House. The election results indicate that the US House will be controlled by the Democrats who will be able to stop the Extremists in the Senate and President Trump from enacting Far Right legislation. Plus, the House will also be able to hold investigations into the misconduct of officials in the Trump Administration. Many of the candidates who win are women including Sharice Davids from Shawnee, KS who will be the first LGBT Native American woman to enter the US House. The election is one of the most bitter and hard-fought elections since perhaps 1968. Women campaign hard for Democratic candidates and work to turn out the vote. Democrats call it a referendum on Trump which he lost. �Kansas voters also reject the flamboyant Extreme Right candidate Kris Kobach by electing moderate Democrat Laura Kelly to the governorship. Kelly wins every urban county (except for Reno and Saline) and every state university county (except for Ellis) and beats Kobach by 4.5 percent points. She plans to reverse former governor Brownback’s regressive policies. She proposes to expand Medicaid to 140,000 lowincome citizens (Brownback vetoed the last time legislation to do this passed the Legislature), push for fully funding public education (required by the Kansas Supreme Court), and protect the rights of LBGT state workers. Lawrence voters vote overwhelmingly for Kelly. Nov. 3, 2018 Mental Health Referendum Passes. Because Justice Matters campaigns heavily, County voters approve a quarter-cent countywide sales tax that will build an $11 million behavioral health campus in the 1000 block of West Second Street (north of Bert Nash Mental Health Center) and provide $4.15 million annually for campus operational costs and additional services for those with mental illness and those struggling with substance abuse. The campus will feature a 14-bed crisis center which will provide for crisis stabilization, medication-assisted detox, and respite beds for stays up to 14 days. The campus will also have transitional housing which can house up to 12 clients of Bert Nash. This will allow people with mental and substance abuse problems to transition back into the community by having supportive housing with stays from six to 12 months. Also, the Lawrence-Douglas County Housing Authority will provide and operate 10 permanent supportive housing apartments for those with a diagnosed behavior health condition. The length of stay will be flexible and residents will be able to stay for years if they wish. Some of the buildings have solar panels. Nov. 8, 2018 Pop-up Protest Against Firing of US Attorney General. About 50 Lawrence residents hold a spontaneous protest in front of the Courthouse against Trump’s firing of US Attorney General Jeff Sessions who refused to interfere with the investigation by Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller into Russian interference with the 2016 election. Trump waited until after the elections to prevent any voter backlash. However, despite his hands-off approach to the investigation, Sessions has been implementing nearly all of Trump’s Far Right policies and was one of the first to endorse Trump’s candidacy. To date six people in either the Trump Administration or his 2016 campaign have been convicted of crimes due to Mueller’s investigation. Jan. 18, 2019 Indigenous Peoples March. A group of about 30 Haskell Indian Nations University students marches downtown in conjunction with the national Indigenous Peoples March being held in Washington, DC. Some carry signs opposing pipelines across tribal lands such as the Standing Rock Reservation in South Dakota. HINU Professor Dan Wildcat publishes “Saving the Earth With Indigenous Knowledge”. �Feb. 1, 2019 Nuclear Arms Race Resumes. On February 1, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announces that the United States is suspending its obligations under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, and notified Russia and the other treaty parties that the United States would be withdrawing from the treaty in six months, pursuant to Article XV of the treaty, because of material breaches of the treaty by Russia. The INF Treaty required Russia and the United States to eliminate permanently their nuclear and conventional ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges of 500 to 5,500 kilometers. Trump claims—correctly—that Russia is building and testing systems prohibited by the treaty, including a new cruise missile that the United States claims can travel at prohibited ranges. The Russians have responded by announcing their own plans to withdraw and develop new weapons. The new spending bill which passed Congress in December, 2019, provides $20 million in funding for a "low-yield" W76-2 tactical nuclear warhead to be launched from submarines. According the Federation of American Scientists: "These warheads are so dangerous because they are built to be used. The term “lowyield” is designed to make policymakers think that these nuclear weapons—which are only slightly less destructive than those that devastated Hiroshima and Nagasaki—could be more readily used. Last year, Congress authorized and funded the construction of these warheads.” The first treaty to eliminate an entire class of nuclear delivery systems, it was the foundation for denuclearizing most of Europe. The INF Treaty removed the most dangerous nuclear weapons from European soil: “intermediate range” weapons that are meant neither for the battlefield nor for long-distance strategic strikes but for nuclear attacks deep into NATO or Russian territory. This action will unleash another nuclear arms race and it comes on the heels of Trump’s ratification of Obama’s $1.3 trillion plan to modernize American’s nuclear arsenal over ten years. Trump also threatens to resume nuclear testing. Lawrence was in the forefront of efforts to reduce the threat of a nuclear war. This included a Nuclear Freeze referendum in 1982, a huge candlelight vigil held when the film “The Day After” (filmed in the same year in Lawrence) was shown, and the 1990 Meeting for Peace. Feb. 19, 2019 Lawrence Women Gain Right to Go Topless in Public. The 10th Circuit US Court of Appeals in Denver rules that women have a constitutional right to go topless in public (Free the Nipple v. City of Fort Collins, Case No. 17-1103).This decision applies to six states including Kansas and therefore nullifies any state law or local ordinance to the contrary. Subsequently, the City of Ft. Collins, CO repeals its Indecent Exposure ordinance in early September, 2019 which is followed by the City of Manhattan, KS which amended its Indecent Exposure ordinance. The court based its opinion on the �Equal Protection Clause of the US Constitution. Despite becoming aware of this ruling, Lawrence city officials do not acknowledge or address this issue. Mar. 15, 2019 US Youth Climate Strike. Inspired by young people in Europe (i.e. Belgium) who have been striking (walking out of school) on Fridays to protect inaction by adults on Climate Change, young people all across America walk out in protest. In Lawrence, however, parents with children organize a march down Mass St. There are from 50-75 participants. For some reason, local high school students are not involved as they are in Europe. The European youth are inspired by Greta Thunberg, a 15-year-old Swedish girl who addressed the UN Conference on Climate Change in December, 2018, and held the adults accountable. March 19, 2019 City Commission Votes to Lower Penalty for Marijuana. The Lawrence City Commission votes to lower the penalty for simple possession of cannabis to $1 plus $63 in court costs. Police will now generally issue tickets for this municipal infraction. Persons arrested by Douglas County deputies outside of the city limits still face the state penalty of up to one year in jail and a maximum of a $2,500 fine (though the DA later announces that simple possession of cannabis will not be prosecuted). Neighboring Colorado has completely legalized the sale, possession and use of the drug. Typical marijuana used today in Kansas is six times stronger than that used in the 1970s. Scientific research indicates that heavy marijuana use, especially among teens, can result in long-lasting negative effects including memory loss and attention deficit disorder. April, 2019 Climate Change Progress in City. A ten-year review of progress made in reducing Greenhouse gases goals set in the 2009 Climate Protection Plan finds that since the baseline year of 2005, greenhouse gas emissions from City of Lawrence operations have dropped by about 17 percent. The community as a whole — which includes the privately owned landfill used by the city — has reduced emissions by 26 percent (the goal for 2019 was a 30% reduction). Most of that reduction was due to Westar Energy relying more on electricity generated by wind and not action undertaken by local governments or residents. CO2 generated by cars and trucks continued to climb locally during the ten-year period even though stricter CAFE standards had been adopted nationally. Some climate scientists assert that Greenhouse gases are not dramatically cut within just a few years, humanity will face major disruptions. May, 2019 Activists Stop HUB Apartment Building Project on Mass Street. After extensive lobbying by historic preservationists and neighborhood activists, the Historic Resources Commission and City Commission vote to deny permits to build a seven-story apartment building for students on Mass. Street at 11th St. The project would have had a negative impact upon the streetscape and Watkins Museum and the Douglas County �Courthouse—both of which are on the National Register. Mass. Street is the number one destination for visitors in Kansas. May 13, 2019 Justice Matters Assembly Envision Community Restorative Justice. Nearly 800 Lawrencians gather at the Nehemiah Assembly to cast a vision for a restorative community. Powerful testimonies are given including the District Attorney who authored a "Study Proposal for Sustainable Incarceration Alternatives" that includes jail reduction strategies such as enhanced diversion programming and establishing new drug courts and the new school superintendent who has stated that Restorative Practices fit into the USD497 Strategic Plan that is currently being developed. Restorative Justice is defined as “a system of criminal justice which focuses on the rehabilitation of offenders through reconciliation with victims and the community at large.” This can result in lower incarceration rates and reduce the need to expand jails and prisons. April 26, 2019 Women’s Right to Choose Upheld in Landmark Decision. The Kansas Supreme Court rules in a 6-1 decision that a right of personal autonomy, which includes the ability to control one's own body, derives from the inalienable natural right of liberty guaranteed by Section 1 of the Kansas Bill of Rights. This ground-breaking decision means that if the US Supreme Court revokes the right to abortion, the procedure will still be legal in Kansas (unless voters vote to amend the Kansas Constitution). Pro-choice activists in Lawrence laud the decision. A bill to allow voters to vote in the August, 2022 primary on overturning this decision with an anti-abortion amendment passes the legislature in 2021. June, 2019 Calls Grow for Impeachment of Trump. Many Lawrence residents are among the growing number of Americans who think Donald Trump should be impeached and removed from office for “high crimes and misdemeanors”. These could include obstruction of justice, violation of the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution, abuse of the power to pardon, illegally attempting to influence an election, tax fraud, self-dealing, refusal to comply with Congressional subpoenas, etc. However, polls show it is still not nearly a majority of Americans, and the Democratic leadership in the US House is reluctant to pursue this as it could actually increase support for the president for the election next year. Plus, the Republicans who control the US Senate won’t vote to remove him from office (it takes two-thirds of Senators to remove an official from office). July 2, 2019 Advocacy for Ban or Fee on Plastic Bags. Perhaps 75 citizens turn out in total at two Lawrence Sustainability Advisory Board meetings to advocate for either a ban or fee on single-use plastic bags. Research shows that Lawrence residents use over 30 million plastic bags annually and plastic bags take 1,000 years to biodegrade in the �landfill. The board votes unanimously to recommend that the Lawrence City Commission impose a 16-cent fee on both plastic and paper single-use bags. Such a fee would reduce use by at least 60 percent according to researchers. Other proposals include an outright ban on plastic bags and a requirement that retailers charge for paper bags and reusable bags which would be easier to administrate. In early 2020, a bill passes one house in the Kansas Legislature prohibiting cities from imposing plastic bag fees or bans which is clearly against the spirit of Home Rule. The bill is pushed by the powerful Kansas Chamber of Commerce. July 12, 2019 Rally in Solidarity with Immigrants & Refugees. A rally with over 300 participants is held in Buford Watson Park showing support for immigrants and refugees who have borne the brunt of Trump’s anti-humanitarian southern border policies. Organized by Kansas Appleseed, People’s Owned and Operated Collective Housing. Over $1,600 is collected for a fund to help local immigrants for legal services and transportation. On July 2 protesters across the US called for an end to migrant detention centers, voicing outrage over reports of inhumane conditions. The UN commissioner on human rights chief investigated and was ‘appalled’ by US border detention conditions, saying holding migrant children may violate international law. Refugees seeking asylum face crowded conditions in detention centers, inadequate food and water and lack of access to restroom facilities. Thousands are children who have been separated from their parents. The refugees are fleeing rampant violence and poverty in Central America. Social justice organizations including MoveOn, United We Dream, and American Friends Service Committee organized the protests against the Trump Administration's zerotolerance policy leading of separation of families and detention of children. Sept. 20, 2019 Lawrence Climate Strike Walkout. A rally sponsored by the local chapter of the Sunrise Movement and Wakarusa Group of the Kansas Sierra Club is held in South Park. About 250 people of all ages including high school and college students listen to speakers and then march to City Hall. A petition is circulated calling on the City Commission to declare a Climate Emergency. Mayor Lisa Larsen talks about what the City has been doing the last ten years to reduce Lawrence’s carbon footprint, but says that the crowd needs to pressure the commissioners and other elected officials to do more. This is a Global Climate Strike by young people which was proposed in 2018 by 15-year-old Swedish student Greta Thunberg. There is also a rally at City Hall at noon and 75 KU students hold a rally in front of Wescoe Hall. International organizers estimate 4 million people participate worldwide. Anywhere from 60,000 to 250,000 people march in New York City and 100,000 in London. President Trump has weakened or repealed over 100 environmental regulations and initiatives since taking office �including backing out of the Paris Climate Accord and weakening Obama’s Clean Power Program. Aug. 28, 2019 Greta Thunberg Tours North America. Greta Thunberg, the sixteen-yearold Swedish girl who launched the Global Climate Strike, travels to the US by sailboat and tours the continent with her father in an electric car for 11 weeks beginning August 28. She gives talks at climate change rallies in various cities including Los Angeles and Charlotte, NC. October 22, 2019 FBI still Spying on Citizens. The October 22 issue of The Intercept states, "Since 2010, the FBI has surveilled black activists and Muslim Americans, Palestinian solidarity and peace activists, Abolish ICE protesters, Occupy Wall Street, environmentalists, Cuba and Iran normalization proponents, and protesters at the Republican National Convention. And that is just the surveillance we know of — as the civil liberties group Defending Rights & Dissent documents in a report published today. The report is a detailed catalog of known FBI First Amendment abuses and political surveillance since 2010, when the Department of Justice’s Office of Inspector General published the last official review of Bush-era abuses. The incidents the report references, many of which were previously covered by The Intercept, were largely exposed through public records requests by journalists, activists, and civil rights advocates. The FBI relentlessly fought those disclosures, and the documents we have were often so heavily redacted they only revealed the existence of initiatives like a “Race Paper” or an “Iron Fist” operation, both targeting racial justice activists, while giving away little detail about their content." Of course this can have a chilling effect on people exercising their First Amendment rights. It is likely that Lawrence activists have been spied on. Nov. 5, 2019 First Latino Elected to City Commission. Lawrence voters elect Courtney Shipley who is the first Latino elected to the Lawrence City Commission. Dec. 5, 2019 Lawrence to Study Free Bus Service. The Kansas City, MO City Council votes to implement free citywide bus service. Now, Lawrence officials are considering doing the same as ridership is down 10.9% in just two years. There are many advantages to free bus service, including: (1) increased ridership; (2) quicker and easier boarding of buses; (3) less idling for buses; (4) greater access to jobs and schools for very lowincome residents; and, (5) a slight reduction in air pollution and traffic congestion. The new transit director will study the issue and report back to the City Commission. The City eventually agrees to implement free citywide bus service for 2023. Dec. 18, 2019 City Adopts Clean Energy Policy. The Lawrence City Commission votes to adopt a Clean Energy Policy. The Sustainability Advisory Board voted unanimously on November 13, 2019, to recommend that the City Commission adopt a policy to achieve �use of 100% clean, renewable energy according to the following: • by 2025 for electricity in municipal operations, • 2040 for all energy sectors in municipal operations, • 2035 for electricity community-wide, and • 2050 for all energy sectors communitywide. A plan to implement these goals will be developed and approved in the future. At least 15 people testify in front of the City Commission support of this. Dec. 18, 2019 Trump Impeached in House but Acquitted in Senate. President Donald Trump is impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors in the US on a mostly party-line vote. He is “indicted” for Abuse of Power and Obstruction of Congress. There is clear and convincing evidence that he personally blocked funds destined to Ukraine in order to convince the president of Ukraine to investigate the son of political opponent former Vice President Joe Biden. However, he is acquitted in a trial in the US Senate in a vote along party lines (with only one Republican voting to convict and remove him) on Feb. 5, 2019. This is another indication of a democratic system failure. No US president has ever been impeached, convicted and removed from office. Seven of Trump’s associates including his personal attorney Michael Cohen have been convicted of various crimes. Trump has engaged in various acts of malfeasance over the past three years including obstruction of justice, self-dealing with his foundation and violation of the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution. According to the New York Times, by April 2020, Trump had stated 18,000 lies, falsehoods or half-truths during his tenure in office. The evidence has become clear that he is both a pathalogical liar and sociopath. Jan. 16, 2020 Kansas Coal-fired Plant Project Finally Killed. Efforts by the environmentalists including the Sierra Club (and many Lawrence environmentalists) ultimately results in the cancellation of the Holcomb coal-fired plant project in western Kansas. Their efforts delayed construction long enough until it was no longer financially viable (wind and gas became cheaper sources). No new coal-fired plant has been built in the US since 2015 and none is under construction. Coal is still the largest single energy source for electricity generation in Kansas, and in 2018 accounted for 39% of the state's power generation. In 2018, Kansas ranked among the top five states in total wind energy generation and had a larger share of electricity generated from wind energy (36%) than any other state. The Evergy coal-fired plant north of Lawrence continues to pump CO2 into the atmosphere. Jan. 18, 2020 Sister March. About 100 Lawrence residents gather in South Park and march through the downtown in support of acceptable, food security, healthcare, Earth care, equality and tolerance. The event is held in conjunction with Women’s Marches held around the country, including New York City. Women’s Marches started in 2017 in opposition to President Trump’s policies. There also rallies in Topeka and Kansas City. �Jan. 22, 2020 Homeless Population Jumps. The results of the 2020 point-in-time homeless count identified 408 total homeless people in Lawrence on Jan. 22, the day the count was conducted. Of those, 148 were in emergency shelters, 185 in transitional housing, and 75 were living outside. This is significantly higher than the roughly 200 individuals identified a few years ago. As recent as the 1980s there were only two visibly homeless individuals. The increase is in spite of ongoing efforts by groups such as Family Promise, the Lawrence-Douglas County Authority, Habitat for Humanity, Bert Nash Mental Health Center and Lawrence Community Shelter to get homeless families and individuals into permanent housing. The causes of homelessness are many, including the lack of affordable housing (rising housing costs and Congress is not fully funding the Section 8 or public housing programs), low wages, lack of good-paying jobs, and mental and substance abuse problems. Lawrence has yet to adopt the Housing First program which successfully reduced the homeless population in Salt Lake City. Jan. 25, 2020 No War With Iran Rally & March. Nearly 40 Lawrence residents hold a rally along Mass. St. in South Park in protest against any war with Iran. The event is sponsored by the Lawrence Coalition for Peace and Justice, ANSWER (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism), Code Pink and Organization for Socialism and Liberation (OSL). Subsequently, about 15 march through the downtown. Hostilities had escalated in early January between the US and Iran after the President Trump approved the drone killing in Iraq of Qasem Soleimani, an Iranian general who was the commander of the Quds Force, a division primarily responsible for extraterritorial military and clandestine operations (i.e. terrorist operations). There are marches and rallies around the world protesting any war with Iran. Jan. 29, 2020 Jail Expansion Approved Despite Opposition. Despite Douglas County voters voting against expanding the county jail in a May 2018, referendum, the Douglas County Commission votes to approve a smaller expansion to cost at least $30 million (plus annual operating costs of $2.6 million). A protest is held in South Park before the county commission hearing. About 30 people testify against jail expansion. It is apparent that the commissioners had made up their minds literally years ago. Representatives of Justice Matters and others urge the commissioners to delay a decision until two studies can be completed which could result in actions eliminating overcrowding. The commission’s vote is seen by many as undemocratic and against the will of the people. Justice Matters and Kansas Appleseed sue the County demanding that a referendum be held as required by law but a circuit-riding judge rules that Justice Matters and Kansas Appleseed don’t have standing. Mar. 10, 2020 Protests at State Capitol Over Medicaid Expansion. About 50 people protest the inaction by the legislature on expanding Medicaid to about 130,000 �additional Kansans. About 23 people are removed by police. It is sponsored by Kansas Adapt, the Poor People's Campaign, and the Interfaith Clergy. State Senate President Susan Wagle refuses to let senators vote on a bipartisan compromise bill. The bill dies for the year during the wrap-up session on May 21, denying about 10,000 Douglas County residents health insurance during a health crisis. Mar. 11, 2020 Pandemic Declared by WHO. The World Health Organization (WHO) declares the rapidly spreading COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak a pandemic, acknowledging what has seemed clear for some time — the virus will likely spread to all countries on the globe. The pandemic started in Wuhan, China in December, 2019. The Chinese Communist dictatorship covered up the extent of the problem and failed to deal with it early on which allowed it to spread across the globe. WHO also failed in its mission to control the pandemic early on. US economic production slows and the Dow Jones average drops 20% over two weeks despite an emergency interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve. The price of oil per barrel goes into the negative realm (below $0.01) for the first time ever. Mar. 24, 2020 Lockdown America. In the most unsettling time in US history since the World War II mobilization, rationing and blackouts, America shuts down to counter the deadly and highly contagious COVID-19 pandemic. Stay-at-home orders issued by local health officials and governors “mandate” that people stay at home and nonessential businesses close plus schools and libraries are closed. Workers are laid off or furlowed or ordered to work from home. The Douglas County Health Officer issues a stay-athome order effective March 24 one week in advance of the Kansas governor’s order. Lawrence’s streets are nearly empty of cars for the first two weeks. Local crime goes down substantially (excluding domestic violence). The number of persons in the county jail declines markedly. Local unemployment soars to over 15%, the highest level since the Great Depression. Unemployment benefits rules are relaxed and recipients get an extra $600 per week from federal funds. Nearly all adult Americans receive a $1,200 relief/stimulus payment from the US Treasury. LMH emergency room visits drop by 45% in April and elective surgeries are postponed resulting in millions of dollars in reduced revenues. After a delay of several weeks, the Centers for Disease Control encourages people to wear masks when in public, but many young people (and a significant percentage of Republicans) ignore this recommendation. Social distancing rules which encourage people avoid being closer than six feet to nonfamily members are implemented but ignored by many young people. Hording of some products such as toilet paper is widespread resulting in shortages. KU closes down the Lawrence campus, as classes move online for the rest of the semester. KU projects a $120 million shortfall for FY 2021 �and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences projects a fall enrollment decline of 12 percent. Such a decline would negatively impact local businesses and apartment owners. Haskell Indian Nations Uni. closes its campus early and decides not to reopen in the fall for in-person instruction but to hold classes online. April 10, 2020 The Great Pause. As car and airline travel (and to a lesser degree industrial production) plummet, people observe a carless Los Angeles with blue skies as air pollution simply stops. In the quiet of New York City, people can hear birds chirp in the middle of Madison Avenue. Coyotes are spotted on the Golden Gate Bridge. People with respiratory diseases breathe easier. Fewer people and animals are killed on highways. Rivers and streams are cleaner. Excessive consumerism with its negative environmental impacts declines markedly. With the lack of activities inside and out, local trailheads are full as many people go on walks or bike rides. By fall things return to “normal”. April 13, 2020 50th Anniversary of Revolt in River City. Fifty years ago this week in 1970, Lawrence became the epicenter of nationwide unrest over civil rights and the Vietnam War. Black liberation militants and young White radicals (dubbed "Street People") created a “pre-revolutionary” situation in Lawrence with a virtual guerrilla war. Bands of Black Power activists engage in gun battles with the police. Some Black militants are members of KU’s Black Student Union while others are young townspeople. On April 20, a firebomb fire destroyed part of the Kansas Union causing over $1 million (over $6.6 million in 2020 dollars) in damage. The rumor among activists was that a Black SDS member started the fire. However, a KU janitor was later caught starting fires on campus and sent to Topeka State Hospital. Arson, firebombings, sniping, and bombings were widespread in predominantly Black sections of East and North Lawrence and what the media dubbed "Hippy Haven" near KU. Snipers shot at fire fighters putting out arson fires. Beginning April 21, three nights of emergency curfew were imposed and the Kansas National Guard patrolled the streets (with the police) and arrested 75. A savings and loan was bombed twice as well as a judge's house. April 22, 2020 50th Anniversary of Earth Day. Fifty years ago today the first Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970, in which millions of Americans participated and which paved the way for the Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, Environmental Protection Agency and other landmark legislation. In Lawrence an Environmental Teach-in was held the week of April 22-28. The main event, sponsored by Ecology Action, was held in Hoch Auditorium on April 23. On April 25 Ecology Action sponsored a canoe trip down the Kansas River to observe the water pollution. There was also a fair with live music and picnic in South Park. KU alumnus and author of “The Population Bomb” Paul Ehrlich �spoke on April 28. An Earth Day Open Forum entitled Politics of Ecology was held in the University Theatre with a panel of six KU professors. Although the 20th anniversary in 1990 mobilized 200 million people in 141 countries, lifted the status of environmental issues onto the world stage, gave a huge boost to recycling efforts worldwide and helped pave the way for the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, celebration of the 50th Anniversary was not expected to be nearly as extensive or have much of an impact. Most of those events that were planned were cancelled due to the pandemic, including Lawrence’s annual Earth Day Fair. May 4, 2020 America Gradually Reopens. With improving pandemic metrics (declines in the number of new confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths) in some states, stay-at-home orders and business closures are gradually lifted in phases with some restrictions. Retail shops in Lawrence begin to reopen and some Lawrence restaurants begin to allow customers to dine inside, but some restaurants will never reopen. Douglas County is more cautious in re-opening than most other counties in Kansas despite only having 150 confirmed cases, a handful of hospitalizations and no deaths. Nationally, over 150,000 people die from COVID-19, but without the stay-at-home orders, social distancing and other measures, the death toll could have been several times higher. Despite the mishandling of the federal response to the pandemic by the White House and constant misinformation provided by President Trump, his approval rating remains steady at 41 percent. May 20, 2020 Open Space Study. The County receives a $26,000 grant from Partners for Places matched by the Douglas County Community Foundation for Phase I of an Open Space Study. The county is experiencing multiple pressures directly affecting the landscape of the community and has lost many native prairie and forest tracts and thousands of acres of prime farmland in just the last three decades due land use changes, population growth, and exurban development. The creation of an Open Space Plan will be a game-changer for the community and is expected to expand options for both public and private land owners, which will lead to flood damage control, maintaining rural character, enhancing overall ecological integrity, preservation of history, and ultimately, higher quality of life. Common elements of open space plans include trails, buffers between land uses and waterways, native prairies, wetlands, wildlife habitat, agricultural lands and historic sites. Conservation easements are commonly used to preserve open space. Phase I studies existing data and policies, build a relationships with key stakeholders, and identifies community values and shared vision related to open space. Phase II identifies actions the community can take to fulfill its values and vision. This could include designating target conservation areas, policy changes, changes in organizational �structure, and identifying ongoing funding for implementation. Phase III hosts demonstration projects and implements the plan. Larimer County, Col. (Ft. Collins) has preserved over 43,000 acres using revenues from a ¼ sales tax voters passed in 1995 and renewed in 2005. Some entities use the proceeds from issuing Open Space Bonds approved by voters. Development impact fees are another option. May 20, 2020 Trump Weakens or Rescinds Environmental Rules. According to the New York Times, President Trump has weakened or repealed over 100 environmental regulations and initiatives since taking office including backing out of the Paris Climate Accord and weakening Obama’s Clean Power Program. He also put on hold enforcement of certain environmental laws during the COVID-19 pandemic. These actions undoubtedly negatively impact the environment of the Sunflower State and the people of Kansas and Lawrence. May 31, 2020 Second Great Uprising. An estimated 2,000 protesters dressed in mourning black and wearing masks to protect others from the COVID-19 virus peacefully march from City Hall to South Park opposing ongoing police brutality against persons of color and for justice for George Floyd, a Black man who was killed by a white Minneapolis police officer on May 25. An officer is videotaped pressing his knee on the back of the neck of the Floyd who was handcuffed behind his back and lying face down. The victim told the officer he couldn’t breathe, but the officer continued the pressure for over eight minutes resulting in a fatal heart attack. The entire state national guard is deployed to quell several nights of rioting and looting in the city and nearby St. Paul. In Topeka a crowd of about 500 gathers around the steps of the Kansas Statehouse on May 25 listening to speeches and holding signs such as “Black Lives Matter” and “No Justice, No Peace”. During the two weeks following the death of Floyd, large demonstrations in New York, Houston, Washington, DC, Los Angeles, Tulsa, Kansas City, Wichita, Hutchinson, Mobile, AL, Lincoln, NE, Salina, Garden City, Denver, Salt Lake City and more than 140 other cities range from people peacefully marching and blocking roads to clashing with police. In contrast to the civil unrest after Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in 1968, protesters this time are both black and white. Eventually, more than 20,000 national guard members are called out in 29 states and overnight curfews are imposed. A small number of individuals resort to violence whether out of genuine anger or mere opportunism. The Antifa (Anti-Fascist) movement is initially blamed for a significant amount of the violence and property damage. However, the FBI announces it has no reason to believe it is Antifa. There is some speculation that agents provocateur from �the white supremacist movement or the national security apparatus could be involved. Nationwide, there are more than a dozen deaths associated with the protests, over 10,000 arrested, mostly for curfew violations and refusing to obey orders to disperse. Less than 10 percent are arrested for looting, assaulting law enforcement officers, arson or damaging property. More than 140 journalists are attacked by police either deliberately or not. On June 6 massive demonstrations against racism and police brutality fill some of the nation’s most famous cityscapes including Golden Gate Bridge, Brooklyn Bridge, Michigan Avenue and the National Mall with tens of thousands of people marching peacefully. This is the most widespread civil unrest since after Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in April of 1968 which some historians called The Great Uprising. The reckoning it prompted about race in America extended to workplaces, classrooms, legislatures; it shook the worlds of art, literature and media. Americans began to talk about their own history differently. They physically pulled down Confederate monuments. The protests led to reforms in police practices and criminal justice systems in some states, towns and cities. In Lawrence, it leads to putting the jail expansion proposal on hold (at least temporarily), expanding the powers and composition of the Community Police Review Board and expanding programs to reduce the number of people sent to jail. Also, a Director of Equity and Inclusion is hired. June 3, 2020 New Electric Buses Could Become Solar-Powered. The City announces it has been approved for a federal grant to buy five electric buses. Electric buses are clean, quiet and fun to ride. If they are charged by photovoltaic solar arrays, they emit very little CO2. Adelaide, Australia operates an electric bus called the Tindo which is charged by a solar array. Baldwin now has a one-megawatt solar array built and operated by Evergy. NextEra is planning to open a 500-megawatt solar farm with battery storage between Baldwin and Gardner. Smaller electric buses hold a 440 kWh charge. The City of Lawrence could build a solar array to charge its buses perhaps resulting in having the first solar-powered buses in the Great Plains region. June 15, 2020 Supreme Court Decision Protects Gays and Lesbians. In a surprise decision, the US Supreme Court rules 6-3 that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects gays and lesbians from being fired or not hired due to their sexual orientation. Many Lawrence residents are elated over this as an estimated 6-8 percent of residents are LGBT, the highest percentage in the state. The ruling doesn’t protect LGBT people from discrimation in housing and public accomodations but Lawrence’s Simply Equal ordinance adopted in 1995 does provide this protection. June 22, 2020 Large Shopping Mall Stopped. The planning commission votes unanimosly against rezoning a tract of land south of the South Lawrence Trafficway on �US 59 on which a large shopping mall is proposed to be built. The out-of-town developers propose to build the shopping center just north of the Wakarusa floodplain. Arguments against the project include (1) there is already an oversupply of retail space; (2) it would negatively impact the nearby Baker Wetlands and Wakarusa River; and, (3) the competition from additional corporate chain stores could harm downtown businesses. June 22, 2020 Protest at School District Offices. About 50 vocal protesters gather outside the school district offices demanding more black teachers, approval of a union of para-educators, and removing police officers from schools. Some propose that the police be replaced with unarmed security guards. Para-educators are paid far less than a Living Wage for Lawrence. Fifty years ago in April, 1970, black students were demanding more black teachers. June 27, 2020 Black Lives Matter Encampment. An encampment forms on Mass St. at South Park blocking traffic. Protesters have banners and a blinking yellow sign saying “No Justice, No Peace”. They hold signs like “Defund the Police”, “Black Lives Matter” and “No Jail Expansion”. The protest is led by a coalition of groups headed by Black women demanding that the LPD investigate who hung a banner of a Black man being hanged with the word “Obey” in South Park and defund the police dept. and reallocate the funds to social programs. Perhaps 150 people are in attendance in any one evening. After three days the police attempt to remove the encampment and end up arresting six protesters. The other protesters re-establish the encampment after the police leave and the police decide to let it remain for the time being. The protesters voluntarily end the encampment after five days after Rontarus Washington, a Black man is released from jail where he had spent five years awaiting a final trial for murder of a 19-year-old Latina woman. July 14, 2020 Federal Executions Resume. President Trump ends a 17-year moratorium on executions of offenders convicted of federal capital crimes with the execution of four men after the US Supreme Court refuses to intervene. Also, the Death Row at the Disciplinary Barracks at Ft. Leavenworth now houses four military inmates. The execution chamber utilizes lethal injection. No one has been executed by the military since 1961, but President Trump wants to speed up the process. The El Dorado Correctional Facility holds nine inmates who have been sentenced to death under Kansas law. The Lansing State Prison contains the execution chamber and also uses lethal injection. No one has been executed by the State of Kansas since the US Supreme Court removed its hold on application of the death penalty in 1976. Kansas last carried out an execution in 1965. Because the appeals process is so exhaustive and lengthy, it will be years before any more executions in the state are carried out. �A study published by National Academy of Sciences on April 28, 2014, estimates that 4.1% of those sentenced to death are innocent. So, with 1,516 persons being executed in the US since 1976 when the US Supreme Court ruled that executions could resume, perhaps 62 innocent persons have been executed. Further, due to evolving human values, it can now be asserted that the death penalty is cruel and unusual punishment. Flogging and branding were eventually abolished because they became to be considered inhumane. Inflicting physical pain as a form of punishment is becoming less and less acceptable. However, executions can result in excruciating physical pain. Eventually, the US Supreme Court is likely to rule that capital punishment is contrary to the US Constitution which prohibits “cruel and unusual” punishment. The death penalty doesn’t seem to be a high priority in Lawrence. July 1, 2020 Citizens Advocate for Fewer Arrests. Citizens advocate for the Lawrence Police Dept. and Douglas County Sheriff’s Department to adopt policies that require officers and deputies to issue a “Notice to Appear” to nonviolent misdemeanor offenders instead of arresting them. Then court staff can remind offenders the day before the court hearing with automated texts or phone calls. Of course if the defendant fails to appear, a bench warrant can be issued and served. By reducing the number of arrests, there would be fewer prisoners in jail thereby saving taxpayers money and reducing the need to expand the jail. If George Floyd had been issued a notice to appear for passing one counterfeit bill, he would be alive today. Some citizens are advocating to “de-fund the police” or “fully fund social services”. July 3, 2020 Douglas County Adopts Mask Rule. Governor Kelly issues an order that Kansans are required to wear masks in public places but it lets counties opt out. Unfortunately, 90 out of 105 counties opt out but Douglas County does not and issues its own order. Fines in Douglas County can be up to $2,500 but the health dept. is relying on educational efforts and warnings. Any fines would most likely be $25-$50. Most residents and businesses comply with the order. The metrics later reveal that those counties that didn’t opt out have been more successful in combatting the virus. By September there are 1,500 cases in Douglas County (1/3 still active), over 50 hospitalizations and nine deaths (patients all over 70). July 13, 2020 50th Anniversary of Second Revolt in River City. Fifty years ago this week there was virtual guerrilla warfare in the streets of Lawrence with firebombings, sniping, bombings and arson fires by Black liberation radicals and young White militants. A state of emergency was declared and the governor ordered the Kansas Highway Patrol to patrol the streets. Donald Rick "Tiger" Dowdell, a Black Student Union member, was shot in the back and killed by police officer William Garrett on July 16 after leaving the Afro House, a Black cultural center. Reportedly, Garrett had threatened Dowdell the day �before warning, “I’m going to get you, Dowdell.” The following night after the killing there were at least 12 fire-bombings and a group of 40 armed Black men exchanged gunfire with police and an officer was injured. During a civil disturbance on Oread Ave. on July 20, bystander Harry "Nick" Rice, an 18-year-old white KU student from Leawood, was shot in the back of the neck and killed by police while running away. Reportedly, officer Gale Pinegar bragged for years about killing Rice. Neither Garrett nor Pinegar was held accountable for killing innocent citizens. In Sept. 2020, the City Commission approves historical markers memorializing Rice and Dowdell. Sept. 2020 Memorializing Vinegar Lynching Victims. The City Commission approves an historical marker memorializing three Black men who were lynched from the Kaw River Bridge in 1882 by White vigilantes without due process of law. The men alledgedly robbed and murdered a White man who was found having sex with a 14-year-old Black girl (who was later convicted of homicide and died in prison). One victim was completely innocent. Interestingly enough, several Black men were in the crowd watching the lynching. The Lawrence NAACP chapter is advocating for the marker which is being provided by a national organization. Aug. 4, 2020 Primary Results Stop Jail Expansion. Due to the results of the county commission primary, a majority of commissioners opposed to jail expansion will take office in January. Shannon Portillo (D) and Pam McDermott (R) who are both opposed to jail expansion win their party’s nomination and face off in November. Chief jail expansion cheerleader Nancy Thelman (D) loses by only three votes to Shannon Reid (D), an opponent of jail expansion. Suzanne Valdez wins the district attorney race upsetting Charles Branson who has been in office for 16 years. There are concerns that Valdez, a hardline prosecutor and KU law professor who just switched to the Democratic Party in January, may not continue expanding efforts to reduce the jail population through various reforms belatedly implemented by Branson. Aug. 6, 2020 75th Anniversary of Hiroshima Bombing Remembrance. In memory of the 140,000 killed in the bombing of Hiroshima, Japan in 1945, and the survivors, downtown church bells ring out at 8:15 am which was the time in Japan when the atomic bomb was dropped. A proclamation approved by the City Commission memorializes the victims and honors the survivors and calls for the abolition of nuclear weapons and establishment of an International Peace Center in Lawrence. The event with half a dozen in attendance is organized by Bob Swan who spearheaded many peace initiatives relating to US-Soviet relations, nuclear weapons and war. Aug. 27, 2020 Silent Vigil for Police Violence Victims. About 30 people hold a silent vigil in South Park in solidarity with those killed or wounded by police without just cause. This is in response to police in Kenosha, Wis. shooting an unarmed black man in the �back, thereby paralyzing him. On the third day of consecutive nights of protests in the city, a man from Illinois shoots and kills two protesters. Meanwhile, all summer long there are ongoing Black Lives Matter protests every night in Portland, OR. Some protesters use violent tactics (rock-throwing, Molotov cocktails, firework mortars) against the police and there is looting. The violent protesters could be anarchists. There are complaints that the police are using excessive force to quell the protests. The Black Millennial Movement is part of the BLM. There is a Portland General Defense Committee (a descendant of the In’tl Workers of the World general defense committees). The state police, national guard and federal agents attempt to quell the unrest at different times. During different times there are street battles between ProTrump Far Right extremists like Patriotic Prayer, Q Anon and Proud Boys and left-wing Antifa (Anti-Fascist) radicals (which could include Redneck Revolt which was formed by former Lawrence anarchists) resulting in shooting deaths on both sides. Sept. 1, 2020 QAnon Conspiracy Movement Rises Out of Nat’l Upheaval. In general, QAnon believers assert that President Trump is in the middle of a Biblical war against a “deep state” consisting of a Satanic cabal of baby-eating, child sex-traffickers led by prominent members of the Democratic party (Clintons, Obamas, Pelosi et al), entertainers, select billionaires (Bill Gates, George Soros), Pope Francis, the Dali Lama, and the UN Secretary General, who espouse liberal opinions, anybody who mentions “pizza” and authoritative sources who relay credible information that may cast a negative light on the president. Proponents of this theory believe that one day soon the “storm” will come and Trump, with the help of an anonymous high-ranking military official known as “Q,” will round up members of the deep state, arrest them, and possibly have them executed. Q Anon is a loose digital cult of people that believes it is systematically rooting out the deep state. The FBI declared it in May 2019 a domestic terrorism threat because a few believers have committed acts of violence. Experts correlate the movement with high rates of mental illness, unemployment and criminality. The Q Anon cult is gaining adherents in the Republican Party and more and more members are resorting to violence. They have vowed armed action if the election is “stolen” from Trump. Sept. 5, 2020 Surge in Mail-in Ballots Projected. There is concern that the postal service won’t be able to handle the expected surge in mail-in ballots due to the pandemic and therefore many ballots won’t be counted. This most likely would benefit Republican candidates. President Trump urges people to vote by mail and then in person but this would constitute voter fraud. The Lawrence League of Women Voters tables at the library and other venues registering voters. The County Clerk is installing �special drop-off boxes around town in which voters can safely deposit their mail-in ballots. Sept. 8, 2020 Schools Re-open with Changes. Lawrence schools re-open but the first six weeks are remote learning to lesson the chances of spreading COVID-19. KU re-opened Aug. 24 with a mask requirement (inside/outside) for students, faculty and staff and in order to enter a building everyone has to take a health survey on an app on their cell phone to get a code for the day to enter buildings. KU’s enrollment is down 2.9%. Inperson classes will end before Thanksgiving. Haskell Uni. campus is still closed to the public and all classes are online. Sept. 10, 2020 Plans for Kansas’ Largest Solar Farm Announced. A massive 320 megawatt solar facility west of Gardner in Johnson and Douglas counties (east of Baldwin City) could become a reality if NextEra gets permission from the counties. The company is already acquiring land for the project. It would be combined with 128 megawatts of battery energy storage and connect to a power substation near Gardner which would feed into the greater Kansas City grid. It would provide sufficient electricity to power about 40,000 homes. The City of Lawrence could also build a solar facility on brownfields at the Lawrence VenturePark. Sept. 23, 2020 Jail Expansion Resolution Repealed. Douglas County Commissioners vote unanimously to repeal the resolution authorizing the expansion of the county jail. This is principally due to the primary election results which indicated that the new commissioners taking office in January would cancel the project. The current commissioners had voted for the project in January which would cost $30 million (plus annual operating costs of $2.6 million). As the population of the county increases over time thereby resulting in more criminal offenses being committed, it is likely this will project will be resurrected at some point. Oct. 26, 2020 Trump’s Third Nomination to Supreme Court Ratified. With the Senate ratification of his nomination of Far Right justice Amie Barrett to the US Supreme Court, President Trump cements a 6-3 ultra-conservative, super-majority on the court. This will undoubtedly result in the loss of a number of rights of citizens over the next two or more decades. Plus, many new rights won’t be granted to citizens and the court will nullify or weaken environmental, health and safety, and labor regulations for the benefit of corporations. It is likely that the right to abortion will be overturned. Oct. 22, 2020 Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapons to Go Into Effect. Honduras becomes the 50th nation to ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons which means the treaty will go into effect January 22, 2021. The nine nuclear powers will not comply with the treaty but they can no longer claim that nuclear weapons are legitimate and �can be used to project power in global affairs. It’s possible that the treaty will give impetus for the US and Russia to negotiate another nuclear arms reduction treaty. Nov. 4, 2020 Campground for Homeless Opens. The City opens a campground for homeless people. Twenty tents on platforms are provided along with three trailers with showers, restrooms and laundry facilities. There is a staff person on site 24/7. The goal is to get campers into permanent housing. It is estimated that 130 individuals are sleeping out in Lawrence. The City received a grant from special federal pandemic recovery funds provided by the CARES Act. The City later uses CARES funds to rent 51 rooms at a motel for the homeless but the bill for damage to the rooms runs into the thousands. Nov. 7, 2020 Biden’s Win Triggers Spontaneous Celebrations. After four days of waiting anxiously for mail-in ballots to be counted in battleground states, former Vice President Joe Biden is declared the winner by the Associated Press of the presidential election after winning the electoral votes of Pennsylvania. This results in spontaneous celebrations around the country including downtown Lawrence with people marching down sidewalks, drivers honking, cheering and sign-waving. The election is the most decisive and contentious since 1968 and leaves the nation deeply divided. Nationally, there are skirmishes between pro-Trump and anti-Trump supporters at state capitols. The country comes dangerously close—73,700 votes across three states – to reelecting Trump. Biden receives 306 electoral votes verses Trump’s 234 and 51% of the popular vote compared to 47% for Trump. However, he ends up losing by 74 electoral votes and 7 million popular votes in an election which by nearly all accounts was seen as free and fair. Many are very disappointed that the worst president in US history is not totally repudiated in a landslide. Over 71% of Douglas County voters voted for Biden on Nov. 3 and many residents are relieved that Trump is not re-elected. Trump launches a Quixotic legal campaign to try to overturn the results in battleground states and claims the election was stolen. Many of his supporters agree with this false claim. On January 6 thousands of die-hard Pro-Trump radicals protest in the Capital and then armed supporters storm the Capitol when Congress certifies the election results. There are confrontations with police. The Democrats win back the Senate by tying with the Republicans 50-50 because Vice President Kamala Harris will cast the deciding vote in any tie. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had refused for four years to let his own Republican senators vote on bills passed by the US House because the bills were sponsored by Democrats. Nov. 7, 2020 Slow-moving Coup Attempt. The coup attempt is an elaborate plot developed over months to claim that the votes in the key swing states were fraudulent, for Mike Pence as the presiding officer of the joint session of the Congress to declare on �that basis that the certification of the presidential election on the constitutionally mandated date could not be done, to force that day to pass into a twilight zone of irresolution, for House Republicans to hold the floor brandishing the endless claims of fraud, to move the decision to the safe harbor of the House of Representatives, voting by states, with a majority of 26 controlled by the Republican party, to deny both the popular vote and the electoral college vote to retain Trump in office. Dec. 2020. New Police Headquarters Building Opens. A new $20 million Lawrence Police Department Headquarters building opens. Voters had voted down the original proposal which would have utilized a special sales tax to fund construction but the City Commission went around voters by revising the proposal and using property taxes to build it. The building has a special comforting and soothing area for crime victims. Combining patrol officers with detectives and administrators all at one site could make the force more effective. December 21, 2020. New Pandemic Relief Bill Passes. A second pandemic relief bill finally passes Congress after months of delay and political wrangling. It extends unemployment benefits for 11 weeks with an extra $300 per week federal benefit but only provides $600 to each American. Trump contends the latter amount is too small. So, a few days later the House passes a bill increasing the payment to $2,000 but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refuses to let the Senate vote on it. Sources Lawrence Journal-World University Daily Kansan Topeka Capital Journal Kansas City Star New York Times Blog post by Julio Vincent Gambuto The Intercept Justice Matters News Releases Facebook posts �Personal accounts and observations by Christine Smith, Clark H. Coan � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Selected Chronology of Political Protests and Events in Lawrence, 2001-2020 Subject The topic of the resource Lawrence (Kan.) -- History Protest movements Student movements Civil rights movements Activism Environmentalism Peace movements Description An account of the resource A chronology of national and local political protests and events, with a focus on events that occurred in Lawrence, Kansas, from 2001 to 2020 . Compiled by Clark H. Coan. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Coan, Clark H. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Coan, Clark H. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2023 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smith, Christine Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Copyright, Clark H. Coan Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context ClarkCoan_ChronologyPoliticalProtestsEvents_2001-2020.pdf Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 2001 - 2020