Louisville – In a unanimous vote, the Louisville Metro Council has banned the use of “No-Knock” warrants after passing Breonna’s Law, an ordinance which also sets guidelines for the execution of all search warrants by Louisville Metro Police officers and requires active body camera whenever a warrant is served.
Breonna’s Law came about following the death of 26 year-old-Breonna Taylor on March 13th who was killed in her apartment after the execution of a “No-Knock” warrant.
“A few weeks ago, the community began to cry out for justice and change. You spoke, we listened, and tonight we took action to save lives – the lives of our citizens and the lives of our law enforcement officers. Breonna Taylor worked and lived to save lives as a first responder and an Emergency Medical Technician,” said Councilwoman Barbara Sexton Smith (D-4). “Together we passed Breonna’s Law and together we say her name – Breonna Taylor.”
“After listening the people of our community, the Metro Council has approved the first of many steps to needed reforms guaranteeing public safety and preserve the rights of all under the law. Working with all my colleagues, this Ordinance is a bipartisan effort for change. A change I hope will begin to restore the communities trust in law enforcement and elected officials who represents them,” said Councilwoman Jessica Green (D-1), “We must not forget Breonna Taylor. We honor her with this new law and may this law prevent any future tragedies.”
Councilwomen Sexton Smith and Green led the effort for Breonna’s Law following outcries from the community over the benefit of such a warrant used by LMPD officers.
“I am proud of this Metro Council. Our action tonight sets an example for other cities to follow. We will never experience the loss Breonna’s family is dealing with every day. We are with them and at the same time, this council is saying the time has come right a wrong, a wrong of more than 400 years. I am proud that we are first in justice for all,” said President David James (D-6).
Breonna’s Law bans “No-Knock” warrants and now sets procedures for executing all search warrants. To read further statements from Metro Council members, click here.
 LOUISVILLE, Ky. (June 3, 2020) – Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer today announced the city is issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a comprehensive, top-to-bottom review of the Louisville Metro Police Department.
“Louisville Metro Government as a whole is focused on continuous improvement,” the Mayor said. “As we begin a search for a new police chief, this seems like a very good time to review the policies, procedures and structure of our police department to ensure that it aligns with the goals and values of our entire community.”
The review will focus on a number of areas, including training in use of force and bias-free policing, as well as accountability, supervision, community engagement, and other topics, the Chief said, adding that it will also identify any obstacles in implementing changes to improve those areas. Click here for the full announcement.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (June 1, 2020) – Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer announced today that he has fired Louisville Metro Police Chief Steve Conrad.
In addition, the Mayor announced that two Louisville Metro Police Officers who fired their weapons in the Monday morning shooting of David McAtee in an incident at 26th and Broadway have been placed on administrative leave because they either failed to have their body cameras turned on or wear them, which is a violation of police policy – “and an especially grievous error at a time of such heightened focus on police activities.
Mayor urges residents to participate in survey to share their priorities for new LMPD Chief.
https://louisvilleky.gov/news/mayor-urges-residents-participate-survey-share-their-priorities-new-lmpd-chief
To read this release in full, click here.
One Louisville: COVID-19 Response Fund
Now there's an even easier option for applying for the One Louisville: COVID-19 Response Fund.
Eligible households seeking assistance can apply online and submit required documentation via a secure portal.
Income eligible households, with a verifiable loss of income - directly related to the COVID-19 pandemic - and a demonstrated need, may be eligible to receive payment assistance up to $1,000 per household. Funds will be distributed on a first come, first served basis until available funding is expended. See more details at https://Louisvilleky.gov/oneloufund
Share a downloadable flyer by clicking here.
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City seeking to use $42.4 million in CARES dollars for these purposes
LOUISVILLE, KY (June 15, 2020) – Louisville Metro Government has proposed allocating $42.4 million in federal CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, & Economic Security) Act money toward small business assistance and eviction prevention.
“Housing is a basic human right, and we must increase our support for our fellow residents who are housing-unstable to prevent them from becoming homeless,” said Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer. “At the same time, it is critical that we support the small businesses that are the backbone of our local economy, providing much needed jobs and revenue.”
The current rental delinquency rate in Louisville is estimated at between 20 and 30 percent, compared to the average rate of five to 10 percent, according to the Louisville Apartment Association, which represents half of the approximately 121,000 rental units in the city. In late March, Gov. Andy Beshear suspended eviction filings until July 1. As that date approaches, households that cannot afford to pay their rent because of loss or reduction of income, as a result of the pandemic, face possible eviction.
Louisville Metro is proposing to use $21.2 million in CARES dollars to help households who are behind on rent payments as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. That amount would serve at least 6,075 households for three months (with any additional funds proposed for either serving them for more months and/or reaching more households).
For the past three months, Louisville Metro has combated rent delinquencies from a tenant-based approach. To date, the Office of Resilience and Community Services has distributed more than $1.7 million raised through the One Louisville: COVID-19 Response Fund to landlords and/or utility companies on behalf of 2,122 households.
LIHEAP Spring Subsidy
LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) Spring Subsidy provides utility assistance to income eligible households of Jefferson County (within 150% of the federal poverty guidelines).
Residents wishing to apply must schedule an appointment utilizing the automated appointment system. Appointments can be scheduled by phone by calling 502-991-8391 or online here. The toll-free service is available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
The program will operate from now through the end of June 30, 2020, or until funding is depleted, whichever comes first.
Share a downloadable flyer by clicking here.
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June 15, 2020
The latest Louisville Metro Government budget forecasts for the current fiscal year and the fiscal year starting July 1 have improved by about 2.5 percent, meaning that fewer funds will need to be accessed from the Rainy Day Fund, Chief Financial Officer Daniel Frockt announced today.
Frockt cautioned however, that, “The forecast continues to be extremely tenuous, as we’ve seen one fourth of the national workforce file for unemployment and one third of the Kentucky workforce.
While drastic cuts to vital services are not required immediately, Frockt said that without intervention by Congress, the structural budget challenges will lead to difficult decisions about in the current fiscal year. Mayor Fischer has joined mayors from across the country in calling on Congress to provide flexible financial support for local government budgets hobbled by the sudden drop in tax revenue because of the pandemic.
To read in full, click here.
Tina Ward-Pugh (Courier Journal June 14, 2020)
What is a vote worth? Consider this:
• The summer before last, we chose our 100 best-loved novels for PBS’s “The Great American Read” series. How did we do it? We voted. Our votes decided that the “Outlander” series wasn’t the winner — can you believe it? — but instead was No. 2. The winner, which led from day one of the contest, was “To Kill A Mockingbird.”
• After the 2016 elections, a renewed sense of why half the population — women — should be represented at every level of government ushered in more women to an elected office than any other time in U.S. history. How did we do it? We voted, and in record numbers.
• In 2013, Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio became Pope Francis. One-hundred-fifteen men, as defined by Roman Catholic Church policy, made that happen. How did they do it? They voted.
• In 2008, a growing imperative to make our government more reflective of our people helped escort a junior U.S. senator from Illinois into the White House as the first African American president of the United States. How did we do it? We voted — and in record numbers. Barack Obama’s election also paved the way for the appointments of two more females, one of them the first Latinx, Sonia Sotomayor, to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Whether we are choosing our favorite novel, the head of the Roman Catholic Church, to change a nation’s constitution, to have more women in Congress, to have a female U.S. president or to have an African-American U.S. president, we decide by voting. We do it as individuals, as congregants, as groups, as communities, as states, as a nation, and as unified nations.
We live and die by the consequences of our vote, and even by refusing to vote. I haven’t been on the winning side of as many votes as I hoped, but I cast my vote for the book, the idea, the policy, the legislation, and the person whose initiatives I believed would move us forward. That has meant I didn’t always get to vote for the most progressive candidate, for several reasons. But I did get to always choose progress, though sometimes in small increments.
There could be no better time for all of us to stop and take inventory of our right to vote, and nearly equally as important, our responsibility to vote: This a big anniversary year for suffrage milestones in the U.S. It also is a big election year. And responses to COVID-19 have demonstrated how stubborn and how creative officials can be in accommodating voters who still want their voices heard, even in a time of a shelter-in-place pandemic.
To read this opinion piece in full, to review absentee voting instructions or to arrange transport to the voting polls, click here!
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Contributions from One Louisville and James Graham Brown Foundation more than double existing funding for summer opportunities
LOUISVILLE (June 16, 2020) – Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer announced today that the One Louisville: COVID-19 Response Fund and the James Graham Brown Foundation are contributing a combined $1.3 million to provide more summer opportunities for young people ages 16-21 through SummerWorks this season.
The One Louisville: COVID-19 Response Fund, which was started in March 2020 through a coalition of local philanthropic organizations, is contributing $800,000 to the SummerWorks 2020 initiatives, while the James Graham Brown Foundation is adding another $500,000. This more than doubles the $1.1 million SummerWorks had budgeted for this summer.
“The leaders at the One Louisville fund and James Graham Brown Foundation have really stepped up for the youth in our community during this difficult time,” Mayor Fischer said. “Because of their extremely generous and timely gifts, hundreds more young people who are most in need will be able to earn money, get valuable experience, and learn skills that will help prepare them for the future of work.”
The majority of the new $1.3 million will go toward funding 300 new sponsored jobs for youth this summer at a variety of local agencies and nonprofits, along with the 20-25 youths participating in the fellowship. This will take the total number of sponsored jobs to 450 or more, a record high since 2011. Sponsored jobs, which are funded through private donations (as opposed to private sector positions funded by employers), go to Louisville youth in the greatest need of economic opportunity. All of the positions involve at least 30 hours a week of work and will pay at least $10 per hour.
To learn more or to register, go to https://www.summerworks.org/
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The Louisville Metro Senior Nutrition Program, part of the Office of Resilience and Community Services (RCS), rolled out Metro March for Meals on March 17 to provide meals for seniors while the city responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. This program, which has ended, was designed to increase access to nutritional food while reducing the number of contacts with people, and places seniors need to travel for food. More than 83,000 frozen meals were handed out over that three-week period. The OFW reached out to its network and was able to get more than 40,000 bags donated to hand out the meals to seniors!
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With the help of Hosparus Health Louisville and Yew Dell Botanical Gardens, the Louisville Metro Office For Women collected vases to provide fresh flower arrangements for hundreds of people receiving hospice care. They made trips a couple times a week during April and May. This project has now ended.
"This partnership has not only been fun and uplifting, it has also reminded me of how generous and compassionate people throughout our community are," OFW Director Tina Ward-Pugh said. "This is but a small way your local government can stay connected with you and bring hope during these difficult and dangerous times. And while it continues to be my honor to serve in government, I am inspired every day by those who are actually on the front lines serving this community in myriad ways." "I love my community so much."
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As part of our What is a Vote Worth? National Suffrage Centennial, we would like to spotlight the book "Remember the Ladies" by author Angela P. Dodson. Dodson is an accomplished Journalist and Author, who became the first African American woman promoted to be a Senior Editor at The New York Times, a trailblazer herself.
Remember the Ladies provides a glimpse into the fight for women’s right to vote and highlights women’s historical impacts on both political and government platforms.
"Remember the Ladies does not extract women's suffrage from the inseparable concurrent historic endeavors for emancipation, immigration, and temperance. Its robust research documents the intersectionality of women's struggle for the vote in its true context with other progressive efforts." We hope you enjoy!
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News and Upcoming Events:
The world keeps changing, and the League will continue to work to make democracy work in whatever ways are needed in the world after the pandemic. To many of us, the festive celebration of the League’s 100th anniversary in February already seems like a distant memory, a pleasant but hazy moment from another era. Like everyone else, we have been pausing and, out of necessity, putting things off; regular committee meetings and other gatherings have been postponed. But we remain hopeful, especially about two important upcoming events:
The June 22 Annual Meeting. We’re still working out the form and the details, And, with the requirements of social distancing, we will have to be creative about how to compile the Budget Committee and Nominating Committee reports. We need to mail them to members a month in advance.
The November 12 celebration of the Louisville League's 100th anniversary. We have planned a luncheon downtown at the Seelbach hotel, which was the site of early meetings that resulted in the creation of the Louisville and Kentucky Leagues. Our speaker for the celebration is scheduled to be Carolyn Jefferson-Jenkins, a key figure in the national League’s history. She served two terms, from 1998 to 2002, as the League’s first and only African-American president. She is a university professor, a civil rights leader, and author of “The Untold Story of Women of Color in the League of Women Voters.”
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 The year 2020 will mark the 100th anniversary of the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment which gave women the right to vote and the 55th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
The Frazier History Museum, The League of Women Voters, and The Louisville Metro Office for Women will work with more than 100 community partner organizations to coordinate Louisville’s celebration of these two milestones in women’s quest for the vote.
SAVE THE DATES: Women's Equality Day
Women’s Equality Day Author Talk & Book Signing
Carmichael’s Bookstore, 2720 Frankfort Avenue
Friday, August 21 at 8pm
Author Tina Cassidy will be interviewed by journalist Pam Platt, followed by a book signing of Mr. President, How Long Must We Wait? Alice Paul, Woodrow Wilson and the Fight for the Right to Vote. Cassidy writes about women and culture. She is also the author of Birth: The Surprising History of How We Are Born; and Jackie After O: One Remarkable Year When Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Defied Expectations and Rediscovered Her Dreams. Books may be ordered at https://www.carmichaelsbookstore.com/book/9781501177774.
Women’s Equality Day
Saturday, August 22, 9am – noon
Admission is free
SAVE THE DATE! Presented by the Louisville Metro Office for Women, the League of Women Voters Louisville, and the Frazier History Museum a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment and includes presentations and inspiring speakers. Poet and artist Hannah Drake will present an original work, Tina Cassidy, author of “Mr. President, How Long Must We Wait? Alice Paul, Woodrow Wilson and the Fight for the Right to Vote” will offer the keynote address.
The Frazier History Museum’s exhibition “What is a Vote Worth?: Suffrage Then and Now” examines Kentucky’s unique role in the fight for suffrage and places Kentucky’s suffrage movements within the context of the national movement, while exploring the specifics of our state’s particular journey, its stars and its villains, its triumphs and defeats. The exhibition also explores what suffrage looks like today.
The exhibition is now on view through spring of 2021. For hours and more information visit, https://fraziermuseum.org/.
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The opening of BallotBox, a contemporary art exhibit examining past and present voting rights and the intersection of the 19th Amendment, the Voting Rights Act and this big election year has been postponed. The exhibit will run through Dec. 4 at Louisville Metro Hall, 527 W. Jefferson St., Louisville.
The opening day events scheduled for March 12 have been postponed because of coronavirus. The reception will be rescheduled once the public health threat subsides.
Metro Hall is still closed to the public, though you may take a virtual tour of the exhibition, and BallotBox is also on the Virtual Cultural Pass . The 2020 Virtual Cultural Pass offers families in Greater Louisville with children ages 0-21 access to participate in arts and cultural activities provided by nearly 50 venues, free of charge, from June 1 through August 8, 2020. The BallotBox Cultural Pass has questions from the artists in the exhibition that address voting rights, and are designed for ages 9 - 21 (and beyond!).
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Because of concerns about COVID-19, the Muhammad Ali Center is temporarily closed, and the Shine a Light exhibition will resume for the public when it re-opens JULY 1. It runs through end of August at the center.
The Muhammad Ali Center is honored to announce the topic of their seventh annual “Shining a Light” International Photography Contest and subsequent documentary-style exhibition, to celebrate the anniversary of the ratification of the United States’ 19th constitutional amendment. This exhibit, Women’s Fight for the Right, will commemorate the centennial anniversary by honoring the women around the world who have fought and continue to fight for the right to vote without bias, without violence, and without fear. The exhibit will focus on women’s suffrage on a global scale, explore the narrative of suffrage, and reflect on women who have fought, throughout history and all over the world, for the right to use their voices.
https://alicenter.org/temporary-exhibitions/
During this period, all Educational and Public Programming has been suspended. For Education and Programming inquiries, please contact Education@alicenter.org or call 502-992-5341. To reschedule or cancel your School or Group Tour, please email education@alicenter.org
The Ali Center will continue to welcome school groups, tour groups, and motor coach bookings when it is deemed safe to do so. To request a school/group visit, please complete the Group Tours Interest Form through our website:
https://form.jotform.com/62434761294156
You may also contact the Education team at education@alicenter.org or call 502-992-5341.
More information on our Group Visits can be gournd at https://alicenter.org/visit/group-visits/ and School Visits at https://alicenter.org/visit/group-visits/school-trips/
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