Latest news with #DevelopmentalDisabilityAwarenessMonth
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Local group helps secure jobs for people with disabilities
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — March is Developmental Disability Awareness Month and a Portland non-profit is making it their mission to bring more people with disabilities into the workplace. AM Extra was joined by Dr. Jennifer Luebke, head of Relay Resources, to talk about how they help companies create diverse workplaces. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Did mayor violate law by refusing to sign Transgender Day proclamation? Here's what we know
Wichita Mayor Lily Wu's lack of action on a Transgender Day of Visibility proclamation is prompting questions from her predecessor and others about whether she violated city ordinance. Wu refused to read and sign the proclamation at Tuesday night's meeting, duties the mayor traditionally performs while presiding over meetings. Wu did read and sign proclamations at the same meeting for Developmental Disability Awareness Month and Into the Light Day. Wichita issued proclamation for Transgender Day of Visibility; the mayor didn't sign it In a Facebook post Wednesday morning, former Mayor Brandon Whipple questioned whether Wu violated city charter ordinances that outline the duties of the mayor. Whipple lost to Wu in 2023. 'I've had times as Mayor when I had to remind myself that it's not about me, but about our community, the city council and my oath to uphold both city and state laws,' Whipple wrote. 'This means I had to sign documents I voted against so long as it was the will of the council. 'It's not just an ethical obligation, it's also enshrined in our City Charter Ordinance.' The city's charter ordinance explains that the mayor has several duties, including presiding over council meetings and signing all resolutions and proclamations. 'The mayor shall preside at all meetings of the city council, shall sign all resolutions, proclamations, minutes, ordinances, contracts, revenue bonds and other official instruments approved by the city council; provided that, such documents and instruments may be signed in the manner provided in Section 2.04.035,' the charter ordinance reads. The city's legal department would not answer questions from a Wichita Eagle reporter on whether Wu did violate the ordinance, and instead directed the reporter to talk to the mayor or city council. Wu could not be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon. Whipple said Wu did violate the ordinance. 'It's very black and white,' he told The Eagle in an interview. 'I don't think that there is any guessing or legal theory you need on this.' Proud of Wichita: The LGBT Chamber of Commerce, which requested the proclamation, also questioned whether Wu violated her duties as mayor. 'We all witnessed an unnecessary, embarrassing dereliction of duty from Mayor Wu last evening,' a statement from the group said Wednesday. 'It's regrettable the Mayor believes she is entitled to ignore city code and precedent, but it doesn't change the fact that inclusion is smart business.' In a Facebook post following the council meeting, Mayor Wu said people's gender or religious choice is 'none of my business.' 'If a proclamation came in wishing the exact opposite of this one, I wouldn't vote for or read it either,' Wu said in the post. 'I'm not here to virtue signal and I don't stand for hate, of any kind.' Whipple said there's two ways an elected Wichita official can be held accountable for violating city ordinances: filing a recall petition or filing an ethics complaint through the board he created while mayor. 'There are a few different places in our ethics policy, where it talks about discrimination and also talks about duties,' Whipple said. '(It) explicitly talks about, you can't discriminate against people in Wichita, and you can't do so based on religion or political grounds.' In Kansas, 'failure to perform duties prescribed by law' may be grounds for local officials to be recalled and potentially removed from office by voters. Such a move initiated against Wu would require a petition drive with nearly 26,000 signatures by registered voters. A recall puts an elected official back on the ballot for voters to decide whether they should remain in office. Contributing: Chance Swaim of The Eagle
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Wichita issued proclamation for Transgender Day of Visibility; the mayor didn't sign it
Wichita Mayor Lily Wu refused to read a proclamation recognizing Transgender Day of Visibility at the City Council's first evening meeting of the year. Traditionally, the mayor reads and signs proclamations for the city. City code also says the mayor will sign proclamations. Wu did read and sign proclamations at the meeting for Developmental Disability Awareness Month and Into the Light Day. She did not for Transgender Day of Visibility. 'I respect the will of this council and my four colleagues who voted in favor of the first proclamation; council member (Becky) Tuttle, (Brandson) Johnson, (Maggie) Ballard and (Mike) Hoheisel,' Wu said. 'Since this is a first for the city of Wichita, and I know each of you is passionate about this, I'm going to yield the floor to any of you who would like to have the honor of reading the first proclamation.' Council member Maggie Ballard read and signed the proclamation instead. 'You ran on 'All for Wichita', and it's disappointing you're not showing unity today,' Ballard said before reading the proclamation. Abi Boatman, a transgender military veteran, gave an impassioned speech while accepting the proclamation. 'Time will tell your story, and in fact, it already has,' Boatman said while holding up a picture of a Nazi book burning. Dozens of people came to Tuesday's council meeting in support of the proclamation. Some also showed up in opposition. 'Leave our children alone,' a spectator said as Boatman spoke. Boatman was met with a standing ovation in the council chambers. 'Get to know someone before you hate them,' Boatman said in an interview with The Eagle. 'And even then, I don't think we have the right to hate people that aren't hurting or imposing harm on someone.' Proclamations are requested by residents and then issued during council meetings if approved by the council. Council members vote by email on whether to issue proclamations and only need a simple majority to go forward. Council members Tuttle, Johnson, Ballard, and Hoheisel all voted in favor of the proclamation via email, so it moved forward. Speaking with an Eagle reporter after Tuesday night's meeting, the mayor said she'd like to have votes on proclamations be more public, but said she wouldn't have voted in favor of reading the Day of Visibility proclamation. 'Singling out one specific group, I do not believe I would have voted in favor,' Wu said. Transgender Day of Visibility is an annual event on March 31 that celebrates transgender people and raises awareness about transgender discrimination. The Kansas Legislature recently passed a ban for gender-affirming care for minors in Kansas. Upon re-entering the White House this year, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that banned transgender people from serving in the military.
