WHAT’S HAPPENING?

On May 20th, the City of Lawrence will vote on Resolution No. 7599. If passed, this resolution will suspend all city policies that contradict “the recent interpretation of federal law” made by the Trump administration.

This is likely an indirect reference to Executive Order 14173, “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity.”

This means that any social justice-related policy could be immediately overturned. This includes Ordinance No. 9999, the ordinance that we wrote and successfully fought for to protect trans residents in 2023.

WHY IT MATTERS

EO 14173, which bans any efforts to address (in)equity in employment, must be contextualized alongside Trump’s other executive orders. It does not just repeal past affirmative action policies. Rather, it provides the means for further attacks on the working class and marginalized populations.

For example, of the 10 anti-trans EOs signed by Trump this year, the very first – EO 14170 – explicitly connects equity in employment with pro-trans workplace policies in the first paragraph.

By immediately submitting to EO 14173, the City of Lawrence will declare that they are willing to let our rights be revoked. They will affirm that it is too inconvenient for them to fight for our humanity.

THEIR STANCE IS WRONG!

Resolution No. 7599 claims it is necessary to repeal the policies to continue receiving funding. It also says that it will continue protecting the rights of Lawrence residents even without those policies in place.

DON’T LET THEM LIE TO YOU!

According to AP News, there have been 204 lawsuits filed against the Trump administration’s executive actions as of May 15.

Of the 130 that have received a ruling, the Trump administration has lost in 63% of those lawsuits.

Lawrence would likely win a lawsuit. But they refuse to take a stance for justice.

THE CITY OF LAWRENCE RESENTS YOU.

When we passed Ordinance No. 9999, you all showed up to multiple meetings and kept the City Commission there for hours.

You forced the City Commission to pass Ordinance No. 9999.

In response, they moved public comment to the end of each meeting to prevent us from ever being able to do something like that again.

And now, they want to suspend our ordinance indefinitely.

Why do we have to fight so hard for basic protections in such a “progressive” city?

Why is that city now so eager to throw away the rights that we spent decades fighting for and winning?

WHAT COMES NEXT

• Public comment can be submitted to ccagendas@lawrenceks.org by noon on May 20th. Let them know how you feel. Demand they pull it from the agenda or vote it down.
• Show up. The meeting starts at 5:45 PM on Tuesday, May 20th. There will be an opportunity for public comment before the vote.
• Fill the room. We need as many people as possible. Bring signs, bring friends, bring whatever you need. Be ready to resist.