Keeping Members Better Informed, Better Connected, and More Politically Effective
|
|
March Newsletter - Volume 8, Issue 4
In This Issue
Civil Rights Leader Kristen Clarke Enlightens Audience at February Luncheon
Advocacy Committee Report
WDC Annapolis Day First Person Account
Education Committee Report
Membership and Outreach Committee Report
Register for March 22 County Executive Democratic Forum
Register for March 24 Rally with Congressman Jamie Raskin
Register for April 10 Dinner with Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh
WDC Resources | Save the Date
|
|
By Fran Rothstein
What an exciting time to be a Democrat in Montgomery County! A record number of candidates are running for offices up and down the ballot – certainly a response to November 2016’s national election, but also a testament to our incredible civic activism, and the way in which public financing opens up opportunities.
As you know, the primary is June 26. Many of you have been volunteering for your candidate(s) of choice for many months; for those who haven’t, I urge you to get involved today. The first element of WDC’s mission, which dates back to our founding 60 years ago, is to elect Democrats. WDC members have been the backbone of candidate volunteer forces for decades, so you are following in a grand tradition.
As background for newer members: Our bylaws prohibit the Club and its president from publicly supporting or contributing to any candidate in a contested Democratic primary. What that means is that, as president, I’m stuck on the sidelines – but YOU aren’t. Look around, read the political blogs, attend a few Meet & Greets, attend the
WDC Candidate Forums
, and get on board with a campaign or two. Or three. You can find candidate forums and Meet & Greet opportunities
here
. Voting is a civic responsibility, but volunteering in a campaign has a big payoff too – it’s a high impact way to affect our future, and it’s lots of fun.
Other volunteer opportunities abound, as noted elsewhere in this newsletter. We are a completely volunteer-run Club. Although our wonderful Board and current committee members work incredibly hard, we need your help. Hundreds of WDC members have yet to join a committee – if you would like to do that, please fill out our volunteer form
here
.
Your Party needs your help too. With a Republican governor in power, Republicans dominate the County Board of Elections. Quick action by WDC members and other citizens derailed last month’s Board of Elections proposal that would have drastically reduced funds for outreach to African Americans, non-native English speakers, and other communities, but we must remain vigilant in the fight against voter suppression. Marc Hoffman chairs the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee’s voter protection efforts
.
They especially need individuals with legal training to help in their voter protection efforts. To help sign up
here .
I know I’m asking a lot of our members. But this is a pivotal election. We need a Democrat in the Governor’s Mansion. Maryland’s governor has more budgetary power than any other governor in the nation. Our lawmakers – wonderful though many of them are – play only a limited role in the budgeting process, and state policy is determined by the state budget. So, when you hear someone say “Oh, yeah, I’m a Democrat, but I voted for Hogan, he’s such a nice guy, and I’ll probably do it again,” please remind that person that a vote for Hogan is a vote against the principles on which our Democratic lawmakers base their work.
I’ll leave you with words of wisdom from Queen Victoria: "We are not interested in the possibilities of defeat." So, WDC members, let's get busy and win!
|
|
Civil Rights Leader Kristen Clarke Enlightens Audience at February Luncheon
|
|
By Millie Kahn*
Kristen Clarke, President and Executive Director of the National Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (Lawyers’ Committee), delivered a thought-provoking address at the well-attended February 28 WDC luncheon celebrating Black History Month, held at the Pooks Hill Marriott.
Ms. Clarke has devoted her career to protecting the very rights that are now under attack in our country. Her background includes fighting against voter suppression, police brutality, hate crimes, and human trafficking, as well as working to strengthen our democracy by combating discrimination faced by African Americans and other groups. Before leading the Lawyers’ Committee (
https://lawyerscommittee.org
), she worked on civil rights and voting rights for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, and for New York State and the US Department of Justice.
Ms. Clarke’s talk was lively and inspiring. She began by informing the audience that 2018 was the 55th anniversary of the Lawyers’ Committee, founded in 1963 at the behest of President John F. Kennedy, and that these types of organizations help make our country truly great. In addition to its advocacy work, the Lawyers’ Committee has a multitude of lawyers around the country helping victims of discrimination. She also stressed the importance of local activism, as well as the recruitment of young people to become involved in crucial civil rights issues, especially in a time when our country is facing a constitutional crisis with current executive power abuses and political obstruction.
Vigilance is also of extreme importance. Many of us are easily distracted by the big political stories of the day—some important, others petty--while throughout the country laws that were originally passed specifically to protect people’s rights are under attack. Many of these rights are being weakened or abolished.
Decades of progress are being reversed. Some examples:
- Judicial vacancies are being filled at an alarmingly rapid rate, without the time-honored custom of “blue slips.” (In the Senate, a blue slip is an opinion written by a Senator from the state where a federal judicial nominee resides. Both senators from a nominee's state are sent blue slips on which they may submit a favorable or unfavorable opinion of a nominee.) The individuals filling these vacancies tend to be white males of a conservative political ideology.
- The current administration is also rolling back many criminal justice reforms. Both parties had begun addressing mass incarceration policies, which affect mostly minorities and result in all kinds of barriers, including the ability to find work and access higher education. No more—these policies are now part of the current administration’s push for “law and order.” Ms. Clarke touched upon the federal reinvigoration of public-private prisons and renewed access by municipal police to military surplus equipment. She spoke about the criminalization of poverty, adding that debtors’ prisons are a reversal of justice.
- The current administration fails to honor the growing diversity of our country. In some areas, for example, transgender people are not even considered “people.”
Voting problems abound. In the last election, numerous states had trouble with citizens voting, whether through new restriction laws, confusion, or even voter intimidation. In the 2016 presidential election, Texas, under a law created in 2011, required most citizens to show one of a handful of types of identification before their ballots could be counted: a state driver's license or ID card, a U.S. passport, a military ID card, or a U.S citizenship certificate with a photo. A college ID was not considered a valid form of identification, but a “concealed carry” handgun license was acceptable. The law was later found to have violated the Voting Rights Act. Many other states have attempted to disenfranchise minorities. For instance, North Carolina has no same-day registration. Difficulties in voting also occurred in Virginia and Ohio. Ms. Clarke recommended remedies to mitigate voter suppression such as early voting and pre-registration, especially for 17-year-olds who may be eligible to vote by the next election day.
Although some of our current problems in civil rights violations must be litigated, it is necessary that we, as citizens, educate ourselves about the issues involved and pressure our governments, national and local, to advance civil rights issues. One way is to write or call our members of Congress, whose information can be found easily in the “Congressional Record”
(
https://goo.gl/hpKYGL
).
Ms. Clarke’s informative, rousing talk was met with great enthusiasm, sparking a reinvigoration of hope and a desire to continue the fight for a better United States. Her talk was followed a question-and-answer session covering a variety of issues, including the Lawyers’ Committee’s lawsuit to remedy historic disparities at Maryland’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
View more Images from this event
here.
*Carole Leahy contributed to this article.
|
|
Advocacy Committee Report
|
|
By Ginger Macomber
Wednesday February 28, was WDC Advocacy Day in Annapolis, hosted by Advocacy Committee co-chairs Emily Shetty and Ginger Macomber. We had a really engaged cadre of attendees, including a few Board members, and a very full schedule.
Participants attended the morning session of the Women Legislators’ Caucus and were welcomed by Caucus President, MoCo Delegate Arianna Kelly. Alice Wilkerson, a Public Policy Partners advocate and former Chief of Staff to State Senator Jamie Raskin, gave us tips in advocating for WDC priorities. Afterwards, participants visited the House and Senate galleries where they had the opportunity to observe the State legislature at work, and next met with their MoCo Delegates and Senators for scheduled meetings. During lunch we hosted a number of our MoCo State legislators who alerted us to what they were hoping to accomplish during the 2018 legislative session. The day ended with an opportunity to attend a Committee Bill Hearing and a wrap-up session. It was Gun Control Day so several members had the unique experience of hearing our legislators face off against an NRA lobbyist about a bill to prohibit rapid-fire trigger activators. For a first-person account of our day from Laura Stewart, one of our attendees, click
here
.
Thank you to all who came to advocate for WDC’s priority State legislation. We hope to see more of you next year.
The three-month legislative session will end on April 9, and the Advocacy Committee has been very busy identifying bills that meet WDC’s legislative
priorities
and submitting supporting testimony. Twenty-three bills were identified, many of which had both Senate and House versions, resulting in 40 submissions to the bill sponsors for inclusion in the Committee Hearing packets. If you have not already done so, sign up for WDC’s Advocacy Alert Team
here
and take action when you get an alert! Our legislators take notice when we contact them! (For an example, click
here
for Del. Pam Queen’s appreciation of WDC’s support for her bill.)
|
|
Education Committee Report
|
|
By Martha Morris
The committee met on February 20 at Mindy Farber’s home. The next activity will focus on how to help women seeking jobs, and will feature County resources than can assist them with job training, transportation, and child care. Speakers from several Montgomery County-based non-profits are under consideration. The next committee meeting will be in early April. Please contact Education Committee co-chairs Diana Conway at
dconway@erols.com
or Brenda Wolff at
Brenda.wolff@gmail.com
if you have speaker recommendations or if you would like to join the committee. New members are always welcome.
In addition, committee member Lucy Freeman is working with docents at the African-American Museum of History and Culture to arrange a Fall 2018 presentation focused on the women who are showcased at the Museum.
|
|
Membership and Outreach Committee Report
|
|
By Enid Light
The Woman's Democratic Club of Montgomery County held its monthly happy hour at Trapezaria Mediterranean Kuzina in Rockville, Maryland on Thursday, March 15. .
This large gathering of Democrats was excited to be celebrating the “Blue Wave” that helped elect Conor Lamb to Congress in Pennsylvania's special election on March 13. . Many WDC members, such as Carol Shulman, who was on hand to celebrate, canvassed and did phone banking for Conor Lamb through the WDC PACE (
Political Action and Civic Engagement
) Committee. PACE is led by Co-Chairs Barbara Brem Nouveau and Nancy Walker. WDC President Fran Rothstein and WDC Board Members Brenda Wolff and Enid Light are pictured with our own "Conor Lamb."
Our happy hour included a celebratory “Blue Wave of Chocolate.” The four new members who joined during Happy Hour each received special chocolate lambs in honor of the newest congressional Democrat.
WDC Happy Hours are always fun and informative. They are the perfect opportunity for networking, meeting with friends, candidates, and elected officials, and getting to know new people. So, if you missed the WDC March Happy Hour please be sure to join us in April. Details forthcoming on the WDC Facebook page and in weekly updates.
|
|
March 22: County Executive Candidates Forum
|
|
Date: Thursday, March 22
Time: 7:00-9:00 PM
Where: Silver Spring Civic Center, 1 Veterans Place, Silver Spring
Register for WDC’s County Executive Democratic Candidates Forum today—capacity is limited. Heads up: WDC’s Gubernatorial Forum is April 24; registration will begin the first week in April. If you’d like to volunteer April 24 email Lynn Olson
(
rlynnolson@verizon.net
)
|
|
March 24 : Breakfast Kickoff Rally Prior to "March for Our Lives" to End Gun Violence
|
|
Join Congressman Jamie Raskin at a breakfast kickoff rally before the March For Our Lives, with bus transportation to the March. (Buses are one-way only; returning marchers should return on their own.)
When: Saturday, March 24, 9 a.m.
Why: To end gun violence in schools and communities
The rally program includes high school student leaders and activists, high school student a capella singing groups, North Carolina’s “Moral Mondays” leader Rev. William Barber II, Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh, and successful Supreme Court plaintiff for student Vietnam War protests Mary Beth Tinker. For details read Congressman Raskin's email
here
.
WDC is a contributing supporter of Congressman's Raskin's Breakfast Kickoff Rally and bus transportation to the DC March For Our Lives. We need volunteers from 8:30-10:30 am. Contact Laura Forman (
lgforman@gmail.com )
to help with the rally and buses. Click here (
https://dothemostgoodmoco.org/715-2/
) to help with on-site voter registration.
Only those who sign up are guaranteed seats on the buses.
|
|
April 10: Dinner with Brian Frosh
|
|
|
Join Us for an Evening with Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh
Date: Tuesday, April 10
Time: 6:30-8:30 PM
Where: Normandie Farm
10710 Falls Road,Potomac
|
Registe
r
online
or pay by check. Please mail your check ($33 for members or $40 for non-members) made out to WDC to Sybil Cantor, WDC Treasurer, 8524 Atwell Road, Potomac MD 20854.
Checks must be received three days before the event.
- Cash Bar 6:30-7:00 PM
- Buffet Dinner
- Speech and Q&A
|
|
Additional Event Calendars
|
|
|
WNDC offers WDC members a discount on speaker events and parking; use promotion code WDC2017 when you register.
|
|
WDC Resources | Save the Date
|
|
Click Here:
Learn about the candidates and find campaign events near you.
|
|
Save the Date
: Thursday, September 13, 6:30 PM
WDC Honors County Executive Ike Leggett at Pooks Hill Marriott
|
|
Here's what you can do to increase voter turnout in the primary, and help elect a Democratic governor in November.
|
|
|
Thank You For Your Support!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|