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Chair: Ginger Blair
Deputy Chair: Kimberly Valdez
Secretary: Carmen McZeal
Treasurer: Natalie Ward
Sergeant At Arms: Marc Meyer
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Click on the Contribute button to help turn Montgomery County Blue!
Please consider becoming a sustaining member at $10 per month (or more!).
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Montgomery County Democratic Headquarters
704 N. Thompson St. #195
Conroe, Texas 77301
936-703-5841
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Montgomery County Democratic Headquarters Hours
Hours of operation: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.
Monday through Friday
Due to the continuing spread of COVID, our policy now is for staff and visitors to comply with social distancing guidelines and masks are optional. To reach us, call MCDP headquarters at 936-703-5841 or email office@mcdptx.org. For urgent matters outside of office hours, please text 713-256-1420 or email chair@mcdptx.org.
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May 1, 2023 Newsletter
Mental Health Awareness Month
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Please note: our newsletters contain a lot of links to make viewing the source easier - just click on images or linked text to explore
IN THIS ISSUE:
May 6, 2023 - Local Elections (Early Voting Continues Until May 2)
Mental Health Awareness
From TDC - Biden Launches 2024 Campaign; Legislation Information
MC Republican Party Infighting
Volunteer to Help Your Precinct
Commissioners' Court Report
4th of July - Parade Planning has Started!
County Non-Profit Spotlight - Meals on Wheels
Democratic Party Events Around the County
School Board Meetings Reports
Legislative Update
Training, Education and Activism Resources for Democrats
Joe and Kamala's Corner (click on an image to open)
Tweets (click on an image to open)
Blue Store - Show Your Commitment to Democracy!
Democratic Party Calendar of Upcoming Events
Other Groups and Community Events
This newsletter is published on or about the 1st and the 15th of every month.
no later than 3 days before publication.
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May 6, 2023, Local Elections
Make a Difference
Make a Plan to VOTE!
Early Voting
Monday, May 1 - Tuesday, May 2, 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Election Day - May 6th
REMEMBER: You may vote at any location during early voting BUT ON ELECTION DAY (MAY 6TH), YOU MUST VOTE AT YOUR ASSIGNED PRECINCT VOTING LOCATION
Confirm you are registered to vote and see your sample ballot
Request a Ballot by Mail
(Applications must be received by Election Central by April 25th)
Check out the video of the new voting machines
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Mental Health Awareness Month has been observed in May in the United States since 1949. The month is observed with media, local events, and film screenings. Mental Health Awareness Month began in the United States in 1949 and was started by the Mental Health America organization.
Mental Health America was established by a person with lived experience Clifford W. Beers. During his stays in public and private institutions, Beers witnessed and was subjected to horrible abuse. From these experiences, Beers set into motion a reform movement that took shape as Mental Health America. Read about the Mental Health Bell—The Symbol of Our Movement.
Our work has resulted in positive change. We have educated millions about mental illnesses and reduced barriers to treatment and services. As a result of Mental Health America's efforts, many Americans with mental disorders have sought care and now enjoy fulfilling, productive lives in their communities.
And if you and someone you know needs help call the
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline:
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Click on Images (including the white box) or Links to Open Full Content and Sign Petition |
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Weekly Talking Points 5/1/23
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Texas Democrats are excited to send National Delegates to the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago!
We welcome all Texas Democrats to give us any feedback on our National Delegates Selection Plan! 🤠
📆Deadline: May 2, 2023 at 6 PM CT
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“Show Me Your Papers” is a horrific and racist concept — and we’re not going to let this unconstitutional, deranged bill become law in Texas. #txlege
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"Enseñame tus papeles" es una propuesta racista y horrorosa – y no dejaremos que esta ley inconstitucional y draconiana sea aprobada aquí en Texas. #txlege
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Two groups claim to be the real Republican Party in Montgomery Co:
Infighting has now led to an HQ move
The split among the Montgomery County Republican Party has resulted in the closing of the party’s long-time headquarters in downtown Conroe. Read more
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Volunteer to Help Your Precinct!
Please contact us to talk about what is involved in being a Precinct Chair or in helping your Precinct Chair. There is a lot of support for Precinct Chairs and that support is getting stronger. You will not be going it alone; but you will make a huge difference in our County, State and Nation.
To talk with someone about how you can help, email office@mcdptx.org or call Headquarters at 936-703-5841.
If you are ready to apply for a Precinct Chair vacancy, please download, print, and complete this application form, and submit it to us by U.S. mail, email as an attachment to office@mcdptx.org, or drop it off in person at 704 N. Thompson St. #195, Conroe, TX 77301. If you have never visited Headquarters, it would be great to meet you!
You may find out whether your Precinct has a Chair and who your Precinct Chair is by going to the Secretary of State website. Or contact us and we'll let you know!
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COMMISSIONERS COURT REPORT
By Ginger Blair, Chair
Two items caught my attention on the April 25th Agenda. One was the approval of a $65,000 study to survey the animal shelter needs of the Montgomery County Animal Shelter located at 8535 Highway 242, just south of Conroe. As a dog person myself, I am always interested in how we care for our furry friends, and I am aware that the Animal Shelter has frequently been in the news over the last several years.
Commissioner Noack objected to the study feeling that the $65,000 amount set aside for the study could better be spent on improvements themselves since according to the Commissioner, "I think we all know [the current building] is a dilapidated, useless facility for an animal shelter," Judge Mark Keough, who has been overseeing the shelter since last September responded that the study was necessary to provide the court with an estimate of square footage needs, floor plans, design, and overall budget amounts for consideration in the next budget cycle. He agreed that there were clearly animal capacity issues, sizing issues, and inadequate areas for disease isolation issues that were already apparent to the court.
All of this comes in the wake of an April 12, 2023, urgent appeal from the current Animal Shelter Director Aaron Johnson, who called for people to adopt or foster because of overcrowding. He said that “We had two cruelty cases that had come up that we had to deal with. The first case that we had was 60 dogs and 53 cats. So, totaling 113 animals. And then the second case we had was 31 dogs and four cats totaling 35 animals.” For more information see http://mcaspets.org
The motion for the $65,000 study carried.
The second item that caught my attention was a resolution accepting the donation of books to the Conroe Memorial Library from County Judge Mark J. Keough, County Attorney B. D. Griffin and District Attorney Brett Ligon. The books are from Brave Publishing Company, a company that publishes “pro-god, pro-American children’s books” and promises, on its website, the “BRAVE will never go woke. We are committed to providing your family books with Biblical and patriotic truth.” https://bravebooks.us/pages/about-us?al_pg_id=1035ca1d-66cb-4891-ac68-e2dd1c836dfd
Thank you gentlemen. We really needed that.
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4th of July Parade
Volunteer Recruitment
Can you believe it's time to start planning for the July 4th parade? MCDP has always had a strong presence at this community parade; and 2023 will be no different!
Please consider working on the July 4th Parade Committee. Reach out to Kim at deputychair@mcdptx.org or 714-600-0545 to get more information and to join the planning fun!
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Every Little Bit Helps
Thanks to Linda Moore and the Mothers Against Greg Abbott, this fine sign stands strong at the New Caney Central Administration Office early voting location for the May 6th election. There is still time for you to contact your legislators to let them know that you too support public education. Go to https://www.txdirectory.com/online/txhouse/ to make your voice heard!
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County Non-Profit Spotlight
Each month in 2023, we will share information about non-profit resources in Montgomery County in hopes that those in need receive assistance and to make everyone aware of the great resources in our county.
This month we feature: Meals on Wheels
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Meals On Wheels Delivers So Much More Than Just A Meal
For 50 Years We Have Been A Personal And Valuable Lifeline For Seniors In Montgomery County
Our services provide peace of mind for seniors and their families, while improving the health and well-being of our community.
- Nourishment: with life-sustaining meals delivered to their door.
- Friendly Visits: so that a senior living by themselves no longer feels alone.
- Wellness Checks - a sense of security for seniors, knowing someone will be by regularly to check on them.
- Transportation - to critical appointments and errands, helping them remain independent.
- AniMeals- helping to care for their furry companions.
- Health and Wellness Needs- providing toiletries, incontinence items, blankets, birthday bags, and helping to find other necessities such as walkers, wheelchairs, microwaves, fans, and etc.
Through the efforts of Meals on Wheels staff and volunteers, over 850 home-bound seniors in Montgomery County are able to remain in their homes where they want to be!
We help them avoid high costs of nursing home care and alleviate the stress of care-giving. Our service provides a hot, nutritious meal, a safety check, and a friendly smile from one of our volunteers.
Seniors are the fastest growing population in Montgomery County. With age, they lose the ability to cook and to drive. Unable to safely perform these tasks, seniors face malnutrition, a loss of independence, and a lack of human connection.
Reach out to Meals on Wheels to find out how you can receive services or help serve others - through donating or volunteering.
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Democratic Party Events Around the County
psst: you're missing a lot of fun if you aren't joining us!!
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Pictured above are (l – R) Carol Stromatt, Glenna Sloan, and Bob Eder
The Working Wednesdays Crew Still Needs Hands
CAN YOU LEND US A HAND?
Last week, the crew sent 39 postcards to the Texas Legislature to urge our representatives to support legislation in keeping with out democratic values.
This week, in addition to the postcard project, our Wednesday volunteers have been texting “Get Out the Vote” messages for the May 6th election and messages in support of our public schools.
Please join us if you can. We have two shifts each Wednesday from 10am to 1pm and 1pm to 4pm, rain or shine, and our tasks are many and varied. 936-703-5841
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Blue Magnolia
Democrats in Magnolia gathered at Yankee Doodle Donuts in historic Magnolia on Thursday April 27th for morning coffee and donuts. As usual, there were lively discussions and a recommitment to democracy!
Join us each month on the 2nd Wednesday at 5 pm or the 4th Thursday at 10 am. Follow us on Facebook or join our private Facebook Group to keep up with what we're doing and where! |
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Democratic Dames
Dining
For Democracy
On April 27th, Democratic Dames met for dinner at Amore's Restaurant in Montgomery. About 25 people attended and all had a great time.
Mike Midler and Laura Jones made presentations about running for office. Laura Jones will once again be running for Representative in Texas District 8. Judy Trosvig was also there with some awesome Blue Texas Store items for sale. Amore's is a beautiful venue and the staff very welcoming.
We hope you can join us next time for a fun time with like-minded folk.
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Candidate Support Committee Meeting
Mike Midler, chair of the Candidate Support Committee, had members of his group together at headquarters recently to talk about the progress the committee is making recruiting candidates and planning for the November upcoming primaries.
(l – r) Ginger Blair, Bea Rouse, Sue Reese, and Mike Midler
This committee includes some very experienced, determined, and hard-working individuals - in addition to Mike, other members are Bea Rouse, Sue Reese, Linda Moore and Chris Powell.
Please join this team if this is your passion, too!
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Final Friday
April 28, 2023
The newly formed Candidate Support Committee presented their work to us at April's Final Friday. In person and Zoom attendance was great and the audience was engaged!
Mike Midler presented information about how the Montgomery Democratic Party is working to recruit and support candidates for all offices. The goal is to have qualified and committed candidates run for all races in 2024 and 2026.
We believe it is time that Montgomery County voters have choices on their ballots!
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Women of Montgomery County
Democratic Party
April 30, 2023
WoMCDP had our monthly social on Sunday April 30. We had a wonderful turnout where we enjoyed delicious food, great companionship, and an engaging presentation by Gala Korolyk regarding the current, heartbreaking situation in war torn Ukraine.
Gala gave us names of two men on the ground doing inspiring work to help Ukrainians get the necessaries no longer available for them to buy! Search Facebook for RUSLAN GOROVYI and ROMIO ROMIO and see how you might directly help if you are so inclined.
We truly hope you had a great month giving back to the community playing Volunteer Bingo! If you worked on a Bingo Card, please share a picture of your card and a reflection on your month to the WoMCDP Facebook Community. We’d love to celebrate you!
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School Board Meeting Reports
As you may have heard we are recruiting volunteers to attend Montgomery County school board meetings to provide support of Boards that are fighting for our public schools' very existence and to report on items of interest.
Did you know there are nine ISDs in Montgomery County? They are Cleveland, Conroe, New Caney, Magnolia, Montgomery, Richards, Splendora, Tomball, and Willis. Would you consider attending meetings? If so, CLICK HERE to complete the form and Stephanie will reach out to you. To read an article about how our school district leaders feel about the vouchers being considered by our State Legislators READ THIS. |
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Conroe ISD Report
There were seven police officers in attendance at this meeting held on April 18th. The audience was very large with standing room only. Twenty-four individuals spoke, two of which were students. There was a lot of passion but no hysterics.
The topics most addressed were book banning and bullying/violence. About 75% of the speakers opposed book banning.
Some parents were moved to tears during discussions about bullying. It seemed there is a good policy against bullying in place but there is lax enforcement and inadequate security resources.
Thanks to Christie Moran for attending and reporting!
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Legislative Update!
Meet Fritz Houston
MCDP Intern
Fritz has become a valuable member of the MCDP Team and regularly will be contributing to our newsletter about happenings in the Texas Legislature.
While some legislation slowly moves through the pipeline, others are finally spilling out onto the floor as the House or Senate votes for them. The past two weeks have given us some new bills that are flowing into the next chambers on their way to becoming bills to further drag down the Texas citizenry.
Before I address the recently passed bills let’s address how scheduling works for these bills. First, the schedule is as fluid and loose as the Speaker of the House desires it to be. If the Speaker needs more votes, push it back a bit. If the Speaker has the needed votes, push the legislation up a couple weeks and vote for it before any representatives get cold feet. Basically, this, plus the lack of a published schedule that’s more than a week in advance, makes it hard to say when voting is scheduled and even harder to predict it. If you wish to contact your Representatives or Senators, its best to do it now or as soon as possible. If you wish to testify at the House or Senate, you can follow bills and learn the date of public hearings at Texas Legislature Online.
The first bill I’d like to address is HB900 which would prevent certain books from being placed into school libraries based on a rating system. While at first, having ratings for books wouldn’t seem that bad if it weren’t for the criteria for those labeled explicit. A book that would be not allowed would be anything labeled ‘patently offensive’ or ‘sexually relevant.’ As defined by the bill, these categories would be broad enough for school boards to more easily ban books from libraries and prevent students from reading them at school. This will directly target the LGBTQ+ community by limiting their representation and would directly place a wall between children who want to learn and the source material to learn. This has passed the House and is moving to the Senate.
Another bill, a little more on the absurd side, is SB1515. This bill would require that every classroom have the Ten Commandments displayed. By the same author of the ‘In God We Trust’ bill, this sequel was not widely anticipated. This bill likely only exists to create a Supreme Court case that questions church in school. With the conservative Supreme Court this is possible to not be overturned and to pave the way for more Christian elements into secular education. This has passed the Senate and is moving to the House.
In another move to attack the autonomy of progressive cities in Texas, SB990 wishes to remove countywide voting centers. While Montgomery County doesn’t have countywide voting, over 100 counties in Texas do, and this greatly increases voting in those counties. The author of this bill claims that it would decrease voter fraud, but this claim is completely baseless. All this bill would do is decrease voter turnout and help Texas stay red. This has passed the Senate and is moving to the House.
Legislation moves slowly and if we’re lucky it’ll be so slow that these bills die before the May 29th end date of the Legislature. But we citizens are placed in the hands of the Texas Speaker of the House and Lieutenant Governor to make the schedules and vote on these bills. If we’re lucky. we can still oppose them if they do come to vote. Many of our Montgomery County Representatives and Senators can still be convinced so I encourage y’all to write to or call your local Representative or Senator in hopes that we can convince them.
Fritz Houston
MCDP Intern
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Training, Education and Activism Resources
Sign up now!!
Mothers Against Greg Abbott: REMINDER: Join Mothers Against Greg Abbott this coming Thursday May 4th at the Texas Capitol from 9 am - 4 pm to lobby for Texas families on the topics that are most important to all of us. To RSVP click here
Wealth and Poverty Class 3 and Class 4 - A unique opportunity to sit in on a class at UC Berkeley by Robert Rei ch, an American professor, author, lawyer, and political commentator.
The Campaign for Our Shared Future fights for equitable, anti-racist programs, practices, and policies that sustain schools and ensure opportunity for every child and a brighter future for us all. There are great talking points provided on this website.
Red Wine and Blue - Red Wine & Blue provides everything women need to successfully organize in their communities and beyond.
The States Project - We fuel majority-making campaigns for state lawmakers who will defend our democracy, safeguard our individual freedoms and improve lives.
Texas Freedom Network - The 2023 Texas Legislative Session is here! Join us in letting our state’s leadership know that we will continue fighting for our freedoms today, tomorrow, and forever. Click here to get in the fight!
National Democratic Training Committee (NDTC) has virtual training opportunities for all Democrats. Go to https://traindemocrats.org/events/ to sign up for any of their trainings.
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JOE and KAMALA'S CORNER !
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Lots of new and great items to show your commitment to Democracy and support MCDPTX!
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Event Calendar - For more details, click on the image and follow link to the MCDPTX.org website; click on the date to view event.
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Other Groups & Community Events: |
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The Woodlands Pride is excited to present its inaugural summit, Talking with Pride, on June 10th, 2023. During the Summit, you will hear from various speakers and panels discussing mental health, small business, advocacy, and more pertaining to the LGBTQ+ community.
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DEMOCRATIC CLUB OF THE WOODLANDS
Wednesday, May 17, 2023
6:30 – 8pm CST
Thank you for your continued advocacy and support to our Democratic values. There are many ways — big and small — that you can support your community and our local Democratic Club. Come to the upcoming meetings to find ways you can get involved. We are meeting on: Wednesday, March 29th Wednesday, April 19th Wednesday, May 17th These meetings will be held at the South County Community Center starting at 6:30pm.https://www.mobilize.us/hcdp/event/556405/
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Democrats and Progressives of Montgomery County
Wednesday Evening Meetup
TBD 6:00 pm
3091 College Park Dr #290 · The Woodlands, TX
Morning Breakfast MEETUP
Saturday, May 13, 9:00 am
Start the New Year right - with friends and breakfast!
11133 Interstate 45 S · Conroe, TX
Hosted by Karen Cavanagh
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Paid for by the Montgomery County Texas Democratic Party, www.mcdptx.org. This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee. |
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