Week of 02/25/2024

Thursday, February 29 – 7:00pm – 10:00pm
Capital Pride Reveal
https://facebook.com/events/s/capital-pride-reveal/356506567296424

Friday, March 1 – 12:00PM
NetWork NoVA’s Power Lunch!
RSVP Here

Now 
Sign Up for Arlington Blue Families’ Postcard Writing Machine!
Arlington Blue Families wrote 5000 postcards to help Tom Suozzi win the New York 3rd District special election, and now we’re turning to states that are going to be crucial in November.  We’re starting off with Reclaim Our Vote postcards to get minority voters fired up for the Georgia primaries. Sign up here!

Tuesday, March 5th, 7:00pm
Winning Pennsylvania Up and Down the Ballot
Join NOPE for their 2024 kickoff meeting and hear from guest speakers Senator Bob Casey and One PA Executive Director Steve Paul. More Info and RSVP Here

March 6 – April 6
Join or Host Letter Writing Event for Battleground States
Increase voter turnout through writing letters to voters! Vote Forward is kicking off their 2024 letter writing campaigns on March 6th, starting with campaigns in eight presidential battleground states. We’ll start writing letters now and mail them in October, a proven way for early action to make a big difference this fall.
• Host a letter writing event, or add letter writing to your group’s next meeting: Follow the steps in this host guide and post your event on Mobilize. Events hosted during Swing Left and Vote Forward’s Week of Action March 11th-17th will receive additional promotion, a great opportunity to engage new volunteers with your group!
• Join a letter writing event: Meet other volunteers and take action together at a virtual or in-person event. 
• Write letters on your own any time: Create an account at votefwd.org/swingleft to get ready to start writing letters!

Wednesday, March 6th, 7:30pm
Fundraiser for North Carolina Voter Registration (on Zoom)
Keynote speaker former Massachusetts Governor Duval Patrick.
President Biden lost North Carolina in 2020 by 1.3%. It was his closest loss. According to Moody’s Analytics North Carolina is one of the 5 states which will be decided by less than 1%. Simon Rosenburg has described NC as: “[T]he most important expansion state in the [2024] battleground, and a place where our work can really make a difference.” NC has a state Supreme Court race and the most important Governor’s race in the country as well as 16 Electoral College votes. Money raised will go to the 501c(3) arm of two Black-led organizations that concentrate on registering BIPOC and young voters. They don’t just register the voters, they follow up with them multiple times. One of the groups, Action for the Climate Emergency (ACE), also works to turn the people they reach into activists. DONATE TO REGISTER HERE.

TAKE ACTION!

VADEMS – Voter Protection Volunteers Needed!
Thinking of getting involved in the 2024 Elections? Being a Poll Observer is a very important part of our Free and Fair Elections. Additionally, there are in person and remote opportunities to volunteer for. To get started, please fill out the Virginia Dems (VADEMS) Voter Protection Interest Form Here. Questions? Please contact Kathleen Murray: [email protected]

Spanish Speakers Needed!
Are you fluent in Spanish and able to make some phone calls? Spanish speakers are needed to call Pennsylvania voters!  PA is the most critical swing state to elect Biden and is essential to Democrats holding the Senate.  VoPro Pros is in urgent need of fluent Spanish speakers to call PA voters who have voter ID and registration problems. Training is provided.  Please email Melanie Galloway at [email protected] if you can volunteer.

Phonebanking to Recruit Volunteers in North Carolina – SwingBlue Alliance
The strategy here is to call strong Democrats and invite them to social events to meet at area get-togethers.  These are easy calls and the recipients often thank callers for calling them.  Eventually after people appear at several meetups, people are asked to volunteer and/or donate.  This strategy was wildly successful in 2023. This project is recurring every other Sunday, from 6 pm until 8 pm:
More Info HERE.

Current Calls to Action!

GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION
HB939 Prohibit firearms within 100 ft of polling place
Full Senate
CTA: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/hb939-full-senate/

JUSTICE REFORM
Senator Salim’s SB334 is being heard in the full House of Delegates on Wednesday. This is the last chance to get this legislation to the Governor’s desk. Take action right away to ask House members to Ban Fourth Amendment Plea Bargain Waivers. CTA: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/sb334-full-house/

HUMAN RIGHTS
HB 994 is the Virginia Bill to End Child Marriage
Senate Courts of Justice Committee 
CTA: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/hb-994-full-senate
Testify/Show Support: Wednesday, February 28, 2024 at 1:30pm (or 30 minutes after the Senate Floor Adjourns). Where: Virginia General Assembly Building (aka “The GAB”), 201 N Ninth Street, Richmond, VA 23219. Room: Senate Room A, Room #305, Third Floor. Lisa has ordered ivory scarfs for everyone to wear in the room as a show of force and solidarity. Folks interested in participating are free to email Lisa: [email protected]
• Repost: Tweet/X Post –  https://x.com/VANOWChapter/status/1761467945543160198?s=20 –
• Repost: Instagram Post – https://www.instagram.com/p/C3vk00TOQj0/?igsh=MXR4MmEzNHY5cHBlMw==

EDUCATION
HB187 Increase Teacher Salaries
Full Senate Scheduled for second reading
CTA: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/hb187-full-senate

SB104 Raise Teacher Salaries
Full House – Scheduled for third reading and vote
CTA: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/sb104-full-house/

SB105 Establish At-Risk Program
Full House – Scheduled for third reading and vote
CTA: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/sb105-full-house/

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
For Black History month, Roanoke City continues on their path of systemic racism by the Roanoke City Council voting 4-3 to approve the Evans Spring “Master Plan” but the slim majority requires a second reading and vote on March 4. Help Environmental Justice activists to flip a vote to defeat this injustice. The consultants the city hired didn’t include crucial information in their report such as climate risk and how the negative consequences of increasing the heat island effect and flooding could harm the surrounding predominantly Black neighborhoods. It also didn’t include Virginia identifying this area as a Conservation Priority and part of the Wildlife Action Plan. Learn more here.
• CTA1 – Use this easy portal to send an email to the members of Roanoke City Council.
• CTA2 – Sign this petition opposing the Evans Spring Master Plan.
• CTA3 – Encourage others to take action to save the Black neighborhoods surrounding Evans Spring by sharing this social media post. and this Thursday’s virtual press conference where people can learn how they can help prevent injustice.

WORKERS AND FAMILIES
SB373 Family & Medical Leave
Full House
CTA: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/sb373-full-house/

CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM
Our General Assembly has killed, in untransparent ways, every single campaign finance bill this session. Let’s get the one bill still standing across the finish line. On Friday, Senator Boysko’s bill (SB377) restricting personal use of campaign funds was passed out of P&E unanimously but then sent to appropriations, where like Marcus Simon’s companion bill, it will die WITHOUT A VOTE!
CTA – Click here to say “Heck No, this bill needs a vote on the floor”. Or call Speaker Don Scott (804-698-1088) and Delegate Torian (804-698-1024) and tell them this bill needs a vote. Questions: [email protected]

You can find all of the active CTAs here.