Weekly Recap: Labor Council, Free Upcoming Trainings, Town Hall Meetings…
First Quarterly Labor Council Meeting of the Year
The DPVA held its first Quarterly Labor Council meeting yesterday at the United Steelworkers Local 8888 Union Hall in Newport News. Labor Council meetings are opportunities for labor leaders and local representatives to build relationships with federal, state, and local elected officials from around Virginia. Yesterday’s meeting included a substantive discussion about the political power of organized labor and how to effectively advocate for change at all levels of government.
We would like to thank Delegate Jeion Ward, Delegate Marcia Price, Mayor McKinley Price, and Mohona Chowdhury from Rep. Luria’s team for attending, and Doris Crouse-Mays from the Virginia CFL-CIO for helping organize the Labor Council and Charles Spivey from USW Local 8888 for hosting us this quarter!
Save the Date: 2019 Blue Commonwealth Gala
Hosted by the Democratic Party of Virginia, the Blue Commonwealth Gala is Virginia’s premier gathering of elected officials, candidates, community activists, and Democratic Party leaders. With over 1,500 attendees and major national speakers, this annual event celebrates the successes of Virginia Democrats and highlights the work still to be accomplished. Held in the historic Main Street Station in downtown Richmond, funds raised at this iconic event help to ensure the Democratic Party and its candidates have the resources needed to win in November and beyond. We invite you to join us at this annual gathering to meet your fellow Democrats and future leaders of Virginia!
DETAILS: Click here for tickets and details!
Your sponsorship or ticket purchase will support efforts to flip the General Assembly in November!
QUESTIONS?
Please contact Justin Jones at justin@vademocrats.org (925) 895–4449.
DPVA’s 2019 Pat Jennings Training in Blacksburg Registration is OPEN!
Are you interested in running for local office? Do you want to attend a *FREE* day-long training in Blacksburg on April 6 to learn about communications, field, digital organizing, and VAN from the DPVA and NDTC? Then look no further! This is an amazing, and cost free opportunity, for people who are interested in running for office to learn about the many different facets of a strong campaign.
What: DPVA Pat Jennings Project Training with the NDTC
When: April 6th, 2019 — All Day
Where: Virginia Tech
Hahn Hall North — Room 130
900 West Campus Drive, Blacksburg, VA 24601
Click here to sign up for the Pat Jennings Project Training
FREE: MobilizeAmerica Event and Volunteer Management Platform
The Virginia House Democratic Caucus, Virginia Senate Democratic Caucus, and the Democratic Party of Virginia have teamed up with MobilizeAmerica to provide local and CD committees the event and volunteer management platform at no cost.
MobilizeAmerica can help maximize your field and digital programs, all while saving you time and energy.
Why use MobilizeAmerica?
- Recruit more shifts: Mobilize allows you to customize an events feed with easy to share event links where volunteers can search and sign up for your campaign events.
- Collaborate: Hundreds of other progressive organizations around the country are using the MobilizeAmerica platform, and their volunteers are always looking for organizations to volunteer with. Our platform allows you to collaborate and connect with them to tap into new volunteer audiences every day.
- Automatic Confirmations: MobilizeAmerica sends out automated confirmation emails and SMS texts to volunteers registered for an event. On average campaigns using MobilizeAmerica see a 30% decrease in flake rate.
Interested? Fill out this form and the MobilizeAmerica team will create your account, and will be in touch with next steps! We will also be holding a training on Thursday, March 14th with Mobilize staff to walk through how to use the Mobilize dashboard! To sign up for the training, email katie@vademocrats.org.
https://onboarding.mobilizeamerica.io/vadems-stateleg
2019 Train the Trainer Program!
The Virginia Democratic Party, together with the DNC and ASDC Best Practices Institute, are excited to announce the launch of our 2019 Train the Trainer (T3) Webinar Training Program!
T3 is a free six-week, twelve-part webinar course, covering all aspects of grassroots campaigning. This program seeks to expand the skills of progressive activists and volunteers, by ensuring that comprehensive training is free and accessible for Democrats all over the country. Register for T3 today, and help us take our country back in 2020!
T3 trainings are held every Tuesday and Thursday at 7:00 p.m. ET, from April 16, through May 23. The deadline to register is Sunday, April 14 at 12:00 a.m. ET.
Participants must complete all twelve sessions in order to receive certification. All training sessions will include a skills test to track retention and participation. Trainings will be recorded and made available following each session via a weekly wrap-up email, delivered on Fridays.
CLICK HERE to submit your registration for the 2019 T3 Training Program! Registration will close at 12:00 a.m. ET, on Sunday, April 14.
Virginia Voters with Disabilities Expo
The Chisholm List 50
In January, Americans across the country began seeing more Black women representing their interests on the national, state and local levels. These women — many newly elected or moving into higher office — are stepping into leadership at a time when our country is embroiled in troubling, frequently violent conflicts over national identity, civil and human rights, income inequality and opportunities. Still, they have boldly stepped off the sidelines in response to these challenges, and in doing so, they are walking in the leadership legacy of Shirley Chisholm, a true maverick who 50 years ago was sworn in, becoming the first Black woman elected to the U.S. Congress.
Chisholm also entered office at a moment when our country was challenged by divisive ideologies and policies, but she refused to let these divisions detour her work to enact progressive policies that ensure civil and human rights and opportunities for all Americans. So, in honor of Chisholm’s legacy, Higher Heights is proud to present the Chisholm 50 Sisters to Watch List — a roundup highlighting 50 Black women whose elected leadership will help shape and advance America’s political agenda over the next two years. Here’s why they are sisters to watch.
The National Organization for Women called Charniele Herring “heroic” for her work rallying fellow legislators to stand against limits on abortion access, & she’s passed legislation to restore homeless-services funding & support small businesses. She is the Minority Caucus Chair.
See the full Chisholm 50 list here.
A Special Evening with Del. Danica Roem
On March 14, guests gathered to participate in a meet-and-greet with Virginia’s 13th District House Delegate, Danica Roem. Delegate Roem is Virginia’s first openly transgender person elected to the General Assembly and the first openly transgender person to serve as a U.S. State Legislator. Attendees had a chance to meet and converse with the Delegate at the event, which was hosted by the LGBT Democrats of Virginia.
Congresswoman Elaine Luria holds first town hall in Virginia Beach (13 News Now)
Congresswoman Luria was joined by 250 constituents at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Virginia Beach for a community conversation discussing what’s happening in Washington, information on how her office can help, and important issues before Congress.
Spanberger Holds Third In-District Town Hall in Nottoway County (Blue Virginia)
Tuesday night, Rep. Spanberger held a town hall meeting in Nottoway to hear directly from VA07 constituents. Rep. Spanberger has 7 more town hall meetings scheduled in the coming months. Check out her Facebook for updates on upcoming dates.
Va. Rep. Wexton addresses white nationalism, student debt during 1st town hall (WTOP)
Did you miss Rep. Wexton’s (VA10) first townhall meeting? Find the recording with the link below!
Rep. Luria helping lead bipartisan legislation on improving military house (WTKR)
WASHINGTON — Rep. Elaine Luria of Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District is helping to cosponsor bipartisan legislation on that would increase accountability and oversight over private contractors providing housing for military families.
The bill is the House companion to Senate legislation introduced last week by Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California and co-sponsored by Virginia Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner.
Both bills come as questions have been raised about the serious health, safety and environmental problems found in military housing, some here locally.
“It’s unacceptable that our servicemembers and military families are dealing with hazardous conditions in their own homes,” Congresswoman Luria said. “Our bravest Americans are protecting this nation and deserve good housing, health care, and quality of life. Military families should never have to settle for less. This bill is an important step toward correcting a problem I hope we never encounter again.”
According to Luria’s office, U.S. Rep. Mike Levin (D-CA) is the lead sponsor of the bill, which includes Representatives Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), and Katie Hill (D-CA) as fellow cosponsors.
“Servicemembers and their families sacrifice to keep our country safe, and we owe them a debt of gratitude. The last thing they should have to worry about is housing that jeopardizes their health and safety,” Congressman Levin said. “It is unacceptable that some military families around the country have little or no recourse when private contractors provide substandard housing. This bipartisan legislation is an important step in holding private housing companies accountable and empowering military families, and I will continue to work with members of both parties to support America’s servicemembers.”
Luria and the rest of the cosponsors for this bill are hoping that this legislation would create a stronger oversight mechanisms, allow the military to withhold payments to contractors until issues are resolved and prohibit contractors from charging certain fees.
The bill would also ensure that the military would withhold incentive fees from poorly performing contractors.
Provisions of the bill provided by Rep. Luria’s office:
- Basic allowance for housing: The installation commander shall withhold payment of a service member’s housing allowance until a military housing official has inspected an environmental, safety or health hazard, verified that appropriate remediation has taken place, and the service member concurs that the remediation is satisfactory. In the case that the hazard requires the service member to leave the housing unit, the housing company will pay all relocation costs.
- Housing costs: Ensures service members don’t have to pay a deposit, and any fee or penalty related to ending a lease early, except for normal wear and tear. The bill also requires contractors to reimburse service members for damage to their private property caused by a hazard.
- Withholding incentive fees: Requires the Secretary of Defense to withhold incentive fees to any contractor who persistently fails to remedy hazards.
- Common credentials: Creates standard credentials for health, safety and environmental inspectors across services, and including contractors, to ensure consistent inspection practices.
- Additional transparency for service members: Requires the Defense Department to establish an electronic system so that service members can track and oversee their work orders.
Upcoming Events
To get your event added to the DPVA website and the newsletter, email digital@vademocrats.org with event details!
- 3/21 Fairfax Young Democrats General Meeting
- 3/22 Join Mason District Democratic Committee
- 3/23 Charlottesville Democrats’ Pasta Supper
- 3/23 King George Branch NAACP
- 3/25 March Bedford Democratic Committee Meeting
- 3/28 Middlesex VA Democratic Committee Meeting
- 3/30 Hampton Roads Young Democrats Happy Hour!
- 4/1 King George Democrats Monthly Meeting
- 4/4 VB Young Democrats Meetup
- 4/5 Chesterfield YD’s go to Virginia Young Democrats Convention
- 4/5: VAYD: Annual Convention
- 4/6 DPVA Pat Jennings Project Training with the NDTC
- 4/8 Harrisonburg Democratic Committee Meeting
- 4/10 April 2019 Hunter Mill Democrats Meeting
- 4/11 Springfield Democrats April Meeting
- 4/13 Caroline County Democratic Committee
- 4/18 Fairfax Young Democrats General Meeting
- 4/25 Middlesex VA Democratic Committee Meeting
- 5/5 11th Congressional District’s 19th Annual John N. Sturdivant Award Brunch
- 5/9 Springfield Democrats May Meeting
- 5/11 Caroline County Democratic Committee
- 5/13 Harrisonburg Democratic Committee Meeting
- 5/16 Fairfax Young Democrats Annual Meeting
- 5/23 Middlesex VA Democratic Committee Meeting
- 6/8 Caroline County Democratic Committee
- 6/10 Harrisonburg Democratic Committee Meeting
- 6/11 Arlington Democratic Primary
- 6/12 Hunter Mill Democrats Meeting
- 6/15 Virginia Democratic Women’s Caucus Annual Meeting
- 6/15 2019 BLUE COMMONWEALTH GALA
- 6/27 Middlesex VA Democratic Committee Meeting
