BADASS Briefing, December 2, 2022

Dear Friends,

Welcome to December! Please take time to review this long list of holiday events, coupled with legislative and election actions.

Postcards for VA is happy to announce the availability of addresses for postcard writing for our two special elections in January: Holly Seibold for Delegate and Aaron Rouse for Senate. Let’s get off to a 2023 winning streak by committing to help these two special elections!

ALL IN,

Stair

Calls to Action:

Send a letter: Promoting the work of the Sub-Committee on Campaign Finance Reform

The clock is ticking to influence campaign finance reform in Virginia. The Sub-Committee on Campaign Finance Reform has unexpectedly convened, meeting scheduled for Dec 12th, and the House chair has kicked off many of the previous members who supported reform. Please take this easy action today! Additionally, please consider sending written testimony to the Sub-Committee. Click here and find messages from which you can mix and match. Questions, contact nancyruthmorgan@gmail.com

Sign on to the Virginia Grassroots Coalition’s 2023 Legislative Priorities Letter – Groups and Individuals please act TODAY by 8:00pm. Our goal is to signal to our Democratic Delegates and Senators the types of legislation we hope they will support during session. We also invite the legislators to meet with coalition members to discuss how we can work together to advance the legislation. The more groups and individuals that sign on, the stronger the impact of the letter will be. Please email luisaboyarski@gmail.com to confirm that your group, or you as an individual, will sign on by Thursday, December 1st at 8pm. View the letter here.

SD-7 Special Election Phone Bank 1: December 6th, at 6PM on Zoom

Tweet at Your Senators: Pass Citizenship for Immigrant Youth THIS YEAR

The legislative clock is ticking, and because of the Fifth Circuit’s recent ruling, the threats to DACA are mounting. Congress has just about one month left to end this state of chronic uncertainty for more than 600,000+ DACA recipients and to finally deliver a pathway to citizenship for immigrant youth.

Friday, Dec 2 7:30 PM Join Congresswoman Spanberger and Vice Chair Dan Helmer!McLean, VA Please join friends, neighbors, and Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger to learn about Dan’s story, his vision for Virginia, and his work to flip the House of Delegates next year. Your contribution will go directly to fund registering voters, training candidates and staff, and communicating directly with every voter in Virginia. Join us in taking back the House!

Saturday, December 3 10am-12pm Holiday Brunch with Senator Barbara Favola and Senate Candidate Aaron Rouse

Saturday, December 3, 2pm 50th Hampton Branch NAACP Life Membership VIRTUAL Celebration Suggested Contribution – $45 ( All contributions are welcome) click link

Saturday, December 3, 4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.Meet Bob Shippee, Running for New District 57, Henrico Co.2923 N Oxford St 2923 North Oxford St. Arlington Meet Bob Shippee, a longtime Virginia activist and chair of the VA state Sierra Club’s legislative Committee, who is running for delegate in the brand new 57th District. Bob will be a great advocate, and strong defender of the climate, abortion rights, public schools and voting rights – all of which are under attack by Governor Youngkin and the House Republicans. Bob has experience & already knows how to work with the General Assembly. Sign up HERE to attend in person or by zoom. Please consider donating whether you attend or not HERE.

Saturday, Dec 3, 5pm-7pmJOIN OUR COMBINED – HOLIDAY PARTY !!Appetizers & Good Cheer!!Della J’s, 7692 Richmond Hwy, Alexandria Join the Virginia Democratic Small Business Caucus, Fairfax County Democrats Black Caucus, Fairfax County Democrats Asian & Pacific Caucus, FairFax County Democrats Latino Caucus, Network NOVA – Friday Power Lunch and the Democratic Black Caucus of Virginia

Sunday, December 4, 4:00pm

Virginia Grassroots Coalition Meeting

Virtual Virginia Grassroots Coalition Meeting

Join 50+ grassroots groups as we present our legislative priorities for the 2023 Virginia legislative session with updates from our working groups, who focus on the following topics:

Education
Clean Energy and Climate
Gas and Pipelines
Gun Violence Prevention
Campaign Finance Reform
Women’s Reproductive Health

Contact Luisa Boyarski for Zoom link: luisaboyarski@ailurophile

Tuesday, December 6th, 1pm ET With Democrats Things Get BetterTo help celebrate and promote Joe Biden’s far-sighted economic agenda and important accomplishments, NDN has rebooted its signature presentation, With Democrats Things Get Better. It’s a 25 minute long data-filled look at the performance of the two American political parties since the end of the Cold War.

Wednesday, December 7th, 6:00pm

Behind the Scenes: ACLU-VA’s 2023 Legislative Strategy

Join ACLU-VA for a behind the scenes look at their strategy for the upcoming legislative session.

Wednesday, December 7th, 6:30pm RASR Presents Racial Equity & Justice in Emerging Marijuana Industry in VA Join RASR for a discussion on marijuana and how it impacts the minority communities, to include legalization, growing, and the impact on minority communities. Guests include Virginia State Senator Adam Ebbin, who has advocated for the decentralization and legalization of marijuana for many years and has also proposed legislative changes; JM Pedini, Development Director of NORML and continues to work on establishing a fair and equitable adult-use cannabis regulatory structure prioritizing consumer safety; and Paul McLean, Executive Director for the Virginia Minority Cannabis Coalition working to achieve social equity through economic development.

Wednesday, December 7, 7-8pm Alexandria Delegation Town HallCharles Houston Recreation Center Multipurpose Room Join Senator Ebbin, Senator Saslaw, Senator Barker, Delegate Herring and Delegate Bennett-Parker in a public-hearing style town hall to hear from you about your priorities before the 2023 legislative session.

Thursday, December 8, 2022, 1:00pm ET

A Radically Candid Conversation with Jackie Payne & Kim Scott

The Year in Review & What’s Next

Join Jackie Payne for an end-of-year conversation as she’s interviewed by Kim Scott, author of Radical Candor. This event is for everyone from long-time supporters to new friends. We’ll discuss Galvanize USA’s civic empowerment program, the impact of Galvanize Action’s persuasion ads, and take a close look at lessons learned from the midterms.

Thursday, December 8th at 7 PM Virginians for Environmental Justice LobbyingRegister Now! Join us for a workshop on what to expect during the 2023 VA General Assembly session and how to advocate for clean energy & environmental justice policies in the 2023 session.

Saturday, Dec 10, 6 – 8 pm

Buta Biberaj for Commonwealth’s Attorney Re-Election Campaign Kick-off

Ashburn, VA.

Join Buta and her team for a kickoff to 2023. Address available upon registration.

Sunday, December 11, 4pm to 6pmLatkepalooza is back!Clare & Don’s Beach Shack in Falls ChurchMarcus and Rachel Simon will host their 9th annual Latkepalooza. The latkes and sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts) are calling!

Monday, December 12, 7:30 PMMoms Demand Action VA Advocacy Day Prep – Virtual Join state legislative lead Mike Fox to prep for Advocacy Day 2023 (January 13). Mike will discuss the day’s schedule and logistics, what volunteers can expect, how volunteers can make the most of their visit, our legislative priorities and how to engage lawmakers.

Wednesday, December 14, 10am-11:30am

10th Annual Newton Anniversary Vigil

NRA Headquarters

11250 Waples Mill Rd, Fairfax
Join your fellow #GunSafety advocates in commemorating the 26 victims on the 10th anniversary of the Sandy Hook massacre – the impetus for the monthly protests that have been held in front of the NRA headquarters in
Fairfax without fail, every single month since. This event will feature many guest speakers and the involvement of faith leaders. Please plan to attend this important event to remind the gun lobby and Congress that we have not gone away and we are still demanding better laws to protect our children and all of the people in our country from gun violence.

Wednesday, December 14, 6:00 pm ET Civility in Social Media and the News Media A group of scholars and practitioners will examine the role of social media and the news media in shaping civil discourse in America. Speakers include: Imran Ahmed, founder and CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate US/UK, Paul Cheung, Chief Executive Officer of the Center for Public Integrity, Chenjerai Kumanyika (moderator), Assistant Professor of Journalism at NYU, and Sarah Sobieraj, Department Chair and Professor of Sociology at Tufts University.

Thursday, December 15, 6:30 PM PPAV Holiday House PartyArlington, VirginiaJoin Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia (PPAV) for their holiday house party fundraiser at the home of Matt and Brooke de Ferranti. Enjoy holiday cheer, food and drink, and great company, including special guests Congressman Don Beyer, Delegate Hope, & Delegate Lopez to help support PPAV’s organizing efforts in the Commonwealth. Also: Signup to volunteer with PPAV to help Lashrecse Aird win her primary in SD-13.

Wednesday, December 21, 5:30pm, virtual

Please join Virginia Redress Network’s monthly meeting to learn what progress Virginians are making on restitution and the many issues relating to racial and social justice. REGISTER HERE

Friday, January 13, 9:00 AM Moms Demand Action VA-Statewide-Advocacy Day 2023 Join volunteers from across the state for our annual Advocacy Day at the Capitol in Richmond! State Sen. Jennifer McClellan will be the keynote speaker at the morning kickoff meeting. Volunteers will have an opportunity to meet their lawmakers, engage with them about our legislative priorities, and network with volunteers at caucus meetings.

Monday, Jan 16 – 2-5 PM Honor MLK Vigil and Lobby Day Please plan to join the Virginia Center for Public Safety, its partners, and the Virginia Community as we honor the memory and teachings of a great civil rights leader who was killed by gunfire. We will also honor the lives of all Virginians killed by gun violence and we invite you to commit to reducing gun violence by raising your voice for responsible gun laws. More details including information on buses from Roanoke, Hampton Roads, and NoVA, are coming.