We are starting in on a new General Assembly Session and it promises to be fast and furious.
As customary, the Virginia Grassroots issues Calls To Action (CTAs) annually to rally support for our legislators and amplify our collective voices.
Please commit to being vigilant this year. You can find all CTAs in the upcoming weekly Tuesday Tidbits and BADASS Briefings, providing a platform to track your advocacy efforts. Keep an eye out for the exciting gamification of Armchair Advocacy 2024
For those short on time, check on the time-sensitive CTAs*, with one scheduled for this morning. We recommend taking all CTAs as soon as possible. Thank you!
ALL IN,
Stair
PS: For inspiration, watch the Virginia Grassroots Press Conference on last week’s Friday Power Lunch.
Calls to Action
Education:
These CTAs address some of the recommendations in the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission’s (JLARC) report on the underfunding of Public Schools in Virginia. Some of these bills are already on the docket (agenda of bills to be heard) this week and the others should be on the docket soon. Marianne Burke, Denis Orsinger, Stair Calhoun and John Clewett have helped put together easy one-click-calls to action to make it very easy for Coalition members to advocate. We encourage everyone to participate and share widely with any Democrats you know throughout Virginia.
- HB187 Teachers and support staff: compensation at or above Nation’s average salary.
- SB104 Teachers: required to be compensated at or above national average.
- SB127 School counselors: pubic school staffing ratios, increases specialized student support positions.
- SB128 Public schools: Standards of Quality funding calculations.
- SJ9 Teacher retention etc: JLARC to study effects of salaries, employment benefits, etc. OPPOSE
- SB37 – Sage’s Law. OPPOSE
Climate and Clean Energy:
*Defend Clean Car Standards – Action #1!
Three (similar) bills seeking to repeal Clean Car Standards are on the docket for Tuesday 16th January, so please take this action to email the Senate ACNR committee
Campaign Finance Reform:
MoneyOut ACTION ALERT! Now is the time to raise your voice to get campaign finance bills voted out of the House and Senate Privileges and Elections committees. They will start hearing bills over the next week. At a click of the button, send a message to the 22 members of the P&E committee and another to the 15 legislators in the Senate. Ask them to support common sense legislation which prioritizes the voices of citizens over corporations and wealthy special interests. Let’s make this year the year of good governance in Virginia. #peoplepower #democracynow.
- Send a message to the members of the House P&E: Click here
- Contact the Senators on the P&E committee: Click here.
