Dear Friends,

As we round out the last week before crossover, please take the active CTAs below if you haven’t already. Please make the phone calls to leadership recommended below by our Campaign Finance Reform leads, that target the meddling of utilities, and their unlimited contributions to legislators. These bills must be heard and your attention will help!

For Valentine’s Day, we’re going to THINK PINK on this week’s Friday Power Lunch. We will discuss the current state of women rights and how we fight the MAGA misogyny machine.

Join us on Sunday for the monthly Virginia Grassroots Coalition Meeting where we will be joined by Guest Speaker: Atif Qarni, CD10 Candidate.

Onward,

Stair

Friday Power Lunch

THINK PINK  For the  Love of Reproductive Freedom 

Friday, February 9, 2024

The issue galvanizing voters, especially women, is reproductive freedom. It is a crucial issue in Virginia since it is the only southern state without restricted abortion access. Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe V. Wade with the Dobbs decision, women have been the force behind the Democrat’s unprecedented winning streak in local, state, and federal races.

Please join our guests this week:

 Jamie Lockhart (Executive Director) and  Han Jones (Policy Director) of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia will give us an update on their priority bills on reproductive freedom. They will also tell us about their big February 14 Valentine’s Day Lobby Day in Richmond.

 Kenda Sutton-El (Executive Director, Birth in Color) is a reproductive justice and maternal health advocate who will explain why efforts to restrict abortion have a particularly adverse impact on women of color.

 We are also welcoming Carrie Short from COVA Coalition to give us a coastal Virginia grassroots update.

Register for the Friday Power Lunch

Calls To Action

CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM

Let’s make sure that our campaign finance bills aren’t buried in committee. We need you to call some senior leadership.

1. Do you support banning money going to candidates from public utilities? Call Louise Lucas (804) 698-7518 and ask her to move Danica Roem’s bill (SB326) from the finance committee to the floor of the Senate for a vote.
2. Don’t let House leadership kill two campaign finance bills without a hearing!  Call Don Scott (804) 698-1088) and Cia Price’s (804) 698-1085) offices and ask them to make sure that the following two bills get heard in committee: Delegate Bulova’s limits bill (HB874) and Delegate Cole’s bill (HB190) banning money going to candidates from public utilities. What is the message? All bills should be heard and not killed without a public hearing. That is NOT democracy.

JUSTICE REFORM

1. SB357, Protecting vulnerable populations, has passed the Senate! Thank you for helping make that happen.
2. Tell House Courts of Justice to support HB267 and protect our most vulnerable populations: Click here to take action
3. Tell Senate Courts of Justice to support SB334 and ban Fourth Amendment Plea Bargain Waivers: Click here to take action

PUBLIC EDUCATION CTAs

Thank you for taking action on Public Education Legislation. Public Education CTAs are still active, please take action, if you haven’t already done so.
WOMEN AND FAMILIES

1. *NEW Ask Senate Courts of Justice to please vote Yes for SB373, Family Leave
2. *NEW Ask House Appropriations to vote Yes on HB212 – Gender-Balanced and Diverse Corporate Boards
3. Ask our State Senators to Vote YES on SB1 to Raise the Minimum Wage

Environmental Justice CTA – Evans Spring
It’s Black History month. Stop Roanoke City from repeating the oppression of the Black community with another urban renewal project! The Black community that lives next to the Evans Spring area has already been displaced by several Roanoke City urban renewal projects. Due to over development northwest Roanoke has the worst heat island effect in the city except for the area around Evans Spring. If Evans Spring is developed then the surrounding neighborhoods will be subject to the same heat island effect as the rest of northwest Roanoke. This would lead to more health hazards including more gun violence. Learn more here.

1. CTA 1 – Please sign both petitions below to the Roanoke City Planning Commission and Roanoke City Council to vote NO on the proposed commercial development of Evans Spring: Mothers Out Front Petition: http://tinyurl.com/& Friends of Evans Spring Petition: http://tinyurl.com/SaveEvansSpring
2. CTA 2 – Share this post on social media

*Thank Senators Warner/Kaine for supporting Ukraine*

Upcoming Events

Thursday, February 8th
Stop the Arena Coalition Lobby Day
Join Stop the Arena Coalition to rally outside at the Bell Tower area at noon and lobby our elected officials in the GA to vote against this project and hopefully stop it. The Coalition is a group of citizens that organized quickly to fight back against the Capital One arena moving into Alexandria and letting the Governor put all Virginians on the hook for the largest public subsidy ever for a sports team stadium in the US! Money that could be spent on much better things in the state than a billionaire sports team owner!
For more information, contact Adrien Lopez, adrienkay@gmail.com

Thursday, February 8th, 6:00pm – 8:00pm
National Democratic Convention Info Session in Farmville
Join DPVA Political Director Jack Foley and Training Director Emily Hamm to learn about the National Democratic Convention and the process of being a delegate at the Convention as well as some training and info for Democratic Activists in the area.
Location: Farmville Library (1303 W 3rd St, Farmville, VA 23901)
RSVP: https://www.mobilize.us/dpva/event/602833/

Sunday, February 11th, 4:00pm
Virginia Grassroots Coalition Meeting

Guest Speaker: Atif Qarni, CD10 Candidate. Email Luisa your agenda items. – Zoom Link: https://georgetown.zoom.us/j/98422844279
Thursday, February 15th, 5:00pm
Legislative Working Group Meeting
Guest Speaker: Jackson Miller, Field Director for Tim Kaine
Email Luisa to join:luisaboyarski@gmail.com

Monday, February 19th
Fund Our Schools Rally in Richmond
Fund Our Schools is a statewide coalition of parents, students, teachers, and organizations who believe that every child in every zip code across the Commonwealth of Virginia should have access to high-quality public education. Join us and our community partners as we call on lawmakers to prioritize fully and fairly funding public schools across the Commonwealth.
RSVP here

Wednesday, February 21st, 7:00pm
Loudoun Grassroots Coalition Meeting
Email to receive Zoom link:loudounactivists@gmail.com

Wednesday, February 28th, 5:00pm
GO CD2 Meeting (Hampton Roads Grassroots Coalition)
Email Luisa to join:luisaboyarski@gmail.com

Sunday, March 3rd, 3:00pm – 4:30pm
Fundraiser for Briana Sewell, Candidate for CD7
Briana has spent her career serving her community, including over five years as the district director to Congressman Gerry Connolly, and is currently a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, where she is highly respected among her colleagues. In 2023, she was named to the Council of State Government’s list of the 20 most effective lawmakers across the nation under 40 years old. Please join host Josh Kaplowitz and Special Guest Delegate Marcus Simon on March 3 to meet Briana and support her race.
To RSVP and make your contribution,please click here.

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Compliments of Network NOVA & the Virginia Grassroots – When We Vote We Win