The Gov Hub: May 15, 2023

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Gov Hub
May 15, 2023

Welcome to The Gov Hub Newsletter by Girl and the Gov®. This weekly pop of politics is designed to share action items, resources, and quick links to civic engagement tools and topics to inboxes far and wide.

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The Action Items

Scroll and roll through these five action items to do yourself and then share with a friend. Each action takes under 30 seconds to complete — which is faster than just about anything else on the average to-do list. Get ‘er done aka these must-dos:

ACTION 1:

The Ask: Tell your rep, the crew in Congress at the top, and Dark Brandon, we need guaranteed paid leave for all.

The Action: Sign this petition from the Paid Leave For All and Glamour campaign for guaranteed paid for all, dubbed ‘Uh-Oh Baby.’

The Background: Despite being incredibly close to passing paid leave for all in 2021, it didn’t make it across the finish line. What does that mean? It means that America is one of just six nations that doesn’t have a form of guaranteed paid family leave. It also means that 1 in 4 people that give birth are back on the job just two weeks later. It also means just 25% of workers have access to paid leave. It needs to change, and both Paid Leave For All and Glamour have teamed up for a campaign to make it happen. Get involved by signing the petition and calling your representative [these letters can always double as your call script].

ACTION 2:

The Ask: Tell your Senator to support Ethan’s Law to promote safe gun storage at the federal level.

The Action: Hit send on this pre-written letter from Brady.

The Background: According to the team at Brady, “every day, eight children and teens are unintentionally injured or killed due to family fire, which refers to a shooting caused by someone having access to a gun from the home when they shouldn’t have it. This includes children as well as those who display behavior that indicates they could harm themselves or others.” Requiring the safe storage of firearms would drastically reduce the number of deaths and injuries caused as a result of unsecured firearms – including school shootings. Ethan’s Law, which passed in the CT legislature, has now been reintroduced at the federal level. It’s a common sense gun reform that is discussed at length on this week’s Girl and the Gov, The Podcast episode with Brady President, Kris Brown. Take the action, share the action, tune in and learn more, Wednesday.

ACTION 3:

The Ask: Tell Alabama state reps that HB454 which will prosecute people for murder for getting an abortion is a no-go. You do not have to be an Alabama resident to sign on, but please share it with an AL friends and fam you have

The Action: Sign onto this letter here from the Yellow Hammer Fund.

The Background: A terrifying bill has come out of Alabama’s House Judiciary Committee, HB454, which would allow people to be prosecuted for murder for seeking legal abortions, self-managing their abortions, and even managing their miscarriages, and stillbirths. The bill looks at any and all terminations of pregnancy as a homicide.

ACTION 4: Texas

The Ask: Tell your representatives to pass HB12 and expand Medicaid coverage post-birth from two months to a full year.

The Action: Send this pre-written digital letter to your state senator via BlackTOP.

The Background: The Texas state house passed HB12 which would allow for moms that are eligible for Medicaid health insurance to be covered for a full year after their pregnancy, as opposed to the current limit of two months post-birth. The expansion would provide needed healthcare coverage for new moms.

ACTION 5: Nebraska

The Ask: Nebraska, tell your state representative to vote NO on LB 574, a bill that bans medical care for transgender youth, and has been amended to include an abortion ban.

The Action: Send your rep this pre-written digital note from the ACLU Nebraska. If possible, sign-up to join the crew at the capitol tomorrow to fill the halls.

The Background: It really isn’t over until it’s over, the Nebraska GOP is trying to pass an abortion ban round two by adding an amendment to another heinous bill. The bill, LB574 is designed to ban medical care for transgender youth. With the amendment the GOP has added, it would also create a 12-week abortion ban – which as explained here is really a 10-week ban. The math if this passes goes something like this for Nebraskans: bad + bad = horrendous.

~A few of our favorite things ~

  • This cutie patootie sweatshirt is made for New England summer evenings – IYKYK. Even better, this cozy and cute wardrobe must-have has 100% of its proceeds going to Moms Demand Action through this evening. Look stunnin’ AF and support an organization that’s taking on gun violence prevention. Iconique combo if you ask us.

A dollop of daisies & dollars for Moms Demand Action.

  • Newsletters are the apple of our eye and that includes Created Not Equal’s monthly send. Written and produced by politico-in-the-know, Sarah Andrews, the newsletter is centered around the sentiment that motherhood is politico – #facts. Subscribers can expect resources like these, details on issues and policies that impact mothers like the PUMP Act, blog posts that detail the experience of being a mom in today’s world, and so much more. Get on the list here. PS Sarah will be joining the Girl and the Gov, The Podcast for a chat on motherhood x running campaigns. If you have a Q, send it our way by simply replying to this note.

  • The Union of Southern Service Workers is taking on corporations - purr. The USSW is composed of workers in the fast food, care, and retail industries and is working to turn these industries low wage and high turnover jobs into union jobs with living wages and safe conditions. They’ve also incorporated the unique challenges that the southern workers face against corporate giants, specifically bringing to the forefront the exclusionary laws that have failed to protect Black workers. They’re bringing people together and building power – get involved here and follow their movement here.

  • A new podcast series has taken to the airwaves from FemmSouth and it’s sharing the scoop on abortion access and reproductive healthcare in the South post-Roe. The six-part series, Reproductive Freedom in the Deep South, hosts convos with key players at orgs in Alabama and the South on how the impact of the Dobbs decision and what’s currently in the legislative pipeline. Lots of info, lots of insight, lots of ways to listen-in, including on Spotify.

Chalkboard

Learning has no age. Keep it rollin with…

ACLU X RACISM IN POLICING EMAIL COURSE: Up level your learning on-the-go with this straight-to-your-inbox course from the ACLU on Racism in Policing. The four-lesson email course provides a look into the systemic issues that are inherent to the American policing system. There are four units aka four emails sent over four weeks that answer the following questions in the following order:

  • Week 1: What is police divestment?

  • Week 2: Why is police militarization prominent in the U.S.?

  • Week 3: Who disciplines police in the U.S.?

  • Week 4: Why are communities over-policed – and can it change?

The course is free and can be added to your inbox here. Places you can do this course: on the subway en route to work, the awk waiting period before a workout class begins, the school pickup line, lunch hour, and beyond.

New On Girl and the Gov, The Podcast

Get in, we’re going to Arizona – virtually and via the latest Girl and the Gov, The Podcast interview with Alejandra Gomez, Executive Director at LUCHA. The interview paints the picture of what actually happens in Arizona politics between election nights i.e. the infamous nights where Steve Kornaki goes full throttle at the whiteboard about votes coming out of Maricopa County. Covering what organizing on the ground looks like in AZ to upcoming spicy elections, this episode tackles a ton of topics. Give it a listen via Apple Podcasts or Spotify Podcasts, and give it a watch via YouTube:

Top Stories is on a two-week vacay starting this week – she’ll be back in a flash in June. In the meantime, catch up on last week’s top stories eppy here and learn about one of the wildest names in politics we’ve ever heard.

PREVIEW: This week’s interview episode is with none other than Brady United’s President Kris Brown. In the episode, we cover background checks and their impact on gun violence prevention, safe storage and how it saves lives, America’s gun culture and talking to relatives about how gun safety helps us all, and so much more. Designed to be an evergreen explainer episode on gun violence prevention, this interview can be shared again and again to answer top line q’s on the issue. Head over to Apple and subscribe, pop over to Spotify and follow, and hit subscribe on YouTube where the episode will drop on Wednesday.

OTHER SHOW NOTES:

  • Help us bring more Gov’er s into the fold, leave us a rate and review.

  • Get your podcast on the go – download your episodes. No wifi or solid service needed to tune in.

  • Share your fave eppy to your IG story and tag @girlandthegovthepodcast to get yourself some #GATG smiley stickers.

Subscribe while you scroll, sign up for The Gov Hub Newsletter here if you’re not already on the list.

ELECTION SZN 2023

  • JERZ: Jersey residents are saying gym, tan, and vote this spring with state legislature races on the ballot. The primaries are June 6, 2023, which is just around the corner. Before you and the crew go down the shore, check your voter registration – and if you’re not registered and ready in NJ, you can do it online by May 16th [tomorrow]. No, like you can literally register to vote from the line at Parker House with this link.

  • PHILA: Philly - we hope you've recovered from this weekend’s ERA’s Tour activities because tomorrow is election day, and y’all need to show up to the polls [not climb them like after an Eagles superbowl win]. From the mayor’s office to city council to state supreme court, there’s lots to vote on in this primary. Find your polling place and go.

  • NASH: Nashville’s mayoral race is heating up with an expanded field of candidates. The race to the finish begins with early voting on July 14, 2023 and e-day on August 3rd right in the heart of Leo Szn.

Candidate Watch ‘24

The following have said put me in coach for….

  • Prince George County Executive Angela Alsobrooks is running for Maryland’s Senate seat. Learn more about the EMILY’s List-endorsed candidate here.

  • Chair of the LA County Board of Supervisors, Janice Hahn is running for re-election. Learn more about her and her role here.

  • Maryland State Delegate Joe Vogel is running for Congress. Learn more about his campaign here.

Back On Our BILLsh*t

New bills, new BILLsh*t. We’re always keeping an eye out for the bills that make us go YAY and the ones that make us scream NAY [see above in the action items run down for ones that are SMH-worthy]. For ones that are floating our boat, see these:

  • FEDERAL: While we’re mentioning Senator Bennet, we should also highlight his recently introduced bill, The ASSESS AI Act. The alliteration-based act, would require a comprehensive review of currently existing AI policies across the federal gov, and then generate “specific regulatory and legislative recommendations to ensure that the federal government’s AI tools and policies respect civil rights, civil liberties, privacy, and due process.” In other words, conduct an audit on AI policy – kind of like what GATG does for politico’s social media accounts but for AI. The task force created to handle this ishhhh would be in charge of tackling these tings.

  • FEDERAL: With what feels like a game of ping pong happenings amongst the courts across the land, Hawaii’s Senator Hirono has introduced the Stop Judge Shopping Act. The act would only allow the D.C. District Court to nationwide injunctions [think what the Texas judge did with Mifi]. According to GovTrack Insider, “A judge outside D.C. could still rule that a certain law or policy was unconstitutional — they just couldn’t strike it down nationwide. That would mean no more nationwide injunctions from any of the 50 states, from conservative rulings in Texas to progressive rulings in California.” The bill is S.1265.

…and for a bill that passed to applause:

  • NYC: A bill banning weight and height discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations passed in NYC. The legislation, INT 209-A which was sponsored by Councilman Shaun Abreu amends the city’s Human Rights Law to include this addition. There are an array of specific exemptions to the bill, which can be viewed here.

Save & Sends

Sometimes you have to save it, sometimes you have to send it, and sometimes you have to do both when it comes to a social media post — which is the case for these posts:

  • Rumor has it that the DC spouses are just as powerful as their counterparts – the most important lobbyists of them all if you will. And for that reason, we’d love to be a fly on the wall at the Senate spouses dinner.

  • A new report from the Women’s Bureau at the Department of Labor shows that moms providing unpaid care to their children and families lose $300K in lifetime earrings. TBH, that seems low to us when considering all the factors at hand like the unpaid emotional labor that’s taken on by moms as explained by this mom:

@thatdarnchat

@Hayley Rawle it can feel like a lose lose!

  • The GOP doesn’t understand the concept of consequences and Texas’ SB14 is a dangerous example of that – an example of where they decided to play doctor without a degree and put kids in harm's way. In the same vein, the state’s abortion ban has had deadly consequences, like this. How “pro -life” of them, right?

  • Meanwhile in Florida, teachers are dealing head on with the consequences of parental rights in the classroom law(s) signed by DeSantis. The laws have made instruction for teachers near impossible, not to mention put kids through undue trauma because of a classroom Karen made wrongfully validated by state law. This teacher, for example, is under investigation by the state for showing a Disney movie that relates to earth science and ecosystems. And they wonder why teachers are leaving the profession…?

D2C, Direct to Constituent:

From the office of Senator Gary Peters… the quick links for veterans looking to access PACT Act benefits. Veterans and survivors can access free toxic-exposure screenings here and to check to see if they’re eligible for PACT Act benefits. For those that are looking to file claims and apply for benefits, that can be done by calling the Veterans Administration (VA) at 800-698-2411 or filing a claim online for VA health care.

Heaps of Headlines

Quick 411’s on a few of the many headlines and political stories on our radars – and links to the full kit and kaboodle.

  • The Governor of Montana vetoed this bipartisan set of bills.

  • Big Pharma raked in over $128 billion in the first quarter. This breakdown by company is wild.

  • George Santos isn’t the only liar in Congress – this guy also lives in a world of delusional falsehoods.

  • Kansas City has declared itself a ‘transgender haven’ for Missourians. This explainer runs through what that means in application.

  • GOP Senator Tuberville, was asked if he believes White nationalists should be allowed in the military. He responded, “I call them Americans.” He is trying to back that ass up – slightly – with this song and dance.

The Gov Club

Focused on political networking and community amongst civically engaged besties, The Gov Club provides members access to free virtual networking events, 1v1s, and connect with one another. The Gov Club has also made moves from its old Slack channel home to the Geneva platform to make connecting with one another easy as pie. Sign up for the Gov Club, here.

Comms Corner

#VIRAL, THE NEWSLETTER: Skip the meeting, make it an email – subscribe to Girl and the Gov®’s paid newsletter, #VIRAL, dedicated to providing the 411 on the social media trends, tricks and tips, and how-to’s for politicos is hitting inboxes with a splash, weekly. A sample of the newsletter, which we dub ‘social media consulting to your inbox,’ can be viewed here, and interested humans can subscribe here.

PODCAST AUDITS: Girl and the Gov®’s Podcast Audit service provides a comprehensive review of the client’s existing show with the goal of identifying areas of improvement. This is for clients with existing podcasts at any stage that want to bring their show to the next level. Start the process with a Discovery Call.

SOCIAL MEDIA AUDITS: Think it’s time for a social media audit? Girl and the Gov® can help with that. Get up to speed on what needs to stay, and what needs to go on your social media accounts for it to go from zero to hero. Book a Discovery Call to learn more about what an audit can do for your accounts.

Other tings of note on the comms front:

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