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

Each of these actions take 30 seconds or less. Three out of four of this week’s are state specific, so if you don’t live in that state, be a pal and send it to a friend or family member that does.

ACTION 1:

The Ask: Tell Congress to ban assault weapons (again).

The Action: Send your reps this pre-written digital note from CAP telling them to ban assault weapons. Then give them a call using this script from March Fourth

The Background: We continue to grapple with a constant onslaught of preventable mass shootings in this country conducted with assault weapons – weapons that used to be banned. Since the ban expired in 2004, there has been a disturbing and terrifying rise in mass shootings with the weapons. The laws can change, but that requires continuing to make noise – otherwise we have this problem.

ACTION 2: Indiana Residents

The Ask: Tell Indiana legislators NO on the state’s proposed ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law [HR1608].

The Action: Send your reps this pre-written digital note opposing HR1608 from ACLU Indiana.

The Background: Indiana’s General Assembly is pushing ahead a Florida-inspired ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill that would ban discussion of ‘human sexuality’ through grade three, and thus does not allow for discussion or acknowledgement of LGBTQ people in schools. Additionally, the bill allows for teachers to negate a parent’s wishes (so much for the parent’s rights argument IYKYK) and deadname or misgender a student. Unfortunately, this isn’t the only hateful and harmful bill up for consideration, there’s a whole slate of hate.

ACTION 3: Ohio Residents

The Ask: Sign the petition that will get this reproductive freedom amendment on the Ohio state ballot this fall. Signers have to sign in-person

The Action: Find a petition signing location – and get trained to collect signatures.

The Background: Ohioans for Reproductive Freedom are working to get a ballot measure on – you guessed it – the ballot this fall. The measure looks to constitutionally protect reproductive rights in the state, and requires the coalition to gather over 400,000 signatures to make it to the ballot. The state’s Republicans are trying to make it harder to accomplish with a lawsuit and an attempt to raise the passing threshold for a ballot measure to 60%. Don’t let that deter, and instead, grab your friends and fam and make petition signing a pre-or-post brunch/lunch/whatever meal you like to eat together, activity.

ACTION 4:  Iowa Residents

The Ask: Tell Iowa legislators to vote NO on HF654, which allows guns on school property.

The Action: Send your legislator a digital letter saying that they should vote no, made possible by the Iowa House Democrats.

The Background: Iowa Republicans have proposed HF654, which allows more guns on school property, allows guns on school buses, and prevents daycares, churches, and other businesses from keeping guns on their property. The bill also provides immunity to employers against lawsuits that might stem from an altercation with a firearm owned by the employer or employee…because that makes sense. Iowa’s lack of gun safety laws aren’t anything new, but adding more fuel to the fire certainly isn’t the answer.

New On Girl and the Gov, The Podcast

San Francisco listeners -- please hit play because this pod’s latest interview episode is with none other than San Francisco Mayor, London Breed. Familiar territory for one #GATG host [hi, Maddie Medved] and a familiar issue is the focus of this episode – the city’s evolving homelessness crisis. The conversation evaluates the issue in the unique context of the west coast city and looks at the solutions the Mayor has put forth. As well as, how the red tape of bureaucracy shapes when and how solutions can come to fruition. Complicated is truly the name of the game. Also key to note, the conversation does include favorites around the city and an exclusive restaurant rec from the Mayor. Listen and download the episode on Apple and Spotify, and watch it via the Girl and the Gov® YouTube channel.

The next 48 hours are set to be a wild west in political top stories, which will of course be covered in this week’s Top Stories episode. The episode takes airwaves tomorrow morning. Subscribe to be in the know, and head here to catch up on last week’s. PS and BTW a rate and review helps us get more of y’all in the know. We’d super duper uber appreciate it if you left us one ;)

PREVIEW: This week the pod is hitting replay with the show’s very first guest – Kristi Johnston, Press Secretary at NexGen America. The episode will cover dating app organizing, getting in front of young voters, and why the youth vote is so important.

And a nod to this pod: The Girl and the Gov, The Podcast gals were guests on The Tent Podcast presented by CAP Action. They chatted with Tent's host, Daniella Gibbs Léger about Girl and the Gov®’s origins and addressing the gap in the market for political media for young people by young people. To that point, the convo also focused on how young people, and specifically young voters, are not a monolith and activating this group can't be done with a blanket, one-size-fits-all approach (le duh). Naturally, the discussion also encompassed what's happening with social media and the future of its use [hi, TikTok] in the political activism and civic education space. Lots of chit chat, lots of laughs, and a lil' bit of Vanderpump. Give it a listen on Apple (don't forget to subscribe -- this show needs to be in your regular rotation). Happy listening!

Pro Podcast Tip: Download your episodes. By downloading your episodes, you’re able to listen to fave shows on the go. No wi-fi? No problem. Bad service? Same story.

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. A few recent bills of note that floated our boat:

• A win is a win, and the signing into law of the New Mexico Voting Rights Act is certainly a win. The bill package is like the fab, fit, fun box of bills – there’s really something for almost everyone. The bill establishes automatic voter registration [obsessed], creates a permanent absentee ballot list and expands drop box use [not to be confused with dropbox.com], enacts the Native American Voting Rights Act, and restores the voting rights of over 11K formerly incarcerated New Mexicans, and so much more.

…and bills that need to get the boot:

• Ida-what-in-the-fuckery is this bill? Idaho is becoming less so known for its potatoes, and more so known for its cruel abortion laws. The bill – HB242 – prohibits minors from traveling to get an abortion and would charge any adult who helps a minor receive an abortion in state or out of state, without a parent’s permission, with a felony. The bill is being labeled as the abortion trafficking bill and would mean that legit anyone that helps a minor could see up to five years in prison. And to add bad to bad, as reported by The Meteor, the bill includes a civil clause that allows “any family member of someone who obtained an abortion – or the person who impregnated them – to sue any medical professional involved up to four years later. The only exception is if the pregnancy was the result of rape of incest.”

Pro Tip: Make your life easier, add your reps’ office number to your contacts. And for good measure, make sure you’re registered to vote.

Read All About It

The good with the bad, the bad with the good, that’s pretty much the story of this week’s Read All About It picks. Give ‘em a whirl below:

• Where are young people? On dating apps, and that’s something NextGen’s Kristi Johnston took and ran with – using this common hot spot to organize and GOTV in Wisconsin’s state Supreme Court race. It’s brilliant, it’s fun, and our team jumped in the mix too.

• We’re not sure who on this list is 36 and led to the creation of a 36 people under 36 list, but we do know that it’s a list of Maryland political players to keep an eye on as they work to make change.

• Speaking of Maryland, 2024 is going to be a helluva a year for the state, which is now gearing up for a ballot measure that will determine whether or not abortion rights should be enshrined in the state’s constitution. If given the a-okay by voters, residents would have the “fundamental right to reproductive freedom.”

• Keeping to theme, Nevada is also looking to put abortion rights on the ballot again (it did in 1990) via state Senate Joint Resolution 7, which is passed, would amend the Nevada Constitution to include “a fundamental right to reproductive freedom,” which includes the right to prenatal and postnatal care, birth control, and infertility care. The process for this is a long one – it needs to pass as a resolution in two subsequent leg seshes (2x in a row) which puts us into 2025, and then will have to pass via voters in 2026. Also, if someone from the Nevada Senate is reading this – what can we do about changing the bill font and colors? It’s impossible to read.

• Move over Boomers, because here come the Zoomers with the Zoomer’s New Deal. Gen-Z is stepping up and stepping out with the launch of Dream For America, which aims to build Gen-Z political power through advocacy, voter engagement, and uplifting Gen-Z candidates. Get involved here and follow along here. The Girl and the Gov® team is excited to be working with this crew as Senior Advisors

• Giselle Fetterman, icon and PIC to Senator Fetterman published an op-ed on elle.com on how the media comes for the spouses, specifically the wives. She shares her experience and how the wives of candidates or major players in the public space get blamed for everything and anything their partner does. It’s a POV on the misogyny in the media that’s very much alive and well.

• Florida started with Don’t Say Gay bills and has moved to Don’t Say Period(s) bills. One bill in particular, which did find its way into this very newsletter, looks to limit discussion and teaching of sexuality and health education – funny thing, menstruation hits both of those descriptor boxes. This is the reaction to this bill and topic at large in the state legislature.

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

Bookmark It

Don’t lose the link, bookmark it, and revisit and reload.

The Insurrection Index: With over 1,000 insurrectionists charged so far, it feels almost impossible to keep up with who is who, what is what, and honestly, who did what. Cue, the Insurrection Index, which keeps tally of it all – including the over 200+ elected representatives that qualify as insurrectionists. Yep, that’s right, there are insurrectionists in Congress. There are insurrectionists in state government. There’s an insurrectionist for every occasion. The Insurrection Index – put together by PublicWise – lets users see all of the elected officials that get the letter ‘I’ next to their name, and not for being an Independent. The database also allows users to see if their employer or favorite place to shop has donated to or continues to donate to, insurrectionists. If your employer is FedEx, Home Depot, United Health, General Motors (GM), or any of these, we’re sorry to be the bearer of bad news. Bookmark this resource to keep tabs on the sticky bandits of the political world.

Save & Sends

Slow your scroll, and check out these save and sends that had us hitting the like button.

• Kentucky State Representative and Candidate for KY Attorney General, Colonel (ret.) Pam Stevenson handed it to Republicans for being sneaky/suss/shady af in passing an anti-trans bill with six minutes notice. Translation: She calls them on their BS.

• Nashville is suing TN Governor Bill Lee after he signed legislation that would cut the Nashville Metro Council’s number of members from 40 to 20. Apparently someone likes to do revenge better than Taylor Swift, because the move appears to be one made in retaliation for the city failing to be on board with hosting the Republican National Convention.

• Pilot Pete, move over, there’s a new Pete in town, taking to the skies in a suit.

• Congressman Jared Moskowitz redefined the mic drop with this point.

From the official office of…

It’s another D2C [direct to constituent] moment on a Monday, with these two possibly in your neck of the woods opportunities and resources available to peruse, pursue, and pass onto a friend.

ALASKA: Congresswoman Mary Peltola’s office is participating in the Democracy Summer program, which is currently taking applicants. The six-week program runs from June 26-August 7 and is open to incoming high school sophomores through recent college graduates. The program, which was founded by Congressman Jamie Raskin, teaches political organizing, voter registration tactics, and historical political insights to help prepare politicos as they grow. Deats and application, available here.

DETROIT, MICHIGAN: The city has launched its Downpayment Assistance program that’s designed to help more residents become homeowners. The program is working with 13 lenders and will provide Detroit residents who do not currently own a home with up to $25K in downpayment assistance. A part of the City’s Affordable Housing Plan announced last year, the plan aims to create generational wealth for residents and reduce one of the many significant barriers to home ownership – the down payment. Full deats can be viewed here and those who wish to apply, can do so here.

DENVER, COLORADO: The Department of Transportation and Infrastructure is taking apps from residents for its sidewalk taskforce. The taskforce, according to Denverite, is being born from a voter approved initiative called Denver Deserves Sidewalks. It’s giving Parks & Rec and it’s also giving residents an opportunity to get involved and share their expertise on how to get the city’s sidewalks in tip top shape.

Election Szn

WISCONSIN: If you’re a Wisco voter, you’re voting tomorrow. If you know someone in Wisconsin, you’re reminding them to make their voter plan for tomorrow, NOW [and texting them a reminder in the morning]. In possibly the most important election of ‘23, the race for an opening state Supreme Court seat will determine abortion rights, voting rights, and possibly even how the outcome of the ‘24 presidential election goes. Be proactive, go vote, and before you do - get to know Judge Janet, the Progressive choice in it to win it race. Oh, and while we’re over in cheese country, this other race has gotten downright wild.

DENVER, COLORADO: It seems like anyone that has ever thought about running for Mayor in Denver has said ‘let me test this thought out’ this season. The packed field ahead of tomorrow’s race can be hard to digest given its sheer size, however this look-see on which candidates are getting donations from real estate developers helps paint the picture on a few of the headliners.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS: The windy city will be hitting the polls again for the runoff elections, which includes the race of mayor. Two dudes will be duking it out for the position of mayor – said dudes. On the city council end of things, this voter guide provides a look at who is who.

PENNSYLVANIA: Wisconsin isn’t the only state this year with a judicial race on the ballot, PA is in it to win it too. PA voters will be voting on a Supreme Court Justice, as well as Commonwealth and Superior Court Judges. As Spotlight PA points out, candidates that typically win Commonwealth or Superior Court Judgeships are often considered down the line for the state’s Supreme Court, so these races are really a game of dominos. Regardless, these races are partisan – no like, distinctly parisian, not this read between the lines sitch we see elsewhere – and endorsements are already flying ahead of the May 16 primary (did you mark your cal yet??). This will give you the quick skinny on Commonwealth and Superior Court candidates, and this will give you the 411 on the state Supreme Court candidates.

Keeping Up With The Candidates

Keeping Up With The Candidates is back this week on @girlandthegovthepodcast. The series hosts 15-minute interviews with candidates on their campaign’s basics – where they’re running, what they’re running for, what their campaign is about, and more. The latest line-up includes:

• Jade Harris, Candidate for Virginia State Senate | April 5, 2023, 1:00pm EST

• Gracie Torres, Candidate for Riverside County Supervisor | April 10, 2023, 1:00pm EST

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

Step into the Political Podcasting Game

Thinking about dipping a toe into podcasting? Already have a podcast but not sure how to take it to the next level? Girl and the Gov® can help bring it from daydream to reality. The company’s podcast consulting service is designed to assist political organizations, thought leaders, and elected officials launch podcasts unique to their expertise and target audience. The service is built to be comprehensive in nature, and covers everything from structural design to best practices to graphics, and launch strategy. The offering menu includes an option for every step of the way, all which start with a Discovery Call:

• BYOP, Build Your Own Podcast: Girl and the Gov®’s Build Your Own Podcast service is designed to bring podcasts from the ideation phase to launch. This is built for clients who’ve determined that they are going to start a podcast and need help navigating how to do it.

• The Brainstorm Sesh: Girl and the Gov®’s Brainstorm Sesh service is designed to walk potential podcasters through their moodboard of ideas and help them determine what next steps they want to take – to take the step into podcasting or to keep thinking on big ideas. This is for clients considering podcasting but have not launched a podcast yet.

• 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.

Book a Discovery Call today.

Social Media, From Zero to Hero

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 Girl and the Gov®’s Social Media Audits.

#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 you can subscribe here.

Other tings of note on the comms front:

For pitches, PR, partnerships, and collaborations, and more, send all details to [email protected].