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The Gov Hub Newsletter: January 29, 2024

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Gov Hub
January 29, 2024

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. Find a typo? Congrats, today is your lucky day.

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THE ACTION ITEMS

Jump right in

ACTION 1: Iowa

The Ask: Tell your state rep to nix HB2082, which would strip trans Iowans of their civil rights.

The Action: Send a note to your state rep using this form + send a comment to the subcommittee that will be holding a hearing on the bill on January 31, 2024.

The Background: The state rep that puts the sour in sauerkraut (he was a sauerkraut salesman) has introduced a vile bill that would remove all civil rights protections for transgender Iowans by removing gender identity as a protected class in the Iowa Civil Rights Act. In translation, that would remove protections in employment, credit practices, public accommodations, education, and housing. It’s a h-e-double hockey sticks no from us, dawg.

ACTION 2:

The Ask: Tell your [federal] reps to promote safe gun storage by passing Ethan’s Law.

The Action: Hit send on this note to your reps.

The Background: By the numbers – 

  • 76% of unintentional shootings of children were committed with unsecured guns from the home. 

  • 76% of school shootings are committed by a gun from the home. 

  • 80% of firearm suicides by children involved a gun belonging to a family member. 

The Biden-Harris Administration announced last week new actions and communications on safe storage via the Department of Education. These are steps in the right direction and communication is certainly key. What is needed to further protect individuals and communities are safe storage laws, like Ethan’s Law.

ACTION 3:

The Ask: Tell the U.S. Forest Service to finalize & strengthen rules that protect old-growth & mature forests.

The Action: Hit send on this note via EarthJustice.

The Background: Old-growth and mature forests are critical for protecting biodiversity and carbon absorption – a double whammy as they say. In December, the Biden-Harris Admin announced new actions on the 2023 commitment to protecting climate forests. That set of actions included a “first-of-its kind proposal from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to amend all 128 forest land management plans.” Now, it’s time to make sure those plans stan.

Looking for more action items? Check our library of past Gov Hub’s.

FULL SEND…TO A FRIEND

Just about guaranteed to make it to the group chat

  • We’ve gone back and forth over whether Senator Romney calling Trump out for calling Senators and members of Congress to stop a border deal to 1. Make Biden look bad 2. Be able to use it against Biden in his [Trump] campaign was on our 2024 bingo card or not. We’ll letcha know if we ever come to a decision on it [maybe]. As for Biden’s response on the sitch, this is it.

  • Papers shutting down is bad. Local news shutting down is bad. We need journalism and this explainer gives you the 1-2 on how it impacts communities, like how communities with local journalists have higher rates of civic engagement.

  • For your next DC trip, NOT visiting the National Museum of Women in the Arts would be an absolute sin – I mean, lewk at thissssss!

HGW LISTENS

Hit play on these pods

  • VP Harris sat down with Katie Couric to talk about abortion, the border, 2024, and so much more. Add it to your pod playlist here. 

  • This new game that popped up on the GATG radar asked the Q of ‘who actually works across the aisle?’ The answer is in this episode, which you add to your pod playlist, here.

  • What will it take to pass a bipartisan tax bill? Some thoughts and feels on that with this eppy of Politico Playbook  that you can add to your pod playlist.

BACK ON OUR BILLSH*T

Bills, bills, bills

FEDERAL: On the heels of deepfakes of Taylor Swift going viral, the conversation on the topic in Congress has gotten a fresh jump. Part of those convos is the proposed Preventing Deepfakes of Intimate Images Act. The bill, if passed, would make illegal to share deepfake pornography without consent. Of note, is this tidbit shared by the BBC, “Pornography consists of the overwhelmingly majority of the deepfakes posted online, with women making up 99% of those targeted in such content, according to the State of Deepfakes report published last year.”

INDIANA: There are three bills being considered that aim to ease child labor restrictions. One, HB1062 would give a doctor’s farmer’s note to exempted kids [emphasis, KIDS] that are at least 14-years old to be able to work in farm labor during school hours on a school day. The child would have to have a signed waiver from their parents, but for ref, federal child labor law doesn’t let minors under 16 work during school hours. 

TENNESSEE: Because what’s a day or a week without a bill being introduced that criminalizes abortion… HB1895, as shared by candidate for TN State House Allie Phillips who is running because of abortions bans, the bill would “criminalize anyone who brings a minor out of the state for an abortion.” 

GOOD NEWS BEARS

Positive political wins [yes, those do exist]

RULE CHANGE - DoD TO COVER IVF FOR UNMARRIED COUPLES + SINGLE TROOPS: In a positive step for fertility treatment access, the Defense Department has amended its former regulations on IVF, which has limited coverage of the treatment to legally married couples who used their own egg and sperm. Following a lawsuit filed last year, the DoD has turned a corner with a new policy that is set to roll out next month. The new policy will allow single troops, unmarried couples, and any service members using donor sperm or egg to have their treatment covered. Also, the new policy will allow service members in any relationship status to have their IVF covered. The other player in the lawsuit, the Department of Veterans Affairs, which presents different barriers to treatment has agreed to review its policies. The ‘jury’ is still out on what will happen on that front.

BIDEN-HARRIS ADMIN ANNOUNCES PAUSE IN APPROVALS OF LNG EXPORTS: As the great Miley Cyrus once said, “life is a climb,” and that certainly applies to making change in the climate crisis arena. It takes steps and processes, and steps and processes. One new step that has been checkmarked, and was one that had been advocated for by climate advocates, is the temporary pausing of approvals of liquefied natural gas exports. The pause will be in place until the Department of Energy “can update the underlying analysis for authorizations.” For more deats, Earth Justice has got it.

COLORADO REPRO RIGHTS COALITION BEGINS COLLECTING SIGNATURES FOR BM: Starting the process on what would’ve been the 51st anni of Roe v. Wade, a coalition of repro rights orgs in Colorado kicked off the petition signature process for a ballot measure that if passed, would enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution. The effort is proactive in nature – a breath of fresh air. In order for the ballot measure to make the ballot, the coalition must collect 124,000 valid signatures by April 26, 2024. The fine print: Those signatures must include 2% of the total registered voters in each of Colorado’s 35 state senate districts. To read the amendment, find where to sign a petition, or to volunteer, tap here.

HIT PLAY → NEW EPPY OF GATG

Diplomatic careers made possible by Mary-Kate & Ashley

In this eppy, Special Envoy for Global Youth Issues, Abby Finkenauer drops deats on her career journey, first as a state rep, then a member of Congress at age 28, and her current role in the State Department. The convo gets into what a Special Envoy does, how they’re appointed, and what a day in their life looks like. The eppy also zeroes-in on the focus of her particular department, looking at youth issues around the globe – naturally, diplomacy and yes, Mary Kate and Ashley make their way into this convo because Passport to Paris literally influenced her career. Iconic. Listen here on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or put it on the ‘big screen’ and watch the eppy on YouTube.

WAIT, WAIT UPDATE ME

ICYMI, a political ongoing of note

MISSISSIPPI GOP WOULD BRING BACK BALLOT INITIATIVES IF ABORTION ISN’T INCLUDED: Let’s BFR, ballot measures are the hottest on the block, and for good reason - they allow voters to directly decide on issues. And with their popularity and spotlight post-Roe, there have been attempts in Mississippi to bring back the ballot initiative process in the state. However, in the latest attempt, the GOP-run House approved a resolution that would bring ballot measures back, but that abortion would not be allowed to be brought to the ballot. And why is the all-male group of GOP’ers that decided this saying ‘you can’t sit with us’ to abortion on ballot measures? Because they’re bragging about how they championed the case that came before SCOTUS and overturned Roe v. Wade. So yea, they want to make direct democracy conditional…which IDK my bff not the GOP, sounds antithetical to that whole democracy thing?? Le sigh.

KEY STORIES TO HAVE ON YOUR RADAR

Stories from around the USA

  • Now This News: Texas School’s Punishment Black Student Who Wears Hair in Locks is Going to Trial

  • NPR: They watched 2 election workers face abuse, and it’s compelling them to serve in 2024

  • The Hill: Assisted living facilities fall short when caring aging US populations, witnesses tell senators

  • CBS: Senator Tammy Duckworth calls on FAA to reject Boeing’s request for safety waiver for the 737 Max 7

ATLAS

Stories from around the globe

  • CNN: Disturbing videos emerge showing atrocities against African ethnic groups in Darfur

  • PBS: Turkey formally ratifies Sweden’s NATO membership, leaving Hungary as the only ally yet to endorse it

  • AP: Haitians suffering gang violence are desperate after Kenyan court blocks police force deployment

  • The Guardian: Finland’s ‘DJ’ candidate hopes to become the country’s first Green and gay president

BEFORE YOU GO…

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