The Gov Hub Newsletter: June 24, 2024

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Gov Hub
June 24, 2024

Welcome to The Gov Hub Newsletter by Girl and the Gov®. This weekly pop of politics is designed to share action items, resources, & quick links to civic engagement tools & topics. Find a typo? Congrats, today is your lucky day.

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THE ACTION ITEMS

Get ‘em done from your phone

ACTION 1 – PLASTIC POLLUTION

The Ask: Tell Congress to pass the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act.

The Background: The Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act is a comprehensive bill designed to tackle the many pieces of the plastic pollution puzzle. A few of the bill’s mainstays include requiring that corporations take responsibility, create production reduction targets for single-use plastics and beverage containers, a nationwide beverage container refund program, ban beverage containers made with top toxic chemicals, and much more.

ACTION 2 – TITLE IX PROTECTIONS

The Ask: Tell Congress not to roll back the finalized Biden-Harris Administration Title IX protections for the LGBTQ+ Community.

The Background: The GOP has been going through all of the motions to hit uno reverse on finalized Title IX protections via way of the Biden-Harris Administration that protect LGBTQ+ students from discrimination in schools. Yes, during Pride Month of all months, this is what they’re up to. Alas, send ‘em a no thank youuuu, next on trying to reverse these vital protections.

ACTION 3 – MARIJUANA 

The Ask: Tell all governors to pardon marijuana possession convictions. 

The Background: If you read last week’s Gov Hub, you’ll know that Maryland Governor Wes Moore pardoned 175,000 people convicted of low-level marijuana-related charges. More governors need to follow suit. Tell yours to get on board if they haven’t yet.

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’re living in a two-years-post-Roe world, and this run-through gives the skinny on abortion access [or lack thereof] per state since that fateful day.

  • Librarians are pillars of our communities, and their job title simply does not even begin to cover all of the hats they wear, like these.

  • Take a BTS look at what it looks like putting together and shooting a campaign video with Michigan State Rep. Jaime Churches.

  • File this under almost slipped under the radar on a hot summer day – a law went into effect in NY state that requires breastfeeding parents to receive paid half-hour breaks to pump for the first three years of a child’s life. The law applies to private and public workers.

GOOD NEWS BEARS

Positive political wins [yes, those do exist]

BIDEN-HARRIS ADMIN’S DOT FINALIZES NEW RULE REQUIRING RAILROADS TO DISCLOSE HAZARDOUS MATERIAL: With eyes on improving safety for first responders, the U.S. Department of Transportation [DOT]’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration [PHMSA] have finalized a rule that would require railroads to provide those responding to a train derailment with immediate and proactive information on the hazardous cargo on board. Details required for reporting include the location of the materials on board, the quantity, the train’s origin and destination, emergency contacts details, and more. The goal is to ensure that regardless of cell service needed to use the AskRail Mobile app or the railroad’s size/scale, that first responder knows what they’re walking into, the risks at hand, and how to best protect themselves. The rule builds on additional new rail safety rules made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

MARYLAND UNVEILS NEW ONLINE SYSTEM THAT LETS SEXUAL ASSAULT SURVIVORS TRACK EVIDENCE: In a move with the goal of achieving accountability, transparency, and justice for sexual assault survivors, Maryland state officials have rolled out a new online system that lets survivors and advocates track their case evidence via barcode. Via the new system, survivors will be able to see where their kit is in the process – whether there’s been progress or not. Per move the kit makes, it will be scanned. According to reporting from CBS News, all new kits that are created post-site launch already have a barcode, while the state is working to add barcodes to past kits. The goal is for all barcodes to be added by 2025.

SCOTUS UPHOLDS ABILITY TO BAN DOMESTIC ABUSERS FROM OWNING GUNS: Did you hear that? That was the collective sigh of relief felt [and continuing] following SCOTUS ruling on U.S. v Rahimi, a case that put a law limiting the ability for domestic abusers to own guns, under fire. The court ruled 8-1 that the domestic abusers ban does not violate the second amendment i.e. the Constitution. Given the court’s expansionist lens on gun rights as of late and a ‘must pass a historical muster test’ vis à vis its ruling on New York state’s concealed-carry restrictions, this is a B I G win. The only dissenter in the case – the ‘1’ on the list – was Justice Clarence Thomas. 

GAY & TRANS PANIC DEFENSE BAN BILL ADVANCES IN MICHIGAN STATE: It’s good-news-bears-in-progress in Michigan, with the state Senate advancing a bill that would ban what is known as the “gay panic” defense and “trans panic” defense. Specifically, the bill would outlaw the use of either “defense” to explain away a person’s crimes [ex: murder]. As explained by The Hill, “evidence of the discovery of, knowledge about, or potential disclosure of an individual’s actual or perceived sex, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation” is not admissible to demonstrate “reasonable provocation” or to show that an act was committed in the “heat of passion.”The bill – HB 4718 – passed with bipartisan support, and is expected to head to Governor Whitmer’s desk once it gets a stamp of approval in the state House.

NEW WHITE HOUSE POLICY AIMS TO KEEP FAMILIES TOGETHER: ICYMI last week, President Biden in conjunction with the Department of Homeland Security announced a new policy that will be rolled out this summer that aims to protect the undocumented spouses of American citizens, as well as their children. An estimated noncitizen 500,000 spouses and 50,000 are expected to benefit from the action, which will provide a path to permanent residency in the US without having to leave the country first. With that, the policy has been dubbed “Keep Families Together.” As shared by the White House, those eligible, will as of June 17, 2024 to have resided in the US for 10 or more years, be legally married to a U.S. citizen, and hit all the required legal parameters. Applicants that get the thumbs up from DHS will then have three years to apply for permanent residency and will be eligible for work authorization for those three years.

BIDEN SIGNS BIPARTISAN MISSING CHILDREN’S ASSISTANCE REAUTHORIZATION ACT: The bipartisan Missing Children’s Assistance Reauthorization Act was signed into law by President Biden, renewing funding for the MCAA through the 2028 fiscal year, as well green lighting updates to the law as it relates to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children [NCMEC]. NCMEC, which receives funding via the law to execute on its nonprofit mission of “finding missing children, reducing child sexual exploitation, and preventing child victimization,” will be able to expand on its duties, providing more support services to families. The updated law also includes new reporting requirements missing from state-sponsored care.

HGW LISTENS

Hit play on these pods

  • When there always seems to be bad news bears happening, and chaos at every turn, voters get… well, you can fill in the blank on that one and learn more about how the right-wing suppresses the will of the voters [the people, let’s BFFR] on this episode of Defending Democracy with guest Ari Berman.

  • Don’t call your ex, call your Senator, New Yorker’s – specifically Senator Gillibrand on a monthly basis via the Brian Lehrer Show where she shares insights on what’s going on big issues and answers q’s from listeners. The latest eppy discusses the bump stock bill. 

ELECTION SZN 2024

Guides, chatter, who’s who

  • The man in second place for the world’s worst spray tan, RFK Jr. did not qualify for the reality tv show presidential debate. His reaction was also Trump-esque, toddler tantrum calling the failure to launch aka get the opportunity to yap at a podium, “undemocratic, un-American, and cowardly.”

  • She’s baaaaaaaaack!! And when we mean she, we mean the ERA amendment, which is back on the ballot in NY state for November. Voters will decide on the abortion rights and discrimination-focused BM at the polls.

MERCH ME UP

The Gov Club Merch Collection Drops New Additions

The Collection has been expanded from the classic Gov Club sweatshirt to include a cozy long sleeve t-shirt, a French terry navy crewneck, and a cutie lil’ crop top. Shop all of the options here.

BACK ON OUR BILLSH*T

Bills, bills, bills – all bipartisan

FEDERAL: Some trends are good, some trends are bad – the one where labor and delivery units closing more and more at rural and underserved hospitals fits into the ‘bad trend category.’ There is however a newly drafted bill designed to turn the trend around, and it’s aptly called the Keep Obstetrics Local Act. If passed, the bill would take aim at hospital reimbursements and staff retention issues by increasing Medicaid payment rates for labor and delivery services at eligible hospitals, providing standby payments needed to cover staff costs, address low-volume payment adjustments, and more.

NEW YORK: Particularly relevant given the current heatwave, this NY state bill – A09011 – which is being considered for signature by Governor Hochul would require a maximum allowable classroom temperature. Should a classroom reach 88 degrees or higher, it would need to be vacated, with the goal of keeping students and instructors safe from overheating. 

BOOKMARK IT

Don’t lose the link

CAMPAIGN PROMISE TRACKERS: CNN Politics has made tracking campaign promises from the big two – Biden and Trump – super duper easy to do. To see where Biden’s at in the promises-to-reality ratio, bookmark this. To see what Trumps’ second swing for a job as commander-in-chief promises-to-reality ratio, bookmark this.

GET #VIRAL…

…go viral

What content trends and social media marketing concepts work for political accounts? Find out weekly with #VIRAL, The Newsletter. The go-to resource for campaigns, electeds, and orgs across the Dem sphere, the newsletter provides the blueprint for winning social media content on today’s most important platforms. Give your team time back in their day, and your channels an upgrade.

KEY READS

Important stories from around the USA

  • RollCall: ‘Hospital at home’ gains bipartisan support but questions remain

  • NPR: U.S. goes after Mexican cartel leaders drug profits in fight against fentanyl 

  • The Cap Times: Do Wisconsin's elections have enough funding with one source cut off?

  • Politico: Conservatives rock race to replace McConnell with hardline push

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