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. PS this week’s is a long one - pop this page to the online version for the full uncut scoop.

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The Action Items

ACTION 1:

The Ask: Tell your [federal] representative to support the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2023.

The Action: Send this pre-written digital letter from Brady United to your rep.

The Background: We continue to battle gun violence and mass shooting tragedies every week in the US. Solving this issue is multi-faceted and includes expanding background checks. Cue, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2023, which would ‘establish new background check requirements for firearm transfers between private parties [i.e. unlicensed individuals]. The bill’s summary also shares that it would, ‘specifically prohibit a firearm transfer between private parties unless a licensed gun dealer, manufacturer, or importer first takes possession of the firearm to conduct a background check.’

ACTION 2:

The Ask: Tell Congress Justice Clarence Thomas must be impeached.

The Action: Sign this petition.

The Background: Corrupt Clarence’s list of corruption scandals keeps growing, and the guy has got to go. Tell Congress to make moves and show your support for impeaching the ol’ bugger. PS a little on the impeachment process here.

ACTION 3: California

The Ask: Share your support for SB 823 which would increase access to affordable electric vehicle [EV] charging for CA’s low-income families.

The Action: Sign onto this letter of support written in collaboration between Let’s Green CA & State Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas.

The Background: As the state [and country] move toward increasing the use of EVs, we need to make sure they’re accessible to everyone – and not just the cars themselves, the infrastructure for them to operate. In the world of EVs, that means charging stations. SB 823 would ‘allow eligible residents to use a discounted EV charging payment card at public chargers while paying the more affordable, residential EV rate they would otherwise receive if they had access to an at-home charger.’

Bookmark It

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

GIFFORD’S COURAGE ANNUAL GUN LAW SCORECARD: The US hasn’t been doing too hot on its report card(s) lately, and that includes an issue-specific report on gun laws per state. Gifford’s Courage, which works to create and pass common sense gun laws, puts out a yearly scorecard, sharing how each state’s gun laws fare. Unfun fact: most states get an F. They’ve found throughout the years that the states with better gun laws have rates of gun deaths. The math is mathing. There are loads of other findings in tow and an interesting spread across states. Find out where your state stands by checking out the scorecard – then bookmark it to go back and see where other states stand in comparison.

USA FACTS AIR QUALITY FACT SHEET: Look, if someone told us that Lake Havasu was going to be on the tip of our tongues every other week in 2023, we would’ve given you the hairy eyeball. But, here we are, where said place is making headlines, including for its air quality. This fact sheet takes a look at air quality across the US and is an interesting look at where we’re at – and where the writer of this newsletter will be bringing her inhaler fully puff puff ready.

HEAPS OF HEADLINES

A look into a few of the many headlines on the radar.

• One of the many SCOTUS cases that’s kept us up at night, Moore v. Harper has had a twist and turn. According to our friends at Democracy Docket, SCOTUS asked parties for briefs about whether it should still review the case or not…interesting. The case is a doozy, and if heard could be a democracy disaster.

• We have a theory at GATG that we call the Jen Shah Theory. The theory is that those who know they’re committing crimes that they know they will be caught for, seek fame out to protect themselves. The idea is that the more famous they are, the more beloved or followed, the more their fan base will help protect them when the law comes searchin’ with handcuffs in tow. This theory finds an application in West Virginia Governor Jim Justice’s run for Senate. The man and fam have legal and monetary troubles out the wazoo, but this hasn’t stopped JJ’s pursuit of Manchin’s seat in DC. If anything this move tells us there’s more to the story than these lawsuits and unpaid bills.

• If you’ve ever thought to yourself, “I really should get myself a sugar daddy,’ may we suggest knocking on Harlan Crow’s door? He’s been serving up sugar for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas in more ways than one, including paying for his grandnephew’s boarding school. At this point there are so many money trails, we decided a roundup was in order. 

• The loopholes that kill could be its own podcast series. If you take the idea and run with it, let us know. In the meantime, ProPublica has zero-ed in on a loophole in gun safety legislation that was designed to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers in Tennessee. What was found however, was that the gun dispossession process kicks in [when guns are to be removed from the abuser], the state allows the abuser to give their guns to a third party [ex: a friend or relative]. For reference, in other states, abusers that are ordered to give up their guns have to hand them over to law enforcement. Also different is that in many other states that allow for the third party approach, there are identification laws and other guardrails to better ensure those guns actually stay out of the hands of the abuser. In TN, the law trusts the abuser and the third party to do the right thing……cause they were so good at doing the right thing to start with? It’s a deadly loophole with consequences. And while we’re on the topic, Girl and the Gov, The Podcast will be hosting Texas Judge Monique Diaz [150th Civil District Court] to discuss domestic violence and the law. Have a question you want asked? Simply reply to this email [or hit us up in the DMs].

• While we’re on the topic of loopholes, we’d be remiss not to mention one Republicans are taking advantage of in Oregon – it’s one they’re using to stalemate votes on abortion, gender-affirming care, and gun control. How are they boycotting votes? By using a teeny tiny random AF law established 44 years ago that requires bill summaries to be written at the reader level of an 8th or 9th grader. So, yes, they’re saying that because the bill summaries are too beyond a middle school/early high school reading level that they can’t possibly vote on them. On one hand you could say they’re insulting their own ability to read. On another hand you could say that this plan has failure in the horizons because if the GOP members have more than 10 unexcused absences, they “will be banned from reelection under a ballot measure passed by 70% of Oregon voters last year..” At this point, all we can say is ‘someone pass the popcorn.’

Add to Cart

A few of our favorite things sung in Sound of Music tone to buy and try.

• This sweatshirt is perf for WFH, summer beach bonfires, and sharing the need for the Voting Rights Act.

• Time is money and money is time, and this comms tool lets you have more of both at the end of the day.

• The perfect gift(s) for moms do exist and they can all be found here.

• A wardrobe staple that highlights a right that should also be a staple, this sweater is everything – and goes with everything too.

• If you’re reading this newsletter, we’re going to assume that you’re on board with this sentiment and this sticker.

• Gender literacy learning made for the whole crew [i.e. crews of all shapes and sizes] can come to a computer near you via Schuyler Bailar’s Lane Changer courses.

New On Girl and the Gov, The Podcast

You may have heard of Tinx’s rich mom starter pack, but this episode is a better version of that concept – it's a working in DC starter pack. It’s basically a how-to on how to get your foot in the door in the world of DC political careers. Covering the networking do’s, the devil in the details of applying for jobs, and even the ups and downs of trying to find accommodations in the nation’s capital, this episode gets into it all. And who spills all of this incredibly useful tea? Jessica Gail, who works as the Communications Director for Congressman Swalwell [yes, yes you may know him from coming on the show – or a number of other notorious moments, like his run for president]. Jess started her career in journalism and made her way to DC, and has loads of advice for how to make it all happen and also deal with the wild atmosphere that is DC. This lil’ look at DC careers can be listened to on Apple Podcasts and Spotify Podcasts, and a look into the action can be viewed here:

@girlandthegov

Careers on Capitol Hill!!! #careertok #careertiktok #jobs #jobsearch #jobseeker

PS and BTW, this episode is audio only. On the topic of audio-only episodes, that would also include the pod’s Top Stories episodes, which provides an inside look at the top political stories to keep an eye on. Last week’s, which includes more than a few stories dedicated to Disney Adult, Ron DeSantis, can be listened to here and here. More stories are en route to airwaves near you, with a fresh slice of political life dropping tomorrow.

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.

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, which this week, include these:

RHODE ISLAND: Positive progress out of the Ocean State with H. 5371 being approved by the House, which if passed into law would ensure domestic workers receive a fair wage. The backstory is tres interessant – the state’s minimum wages is currently $13/hour and is set to hit $15/hour by 2025, but that doesn’t include domestic workers which only received $7.25/hour. This ‘you can’t sit with us,’ behavior doesn’t sit well with us and it didn’t with the representative behind the bill, Leonela Felix. Domestic workers also are overwhelmingly women and people of color, and leaving the pay rate at $7.25/hour leaves them behind. H. 5371 aims to change that.

OREGON: HB2676 would expand the tools available to survivors of domestic violence in the state. The bill would provide victims with strangulation kits that would identify and document the violent act. According to reporting by KGW8 and testimony by the mom behind the bill, strangulation injuries are often invisible and thus challenging to prosecute, despite their incredibly deadly implications. This loophole of sorts keeps dangerous abusers on the streets. Strangulation kits would be used the way rape kits are used, and could help put perps behind bars.

FEDERAL: Baaaaby, it’s back – a bill to protect election workers. Reintroduced by Senator Klobuchar and Senator Durbin, the leg, S. 1318 is designed to provide states with more resources to recruit, train, and ensure the safety of election workers – something that team MAGA has made rather challenging in recent years. Specifically, the bill would bring this framework to life through grants for state and local govts. It would also expand ‘federal penalties for threatening, intimidating, or doxxing election workers.’

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. And that is very much the case with this roundup, which will be finding their way right into your group chat.

• TEXT MESS TO TEXT SUCCESS: No one tries harder to hit a word count than a second semester senior with their final essay or a campaign drafting a fundraising text. And both have mediocre results at best. For the fundraising and other related campaign texts, the GATG team gives them makeovers in a TikTok series aptly named ‘Text Mess to Text Success.’ We’re always on the lookout for new texts in need. Received one that needs a refresh or that’s just downright bad? Send us a screenshot at [email protected] with the subject line ‘text mess makeover’ for consideration.

• LOVE IS IN THE AIR: We love love, and the engagement of Montana Rep. Zooey Zephyr to activist Erin In The Morning has us in our feels, crying happy tears on happy tears.

@zoandbehold

This Friday, at queer prom, I asked @ErinInTheMorning to marry me. A year ago, I told Erin that I was looking for a love that felt like ho... See more

• MATT GAETZ IN FLIP FLOPS: We saw Matt Gaetz in flip flops and we can’t unsee it – so we’re making sure we’re not alone on this mental journey by looping you in on the mess as seen in a video of him coaching Ron DeSantis for 2018 debate prep. TBH, the Disney Adult kind of has Trump mannerisms…? Is it just us…?

• NO-FAULT DIVORCE ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK: Republicans are now coming for no-fault divorce in the party’s latest attack on women. No, like literally coming for the divorce qualification that allows women to walk away from marriages for any reason. No fault divorce makes it possible to seek a divorce without having to prove wrongdoing [ex: abuse or cheating] or having the literal consent of the partner they’re trying to divorce. It’s been lifesaving for women across this country and the state GOP’s are saying “nah we want to be able to control women – even more so.”

• ORANGE MAN COMMENTARY: Is the ambassador to bad spray tans fit to be president? William Barr, who served as attorney general under President Trump weighed in on the topic.

Election Szn

The following have said put me in coach for….

Candidate Watch ‘24

• Lateefah Simon is running for Congress in California’s 12th district [Congresswoman Barbara Lee’s seat]. Learn more about her campaign here.

• Congressman David Trone of Maryland is running for Maryland’s soon-to-be-open senate seat. Learn more about his campaign here.

• Montgomery County Council member Will Jawando is also running for Maryland’s Senate seat. Learn more about his campaign here.

• Congressman Colin Allred is challenging Ted Cruz and running for Senate in Texas. Learn more about his campaign here.

On The Calendar

• While the South Carolina legislature is one of the few states that picks their state supreme court judges, PA is not one. PA voters get to select their supreme court judges, and they will be heading to the polls this spring to decide who will fill a seat on the bench. If you’re a PA and proud voter, you’ll be showing up to the primary on May 16 and deciding between these humans. 

• Denver has a mayoral runoff on the books with this candidate up against this candidate. Ballots drop on May 15, so for our Denver readers, check your mailbox – don’t just throw it all in a pile that you ‘plan on dealing with at some point.’

D2C, Direct to Constituent, Event Edition:

CONNECTICUT: CT State Representatives Jennifer Leeper, Cristin McCarthy Vahey, and Sarah Keitt are hosting a meet and greet on Thursday, May 11, 2023 at the Little Pub in Fairfield, CT. The event will be hosted from 7:00-8:30pm EST. Full deats here.

ILLINOIS: Congressman Brad Schneider is hosting ‘Congress On Your Corner’ in Wheeling, Illinois on May 13, 2023 to answer constituents q’s. The event begins at 11am CDT. For the full deats and RSVP, check ‘em out here.

Quick Clicks – facts to read, grab & go with.

• In the US, this group makes up the largest Pacific Islander ethnic group.

• 926 moms are need to reach proportional representation in this legislature.

• This amount of baby boomers have no retirement savings.

• Homelessness is experienced differently around the country. This paints some of that picture.

• This poll shows support for raising the age you can purchase a gun from 18 to 21 in this state.

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. Take it for a spin and subscribe here.

Social Media, From Zero to Hero: 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.

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. Start your podcasting journey with a Discovery Call.

Other tings of note on the comms front:

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