The Gov Hub Newsletter: March 17, 2025

TLDR: what a goddamn shit show

Author

Gov Hub
March 17, 2025

Welcome to The Gov Hub Newsletter by Girl and the Gov® – a Dem tent weekly that shares action items you can do from your phone, good political news, civic engagement tools and topics, and a little dose of political goss too, right to your inbox.  

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GOOD NEWS BEARS

Positive political wins [yes, those do exist]

PA PLUGS A RECORD NUMBER OF ABANDONED & ORPHANED TOXIC WELLS: Led by the Shapiro Admin, the state of PA has plugged a record number of abandoned and/or orphaned wells across the state. Wells of this nature, once used for oil production, are now better known for leaking and releasing methane emissions, causing health and environmental issues. Per the state, 300 wells have been plugged thus far into the Shapiro Admin, which equals out to be more wells plugged in the last two years than in the last eleven years total. The initiative has more work to go, with 27,000 wells having been identified in need of remedy.

NY GOV. HOCHUL ANNOUNCES $20M IN GRANTS FOR NEW PARKS & REC AREAS: Made possible by the Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act, $20 million has now been made available to help communities across the state build new parks and improve existing outdoor recreational infrastructure. Governor Hochul’s admin has announced that applications for specific project funding will open this week on the 19th, with more details here. The funds can be used for a range of outdoor rec projects, from boating areas to hiking trails, and more. Towns, cities, counties, and villages can apply, with the maximum grant allowance being $1M.

FULL SEND…TO A FRIEND

Stories that are just about guaranteed to make it to the group chat

  • During the ‘24 presidential campaign, Trump promised that he could end the Ukraine war in a day. It’s now many days past that window, and he’s making the claim that he was “being sarcastic” when he made the promise to end the war in 24 hours. 

  • On that jobs note, military spouses have been a part of the mass federal firings, making times even tougher on military families, and of course putting into question both military readiness and retention.

  • Trump’s USDA took chainsaw to $11.3M in funding for a program that sustained farmers and the hungry children in Iowa. The program paid farmers to provide locally grown produce to schools – something that kept the lights on for farmers, the food on the table for kids, and actually made America healthier directly via veggies.

  • Also getting the axe is a $1 billion program that protects affordable housing and enables seniors living on small social security checks to have a roof over their heads. Per reporting by PBS, the program is vital to repairing the affordable housing that does actually exist, something that has become increasingly hard to find.

  • Okay, we’re running out of tools to reference here, but the Trump Admin ALSO took a hacksaw to the funding for seven different gov agencies via executive order. They include:

    • Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service

    • U.S. Agency for Global Media

    • Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in the Smithsonian Institution

    • Institute of Museum and Library Services

    • U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness

    • Community Development Financial Institutions Fund

    • Minority Business Development Agency

CHRONICALLY ONLINE

Politics meets social media

  • Trump’s Secretary of Commerce said in this interview that if a recession happened it would be “worth it.” He also pre-blamed Biden for it – you know the guy that hasn’t been president since the end of January. And in a similar vein, Treasury Secretary Bessent said that “there are no guarantees” when it comes to a possible US recession.

  • Gay Valimont shared her story with potential voters on the campaign trail - detailing her experience as a caregiver to both her son and husband.

BOOKMARK IT

Save it, send it

PA IS HIRING → The latest state led by a Dem governor to say “we want to hire you,” is now Pennsylvania. The state has set-up a dashboard for former federal workers that are interested in applying to jobs in PA. Take a lap around the site here. 

ILLINOIS IS HIRING → The state of Illinois has job openings and they’re looking to fill them. Take a look through what jobs are available now, here.

NY IS TAKING COMPLAINTS ON DRUG PRICE INCREASES → Via the Hochul Admin, the state of New York has officially launched a way for consumers to report spikes in drug prices. For those seeing a mega jump in prices, you can create a NY.Gov account and submit it here. Paper complaints can also be filed.

TOP OF THE EARBUDS

Listen, watch, learn

  • Former Senator Jon Tester has a new podcast that he co-hosts with journalist Maritsa Georgiou. Three eppys are out so far and include a current Senator and former White House ethics counsel amongst the show’s guests.

→ Considering starting a pod? Looking to be booked ON podcasts? Have a pod and are not sure how to get it in front of your target audience? Girl and the Gov® can help with all of that and beyond. Explore options here.

CATACLYSMIC CORRUPTION

Mostly stories that involve Elon and his besties

  • In a plot twist many could’ve predicted, Elon’s SpaceX has spent $1.8 billion in building out the groundwork for launching a Starship in partnership with the U.S. Space Coast. 

  • Trump is now claiming that the pardons issued by former President Biden are now void because Biden had signed them via “auto-pen” instead of a physical pen. This claim almost makes sense given that guy was born in basi the stone ages, but presidents have been using auto-pens for years and years according to this reporting.

  • Trump’s border czar Tom Homan went on Fox News to say that “he doesn’t care what the judges think” when asked about going against a judge that ruled on a hold re: the use of the Alien Enemies Act. Rough translation: they’re breaking the law and they don’t care.

  • It turns out that “drill baby drill” really just means more pollution and water contamination for Texans, a reality that more LoneStar State dwellers are dealing with as oil production is on the up and up.

EXTREMISM

…that’s the tweet [or the x]

  • ProPublica has reported on how Terrorgram was used to prompt white supremacist hate around the world, and how even when one platform shut down or reformed, another pops up.

THE ACTION ITEMS

Get ‘em done from your phone

ACTION 1 – SOCIAL SECURITY

The Ask: Tell Congress not to GUT and kill social security.

The Background: Millions of Americans rely on their lifetime earned social security benefits to keep a roof over their heads, food on their tables, and the lights on. Failing to protect these hard-earned benefits that people have paid into should not be an option Congress even considers no matter what Elon says on a whim.

ACTION 2 – EDUCATION DEPT

The Ask: Tell Congress to save the Department of Education.

The Background: Last week, 50% of the Department of Education’s workforce was fired, putting into danger funding and protections for students with disabilities. Shuttering the department is not the move, it’s just simply harmful. Tell Congress.

ACTION 3 – VOTING

The Ask: Check your voter registration status.

The Background: Don’t be late on this or to a reservation that requires that everyone in the party show up to be seated – because that’s annoying AF.

BACK ON OUR BILLSH*T

VERMONT, ICE: State Senator Becca White intro’d a bill - S.44 - that would prevent any local law enforcement agency from entering into an agreement with ICE without the governor’s approval. Specifically, the bill would require that the Governor directly approve any possible agreement that could be entered into by state, county, or municipal law enforcement agencies and ICE. The bill has passed the state senate and now goes to the state House for consideration.

KENTUCKY, LGBTQA+: Kentucky’s GOP-led state leg passed HB 495 with a veto-proof majority. The bill strikes down Dem. Governor Beshear’s ban on conversation therapy – yes, you read that right. It also bans Kentuckians on Medicaid from being able to access gender-affirming care.

TENNESSEE, MONSANTO: If you remember this documentary on Monsanto, you’ll know why this GOP-sponsored bill – the Monsanto Protection Act’ is bad news. The bill, if passed, would protect pesticide manufacturers from lawsuits related to the harm done by their products. 

WHEN IN DOUBT, VOTE THEM OUT

!! GATG Merch !!

ELECTION SZN

2026 Dem Campaigns Loading

  • WISCONSIN: Rebecca Cooke announced that she’s running for Congress round 2 against a GOP incumbent.

  • TEXAS: Isaiah Martin announced that he’s running for a Texas Congressional seat. 

*inclusion does not indicate an endorsement

KEY READS

Important stories from around the USA

  • Washington Examiner: AOC’s opposition to Schumer on spending fight fuels Senate primary speculation

  • AP: Tariffs on lumber and appliances set stage for higher cost new homes and remodeling projects

  • CNBC: After Elon Musk’s Delaware exit, state lawmakers weigh bill to overhaul corporate law

BEFORE YOU GO…

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