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- The Gov Hub Newsletter: March 31, 2025
The Gov Hub Newsletter: March 31, 2025
RFK Jr. fat shames the Gov. of WV, Elon allegedly tries to buy votes in Wisconsin, & a GOP candidate for Gov. in Virginia BTS audio leaks (big yikes)
Gov Hub
March 31, 2025
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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]
DC BANS CHILD MARRIAGE: Joining just 13 states and two U.S. territories, D.C. has banned child marriage. The legal allowance for marriage is now 18 in the district with no exceptions. Per details shared from Unchained At Last, this particular legislative directive closed a loophole that had allowed parents to marry off their children that were aged 16 or 17 by simply signing on the dotted line. The fight to ban child marriage in all states and territories is an uphill one, with advocates facing these challenges.
CA GOV. NEWSOM AWARDS $76M IN GRANTS TO PROTECT HOUSES OF WORSHIP & NONPROFITS FROM VIOLENCE: In the face of an increase in hate-based violence, Governor Newsom and the California state legislature teamed up to increase funding to the State Nonprofit Security Grant Program to $76 million, providing awardees with funds for security measures – think: reinforced doors, gates, security lighting, etc. Over 1,600 organizations applied for this funding, with 347 being awarded grant money to enhance their physical security. The program is highly competitive and has existed to help orgs that are targeted based on race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, or immigration status, since 2015.
NY GOV. HOCHUL ANNOUNCES AVAIL OF $1.35M IN GRANTS FOR ORGS THAT SERVE VETERANS: In New York state, the Veterans’ Nonprofit Capital Program has received a third round of capital grants [$1.35M] that orgs serving veterans, service members, and military families can apply for starting in April 2025. The goal of the funding is to ensure that orgs can fully serve those that utilize their programs and services, as well as to help modernize their infrastructure in a way that enhances their ability to deliver top quality services to the communities they serve.
QUICK CLAPS
Dem Electoral Wins
James Malone flipped a PA state Senate seat in a district that Trump won in November by 15pts.
Dan Goughnour flew to victory in a PA state House race, winning the Dems a tiny majority in the lower chamber.
On the ballot measure end of things, voters in Louisiana rejected all four of GOP Governor Landry’s wish-list constitutional amendments, which included changes to tax and budget laws, as well as juvenile incarceration.
FULL SEND…TO A FRIEND
Stories that are just about guaranteed to make it to the group chat
After the EIC of The Atlantic dropped the screenshots of the group chat featuring headliners VP JD Vance, Pete SecDef Hegseth, and National Security Advisor, Michael Waltz discussing war plans on Signal, Hegseth tried to claim that they weren’t “war plans.” Congresswoman, candidate for Governor of NJ, and former Navy pilot, Mikie Sherrill, set the record straight by highlighting the exact parts of the chat that were war plans.
Turns out Signal-gate participant, National Security Advisor, Michael Waltz, is unfamiliar with the online security practices a public official of his position should practice – having left his Venmo on public mode. Per this screen-recording of his ‘friends list’ from WashingtonProbs, his friends list is filled with journalists.
To keep the pulse on Signal-gate, there are questions as to whether or not texting in an unsecured group chat of 18 people was a violation of the Espionage Act and the Federal Records Act. There are also worries about one of the members of the GC, Ukraine and Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff, who was in Moscow at the time of the chitchat. It gets all the crazier with the PSA that the NSA had sent an operational security bulletin in Feb 2025 that warned of Russian hacking groups using the app to gain access to convos on Signal.
Trump announced a 25% tax [tariff] on foreign-made cars and auto parts [tl;dr: a lot of cars manufactured in the U.S. use foreign-made parts] that will start in April. He then was quoted this wknd in a phone interview saying that he “couldn’t care less” if foreign automakers raise their prices as a result.
Trump signed an executive order ending the collective bargaining rights for over 700K federal workers that take part in the national security apparatus. The order accuses the federal workers union of “waging a war against Trump’s agenda.” In other words, Trump is BIG mad that they’re suing his Admin for using DOGE to illegally fire thousands of federal workers.
CHRONICALLY ONLINE
In GOP-on-GOP crime, RFK Jr. fat shamed WV Governor Morrisey at an event together, telling the audience that he challenged the Gov to lose 30lbs and do public weigh-ins. Before he said that, he also dropped that when he first saw Morrisey he asked if “Governor Morrisey had eaten Governor Morrisey.”
Rep. Victoria Spartz [R-IN] made a wildly untrue claim at her town hall, saying “you violated the law, you are not entitled to due process.” Dem Rep. Ritchie Torres has responded, explaining the literal point and reason for due process. Anyways, here she is getting booed for supporting DOGE.
2025 is an election year in Virginia, and a GOP candidate for Governor, current Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears was caught on audio saying that she didn’t get why Virginians were upset about being fired by DOGE – mind you, VA is home to one of the highest percentages of federal workers. BTW, the Dem running is Fmr. Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger.
Rep. Jared Moskowitz [D-FL] presented a new way of sharing moments of bipartisan agreement in a committee hearing last week… by showing the fist, American flag, and fire emojis featured in the leaked war plans Signal chat. Special appearances by Rep. Jamie Raskin [D-MD] and Rep. Thomas Massie [R-KY].
In a hearing related to Republicans' aim to defund Sesame Street and axe PBS and NPR, Rep. Robert Garcia [D-CA] presented the questions on everyone’s mind: “Is Elmo a communist?” “Do RFJ Jr.’s plans discriminate against pro-cookie voters?” and more.
Rep. Stansbury [D-NM] took to the House floor to lambast Republicans for their bizarre use of time spent on “saving the American people from the scourge of walk-in coolers” that come in the form of energy efficiency standards for fridges. She also suggests all of the things they could be focusing on instead – like stopping the economic free fall happening.
Senator Chris Murphy [D-CT] received a thoughtful question from a young student at his town hall on providing free school lunch. It’s giving maybe the kids… are alright?
SPECIAL ELECTION 411
Deats to note
April 1 is no joke this year in Wisconsin with three big moments for the future of democracy happening on the ballot – a state supreme court seat, the superintendent of Public Instruction, and a voter ID Q. This is the Dem cheat sheet.
The same goes in Florida with two special elections happening for two open Congressional seats. cues announcer voice Over in FL’s 6th District is Dem Josh Weil and over in FL’s 1st District is Dem Gay Valimont, both of which are gunning to flip two super red districts.
And if you’re wondering how the Republicans are viewing these possible flips, Trump just yanked GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik’s nomination to be the Ambassador to the UN over worries that the GOP could lose that seat in what would’ve been a special election to replace Stefanik.
CATACLYSMIC CORRUPTION
Mostly stories that involve Elon and his besties
Elon is so obsessed with winning the power of the bench with tomorrow’s state supreme court race in Wisconsin, he allegedly breached Wisconsin election law by offering $1M checks to two voters that would turn out to do his electoral bidding at the polls. As a man who twirls silverware at the dinner table does, he made his announcement on Twitter, before hitting the delete button once AG Josh Kaul caught wind of it. AG Kaul is now suing Elon over the alleged attempt to buy votes.
In Wallkill, NY, the town’s GOP-led board has canceled the election for an open town judge seat that they feared they would lose because the Dems were running a candidate for it. The Orange County Dems will be taking them to court for wasting taxpayer money and taking voters' voices away.
The cringe-crypto bros [really all of them but in this case the older Trump sons] are launching a new digital coin that enables cash flow and no oversight. In the world of complicated but corrupt, a GOP-led bill that aimed originally to lightly regulate stablecoins, if passed, would actually have the potential to put more crypto cash in the Trump’s wallet. The bill would require Dems to get on board, which ATM is looking like a no.
DefSec Hegseth has made meetings with foreign military counterparts a family affair, bringing his wife with him for at least two meetings. While there’s a chance it comes out of a worry he’ll cheat as he’s done in the past, there’s also questions as to his wife’s security clearance.
Trump’s executive order on elections is causing chaos, confusion, and fears about 2026. This is how the WA State’s Secretary of State Steve Hobbs is reacting to the EO’s conflicts with state election law.
HEALTH & WELLNESS
In the club, we’re all sick
The Trump Admin has canceled a grant that funded research on protecting pregnant women from their number one killer in the U.S. – domestic violence by a partner. The two-year project was canceled under the guise of being “DEI.”
RFK Jr. has BIG plans, and those plans are to fire the entire staff of the Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/Aids Policy. Also on the MAHA chopping block is the advisory committee on combatting anti-biotic resistant bacteria and the National Vaccine Advisory Committee.
On the vaccine topic, anti-vaxxer David Geier, who thinks that vaccines cause autism [has been debunked] has been hired by HHS to reopen investigations into these debunked claims.
Dr. Peter Marks, who has been in charge of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research resigned on Friday [it was that or be fired]. On his decision, he cited RFK Jr.'s “misinformation” and DGAF POV on “truth and transparency.”
Per a leaked memo, it’s been reported that the USDA’s Research Services has banned the use of the terms “safe drinking water,” “climate,” and “vulnerable” amongst others, despite the department literally being in charge of ensuring that crops are safe to eat.
In the midst of the bad news, there’s this good news – a new period pantry has opened in West Philly, which will provide free period products for those in need. The goal is to reduce period poverty, which keeps girls and women out of school, work, and from living their lives.
EXTREMISM
…that’s the tweet [or the x]
In a bid to be the creepiest conference out there, The Natal Conference is offering a $10K/person ticket to a “match-making weekend” with the goal of “repopulating the earth.” Not to fear, there will apparently be onsite ministers to marry people…how romantic.
In Georgia, a 24-year old woman was arrested for having a miscarriage, something that happens in 10-20% of all pregnancies.
In a move to re-write history, Trump signed an executive order going after The Smithsonian, ordering them to “remove improper ideology” i.e. in translation anything that sheds light on the country’s varied and sometimes dark history.
BACK ON OUR BILLSH*T
Bills, bills, bills
FEDERAL, TSA: Senators Mike Lee [R-UT] and Tommy Tuberville [R-AL] want to privatize airport security and get rid of the TSA, which is their goal with this bill that they collab’d on. If you were alive during 9/11, you might remember what airport security looked like before it – it was run by private contractors hired mostly by the different airlines. One of the two hooligans Senators, Mike Lee asked Twitter who supposed his bill. Rep. Moskowitz [D-FL] responded with “Bin Laden.”
MISSOURI, DIVORCE: The Missouri state leg is making moves on a bipartisan bill that would clarify the state’s divorce laws, which currently don’t allow for divorces to be finalized while a partner is pregnant. The law as-is is more than just an inconvenience, it prevents victims of domestic abuse from being able to leave their abusive partners.
THE ACTION ITEMS
Get ‘em done from your phone
ACTION 1- LIBRARY FUNDING
The Ask: Tell Congress not to cut funding for the Institute for Museum and Library Service.
The Background: Reading is fundamental, and so are the resources that libraries provide, including access to the internet, training programs, community events, and more. Cutting funding to havens of community resources hurts kids, families, and communities at-large.
ACTION 2 - FUNDING FOR IDEA & TITLE I
The Ask: Tell Congress to pass The Keep Our Pact Act [S.343H.R.869].
The Background: The Keep Our Pact Act would provide funding for ten years to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act [IDEA] and Title I of the Every Student Succeeds Act.
BOOKMARK IT
Save it, send it
THE NYC MEASLES MAP: This map won’t help you figure out the maze that is Fulton St. Station, but it does outline, by neighborhood, the vaccination rate for measles. Some of the low rates are giving us…goosebumps. Check the map, find your neighborhood, phone a friend – or put it in your Signal group chat.
THE DOS & DON’T FOR TALKING TO A CULT-MEMBER: Cults come in many forms, including political. This dos and don’ts guide on how to get through to them can help with trying to chat with that relative who believes everything they see on the internet [or that particular entertainment tv channel].
TOP 2024 CAMPAIGN DONORS LIST: OpenSecrets dropped the list of the biggest individual donors in the ‘24 election cycle. The top seven in this chart are GOP donors, so that might answer many of the post-election questions boppin’ around your noggin. The same goes for this chart on who is dominating the media.
KEY READS
Important stories from around the USA
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