The Gov Hub Newsletter: October 28, 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 – PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

The Ask: Scroll for Kamala i.e. amplify messaging that supports the Dem ticket via comments, likes, shares, etc.

The Background: Instead of doom scrolling, play a pivotal role in increasing the reach of content on social media that promotes the Dem ticket. Pop on over to Scroll for Kamala to get the skinny on how to ‘social bank’ which translates to adding thoughtful comments to content on Instagram and TikTok that will help push the content to more people AND share a valuable insight to a viewer along the way. And, yes, it’s something you can do while you watch your shows.

ACTION 2 – CLEAN ENERGY

Brought to you by Vote Clean Energy 2024

The Ask: Pledge to be a clean energy voter this election szn.

The Background: This is the most important election in history for the clean energy industry. The stakes are high. This election will decide if we create more good clean energy jobs and lower energy costs or if we allow Donald Trump and his fossil fuel friends to reverse our progress. America cannot afford Donald Trump’s anti-clean energy Project 2025 agenda. Pledge to vote for clean energy candidates like Kamala Harris.

ACTION 3 – ELECTION PREP

The Ask: Research who and what is on your ballot.

The Background: TBH, this will take more time than the 30-60 second estimated completion time of most action items, but it will be well worth it when you know exactly what and who you’re voting for. See who/what is on your ballot with this tool, and then use profiles of candidates, Ballotpedia, candidate websites, op-eds, endorsements, and more to make a well-rounded decision per person/measure.

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

• In 1939 a Nazi rally was held at MSG. On October 27, 2024 Trump [known to praise Hitler] and his besties-in-alleged crime[s] held a rally at MSG. In this rendition of “haven’t we seen this movie before,” a speaker, Tony Hinchcliffe spewed a laundry list of racist sh*t, including referring to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage,” which is a mind-boggling insane take about an island of American citizens at what was dubbed a “pro america rally.” The backlash was swift, with Bad Bunny and JLo reacting on social media by endorsing Kamala Harris. As for how those endorsements could impact the race? This is the breakdown of Puerto Ricans by state, including swing states. 

• To play, let's continue the story here for a sec, this is VP Harris’s policy POV and outlook on building an opportunity economy for Puerto Rico. There was that time Trump threw paper towels during hurricane response though… basi same, same.

• Meanwhile in Houston, earlier in the weekend, Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland introduced VP Harris at a rally of 30,000 people where she discussed Trump’s plan to ban abortion nationwide. Rep. Colin Allred also discussed abortion on stage while encouraging voters to get to the polls to secure a win against Cancun Cruz.

• And then for a speech that cannot be missed, the mic goes to none other than Michelle Obama discussing the dangers that a Trump round two presidency would be for women in this country.

• Not to go negative vibes again on this Monday, but it turns out anti-illegal immigration talking head Elon Musk had worked in the U.S. illegally, violating the terms of his student visa. The hypocrisy is… something else, just like him pumping an estimated $132 million dollars into GOP candidate campaigns including Trump’s.

GOOD NEWS BEARS

Positive political wins [yes, those do exist]

PA GOV. SHAPIRO SIGNS BILL REQUIRING INSURANCE COMPANIES TO COVER SPEECH THERAPY FOR KIDS DIAGNOSED WITH STUTTERING: A ceremonial bill signing was held last week with PA Governor Josh Shapiro, former NBA star Michael Kidd-Gilchrist [advocate for stuttering awareness], and PA state Rep. Brandon Markosek to mark the passing of HB 2268. The bill now law that will go into effect in less than two months, and will enable families with children that have been diagnosed with stuttering to be able to access speech therapy sans the financial barriers [a typical sesh is ~$250/per]. The new law will require health insurance companies to cover speech therapy for children that are diagnosed, which is how the cost for families will be brought down.

OHIO JUDGE BLOCKS STATES 6-WEEK ABORTION BAN, PERMANENTLY: If you read that headline and went, “wait a sec, didn’t the voters bring back abortion rights last year with a ballot measure?” you’d be correct. However, the state’s attorney general has been trying to argue ever since that some of the state’s abortion ban provisions – like a two doctor appointment visit + 24 hour waiting period – are still valid even with the passing of the ballot measure. Abortion rights advocates have been pushing back on this via the courts and sustained a win late last week, with Judge Christian Jenkins, an Ohio county judge [Hamilton] blocking the state from enforcing the six-week abortion ban. The judge argued that the voters had spoken with the ballot measure and invalidated the abortion ban in full.

ELECTION SZN 2024

Guides, chatter, who’s who

• NY is in the hot seat – or rather the battle royales for its possible majority make or break House seats are heating up, including the race in NY's 17th district. The players: Republican Rep. Mike Lawler v. former Rep. Mondaire Jones [Dem].

• Speaking of House races that could literally determine which party holds the majority next year, Will Rollins in Southern California is in a dead heat with the 30+ year GOP incumbent Ken Calvert. And if you’re not sure who either really is as people or in terms of policy, hit this.

• The race to the finish for North Carolina attorney general is technically between two current members of the House – but if we’re going to add our two cents [hint: we are], it’s between an extremist who doesn’t believe in abortion exceptions and has never served as a public prosecutor, and Jeff Jackson – yes, that Jeff Jackson.

• If you or a friend or a friend of a friend, or most likely that guy on Hinge you’re talking to [not an ad], watched/listened to the Joe Rogan x Donald Trump interview, this is the AP Fact Check on the claims made throughout.

• The drama is unfolding in the Indiana governor’s race, which has seen Republican-on-Republican antics, a former Republican turned Dem gain ground, an ad with a doctored image, a range of other shenanigans. 

• A GOP activist came for the nuns in PA. THE NUNS??? THE NUNS. He falsely accused the Benedictine Sisters of Erie of not actually living at their address and therefore trying to drum up false voter fraud allegations. People really need to bring back hobbies.

HGW LISTENS

Hit play on these candidate interviews

Normally, this section provides podcast recs from ‘round the pod universe, but in this edition, it’s all about the candidate interviews from Girl and the Gov, The Podcast. Yep, we’re keeping it in-house this week and reminding YOU, yes, YOU to get up to speed on these candidates, and to get your friends in on what’s at stake with each. The quick hits here:

U.S. SENATE CANDIDATES

Maryland – Angela Alsobrooks | Listen Here

Texas – Colin Allred | Listen Here 

New Jersey – Andy Kim | Listen Here

Florida – Debbie Mucarsel-Powell | Listen Here

U.S. HOUSE CANDIDATES [INCUMBENTS]

Florida [10th District] – Rep. Maxwell Frost | Listen Here

Massachusetts [4th District] – Rep. Jake Auchincloss | Listen Here

Kentucky [3rd District] – Rep. Morgan McGarvey | Listen Here

New Jersey [11th District] – Rep. Mikie Sherrill  | Listen Here

U.S. HOUSE CANDIDATES  [NEWBIES]

California [41st District] – Will Rollins | Listen Here

Colorado [3rd District] – Adam Frisch | Listen Here

Idaho [1st District] – Kaylee Peterson | Listen Here 

GOVERNOR CANDIDATE

Montana – Ryan Busse | Listen Here

STATE HOUSE CANDIDATES [INCUMBENTS]

Michigan [District 27] – Rep. Jaime Churches | Listen Here

North Carolina [District 36] – Rep. Julie von Haefen | Listen Here

Vermont [District 14] – Rep. Mary-Katherine Stone | Listen Here

West Virginia [District 56] – Rep. Kayla Young | Listen Here

Oklahoma [District 93] – Rep. Mickey Dollens | Listen Here

STATE HOUSE CANDIDATES [NEWBIES]

Georgia [District 47] – Debra Shigley | Listen Here

Pennsylvania [District 137] – Anna Thomas | Listen Here 

…okay, and there’s these two eppys of note:

• This pep talk on how change is possible and why/how politics are personal with Maryland Governor Wes Moore.

• This explainer on what it means for the president to have the nuclear codes with FAS’s Eliana Johns and Mackenzie Knight.

FROM ‘ROUND THE ‘TOK

Quick catches of note

• Turns out there’s a tradition of writing a question for the VP candidate on an orange and “rolling” it down the aisle of the candidate’s plane to get their response. These reporters swapped an orange for a pumpkin and asked Tim Walz about his favorite olympic sport.

• Southern Charm fans will be delighted that this confessional with none other than T Rav on what elected offices he can run for [or not], is making its rounds. 

• Do men think Trump is manly? These men were asked and gave their two cents.

• For those still looking for a last-minute costume, may we recommend this creator’s “concepts of a costume” getup. 

• Politics will come up this week – even with people you don’t normally yap about it with. This guide will help you get through it.

ATTN: SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGERS

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KEY READS

Important stories from around the USA

• The Hill: ‘It’s astonishing:’ Fetterman likens Trump’s impact in Pennsylvania to Taylor Swift

• USA Today: Poll chaplains’ national mission: To protect the ‘sacred right’ to vote

• NBC: Biden apologizes for forced Native American boarding school policy that caused abuse and deaths of children

• Semafor: Editor resigns, subscribers cancel as Washington Post non-endorsement prompts crisis at Bezos paper

BEFORE YOU GO…

..say hello