November 2017 Bellringer

Transcription

1 November 2017 Bellringer Campaign Preview HTML Source Plain-Text Details President s Corner By Carol Fuller November 11 John Laird & Mark Stone California's Response to Trump Environmental Actions Election for new slate of DWC Officers will be held at this event. United Methodist Church 250 California Street Doors Open 10:00am Program Begins 10:30am Ends at Noon December 2 DWC Holiday Party We had an excellent October 21 program on the lives and challenges of farmworkers. Ann López, from the Center for Farmworker Families, told it like it is, and it is not pretty. Their lives are very difficult. With an average annual income of $13,000 to $17,000, farmworkers struggle to meet basic expenses like rent and food. This reality drives their teenage children into the fields, causing them to drop out of school. It perpetuates the cycle of poverty into the next generation. It is a harrowing story and it exists right here in our community. Our local state Senator Bill Monning spoke from his heart as well. He told us of his early years working for social justice during the Delano grape strike from , and the successful formation of the United Farm Workers labor union. But that was just the beginning of the struggle for a better life for the people who put food on our tables. Senator Monning spoke of the legislative history to try to gain better treatment for farmworkers, and the long struggle it has been, and continues to be. I think it is fair to 1/7

2 DWC Holiday Party Open to DWC members and their guests Invitation will be mailed. 11am struggle it has been, and continues to be. I think it is fair to say that all those in attendance at this meeting were touched by the difficulty of the farmworkers lives. You can view this program on YouTube here. SAVE THE DATE 2018 January 20 Roe v Wade Annual Brunch February 24 U.S. Congressional Races - Mike Rotkin March 31 DWC Endorsement Meeting 2017 COMMUNITY EVENTS November 4 Benefit for Habit For Humanity Jimmy Panetta For more information & to buy tickets click here November 18 Breaking the Binary Resource Center for Non- Violence For more information click here For more information on local events see the The DWC Board voted to recommend a $250 contribution to the Center for Farmworker Families. We will be voting on this contribution at our November 11th meeting. We will also be collecting material donations for the Center for Farm Worker Families at our holiday brunch on December 2nd. This is a party for members and their guests at the lovely home of one of our members. We will include a list of suggested donations in the invitation that will be mailed in mid-november. Congressman Jimmy Panetta also spoke at this meeting. As you can imagine it is not an easy time to be a Democrat in Washington. It is a tale of destruction and divisiveness. Congressman Panetta spoke of the U.S. s long history of leadership and how it is being eroded. In spite of this very partisan atmosphere, he sees some potential to pass legislation with bipartisan support. He said that his major reason for running for Congress was to serve his constituents on the Central Coast and reported that his office has had, in the first 9 months of the Trump administration, more than twice the correspondence than his predecessor, Congressman Sam Farr, had in his last year in office. He is determined that each constituent who contacts his office will receive a response. At the October 21st meeting the DWC membership also voted to approve Carolyn Livingston and Madelyn McCaul as members of the Audit Committee. Our November 11th program on California s response to the Trump roll backs on environmental protections, with John Laird, Secretary of Natural Resources, and Assembly Member Mark Stone, should be very informative. I hope to see you all there. For more information, please see Mike Rotkin s program description in this newsletter. Thanks to all of you for continuing the good fight! 2/7

3 local events see the Community Calendar Thanks to all of you for continuing the good fight! Upcoming Events Jennifer Lenardson Donna Meyers Gerrie Pearlin DWC Program Nov. 11 on California Environmental Response to Trump and the Feds By Mike Rotkin $9, as of 10/24/17 It s now clear that we are going to increasingly depend upon the State of California to provide its residents with whatever protection the State can against the predations of our President and the federal government. Along with several other social justice and economic issues, the environment is of particular concern when it comes to the effects of the Trump attempt to roll back critically important environmental protections. Carol Fuller President Carolyn Livingston First Vice President, Membership and DCC Liaison Mike Rotkin Second Vice President, Programs Joyce Nordquist Treasurer On Saturday, November 11, at 10:00 AM, at the United Methodist Church (250 California Street, Santa Cruz), we will present a program about the State of California s response to the environmental disaster being caused by the Trump administration and its supporters in Congress. California s Secretary of the Environment, our own John Laird, will discuss Governor Jerry Brown s response to the federal administration s attack on environmental regulation in general as related to climate change, clean air and water, endangered species, and marine sanctuary and national monument designations. Mark Stone, our local representative to the California Assembly, will discuss legislative action being taken and contemplated by the Legislature to counter the destructive actions on the part of Trump and his allies. These are both gifted public speakers and they have the information necessary for a little optimism in the face of the national crisis from which we all suffer these days. The doors will open at 10:00 AM for socializing and light refreshments 3/7

4 Elena Cohen Secretary Madelyn McCaul Corresponding Secretary open at 10:00 AM for socializing and light refreshments and the program will begin at 10:30 AM. Following the presentation, there will be an opportunity for questions from the audience. The event is free and open to the public. Kathy Donovan Events Judy Warner Historian Karen Darling Parliamentarian J.M. Brown & Rebecca Unitt Communications Maureen McCarty Legislation DWC Board Election of Officers By Madelyn McCaul The Nominating Committee submitted a slate of proposed officers to the Board at its October 24 meeting, which the Board approved by unanimous vote. Election of officers for the next term ( ) will take place at the November 11 general meeting, and nominations from the floor are welcome as well at that meeting. The duly elected or reelected officers will take their seats at the December general meeting/holiday party. Chairs of Standing Committees (Communications, Publicity, Events, Newsletter, Legislation, Historian, Parliamentarian) will also be appointed by the elected President and approved by the Executive Board and the membership at the December meeting/holiday party, to serve two-year terms. The Board recommends the following slate of officers to the membership: President: Carol Fuller 1st VP Membership: Carolyn Livingston 2nd VP Programs: Mike Rotkin Treasurer: Joyce Nordquist Recording Secretary: Elena Cohen Corresponding Secretary: Madelyn McCaul Legislative Report By Maureen McCarty Last month we reported on some prominent bills that made it to Governor Jerry Brown s 4/7

5 Last month we reported on some prominent bills that made it to Governor Jerry Brown s desk. In addition to his earlier signatures of SB 1 (the $52 billion transportation package) and AB 398 (extending cap and trade), here s a list of those bills (plus a few more) the Governor most recently signed into law: SB 2, SB 3, and SB 35 part of a suite of bills designed to shore up the state s inadequate housing supply. SB 5 the $4 billion parks and water bond. SB 54 the "Sanctuary State" bill. AB 134 a $30 million funding allocation for financial aid and legal services to help young immigrants without legal residency. SB 179 Nonbinary will be an official gender designation on official state documents. SB 258 requires companies that make cleaning products to list hazardous ingredients on labels. SB 63 extends 12 weeks of unpaid maternity or paternity leave job protections to new parents who work at businesses with employees. SB 133 you can continue a course of treatment with the same doctor even if their insurer leaves the market and you are forced to switch health plans. SB 17 drug companies must give advance notice before jacking up prices. SB 568 moves California s Primary to March. AB 249 requires transparency on top funders of campaigns and ballot measures. And here are some notable vetoes: SB 649 would have allowed telecom companies to bypass local government scrutiny to more easily install small cell equipment on city/county-owned utility poles, public buildings, and traffic lights. SB 149 would have required presidential candidates to release their tax returns to qualify for the California primary ballot. (Veto message: slippery slope precedent ). AB 1209 and AB 569 bills that attempted to address gender inequity in the workplace (Veto message: would encourage more litigation than pay equity"). SB 386 and AB 725 both smoking on beach bans (Veto message: if people can t smoke even on a deserted beach, where can they? ). SB 169 would have preserved the directives on school sexual assault investigations that were recently rolled back by the Trump administration. (Veto message: it is time to pause and survey the land ). AB 568 would have required school districts to provide at least six weeks of paid maternity leave (Veto message: best resolved through collective bargaining ). AB 63 would have imposed a late-night driving curfew on those under 21 (Veto message: Curfew unfair since 18-year-olds are eligible to enlist in the military, vote and shouldn t be treated like minors ). For 2018, we can expect the early introduction of bills addressing sexual harassment, the Equifax breach, gun violence, and other legislative responses to high-profile and infuriatingly chronic issues that will test our pain points (thanks to Ryan Coonerty for tipping me off about this term) in how far we re willing to go in finding meaningful solutions. 5/7

6 Board Report By Elena Cohen At the Board Meeting on October 25, the Board voted to begin the process of amending the DWC Bylaws and to take further action concerning Congressman Panetta s position on S. 720 (the Israel Anti-Boycott Act). A Bylaw Committee was elected by the Board to propose amendments to bring the Bylaws and current practice into conformance. The Committee will draft proposed amendments that will be discussed at subsequent Board meetings and then presented to the DWC membership later in The Bylaws require that any amendments first be presented and discussed at least one month before members vote on the changes at a DWC regular general meeting. Members may contact Elena Cohen (elenac@post.harvard.edu) for a copy of the bylaws and to submit comments. At the meeting, the Board also discussed Congressman Panetta s response to the letter DWC sent in September concerning his support for S. 720 (the Israel Anti-Boycott Act, discussed in the October Bellringer). The DWC did not receive a written response, but Panetta addressed the issue at the October 21 meeting (see "President's Corner" article). Since Board members who attended did not think the Congressman explained his position clearly, the Board voted to write another letter requesting a clear written response on the issue, especially addressing First Amendment concerns. A Board member also plans to follow up with Panetta s office about improving the congressional website so that constituents can easily learn about Panetta s positions and actions. The Democratic Women s Club was originally created more than 50 years ago to give women a chance to participate in Democratic Party politics. An independent, chartered club of the California Democratic Party, the Democratic Women s Club of Santa Cruz County promotes progressive political activism and the election of Democrats through local, statewide, and federal elections. We promote our democratic ideals through monthly newsletters, discussions of controversial topics, and social networking. Meetings include programs on a variety of social, political, legislative, and electoral issues. For more information, visit our website: 6/7

7 Copyright 2017 Democratic Women's Club of Santa Cruz County, California All rights reserved. Permission is granted to reproduce material with proper attribution. This was sent to << Test Address >> why did I get this? unsubscribe from this list update subscription preferences Democratic Women's Club of Santa Cruz County PO Box 394 Santa Cruz, CA USA 7/7