Email from Lee McInnis 4 Alabama You Don't Want to Miss This   CAMPAIGN UPDATE Click Here to Donate MAKING HISTORY THE WEEK AHEAD Food Trucks in LaFayette 🗓️ August 5 🕓 5 - 9:00 P.M. 📍LaFayette Prayer on the Square at the LaFayette Court House 🗓️ August 7 🕓 6:00 P.M. 📍LaFayette Court House Tallapoosa County Town Hall 🗓️ August 8 🕓 2- 4 P.M. 📍 Sportsplex Cabin 1685 Arena Rd Alexander City THE WEEK BEHIND   On Tuesday night, we held our first Veterans Beer Call in Opelika. It was a chance to bring veterans together, share a few stories, and discuss the issues that concerned them. We’d like to have more all over the district but we’ll need your help getting the locations. Let us know if you’re willing to help. On Thursday, the Tallapoosa County Democratic Party held a meeting in Wall Street. If you don’t know, Wall Street is just outside of Tallassee. We had a good group, and I saw the same thing I’ve seen so many times. People frustrated with the direction the country is moving in and who can’t even get their elected representatives on the phone to tell them how they feel. When I was meeting with the great people of Wall Street, Barb was meeting Alabama’s next First Lady and spent the evening with the democratic women of Lee County. Leaving Wall Street, my voice was a little rough. When I woke up on Friday, it was gone. I could barely speak. But we had promised good people at the Fresh Oil Full Gospel Church that we would show up for their Big Wheels and Big Faith Community Adventure Trails celebration. Barb jumped in, and for the next two days, I got nothing but great feedback on how happy people were to have her. The AFL-CIO met to determine which candidates they would endorse for this year’s election. So in addition to talking to a lot of great union members, it was a chance to hang out with just about every other candidate in the state. In Case You Missed It BLOG POSTS How Ownership Should Be Part of the American Dream When Barb and I got married in 1991, we had good government jobs. We had talked about homeownership as a near-term goal, and two years later, we made it happen. I was 32, and Barb was 29. Age-wise, we were spot on for the national average for new homebuyers at that time. We bought a 3-bedroom, 1-bath, 1,100-square-foot house for $135,000. Adjusted for inflation, that house should cost a little over $310,000 today. Several websites estimate its current market value at over $450,000. We have to accept the fact that over the last 40 years, the cost of home ownership has risen faster than inflation and far faster than income--placing home ownership out of reach for many Americans. A lot of you will point out that the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act just passed. This bill will definitely help, but it could take as much as a decade for the ROAD to Housing Act to significantly improve the situation. We need to go farther... Click Here to View All of Our Blog Posts A Few Things to Think About ALABAMA IN THE NEWS 📰 Alabama environmental groups join lawsuit over pipeline permitting process Environmental groups, including the Alabama Rivers Alliance and Black Warrior Riverkeeper, have sued the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, arguing that it is using a streamlined permitting process to approve large natural gas pipeline projects without thorough environmental review or meaningful public input. The lawsuit contends the proposed pipelines, which would cross 10 Alabama counties and thousands of waterways, could harm water quality, wildlife habitats, and endangered species, and should undergo project-specific environmental review before construction begins. 📰 Many Alabama virtual school students lack basic math and reading skills, report cards show An analysis of Alabama's 2024–25 school report cards found that many virtual schools have low reading and math proficiency rates, with some of the state's largest online schools reporting fewer than 10% of students proficient in math. State education leaders are calling for a review of virtual school enrollment, funding, and academic performance, while school officials say they are expanding tutoring, live instruction, and targeted interventions to improve student outcomes. 📰 Data centers emerge as top Alabama election issue as community concerns grow Data centers have become a major issue in Alabama's elections as communities raise concerns about transparency, environmental impacts, water and power usage, and quality of life. While some candidates support expanding data centers for economic growth and national security, others are calling for a temporary moratorium and stronger public oversight, arguing that current state law limits Alabama's ability to regulate the facilities or address residents' concerns. A CALL TO ACTION As we come down to the last three months, we need you to do four things: First, we need you to get the word out. This is a grassroots campaign which means we’re going to rely heavily on you. Share our posts, talk to your friends, and show off those yard signs and bumper stickers. If you don’t have a yard sign, email [email protected] to let us know what county you’re in, and we’ll hook you up with the person in your county who has some. Second, we need to meet your friends. One asset we have in this campaign is a candidate who will meet with people and have a conversation. Sometimes those conversations can be tough, but they’re always productive. Set up a group meeting either in person (which is great) or virtually (which is also great). Email [email protected] to let us know where you are, and we’ll work out the details with you. Third, make a plan to vote. We don’t know what is going to happen between now and November 3, but the best way to ensure a free and fair election is to show up in huge numbers. Once you have your plan, help your friends and neighbors plan to vote. Fourth, donate to the campaign. You have all been incredibly generous financially, but we are entering the expense phase of this race. Barb and I haven’t charged the campaign for gas, meals, or hotel rooms so that we could save money for these last 90 days. Without corporate or foreign-interest PAC money, we knew we would have to run a slim campaign, but now we have to start getting our name in front of a wider audience, and that will require capital. Click Here to Donate One Last Thought Until Next Week As we look ahead, one thing is clear: real change begins in our neighborhoods, our communities, and with people who decide to make it happen. Every conversation with a neighbor, every town hall or democratic party meeting attended, every yard sign placed, every question asked, and every volunteer who steps up to help builds a movement. Your voice matters. When you speak up, stay informed, and participate, you are shaping the future for countless families and the next generation. Whether you've attended an event, shared our message with a friend, or are thinking about getting involved for the first time, thank you for being part of this effort. This campaign is powered by people who believe their community deserves to be heard. Coming soon: Calhoun County Town Hall Train Depot in Jacksonville August 11, 6-8:00PM Lee County Town Hall Opelika Public Library August 20, 6-8:00PM Next week, we will be under 90 days away from the election. We’re going to have to start asking for help in some key areas. It’s about to get busy. We are 91 days away from the general election. We'll talk soon, Lee Share Share Share Share Lee McInnis 4 Alabama | PO Box 111 | Opelika, AL 36801 US Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice