Happy Thursday, Democrats!
FEDERAL
Rick Scott
Rick Scott has no idea “What Americans Want”.
https://news.yahoo.com/rick-scott-no-idea-americans-195600952.html
Library of Congress
If you haven’t ever visited the Library of Congress website, you need to change that! Just a few highlights include – papers from 23 Presidents (3.3 million images); library exhibitions (Rosa Parks, Thomas Jefferson Library, Comic Art, etc.); online courses, performances and lectures; and an extensive catalog of documents and research. You can easily get lost in the Library of Congress for hours. You can check out the website at: https://loc.gov/
STATE
ACTION NEEDED: SB 410 Materials Harmful to Minors
This bill requires each school district to publish specified materials on the district website to notify parents of their right to EXEMPT their student from reproductive health and disease education. Requires district school boards to annually approve curriculum relating to reproductive health and disease education in an open, noticed public meeting. Currently the bill is under review in the Criminal Justice Committee.
Please write to the committee and ask them to kill this bill. Sex education is NOT harmful to minors. Here are the email addresses of the committee members (just cut and paste):
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ACTION NEEDED: SB 2012 Promoting Equality of Athletic Opportunity
This bill, under the seemingly harmless title "Promoting Equality of Athletic Opportunity Act" is the same bill as the ones in Arkansas and Tennessee attacking transgender rights. It requires that athletic teams or sports sponsored by certain educational institutions be designated on the basis of students’ biological sex. It prohibits athletic teams or sports designated for female students from being open to male students and specifies conditions under which persons who transition from male to female are eligible to compete in the female category. It then punishes students that fail to comply by suspending them from female competition for 12 months.
This is nothing less than a hate bill for transgender human beings. It now heads to the Senate floor for a vote. You can email every Senator and tell them to vote NO on this harmful bill. Here are there emails (just cut and paste):
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ACTION NEEDED: HB 7041 Elections
This bill is a copy cat of Georgia’s voter suppression bill. It revises provisions relating to voter registration applications, voter registration, elections and terms of county commissioners, ballots, voting systems, duplicate copies of ballots, audits, reports, vote-by-mail ballots, canvassing board duties, certain notifications, voter signatures, secure drop boxes, and penalties.
Here is what Representative Erin Grall has to say about this voter suppression bill:
“Florida has become a leader in administering elections. To build upon our successes, we must take proactive measures to ensure Florida’s ballots remain secure, the election process remains transparent, and that access is maintained for all eligible voters who want to vote.
HB 7041 ensures accessibility and security of our elections by keeping ballot drop box locations with better oversight, requiring a request for vote-by-mail ballot each general election cycle, establishing two-factor identity authentication for voter registration, changes and ballot requests, and providing meaningful access to signature matching and duplicate ballots to ensure that invalid votes are not counted. The bill also aims to reduce potential influence by prohibiting those who administer our elections from receiving private funding to conduct selective election activities and increases transparency by requiring Canvassing Board members’ names to be published on each Election Supervisor’s website.”
This bill is now in Appropriations. Please write the members of the committee and ask them to kill this voter suppression bill. Their emails are (just cut and paste):
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LOCAL
Donate to the Democrats of Indian River
The coronavirus pandemic has been challenging for all of us. Your local Indian River County Democratic Party, however, rose to the challenge in 2020. By reaching out to every Democrat without a vote by mail ballot, we enrolled 10,000 more Democrats into the program than voted this way in 2016. We also turned Indian River County more blue, increasing the percentage of voters who voted Democratic.
Our work is not over, however. We have begun the planning, training and hard work to oust Marco Rubio from the Senate and Governor Ron DeSantis from the governor’s mansion. It’s not going to be easy, especially in a ruby red county such as ours – but we’re ready to work!
We need you to contribute to our local Democratic Party so that we can robustly do the work necessary to effect change in our community and state. Please contribute via PayPal or credit card at: https://democratsofindianriver.org/donate or mail a check today to:
IRC Democratic Executive Committee
2345 14th Avenue, Suite 7
Vero Beach, FL 32960
If you have already sent in a gift to our local Democratic Party, we sincerely thank you for your support. You are the ones that keep us going!
Conn/Jaycee Beach Boardwalk
Just a heads up to those of you who enjoy walking the boardwalk at Conn/Jaycee beach (I know my son Jackson does). A section of it is closed now to be repaired. For more details and the story, click here: https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/conn-beach-boardwalk-in-vero-beach-being-rebuilt-after-decades-of-pounding-from-sea-salt-and-wind/ar-BB1f5YU1?ocid=BingNewsSearch
DEMOCRATS OF INDIAN RIVER
February Volunteer of the Month
Our February Volunteer of the Month is Claudia Martino! Claudia jumped right into volunteering by becoming the Democratic Club President. The Club grew quickly and exponentially under Claudia’s leadership. Claudia always has a smile, a friendly hello and a welcoming presence. Thank you Claudia for all you have done for us. We appreciate you!
The Democratic Club of Indian River
The newly elected Democratic Club Board will meet via Zoom on Wednesday, April 7th at 4:30 p.m. The following are items for discussion to be considered, as a guideline for an agenda for the upcoming year:
· Currently the Club has 94 members.
· Lapsed members are at 75. Due mostly to COVID and the lack of in-person meetings.
· Total membership prior to COVID: 169.
· Assess if things go well with COVID, the ability to begin in-person meetings sometime in the fall. Also, consider ideas like “Bring a Friend” to the next in person Club meeting to boost membership.
· Membership dues will be due in July of this year.
· The topic of a member directory was discussed in the past with no resolution.
· The Club will need to be re-certified with the FDP sometime around June to August.
· Speakers at future member meetings.
· Set up a Facebook Group for the Democratic Club of IRC, and or a website.
· Call to action items such as ending the discriminatory voting practice in IRC of At Large Voting vs. Single District Voting for County Offices, such a County Commissioner and School Board.
· Organizing a communication committee to produce “letters to the editor” on topics such as the At Large Voting issue above, or other politically biased actions in local government. A Voice “From the Left” point of view.
· Working in conjunction with the ad hoc Facebook Group, “Run Democrats ’21 & ‘ 22 in IRC” to seek out and support Democrats to run for every open seat in IRC in 2021 and 2022.
The next Democratic Club meeting via Zoom will be on Wednesday, April 14th at 4:00 pm. An email notice to members will be sent after the April 7th Board meeting. If you are interested in becoming a member of the Democratic Club you can attend the next meeting via Zoom by contacting Al Griffiths to receive an email invitation.
Al Griffiths contact information: [email protected], 203-537-1762 call or text.
The position of secretary on the Board remains open. Interested applicants can contact Al at [email protected]
Democratic Women’s Club of Indian River
The 33rd Annual DWC Scholarship Program will be on Saturday, April 10th at noon. Five young women will be recognized with scholarships. Scholarships are funded by the generous donations of members and friends of the DWC, and recognize the achievements of selected female Democratic students attending Indian River County public high schools. If you are not a DWC member and would like to attend, please contact Pat O'Hara at [email protected]
CANDIDATE TRAINING
2021 Train the Trainer Program
March 16-April 22
The Best Practices Institute (BPI) is excited to launch its 2021 Train the Trainer (T3) Webinar program. T3 is a free six-week, twelve-part course, covering several aspects of grassroots campaigning. T3 trainings will be held every Tuesday and Thursday from 7:00 -8:00 pm ET, beginning on Tuesday, March 16, and concluding on Thursday, April 22. Participants MUST register by Sunday, March 14, 2021, and must complete all sessions in order to receive certification. All trainings will be recorded and made available following each session via a weekly wrap-up email, delivered on Fridays.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdaW0ib4EMlFVSC4AMvfNFbJpLAO34BSH1k0wvvfDkBSrVelQ/viewform?gxids=7628
Progressive Change Campaign Committee
Online Candidate Trainings
All this year, Progressive Change Campaign Committee is running a series of one-hour special online trainings for candidates on how to get out the vote, build your campaign team, recruit volunteers, and fight for progressive policies!
Whether you are a candidate running for office this cycle or simply thinking about running for office down the line, these are the trainings for you.
https://act.boldprogressives.org/survey/rsvp-pccc-online-candidate-training-2021/
National Democratic Training Committee
Upcoming Trainings
https://traindemocrats.org/events/
GET INVOLVED
HELP NEEDED - Precinct Captain
We are still in need of Precinct Captains. Currently, only about half of our precincts have captains. This position is vital to our success and with the race for Governor and numerous local offices coming up in 2022, we need all the help we can get. Time commitment per month is approximately 5-10 hours and a great way to meet your Democratic neighbors.
If you are interested in learning more about being a precinct captain, please email Stacey at [email protected]
HELP NEEDED - Communications Committee—Social Media Director
Communicating our values and our activities to the public is critical if the Democratic Party is to be successful. Our Democratic Executive Committee is looking for a Social Media Director as part of our Communications Committee who has strong skills across a variety of platforms (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) and has been successful in placing and targeting ads on Facebook. If you feel you possess the skills we need and have the time to dedicate to this position, please email Stacey at [email protected]
CALENDAR
Thursday, April 1, 2021
7:00 p.m. - Fellsmere City Council
For agenda and meeting information go to www.cityoffellsmere.org/citycouncil
Tuesday, April 6, 2021
8:30 a.m. – Vero Beach City Council
For agenda and meeting information go to https://covb.org/AgendaCenter
9:00 a.m. – IRC County Commission
For agenda and meeting information go to
https://ircgov.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx
5:00 p.m. – DEC Steering Committee Meeting
Meeting via Zoom. Contact Stacey at [email protected] for meeting link
Wednesday, April 7, 2021
9:00 a.m. – Orchid Town Council
For agenda and meeting information go to
https://www.townoforchid.com/towncouncil/page/town-council-regular-meeting-12
4:30 p.m. – Democratic Club of Indian River Board Meeting. Contact Al Griffiths via email at [email protected] or text 203-537-1762 to receive the Zoom link.
Saturday, April 10, 2021
12:00 p.m. – Democratic Women’s Club Monthly Meeting. If you are not a DWC member and would like to attend, please contact Pat O'Hara at [email protected].
COVID VACCINATIONS
TCCH
TCCH is taking appointments for 2 locations – Fellsmere and South County Park. Call 772-257-8224 for an appointment.
Indian River County Health Department Vaccinations
Indian River County and the State Health Department in Indian River County launched a new COVID-19 vaccine registration system through Everbridge. Florida residents who are 65 years and older or are frontline healthcare workers can now register for the waitlist. To sign up, eligible residents should complete the online registration form Here. Residents who need technical assistance with online registration or do not have Internet access can also register by calling our call center (772) 226-4000, which is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm.
Publix Vaccinations
Appointments for Publix vaccinations can only be made online. Once you are on the website, scroll down to the county you live in and if there are appointments available it will indicate that.
Here is a video that explains how to sign up for the vaccine at Publix:
Guide to book a COVID-19 vaccine appointment at Publix - YouTube
Hint – there have been reports that the page refreshes itself when making an appointment. Don’t refresh the page yourself or you will lose your spot. Here is the link to the sign up page:
https://www.publix.com/covid-vaccine/florida
Sharecare Statewide System
The state recently announced the launch of a statewide preregistration system to schedule COVID-19 vaccine appointments for individuals 65 and older and frontline health care workers. Individuals can pre-register for vaccine appointments and be notified when appointments are available in their area by visiting https://myvaccine.fl.gov/.
This website will allow individuals who are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine to be proactively contacted when vaccine appointments are available through your local health department. On the site, residents can select their county and submit their contact information. Once appointments are available, individuals will be contacted by phone call, text or email and will be assisted in scheduling an appointment.
Other Retail Options
That’s all!
See you next week!
Stay Safe and Well!
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