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TOMORROW: Virtual Town Hall on Education! |
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SIGN UP FOR OUR NEXT COLORADO CONVERSATION! Thursday, August 5, 2021 @ 6:00pm MT |
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Investing in our education system is investing in our country's future. Education is the foundation for our country's kids, and it's the great equalizer for those who want to start a career or go further in their current career. Yet, we see today massive inequality and massive inequity in our education system at every level. In this Colorado Conversations virtual town hall, we bring together educators, education experts, and elected officials to talk about what can be done, what is being done, and what still needs to be done! |
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From the Desk of the Chair |
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On January 6, 2021, we watched in horror as domestic terrorists stormed our nation's capital and attempted (and thankfully failed) a violent coup to stop Congress from certifying the election results that clearly showed Joe Biden and Kamala Harris handedly defeated Donald Trump. This attack on our chamber of democracy in the name of Donald Trump was, and remains, a horrific stain on the Republican Party and its leaders. With an election of new party leaders, Republicans in Colorado and across the country had a choice. They could have looked inward, cast out the toxic presence of Donald Trump in their party, and rebuilt themselves with updated policies and better candidates.
Fast forward to today, and it's clear that not only have Republicans done zero soul searching, but instead, they are doubling down on the anti-democracy platform of Donald Trump. Today's Colorado Republican Party not only has a chair who refuses to defend democracy by choosing not to use her platform to denounce Trump's Big Lie about the 2020 election, but they are actually considering cancelling the GOP primary elections in Colorado.
It didn't used to be like this. Today, we see a Republican Party that celebrates Congresspeople with fringe, QAnon-type beliefs like Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert, and punishes those Republicans like Liz Cheney who speak the truth and dare say a single negative thing about Donald Trump. We see a Republican Party passing bill after bill in state legislatures specifically designed to suppress voter turnout. We see a Republican Party gleefully spreading disinformation, using operatives to literally embed themselves into Democratic counties party and spy, and focusing on character assassination towards any person -- Republican or Democrat -- they view as a threat.
It's no secret that I am a proud, lifelong Democrat. But when I served in the state legislature as state representative and state senator, I looked forward to every time I could collaborate with a Republican colleague on legislation. In order for our government at any level to work, Democrats and Republicans need to be able to work together. In my time in the state legislature, I knew my Republican colleagues disagreed with me, but I knew that they also believed in democracy and that for them, it was about putting their constituents first.
That's not the Republican Party I worked with, and that's not the Republican Party that exists today. This isn't about party -- this is about democracy. And what we're seeing is a Colorado Republican Party that has taken the dark turn towards being anti-democracy. We saw this already in the 2020 election, when Republicans scrapped their primary elections in a number of states to protect Donald Trump from a primary challenge.
We as Colorado Democrats don't hide from voters. We believe in winning elections the old-fashioned way: choose your candidates in a primary, put forth your candidate and their ideas, and let the voters decide. In a state like ours, which has a growing unaffiliated voter population, that is still the case for the Colorado Democratic Party. We welcome voters from across the spectrum. We welcome new ideas and participation in our primaries. That's how democracy works.
It's a pity that today, the Colorado Republican Party seems to find democracy to be an inconvenience |
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Attention Candidates! |
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Create a Free Candidate Account with the National Democratic Training Committee! |
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Whether you're a candidate or a campaign staffer, the National Democratic Training Committee has a library of free trainings and resources for you to look through.
Go to https://traindemocrats.org/ and take a look at what they have to offer! |
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CDP Resources: Tyler's Office Hours and Candidate Kits! |
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Tyler McDermott, our State Field and Training Director, now has weekly office hours for candidates! Have questions about anything that a candidate may want to know? Ask Tyler!
When? Every Wednesday, 12:00-1:00pm MT How? Go to this link during the Office Hour times: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83289629992#success
The Colorado Democratic Party has candidate kits that can help those running for office at every level get started!
Reach out to Tyler at [email protected] and he can get you set up! |
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The American Rescue Plan How is it helping folks? |
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As Colorado Housing Costs Soar, These Builders Look To Shipping Containers As A Solution KUNC
The slow and expensive pace of traditional building isn’t the sole source of the problem, but many experts believe that diversifying the types of home builders in the state — especially those who use nontraditional and prefabricated building models — could help boost supply and cool off price increases.
This past legislative session, partly thanks to American Rescue Plan funding, state lawmakers passed hundreds of millions of dollars in bills aimed at ramping up construction of new types of affordable housing. Gov. Jared Polis signed them all.
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Remember -- Colorado Republicans like Lauren Boebert, Ken Buck, and Doug Lamborn all voted 'No' to helping Colorado families.
Meanwhile, all of Colorado's Democratic members of the Congressional delegation voted 'Yes'!
But how else does the American Rescue Plan specifically help Coloradans, you ask? Click the link to find out! |
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Opportunities with Colorado Dems! |
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Climate change is an existential threat to our lives, our planet, and our future. Here in Colorado, as a state that prides itself in its clean water and public lands, we feel the effects of climate change harder through devastating floods and fires. In this Colorado Conversations virtual town hall, we bring together community members, experts, and elected officials to focus on the actions we must take and continue to take to combat climate change, and protect our water and environment. |
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ABOUT: The Colorado Democratic Party has launched its virtual town hall tour for 2021, with this year’s theme being Colorado Conversations!
Each of the 14 town halls are free admission, and will feature expert panelists and elected officials to discuss issues impacting our communities, what elected officials are doing about them, and how you can make a difference! |
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Add Your Recipe to the Colorado Dems Cookbook! |
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Hi friends! We're putting together a Colorado Dems Cookbook filled with recipes from Colorado Dems all across the state, and we're asking you to contribute to it!
Do you have a famous dish or cocktail that you love to share at parties? Maybe an old family recipe you'd generously be willing to share? We want to hear from *you*!
Please fill out the form below, and email a photo of yourself and a photo of your dish to [email protected]! |
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SAVE THE DATE: Grassroots Reunion + Fundraiser on Thursday, Sept. 9 |
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We are excited to announce that we will be back together in person for a grassroots reunion and fundraiser on Thursday, September 9th at ReelWorks (formerly EXDO) in Denver!
This event will be a great way to see people from across the state that you have not seen in a while. Click here to RSVP!
We ask that only those who have been vaccinated attend, in accordance with the most recent CDC guidelines. The event will be indoors and outdoors, so come join us for some food, drink and lots of fun! |
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Join us for a Messaging Training on Monday, August 23! |
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We invite you to join us for an interactive presentation on the Race Class Narrative with Rise Up Colorado and We Make the Future on Monday, August 23, from 6:00-7:00 pm.
The Race Class Narrative is an empirically-tested messaging framework that neutralizes the use of dog-whistle racism by our opposition and demonstrates how to energize and persuade a truly multi-racial cohort to vote for progressive policies.
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County Parties and Initiatives! |
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Join the Summit County Dems THIS SUNDAY for a Picnic! |
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Join Senator Michael Bennet, Congressman Joe Neguse, and the Summit County Dems for a picnic in Breckenridge this Sunday, August 8, 2021 @ 4:30PM! This year's picnic will feature live music, a silent auction, great food, and your friends from the Democratic party, both local and statewide!
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Denver Dems Summer Picnic - Sunday, August 15! |
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The Denver Dems are holding a Sunday Summer Picnic and you're invited! Click here to get your tickets or to learn more! |
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The Stonewall Democrats of Colorado will be partnering with the Arapahoe County Democrats this Saturday August 7th from 11:30 AM to 7:30 PM.
We are looking for more volunteers to help with the booth and get the word out! Click the link below to sign up!
ALSO: On August 15th, join the Stonewall Democrats for Pueblo Pride. |
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FROM THE PROGRESSIVE DEMS INITIATIVE Please Join Our Revolution Metro Denver
for the 2nd Wednesday at The Mercury Café 2199 California St, Denver, CO 80205 Wednesday August 11, 2021 6:30 - 8:30 PM.
All attendees must be COVID vaccinated. Masks must be worn unless eating, drinking, or presenting. With Special Guest, Denver’s Own David Sirota! |
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Nationally syndicated columnist, Bestselling Author, Television Commentator, Political Strategist DAVID SIROTA is an award-winning journalist and bestselling author, the publisher of The Daily Poster, an editor at large at Jacobin Magazine and a columnist at The Guardian. He served as Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign speechwriter in 2020. He is co-producer of the Netflix film Don’t Look Up,directed by Adam McKay and starring Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardo DiCaprio.
Before launching his own journalism project, The Daily Poster, Sirota was an investigative reporter for Capital & Main and the Senior Editor for Investigations at IBT/Newsweek. The New York Times has credited his Wall Street reporting for showing “that secrecy can hide high fees, low returns, excess risk and the identity of politically connected dealmakers.” For a full biography on Mr. Sirota, click here or go to http://davidsirota.com/biography/ |
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Support for Democratic School Board Candidates
As an initiative, Democratic Education Initiative of the Colorado Democratic Party (CoDEI) has played a leadership role in the examination and discussion of important education policy issues for twenty years! We also serve as a resource for candidates running for education positions or on education issues.
The CoDEI is asking all county party chairs and members of the State Central Committee to help us identify Democrats who are running for school boards this year. The CoDEI is happy to advise, coach, and support these candidates. The sooner we know who is running – or who is thinking of running – the sooner we can be of assistance. Please email us at [email protected] with names and contact information of any Democrat you know is a candidate or is contemplating becoming one for their local school board.
Additionally, each odd-numbered year, the CoDEI holds an event in late August to give Democratic candidates for school boards around the state an opportunity to speak to fellow Democrats. This year, the event will take place via Zoom on Friday, August 20 from 1:30-3:30.
You can register via Mobilize: https://www.mobilize.us/democraticeducationinitiative/event/389078/ |
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#DemsDeliver |
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The Burlington Record
Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet announced that he secured key provisions in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to build climate resilience, support wildfire recovery efforts, invest in water infrastructure, expand Tribal access to clean water, protect the energy grid, and help the United States reach its emissions reduction goals.
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Colorado governor extends some eviction protections to residents still waiting for rent assistance Colorado Sun
A day before the national eviction moratorium is set to end, Gov. Jared Polis gave struggling Colorado renters more time.
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Alec Garnett and Steve Fenberg: State Democrats stepped up Boulder Daily Camera
The legislative session we wrapped up earlier this month was among the most momentous in the history of the Colorado General Assembly. The impactful laws we passed this year will benefit generations of Coloradans for decades to come. As leaders in the Colorado Legislature and as fathers of young kids who will grow up in this state, we’re immensely proud of the work we did this year to build the Colorado we all want for our children.
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Joe Neguse: Voting rights can’t wait Boulder Daily Camera
A few weeks after I was first elected to the U.S. Congress in November of 2018, I travelled to Washington D.C. for congressional orientation. Amidst the many panel presentations, policy discussions and introductions to my new colleagues, there was one experience that I will simply never forget — meeting civil rights hero, and my future colleague, John Lewis, for the very first time.
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The Washington Post
Reps. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) and Fred Upton (R-Mich.) are pushing a bill that would build on the 21st Century Cures Act, a major overhaul in biomedical research passed in 2016 designed to speed up the pipeline for medical innovation.
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Perlmutter eyes $7.6M of funding for district Northglenn-Thornton Sentinel
Rep. Ed Perlmutter (CO-07) announced the inclusion of all 10 of his Community Project Funding (CPF) requests, totaling $7.6 million, in initial House appropriations bills for Fiscal Year 2022.
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CPR News
As the U.S. draws down its forces in Afghanistan, Colorado Rep. Jason Crow has been worrying about the fate of the Afghans who worked with American troops.
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New spotlight on secretaries of state as electoral battlegrounds The Hill
“We need to stand with the American people, because American voters, both Democrats and Republicans, overwhelmingly support having free and fair elections,” said Jena Griswold (D), Colorado’s secretary of state and chair of the Democratic Association of Secretaries of State. “Democracy will be on the ballot in 2022.”
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GOP Watch |
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‘I’m Embarrassed For Colorado,’ Hospital CEO In Rep. Lauren Boebert’s District Tells CNN CBS Denver
In northwestern Colorado, the vaccination rate is low and the COVID-19 infection rate is high. The area is represented by Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), who tweeted Thursday, “Leave the mask, wear a smile.” CNN’s Gary Tuchman visited Moffat County to ask medical experts in the hot zone how they feel about their representative’s advice.
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Volunteer of the Week |
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Hello friends and fellow volunteers!
My name is Braeden Miguel and I am a volunteer and Colorado Young Dems board member from Highlands Ranch and Douglas County! Environmental justice, education, and youth activation are big areas of focus for me and I tend to gravitate towards creative projects that look at how we can use technology, art, community, storytelling, and video to outreach and activate people into the movement! For example I am working on creating a community site to help organize young dems across the state and on a video series that helps demystify parts of the political process - More to hopefully share on those in the weeks and months ahead :)
I think a lot of my journey and passion comes from growing up and my family having the fortune to take family trips most years to new and different places. Seeing the ways we were similar and the beauty the world held led to a strong passion for wanting to preserve and fight for that beauty beginning even in high school. That continued into college as I got a degree in environmental studies and still to this day as I work at where I think my unique ideas and actions can help most. I am encouraged by all the awesome people who show up to fight for a better and just future and excited to see what we can make happen!
To follow what the Colorado Young Dems are up to you can find us on our Facebook page or you can join our members and allies list, regardless of age, at http://tiny.cc/CYDMembersandAllies
If interested in contacting me personally you can find me on Facebook and Instagram at BraedenMiguel or through email at [email protected]
With Hope and Inspiration, Braeden Miguel |
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Want to volunteer and help elect Democrats across Colorado? Click the button below to join our talent bank, and we'll get you plugged in! |
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The Funnies |
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Share the Dispatch |
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If you know someone interested in receiving our weekly newsletter, they can sign up here or they can visit our website at https://coloradodems.org/newsletters. |
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Contributions or gifts to the Democratic Party of Colorado are not tax deductible |
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