| From | Colorado Democrats <[email protected]> |
| Subject | The Democratic Dispatch: State of the State Party |
| Date | February 16, 2023 4:34 AM |
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MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR
STATE OF THE STATE PARTY - IS STRONG
After hearing President Biden’s State of the Union address, I thought it would helpful to give a State of the Colorado Democratic Party. Many people may not know all we have done and why it has contributed to electing the highest number of Democrats in the history of the state. As we go into reorganization of state party officers, it is a natural reflection point to consider what has worked well – and where we can improve.
The job of the state party is to win elections – and with your help, we have done that in historic fashion.
[[link removed]] I never planned to run for Chair. Yet, after Trump was elected in 2016, and the Trump-Republicans controlled the US House, the US Senate and the future of the US Supreme Court, it was obvious to me (with the encouragement of a few friends) that the party needed to heal, to unite, to reform, and to re-find its mission.
We need the party to be strong so we can elect better candidates, with better values, defend basic freedoms, advance opportunity, address hate and bigotry, and respond to the climate crisis, gun violence, and elevating workers’ rights, pay and safety in Colorado and in America.
I ran because I sensed we were at a critical turning point. Along the way we absorbed a lot of warranted anxiety on the left and increasingly toxic and violent poison on the right. But people came together in an inspiring way because so many of you understood what was on the line – and we could not have achieved anything we did without your support.
Along the way, we discovered that what we were up against was far more than traditional GOP candidates with their usual talking points that simply help the rich get richer, avoid paying taxes, disdain for the poor and everyone else who is not a wealthy white, male, Christian Republican.
We were and are up against foreign interference in our elections, funded psychological warfare online, disinformation campaigns, harassment campaigns, cyber-attacks, hacking, zoom-bombing, doxxing, phishing, right wing infiltration in political campaigns, national, state and local parties, running candidates as “spoiler” candidates to tip elections their way and even having Republican operatives change their affiliation to try to run as Democratic candidates. We have faced an up-tick in death threats, vandalism, and verbal violence directed to candidates, elected officials, officers, staff, canvassers, front desk volunteers and phone bankers. And yet, we persisted, and prevailed, even in this environment. We were up against a press apparatus who are trained to cover stories that “both sides do it” – even when both sides don’t do it. Good journalists started to see through this.
The party has grown:
The party has grown full-time staff : The party has grown to 5 employees and have created the first-ever yea-round bilingual Organizing Director (Field Director + Volunteer Coordinator). In even-year funding levels we have even brought on full time Communications & Digital.
The party has grown registered Democratic voters: We have grown 158,675 more registered Democrats, overtaking Republican registration numbers in Colorado for the first time. (Unaffiliated voters have grown the fasted but Republican registration has declined.)
The party has reached out to Unaffiliated voters: The majority of unaffiliated voters in Colorado are now voting Democratic in more races up and down the ballot.
The party has grown precinct organizers: Through deliberate partnership with county and increased awareness of the purpose and power of precinct level organizing, we have recruited more precinct organizers, trained more precinct organizers, and made rules changes to make it easier to appoint vacant precinct positions.
The party has met or exceeded prior state party fundraising:
*
efault/files/documents/2019A/bills/2019a_1106_enr.pdf] by allowing prospective renters to reuse a rental application for up to 30 days without paying additional fees. It also minimizes the number of times a credit score is pulled, protecting a potential renter’s credit score from being continuously damaged from credit score inquiries. Under this bill, a landlord must return an application to a potential tenant to reuse if the application is denied and provide a notice of the applicant’s right to dispute the accuracy of the report. Rental and credit history reports and criminal record documents must come from consumer reporting agencies to be eligible for reuse.
HB23-1101 [[link removed]] would improve the Ozone Season Transit Grant Program, which provides funding to the Regional Transportation District (RTD) and transit associations throughout Colorado to offer free rides during ozone season.
Last year, Colorado Democrats championed SB22-180 [[link removed]] which allocated $28 million toward free transit during ozone season to improve Colorado’s air quality. HB23-1101 utilizes funding from this initial investment to enhance the Ozone Season Transit Grant Program for the next three years. This year’s bill also would allow transit agencies to use grant funding during different months of the ozone season, rollover unspent grant funding to make an impact in future years and use the funding for outreach and education.
HB23-1071 [[link removed]] would allow allowing psychologists to prescribe limited mental health medications after receiving additional education and training. It establishes rigorous standards and education requirements that a psychologist must undertake before being able to prescribe medication to treat mental health illnesses. Only licensed Ph.D. psychologists who receive an additional master’s degree in psychopharmacology, pass a national board exam, complete a preceptorship for up to two years, 750 hours of practicum work, and spend two additional years prescribing under the supervision of trained licensed prescribing clinicians or specialty provider if wanting to work with the pediatric or geriatric population.
HB23-1003 [[link removed]] would permit public schools to participate in a voluntary mental health screening program for sixth through twelfth graders. The school would be required to notify parents of the date and time that the mental health screening is scheduled, the purpose, and information about the licensed mental health screener.
HB23-1011 [[link removed]] would require agricultural equipment manufacturers to comply with existing consumer right to repair laws. Specifically, agricultural equipment manufacturers would need to provide necessary parts, software, firmware, tools or documentation to independent repair providers and owners at a fair and reasonable price.
Under this bill, agricultural equipment manufacturers or dealers selling on behalf of the manufacturer cannot upcharge for any repair items. This bill aims to save farmers and ranchers money on necessary equipment repairs while speeding up the repair process.
HB23-1002 [[link removed]] would cap the cost of life-saving epinephrine ejector devices.It creates the Epi-Pen Affordability Program, where uninsured Coloradans with a prescription can apply online through the Colorado Division of Insurance to obtain low-cost epinephrine auto-injectors. Under this bill, manufacturers would be required to post access to the program on their websites. The bill also requires insurance carriers that provide coverage for epinephrine auto-injectors to cap the out-of-pocket cost to $60 for a 2-pack.
HB23-1005 [[link removed]] would help protect Colorado's environment and conserve water resources by expanding project eligibility and streamlining the financing process so more commercial properties in Colorado can take advantage of Colorado Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE’s) program for eco-friendly property upgrades and investments.
HB23-1077 [[link removed]] would require health care professionals, students, medical residents and trainees to obtain informed consent from sedated or unconscious patients before performing intimate examinations, unless in emergency situations. In addition to consent, health care professionals would only be able to perform intimate examinations if it is pertinent to the planned procedure.
HB23-1081 [[link removed]] expands on the Employee Ownership Tax Credit by: Making partially employee-owned businesses eligible to help cover the costs associated with expanding employee ownership; Permitting new methods that businesses are using to transfer equity to employees; and Strengthening incentives for eligible businesses that are transitioning to employee ownership with existing resources.
HB23-1001 [[link removed]] would address the teacher shortage by expanding the pool of student educators who qualify for state loan forgiveness and stipend programs.
Dangerous GOP bills defeated
HB23-1044, [[link removed]] sponsored by Representative Ken deGraaf, would have prohibited the state of Colorado or any political subdivision from enforcing or attempting to enforce any federal laws or regulations on the possession, ownership, use, or transfer of a firearm, firearm accessory or ammunition. It would have prevented law enforcement from seeking federal assistance for firearms tracing and other support for solving crimes– efforts that are especially critical for solving violent crimes.
The bill would have prevented local law enforcement from cooperating with FBI or Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms investigations or enforcement of federal prohibitions on bump stocks or ghost guns. The bill would have also prohibited local police departments from working with federal prosecutors to bring weapons possession charges for violations of federal law, such as possession of a weapon by a prior offender for a drug-related offense.
In Missouri, where a similar law passed in 2021 [[link removed]] , sheriffs, prosecutors, and police chiefs have decried the law’s impact on their ability to partner with federal agencies to hold people who break the law accountable. By opening up local law enforcement departments to lawsuits, HB23-1044 could have had a chilling effect on police and sheriffs’ willingness to work with federal agencies to solve firearm-related crimes.
[[link removed]]
[[link removed]]
[[link removed]]
CDP is hosting a candidate forum for all the contested positions on Saturday February 25, 2023 at 10am. The Candidates are listed in alphabetical order. Anyone willing to run for the any position can send their notice of intent to run to [email protected].
We update our website daily with information about reorg. Please take a look [[link removed]] at all the CDP officers candidates.
Register for the Candidate Forum [[link removed]?}]
IN THE PRESS
DEMS DO GOOD
CPR NEWS: Colorado and 10 other states consider ‘right to repair’ for farming equipment [[link removed]]
CPR NEWS : Adam Frisch vs. Lauren Boebert rematch: The Democrat who almost won is running for Congress again [[link removed]]
Colorado Sun: Adam Frisch will run again to unseat Lauren Boebert in 2024 [[link removed]]
GOP IS A HOT MESS
NYT: Justice Dept. Won’t Bring Charges Against Gaetz in Sex-Trafficking Inquiry [[link removed]]
Washington Post: Election deniers face a nationwide wave of pushback [[link removed]]
Politico: Pence moves to claim culture war lane before DeSantis gets there [[link removed]]
Politico: Haley enters the fray, knowing Trump’s history mocking women [[link removed]]
[link removed] [[link removed]] [link removed] [[link removed]] [link removed] [[link removed]]
Paid for by the Colorado Democratic Party 789 Sherman St, Suite 110, Denver, CO 80203 (303) 623-4762 Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee
Colorado Democratic Party
789 Sherman St
#110
Denver, CO 80203
United States
If you believe you received this message in error or wish to no longer receive email from us, please unsubscribe: [link removed] .
image of ... [[link removed]]
MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR
STATE OF THE STATE PARTY - IS STRONG
After hearing President Biden’s State of the Union address, I thought it would helpful to give a State of the Colorado Democratic Party. Many people may not know all we have done and why it has contributed to electing the highest number of Democrats in the history of the state. As we go into reorganization of state party officers, it is a natural reflection point to consider what has worked well – and where we can improve.
The job of the state party is to win elections – and with your help, we have done that in historic fashion.
[[link removed]] I never planned to run for Chair. Yet, after Trump was elected in 2016, and the Trump-Republicans controlled the US House, the US Senate and the future of the US Supreme Court, it was obvious to me (with the encouragement of a few friends) that the party needed to heal, to unite, to reform, and to re-find its mission.
We need the party to be strong so we can elect better candidates, with better values, defend basic freedoms, advance opportunity, address hate and bigotry, and respond to the climate crisis, gun violence, and elevating workers’ rights, pay and safety in Colorado and in America.
I ran because I sensed we were at a critical turning point. Along the way we absorbed a lot of warranted anxiety on the left and increasingly toxic and violent poison on the right. But people came together in an inspiring way because so many of you understood what was on the line – and we could not have achieved anything we did without your support.
Along the way, we discovered that what we were up against was far more than traditional GOP candidates with their usual talking points that simply help the rich get richer, avoid paying taxes, disdain for the poor and everyone else who is not a wealthy white, male, Christian Republican.
We were and are up against foreign interference in our elections, funded psychological warfare online, disinformation campaigns, harassment campaigns, cyber-attacks, hacking, zoom-bombing, doxxing, phishing, right wing infiltration in political campaigns, national, state and local parties, running candidates as “spoiler” candidates to tip elections their way and even having Republican operatives change their affiliation to try to run as Democratic candidates. We have faced an up-tick in death threats, vandalism, and verbal violence directed to candidates, elected officials, officers, staff, canvassers, front desk volunteers and phone bankers. And yet, we persisted, and prevailed, even in this environment. We were up against a press apparatus who are trained to cover stories that “both sides do it” – even when both sides don’t do it. Good journalists started to see through this.
The party has grown:
The party has grown full-time staff : The party has grown to 5 employees and have created the first-ever yea-round bilingual Organizing Director (Field Director + Volunteer Coordinator). In even-year funding levels we have even brought on full time Communications & Digital.
The party has grown registered Democratic voters: We have grown 158,675 more registered Democrats, overtaking Republican registration numbers in Colorado for the first time. (Unaffiliated voters have grown the fasted but Republican registration has declined.)
The party has reached out to Unaffiliated voters: The majority of unaffiliated voters in Colorado are now voting Democratic in more races up and down the ballot.
The party has grown precinct organizers: Through deliberate partnership with county and increased awareness of the purpose and power of precinct level organizing, we have recruited more precinct organizers, trained more precinct organizers, and made rules changes to make it easier to appoint vacant precinct positions.
The party has met or exceeded prior state party fundraising:
*
efault/files/documents/2019A/bills/2019a_1106_enr.pdf] by allowing prospective renters to reuse a rental application for up to 30 days without paying additional fees. It also minimizes the number of times a credit score is pulled, protecting a potential renter’s credit score from being continuously damaged from credit score inquiries. Under this bill, a landlord must return an application to a potential tenant to reuse if the application is denied and provide a notice of the applicant’s right to dispute the accuracy of the report. Rental and credit history reports and criminal record documents must come from consumer reporting agencies to be eligible for reuse.
HB23-1101 [[link removed]] would improve the Ozone Season Transit Grant Program, which provides funding to the Regional Transportation District (RTD) and transit associations throughout Colorado to offer free rides during ozone season.
Last year, Colorado Democrats championed SB22-180 [[link removed]] which allocated $28 million toward free transit during ozone season to improve Colorado’s air quality. HB23-1101 utilizes funding from this initial investment to enhance the Ozone Season Transit Grant Program for the next three years. This year’s bill also would allow transit agencies to use grant funding during different months of the ozone season, rollover unspent grant funding to make an impact in future years and use the funding for outreach and education.
HB23-1071 [[link removed]] would allow allowing psychologists to prescribe limited mental health medications after receiving additional education and training. It establishes rigorous standards and education requirements that a psychologist must undertake before being able to prescribe medication to treat mental health illnesses. Only licensed Ph.D. psychologists who receive an additional master’s degree in psychopharmacology, pass a national board exam, complete a preceptorship for up to two years, 750 hours of practicum work, and spend two additional years prescribing under the supervision of trained licensed prescribing clinicians or specialty provider if wanting to work with the pediatric or geriatric population.
HB23-1003 [[link removed]] would permit public schools to participate in a voluntary mental health screening program for sixth through twelfth graders. The school would be required to notify parents of the date and time that the mental health screening is scheduled, the purpose, and information about the licensed mental health screener.
HB23-1011 [[link removed]] would require agricultural equipment manufacturers to comply with existing consumer right to repair laws. Specifically, agricultural equipment manufacturers would need to provide necessary parts, software, firmware, tools or documentation to independent repair providers and owners at a fair and reasonable price.
Under this bill, agricultural equipment manufacturers or dealers selling on behalf of the manufacturer cannot upcharge for any repair items. This bill aims to save farmers and ranchers money on necessary equipment repairs while speeding up the repair process.
HB23-1002 [[link removed]] would cap the cost of life-saving epinephrine ejector devices.It creates the Epi-Pen Affordability Program, where uninsured Coloradans with a prescription can apply online through the Colorado Division of Insurance to obtain low-cost epinephrine auto-injectors. Under this bill, manufacturers would be required to post access to the program on their websites. The bill also requires insurance carriers that provide coverage for epinephrine auto-injectors to cap the out-of-pocket cost to $60 for a 2-pack.
HB23-1005 [[link removed]] would help protect Colorado's environment and conserve water resources by expanding project eligibility and streamlining the financing process so more commercial properties in Colorado can take advantage of Colorado Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE’s) program for eco-friendly property upgrades and investments.
HB23-1077 [[link removed]] would require health care professionals, students, medical residents and trainees to obtain informed consent from sedated or unconscious patients before performing intimate examinations, unless in emergency situations. In addition to consent, health care professionals would only be able to perform intimate examinations if it is pertinent to the planned procedure.
HB23-1081 [[link removed]] expands on the Employee Ownership Tax Credit by: Making partially employee-owned businesses eligible to help cover the costs associated with expanding employee ownership; Permitting new methods that businesses are using to transfer equity to employees; and Strengthening incentives for eligible businesses that are transitioning to employee ownership with existing resources.
HB23-1001 [[link removed]] would address the teacher shortage by expanding the pool of student educators who qualify for state loan forgiveness and stipend programs.
Dangerous GOP bills defeated
HB23-1044, [[link removed]] sponsored by Representative Ken deGraaf, would have prohibited the state of Colorado or any political subdivision from enforcing or attempting to enforce any federal laws or regulations on the possession, ownership, use, or transfer of a firearm, firearm accessory or ammunition. It would have prevented law enforcement from seeking federal assistance for firearms tracing and other support for solving crimes– efforts that are especially critical for solving violent crimes.
The bill would have prevented local law enforcement from cooperating with FBI or Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms investigations or enforcement of federal prohibitions on bump stocks or ghost guns. The bill would have also prohibited local police departments from working with federal prosecutors to bring weapons possession charges for violations of federal law, such as possession of a weapon by a prior offender for a drug-related offense.
In Missouri, where a similar law passed in 2021 [[link removed]] , sheriffs, prosecutors, and police chiefs have decried the law’s impact on their ability to partner with federal agencies to hold people who break the law accountable. By opening up local law enforcement departments to lawsuits, HB23-1044 could have had a chilling effect on police and sheriffs’ willingness to work with federal agencies to solve firearm-related crimes.
[[link removed]]
[[link removed]]
[[link removed]]
CDP is hosting a candidate forum for all the contested positions on Saturday February 25, 2023 at 10am. The Candidates are listed in alphabetical order. Anyone willing to run for the any position can send their notice of intent to run to [email protected].
We update our website daily with information about reorg. Please take a look [[link removed]] at all the CDP officers candidates.
Register for the Candidate Forum [[link removed]?}]
IN THE PRESS
DEMS DO GOOD
CPR NEWS: Colorado and 10 other states consider ‘right to repair’ for farming equipment [[link removed]]
CPR NEWS : Adam Frisch vs. Lauren Boebert rematch: The Democrat who almost won is running for Congress again [[link removed]]
Colorado Sun: Adam Frisch will run again to unseat Lauren Boebert in 2024 [[link removed]]
GOP IS A HOT MESS
NYT: Justice Dept. Won’t Bring Charges Against Gaetz in Sex-Trafficking Inquiry [[link removed]]
Washington Post: Election deniers face a nationwide wave of pushback [[link removed]]
Politico: Pence moves to claim culture war lane before DeSantis gets there [[link removed]]
Politico: Haley enters the fray, knowing Trump’s history mocking women [[link removed]]
[link removed] [[link removed]] [link removed] [[link removed]] [link removed] [[link removed]]
Paid for by the Colorado Democratic Party 789 Sherman St, Suite 110, Denver, CO 80203 (303) 623-4762 Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee
Colorado Democratic Party
789 Sherman St
#110
Denver, CO 80203
United States
If you believe you received this message in error or wish to no longer receive email from us, please unsubscribe: [link removed] .
Message Analysis
- Sender: Colorado Democratic Party
- Political Party: Democratic
- Country: United States
- State/Locality: Colorado
- Office: n/a