 AUGUST 2022 NEWSLETTER |
| CHAIR’S MESSAGE At our August 18 General Membership meeting, DPCCC members heard an important message from Planned Parenthood Northern California (PPNC) President and CEO Gilda Gonzales and Director of Public Affairs Margaret Martinez Franks. I appreciated their update and the call to action they shared with us. You can read more about their presentation in the August Meeting Report. Our Endorsements Committee has been hard at work in all five districts preparing to make recommendations for the candidates we should support in the November elections. We will have a lot of work to do to counteract the statewide and national efforts of Republicans and their allies. CalMatters reported on what is happening in school board elections throughout California. I am glad the reporter pointed out what we have been doing to support our school board members in Contra Costa. Please let me know if you want to learn more about our endorsement and overall election efforts. You can email me at chair@contracostadems.com. I also hope you are enjoying this edition of our DPCCC newsletter. Please let our Communications Committee know what you think by emailing its Chair, Jan Bell, at commsdir@contracostadems.com. Best wishes, Katie Ricklefs Chair, Democratic Party of Contra Costa County AUGUST MEETING REPORT The DPCCC’s August 18 Membership Meeting featured a presentation by Planned Parenthood Northern California (PPNC) President and CEO Gilda Gonzales and Director of Public Affairs Margaret Martinez Franks. Gonzales and Martinez Franks discussed Reproductive Freedom: Meeting the Moment at the Ballot Box. This issue has become even more of a priority for DPCCC members in the wake of the Supreme Court’s recent decision to end the federal right to abortion. Martinez Franks explained that California is a Reproductive Freedom State and outlined how California Planned Parenthood Affiliates are the key to fulfilling this commitment. She introduced DPCCC members to PPNC’s operations that cover 20 California counties from Contra Costa north to the Oregon border. There are six health care centers in Contra Costa County. Overall, PPNC serves over 70,000 patients. Preventative care makes up most of the services provided by PPNC, including sexually transmitted disease screening and treatment, pregnancy testing, contraception services, and cancer screening. Gonzales then discussed what we could expect in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. “The situation will get worse before it gets better,” she said. “The only way it will get better is through positive electoral outcomes—and California needs to lead the way.” Gonzales shared that PPNC, like abortion providers around the country, is dealing with the legal ramifications in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision and the efforts of abortion-hostile states to criminalize efforts to help people who can become pregnant receive these vital health care services. DPCCC members can help with this fight right now have three significant ways. First, Gonzales encouraged Democrats to be “all-in on Proposition 1—it is vital for California to send a message.” Proposition 1 will enshrine abortion and birth control access in the California Constitution. Visit YesOn1CA.com to learn more. Second, support abortion funds like Access Reproductive Justice (ARJ). There is a need not just in hostile-to-abortion states, but also here in California. As ARJ explains, “Reproductive rights are meaningless when you don’t know where to get birth control, no abortion provider accepts your insurance, you are afraid to seek prenatal care because of your immigration status, or the closest clinic is hours from your home.” Third, she said that we all needed to elevate abortion stories to minimize abortion stigma. “There should be no shame. And this is everybody’s issue,” Gonzales emphasized. The DPCCC, through its Issues Committee, has made abortion a focus of the legislation we have supported this year. The DPCCC voted to support several federal bills that attempt to address what the Supreme Court ruled in its Dobbs decision and a concurring opinion by Justice Clarence Thomas. You can review these on the DPCCC’s Legislative Tracker. The DPCCC also adopted the updated California Democratic Party Code of Conduct. The DPCC will share it with candidates seeking the DPCCC’s endorsement. The DPCCC will also ask its chartered clubs to review the Code of Conduct and consider adopting it. The Elections Committee is preparing to support the candidates the DPCCC endorses at its Special Membership Meeting on September 1 at 6 p.m. via Zoom. Elections Committee Chair Chuck Carpenter noted that our school board and city council members are under attack by coordinated Republican efforts. Would you like to learn more? Under DPCCC’s file access policy, access to all non-confidential DPCCC files is available to any DPCCC member (including Associates) upon request by emailing the Secretary. You can pay your dues by clicking here! SPECIAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING FOR ENDORSEMENTS The Democratic Party of Contra Costa County will hold a special membership meeting on Thursday, September 1, at 6 p.m. via Zoom to consider endorsements for the November General Election. If you are not a DPCCC member and wish to attend, please RSVP to the DPCCC Secretary at secretary@contracostadems.com. If you are a DPCCC member, you should receive an email with details for the meeting about seven days in advance. If you do not, please email the DPCCC Secretary at secretary@contracostadems.com. IN THE NEWS The Democratic Party of Contra Costa County’s efforts to support our local school board members during some of the more contentious meetings about public health measures and teaching accurate history over the past year were featured in a Cal Matters story about how California Republicans are betting big on local school board races in 2022. After hearing from some Contra Costa school board members asking for help, the DPCCC adopted two resolutions to support our School Board members. In addition to sharing the resolutions with our members and posting them on our website, DPCCC members and leadership, including Chair Katie Ricklefs, attended school board meetings to share the resolutions. The Republican efforts to take over school boards are happening in Contra Costa County. That’s why supporting the DPCCC’s endorsed school board candidates in the November elections will be one of our top priorities. TAKE ACTION JOIN US IN THE CENTRAL VALLEY TO TALK TO VOTERS, ONE CONVERSATION AT A TIME! There are less than three months left to reach voters and the path to the next House majority goes through California. Canvassing is the most effective way to introduce voters to Rudy Salas, help support Democrats, and get your steps in! Lodging and carpool options are available. Knock doors every Saturday in Hanford, Kings County, through election day! https://www.mobilize.us/cadems/event/445111 Knock doors on Fridays through Sundays, beginning on September 30 in Bakersfield, Kern County, through election day! https://www.mobilize.us/cadems/event/494449 Don’t worry if you’ve never done this before—when you arrive at the staging location you will be trained and given all the supplies you need. And once you get going, you’ll find that talking to voters is fun and rewarding! For more information on volunteering, contact Cecilia at volunteer@contracostadems.com or call 510-693-4259. GET YOUR TICKETS NOW FOR THE DPCCC BBQ PARTY Save the date! The DPCCC’s annual BBQ will be on September 10 from noon to 5 p.m. at the Concord Community Park (3501 Cowell Rd, Concord, CA 94518). Early Bird Tickets are now available through August 31! We’ll enjoy music, a taco bar (our BBQ Chair will BBQ too), plenty of fun drinks, cornhole, giant Jenga, speeches, tabling from our candidates and clubs, and the opportunity to meet and speak with electeds and other activists and volunteers. Bring a friend or new member, bring your dog, wear your Democratic Party of Contra Costa County (DPCCC) shirts or hats, and come ready to have fun! Sponsorships are available and play a vital role in supporting the Democratic Party of Contra Costa County in recruiting and electing democrats both here and in critical or contentious races locally or across the state or country. Your sponsorship also helps support our County party infrastructure to be able to host more fun events, recognize members and support our members. Click here to purchase a ticket or sponsorship!  RESOLUTIONS AND LEGISLATION The DPCCC adopted the following resolutions at its August 18, 2022, meeting: Proclamation in Support of National Hispanic Heritage Month, September 15, 2022 – October 15, 2022 Proclamation Recognizing and Commemorating the 77th Anniversary of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, October 2022 The DPCCC voted at its August 18, 2022, meeting to take positions on the following bills currently under consideration in the United States Congress: SUPPORT H.R. 8296 (Authored by Representative Judy Chu), the Women’s Health Protection Act of 2022, which would create a federal right for patients to receive and providers to provide abortion care, ensuring every American—regardless of where they live—can make decisions about their own lives and bodies. Click here to read the Issues Committee Application. SUPPORT H.R. 8297 (Authored by Representative Lizzie Fletcher), the Ensuring Women’s Right to Reproductive Freedom Act, which would prohibit anyone acting under state law from interfering with a person’s ability to access out-of-state abortion services. Click here to read the Issues Committee Application. SUPPORT H.R. 8373 (Authored by Representative Kathy Manning), the Right to Contraception Act, which would provide statutory protections for an individual’s right to access and a health care provider’s right to provide contraception and related information. Click here to read the Issues Committee Application. SUPPORT H.R. 8404 (Authored by Representative Jerrold Nadler), the Respect for Marriage Act, which would provide statutory authority for same-sex and interracial marriages. Click here to read the Issues Committee Application.You can learn more about the Issues Committee’s process for reviewing legislation, resolutions, and proclamations by reading its submission guidelines and application for consideration. You can review an index of the Resolutions adopted by the DPCCC since 2022 and a Legislative Tracker of all the bills on which the DPCCC has taken a position during the 2021-22 session. DEMOCRATS AROUND CONTRA COSTA COUNTY The primary focus of our District Directors during the past month has been organizing and managing our candidate endorsement process for the November 2022 election. Check back next month for more details on what is happening around the county!BIDEN/HARRIS ACCOMPLISHMENTSTo counteract the Republican negative campaign against the Biden/Harris administration, we’ve generated one slide that summarizes their long list of accomplishments under three major goals they have achieved. You can use this information when you’re out canvassing, for talks with your friends and family members and—if you’re really brave—with moderate Republicans! In any event, don’t give in to the Republican negative messages—defend the Biden/Harris administration’s accomplishments! Click here to see the slide: https://contracostadems.com/biden-harris-accomplishments/. ANNOUNCEMENTS Farm workers are marching to win the right to vote for a union free from intimidation and threats. This march is to convince Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign AB 2183, the Agricultural Labor Relations Voting Choice Act (AB 2183-Stone). The bill would give more choices to farm workers so they can vote free from intimidation. Farm workers would be able to vote in secret whenever and wherever they feel safe. You are invited to join the Farm Workers as they complete the final mile of their march in Sacramento on Friday, August 26 at 9 a.m. Click here for more details! The Alameda County Democratic Party is hosting its 50th Anniversary Democratic Unity Dinner at the Oakland Airport Hilton on Saturday, September 24, at 6 p.m. Early bird tickets for $110 are available until Friday, September 2. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets. If you have an announcement you would like us to consider including in next month’s newsletter, please email commsdir@contracostadems.com. DPCCC EVENT CALENDAR This calendar is for DPCCC and other Democratic Party events to which all DPCCC members are invited. To request the addition of an item to the calendar, please email secretary@contracostadems.com. Please click on the image to get more details!LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINKDo you have any questions or feedback about this DPCCC Newsletter? We would love to hear from you! Please send your comments to commsdir@contracostadems.com. |
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August 2022 DPCCC Newsletter
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