Author Archive: DPCCC Secretary

Resolution in Support of H.R. 1/S. 1, the For the People Act

Posted on by

DPCCC membership approved the following resolution at the July 15, 2021 regular meeting.

WHEREAS, on January 6, 2021, insurrectionists stormed the United States Capitol, leading to five deaths, in a violent action powered by The Big Lie of widespread voter fraud in order to allege that the 2020 presidential election was stolen; and

WHEREAS, the right to vote is under assault with an intensity and aggressiveness that analysts explain has not been seen since the end of Reconstruction, with Republican-led state legislatures in a quarter of the states passing laws to shorten windows for early voting, restrict access to mail voting, tighten or impose voter ID requirements, eliminate Election Day registration, reduce the number of polling places available, make it easier to overturn elections, allow greater interference with election administration, and criminalize efforts by election officials to make it easier to vote; overall, over 400 bills have been introduced in the states to curb voting rights, targeting people of color in particular, since the beginning of 2021; and  

WHEREAS, the For the People Act would counteract this threat to our democracy by making it easier to vote in federal elections, protecting and expanding voting rights, creating new campaign finance and ethics rules to curb a small unrepresentative group of mega-donors from being a barrier to diverse candidates, increasing safeguards against foreign election interference, prohibiting extreme partisan gerrymandering;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Democratic Party of Contra Costa County supports the passage of The For the People Act, our next great Civil Rights legislation, and urges all Senate Democrats to support efforts to eliminate or reform the filibuster in order to pass the bill to allow President Biden to sign it into law and prevent an outcome where, without fair voting rules in 2022 and 2024, the consequences could include the permanent loss of democracy for our nation; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Democratic Party of Contra Costa County shall communicate this resolution to Contra Costa County Democrats, the California Democratic Party, and members of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives representing any part of Contra Costa County. 

Submitted by:

Renee Zeimer, Elected Member, District 2
Harry Wiener, Associate Member, District 1
Craig Cheslog, Associate Member, District 2

Introducing DPCCC’s first newsletter

Posted on by

DPCCC Leadership is launching a newsletter to keep members informed. Here is the first issue: https://mailchi.mp/7773aba831c6/dpccc-region-13481838. The newsletter will be sent to our email list and posted on this blog each month following our regular Membership meeting, outlining our activities and actions, and offering opportunities to participate.

To submit an item for the newsletter, please email secretary@contracostadems.com.

Resolution in Opposition to AB 1139 (Gonzalez), Net Energy Metering

Posted on by

DPCCC membership approved the following resolution at the June 17, 2021 regular meeting.

WHEREAS, rooftop solar is a key part of our transition to renewable energy that is needed to avert climate catastrophe, and the expansion of rooftop solar creates a more resilient grid that is less vulnerable to natural disasters; and 

WHEREAS, net energy metering and other financial incentives have been central to making solar installation affordable and cost-effective for Californians and have helped drive the proliferation of rooftop solar throughout the state; and 

WHEREAS, AB 1139 would make solar unaffordable by imposing monthly fees on solar panel users averaging $70 per household while slashing net metering credits by 80%, which would heavily discourage solar installations, encourage current users to disconnect their panels, and devastate the solar industry in California; 

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Democratic Party of Contra Costa County opposes the passage of Assembly Bill 1139 (Gonzalez), which would reverse our state’s tremendous achievements in rooftop solar, cost numerous solar installers their jobs and businesses, and financially harm existing solar customers.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Democratic Party of Contra Costa County shall submit its OPPOSE position to the California State Legislature for inclusion in the bill analysis as an opposing organization, and shall communicate its opposition to this bill to the California Democratic Party and members of the State Senate and State Assembly representing any part of Contra Costa County and the Governor of the State of California, urging the Democratic supermajority in the California State Legislature not to pass this legislation and the Democratic Governor to veto this bill if it should reach his desk. 

Submitted by: Rebecca Auerbach, Publicly Elected Member

Resolution in Support of Senate Bill 2 (Bradford and Atkins), the Kenneth Ross Jr. Police Decertification Act of 2021

Posted on by

DPCCC membership approved the following resolution at the June 17, 2021 regular meeting.

WHEREAS, because police officers, sheriffs’ deputies, and other peace officers hold extraordinary powers to detain, search, arrest, and use force—including deadly force—the state has a correspondingly strong interest in ensuring that peace officers do not abuse their authority; and

WHEREAS, In 2017, 172 Californians were killed by the police, and our state’s police departments have some of the highest rates of killings in the nation, and of the unarmed people California police killed, three out of four were people of color. The nationwide protests that followed the police killing of George Floyd have made clear that Californians want to end police brutality and that our state must create a process to remove abusive police from the streets and protect those who are targeted by police violence; and 

WHEREAS, Senate Bill 2 would create a statewide decertification process to revoke the certification of a peace officer following the conviction of serious crimes or termination from employment due to misconduct, thereby helping to ensure these individuals are held accountable and that California’s standards for law enforcement better reflect community values; 

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Democratic Party of Contra Costa County supports the passage of Senate Bill 2 (Bradford and Atkins), as amended on May 20, 2021, and urges the Democratic supermajority in the California State Legislature to pass the legislation and the Democratic Governor to sign the bill into law;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Democratic Party of Contra Costa County shall communicate this resolution to Contra Costa County Democrats, the California Democratic Party, members of the State Senate and State Assembly representing any part of Contra Costa County, members of the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, and the Governor of the State of California. 

Submitted by: Craig Cheslog, Associate Member, District 2, May 27, 2021

June 15, CADEM launches organizing effort to Stop the Republican Recall

Posted on by

From the California Democratic Party:

Today, we face the biggest threat in years from the GOP. The Republican National Committee, wealthy Trump donors and right-wing extremists have joined forces in an attempt to recall Governor Gavin Newsom.

The California Democratic Party (CADEM) is playing a critical grassroots organizing role in the anti-recall effort. As a part of the effort, CADEM will launch an organizing effort to Stop the Republican Recall on June 15 from 6 – 7 p.m. We’ll use this time to learn more about the recall effort against Governor Gavin Newsom and how we’ll work together over the next few months to fight back against the right-wing Republican recall attempt.

Stop the Republican Recall Organizing Launch
Tuesday June 15
6 – 7 p.m.

REGISTER NOW »

Join the grassroots, people-powered movement to stand with Californians and Governor Gavin Newsom.

In solidarity,
California Democratic Party

Resolution in Support of Assembly Bill 525, (Chiu, Cunningham, Friedman) – Offshore Wind Generation

Posted on by

DPCCC membership approved the following resolution at the May 20, 2021 regular meeting.

WHEREAS, California has set ambitious goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Energy Commission, in coordination with specified agencies, found that California will need to build at least 34 gigawatts of new renewable energy and energy storage developments by 2030 and at least 140 gigawatts of new renewable energy and energy storage developments by 2045 to achieve the goals; and

WHEREAS, California has found that wind and solar power on land will not be able meet that strategic goal, but that offshore wind generation could provide many new jobs and at least 10 gigawatts installed off the California coast by 2040, with an interim target of 3,000 megawatts installed by 2030; and the Energy Commission, in consultation with relevant state and local agencies, would need to start developing a plan on or before June 1, 2022 to improve existing waterfront facilities, seaports, and workforce.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Democratic Party of Contra Costa County supports the passage of Assembly Bill 525, Offshore Wind Generation to begin this planning, and urges the Democratic supermajority in the California State Legislature to pass the legislation and the Democratic Governor to sign the bill into law;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Democratic Party of Contra Costa County shall communicate this resolution to members of the State Senate and State Assembly representing any part of Contra Costa County and the Governor of the State of California.

Submitted by Brodie Hilp, Elected Member, District 2