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Republicans Are Taking Aim at Our Most Precious Right: Access to Free and Fair Elections

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The GOP is working hard to make voting more difficult for Americans. Seems they have realized that when people are given more access to free and fair elections, republicans lose.

Because of this, republicans are currently going after all the swing states that flipped blue with aggressive voter suppression legislation. We cannot sit by idly and let them water down voter rights.

On first day of Black History Month, Georgia Republicans introduced 9 bills making it harder to vote, including ending automatic voter registration, no-excuse absentee voting & mail ballot drop boxes. This would be one of worst voter suppression laws ever passed.

Arizona Republicans have introduced 34 bills to make it harder to vote, including ending mail voting, purging list of voters automatically receiving mail ballots, cutting # of polling places in Maricopa County from 100 to 15 & allowing GOP legislature to overturn will of voters.

Pennsylvania Republicans have introduced 14 bills making it harder to vote, including the end of no-excuse absentee voting, throwing out mail ballots for minor errors and gerrymandering the courts so they can’t strike these laws down.

CNN reported that “the voting bills in Congress — which Democrats have said are an early priority — would establish at least 15 days of early voting in federal elections, allow for automatic voter registration, restore voting rights to former felons, and bar states from prohibiting mail-in and curbside voting — along with a slew of other changes to election and campaign-finance laws.”

The Fourteenth Amendment states: “No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States,” and yet, they continue to chip away at one of our most precious rights, as outlined in the Fifteenth Amendment – “The right of citizens of the United States to vote.”

The reforms that the “For the People Act” would put into law are transformative. To protect and expand our voting rights and ensure fair political representation. It would provide automatic, online and same-day voter registration, and all voters access to free, universal mail-in voting regardless of where they live. It would guarantee a minimum of 15 days of in-person early voting, and it would also bring an end to partisan gerrymandering by creating independent redistricting commissions in every state.

To help protect the voting rights of all Americans, Democrats have introduced the “For the People Act“, which will counter the rise of big money in politics, establish a system of small-donor public financing for congressional and presidential races and increase disclosure requirements for the unlimited outside political spending that was brought about by Citizens United.

Additionally, our own Senator Ron Wyden and Congressman Earl Blumenauer have introduced the “Vote at Home Act” to increase voter access for all Americans, so that they have all the benefits we have here in Oregon, including:

  • Sending all registered voters their ballot in the mail weeks ahead of Election Day — just like we do in Oregon.
  • Allowing all registered voters to cast their ballot through the mail or at a drop-off site — just like we do in Oregon.
  • Enacting Automatic Voter Registration — just like we do in Oregon.

Both pieces of legislation help to put power back where it belongs – in the hands of the people.

Contact your congressional representatives and your senators and let them know you support a YES vote on the “For the People Act” and the “Vote at Home Act” to stop voter suppression and provide free and fair elections for ALL Americans. Additionally, if you have friends or relatives in any of the swing states – ask them to contact their state representatives to vote NO on proposed voter suppression legislation.

Apathy gave us four years of Trump. Be an active citizen! Get involved! Stay Engaged!

Sign up for our newsletter to stay informed!

Wyden Kicks Off COVID Budget Resolution Debate

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Our Senator Ron Wyden kicked off the debate in the US Senate regarding the $1.9 Trillion Rescue Plan. You can read the entire speech here..

Notable were his final two rebuttal statements to naysayers:

“First, I’ve heard members say that the price tag is too high. Here’s my view – if you voted for Donald Trump’s deficit-financed handouts to corporations and billionaires, you cannot credibly argue that relief for workers is fiscally reckless. And the fact is, the deficit is never going to get better unless unemployment comes down and the economy gets back to strong, consistent growth.

Second, I’ve heard some members suggest that this budget resolution is bad for unity. Colleagues, the only place where big, bold economic relief is a divisive proposition is within the four walls of the United States Senate. I’ve always tried to bring the two sides together. But calls for unity aren’t supposed to be a political cudgel – they ought to be genuine. What you see in this budget resolution is exactly the kind of plan that the American people voted for and that overwhelming majorities of Americans support.

That’s why I’m 100 percent behind this resolution. I’m looking forward to a lot of debate over the days ahead. Bottom line, the Senate has got to get this done. There’s yet another unemployment cliff coming in just a few weeks. There is no time to waste, so I urge my colleagues to support the resolution too. I yield the floor.”

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This Looks Like a Game-changer for Climate Science

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“We’ve grown leaps and bounds in our ability to collect climate data, particularly in the last 30 years since we’ve had satellites,” says Zeke Hausfather, a climate scientist at the Breakthrough Institute, a think tank in Oakland, California. “But at the end of the day, we need to know what is likely to happen in the next few decades and the rest of the century and centuries to come. And for that, you need some sort of model.”  Meet the team shaking up climate models – (link to article in The Christian Science Monitor)

 

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PRESS RELEASE: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Upholds Oregon’s Denial of Key Jordan Cove LNG Permit

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tuesday, January 19, 2021

CONTACT:
Allie Rosenbluth, 541-816-2240, allie@rogueclimate.org
Andrew Hawley, Western Environmental Law Center, 206-487-7250, hawley@westernlaw.org

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Upholds Oregon’s Denial of Key Jordan Cove LNG Permit
Potentially fatal blow for fracked gas export terminal and pipeline proposed in Oregon

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] — Today, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) upheld the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality’s denial of a key permit for the proposed Jordan Cove LNG export terminal and Pacific Connector fracked gas pipeline. The Jordan Cove LNG project cannot move forward without a Clean Water Act approval from the state of Oregon.

This is the latest in a series of regulatory losses for Jordan Cove LNG, representing a huge blow to the 15-year-old proposal that has been vehemently opposed by Tribes, impacted landowers, fishermen, climate advocates, and others. The project has also not qualified for other critical state, federal, and local permits needed to move forward.

In its summary of today’s meeting, FERC wrote:

“The order finds that Jordan Cove and Pacific Connector never requested certification with respect to the Commission authorizations for the Jordan Cove Energy Project and that the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality could not have waived its authority to issue certification for a request it never received.”

“The FERC decision is very encouraging. It is certainly our hope that Pembina will give up on this devastating project once and for all,” said Chairman Don Gentry of the Klamath, Modoc, and Yahooskin Tribes.

“The evidence in the record was clear, FERC had no choice other than to deny Pembina’s request to waive Oregon’s 401 water quality authority,” said impacted Douglas County landower Stacey McLaughlin. “Any approach to seeking approval of its Pacific Connector Pipeline and Jordan Cove Energy Project without proper permits compromises the safety of Oregon’s landowners. Pembina is proving it cannot be trusted—this is not a characteristic seen in a ‘good neighbor.’”

“The headwinds for the Jordan Cove project continue to blow strongly. FERC’s decision to uphold Oregon’s authority to deny a water quality certification for the project demonstrates that measures are in place to protect the Coos Bay estuary and rivers of southern Oregon,” said marine biologist and Coos County resident Dr. Jan Hodder.

“Today’s unanimous FERC decision shows that when our communities come together and speak out, we win! Thousands of southern Oregonians have raised their voices to stop this project for years and will continue to until the threat of Jordan Cove LNG is gone for good,” said Hannah Sohl, executive director of Rogue Climate. “Now we must focus on creating good, local jobs in clean energy and energy efficiency in Oregon.”

“Today’s decision is a huge win for clean water and healthy communities who’ve been fighting this harmful project for nearly 15 years,” said Robyn Janssen, director of Rogue Riverkeeper. “FERC’s decision to uphold Oregon’s 401 denial gives me hope that this is the end for Jordan Cove LNG.”

“Today’s decision confirms Oregon’s right to protect its communities and waters from big polluters like the proposed Jordan Cove liquefied natural gas terminal and pipeline,” said Andrew Hawley, attorney at the Western Environmental Law Center. “We have battled this harmful behemoth for decades and defeated it at every turn. With everything we know today about climate change this project must never again rise from the ashes.”

“Jordan Cove LNG would have threatened the drinking water of nearly 160,000 Oregonians. Today’s FERC decision is a win for public health,” said Damon Motz-Storey, Healthy Climate Program director at Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility. “Oregon’s right to deny Clean Water Act permits on the basis of unacceptable harm to our water resources is vitally important. This is a day to celebrate.”

“For 15 years this climate-polluting proposal threatened landowners, waterways, forests and imperiled species across southern Oregon,” said Dylan Plummer, grassroots organizer with Cascadia Wildlands. “Today, we can finally breathe a sigh of relief, and tomorrow we will redouble our efforts to end this project for good.”

“The latest rejection of the Jordan Cove project is yet another victory for our clean water and our communities. We’ve said time and again that this project will never be built, and today’s announcement is just further proof of that,” said Sierra Club senior attorney Nathan Matthews.

“Jordan Cove LNG was poised to become the biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions in our state of Oregon should it have been approved, responsible for 15 times more emissions than the now-closed Boardman coal plant’s annual emissions. This project was a disaster in waiting for the climate and communities in its path, and today’s news from FERC is a welcome relief after years of fighting this dirty project,” said David Turnbull, strategic communications director at Oil Change International. “Let’s hope this is the start of a new era at FERC, where communities and our climate are protected rather than ignored in the face of industry demands.”

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The Election is Over. Now what?

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StoneMavenDesigns / Art by Janelle
StoneMavenDesigns / Art by Janelle

The election is over. The nation has spoken.  Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will officially become our next President and Vice President. The House maintained its Democratic majority and the Senate became a 50/50 split, with Kamala Harris giving Democrats the majority when votes are tied. This was a historical trifecta win on many fronts.

Yet, with all of the exciting positive outcomes this election provided, while congress performed the procedure of what has historically been the perfunctory process of counting the electoral votes to finalize the 2020 election results, an insurrection occurred at our nation’s capital. Trump supporters stormed the capital, desecrating the offices of elected officials, stealing computers and vandalizing many areas within the building.  The threat to our national security has yet to be fully determined, but suffice it to say, this attack on our nation’s capital will be a source of concern and study, for years to come.

Because of President Trump’s incitement of the insurrection at the capital, and his prior efforts to subvert and obstruct the certification of the results of the 2020 presidential election, House Democrats plan to introduce articles of impeachment against President Trump on Monday, according to two Democratic aides.

According to reports, more than 150 House Democrats, well over half of the caucus, have signed on to articles of impeachment written by Reps. David Cicilline of Rhode Island, Ted Lieu of California and Jamie Raskin of Maryland that focus on the breach of the Capitol complex and accuse the president of inciting an insurrection.

Congressman Peter DeFazio has already announced that he supports the impeachment and removal of this president, as have both Senator Wyden and Senator Merkley. It is unknown of Oregon District 2 Congressional Representative Cliff Bentz has signed the articles, or supports impeachment as of this posting.

Please take a moment to contact your elected officials and let them know we want Trump removed from office as soon as possible. While he has less than two weeks in office, he has demonstrated he is unfit to lead this country.

Congressional District 2 Cliff Bentz –  DC (202) 225-6730 or (541) 776-4646
If you encounter issues with his website – you can email his staff person: nick.clemens@mail.house.gov

Congressional District 4 – Peter DeFazio – DC (202)-225-6416 or (541)-440-3523

Senator Jeff Merkley – DC (202) 224-3753 or (541) 608-9102

Senator Ron Wyden – DC (202) 224-5244 or (541) 858-5122

You can also text RESIST to 50409 and it will automatically send your message to your elected representatives.

Democracy is not a spectator sport. It is time that we all get more involved.

Many died for the rights we have. We cannot sit by idly and expect others to do the work for us.

Please make sure you share you feelings about the state of our union with ALL of your elected officials; this includes your local officials, as well as state and federal representatives.

 

 

 

 

2021 – WATCH US GROW!

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THE JOSEPHINE COUNTY DEMOCRATS
NEED YOUR HELP!

Please join us as we expand our grassroots efforts. It is unfortunate, but southern and rural Oregon democrats are often left out of the conversations at the state level. We hope to change that with your help, as we amplify our voices by building a stronger local party and working with other rural groups to create change that moves beyond partisanship.

Many of our members “don’t do politics” but do their duty come election time by turning in their ballots. Others make monetary donations, which is necessary and very much appreciated, as we get little to no funding from the state or national party; but only a small group of our local democrats get their hands dirty and get involved with developing and growing the organization.

We invite you to join us – democrats and progressives alike. You will be surprised to see that you are not alone in this otherwise sea of republican voters. Working with other democrats and progressives can also bring support and comfort during these trying times.

There are many ways you can help depending on your interests.

We have specific caucuses you can join that may offer you an opportunity to be involved in issues you are passionate about. Being involved as a precinct leader will allow you to help shape the local party rules and by-laws, which also affects how the party makes endorsements!

Please contact us here to learn more about ways you can help and be a part of creating meaningful change locally.

WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING SINCE THE ELECTION?

While we would like to have relaxed after the electoral college votes were all certified, the efforts of some republican representatives to overturn the will of the people has made it difficult to fully celebrate the Biden/Harris win.

Side note, our own Congressman elect for CD2, Cliff Bentz, has signed on with other republicans asking for a congressional investigation and review into states where they claim “election irregularities” were observed.

Click here to share your thoughts about this issue with Congressman-elect Bentz.

Additionally, with the balance of the Senate still undecided, many Josephine Democrats, and other volunteers from Indivisible Southern Oregon, and ORD2 Indivisible, have continued to work on getting out the vote. Locally, southern Oregon activists have sent more than 6,500 postcards and letters, and are also helping the Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock campaigns with phone banking and texting to Georgia voters in an effort to help flip the senate. If they are able to flip the Georgia senate, we can look forward to more meaningful change in 2021.

There are still opportunities to help with their campaigns – go to https://fairfight.com to see how you can assist.

UPCOMING ACTIVITIES

JANUARY MONTHLY MEETING
Tuesday January 12, 2021 starting at 6:30 pm

Social starts at 6:30 pm. Meeting sarts at 7:00 pm.

Agenda and December meeting minutes will be posted soon at this link. Special guest speaker(s) to be announced on the agenda.

Advanced registration required to attend the meeting! Registor here to join us.

INAUGURATION WATCH PARTY & CELEBRATION
Wednesday January 20, 2021 

We are still working out the details, but we hope to host a Zoom Watch party to celebrate the inauguration of our 46th President of the United States, Joe Biden, and the first Vice President to be a person of color and female, Kamala Harris.

Keep your eyes open for more information about this activitiy on our website and social media.

THE OFFICE IS STILL CLOSED
Except by Appointment!

Due to COVID restrictions, the office will remain closed except by appointment. Call 541-916-8352 to set up an appointment or email chair@josephinedemocrats.org. You can also check changing office hours on our website: josephinedemocrats.org

We ask when you visit to wear a mask and keep the 6 ft distance. We all want to stay healthy! Remember, it is your mask that keeps others around you ok.

YOUR DONATIONS MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE!

As we mentioned above, the Josephine County Democrats do not get regular funding from the state or national democratic parties. All office supplies, signs, postcards and postage, advertising and other promotional materials are paid for with your generous donations.

Our efforts had an impact on this election with more local democrats turning up to vote than ever before. Help us keep this momentum!

If you haven’t contributed to us yet this year, please consider helping us grow. A $5/monthly donation goes a long way to pay for our year-round office. If not monthly… a one-time donation is always appreciated as well.

https://secure.actblue.com/donate/joco-dems-2020#

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Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Under Siege

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The Trump administration is clambering to deliver on a final promise: to definitively open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, one of the most remote and ecologically pristine areas in North America, to oil and gas drilling –> https://sc.org/2UMdAKo

Trump in his final hours, just announced plans to sell the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to his fossil fuel cronies and campaign funders. This is our National Wildlife Refuge one of the most remote and ecologically pristine areas in North America and Trump is selling it to the highest bidder.

To make it hard for us to weigh in they are only accepting public comment via regular mail on the lease sale🙄 but since we are all social distancing and have plenty of time on our hands this isn’t that much to ask, is it. We need letters, 1000’s of them.

The deadline to receive letters is the 17th of December, but please mail it by the 10th to
State Director, BLM Alaska State Office
222West 7th Ave
Mail Stop 13
Anchorage, AK 99513-7504

Here is a sample letter. Use it, change it, make it your own, but send something!

RE: I am Against any and all lease or sale of oil or gas in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge!

Exploration and development of gas or oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge will create a web of roads and pipelines and could harm the waterways, wildlife, the pristine delicate landscape of this precious unique country.
Encompassing more than 19 million acres, the Arctic Refuge is the largest national wildlife refuge in the United States. It has no roads or facilities. Tucked in the northeast corner of Alaska along the Beaufort Sea, its delicate arctic landscape provides breeding grounds for caribou, denning sites for polar bears, and habitat for migratory birds, among other ecological rarities.
Extracting these oil and gas deposits can result in lasting damage to the environment. Specifically, oil and gas exploration and development causes disruption of migratory pathways, degradation of important animal habitats, and oil spills—which can be devastating to the animals and humans who depend on these ecosystems.
What national interest could be so compelling to put all that at risk? America is setting records, with oil exports anticipated to overtake those of Russia and approaching those of Saudi Arabia. America is flush with oil.
Please protect this beautiful National Wildlife Refuge
Sincerely

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Timber Severance Tax

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Oregon has only a modest tax on harvested timber that just supports the industry. Unlike Washington state, Oregon doesn’t tax the value of trees when cut to compensate counties for reduced property taxes while the timber was growing.

Read about it: Timber Tax Citizen concept

… and more: How to Protect Our Water

Here are some questions to get you thinking.

What is the best severance tax design and use?

  • What percentage should be returned to the counties as property tax?
  • Who should be taxed? And what rate?
  • Revenue to protect watershed/drinking water
  • Best mechanism to incentivize better forest management?
  • Which forest management characteristics are most important for drinking water, fish protection and fire hazards?
  • Is fire protection an important use of this revenue? What aspects-fire resistant building materials, defensible space or fire suppression?

A rural community coalition has already designed their own tax bill.

Let’s discuss the details of their plan as laid out in the handouts attached or linked here and see what you would like to see accomplished!

Strategy: How will we make a tax severance plan happen?

  • What organizations do we need onboard?
  • Are county commissioners supportive?
  • Do we have the votes for a 3/5th majority?
  • The industrial timber industry is a powerful lobby, what would you say to counter their opposition?

Want to get involved? Contact Catherine Thomasson or Jody Wiser with the Tax Fairness Oregon 503-819-1170

 

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Election 2020 Recap (so far)

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The voting is over, and the nail-biting continues. The Trump campaign and the Republican Party will certainly petition to have the votes recounted in certain states like Wisconsin and Michigan, so the results of the presidential election may yet be weeks away. Stay tuned to find out if there are things Democrats in Oregon can do to support our fellow Democrats in those states where recounts may happen. You can peruse this pamphlet for ideas of what to expect in the coming weeks and what you can do about it:  Hold-The-Line_-A-Guide-to-Defending-Democracy.pdf

Nearer to home, The Josephine County Democratic Party has helped send Senator Merkley and Congressman DeFazio back to Washington to continue their great work for us, and we have made our next redistricting secure by electing Shemia Fagan to the office of the Secretary of State. We also helped return State Treasurer Tobias Read and Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum to their offices with our votes. Thank you Alex Spenser, for making a good run of it in Congressional District 2.

Although none of the Democratic candidates running for the state legislative seats that cover Josephine County won, we must remember that they had uphill battles in districts that lean two-thirds conservative. The fact that we had excellent candidates running in these positions is important because Republicans too often run unopposed here, and our candidates were instrumental in sharing alternative solutions with the public about pressing issues in Josephine County and southern Oregon. Hats off to Jerry Allen, Mary Middleton, Kat Stone, Calla Felicity, and Jerry Morgan for being willing to step up and make our voices heard.

Locally, we will have several new city council members in Grants Pass, including Vanessa Ogier, Brian DeLaGrange, and Robert Pell, plus a new mayor, Sara Bristol. The new perspectives and energy they will bring to the council are much needed and welcomed. Here, here for transparency!

We want to give a great big thank you to our many volunteers. They have given their time and energy to staff our office, watch the ballot processing and the ballot box sites, write letters and postcards, phone bank and text, and do the behind-the-scenes technological work necessary that made all of our voter outreach possible. During this election season, our volunteers attempted to contact every Democrat in Josephine County. Our Neighborhood Leader Program contacted 3392 Democrats here with calls, texts, or letters, and we attempted to contact all of the rest of the Democrats in the county with postcards, phone calls, or texts to encourage them to vote. As of this writing, the Democratic Party turnout in Josephine County stands at 85.4%.

Lastly, we want to give a big thank you to all the donors who supported us financially. You paid for our voter drive and kept our office doors open; without your help none of this would have been possible. We’re humbled by your generosity.

 

 

 

 

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