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Chair: Ginger Blair
Deputy Chair: Kimberly Valdez
Secretary: Carmen McZeal
Treasurer: Natalie Ward
Sergeant At Arms: Marc Meyer
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Click on the Contribute button to help turn Montgomery County Blue!
Please consider becoming a sustaining member at $10 per month (or more!).
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Montgomery County Democratic Headquarters
704 N. Thompson St. #195
Conroe, Texas 77301
936-703-5841
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Montgomery County Democratic Headquarters Hours
Hours of operation: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.
Monday through Friday
Due to the continuing spread of COVID, our policy now is for staff and visitors to comply with social distancing guidelines and masks are optional. To reach us, call MCDP headquarters at 936-703-5841 or email office@mcdptx.org. For urgent matters outside of office hours, please text 713-256-1420 or email chair@mcdptx.org.
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April 15, 2023 Newsletter
National Arab American
Heritage Month
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Please note: our newsletters contain a lot of links to make viewing the source easier - just click on images or linked text to explore
IN THIS ISSUE:
May 6, 2023 - Local Elections (Early Voting Starts April 24th)
Proclamation on Arab American Heritage Month
National Poetry Month - "The Hill We Climb"
Time to Re-register or Become a Volunteer Deputy Registrar (VDR)
Democratic Dames Dining for Democracy - Dinner Social April 27
Final Friday - Campaign Support Committee
From TDC - Dems' Plan to Invest in Texas Kids; School Vouchers
SDEC Report
Volunteer to Help Your Precinct
County Non-Profit Spotlight - Children's Books on Wheels
In Memory of Paul Brown
Democratic Party Events Around the County
School Board Meetings Reports
Education Report - Separation of Church and State
Legislative Update
Training, Education and Activism Resources for Democrats
4th of July - Will you help?
Working Wednesday - Get Involved!
Looking for Cards!
Joe and Kamala's Corner (click on an image to open)
Tweets (click on an image to open)
Blue Store - Show Your Commitment to Democracy!
Democratic Party Calendar of Upcoming Events
Other Groups and Community Events
This newsletter is published on or about the 1st and the 15th of every month.
no later than 3 days before publication.
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May 6, 2023, Local Elections
Make a Difference
Make a Plan to VOTE!
Early Voting
Monday, April 24 - Saturday, April 29 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Monday, May 1 - Tuesday, May 2 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Election Day - May 6th
REMEMBER: You may vote at any location during early voting BUT ON ELECTION DAY (MAY 6TH), YOU MUST VOTE AT YOUR ASSIGNED PRECINCT VOTING LOCATION
Confirm you are registered to vote and see your sample ballot
Request a Ballot by Mail
(Applications must be received by Election Central by April 25th)
Check out the video of the new voting machines
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A Proclamation on Arab American Heritage Month, 2023
The Arab American story is the American story — one of diverse backgrounds and faiths, vibrant tradition, bold innovation, hard work, commitment to community, and stalwart patriotism, all coming together to accomplish something greater than any one of us. This month, we join together to celebrate the immeasurable contributions of Arab Americans to our Nation and recommit ourselves to the timeless work of making sure that all people have the opportunity to achieve the American Dream.
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In Honor of National Poetry Month
"The Hill We Climb"
By Amanda Gorman
When day comes we ask ourselves,
where can we find light in this never-ending shade?
The loss we carry,
a sea we must wade
We’ve braved the belly of the beast
We’ve learned that quiet isn’t always peace.....
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It's time to Become a VDR or Re-Register
Here is What We Know
Montgomery County is one of the fastest growing counties in the state. And as Montgomery County grows, Volunteer Deputy Registrars (VDR) work to turn new residents and the newly eligible into new voters through voter registration programs. For many years, the Montgomery County Democratic Party has been blessed with a strong Volunteer Deputy Registrar Program that has been able to help keep up with our amazing growth and to increase the percentage of registered voters each year. In 2010, for instance, our population was only 455,746 and 55% of those (or 248,605 persons) were registered voters. In 2020, the population of Montgomery County was 620,443 and 60% of those (or 370,731 persons) were registered to vote. We will be forever grateful for the strong Volunteer Deputy Registrars who developed and ran the program that made that growth possible.
But clearly, we still need more Democrats. So, if you were certified to be a Volunteer Deputy Registrar in Montgomery County in 2022, your certification expired on December 31, 2022, and according to the Secretary of State, you must be recertified by the County to begin to register folks to vote in 2023 and 2024. At the end of last year, Montgomery County had certified about 160 Volunteer Deputy Registrars but when we inquired this year, only about 20 volunteers had signed up so far!
Please email us at office@mcdptx.org or call 936-703-5841 to become a Volunteer Deputy Registrar to help us at all of our Democratic events. Visit the link below for information on becoming a new Volunteer Deputy Registrar or to be recertified for the next election cycle.
It has been said that there is a special crown in heaven for folks who register others to vote! We need you to help us register more Democrats if we are ever going to hope to turn Montgomery County BLUE.
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This Final Friday is Important to Me and to YOU!
April 28, 2023
6:30 p.m.
It is important to “ME” because the Party cannot afford to have positions open all over the ballot with no Democrats for me to vote for. And it is important to “YOU” because you may not recognize yourself as the strong, knowledgeable, ethical candidate that you really are.
We are pleased to announce that Mike Midler, Sue Reese, and the Montgomery County Democratic Party Campaign Support Committee will be making a presentation in support of all future Democratic Candidates at this Final Friday’s program. Their presentation is vitally important to all members of the Party and to all aspiring candidates at any level of engagement in local agencies and issues.
The new LIFT program that they will present is designed to support our local candidates in both partisan and non-partisan races through recruitment and training. The local Party, through its Precinct Chairs, is also being trained in fundraising and networking to GET OUT THE VOTE.
Please tune in to this most important presentation. We can see what the absence of Democratic candidates has done to our school boards, water districts, and city and county governments. We are the candidates, and we are the voters that will help put Democracy back on course.
Our Final Friday Social and Speakers Program is held the last Friday of the month at Montgomery County Democratic Headquarters, 704 N. Thompson St, Suite 195, Conroe, Texas, 77301. You may also watch it on Zoom.
The link to watch virtually is highlighted in blue below. You may also watch on Facebook Live.
Topic: Final Friday
Time: February 24, 6:30 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 858 7409 0628
Passcode: 41243
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Click on Images (including the white box) or Links to Open Full Content and Sign Petition |
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Weekly Talking Points 4/5/23
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Texas Democratic Women 2023 Blue Ribbon Lobby Day
Tuesday April 18, 2023
The State Capitol
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Texas
Delegate Selection Plan
For the 2024 Democratic National Convention
Issued by the
Texas Democratic Party
(As of APRIL 1, 2023)
Approved For 30-Day Public Comment Period
There are some changes to how delegates to the National Convention will be selected and the Plan is open for public comment until May 2nd. CLICK HERE to access the Plan.
Reach out to MCDP Headquarters (936-703-5841 or office@mcdptx.org), and leave a message for our Senate District Executive Committee (SDEC) Representatives for more information. Our Representatives are Mary Hamm and Christopher Powell.
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Volunteer to Help Your Precinct!
Please contact us to talk about what is involved in being a Precinct Chair or in helping your Precinct Chair. There is a lot of support for Precinct Chairs and that support is getting stronger. You will not be going it alone; but you will make a huge difference in our County, State and Nation.
To talk with someone about how you can help, email office@mcdptx.org or call Headquarters at 936-703-5841.
If you are ready to apply for a Precinct Chair vacancy, please download, print, and complete this application form, and submit it to us by U.S. mail, email as an attachment to office@mcdptx.org, or drop it off in person at 704 N. Thompson St. #195, Conroe, TX 77301. If you have never visited Headquarters, it would be great to meet you!
You may find out whether your Precinct has a Chair and who your Precinct Chair is by going to the Secretary of State website. Or contact us and we'll let you know!
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COMMISSIONERS COURT REPORT
By Ginger Blair, Chair
I Find this Story Really Hard to Believe
Back in October 2022, a 22,000 square foot structure opened for use as the County’s new forensic center. The structure was approved by the Commissioner’s Court in September 2022. The price tag for the project was approved and funded by the public at $11.8 million.
There is no doubt that the County needed the new facility, but here’s the catch. The structure was built on land that was not owned by the County. Would this kind of mistake ever have happened to you? Would your house ever have been built to completion entirely on your neighbor’s land? Where was the due diligence? The oversight? And where is accountability?
Ultimately, Montgomery County must find a way to pay $1.35 million dollars for the Conroe-North Houston Airport property on which the new building now sits. But, what may be most enlightening is the fact that this whole issue was not listed for public discussion on the April 11, 2023 Agenda, but it was quietly inserted on the “consent agenda” and it would typically have been approved along with numerous other items by a simple voice vote as an approval, not for the funding or to acknowledge the mistake, but to authorize the County Judge to sign a letter so that the County could submit a request to the Federal Aviation Administration to begin “the land release process.”
Thanks to Commissioner Noack for pulling the item from the Consent Agenda so it could be discussed in public, but the games are not over. Noack made a motion for the whole payment to come out of Precinct 2 Commissioner Charlie Riley’s budget, for some reason. That motion failed in a 2-3 vote. In the end, the item was tabled to allow the Montgomery County attorney’s office to figure out possible solutions to the land ownership issue and have more discussions with the parties involved regarding alternate release agreements for the land.
What a cautionary tale! An item that looked perfectly innocuous on the Consent Agenda masked a million-dollar mistake and a county building sitting squarely on the neighbor’s land. Meanwhile, the discussion of possible resolutions to the issue unmasked a split in the Court between rival Commissioners. Stay tuned.
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County Non-Profit Spotlight
Each month in 2023, we will share information about non-profit resources in Montgomery County in hopes that those in need receive assistance and to make everyone aware of the great resources in our county.
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Children’s Books On Wheels (CBOW) is a 501c3 Non-profit community based mobile literacy organization. We promote literacy by providing books, educational literature, and community resources to children and their families in multiple languages at no cost. CBOW received its' non-profit status in 2004. CBOW has four components: Health Literacy, Financial Literacy, Digital Literacy, and Educational Literacy to diverse communities in Montgomery County and in the Metro Houston areas.
Rita Wiltz, Founder and Executive Director of Children's Books On Wheels (CBOW), established the mobile non-profit organization in 2004 to bring reading to children in all areas that may not have access to books. Seventy five percent of the population served by CBOW are below the poverty level. Wiltz and her team are mobile and travel to community events, churches, businesses, and other non-profits in north, south, east and west counties. The after-school site at the Sleepy Hollow Multipurpose Building for the YMCA is hosted by CBOW. Summer Reading Projects donate books to children and their families at no cost. Each year over 9,000 books are distributed. Over 7524 hot lunches were distributed in May through July 2020 through a collaboration with Meals on Wheels of Montgomery County for families affected by COVID-19.
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In Memory of Paul Brown
March 2023
We are sad to announce the passing of Paul Brown, an early member and long-time friend of the Montgomery County Democratic Party. He had a 40-year career in the financial industry and was an avid golfer at The Woodlands Country Club. He was a neighborhood advocate and a MUD 47 Director at the time of his passing. According to memory, back in the days when the Party had very few members and had to “pass the hat” at every meeting, morale was very low, “Paul was always the one that held us together. He was the glue.”
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Democratic Party Events Around the County
psst: you're missing a lot of fun if you aren't joining us!!
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Latino Outreach Committee Meeting
The Latino Outreach Committee met on April 6th at Headquarters. They are working on plans for the Fiestas Patrias Festival in the Fall 2023. This Festival was cancelled during COVID and there is excitement to get it back on the calendar! This committee is looking for volunteers to work on the committee and also to help with the Festival planning. Bi-lingual volunteers are especially needed! Please contact headquarters at office@mcdptx.org or 936-703-5841if you would like to get involved with this exciting group!
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Working Wednesday Group
Here are Carol Stromatt, Glenna Sloan, and Olivia Latham working hard writing post cards to legislators on a Working Wednesday at Headquarters!
Consider joining them to make a difference and let our Legislators hear from us!
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Blue Magnolia
Evening Monthly Social
On Wednesday, April 12th several members of Blue Magnolia braved the storm and met at Lone Pint Brewery for a fun get-together. The skies cleared and the sun shined! If you are in Magnolia, mark your calendars for the second Wednesday of each month and join your progressive neighbors.
Follow us on Facebook to keep up with all of our events.
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WoMCDP April Volunteer Bingo
April is National Volunteer Month!! WoMCDP is holding a fun and friendly competitive Volunteer Bingo event!
Print out your bingo sheet and reference sheet for contacts (see below; right click on the image(s) and save as) and get out to doing good in our community!!
Take friends, make it fun, make a difference!!! Post pics and videos of your experiences!
On April 30th, from 1-3 pm, there will be a party to celebrate our collective awesomeness!! Further details will be available on the WoMCDP Facebook page.
Keefer Barlow Grace
WoMCDP Chair
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School Board Meeting Reports
As you may have heard we are recruiting volunteers to attend Montgomery County school board meetings to provide support of Boards that are fighting for our public schools' very existence and to report on items of interest.
Did you know there are nine ISDs in Montgomery County? They are Cleveland, Conroe, New Caney, Magnolia, Montgomery, Richards, Splendora, Tomball, and Willis. Would you consider attending meetings? If so, CLICK HERE to complete the form and Stephanie will reach out to you. To read an article about how our school district leaders feel about the vouchers being considered by our State Legislators READ THIS.
And on April 20th CISD Superintendent Null will be speaking at the Montgomery County Hispanic Chamber monthly Luncheon on the State of CISD. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
Magnolia ISD
In March and April, Charlotte, Natalie and Stephanie attended the Magnolia ISD School Board meetings.
In March we saw so many amazing students and teachers receive awards - that part of the meeting took over an hour! The beginning of each meeting is dedicated to acknowledging and awarding outstanding work by students and teachers across the District. It is inspiring and heart-warming to see all the success. During the business portion of the meeting, plans for the new Audubon Elementary School were shown and approved. It is an innovative and beautiful school and will be breaking ground soon. During public comments, three speakers requested that the school district ban the book The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. One speaker, a former School Board Trustee spoke in support of the Board and encouraged them to continue on their path of supporting students and teachers in spite of the antagonism they face from a few.
In April, the awards portion of the meeting was much shorter but still inspiring! During the business meeting a presentation was made about the TEA Accountability Rating System and how MISD will be impacted by the new rating system. Essentially the new system will result in districts being ranked lower than in the prior system even though the test scores may be higher. The expected result for MISD is that the district will be ranked B this year after being ranked A last year. Board members expressed the belief that this new ranking system is a further effort by TEA and the State to undermine public schools in Texas.
Please consider joining our effort to support our school boards by being present and supportive.
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What is Happening to the Separation of Church and State
in Texas Schools?
The separation of church and state is a concept that I, and I’m sure many of you, have taken for granted for most of our adult lives. As a mother and as an educator, I understood its purpose to be the preservation of our right to practice our religion, any religion, or no religion, as we wish. The United States is not a theocracy. As such, we cannot be compelled to practice any religion deemed appropriate by the state or federal government. After all, this is our First Amendment right.
So, what does the separation of church and state really mean, and where did the idea come from?
In the first clause of the Bill of Rights we find the “Establishment Clause” which states that, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.” This simply means that the government can’t put in place a national religion as is the case in some countries, for example, the Church of England. It does not state that individuals may not show an expression of religion on state or federal property. For this reason, there is no prohibition against an individual wearing a cross or a Star of David necklace, nor is it against any rule for an individual to pray before meals or at any time they choose. It does mean that public schools may not include prayer in their daily routine.
Although the desire for the separation of church and state in early America served the purpose of keeping the government out of religion, it is now more a question of keeping religion out of the government, and more to my point, schools.
Roger Williams, the founder of Rhode Island may be the first person to have used the phrase “Separation of Church and State” after arriving near present-day Boston in 1631. He held that government interference would corrupt the church. Likely the most famous use of the term is from Thomas Jefferson in his 1802 letter to the Danbury Baptist Association in which he stated that when the American people adopted the establishment clause, they built a “wall of separation” between the church and state. (Hana M. Ryman and J. Mark Alcorn; Middle Tennessee State University Free Speech Center)
For generations this was not an issue. In public schools across the country, we regularly began the day with a prayer and sang sacred music in Christmas pageants. Few complained as we were a largely homogeneous country filled with citizens of similar religious backgrounds. As we began to be a more diverse society it became apparent that these practices were not representative of all our nation’s children. In Engle v. Vitale, 370 U.S. the Supreme Court ruled that school-sponsored prayer in public schools violated the establishment clause of the First Amendment. Steven Engle, a Jewish man, believed that the school should not mandate students recite a prayer, however non-denominational it may be.
This brings me to the current legislative cycle in Texas. These bills are the downhill slalom of slippery slopes. The following is just a sampling of the many bills being considered at this time. NOTE: two of these bills were written by Brandon Creighton our State Senator. I have not included the many anti-trans bills which are deserving of their own article.
SB17 contains language forbidding colleges and universities from having a department or office dedicated to Diversity, Equity, or Inclusion and forbids mandatory training for either staff and faculty or students covering these topics.
SB763 if passed will allow school districts to hire chaplains in place of certified school counselors.
SB1515 would require all classrooms in Texas to display the Ten Commandments in a durable form, large enough to read from anywhere in the room.
SB8, commonly known as a private school voucher, will allow state funds to be spent on a private education by granting parents $8,000 per child. SB 8 is a longtime Republican goal and one of Gov. Greg Abbott’s self-determined seven emergency priorities for the current legislative session. In recent months, the governor has traveled across the state to discuss the voucher program, with a focus on rural Texas. For more information on vouchers, including why he Is pushing them in rural Texas please read this flyer from the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA).
One thing is clear, the state of Texas is at war with public schools. If these bills are passed, we will quickly be living in a new Jim Crow era, with an education system that is only for the rich, white, and Christian among us. Working toward an education system with equity and a quality education for all students has been an uphill battle, one that we have not yet wholly achieved, but educators have been striving to accomplish. With the passage of these bills, education in Texas will be pushed back and likely will not recover in my lifetime.
Submitted by
Kimberly Valdez
Deputy Chair, MCDP
Chair, Precinct 50
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Legislative Update!
Meet Fritz Houston
MCDP Intern
Fritz has become a valuable member of the MCDP Team and regularly will be contributing to our newsletter about happenings in the Texas Legislature.
In this last half-month, many committees have been meeting and the senate has been voting… on ways to defund education, scrap collegiate diversity, and strip away prosecutorial autonomy in Democratic counties. Republicans have been busy with Montgomery County’s very own Senator Creighton, chair of the Senate Education Committee, enjoying his time in the spotlight as his committee becomes the very center of this year’s legislative session.
Let’s first look at Senator Creighton's dynamic (disastrous) duo of bills, SB8 and SB9. While Senator Creighton has filed numerous education bills this year, these two bills work together to form a scheme to defund schools in predominantly urban areas. Starting with SB9, this bill would introduce a voucher program which will essentially pay parents to move their children from public schools to private schools. [Note: these funds would not be available to families who already have children enrolled in private schools.] This move would decrease the amount of funding going to public schools by removing kids from the classrooms and would further discourage teachers from working for public schools.
While this bill would work to destroy our public schools, it would never pass on its own. Rural Republicans would lose their school funding, and there aren’t many private schools in the rural areas to move their kids to. That is where the compromise of SB8 comes into play. SB8 would increase the salaries of public school teachers in predominantly rural areas. This would fund predominantly Republican rural public schools in exchange for defunding predominantly Democrat urban public schools. SB8 acts as a compromise to get rural Republicans to vote on SB9. Together these bills would defund urban schools in favor of funding rural schools and parents who take their kids out of public school. Ta-Da! the Creighton Compromise where no one wins.
The Senate Education Committee isn’t done yet. It now has some fights to pick with our public colleges. SB17 is blatant copy of Florida’s attack on public universities. This bill would force universities to eliminate all offices and programs that promote diversity, equity and inclusion on campus. It would also end any training that discusses race, ethnicity, gender identity or sexual orientation in public schools. The programs that could be eliminated are there to make minority students feel included and welcomed in universities and this bill threatens to uproot that in order to ‘stop the woke colleges.’
While these threats to our education have been widespread, nothing is set in stone. Internal divisions in the Republican Party remain strong, especially between suburban and rural Republicans over public school funding. Many of our Montgomery County House Representatives can still be swayed to vote against these bills. I encourage you to contact your local state Representative and tell them you don’t support these Senate bills; that they would destroy our public schools and colleges and worsen the teacher shortage.
Fritz Houston
MCDP Intern
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Training, Education and Activism Resources
Sign up now!!
Texas Democratic Women 2023 Blue Ribbon Lobby Day on Tuesday, April 18, 2023 at the Texas Capitol - Registration Closed
The Campaign for Our Shared Future fights for equitable, anti-racist programs, practices, and policies that sustain schools and ensure opportunity for every child and a brighter future for us all. There are great talking points provided on this website.
Red Wine and Blue - Red Wine & Blue provides everything women need to successfully organize in their communities and beyond.
The States Project - We fuel majority-making campaigns for state lawmakers who will defend our democracy, safeguard our individual freedoms and improve lives.
Texas Freedom Network - The 2023 Texas Legislative Session is here! Join us in letting our state’s leadership know that we will continue fighting for our freedoms today, tomorrow, and forever. Click here to get in the fight!
National Democratic Training Committee (NDTC) has virtual training opportunities for all Democrats. Go to https://traindemocrats.org/events/ to sign up for any of their trainings.
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4th of July Parade
Volunteer Recruitment
Can you believe it's time to start planning for the July 4th parade? MCDP has always had a strong presence at this community parade; and 2023 will be no different!
Please consider working on the July 4th Parade Committee. Reach out to Kim at deputychair@mcdptx.org to get more information and to join the planning fun!
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How in the World Can I really Make a Difference?
The news is awful. Prices are up. Your knees hurt. People aren’t kind. Our leaders don’t seem to understand what is really needed. The world is continually going downhill!
Don’t fret! Stop walking around in circles. No need to wring your hands! Volunteer with us at Headquarters every Wednesday and help make a difference!
We are looking for volunteers of all makes and models to join our “Working Wednesdays” crew. There are three shifts. Choose a time, chose a date. Come every Wednesday, once a month, or whenever you can drop in. We need your help, your camaraderie, your bright ideas and your willingness to pitch in with whatever is going on.
During the Legislative cycle we will be writing postcards to our legislators in support of positive legislation or to express our concerns about negative one. We can call, we can text, we can make signs, and buttons or crafts to sell. Update our databases. Write a letter to the editor. Attend a Commissioner’s Court hearing or a school board meeting and sit in the crowd to observe.
Would you like to help us? You can join us at a time below or we can try to find a program just for you at home, or as a quiet meeting observer. Call 936-703-5841 or email us at mcdpoffice@gmail.com and we will put the wheels in motion.
What: Working Wednesdays
Where: 704 N. Thompson Street #195, Conroe, Texas
When: Choose a shift:
- 10 am to 1 pm
- 1 pm to 4 pm
- Evenings for special projects
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Looking For Cards!
CARDS CARDS CARDS!
Do you have occasional cards you receive in the mail from non-profit organizations that you do not use?
WE CAN USE THEM to send to our legislators when we respond to important legislative alerts!
JUST BRING in your unwanted cards to our office and we will gladly put them to good use! (Or just call Headquarters at 936-703-5841 and we will try to arrange a pick-up!)
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JOE and KAMALA'S CORNER !
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Lots of new and great items to show your commitment to Democracy and support MCDPTX!
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Event Calendar - For more details, click on the image and follow link to the MCDPTX.org website; click on the date to view event.
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Other Groups & Community Events: |
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DEMOCRATIC CLUB OF THE WOODLANDS
Monthly business meeting Wed, April 19, 6:30 pm
South County Community Center
2235 Lake Robbins Dr
Spring, TX 77380
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Paid for by the Montgomery County Texas Democratic Party, www.mcdptx.org. This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee. |
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