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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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March 1, 2023 Newsletter
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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:
Women's History Month
Blood Drive - March 16th
MC Community Development Dept - Important Public Meetings
Senior Advisory Committee Report
From TDC - State of the State Dem Response, Lobby Day, Teacher Pay
Time to Re-Register as a VDR
Volunteer to Help Your Precinct
County Non-Profit Spotlight - Heritage Museum of Montgomery County
Democratic Party Events Around the County
Legislative Update
Conroe ISD News
Black History is American History
Training and Education Resources for Democrats
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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Montgomery County Commissioners' Court
Montgomery County Community Development Dept
Important Public Meetings
We have received notice of an important series of Public Needs Meetings being held by the Montgomery County Community Development Department. This is an opportunity for us, as citizens, to have input into potential HUD financing for affordable housing and community development activities in our County. If you would like to provide input, you are encouraged to attend the upcoming meeting in your area or complete the survey at the link provided below.
“Montgomery County is undertaking the development of three important planning documents as required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in order for the county to continue receiving more than $3.5 million in funding next year. These resources finance affordable housing and community development activities for low- and moderate-income residents in Montgomery County.
The Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice involves a review of the county’s housing and housing-related programs and policies to ensure these are administered in a non-discriminatory manner. That is, the county manages its housing and housing-related programs without regard for a person’s race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, or familial status. The Five-Year Consolidated Plan analyzes housing and homeless needs to determine the county’s priority needs for affordable housing and community development benefiting primarily low- and moderate-income residents.
One element of this joint planning process involves outreach to residents, business owners, and community leaders for input on fair housing, affordable housing, economic development, and community development needs across Montgomery County. Please take this 10-minute survey and provide your input.”
CLICK ON IMAGE BELOW TO TAKE SURVEY
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Senior Advisory Committee Report – February 23, 2023
The latest Senior Advisory Committee (SAC) meeting was held on Thursday, February 23, 2023 at 6:30 in the evening in person and via Zoom. Our Outreach Committees are in full swing again after the election and the New Year. There were reports from the Women’s Outreach Committee, the Latino Outreach Committee, the African American Committee, the Veteran’s Outreach Committee Bowling League, and the Young Democrats, which were followed by reports from the Go Texan Parade Committee, the Candidate Support Committee, the Fundraising Committee, and the Rules Committee.
All of the Committees have had very active months and each Committee Chair reported on future events and asked for more help from willing Democrats throughout the County.
Ginger Blair, County Chair, focused her report on additional plans and systems that are being put in place to help support all of the activity that is underway. She introduced Charlotte Harris Riser, who is helping organize the precinct chairs in the Magnolia area now called the Blue Magnolia area; Aleta McVey Garcia, Volunteer Chair, who is working on an Event form for the Event Chairs to submit to the CEC for before projects begin; and Michele Lightfield, is developing an easy-to-use Project Planning Program to keep us all on track, and Aleta Garcia, who will help recruit volunteers for everyone.
Lore Breitmeyer Jones introduced a new sustaining member initiative that is designed to put the Party in a more stable financial position going forward. More details on the sustaining member program and the next fundraiser will be reviewed at the next County Executive Committee meeting.
Check the newsletter for information on the Blood Drive that is being sponsored at headquarters by the “Coat of Many Colors” organization. Giving the Gift of Life is something we can all support!
The next Leadership report will be from the CEC following their March Meeting.
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Click on Images or Links to Open Full Content and Sign Petition |
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To read the comprehensive Democratic Party response to the State of the State Address click here. A link to the video response is included. |
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Texas Democratic Women 2023 Blue Ribbon Lobby Day
Tuesday April 18, 2023
The State Capitol
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Raise Teacher Pay!
Texas Democrats are rallying support for Rep. James Talarico’s new bill that, if passed, will provide the biggest teacher pay raise in Texas history.
40% of Texas teachers work a second job to pay the bills. Thousands are leaving the profession. In Texas, teacher salaries are $7,500 behind the national average -- putting us in the bottom half of states.
Teacher quality is the #1 school-related factor influencing student success. We ask a lot from our teachers. In the aftermath of COVID, they are facing historic learning loss and an escalating mental health crisis.
Teachers are also the latest target in the culture wars -- and due to our broken firearm policies, we ask them to be bodyguards from mass shooters.
Texas has more teachers than any other state in the country. Texas has $47 billion in unspent funds between our budget surplus and the “Rainy Day Fund.”
We can be in the Top 10 states for teacher pay and still have HALF of the unspent funds left over. Our bill will help us retain our best teachers and recruit the best and brightest into Texas schools.
Funding schools is true property tax relief. Increasing school funding at the state level is the only sustainable way to significantly bring down local property taxes.
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Volunteer to Help Your Precinct!
If you want more info about what is expected of a Precinct Chair go to the NDTC virtual training scheduled for Tuesday March 14, 2023 at noon Central called What is a Democratic Precinct Chair?
We know you have heard this request many times but maybe now you are ready! If you have ever thought you might be interested, now is the time to get more information.
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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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.
This month we feature:
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This is a wonderful local treasure in our midst of which you may not be aware. According to the Heritage Museum's website:
Our goal at The Heritage Museum of Montgomery County is to educate the public about Montgomery County's rich history! The Heritage Museum of Montgomery County features exhibits showcasing the county's roots, from the lumber and oil industries to the everyday lives of Montgomery County residents. The Museum is housed in the historic Grogan/Cochran home, built in 1924. Through a fundraiser and generous donors, the Conroe Service League was able to open the museum in 1985 and served as its administrative branch until the museum grew strong enough to stand on its own financially. In 2005, for its 50th anniversary, the League gifted the museum with a Fountain.
The Museum is composed of three permanent galleries including Glimpses of Montgomery County, featuring a chronology of the area's history, from prehistoric times to the building of Lake Conroe in the late 1970s. The second gallery, Towns, People & Events, honors those who have impacted the county and distinguishes the first events for the area, such as the first county fair, the first telephone, etc. The third gallery is a Hands-On Children's Room. Here children can explore a log cabin and a turn-of-the-century general store.
The Museum also offers a research room, oral histories of county residents, traveling exhibitions, a gift shop, and several outdoor exhibits. Special events for adults and children are offered regularly.
Visit with your family to learn about our local history!!
The Museum is open Wednesday - Saturday, 9 am to 4 pm.
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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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Dems Rocked the Jukebox
Somewhere Down in Texas
Go Texas Parade
February 18th!
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Montgomery County Makes the Big Time!
On February 16, 2023, Lonnie and Eartha Johnson welcomed Democrats from all over Montgomery County and North Harris County to meet with our new Minority Leader of the U. S. House of Representatives, the Honorable Hakeem Jeffries.
From left below: Lonnie Johnson; Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee; Rep. Hakeem Jeffries
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Below: Ginger Blair (County Chair) and Charlene Glover |
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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. Here is his first report.
In January, the Texas legislature convened for its 88th session. The Republican Party has already begun laying out its legislative priorities of Transphobia and Xenophobia, and continues the national trend of attacking teachers’ ability to teach their students. While Democrats have made promises to work across the aisle to raise teachers’ salaries and handle other democratic agendas, the Republican majority has been wary of working with Democrats.
To start, this year there is a $33 billion surplus for the government of Texas. At least half of this surplus will likely be given to property tax relief for businesses and homeowners as Texas has one of the highest property taxes in the nation. But the use for the other half of the surplus remains up for debate. Democrats have proposed a $15,000 increase in salaries for teachers to address the fact that Texas has one of the lowest salaries for their teachers of any state. This has been met with both opposition and approval from the right as a few Republicans worry about a possible increase in the Texas budget while some agree that an increase to teachers’ salaries could solve Texas’ teacher shortage problems.
As for actions by Montgomery County’s Representatives and Senators, the filing period for bills is still open so many bills are still being filled but a clear trend is appearing.
Representative Cecil Bell Jr. has proposed the Texas Sovereignty Act which would allow the state government to declare federal actions ‘unconstitutional’ even overruling a judicial decision that the federal action is constitutional.
Representative Will Metcalf has proposed an amendment to the property code which would prevent counties and cities from placing restrictions on landlords about when or how they notify tenants of evictions and would make short notice evictions easier.
Representative Steve Toth has proposed many bills which individually attack transgender individuals and doctors, insurers, teachers, and parents who care for or provide assistance to them. He has also introduced a bill that would increase taxes on small businesses in exchange for limiting property taxes for wealthy land and homeowners.
These proposed bills, changes, and regulations are still in the committees and are dependent on the Speaker of the House and Lieutenant Governor to move forward or not. But as the Republican Party of Texas has continued to attack minorities and those that are less fortunate, it is very possible that these bills could become law.
Fritz Houston
MCDP Intern
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Conroe ISD to Restrict
Board Members from Serving on
Library Book Review Committees
“The amendment states that CISD board members will not be able to serve on the library book reconsideration committees, which are charged with reviewing requests for books to be removed from the shelves and submitting a report to administrators based on their findings.”
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Black History is
American History
Every February, National Black History Month is recognized in schools, businesses, and governmental agencies across America, serving both as a celebration and as a reminder that Black history is American history, Black culture is American culture, and Black stories are essential to the ongoing story of America. Only trouble is, many people don’t see it that way. If the educational system in America was truly evolved, Black History would be integrated into American History and the contributions of Black Americans would be represented across the curriculum.
As an educator I have been asked hundreds of times why we celebrate Black History. I have been asked this question by well-intended educators, students, parents, and random people who know I’m an educator. It seems like a simple answer, but it is not. I believe the reasons for this vary, but at the top of the list is the fear that if we celebrate Black History, we somehow lessen the importance of others’ history (read white history).
This sentiment is usually followed by the question, “Why don’t we have a White History month?” For me, this is like throwing down the gauntlet. Once in response to this question, I developed a workshop in which we did a deep dive into the history/social studies curriculum being used at that school. What do you think we found? In short, we found very little representation of Black Americans truly woven into the text in such a way that it WAS part of American History. Instead, we found small sections dedicated to pointing out contributions of Black Americans and a somewhat more extensive portrayal of African Americans as enslaved people. We found nothing in which this rich history was portrayed as part of American History. It was, in every grade, segregated into its own section. Black History did not happen separately from history. It’s as if supplying students with a completely out of context list of African Americans who invented something or were the first to do something is enough. That is never going to be enough to truly reflect the full history of America.
“To just give children some sanitized, watered-down version of history that doesn’t address the historical context and the truth doesn’t work,” said Amani, who is also executive director of the Southern Birth Justice Network, which advocates for Black maternal health. That’s “not at all what I want for my children,” she said. [From the Washington Post (February 23, 2022)- By Joe Heim and Lori Rozsa]
Black History Month began as Negro American Week in 1926, developed by Carter G. Woodson, a historian. He is widely known as the Father of African American History and was influential in the development of the African American Studies discipline. It’s no wonder that almost 100 years after its inception, the theme for National Black History Month in 2023 is Black Resistance. You would think that by now we would have woven the history of Black Americans into the history books, but instead, we find ourselves confronted with proposed legislation banning things such as Advanced Placement African American Studies (Florida) and in 13 states the notion that teaching topics that make other students, white students, uncomfortable, should be banned.
As Morgan Freeman said, “I don’t want a Black History Month. Black History is American History.” I would agree, however we are not there yet. My challenge to anyone reading this, and especially to educators, please don’t let the system pull you backwards. RESIST!
Submitted by Kim Valdez
MCDP Deputy Chair
Chair, Precinct 50
Educator
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Training and Education Resources
Sign up now!!
So You Want to Run for Office: Women’s History Month Event with Emily's List March 2, 2023 - Virtual Event Click here to RSVP
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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JOE and KAMALA'S CORNER !
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Lots of great bling to show your commitment to Democracy!
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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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IMMIGRATION CLINIC REOPENED- VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! - Lorena Perez McGill |
Can you help?
- Legal consultation
- Set up, clean up, organize
- Speaker
Third Thursdays
5:00 to 9:00pm
24803 Oakhurst Dr. 77386
Questions and Information:
contact Lorena Perez McGill at
email or 202-294-4473.
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THU, MAR 2 - LWV HOT TOPICS: DIFFICULT DIALOGUES, 11:30am, Macaroni Grill 77381
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Democrats and Progressives of Montgomery County
Morning Breakfast MEETUP
Saturday, March 11, 2023 at 9:00 AM
Start the New Year right - with friends and breakfast!
11133 Interstate 45 S · Conroe, TX
Hosted by Karen Cavanagh
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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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