Help is on the way. Shots in arms and money in pockets. Extended unemployment insurance, resources for schools to safely reopen, help for small businesses, expansion of health care coverage and food and nutrition assistance. President Biden's American Rescue Plan is one of the most significant pieces of legislation to ever pass Congress, providing badly needed relief and ultimately the creation of 7 million new jobs. While other developments also require our attention, such as the recent gun violence, let us not forget to celebrate this remarkable achievement by a president who really does care.

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 is now law. Its impact is expected to be significant, including large reductions in poverty, as analyzed by the Urban Institute, a highly respected policy research firm. It will "reduce poverty by more than half for children and for people in households experiencing job loss. Poverty would fall about 42 percent for Black, non-Hispanic people, 39 percent for Hispanic people, and 34 percent for white, non-Hispanic people" with the effect of reducing racial/ethnic disparities in poverty rates. As the new legislation begins to be understood, we are likely to see increasing numbers of constituencies beginning to praise its provisions. The American Psychiatric Association, for example, announced it is heartened that the Act includes funding for mental health and substance use disorder, as COVID-19 has taken its toll not only on the physical health, but the mental health of many Americans. It's a good time to be a proud Democrat!

We cannot let this happen. Please contact your state Senator and Representative and tell them to oppose SB 90 and PIE 21-05!

Senator Hutson: 850-487-5007

Rep. Cyndi Stevenson (District 17): 850-717-5017

Rep. Paul Renner (District 24): 850-717-5024

Or find your senator at www.flsenate.gov/senators

THEN GO TO OUR PUBLIC FACEBOOK PAGE AND "LIKE" IT TO SEE Action Alerts

when these bills and others come up for a vote. Alerts include all the information you need to make your voice heard.

The past week saw two more horrific shootings of Americans going about their daily business. Our hearts go out to the families of the victims and condemn the senseless violence in the strongest possible terms.

We mourn the eight lives taken in Atlanta, including six Asian American women, which sadly follow a year-long escalation of xenophobic, hate-filled actions directed at Asian Americans. We join the victims' families in collective grief and anger over their loss and resoundingly condemn hate-crimes against Asian Americans and all Americans.

The tragedy in Boulder which took the lives of 10 Americans during a simple grocery store visit further underscores the urgency for gun control measures in this country. We echo Sen. Dick Durbin who opened today's Judiciary Committee hearing by calling gun violence in the United States a “public health crisis” and called for action, not just prayers. “We won't solve this crisis with prosecutions after funerals. We need prevention before shooting,” he said. The Senate is to consider two pieces of legislation passed by the House less than 2 weeks ago aimed at strengthening background checks for gun purchases.

We encourage you to contact Senators Rubio (202) 224-3041) and Scott (202) 224-5274) to urge that they support these bills and take other measures to ensure public safety from gun violence. Silence is complicity.

What is the best way to win more elections in St. Johns County? By growing the number of voters registered as Democrats. People are moving into the county all the time and students are coming of age to vote. Some disaffected NPAs and Republicans may be open to joining our party in light of the January 6th insurrection. All these facts suggest there is opportunity to strengthen our party by mounting an intensive voter registration effort -- starting now!

The DEC Voter Registration committee, led by Gary Farris, is hard at work identifying new resources that will allow us to more strategically target homes and areas where there are unregistered left-leaning voters. We will begin with our usual method of tabling at outdoor events such as farmer's markets and schools, but will soon proceed to using new data-based applications to canvass targeted addresses, text, phone call, mail, and email potentially unregistered voters.

Will you join our army of voter registration agents? We plan to leave no stone unturned in this effort, and need all the help we can get! You can start by signing up for one of the first two Voter Registration trainings shown below -- either in person or via Zoom:

For additional information, please contact Gary Farris at glandlkfarris@comcast.net or volunteer@stjohnsdemocrats.org.

Annette Cappella, a past Chair of the St. Johns County Democratic Party, passed away on March 2, 2021 in St. Augustine. Annette was involved with the Democratic Women's Club and the St. Augustine Democratic Club and served on several state committees of the Florida Democratic Party. She will be remembered by many for her leadership and service to the community. More about her life is documented in an obituary by Nell Toensmann.

The Annette Cappella Memorial Scholarship Fund is being established by the St. Augustine Democratic Club. Friends who would like to honor her can send donations to: Annette Cappella Scholarship Fund, in care of Nell Toensmann, 112 Laurel Wood Way #204, St. Augustine, FL 32086. Checks should be made payable to the St. Augustine Democratic Club indicating "Scholarship" in the memo line. The scholarship will honor Annette's dedication to students and education.

The St. Johns County chapter of the Democratic Environmental Caucus will meet via Zoom on April 1st at 6:30 PM. We will hear from Guest Presenter Jim Gross, Executive Director of the Florida Defenders of the Environment. The meeting is open to the public. Contact John Pilecki at johnpilecki@gmail.com for more information and link to the meeting.

We are pleased to announce that the Executive Board of the first Democratic Black Caucus in St. Johns County has been elected. Monthly meetings will be held on the first Monday of each month, with the next one on April 5th at 7 PM via Zoom. The caucus continues to accept member applications as we build a robust and active group. Please contact President Jaime Perkins at jaimeperkins83@gmail.com for a membership application and to obtain the Zoom link for the April 5th meeting. All are welcome!

On April 12th, the Northwest Club will host guest speakers Jane West (currently Port, Waterways and Beach Commissioner and 1000 Friends of Florida) and John Pilecki (President, Democratic Environmental Caucus) to discuss local environmental issues and environmental legislation during the current state session. In support of Earth Day, NWUP will be taking suggestions for club Earth Day activities!

Please join us for our social which begins at 6:30 and business meeting beginning at 7 PM. Contact nwsjcp@gmail.com for more information and to obtain Zoom meeting link.

The St. Augustine Democratic Club is pleased to announce that its speaker for the April 13th meeting will be Dr. Wendy Anderson, Professor and Chair of Environmental Science and Studies at Stetson University in DeLand, FL. The focus on the environment was selected in honor of Earth Day on April 22. Dr. Anderson has an extended resume here. Non-member Democrats are welcome to join our meeting to hear this exciting speaker. For more information about the St. Augustine Democratic Club, contact Nell Toensmann, President at staugdemclub@gmail.com or 904-484-4960.

The Democratic Women's Club of St. Johns County will host an Earth Day program: "How's the Environment Faring in the 2021 Legislative Session? An Inside Update." We are pleased to announce that our guest speaker will be Jane West, who was elected to the St. Augustine Port, Waterway, and Beach District last year. For more information and/or the Zoom link, please contact the club president Pamela Mirelson at mirelsonp@gmail.com, or call 904-502-3245.

Join us for Part 2 of our series on the branches of government. Ambassador Nancy Soderberg will present on the legislative branch. In addition to serving as alternate UN Ambassador and Congressional candidate (FL-6), she also served on Senate staff for six years. Ms. Soderberg is currently a political science professor at University of North Florida. For more information or to obtain the Zoom link, please contact president Jan Kary at jkary@verizon.net.

The Young Democrats Club invites you to join us at our monthly meeting on April 19th at 6:30 PM. We welcome all Democrats between the ages of 14 and 40! We will meet via Google Meet (meet.google.com/nbk-tsgr-eci). For more information, please contact: sjcydems@gmail.com.

Did you know that St. Johns County now has 19 Democrats serving in elected offices? This is a significant increase from before 2018 when there was less than a handful.

Democrats now have majority control of several local boards, including the Anastasia Mosquito Control District (which serves the entire county despite its name), and are doing a great job serving our community.

Come out and show your support for Commissioners Trish Becker, Jeanne Moeller, and Gayle Gardner at a fun family-friendly night on April 1st!

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