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The Charlottesville Democratic Committee

Meetings

Full Committee Meeting via Zoom (Monday January 9th, 6:30pm)

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cartoon people sitting around a meeting tableUPDATE: This meeting, the only one we’re having in January, will only be on Zoom, not also in person as previously announced. Don’t go to the library, instead look for an email a day or two pre-meeting providing the Zoom link.

 

Here are the agenda highlights:

 

Voter Protection

DPVA is eliminating its statewide Voter Protection Department, so we and other local committees need to meet and establish our own VoPro committees. Priority #1 is to recruit an army of volunteers to help voters who have Election Day problems, including any voters whose eligibility is challenged. These people need to be in place for this November’s election so we can use that experience to prepare for the November 2024 presidential election, where it could really matter! Kristin Clarens will brief us on the evolving voter protection strategy.

 

2023 Primaries

There will likely be primaries in June 2023 for City Council, House of Delegates, and State Senate elections. We’ll share what we know about the primaries at this meeting.

 

Update on Ranked Choice Voting (RCV)

Delegate Hudson told the Executive Committee last month that, due to electronic voting equipment limitations, City Council won’t have the ability to use RCV in a 6/2023 primary, but could authorize its use starting as soon as the 11/2023 general election. Sally asked the Executive Committee to consider having the Full Committee pass a resolution telling City Council whether we support or oppose an ordinance authorizing RCV for City Council elections.
Sally shared a document with some of her perspectives on RCV (please look it over before the meeting):

Full Committee Meeting (Monday 10/24, 6:30 pm)

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cartoon people sitting around a meeting tableWe’ll be meeting at the Central Library’s Swanson Case Room, but you can also attend over Zoom; please contact cvilledemschair@gmail.com if you’re not on the committee and would like the Zoom login information.

The main business of the meeting will be pulling together all of our energies and organization to get Josh Throneberg across the finish line victorious! We’ll also provide some updates on voting-reform issues such as proposals for ranked-choice voting, as well as the urgent business of the Governor’s destructive policies on (1) transgender students in public schools and (2) withdrawal from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).

Report: 6/27 Executive Committee Meeting

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cartoon people sitting around a meeting tableErin Monaghan presented the recommendations of the Bylaws Committee, chaired by Dave Chapman, which proposed numerous reforms (the bylaws hadn’t been looked at for 11 years!), including:
  • adding language to promote inclusiveness
  • giving the Full Committee flexibility in setting dues
  • establishing renewable 10-year terms for ex-officio members (instead of the existing lifetime term)
  • codifying that online meetings have the same official status as in-person meetings
  • enabling the Executive Committee to call an emergency meeting of the Full Committee to pass a resolution on a subject of pressing importance. Note: There was some disagreement about this issue at the meeting, with some members pressing for the ability of the Executive Committee to issue statements on its own behalf to maximize ability to respond.
Unfortunately, because there was no quorum for an official meeting, no vote could be taken on the bylaws, which meant we also couldn’t vote on issuing a statement condemning the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe (or any other matter). Reminder– it’s important to come out to the Full Committee meetings whenever possible!

“Turn Out the Vote Thursdays”

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Photo of volunteers at Turn Out the Vote ThursdaysWe’ve started doing “Turn Out the Vote Thursdays” every Thursday (taking the place of “Take Action Tuesdays”) from 5-7pm outside of Brazos Tacos, to overlap with the sunset market at IX Park.

We’re writing postcards to newly registered City of Charlottesville voters, making phone calls, and generally doing what’s needed to help us win in November. Come join us and hang out while we help elect Dems!

Environmental Resolutions Approved

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The full text of the approved resolutions are given on page 3 of our Earth Day flyer, but in short:

  • We fully support the retirement of fossil-fuel electricity-generating facilities, the increased energy efficiency and renewable energy requirements, and the goal of a fully decarbonized power grid in Virginia by 2050 in 2020’s bipartisan Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA)
  • We call on Governor Youngkin to protect and continue Virginia’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI, “Reggie”) and to reinstate the permitting authority recently removed from various state oversight boards.
  • We call on the General Assembly to pass legislation prohibiting public utility companies from making political contributions to candidates and incumbents in various state offices.
  • We call on the State Corporation Commission (SCC) to reject the February 2022 recommendation for a minimum bill of $55/month for participation in the upcoming Dominion Power Community Solar Program.
  • We urge Gov. Youngkin to rescind his Executive Order 17 in order to reinstate Gov. Northam’s Executive Order 77 which required executive-branch state agencies to give up single-use plastics by the end of 2025.
  • We urge the Charlottesville City Council to adopt a meaningful Climate Action Plan and to enact, this year, a zoning code that addresses a wide range of changes that will decrease the carbon footprint of both existing and future city residents.
  • We support the Community Climate Collaborative’s (3C) Accessible, Clean Transportation (ACT) initiative that seeks  robust, efficient and equitable public transit.
  • We support theDivestUVA campaign, which calls on the UVA Endowment Fund to reallocate the millions of dollars  invested in the fossil-fuel industries.
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