Search Results

The Democratic Black Caucus of Arlington mourns the tragic and sudden loss of Kent Carter, who passed away Sunday, October 2, 2022, while vacationing abroad. Kent was a father, veteran, accomplished real estate broker, and an activist and community leader well known for his dedication to and uplifting of the Arlington community. As First Vice President of the Arlington Branch of the NAACP, Kent embodied the spirit of service and worked tirelessly to advance the political, social, and economic welfare for people of color and all those impacted by injustice. He was a mentor and friend to many members of the Black Caucus. We will remember the countless hours Kent spent encouraging fellowship and investing in his community. His civic engagement and commitment to service was unparalleled and will never be forgotten. The Arlington community has truly lost one of our brightest stars. A loss that is unfathomable and echoes not only throughout Arlington but throughout the entire Commonwealth of Virginia and beyond. Our deepest and most heartfelt sympathies go out to his family and all those who had the honor and privilege of calling him friend. May God grant us all strength during this incredibly difficult time.

ARLINGTON DEMOCRATS GENERAL MEETING Wednesday, 5 Oct 2022 @ 7:00 pm In person at Lubber Run Community Center ArlDems Public Health Measures (Open to the Public via our ArlDems YouTube Channel) AGENDA Welcome, review agenda DNC Update - Dave Leichtman New Officer Appts. Resolution against Youngkin's discriminatory Trans policy Joint Campaign Fund raising Events Field Voter Support Precinct Ops AYD Beyond Arlington Outreach Next Arlington Democrats General Meeting: Wednesday, 2 Nov 2022, 7:00 pm at Lubber Run __________________________________________________________________________________________________ Stay Connected with Arlington Dems! We already know you like Arlington Dems, so will you stay connected with us all year round? Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to get breaking news, daily updates, pictures, videos, calls to action, and volunteer information. twitter.com/arlingtondems | facebook.com/arlingtondems | instagram.com/arlingtondems

Governor Youngkin plans to restrict the rights of transgender students in public schools throughout the state. His administration has released new “Model Policies” that would in many cases prevent schools from recognizing students’ gender identities. Following a thirty-day public-comment period beginning on September 26, the new rules are expected to take effect on October 27, 2022. Speak out now against the adoption of these rules targeting transgender students and help stop Governor Youngkin in his tracks. The Governor’s Model Policies would require students’ parents to submit legal documentation and a formal request to their student’s school before the student could adopt a name or gender in class that differs from their birth certificate. The policy changes would require a student to use the restroom that corresponds to the gender they were assigned at birth. The proposed policies would also require schools to notify parents if the student requests that teachers use a different name or gender for them at school. Transgender students deserve the same rights and freedoms as everyone else – the ability to be recognized for who they are and how they perceive themselves. Youngkin’s Model Policies would constrict transgender students’ rights to present their true selves to the world. Youngkin claims he is protecting parents’ rights, but he is only promoting the interests of parents who oppose their children’s identities. He is limiting the rights of parents who support those identities, as these parents would for the first time have to present legal documentation to ensure that their children’s gender identity and choice of name would be recognized at school. And Youngkin is eviscerating the rights of transgender students themselves. Adoption of anti-transgender laws and regulations can inflict significant, measurable, and immediate harm to the health and mental well-being of transgender youth; it is not a minor adjustment to obscure rules. A Washington Post survey shows that Youngkin’s proposals have already struck fear and distress in transgender students throughout the state. Other studies show that anti-transgender laws and regulations increase already high rates of depression and suicide among transgender youth, rates which have already been increasing along with the recent wave of anti-transgender legislation nationally. One report found that in 2021, 42% of transgender youth aged 13-24 years old seriously considered suicide. The proposed Model Policies reflect a cold indifference to the well-being of transgender students and a willingness to inflict cruelty on them for political gain in the culture wars Governor Youngkin so energetically pursues. Three of the changes to be imposed by Governor Youngkin’s Model Policies have been directly correlated with rates of attempted suicide among transgender youth. Respect for a youth’s pronouns, the ability to change name and gender on legal documents, and access to spaces that affirm their sexual orientation have all been shown to lower rates of attempted suicide among transgender youth. The Governor’s Model Policies would reverse current Virginia regulations protecting all of those rights in school settings. Many legal experts say that Youngkin’s proposals violate Virginia state law, which bans discrimination based on gender identity, and federal law, which bars discrimination based on sex in any educational institution that receives federal funds. The U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals adopted this interpretation of federal law when it decided in 2020 against a Virginia school district’s anti-trans bathroom rules in Grimm v. Gloucester County School Board. A legal challenge to Youngkin’s new Model Policies is likely, but it would be far better for transgender youth if the new Model Policies are never adopted. The thirty-day public comment for Youngkin’s proposed Model Policies begins on Monday, September 26, 2022, on Virginia’s Regulatory Town Hall website, The Model Policies proposal will be listed under the Department of Education, the state body that plans to adopt them. Please submit a comment telling the Virginia Department of Education not to adopt the new Model Policies, then submit the same comment directly to the Governor at his website: https://www.governor.virginia.gov/communicating-with-the-governors-office/. I urge you to protect the well-being of Virginia’s transgender youth and honor their legal rights by withdrawing the new Model Policies for the Treatment of Transgender Students announced on September 16, 2022. Restore the Model Policies previously in place, which respect the rights and interests of transgender students.

The country faces existential crises including climate change and attacks on our democratic system. We have an extremist Supreme Court that is dismantling the freedoms and social progress the country has built over the past several decades. Virginia has a right-wing governor and a Republican-controlled House of Delegates, with only a single-vote Democratic majority in the state Senate. What can you do to preserve our planet and our country? How can you protect abortion rights and foster social justice in Virginia? VOTE. Voting is one of the most important things you can do. And now it’s one of the easiest. In recent years, a Democratic majority in the state legislature and a Democratic governor reformed Virginia’s voting procedures to make it much easier for every eligible voter in the state to cast a ballot. Every election in Virginia matters. Democrats will concede nothing, so long as we elect informed, dedicated, capable, and sensible representatives at all levels of government. From the Presidency down to our local school board, your vote can help make that happen. If you haven’t already registered, right now is the time to do so. Make sure your like-minded friends are also registered and vote. Arlington is a transient community – a relatively high percentage of our residents move in or out in any given year. Arlington is also an important part of heavily blue Northern Virginia, which must turn out its voters to present a strong voice in statewide races. Northern Virginia Democrats are the power that keeps Virginia’s Electoral College votes blue in Presidential elections. When Northern Virginians don’t register and vote, state government swings right. So get registered and vote every year. Persuade your friends to do the same. Here's how: If you voted in Arlington in last year’s election, and you haven’t moved or changed your name since then, last year’s registration remains in effect and you don’t need to re-register. If you’re registered but have moved since you last voted, click here to update your address. If you’re unsure of your registration status, you can check it here. While this webpage does not expressly state that you can use it for this purpose, if you enter the information requested, a page will pop open that in fact tells you whether your registration is active. If you’re not already registered, the deadline to register online for this November’s election is October 17, 2022. If you’re unregistered and have a Virginia driver’s license or I.D. card, you can register online here. If you’re unregistered and don’t have a Virginia driver’s license or I.D. card, you can register by mail or in person. To register by mail to vote in Arlington, download and print the English-language application form here and mail it to the Office of Voter Registration at Suite 320, 2100 Clarendon Blvd., Arlington, Virginia 22201. The application form is available in Spanish here and in Vietnamese here. To register in person to vote in Arlington, go to the Office of Voter Registration at 2100 Clarendon Blvd. You will not need identification or proof of your address. If you’re already registered and you’d like to vote absentee by mail this year, click here. If you’re already registered and you’d like to vote early in Arlington this year, you can go to Suite 320, 2100 Clarendon Blvd., Arlington, at any of these times to vote: · Friday, September 23, 2022 | 08:00 AM - 05:00 PM · Monday, September 26, 2022 | 08:00 AM - 05:00 PM · Tuesday, September 27, 2022 | 08:00 AM - 05:00 PM · Wednesday, September 28, 2022 | 08:00 AM - 05:00 PM · Thursday, September 29, 2022 | 08:00 AM - 05:00 PM To vote in person on Election Day, you must go to the polling location for the precinct where you live. If you aren’t sure where your polling place is, click here. On Nov. 8, the precinct polls will be open from 6:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. If you have a question about registration that’s not been answered in this summary, call the Arlington Office of Voter Registration at 703-228-3456.

Gov. Youngkin has announced plans to withdraw Virginia from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative by the end of this year. In typical Youngkin fashion, the governor has occasionally spoken in public like a moderate on the environment, while he has consistently acted as an extremist. He has appointed far-right climate deniers to important state regulatory positions and worked to dismantle the generally progressive environmental laws and regulations adopted by Democratic majorities in Virginia in recent years. Virginia joined the multi-state Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative last year. It is a cap-and trade cooperative that provides market incentives for producers of electric power to reduce their emissions of CO2. Under the RGGI, power companies must buy allowances for the carbon they emit, and a cap is placed on their total carbon emissions. If Virginia continues to participate in the RGGI, carbon emissions by Virginia’s power companies should fall by 30% by the year 2030. After only a year of participation, carbon emissions from Virginia’s power plants have fallen by 13%. At the same time Virginia’s participation in the RGGI is providing the state with hundreds of millions of dollars for protection from floods and sea-level rise caused by climate change and for energy-efficiency programs in low-income housing. The RGGI is one of the most important U.S. cap-and-trade programs supporting the United States’ clean energy and climate goals. In states where the RGGI has been in place since 2009, CO2 emissions have dropped over 35%. The reductions reflect power companies’ switching away from their dirtiest power plants, improvements in energy efficiency, and the growing use of renewable energy. Economic growth in participating states has not been adversely affected. The need for reductions in carbon emissions has never been more acute. An authoritative annual report on the global climate system found that concentrations of the most dominant greenhouse gases—methane, nitrous oxide, and carbon dioxide (CO2)—reached new highs last year. The report also said that temperatures worldwide continued to rise in 2021, and that the last seven years are the hottest on record. Higher temperatures contribute to more frequent and more severe flooding and to a rise in sea levels, both problems that the funds Virginia receives from the RGGI help address. Thus Youngkin’s decision to take Virginia out of the RGGI is a bad idea at a bad time. Youngkin’s plan to withdraw Virginia from the RGGI faces some obstacles. He has abandoned his initial plan to take Virginia out of the cooperative by executive action, having discovered that he lacked the legal authority to do this. Now Youngkin plans to issue a notice of intended regulatory action, a step that will require an extended regulatory process including a thirty-day public comment period. The process would not be completed until at least the end of this year, and would not take effect until next year. Some legal commentators believe Youngkin cannot take Virginia out of the RGGI by regulatory maneuvering alone and that action by the state legislature is required. One observer notes that Youngkin may have proposed such a prolonged process because he knows the legal basis for his proposed action is weak. Rather than undergoing a lengthy regulatory process and then extended litigation, Virginians would be better served by having Virginia simply remain in the RGGI. Email the Governor and tell him to keep Virginia in the RGGI and to support rather than dismantle Virginia’s regulatory and legislative environmental initiatives. Go to https://www.governor.virginia.gov/communicating-with-the-governors-office/ and say: I support Virginia’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. It will reduce harmful emissions in Virginia, and the proceeds of our participation are already helping vulnerable Virginians prepare for the ravages of climate change. Climate change threatens the future of Virginia and the entire world. Virginia should be in the vanguard of efforts to reduce its destructive impact.

ARLINGTON DEMOCRATS GENERAL MEETING Wednesday, 7 Sep 2022 @ 7:00 pm IN PERSON AT Lubber Run Community Center ArlDems Public Health Measures Virtual Option: Open to the Public via our ArlDems YouTube Channel Congressman Don Beyer will be our featured speaker. Also, Hispanic Heritage Month is later this month and our Latino Caucus has invited former County Board member Walter Tejada and former School Board member Emma Violand Sanchez to speak on their experiences in Arlington politics and the community more broadly.

Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 500, which represents professional and non-professional clerical, technical, and academic staff at American University, has announced a five-day strike to begin on August 22. Please help build public support for this strike for a fair labor contract and donate what you can to the union’s strike hardship fund. SEIU Local 500 will protest the University’s refusal to accept reasonable labor terms after 18 months of bargaining. Currently AU pays low wages to these staff and imposes difficult working conditions; the inadequacy of its compensation is reflected in very high turnover rates for these positions. While the union and university have reached a tentative agreement on some aspects of a contract, the university has been intransigent on wages. Over 90% of the local’s members voted in favor of striking after the university’s most recent proposal effectively denied regular merit raises to teaching staff who had joined the union. The union filed a related Unfair Labor Practice complaint with the National Labor Relations Board. American University is a private institution with a growing net worth. Nationwide, donations to colleges and universities were up almost 7% in 2021. AU can afford to pay its academic staff a living wage. You can help in two ways: DONATE to the AU Staff Union Strike Hardship Fund, which will provide emergency relief to workers in need who are not being paid during the strike; and PUBLICIZE the strike and the reasons for it. Tell everyone you know about it and follow, engage with, and repost social media about strike developments. Over the past 50 years, a steep decline in union membership in the United States has coincided with a steep increase in wage inequality. One study found the decline in unionization to be 76% among men and 63% among women in those years, coinciding with a 40% growth in inequality in hourly wages. The study noted that even nonunion workers in regions of the country where unions were strong enjoyed better wages than nonunion workers in other areas. The study concluded that between a fifth and a third of the growth in inequality among all workers, union and nonunion combined, was a direct result of the weakening of organized labor. Building stronger unions and supporting union campaigns for a better deal for workers are among the most effective ways to reduce the inequality that creates unfairness in our society and weakens our cohesiveness. In colleges and universities across the country, lower-level and adjunct academic staff are paid notoriously low wages and endure adverse working conditions despite being a critical part of the educational services that institutions of higher learning provide to their students. The SEIU is working to unionize these workers across the country and to secure better pay and working conditions for them. The upcoming strike at AU is the local piece of this work. Please support this effort and help persuade American University to pay its academic staff a living wage.

ARLINGTON DEMOCRATS GENERAL MEETING Wednesday, 3 Aug 2022 @ 7:00 pm IN PERSON AT Drew Model School ArlDems Public Health Measures Virtual Option: Open to the Public via our ArlDems YouTube Channel AGENDA Welcome, review agenda Women’s Equality Day - Aug 26 Joint Campaign Dollars for Dems Precinct Ops AYD Outreach Beyond Arlington Voter Support Next Arlington Democrats General Meeting: Wednesday, 7 Sep 2022, 7:00 pm at Lubber Run __________________________________________________________________________________________________ Stay Connected with Arlington Dems! We already know you like Arlington Dems, so will you stay connected with us all year round?  Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to get breaking news, daily updates, pictures, videos, calls to action, and volunteer information. twitter.com/arlingtondems | facebook.com/arlingtondems | instagram.com/arlingtondems

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 18, 2022 Press Contact: Izzie Taveras, pr@arldemsold.local ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA – This Wednesday, July 20 at 6:30 p.m., the Arlington County Democratic Committee (Arlington Democrats) will host its Fifth Annual Interfaith Eid al-Adha Celebration at Lubber Run Community Center. People of all faith traditions are welcome to celebrate Eid with their families. The Arlington Democrats Interfaith Caucus is hosting this annual celebration along with Arlington Young Democrats. There will be a full halal meal served, musicians, and inspirational speakers from three faith traditions. There will also be opportunities to donate nonperishables to AFAC and monetary donations to Afghan Refugees and Ukraine. To accommodate COVID concerns, both indoor and outdoor space will be provided at the celebration. A prayer space will also be available. To attend, please RSVP at the Arlington Democrats Facebook page event link: https://fb.me/e/21DQaCbFz. “I’m really excited that Arlington Democrats is able to host its Annual Interfaith Eid Celebration in person this year,” said Arlington Democrats Chair Steve Baker. “It will be a great opportunity for Arlington community members to come together over food and celebrate Eid al-Adha after a couple of years of hosting social events remotely. Arlington has a large variety of faith traditions, and as Democrats we believe in coming together to celebrate this diversity while having a great time.” Eid al-Adha celebrates the story of Abraham and his devotional faith in God, which runs through all three Abrahamic faith traditions: Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. Also known as the “feast of the sacrifice,” this celebration is a reminder of our unity, common heritage, and the importance of coming together as a community regardless of faith tradition. Arlington County Board members, Virginia General Assembly members, and Congressman Don Beyer will attend the celebration. Congressman Beyer will speak about the importance of community, including his work on refugee resettlement and addressing the growing incidence of hate crimes across the country. The Fifth Annual Interfaith Eid Celebration will help Arlingtonians come together at a time when many feel divided so that we can work together on policies that improve our community as a whole. ###

Please join us for the Arlington Democrats July General Meeting ARLINGTON DEMOCRATS GENERAL MEETING Wednesday, 6 Jul 2022 @ 7:00 pm IN PERSON AT Lubber Run Community Center ArlDems Public Health Measures This meeting will also be livestreamed to the via the Arlington Democrats YouTube Channel AGENDA Welcome, review agenda ADA Anniversary Roe Resource Center Matt di Ferranti Appointed Officers School Board, County Bond Presentation 2nd Saturday Breakfast Dollars for Dems Precinct Ops Beyond Arlington Outreach Voter Support AYD Next Arlington Democrats General Meeting: Wednesday, 3 Aug 2022, 7:00 pm at Drew Model School __________________________________________________________________________________________________ Stay Connected with Arlington Dems! We already know you like Arlington Dems, so will you stay connected with us all year round? Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to get breaking news, daily updates, pictures, videos, calls to action, and volunteer information. twitter.com/arlingtondems | facebook.com/arlingtondems | instagram.com/arlingtondems

The Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade in June, holding that there is no constitutional right to abortion. This ruling marks the first time in history the Supreme Court has overruled the constitutionality of a fundamental right. Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization does, however, permit states to legalize abortion, as Virginia currently does. In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision, there will certainly be efforts to reverse that Virginia law. Democrats must do everything we can to stop that from happening. As a matter of personal freedom, everyone should have control over their own bodies. No one should be forced to undergo pregnancy against their will. A ban on abortions denies people equal rights. Abortion bans also have racially discriminatory effects and inflict serious harm in other, less-often-discussed ways. An abortion ban would significantly increase the maternal death rate, in some cases turning the inability to get an abortion into a death sentence. The United States already has the highest maternal death rate among developed countries. A recent study at the University of Colorado estimated that maternal deaths nationwide would increase by 21% within two years if most or all abortions are blocked, as the health risk of continuing a pregnancy to term is significantly higher than the risk of having a safe, legal abortion. Black and Hispanic people face much higher health risks during pregnancy than the U.S. population as a whole. Under an abortion ban, the maternal death rate for Black mothers would rise by 33%, and the rate for Hispanic mothers would rise by 18% within only two years. These figures do not include possible deaths from unsafe, illegal abortions that desperate mothers may choose to undergo if safe, legal abortions are unavailable. Moreover, several states have enacted prospective abortion bans that are now triggered by the Court’s decision. Many bans that have been introduced and passed since the leak do not contain exceptions for all cases in which the life or health of the mother is at risk. These extreme abortion bans will result in unnecessary death for people who face high pregnancy risks. Moreover, none of the figures cited consider the harm to people who face difficult, painful pregnancies even if they survive. Some people face serious long-term damage or disability from carrying a fetus to term. Abortion bans may also deter people from conceiving a child in the first place. If abortions are banned, for example, a mother who learns her fetus has a severe diagnosis or abnormality with little chance of survival would have to carry her pregnancy to term. To avoid this fate, some may avoid getting pregnant altogether even if they desire a child. Abortion bans also complicate the in vitro fertilization process. The families of those denied a desired abortion also would suffer from the ban. Most who seek an abortion do so out of concern for their capacity to support another child financially and emotionally, especially in light of the children they already have. A 2004 study found that 73% of those who sought an abortion did so at least in part because they could not afford to support a child. About 33% were concerned about their ability to care adequately, financially and otherwise, for their existing children if another child was added to the family. Abortion remains legal in Virginia, but that status is not secure. Governor Youngkin opposes abortion. He promised a campaign supporter he would “go on offense” on the issue once he was elected. He has kept his word. Since the Dobbs ruling, Governor Youngkin has already told the press that he’s open to a complete abortion ban in Virginia and assembled an all-Republican, antiabortion group of legislators to craft and whip votes for a 15-week abortion ban next January. Earlier in June, Governor Youngkin also tried to narrow the already-limited circumstances in which Virginians can receive state funds for an abortion. Currently, people who are Medicaid-eligible may receive state funding for abortion care if their fetus suffers from “incapacitating” deformities or mental deficiencies. Governor Youngkin proposed a budget amendment that would have denied funding in these tragic cases. After passing on a party-line vote in the Virginia House of Delegates, the amendment was thankfully voted down by the razor-thin Democratic majority in the Virginia Senate. Because we have a razor-thin margin in the Virginia Senate and no majority in the House, Virginia Democrats must continue our work to preserve and expand abortion rights here and nationwide. Our state legislative elections take place in 2023, and this year, we need to keep Congress under Democratic control by keeping the House and electing at least two more Democratic Senators. You can help preserve abortion rights nationwide by joining Beyond Arlington, a group of Arlington Democrats that supports candidates throughout Virginia and in other states who favor abortion rights. If elected, the candidates they help can get us the votes in Congress to finally codify Roe and establish federal statutory protection for abortion. Then, residents of all states will have the right to abortion care even in the absence of constitutional protection.. Volunteers for Beyond Arlington write postcards, phone-bank, and knock on doors in local districts on selected weekends. This year they are supporting, among others, Virginia Congresswomen Abigail Spanberger and Elaine Luria. Beyond Arlington helped elect these representatives in past elections and is now working to ensure that they remain in Congress. In addition, its volunteers are assisting Pennsylvania Democrats with electing John Fetterman to the Senate, Josh Shapiro as Governor, and winning several difficult congressional races.  Beyond Arlington needs any and all help to protect abortion rights. You can sign up to help here. The need is great and it is immediate. Please give of your time as generously as you can.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 20, 2022 Press Contact: Izzie Taveras, pr@arldemsold.local ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA – Today, the Arlington County Democratic Committee (Arlington Democrats) released a Reproductive Rights Action Center in anticipation of the upcoming Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization expected later this month. The Action Center, located at arldemsold.local/roe, aims to provide resources to voters on how to protect and expand abortion rights and access in Virginia. “I’m really excited that Arlington Democrats can provide this resource to Arlingtonians,” said Arlington Democrats Chair Steve Baker. “It’s critical that women and transgender people know that Arlington Democrats stand with them right now as the Supreme Court is on the precipice of overturning nearly fifty years of precedent, putting their lives at risk.” In light of the draft opinion leak in May, the Supreme Court is likely to overturn Roe v. Wade in a matter of days. Securing and maintaining a pro-abortion-rights Democratic majority in Congress and the Virginia General Assembly is an important priority for Arlington Democrats in this year’s midterms and next year’s legislative elections. The Action Center provides community members, volunteers, and campaigns with the resources they need to take immediate action to protect and expand abortion access in the Commonwealth, including information on Virginia-based reproductive justice organizations, abortion funds, volunteer opportunities, and events to attend. It also features fact sheets on abortion law in Virginia and federally, how to talk about abortion with voters, and information on receiving abortion care in Virginia. “It’s our hope that others use this Action Center as well. Now is a time for Democrats to channel our anger over the Supreme Court into action by mobilizing voters for 2022 and 2023 and by providing tangible resources and support to those who will be affected if Roe is overturned,” Baker said. If Roe v. Wade is overturned later this month, it will be the first time in this country’s history the Supreme Court retracts a fundamental right as recognized by the Constitution. Abortion will remain legal in Virginia, but we cannot take that right for granted. The Commonwealth is a safe haven for people across the South who need abortion care, and it’s essential we remain so for Virginians as well as the many others who will face tougher abortion bans in their home states without federal protection. The Reproductive Rights Action Center will help Virginians channel their anger over the decision into immediate action to protect abortion rights and elect Democrats who will fight for legislation that codifies Roe. ###