TONIGHT: Building the election reform movement Meetup

TONIGHT: Building the election reform movement Meetup

7 PM Monday 2/16/09

http://electionreform.meetup.com/176/calendar/9283209/

Location Saigonese Restaurant
11232 Grandview Ave
Silver Spring, MD 20902
(301) 946-8002

RSVP: jenkarius@gmail.com

Decided to make it a casual snack or dinner because of the MD rsvp's.
It's very close to the Wheaton metro. please call if you need directions.
Jennifer: http://electionreform.meetup.com/176/members/5211291/

Dear DC Metro Election Reform meetup members:

Here are the long-awaited minutes below.

Please forward comments. Mike has suggested Eleanor Norton Holmes as a
potential speaker for the Meetup, and I plan to take up contact with her
and someone from Verified Voting and Vote Trust, as those were names
brought up by Carol last meeting.

Yours, jennifer

Minutes/Notes from the December 4th Building the Election Reform Meetup
Attendees: chair Jennifer Karius, Mike Hersh, Dan Barnett, George Ripley,
Guest speaker: Carol Waser

A round of introductions is made by participants to explain reasons for
interest in the meetup and potential skills they may bring to the meetup.

Some of the priorities for election reform from the Dec. 4th group:

• The importance of raising public attention to electoral reform, as one
key system relevant to a successful democracy
• Election security concerns including:
• The need to ban DRE voting machinery (with MD as an example)
• The need for election oversight/ audits standards/ systems and laws
for (also being developed by Shelly Fudge of SaveOurVotesMaryland)
• The need for DC representation: symbolic for problems nationwide (see
speaker synopsis below)
• The role of the Democratic Party in advocating election reform;
creating a platform for the issue
• Seeking broader bipartisan grounds for election reform
• Creating a broader collaboration between election reform groups toward
affecting legislation and the mainstreaming of public attention toward
the cause

Some of the skill sets possessed by the Dec. 4th group:

• Concrete successes in community organizing
• Lobbying background (local, state, federal)
• Writing, also, esp. on election reform issues
• Contacts with election reform advocates/ groups/ legislative staff

Carol Waser is a DC election integrity activist, who is very up-to-date
on the recent difficulties in the DC primaries regarding voting
machinery. Carol attended DC Board of Election meetings, and after
following the issue, is an advocate for ending the use of DRE machines.
Instead, she advocates manual procedures in conjunction with opti-scan
machinery. A special investigation committee discovered a glitch in the
central tabulator is believed to be the problem with the vote count
during the DC primaries.

The general discussion around Carol's presentation of the DC election
situation is that election officials are too little informed on the
issue, or the need for greater attention on election reform. There is
not enough unified effort toward addressing the shortcomings of
machinery. Also, election administration processes, featuring the
election officials charged with the responsibility of maintaining,
improving, and troubleshooting election administration, appear to be a
large part of the problem. Lacking continuity on the part of DC
officials in following up with problems during the primaries appears to
have obstructed the resolution of the problems.

Meetup action points:
• Meetup members will attend the Public Meeting at the U.S. Election
Assistance Commission on December 8th
• Minutes will be distributed for the next meeting in order to aid
priority setting for the Meetup

Progressive Working Group Report

Progressive Working Group Participants and Friends,

Last month, the Progressive Working Group (PWG) held two meetings with legislators – Jan. 6th at Eastern Village Cohousing and Jan. 11th at Wheaton Library - to present and advocate for the 14 legislative priorities our coalition had agreed upon. A total of 19 state legislators from Montgomery and Prince George's Counties and over 100 participants from progressive groups attended the meetings which we felt were very successful in creating greater visibility for our legislative agenda and the PWG.

To confirm their positions on the issues, we also sent written surveys to legislators who attended the meetings and those who didn't, and we followed up with phone calls. The positions of 30 state legislators, as reflected at the meetings and in the surveys, are attached. Please feel free to use the information as your group sees fit for lobbying or membership education.

On Feb. 10th , members of the PWG steering committee met with House Speaker Michael Busch to introduce him to the coalition, advocate and discuss our legislative agenda, and get feedback. Following the meeting, the steering committee met with District 20 Delegate Sheila Hixson, Chair of the Ways and Means Committee and District 20 Senator Jamie Raskin. A summary appears below.

The next meeting of the PWG is Sunday afternoon Feb. 22nd at 1:30 at the Wheaton Library. (11701 Georgia Ave., Wheaton 20902) We will present further information on these Annapolis meetings, hear reports from progressive groups about their lobbying efforts in Annapolis, and discuss next steps in advancing our legislative priorities and building our coalition. Please mark your calendars and plan to join us.

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On Feb. 11th Michael Tabor and PWG members Margaret Flowers and Bridgette Marti spoke at a meeting of Baltimore United for Peace and Justice to explain the Progressive Working Group. There was discussion of a statewide network.

Also, the PWG is co-sponsoring a fundraising house party with Progressive Neighbors 1:30 Sunday afternoon, March 15th Please join fellow progressives in what should be a fun event with Magpie, a well-known folk duo. Admission will be $15 plus, if possible, a dessert to share.

The Maryland Chapter of the Physicians for a National Health Program is asking for help in reaching out to health care providers and legislators who will be attending a State Medical Society of Maryland rally/lobby day in Annapolis on Wednesday, Feb. 18th from 8 to 11 am on Lawyers Mall in Annapolis. Contact Margaret Flowers at conversationcoalition@gmail.com if you are able to help.


For the Progressive Working Group Steering Committee

Sharon Dooley, Mike Tabor, Dana Beyer, Norman Oslik, Mike Hersh, Wally Malakoff

PROGRESSIVE WORKING GROUP REPORT

Annapolis Meetings with: House of Delegates Speaker Michael Busch (District 30)
Senator Jamie Raskin and Delegate Sheila Hixson (both District 20) February 11, 2009

A delegation representing the Progressive Working Group Steering Committee made up of Dana Beyer, Mike Tabor, Mike Hersh and Norman Oslik met with Speaker Busch, Delegate Sheila Hixson and District 20 Senator Jamie Raskin. to discuss and advocate for our ’09 Legislative Agenda. All three legislators offered suggestions to guide our legislative strategy.

Speaker Busch met with us for approximately 20 minutes, and discussed prospects for our agenda in the 2009 General Assembly Session. His view was that some issues have good prospects for passage in both the House and the Senate, but others will not pass one or both houses. The House of Delegates is reluctant to act on legislation previously passed by the House, but not by the Senate.

Here is what he expressed to us:

1. Combined Reporting – Previously passed in the House, but unlikely to be considered again, absent Senate action. Passage is unlikely this session.

2. Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act – Likely to pass in both the House and the Senate.

3. De-fund the ICC – He felt there is no chance of passage in either the House or the Senate.

4. In-State Tuition for Children of Immigrants irrespective of status – The House previously passed this, but is unlikely to consider it again, absent Senate action. Passage is unlikely.

5. Oppose Real ID – Real ID is not likely to pass in its current form.

6. Student Privacy re: ASVAB – More information needed to make any assessment.

7. Keep MD Guard at Home – Questioned Governor's legal authority to prevent deployment.

8. Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage – Unlikely to pass this session. Speaker supports a Civil Unions Act, but passage is unlikely this session.

9. Gender Identity – Unsure of prospects in House. Passage is unlikely this session.

10. Electoral Integrity – Speaker supports “Going back to paper ballot.” Needs more information to make a more substantial assessment.

11. No Spying – A bill is likely to pass this session.

12. Public Campaign Finance – Previously passed in the House, but unlikely to be considered again, absent Senate action. Passage is unlikely this session.

13. Workforce Fraud – Will probably pass. He is working closely with Secretary of Labor Tom Perez and the O'Malley Administration. Well aware this would generate revenues for the state.

14. Health Security Act – Very unlikely to pass in House or Senate. ERISA Federal legislation, he feels, impedes State action. Hope for $500 million from the Federal Government to extend healthcare.


The Speaker was very frank, generous, and forthcoming and expressed sincere interest in our work. He thanked us for our efforts, and we discussed continuing communications. Busch indicated that he listens to elected delegates so PWG and affiliated groups need to build support among delegates and have them make their position clear to Busch. That is particularly true for items #6, 10, and 14 because he said he is unfamiliar with them.

Meeting with Sen. Jamin Raskin: Sen. Raskin strongly supports the entire PWG agenda. This was an exchange of ideas covering specific legislators who are supportive or not supportive of various bills and initiatives. We also discussed concerns about a weaker substitute bill on State Police Spying. Sen. Raskin suggested other initiatives, ways to expand our capacity, and other valuable concepts. He thanked us for our involvement and interest, and invited us to work with him moving forward.

Meeting with Del. Sheila Hixson, Chairperson House Ways and Means Committee: Del. Hixson is supportive on all the PWG bills and issues with the exception of de-funding the ICC. The Chairperson was helpful identifying areas of wide agreement in the House, and indicating difficulties with certain issues. She also expressed a strong willingness to meet with our members and others, working on solutions and better approaches to several concerns including the ICC. She thanked us for our involvement and interest, invited us to work with her moving forward, and invited us to her upcoming breakfast meeting February 22, 2009.

The Impact of State Budget Cuts on Montgomery County

Please join us for the next monthly meeting of the Greater Silver Spring
Democratic Club!

Date: Wednesday, February 18, 2009 Time: 7:30 pm
Place: Takoma Park Middle School
7611 Piney Branch Road
Silver Spring, MD 20910

TOPIC: The Impact of State Budget Cuts on Montgomery County

SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKERS:
State Senator Richard Madaleno, Chair, Montgomery County State Senate
Delegation
State Delegate Brian Feldman Chair, Montgomery County House Delegation
Councilman Phil Andrews President, Montgomery County Council

State budget problems could shift teacher pensions to the county.
Hear our state and county leaders discuss where we will be going.

For more information, please contact either Mark Woodard at (301) 592-1811,
Donna Graham at (301) 585-4759, or Paul Mitchell at (301) 588-7126.

You can also e-mail us at silverspringdems@yahoo.com