A statement by Tim Mahoney, Democratic Chair, Precinct 207, President, NorthEast Travis County Democrats There’s little doubt that Texas Democrats need to rethink their game plan after the results of the Nov. 5th elections were known on election evening. In an effort to better understand how we got here, the NorthEast Travis County Democrats (NETCo Dems) sponsored a Focus Group during the regular time of our November meeting on the 16th. A summary of that effort is available here, but its major conclusion was that "'It is not other human beings we should fear; it is the structure of our lives.' Together, we can reshape those structures into something sustainable, just, and full of hope.”   Another view was provided by the head of The 134 PAC: "There are essentially two types of Texas Democrats and they both are drawing two different lessons from the results of the 2024 election. I will call them centrists and left-leaning for lack of better terms… Centrists Democrats are saying the lesson is that TDP has gone too far to the left, and that running campaigns based on social issues such as abortion, transgender and a liberal immigration policy is a losing proposition… We need to shut up about ‘blue waves’, ‘non-voters’ or people who ‘vote against their own interests.’ Stop listening to and believing our own press. We need to get to know the voters and adapt our platform and message to appeal to the people who do vote, not the imaginary voters we wish would vote."   How do Democrats get to know the voters?   Former Democratic President Barack Obama, according to a recent substack post by Heather Cox Richardson on December 7, 2024, noted that recently in a public speech, “Obama explored the concept of ‘pluralism,’ a word he defined as meaning simply that ‘in a democracy, we all have to find a way to live alongside individuals and groups who are different than us’… But rather than advocating what he called ‘holding hands and singing ‘Kumbaya’ as we all tolerate each other, Obama described modern pluralism as active work to form coalitions over shared issues. His argument echoed the concepts James Madison, a key framer of the Constitution, explained in Federalist #10 when he was trying to convince inhabitants of a big, diverse country that they should endorse the newly written document.” Here's a link to the speech: https://www.obama.org/democracy-forum-2024/president-obama-remarks/, and a link to video of speech: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sUmNkhmQWW4   With effort and a little luck, in 2025 the NETCo Dems will be building relationships and finding solutions in the Northeast Travis County area. While we are taking a hiatus for the holiday season we hope to hit the ground running for our January 18th meeting. See you all soon!

Shane Johnson, on the behalf of the Sierra Club, Lone Star Chapter, requests our support that the Austin City Council adopt an updated Austin Energy Resource, Generation and Climate Protection Plan (Resource Plan) that establishes a clear roadmap for our utility to eliminate its existing coal and gas-burning generation by replacing it with non-polluting technologies, including local solar, batteries, energy efficiency and other fully clean and renewable solutions.   This position demands the quickest possible cessation of coal-powered electricity generation at the Fayette Power Plant with no conversion to natural-gas-powered generation.   Call to Action You can add your voice by          (1) joining the online petition to that effect at https://act.sierraclub.org/actions/Texas?actionId=AR0404857&id=7013q000002HlGoAA          (2) contacting your City Council member (or Mayor Watson if you are served by Austin Energy but live outside of the City of Austin) directly or                    via the Sierra Club (on their "Jamboard" at https://jamboard.google.com/d/1SqKozz6ZnuJZq1EQsrK9mj8f7GOc01W5mUV8oO8uHE4/viewer?f=0 or directly with Shane Johnson at shane.johnson@sierraclub.org.            (3) writing letters to the editor of your favorite news papers and magazines;          (4) attending the March 18th EUC meeting (6pm at AE headquarters at Mueller) and          (5) following the Sierra Club at https://www.sierraclub.org/texas  for details of future actions (including a big public, family-friendly art-build event in a few weeks).   For the past several months, Austin’s city-owned utility, Austin Energy, has been in a process of updating its Resource, Generation, and Climate Protection Plan (Resource Plan). Sierra Club Lone Star Chapter has been working throughout the process to keep the public informed and engaged to make sure Austin Energy prioritizes clean energy, community needs, and transitioning the city off of fossil fuels as soon as possible.   Background   The Electric Utility Commission (EUC), an advisory committee to the Austin City Council, formed a working group in September of last year to begin work on an update to the Austin Energy Resource Plan to 2030. The EUC Working Group released their recommendations, (here: https://austineucresourceplanningwgorg.files.wordpress.com/2024/02/2024-02-01-ae-resource-generation-and-climate-protection-plan-to-2035-with-cover-letter-from-working-group-corrected.pdf ), with a presentation, here: https://services.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=423218 .   Austin Energy recently proposed an update that includes construction of a costly power plant that will burn methane gas. Adding fossil fuels to its portfolio is the opposite of what the members of EUC working group proposed. Shortly after that Mayor Watson in his newsletter (here: https://mailchi.mp/a08ae87047c6/watson-wire-a-better-focus-on-fayette?e=8f963ea840 ) reacted to the Austin Energy proposal with a call to freeze the discussions Resource Plan discussion and start the evaluations of the options from the beginning. This proposal would discard the recommendations of the EUC Working Group and delay their implementation at least two additional years.   The Sierra Club is championing the position that the Austin City Council adopt an updated Austin Energy Resource, Generation and Climate Protection Plan (Resource Plan) that establishes a clear roadmap for our utility to eliminate its existing coal and gas-burning generation by replacing it with non-polluting technologies, including local solar, batteries, energy efficiency and other fully clean and renewable solutions.   Additional information is available at https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1vQXKlO5sGzxnDr3jYxpcSuzQg6rm8YCF2FFNlz4QX8A/edit#slide=id.g26367baa687_0_2319 and https://www.sierraclub.org/texas/blog/2024/02/city-working-group-releases-austin-energy-zero-carbon-resource-plan-decision.

It's voting time! You might not agree with all of the NETCo Dems endorsements, but know the folks you do vote for! Here are two ringers you should know about: 1. Joe Pool, Jr, candidate for Supreme Court ran in 2014 and 2016 for courts as a Republican and 2022 as an unopposed Democratic. His YouTube videos are very Republican and speak for themselves. (https://www.youtube.com/@poolfortexas). 2. Madeleine Connor for District Judge 353rd Judicial District was elected to the 353rd as a Democrat on her fourth try, after two defeats as a Republican and one as a Democrat. She had previously been twice judicially designated a "Vexatious Litigant” (once in a state court and once in a federal court). https://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/news/2020-10-29/vexatious-litigant-madeleine-connor-prepares-to-take-the-bench/ In 2022, finally a District Judge, she unsuccessfully ran to unseat another District Judge, Catherine Mauzy on the 419th District Court (who was the state judge who designated Connor a vexatious litigant.) https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2022/02/24/travis-county-judge-madeleine-connor-primary-catherine-mauzy-texas-elections-2022/6915030001/ Know the folks you vote for!

This paper is intended to help form opinion for the NETCo Dems endorsement election ending October 21st regarding Texas and Travis County propositions on the November 7th election ballot. In this club election, we will decide to endorse, oppose, or not comment on the propositions. These recommendations were compiled by members of the NETCO Dems Executive Committee, but they are not necessarily the opinion of all the members, and it is not a formal position of either the Northeast Travis County Democrats or of the Executive Committee. Join this Forum to add your comments here or comment in our Facebook group.

In order for NETCo Dems, as a club, to support candidates for office on the November 2022 ballot, we have to endorse them. We don’t have to re-endorse candidates that we endorsed for the primary. There may be up to six candidates after the Democratic Party Primary Runoff that we have not endorsed. Accordingly, I propose the Executive Committee conduct an online vote among members in good order to endorse as soon as practical after the Primary Runoffs those candidates that we have not yet endorsed, Attached for reference are three tables of candidates: • Table 1: The two candidates chosen in the March 1st Democratic Primary who were not previously endorsed by NETCo Dems members. • Table 2: The four pairs of candidates in the May 24th Democratic Party Primary Runoff of which only two candidates were previously endorsed. • Table 3: The 49 candidates previously endorsed by NETCo Dems members who were subsequently chosen in the March 1st Democratic Primary (and need not be re-endorsed). Table 1: Candidates Chosen in the March 1st Democratic Primary Not Previously Endorsed by NETCo Dems Justice, 3rd Court of Appeals District, Place 4 ROSA LOPEZ THEOFANI Judge, 331st Judicial District CHANTAL MELLISSA ELDRIDGE Table 2: Candidates to Choose in the May 24th Democratic Party Primary Runoff Lieutenant Governor· MIKE COLLIER (previously endorsed) MICHELLE BECKLEY Attorney General JOE JAWORSKI (previously endorsed) ROCHELLE M GARZA Comptroller of Public Accounts· JANET T. DUDDING · ANGEL LUIS VEGA Commissioner of The General Land office· SANDRAGRACE MARTINEZ · JAY KLEBERG Table 3: : Candidates Chosen in the March 1st Democratic Primary Previously Endorsed by NETCo Dems 1. U. S. Representative District 10 LINDA NUNO 2. U. S. Representative District 17 MARY JO WOODS 3. U. S. Representative District 35 GREG CASAR 4. U. S. Representative District 37 LLOYD DOGGETT 5. Governor BETO O'ROURKE 6. Commissioner of Agriculture SUSAN HAYS 7. Railroad Commissioner 2 LUKE WARFORD 8. Justice, Supreme Court, Place 3 ERIN A NOWELL 9. Justice, Supreme Court, Place 5 AMANDA REICHEK 10. Justice, Supreme Court, Place 9 JULIA MALDONADO 11. Judge, Court of Criminal App Place 5 DANA HUFFMAN 12. Judge, Court of Criminal App Place 6 ROBERT JOHNSON 13. State Board of Education, District 5 REBECCA BELL-METEREAU 14. State Senator, District 14 SARAH ECKHARDT 15. State Senator, District 21 JUDITH ZAFFIRINI 16. State Representative District 46 SHERYL COLE 17. State Representative District 47 VIKKI GOODWIN 18. State Representative District 48 DONNA HOWARD 19. State Representative District 49 GINA HINOJOSA 20. State Representative District 50 JAMES TALARICO 21. State Representative District 51 MARIA LUISA "LULU" FLORES 22. Judge, 147th District CLIFF BROWN 23. Judge, 201st District AMY CLARK MEACHUM 24. Judge, 250th District KARIN CRUMP 25. Judge, 261st Judicial District DANIELLA DESETA LYTTLE 26. Judge, 299th District KAREN R. SAGE 27. Judge, 403rd Judicial District BRANDY MUELLER 28. Judge, 419th Judicial District CATHERINE A. MAUZY 29. Judge, 455th Judicial District LAURIE EISERLOH 30. Judge, 459th District MAYA GUERRA GAMBLE 31. Travis County Judge ANDY BROWN 32. Travis County Court at Law No. 1 TODD T. WONG 33. Travis County Court at Law No. 2 ERIC M. SHEPPERD 34. Travis County Court at Law No. 3 BIANCA GARCIA 35. Travis County Court at Law No. 4 DIMPLE MALHOTRA 36. Travis County Court at Law No. 5 MARY ANN ESPIRITU 37. Travis County Court at Law No. 6 DENISE HERNÁNDEZ 38. Travis County Court at Law No. 7 ELISABETH EARLE 39. Travis County Probate Ct GUY HERMAN 40. Travis County District Clerk VELVA L. PRICE 41. Travis County Clerk DYANA LIMON-MERCADO 42. Travis County Treasurer DOLORES ORTEGA CARTER 43. Travis County Commissioner Precinct 2 BRIGID SHEA 44. Travis County Commissioner Precinct 4 MARGARET J. GÓMEZ 45. Travis County Justice of The Peace Precinct 1 YVONNE MICHELLE WILLIAMS 46. Justice of The Peace Precinct 2 RANDALL SLAGLE 47. Justice of The Peace Precinct 3 SYLVIA HOLMES 48. Justice of The Peace Precinct 4 RAÚL ARTURO GONZÁ 49. Travis County Justice of The Peace Precinct 5 NICK CHU

Travis County Democratic Party Convention About 300-500 people attended the first in-person convention in about 2 years on Saturday, March 19, 2022. Several Caucus groups met during the day, along with Rules and Resolutions Committees. Speakers varied from local officials up to US Rep Lloyd Doggett and US Rep Candidate Greg Casar. Many of the speakers addressed the latest Texas Legislature's changes to our counties and the state. Voter registration and the two recent elections were discussed, and many cites of voter intimidation and rejection were roundly abhorred. Lloyd Doggett urged the county party to fill empty Precinct Chairs, and for Precinct Chairs to up their game to register voters, educate voters, and turn out voters. So, let's work together to meet those goals and prepare for the May and November elections! Caro Dubois, March 26, 2022

An article by Caro Dubois, Austin, Texas Texas Voter Suppression Did you have trouble voting by mail? Or voting in person? Blame Texas' new election law! Texas has a new voting law because of the passing of Senate Bill 1 in 2021. The League of Women Voters of Texas has been gathering stories from Texas voters about their experience voting in the Texas Primary Election on March 1st, 2022. It's a tragedy for our democracy when our state leaders choose to support a partisan agenda instead of the voters of Texas when writing state election law resulting in a massive rejection of vote-by-mail ballots. The federal Voting Rights Act must be restored to ensure that every voter in Texas has equal access to the ballot box and is protected from unfair laws and practices that make it harder for people to vote. “For democracy to work, it must include all voices. SB 1 is an extremist anti-voter bill that raises even more barriers to voting and specifically targets vulnerable communities, especially voters with disabilities, voters of color, and elderly voters,” said Grace Chimene, president of the League of Women Voters of Texas. “SB 1 is a violation of our freedom to vote, and we will continue to fight every attempt to silence Texas voters.” There are various stories of voter suppression in Texas: - being purged from the voting rolls between January and March of 2022, - receiving a letter from the Secretary of State stating a mail-in ballot was rejected and to go vote in person, when the mail-in had already been corrected, and - assistance at the poll for a disabled person being rejected and for the person to struggle with the voting machine. The League of Women Voters of Texas is collecting stories of voter suppression during the March 1 Primary Election. To submit your story, click here: https://bit.ly/lwv-stories. The Legal Work The League is at the forefront of the most important federal and state cases across the United States. Our legal team works tirelessly to oppose all forms of voter suppression, including: Discriminatory voter ID laws; Attacks on voter registration; Last-minute Election Day barriers; The elimination of voting locations in underserved communities; Unjust voter purges; and Attempts to limit access to early and mail-in voting. Advocating to End Voter Suppression The LWV supports legislation that empowers Americans to participate in the voting process. These include: The Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act: This bill would expand voting rights by expanding early voting and same-day and online registration, creating standards for upholding voter rolls, and authorizing voter registration at new-citizen naturalization ceremonies. The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act: This crucial piece of legislation would protect voters from discrimination and restore components of the Voting Rights Act. Help the League carry out its mission of empowering voters and defending democracy in Texas. Donate and join today at http://www.lwvtexas.org.

The runoff election for the 2022 Democratic Party Primary from March 1st will be on Tuesday, May 24th, 2022. Early voting will be from May 16th to May 20th. The last day to register to vote is Thursday, April 7th, 2022. Here is who is on the ballot in Travis County. [Source: Travis County Democratic Party & www.netcodems.com]

The 2022 local election day is Saturday, May 7th, 2022. Early voting will be available from Monday, April 25 to Tuesday, May 3. The last day to register to vote for these elections is Thursday, April 7th, 2022. Normally the venue for cities, municipalities, taxing districts, etc, this year the 87th Legislature, 2nd and 3rd Special sessions included two constitutional amendments to be voted on across Texas. These amendments will limit the amount of property taxes school districts can collect to offset the shortfall of money from the State. Proposition Number 1 {allowing the Legislature to cap school district taxes for certain elderly and disabled people} SJR 2 (87th Legislature, 2nd Special Session) proposes a constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide for the reduction of the amount of a limitation on the total amount of property taxes that may be imposed for general elementary and secondary public school purposes on the residence homestead of a person who is elderly or disabled in order to reflect any statutory reduction in the maximum compressed rate of the maintenance and operations taxes imposed for those purposes on the person’s homestead from the preceding tax year. Proposition Number 2 {increases the amount of the homestead exemption for school taxes} SJR 2 (87th Legislature, 3rd Special Session) proposes a constitutional amendment increasing the amount of the residence homestead exemption from property taxes for public school purposes from $25,000 to $40,000. Various cities, municipalities, and districts across the county will have propositions for decision by the voters. NOTE: Due to the passage of Proposition D in 2021, mayoral elections in Austin coincide with presidential elections.

Please see the proposed resolution and the member vote announcement in the News section. Recently, TCDP passed a resolution denouncing racism, bigotry, and anti-Semitism in response to legislative, institutional, and personal attacks on members of certain groups in our community and nation. Part of that resolution was an undertaking to ask members and associates to join in the actions to counter that trend. This last week the TCDP Chair, Katie Naranjo, requested NETCo Dems to consider joining them with our own resolution similiar to TCDP's. Attached is the revised proposed draft of such a resolution based on the one presented at the NETCo Dems meeting on November 20th. Several members at the meeting offered comments for additions that are worth considering; however, the meeting was not a conducive to that consideration. Accordingly, the discussion was moved to this Forum. I have received a number of improvements not posted here, which are included in this version. The intent is to consider and select appropriate changes and update the proposal NLT Friday, December 3rd and to conduct an online vote for approval, hopefully, to conclude by Friday, Dec 10th. Please use the comments section to this post to offer improvements the document. Please focus on the idea you want to include. Note that you will have to join the Forum to comment. Please read the article on getting an account on our news page at https://www.netcodems.com/post/the-forum-is-open-join-us-here-s-how.