DWC Breakfast on Friday
Join us for breakfast this Friday, August 3, at 7:30 am at the Village Deli! State Auditor candidate Joselyn Whitticker will be our special guest.
Joselyn Whitticker was nominated and elected to be the Democratic candidate for Auditor of the State of Indiana at the State Convention in June. She holds a bachelor's degree from Tennessee State University and two master's degrees from Indiana State University, was a teacher and school administrator for 35 years, and owns her own business that specializes in instructional curriculum consulting. She is a respected community leader and advocate who served one term on the Marion Common Council (2012–16) and is currently president of the Marion Branch of the NAACP and the Marion Grant County Minority Health Coalition.
We've found her to be an inspiring woman who champions asking hard questions of those in power and has the experience and record to continue doing just that.
Bring your checkbooks, bring your plastic! We'll be bundling checks for Joselyn that day to show support for this incredible Democratic woman tackling a state wide race.

Joselyn Whitticker will also be available for lunch on Friday, a more intimate chance to meet and talk with her. The lunch will be at Grazie's and we will send out more information about it midweek. If you would like to attend please let us know at [email protected] as it will help us keep track of the head count for the restaurant.

Women's Equality Dinner
It's been our tradition since we began the DWC to celebrate Women's Equality Day -- the day set aside to commemorate the passage of the 19th amendment to the US Constitution that prohibits states and the federal government from denying the right to vote on the basis of sex.
We are planning again this year to celebrate with a fundraiser gathering** on Friday, August 24th at 7pm at the Fields. State Representative Linda Lawson will be our keynote speaker.
Details are forthcoming, but if you would like to sponsor or help with this event PLEASE let us know! [email protected].

Regina Moore has the idea of creating a Women's Campaigns T-shirt Quilt as a raffle fundraiser** for the DWC. She needs campaign t-shirts from women candidates, and if you have an old one that you don't use please consider donating it to the cause. It doesn't even matter if they're all blue! email [email protected].
**Our activities supporting our endorsed candidates this fall will have some expenses, especially if we do a postcard mailing as we have done in the past. The DWC has also supported women candidates with cash depending on the campaign need, etc. It's a huge year for women candidates, so please think about how you can help with these activities!

#FlipIN09
That’s just what Liz Watson will be doing, but we have to help her. Here’s a recent commentary on IN09 by Daily Kos
IN-09: Freshman GOP Rep. Trey Hollingsworth brazenly carpetbagged into southern Indiana from Tennessee three years ago and won an open-seat GOP primary thanks to heavy super-PAC spending from his wealthy father. He wound up running well behind the top of the ticket in the general election, but his district's deep red lean was enough to ensure his victory. There's a chance he may not be quite so fortunate this year. Democrat Liz Watson outraised him almost 2-to-1 last quarter, and 2018 is shaping up to be a much stronger year for Democrats than 2016. Hollingsworth can always fall back on his family wealth, and this district remains very conservative, but he's the kind of weak incumbent who could be vulnerable in a wave.
To #FLIPIN09, Liz is asking all of the Progressive groups in Bloomington, Young Democrats, College Democrats, Indivisible, Monroe County NOW PAC, Swing Left, D4MC, High School Dems and DWC to all help Liz’s campaign by taking ONE day a month to sponsor a Day of Action for her. Our first DWC date was July 28; our next will be August 26.
We’re asking that you please take one 3 hour shift (9am, noon, 3pm, or 6pm) of knocking on doors or calling for Liz on those days (September and October dates are TBA). You will be fully briefed on what to do, provided materials and everything you’ll need to canvass that day. We’re partnering with the Monroe County Young Democrats on the first two Days of Action. We’ll make new friends!
Conventional wisdom says that the BEST time to take out an incumbent is at the end of their first term. Tennesee Trey is a back-bencher, votes along party lines, refuses to have a town hall meeting to update his constituents and is NOT the representative we want. For the 9th District, and for the sake of replacing him with one smart, hard working woman who shares our values and will work for us, won’t you please, PLEASE consider one shift on August 26? With so much at stake, we need to do all we can to get our base to the polls!
Regina Moore ([email protected]) will begin the coordination of this effort, but the DWC will also need one or two members to help co-ordinate this effort at the HQ (116 S. Madison). Let her know if you can help organize!

DAYS OF ACTION DATES:

August 26
September and October TBA

RSVP by August 23 for the August 26 DOA - https://secure.ngpvan.com/hbsIpYRjMUiJlD0hv4y_PQ2

WHAT: We will be door knocking for the Watson campaign. We will will be briefed on the activity on arrival from the Watson campaign. The campaign has all the materials, addresses, and points of contact we need for this day to be a success. All you need to do is show up and bring a friend!

WHERE: 116 South Madison. We will meet at Monroe County Dem Party Headquarters. There is a possibility our group may be asked to canvass in a surrounding county.

ORGANIZATION POINT OF CONTACT: Regina Moore [email protected]

CAMPAIGN POINT OF CONTACT: Brian Peters, [email protected] OR (724) 858-5120 & Marten Stein, [email protected] & (724) 858-5120

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
Candidate Info
Announcements
Events
Action Items

DWC Endorsements
As of the beginning of this month, our fall Ballot has now been set, and membership will again be asked to vote on endorsements as we move into the fall election.
To clarify how this will work, all candidates who were endorsed in the primary and won their election are still endorsed. Candidates who were supported during the May primary season and who are moving on to the fall election are eligible for endorsement by the membership for the fall election.
Candidates who have been added to the ballot since the May primary and who would like to seek DWC endorsement will be interviewed by an Endorsement Committee composed of several Steering Committee members and 2 non-Steering Committee members of the DWC. To that end, if you would like to serve on the Endorsement Committee for the fall election cycle, please send an email to [email protected] ASAP. The Endorsement Committee will need to begin meeting immediately to make sure we are ready for a vote on this issue at our August 3 breakfast meeting.
More information on candidates will be available in next week's Monday Morning News. You'll also find information about voting online for those members who cannot come to the breakfast.
And more on the subject of endorsements:
The Steering Committee acknowledges that this primary election season was one that tested our Endorsement Policy. Several things came into play this year, for example, the incredible growth in applicants for endorsement (may end up being 18+ this year), the time crunch to complete the process with so many candidates in a timely enough fashion to help their campaigns, and the challenge to find Endorsement Committee members who were not already working on campaigns of candidates seeking endorsement.
Similar challenges have arisen in previous election cycles, and the DWC has reviewed and adjusted the policy and process in the past. Since the primary elections in the spring, the Steering Committee has again been diligently reviewing the endorsement process. The committee is considering the entire process from beginning to end (including the elimination of endorsements in primaries) and would appreciate the comments and insights of the membership as the evaluation of this important aspect of our organization continues.
Whether you have been a candidate, worked intimately with a women's campaign, or are one of our observant, intelligent, supportive and insightful members, please let the Steering Committee know your thoughts on the endorsement process by emailing your statement to [email protected]. We are working on a timeline that will ensure the membership is informed about this issue and that any adjustments to the process are in place before the next filing period for candidates -- January 2019 for the municipal election. Keep watch here for more information!

Women's Equality Dinner
It's been our tradition since we began the DWC to celebrate Women's Equality Day -- the day set aside to commemorate the passage of the nineteenth amendment to the US Constitution that prohibits states and the federal government from denying the right to vote on the basis of sex.
We are planning again this year to celebrate with a fundraiser dinner** gathering at the new One World at Woolery.
Details are forthcoming, but if you would like to help with this event PLEASE volunteer! [email protected]

Regina Moore has the idea of creating a Women's Campaigns T-shirt Quilt as a raffle fundraiser** for the DWC. She needs campaign t-shirts from women candidates, and if you have an old one that you don't use please consider donating it to the cause. It doesn't even matter if they're all blue! email [email protected]
**Our activities supporting our endorsed candidates this fall will have some expenses, especially if we do a postcard mailing as we have done in the past. The DWC has also supported women candidates with cash depending on the campaign need, etc. It's a huge year for women candidates, so please think about how you can help with these activities!

#FlipIN09
That’s just what Liz Watson will be doing, but we have to help her. Here’s a recent commentary on IN09 by Daily Kos
IN-09: Freshman GOP Rep. Trey Hollingsworth brazenly carpetbagged into southern Indiana from Tennessee three years ago and won an open-seat GOP primary thanks to heavy super-PAC spending from his wealthy father. He wound up running well behind the top of the ticket in the general election, but his district's deep red lean was enough to ensure his victory. There's a chance he may not be quite so fortunate this year. Democrat Liz Watson outraised him almost 2-to-1 last quarter, and 2018 is shaping up to be a much stronger year for Democrats than 2016. Hollingsworth can always fall back on his family wealth, and this district remains very conservative, but he's the kind of weak incumbent who could be vulnerable in a wave.
To #FLIPIN09, Liz is asking all of the Progressive groups in Bloomington, Young Democrats, College Democrats, Indivisible, Monroe County NOW PAC, Swing Left, D4MC, High School Dems and DWC to all help Liz’s campaign by taking ONE day a month to sponsor a Day of Action for her. Our DWC dates are July 28th and August 26th.
We’re asking that you please take one 3 hour shift (9am, noon, 3pm, or 6pm) of knocking on doors or calling for Liz on those days (September and October dates are TBA). You will be fully briefed on what to do, provided materials and everything you’ll need to canvass that day. We’re partnering with the Monroe County Young Democrats on the first two Days of Action. We’ll make new friends!
Conventional wisdom says that the BEST time to take out an incumbent is at the end of their first term. Tennesee Trey is a back-bencher, votes along party lines, refuses to have a town hall meeting to update his constituents and is NOT the representative we want. For the 9th District, and for the sake of replacing him with one smart, hard working woman who shares our values and will work for us, won’t you please, PLEASE consider one shift on July 28th? With so much at stake, we need to do all we can to get our base to the polls!
Regina Moore ([email protected]) will begin the coordination of this effort, but the DWC will also need one or two members to help co-ordinate this effort at the HQ (116 S. Madison). Let her know if you can help organize!

DAYS OF ACTION DATES:

July 28
Aug 26

RSVP by July 26 for the July 28 DOA - https://secure.ngpvan.com/n864BUNvHUeEsQff3PEYKQ2
RSVP by Aug 23 for the Aug 26 DOA - https://secure.ngpvan.com/hbsIpYRjMUiJlD0hv4y_PQ2

WHAT: We will be door knocking for the Watson campaign. We will will be briefed on the activity on arrival from the Watson campaign. The campaign has all the materials, addresses, and points of contact we need for this day to be a success. All you need to do is show up and bring a friend!

WHERE: 116 South Madison. We will meet at Monroe County Dem Party Headquarters. There is a possibility our group may be asked to canvass in a surrounding county.

ORGANIZATION POINT OF CONTACT: Regina Moore [email protected]

CAMPAIGN POINT OF CONTACT: Brian Peters, [email protected] OR (724) 858-5120 & Marten Stein, [email protected] & (724) 858-5120

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
Candidate Info
Announcements
Events
Action Items

MID-TERMS MATTER!!!

Another interesting week in the annals of American Politics… as the President continues to steam roll his way through our Allies in Europe, the Republican Party recently rolled out it’s new logo for the midterm elections… “better off now”. There were daily reports of attacks, physical and legislative, on immigrants, people of color (including one here in Bloomington), and the less well off, by folks who believe that this country belongs to whites and/or the rich to exclusion of everyone else…. Our elected District Nine representative touted the gain of 50 jobs at one location while neglecting to mention that the same company is closing another plant in Indiana for a net loss of 50 Hoosier workers. Our state Attorney General insists that due process is simply a witch hunt against his character.
Meanwhile, here in Monroe and surrounding counties, our candidates are working hard to earn your trust and your vote. You can find them at meetings and fairs, on social media and knocking on doors. Get to know them and what they stand for, let them know what matters to you as a citizen, and give them what help you can in the fight to return to a government that represents us all.


ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
Candidate Info
Announcements
Events
Action Items

Breakfast Friday! 7:30am, Village Deli
Special guest is Christie Popp, who will bring us up to date on immigration issues.
Christie is a partner with the law firm of Popp & Bullman, where she practices exclusively immigration law. Christie has been in practice since 2005, when she graduated from Vermont Law School with her J.D. Before going into private practice, Christie was previously the Directing Attorney at the Immigrants’ and Language Rights Center of Indiana Legal Services.

AND LUNCH! Friday, 11:30am, Grazie Italiano
Dee Owens will address some inside information on the recent plan to re-organize the Federal Government... you've heard a couple of things: Privatize the USPS, merging of Labor and Education Departments. There's more and she'll talk about it.
Reservations please at: [email protected]
and here's your homework reading!
https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Government-Reform-and-Reorg-Plan.pdf

BIG NEWS!
Beyond the Basics campaign training.
Sunday, July 8th, 9am - 5 pm.
Vi Simpson has connected us to Kristen Self who has extensive campaign experience with both the Indiana and Missouri State Democratic Parties. She is finance director for both Liz Watson and Jim Harper for Secretary of State Campaigns. Kristen met with Regina to plan a “Beyond the Basics’ training for: our endorsed women candidates, their key team members, potential 2019 candidates, and others who may want to work on a campaign or run themselves.

This is not a drop-in session, and you’ll need to be registered ahead of time to make the absolute most of this training. Kristen plans to send out ‘homework’ ahead of the session so that the class time will be more meaningful to participants.

The Clubhouse at Sherwood Green, 985 Buckingham, has been reserved for this, and the session will be held on Sunday, July 8th. Coffee and registration starting at 9:00am. Session starts at 9:30, with a short break for lunch (on your own) and will start winding up around 5 pm.

Please email [email protected] with your reservation asap!

If you are a candidate, please bring your campaign plan, and a profile of your race so that Kristen can help you with meaningful feedback!

RECENT STUDY!
Shows that more women in government means LESS corruption!
https://m.dailykos.com/stories/2018/6/27/1775851/-This-most-comprehensive-new-study-shows-that-more-women-in-government-means-LESS-corruption

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[email protected]Thanks to an outcry from many thousands of citizens outraged by the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy mandating the prosecution of all illegal immigrants and asylum seekers and the separation of the children from their parents, the president was compelled to sign an executive order ending the separate detention of the children. But the fight is far from over. Although about 500 children have been reunited with their families, new and disturbing information continues to emerge: detainees desperate to find their children being essentially compelled to plead guilty to illegal entry even though some have a credible basis for asylum, parents deported without their children, children scattered in foster homes throughout the country, parents and children processed in separate systems with no procedure for matching parents to children. Immigration officials have announced plans to detain as many as 15,000 individuals, while the Justice Department has requested judicial clearance to detain children for longer than allowed by current law and in unlicensed facilities. The situation is fluid, changing from one day to the next and from (un)presidential tweet to (un)presidential tweet, but it’s clear that, as with the Dreamers, Trump sees immigrant children as bargaining chips in his bid to build the “big beautiful wall” with which he hopes to appease his base. And he’s urged Republicans to do nothing until the “red wave” in November that will allow them to pass “great legislation.” Now, more than ever, we have to work to get Democrats elected, from the most local of offices to the state legislature to the US House and Senate. The lives of immigrant children—and the soul of our nation—hang in the balance.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
Candidate Info
Announcements
Events
Cartoon
Action Items

Indiana Statewide Democratic Candidates celebrating at the Big Dem Weekend:
Joe Donnelly, Jim Harper, Joselyn Whitticker and John Aguilera

The Indiana Democratic Party celebrated it’s Big Dem Weekend in Indianapolis with the Hoosier Hospitality Dinner on Friday evening and the Indiana Democratic Convention on Saturday.
Monroe County was well represented by our delegates and Kaisa Goodman (MCDP Executive Director) and Brandon Turner (MCCSC School Board candidate) were elected by the Ninth District delegates to serve on the Credentials and Rules Committees.
As always the weekend is a combination of serious business and a pep rally. A chance to meet and talk with other Democrats from around the state, to hear from major voices in the national party and from the candidate running for township advisory board in a county on the other side of the state. Here are a few snippets of wisdom from the weekend:
There’s a lot more wisdom in Washington, IN than in Washington D.C.
Unity is vital to our success. We have no time for petty fighting. We need candidates who speak to the people… who talk about infrastructure, immigration reform, elections that allow all voices to be heard and where voters choose their candidates and not the other way around, LGBT protections, and who don’t use their religion to tear down others who are different than they are. We must listen to how they speak to us and what they say. We must continue to change the narrative and put the blame back where it belongs with those currently in power in the GOP.
The Democratic Party is not beholden to a fictional “better” past… it was the Democrats who gave this country social security, medicare, worker protections, and more…. Our party is made up of disparate people joined by common bonds. The need for good, caring government that makes people’s lives better is still real.
We must honor the work of those who came before us and remember that there are those who will follow us. We can’t achieve everything that needs to be done in this election cycle, but we can build an understanding of our common ground and forge a bridge to a future generation.
And finally, It’s about knocking on doors… about knocking on every door - remember that the villain that you think may be on the other side of the door is a person and a Hoosier just like you.
And that’s a reminder that now that the party is over, it’s time to get back to the hard work of getting our message out and our candidate’s elected, and once they are in office, to keep them doing the people’s work…

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Announcements
Events
Action Items

Now's the Time to Increase your Campaign Knowledge

Some of the best things in life are free. As we sign up to assist our candidates in the fall election, take an afternoon to do a little free self-training by reviewing the Indiana Election Division website at https://www.in.gov/sos/elections/2395.htm

Anything you do to increase your knowledge of the election laws that apply to Indiana political candidates will be of enormous value to our candidates. They are incredibly busy strategizing, raising money, and knocking on doors, so they really need us to help them navigate the nuts and bolts of running a clean and legal campaign. So bone up now, before things get really crazy, and do it on your own schedule. You do not have to be a lawyer; you just have to be able to read!

YEAR OF THE WOMAN!!
Going over the Democratic Primary returns, we couldn't help noticing that women won almost every single race*, from the US IN09 House race through Commissioner, Council, down to precinct level races and state convention delegate.
It was an amazing result.
*In the Democratic Primary one woman lost a 2 person race for precinct committee chair. That's it. One woman, out of dozens that ran.

So, is the work of the DWC just about finished?
Have we achieved our dreams from those days in 2004 when we only had three (3) women running in the county races?
Do we need to rethink the DWC, it's mission, it's support and funding for progressive pro-choice women candidates?
This was the focus of two four-hour steering committee meetings in the past couple of weeks. This writer would love to report on progress, updates and changes, but there are more voices to be heard, and candidates to consult, and members to speak up on these issues. So, you'll be asked in the next couple of weeks to give some feedback in this process. Whether it be increased opportunities for political trainings, revision of by-laws and policies (current ones are on the website) or something else you want to talk about, you'll have that opportunity. Be thinking about this renewal project, watch here for the call to a survey, and in the meantime, if you just want to jot down some ideas on any of the above, send those jottings to [email protected]

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER, RIGHT?
Last week, Illinois FINALLY ratified the ERA Amendment!
Which states have NOT ratified the ERA Amendment?
***The answer is in the action section at the end of this newsletter. Hint? (There are 14)

And what now? Does it still count? And who is Alice Paul anyway?
https://chicago.suntimes.com/working/dawn-of-an-era-state-house-passes-equal-rights-amendment-half-a-century-later/

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
Candidate Info ** New Section!
Announcements
Events
Action Items

Today, as we honor the brave men and women who have given their lives in America's wars, let us remember the words of Eleanor Roosevelt: "Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. With freedom comes responsibility." The highest honor we can give to the fallen is our redoubled commitment to fight for the democratic ideals and freedoms for which they died.

Yes - It's that time of the month again - the DWC June Breakfast will take place Friday, June 1 at 7:30am at the Village Deli.

The traditional breakfast program after an election is to have our endorsed candidates speak about their experiences. We’ll get the scoop on their races, highlights of their efforts over the past 4 months, and hear how their association with the DWC affected their campaigns. Some of the questions that might be asked are: why they decided to run, who helped them make that decision, how they found folks to help them in their races and what they need from DWC members going forward. We’ll probably also take a few questions from the audience.
If you were unable to attend the lunch on the Friday after the election (and even if you were) come be inspired by these women who have put themselves forward to serve the people of Monroe County and beyond and given them a rousing send off in their fight to win in November.

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