Like you, I am a Democrat because of my sense of compassion and responsibility for those in need. As I write this, we are surrounded by the tragic news of the devastation in Oklahoma.  We send our thoughts and prayers to the people of Oklahoma and our thanks to the many first responders who are assisting in this very difficult time.  I hope that you will join me in making a donation to one of the charities working to help those impacted by this tragedy.

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I am grateful to the TCDP’s County Executive Committee for its confidence and support in electing me by acclamation to follow Andy Brown as party Chair. Andy did a terrific job in his years as Chair, and his hard work strengthened the foundation that his predecessors established.  I want to thank Andy for his outstanding stewardship of the party, and I pledge to continue and build upon his important work and that of the many terrific people who have served our party. I am honored to be the first woman elected to serve as County Chair in more than three decades, and I am committed to pave the way for those who will follow me.

We are fortunate to have many exceptional Democratic elected officials in Travis County, and I really appreciate their support and encouragement. I want to thank Congressman Lloyd Doggett and Senator Kirk Watson, both longtime friends, for making a special effort to attend the County Executive Committee meeting at which I was elected. I am very thankful for Senator Watson’s most generous donation to the party to help insure a successful transition.

Please consider joining Senator Watson in supporting our party with a donation today.

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This is most likely my last message to you as Chair of the Travis County Democratic Party. At last month’s County Executive Committee meeting, I shared that I would step down, and precinct chairs would vote on May 19 to choose a person to fill out the current term.

I’m sad to leave, but I do so encouraged by the solid infrastructure that we built together since 2008. I’m also encouraged by the many groups around the state who look to us as a model for turning Texas blue.

 

 

It’s actually a very exciting time to be a Democrat in Texas. As President Obama once told me when we met in Austin, “Let’s get it going on down here!”

 

I had the pleasure of meeting with Jeremy Bird and Battleground Texas at their inaugural fundraising lunch yesterday. Their plan to build off what we are doing right here in Travis County is a great one. They plan to help bring equality and opportunity to all Texans through encouraging more participation, and I’m all for it. It’s an exciting time to be a Democrat in Texas.

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At last month’s County Executive Committee meeting of the TCDP Precinct Chairs, I shared, with mixed feelings, that it would be my last meeting serving as Travis County Democratic Party Chair.

Yesterday, I gave official notice to the Precinct Chairs that I am stepping down as Chair of the Travis County Democratic Party effective May 19, 2013.

When I first considered running for Chair in 2007, it was a daunting thought that I would have to follow in the footsteps of Chris Elliot, the late Scott Ozmun, Kirk Watson, Jay Brim, David Van Os, the late Mack Kidd, Chuck Herring, Gary Bledsoe, Ken Wendler, and Bob Armstrong, among other past Chairs, who had done so much to help elect Democrats in Travis County and statewide.

What I didn’t realize then was the amount of support I would receive, the amazing people I would meet, and the number of volunteers who would go the extra mile to stand up for leaders who had the courage to fight fearlessly for opportunity and tolerance no matter what the odds.

Together, we raised more money (nearly $2 million!) and generated more straight-ticket votes (In 2012, more than 129,000!) by knocking on more doors and talking to more neighbors face-to-face than ever before. We received national recognition for the 21 Precinct Project which increased turnout in critical precincts in East Austin in 2010. As more and more people talk about “turning Texas Blue,” I think they have to look no further than the willingness of Travis County Democrats to take it to the streets for the blueprint we need. Read More »

Our heart goes out to all those affected by the tragedies in Boston and West, Texas last week.  America has proved once again that our spirit can not be broken by senseless acts of violence, and when our neighbors need us the most we will drop our partisan labels and rise to the occasion. You can still help those in West, Texas who have lost their homes and possessions by donating to the Red Cross or the Austin Food Bank.

There are many common problems that Republicans and Democrats in Texas can work successfully together to solve, which makes it all the more unnerving that Lt. Governor David Dewhurst wants to bring up the most partisan issue that the legislature is tasked with — redistricting.  Last session the Texas Legislature passed maps that a federal court unanimously ruled had “discriminatory intent”. This was no “liberal” court, the 3 judge panel was made up of 2 Republican Presidential appointees and 1 Democratic Presidential appointee. Their decision forced the use of temporary maps for the 2012 election which are in effect today. Democrats in the House and Senate are united in their belief that the interim state house and congressional maps are in still in violation of the Voting Rights Act and oppose our Lt. Governor’s attempt to get the legislature to make them permanent.

Travis County is growing fast but Republicans dividing us into 5 Congressional districts was all about silencing our progressive voice and not compensating for population growth. Senator Kirk Watson, Chairman of the Senate Democratic Caucus, expressed his frustration by stating that as long as our Attorney General continues to argue that the discriminatory maps should be instituted, and that the Voting Rights Act should be repealed, “there is no reason to trust the purpose of moving forward.” Read More »

We are making big moves in Texas–it is time for the Republicans to change their ways or step out of our way.  In just the past couple of weeks we held a progressive lobby day at the Capitol, selected a new Executive Director for the Texas Democratic Party, and Battleground Texas completed a 14 city road trip that brought together Democrats in some of the most “red” parts of the state.

In order to help their effort, please consider supporting Battleground Texas at their first Austin fundraiser at noon, May 13 at the Hyatt in downtown Austin.  Paul Begala is the Keynote Speaker.  Individual tickets are $1,000, and a table of ten is $5,000.  If you would like to buy a ticket, please let us know by responding to this email with your name and phone number, or call us at 477-7500.

Last Tuesday’s Blue Ribbon Lobby Day was a great success. Several hundred advocates for women’s issues came to the Capital to advocate for good government. The legislature can be sure that Texas women are united, watching and keeping score. Organizers say because of the overwhelming positive response, they will find ways for the group to remain active through out and beyond the current legislative session. You can stay involved by visiting BlueRibbonLobbyDay.com. Read More »

Today is Blue Ribbon Lobby Day, and women from all across Texas are at the Capitol to express support for women’s health care, public education, and our uninsured population–and wear blue while doing so.  Please consider heading down to the Capitol to join in the effort–he full schedule of events is here–or just look for Donna Beth McCormick in her blue jacket!

Republican state officials have waged an ideological battle against groups that provide important services to women, such as Planned Parenthood. Their efforts have caused more than 60 family planning clinics to close around the state, cutting the amount of Texans receiving services by half in the first one year alone. Now a coalition of women’s health organizations led by Fran Hagerty of Women’s Health and Family Planning Association of Texas are applying directly to the federal government for Title X funds initially rejected by conservatives in the legislature. If granted, the funds would not be subject to the discretion of the legislature.  It’s time to let the legislature know that enough is enough.

There is plenty out there about some of Texas’ embarrassing rankings regarding the health and wellbeing of our citizens–Blue Ribbon Lobby Day offers a chance to stand up and make your voice heard–so head to the Capitol now if you can.  We need to keep up the pressure on our state elected officials so they remember our budget priorities.

Some other great upcoming events for your consideration:

This Thursday join the Texas Tribune at the Austin Club for a chat with three Democratic State Senators:  Leticia Van de Putte (San Antonio), Sylvia Garcia (Houston) and Judith Zaffirini (Laredo). Sen. Van de Putte is the Senate Democratic Caucus Chairwoman, Sen. Garcia is the newest member of the Senate Caucus having won a special election last month, and Sen. Zaffirini who has served the Senate since 1987 had parts of Travis County and the City of Austin drawn into her district for the first time last cycle.

Next Wednesday:  Texas Gun Sense is a new nonprofit organization launched to address gun violence prevention with a Texas perspective. Texas Gun Sense will work for common sense gun safety policies in our state to preserve safe schools and communities while protecting the Second Amendment.  With special guest Ben McKenzie of Fox’s The OC and TNT’s Southland. Wednesday, April 17, 2013 6:30 to 8:00 PM.  For questions or to RSVP call (512) 465-2162 or email anne@taylorcollective.com

Stay active and make your voice heard!

Sincerely,

Andy Brown

Travis County Democratic Party Chair

Less than a year ago President Obama announced his support for marriage equality and since that time there has been much progress on both the political and public opinion front. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also announced her support for full marriage equality. Last week I had the honor to stand with hundreds of LGBT Texans and their allies at the steps of our Capitol in Austin while the Supreme Court in D.C. was hearing important testimony that will have an enormous impact on the future of this issue. The high court was asked to decide on the constitutionality of California’s Prop 8 that banned same-sex marriage, and the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). They could decide not to hear the former leaving the question to the states, as for the latter the Obama Administration has already committed to no longer defend the position in court.

You may have noticed that many of your Facebook friends have changed their profile pictures to a red equal sign. The trend was started after the Human Rights Campaign changed the colors of its logo and asked its supporters to do the same while the Supreme Court heard these 2 cases. The HRC’’s marketing director said that red and pink were chosen because those colors represent love and that’s what these cases were about.

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Dear Democrats,

Last week the Texas Senate and House moved forward in the budget process. Both add funding to public education based on enrollment growth from 2011, and both restore some portion of the $5.4 Billion cut last session, but Democrats in the House and Senate contend that this is only a starting point. As the process continues, there will be other opportunities to increase the level of funding for public education.

After last session’s cuts Texas dropped to 49th in the nation in per pupil spending. The good news is that, despite reluctance by the far right to fully fund our public education system, Democrats stand with the majority of Texans. A recent bipartisan poll conducted by the Texas State Teachers Association showed 2/3 of Texans approve of using the Rainy Day Fund to restore the funds that were cut last session

In last week’s “Watson Wire”, Senator Watson called the Senate’s budget bill, SB 1, a “down payment, not a new normal.” Before sending the bill to the full Senate for approval the Senate Finance Committee added an extra $1.4 billion for public schools and $746 million for higher education to the base budget that was released in January. Watson said that even though the bill would restore a portion of the $5.4 Billion that was cut in 2011, it was not a permanent solution. This proposed increase in funding is a start but it still amounts to less than population growth plus inflation.

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Dear Democrat,

This year’s SXSW brought not only big names in music but also big names in politics. Former Vice President Al Gore; Newark, New Jersey Mayor Cory Booker; and Bill Gates were among the panelists at this year’s festival. For the last 20 years SXSW Interactive has been the home of cutting-edge technology and digital communications. Ever used Twitter? It was launched at the festival in 2007 (and now you can follow us @TCDP).

Developing new ways to communicate is important, but equally important is developing a message that is positive and engaging. Democrats and progressives can certainly attribute some of our success to social media and online organization but as long as voter registration and turnout remain low, especially in Texas, we still have a lot of work to do.

Mayor Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) is one of the most followed American politicians on Twitter with over 1.3 million followers (about as many as my college friend and political commentator Ana Marie Cox (@AnaMarieCox). His charisma and online prowess helped him secure a place as an official surrogate of the Obama Presidential campaign. He even helped launch his own video-based social media network called “Waywire” to help cut through the “oligarchy” of traditional media and democratize what information is important to us. He believes we must use new social technologies to bring people and their government closer together and that officials should be more accountable, available and engaged. Part of that accountability is more transparency, and again, Austin is at the forefront in Texas. Our state Senator Kirk Watson filed a bill to modernize the Opens Meeting Act that he says will increase the efficiency and transparency of government. Discussing the bill Watson said, “The public should know as much as possible about what government is doing…technology is helping put to rest the notion that transparency must be sacrificed in the name of functionality, or vice versa.” Read More »

Dear Democrats,

Texas has the highest percentage of uninsured in the nation, and our top state officials including Governor Perry, Lt. Governor David Dewhurst and Attorney General Greg Abbott continue to make accessing affordable health care more difficult – especially for the poor. Instead of working to help Texans stay healthy, their grandstanding could cause the state to lose over $100 billion. The total amount our state stands to lose is over $100 billion. Fortunately, as we often do, Texans are starting to speak out about the harm being done to innocent people for the sake of politics.

In the past few weeks hundreds of people from all over the state rallied at the Capitol urging state legislators to expand Medicaid. It is not just the right thing to do, but it is also the economically smart thing to do. Former chief revenue estimator, Billy Hamilton estimated that accepting the federal funds could result in $67.9 billion in total economic output including $2.5 billion in local revenue and 231,000 jobs by 2016. Travis County alone could receive over $200 million if the state opts into Medicaid expansion. Statistics like these are the reason the chorus of voices pushing to expand Medicaid are growing in volume, especially at the local level. Travis County through Central Health’s Medical Access Program, covers folks up to 100 percent of the poverty level, as opposed to just 23 percent of the poverty level covered by the state–Medicaid expansion could help reduce this gap. Austin City Council and the Travis County Commissioners’ Court have passed resolutions in support of accepting the federal dollars. Republicans elected at the state level brag about opposing the Obama Administration but both the Texas Medical Association and the Texas Hospital Association, and others, are also urging the state legislature to act on behalf of the quarter of Texans without health care. Read More »