Weekly Update – 4/20/18
It’s been another productive week for the CDP. See below for a recap of this weeks activities.
CDP Salutes Student Walk Out
Today, on the 19th Anniversary of the massacre at Columbine High School in Colorado, tens of thousands of students across the state walked out of class to once again to demonstrate their determination to pass new gun violence laws.
Your CDP Team is in awe of these students. Their courage, their conviction, and their unshakeable willingness to hold their leaders accountable is truly one of the most hopeful and inspirational counterpoints to the bad news that seems to come in an endless stream these days.
We are proud to stand with these students, and our Party must do everything we can to nurture and empower these brilliant young leaders.
CDP Implements In-Person Harassment Training for Staff & Officers
Your CDP Team is tremendously proud of the #MeToo and #TimesUp Activists in the ranks of our Party who have been at the forefront of the extraordinary movements to challenge the pervasive culture of harassment, assault and discrimination that women face every day.
We believe it’s vital that our Party takes every step possible to make the CDP a safe and welcoming space for all. We established a Sexual Assault and Harassment hotline for our Convention, and we will continue to provide the hotline at future Executive Board meetings and State Conventions. And one of CDP Chair Eric C. Bauman’s first directives after he assumed office was for our HR team to update our personnel policies to reflect the most current best practices in preventing sexual harassment and assault in the workplace.
As part of that Directive, the Chair also revived the practice of mandatory, in-person training for all CDP Staff and Officers, which were held over the past two Fridays. The CDP Team took advantage of programming developed by the Democratic National Committee and made available to State Parties through the Association of State Democratic Chairs.
Our Party must be a safe and welcoming space for all, free from harassment, bullying or intimidation. We must do everything we can to promote a culture of inclusion and respect, and we will keep looking for opportunities to promote that culture within our Party.
Fiona Ma is a Treasure(r)
On Monday, just ahead of the April 17 tax deadline, Board of Equalization Member Fiona Ma highlighted the Earned Income Tax Credit, which puts real money in the hands of working parents.
The Governor and the Legislature – with an assist from BOE Member Ma and many activists for working families – fought hard to expand the EITC in recent years, so that we can provide more help to struggling parents.
Housing and transportation costs keep rising, and families are having a harder and harder time keeping up. The EITC helps those families by giving them a real tax credit for their work, and we want to do everything we can to highlight this vital resource for parents.
Find out more by visiting the EITC Page on the Franchise Tax Board’s website. And even though we are past the April 17 tax deadline, if you or someone you know can benefit from this credit, you can file an amended return, and even find resources to help you complete that process.
And make sure to check out Fiona Ma’s website to learn more about her race for State Treasurer!
Mayhem for the Midterms
We don’t know about you, but after the workday is done and Rachel Maddow has caught us up on the latest and craziest out of D.C., Your CDP Team likes to kick back and have a few laughs. And wouldn’t you know it, our friends in San Mateo are giving us the perfect opportunity to do just that right after the Primary is over!
Don’t miss Mayhem for the Midterms on June 8, an evening of comedy presented by the San Mateo County Democratic Party and hosted by Comedy Central’s Dan St. Paul. San Mateo is beautiful in the spring, and in this crazy time we’re living in, we could all use a good laugh.
Like, Dude, its 4/20
The CDP proudly endorsed California’s historic proposition to legalize cannabis for adult recreational use. Implementation has largely gone smoothly. Tax revenues from the sale of cannabis are already benefiting schools and communities across the state. Taco Bell stock has risen 69 percent since Prop 19 passed. (Not kidding, it actually has).
On this 4/20, we salute the activists who sparked this dramatic policy change… The tireless and dedicated core of believers whose blunt talk cut through the seemingly chronic haze of uncertainty and misunderstanding… And of course, the voters themselves who stood in line, sometimes in dank conditions, in order to blaze a trail for sensible cannabis policies.
Be safe everyone. Pass to the left, and don’t smoke and drive.
199 Days Until the Election.
–CDP Weekly Update
