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Home » Community Voices » The long road to change

The long road to change

2013-08-14

VA ORG Admin

The long road to change Reviewed by VA ORG Admin on Aug 14. Rating:

A Letter to U.S. Senators Mark Warn...47,000 Reasons to Expand Medicaid

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Portsmouth Chapter Meeting

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Mon

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Portsmouth Chapter Meeting

June 5 @ 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm

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CLASS: Community Learning and Strategy Sessions

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The federal government must raise the country's debt limit by June 1 in order to avoid a default and economic crisis that would follow. Unfortunately, the House majority has made budget cuts a key condition. They want to cut child care, Medicare, Social Security, food programs, education, student debt forgiveness, rail safety, veterans benefits, and more.Over the next week, President Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy must reach a deal. Our job is to make sure our elected officials push for the best deal possible.Please call your member of Congress today and urge them to support a debt ceiling plan that works for all of us, not just the richest and most well-connected. You can call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask to be connected to your representative directly. ... See MoreSee Less

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Are you concerned about power plants closing in the Yorktown area? Join us tomorrow night for a community conversation: 6 pm at the Yorktown Library, 8500 George Washington Memorial Hwy.Dream with us. What should the future of Virginia look like?Questions? Contact Charles Brown II at CharlesB@ChesapeakeClimate.org or (757) 576-7783. Chesapeake Climate Action Network Virginia Interfaith Power & Light Appalachian Voices New Virginia Majority ProgressVA Virginia Organizing Newport News #Wednesday #WednesdayNight #WednesdayMotivation #DreamWithUs#Yorktown #VirginiaPeninsula #Peninsula #EnvironmentalJustice #Powerplant #YorktownPowerplant ... See MoreSee Less

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Thanks so much to Shirley Edwards of the Portsmouth Chapter!Since this article is behind a paywall, some of it is printed here:The elections in November represent a historic opportunity for citizens in the commonwealth. All 140 seats in the Virginia General Assembly are on the ballot, and due to redistricting many voters in Hampton Roads will have new choices among candidates.To help voters who share our commitment to a more just society, Virginia Organizing produced 2023 Legislator Report Cards. Legislators' votes on bills in four priority areas - school funding, housing, mental health and energy burden - were used to calculate their scores. We selected 19 bills as indicators. Not all legislators were able to vote on all 19 bills, as some bills died in committee. However, if the legislator voted on the bill in committee, it was included in the scorecard. Redistricting pits a few legislators against each other. In the newly drawn 18th Senate District, Sen. L. Louise Lucas is facing Sen. Lionel Spruill, Sr. in a primary; early voting began May 5. Both senators scored a perfect 100 on their report cards. The new district includes portions of both legislators' previous districts. The scorecards include maps of the new districts. (We also have scorecards for Sens, Mamie Locke and Monty Mason, Del. A. C. Cordoza, Del. Clint Jenkins and Del. Rob Bloxom, as well as legislators outside Hampton Roads.)Both Lucas and Spruill voted in favor of several bills to protect tenants, including requirements for notice of rental increase, which narrowly passed. These bills are critically important to Portsmouth renters as well as those across greater Hampton Roads, as many face eviction and struggle with the lack of affordable housing. Virginia Organizing strongly supported this bill and applauds those who helped it become law. Tenants deserve to know when their rent will increase and by how much.Both Lucas and Spruill voted in favor of a bill to protect individuals from having their electricity cut off during extreme weather, on a Friday, state holiday or day immediately preceding a state holiday.This bill ultimately failed. During winter snow storms or summer heat, many Portsmouth residents would experience severe hardship without electricity. The lives of individuals with medical conditions who require specialized equipment may be jeopardized. The elderly and people with disabilities may suffer greatly without electricity. Despite the bill failing, we are confident it will be introduced next session and hope that whoever is elected to represent Portsmouth will continue to support this and other bills to address this issue.Virginia Organizing enjoys a 25-year history of empowering marginalized communities. As a non-partisan organization, we focus on legislation, rather than individuals or political parties, that supports our vision of a more equitable society.To review the Legislator Report Cards, visit virginia-organizing.org and vote!Shirley Edwards is a member of the Portsmouth Chapter of Virginia Organizing.Copyright © 2023 The Virginian-Pilot., All rights reserved. ... See MoreSee Less

Opinion: Legislator report cards help voters make informed choices

www.pilotonline.com

Virginia Organizing's legislator report cards can help voters make informed decisions in this year's primary elections, Portsmouth Chapter member Shirley Edwards writes in a guest column.

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Making people pay more for health care, food, and housing hurts moms and families. #mothersday ... See MoreSee Less

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Nuestras tarjetas de calificaciones de legisladores están disponibles ahora en español. ¿Cómo votó su senador o delegado? virginia-organizing.org/2023-legislator-report-cards/ ... See MoreSee Less

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