Join the Missouri House Democrats and NDTC on Tuesday June 29th from 6-7:00pm CT for a free virtual live training on “How to Tell Your Story of Self”. The ability to tell our stories is vital in spreading our message, it both humanizes us and let’s us talk about big issues in a way that feels personal. Whether you’re running for office, working on a campaign, or building your local party’s or organization’s infrastructure, you need to connect with your supporters. We’re here to help!
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How to Tell Your Story of Self June 29th, 2021 6-7:00 pm
Subject: PRESS RELEASE: The Future and Goals of MDP
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 9, 2021
The Future and Goals of MDP
KANSAS CITY, MO. – As a state party, we are excited for the potential of the 2022 and 2024 election cycles in Missouri. We welcome the passion not only from staff, but countless community members. The determination exists for the Missouri Democratic Party to thrive in our state and together we can make that happen. That being said, we know we have work to do.
We are taking the unusual step today of releasing a statement from our staff directly to the community. We hear and see your voices and hope to engage you as we rebuild. There has been disappointment about the recent announcement of a signage campaign the Party is starting, requesting input on where to set-up messaging across our state. We assure you; this is only one prong of our 2021/22 and beyond approach.
We hear your calls and are already preparing for deep canvassing and authentic relationship building throughout Missouri. MDP has created a new Missouri Playbook that we will roll-out in the next few weeks. Below we outline some of the strategies included:
We are applying for a grant from the DNC to open regional offices across the state, including in our rural counties. The goal is ten offices, and the DNC grant will help fund creation and staffing. Currently, we have staff in Kansas City, Columbia and St. Louis.
We are fostering relationships with new media outlets, newsletters and rural communications like radio. We are also developing a project to create an MDP podcast focused on rural issues and doing more to support our important Rural Caucus.
We are visiting counties across the state already and are excited to get back to successfully and safely canvassing after COVID-19.
We will bolster our existing volunteer programs by providing additional training and resources, but also build new volunteer recruitment and training procedures utilized in other parts of the country.
We are actively working to recruit candidates who truly understand the needs of Missourians for races up and down the ballot. We are focusing ourselves on serving those candidates in the best way we can.
We have hired new staff with diverse skills and experience with successful Democratic caucuses, campaigns and state parties. This will help us pivot in a different direction in canvassing, messaging, and fundraising. They came on staff May 31st.
As mentioned above, our new Missouri Playbook will include more details on our next steps and outlines our path forward with our base and new voters. We will release our plan in the following weeks.
We welcome further outreach and are happy to share more information if desired. This energy is just what Missouri needs, we just need to be in it together.
We have our first big in-person event scheduled for this coming Monday, May 24th. It will be outdoors and masks will be required. We also hope by then, the majority of us gathering will also have the opportunity to vaccinated.
Here are the details: You are invited to the South County Democrats 2021 End-of-Sesson Wrap Up on Monday, May 24th at Officer Blake C. Snyder Memorial Park. We are gathering at the Lawrence Hensler Shelter. Our area legislators will recap the 2021 session – The good, the bad, and the ugly. Scheduled to attend: Senator Karla May, Senator Doug Beck, Rep. Michael Burnton, Rep. Trish Gunby, Rep. Barbara Phifer, Rep. Sara Unsicker, Rep. Bridget Walsh-Moore. Many 2022 candidates will also be in attendance. Our social hour starts and 5pm and we will begin our program at 6pm. Masks are required. Please bring a lawn chair to help with social distancing and please bring your own food and drinks.
CLICK HERE, or on the graphic below, to be taken to our FB event invite. Please indicate “going” or “interested” to get reminders and updates as we get closer to our event date!
The week that was in Jefferson City – the final week of the 2021 legislative session – can be summed up in one word: Sleazy.
Let’s go chronologically…
On Thursday, May 13th, Governor Mike Parson ignored his oath – taken twice – to uphold the Constitution of the State of Missouri:
“Although I was never in support of MO HealthNet expansion, I always said that
I would uphold the ballot amendment if it passed,” Parson said. “However,
without a revenue source or funding authority from the General Assembly, we
are unable to proceed with the expansion at this time and must withdraw our
state plan amendments to ensure Missouri’s existing MO HealthNet
program remains solvent.”
NPR 5/13/21
Yes, His Accidency really, really, really wanted to follow the will of the people and enforce the Constitution, but, gosh darn, he just can’t do it.
Friday, May 14 – the last day of the legislative session the Missouri Senate’s minority leader threw in the towel four hours before closing time. No one objected because, well…
“It’s just a situation of broken promises throughout the session from
leadership in one way or another, and I think the Senate Democratic
Caucus is just done with that,” [Senator John] Rizzo [D – Jackson Co.]
told reporters after adjournment.
Rizzo slammed Republican leadership for being a “problem within
the entire Senate for the entire session.” He said they were in
disarray, throwing the minority party curveballs while being dishonest.
The curveballs included a move to restrict contraceptives paid for by Medicaid. That was a demand of the tyrannical head of the Conservative Caucus, Sen. Bob Onder [R – St. Charles Mars]. Agreeing to that nonsense doomed the FRA, a tax on medical providers which yields a big chunk of the money to pay for the existing Medicaid program. Big as in billions of dollars which Washington won’t send to Missouri if our state doesn’t follow federal regulations. The Senate knew the consequences and still kissed Onder’s behind.
As the work day drew to a close, the Missouri House of Representatives suspended its Rule 44: “No House bill shall be taken up for consideration by the House unless it has been upon the calendar for at least one legislative day.”
In other words, no surprise legislation. The bill so honored offers blanket Covid liability protection to business – including nursing homes – which didn’t do all they could to protect their workers/customers/patients. It passed after about 13 minutes of “consideration” without the support of the gatekeeping committees (Fiscal Review, Rules and such).
You see, Missouri Republicans have supermajorities in the House and Senate and statewide offices. It would be too much to expect them to use their super powers for good. At least they honor their oaths of office and their word.
Of course, repeated bad behavior by the GOP carries no penalty in Missouri. The same voters who enacted Medicaid Expansion also maintained that super majority opposed to Medicaid Expansion.
This has been noticed. A couple of weeks ago I talked to folks in the advocacy realm based in Washington. For them and their colleagues, Missouri is “out of play.” They don’t expect our state to change.
Oh, the national GOP had a sleazy week too. Ask Rep. Liz Cheney.
Still, for the most flagrant and abundant sleaze, you have to come to Missouri.
Join us and bring a friend to our first “In Person” meeting of the year at Bee Tree Park, Lower Pavilion on May 5th at 6:00 Former State Senator Scott Sifton will be our guest speaker.
My name is Scott Sifton, and I have a big announcement to share.
I love Missouri. And I can’t sit back and watch our two senators embarrass our state. One of them — Josh Hawley — spent the weeks after the election spewing dangerous conspiracy theories and trying to overturn the will of the people. And on January 6th, he pumped his fist in support of the very people who rioted at the Capitol.
And Senator Roy Blunt was too afraid to stand up to him and speak out.
Personally, I’ve had enough. We have big challenges here in Missouri. We don’t have time for senators more concerned with their own ambition than doing right by our families.
I know first-hand the challenges facing our working families. Growing up in Kansas City, my dad lost his job and we faced some tough times — we lost our home and even the family minivan. I started waiting tables at age 15 to help out, worked my way through college and then law school, eventually becoming a state legislator to help create opportunity for Missourians.
That kind of experience sticks with you.
I’ve taken on some of the toughest fights in Jefferson City, from going after corruption, defending women’s rights, standing up for equality and protecting Missouri workers.
I know this race won’t be easy. Republicans have a large, expansive network of corporate and special-interest money at their disposal. We have to send a clear message that Missouri is worth fighting for and that we are capable of so much better than what our current Senators show the nation.
Our initiative to help Nurses for Newborns was successful. Here are pictures from our presentation on January 17th. Our members came through with donations and the club donated a check for $250.
The Oakville Democratic Organization is collecting items and funds for Nurses For Newborns. The group’s 35 nurses help 2,000 new families each year care for their newest members. They share parenting skills, provide health checks and help outfit the families with everyday things they need. Among the items needed… Disposable Diapers (especially size 3 & up) Baby Wipes and Ointment Baby Lotion and Shampoo Formula and Baby Bottles Nurses For Newborns also collects items for new moms – such as shampoo, lotion and toiletries. The group also needs money to buy items for new families. Through the middle of January the Oakville Democrats will be buying things for the families, as well as collecting funds. The items will be shared with Nurses For Newborns the week of January 17 – in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Day and the inauguration of President Joe Biden. If you’d like to contribute, please contact odonews@earthlink.net to arrange drop off donations or a pickup if necessary or you can send a check. Please get your donations in by January 17th.
If you make the check to Oakville Democratic Organization, please put in the memo field Nurses for Newborns. All checks to the club will be combined to publicize the donation to show that Democrats care! In addition, monetary donations will be used to fill in “gaps” of physical items.
If you prefer to write your check to Nurses for Newborns, please also send to the PO box so we can count your donation toward our total.
Oakville Democratic Organization P.O. Box 510271 Saint Louis, MO 63151-0271
