; Volume 2 Spring 2018 Breaking Blue House District 6 Newsletter A Day in the life of a PCP: Engaging with my Neighbors By Monica VanBuskirk Like many sunny Sundays, I was out for a walk one side of the street, while Amy and her with my daughter in our stroller, but to her dismay daughter covered the other side. After each we didn’t stop at the playground. Instead, we went door, Amy called out the next address, I’d door to door with flyers that had my face and take a sip of water, and keep walking and contact information, asking our neighbors to come knocking. out for caucus. It turned out to be a fascinating walk. Most A week earlier, my co-PCP, Amy Turino and I sat folks weren’t home, but those that were on my porch and strategized our route. Amy shared snippets of their lives: one woman’s created a list of 200 active precinct voters from husband was a staunch Republican, so she VAN, a voter database. We updated the fliers that didn’t take a flyer, but vowed to vote. One she and Mike Lopez, my predecessor, had man decided to bring his teenage son. Some previously used, and Marc Kamin, our subdistrict people had never heard of caucus and asked co-captain, printed them at the Denver Dems’ why they should go. Some remembered 2014 office. and wanted to know how the process had changed. A few had questions about whether I’ve canvassed for candidates before, but this was unaffiliated family members would be able to the first time I was talking to MY neighbors about participate in the primary. One woman gave civic engagement beyond voting. Here I was, me extensive gardening tips. pushing the stroller up sidewalks and knocking on Continued on page 4 Blue Wave in 2018 Flipping CO Senate Important Dates Block/Building Captains for An update on important state Primary Election Dates, HD6 take shape. legislative races for 2018. Canvassing & Monthly Meetings. Page 2 Page 4 Page 71 ; Volume 2 Spring 2018 Become a Block/Building Captain today! Chris’s Corner By Jo Ann Fujioka HD6 Rep Chris Hansen Never before in the history of the United States have we been faced with such a crucial challenge as In December of 2017, the FCC reversed the we are today. The future of the democracy that we Obama-era Open Internet Order, overturning hold so dear hangs in the balance in the November the existing policy of net neutrality. This election.It is vital that we mobilize every Democrat, decision would allow telecommunications Unaffilitated and other voters in our house district companies to slow or block content while who care about the future of Colorado and the charging access fees to consumers and website nation to get out and vote the whole ballot. creators. Representative Leslie Herod and I have introduced a bill to tackle this threat. We For this reason, we are enlisting the assistance of have received many constituent queries on this Block/Building Captains in HD6 to take point and this bill is designed to ensure net responsibility for their block or building to REV up neutrality is maintained here in Colorado. I’m (in the words of the Parkland students) the proud to be leading this effort on an issue that neighbors on their block or in their building. We is central to the open economy and society need to: that we all want for Colorado’s future. R for register--E for educate –V for vote!! I also have a bill that has now passed both chambers, which directs the Public Utilities We are aiming to enlist up to 20 Block/Building Commission (PUC), by February 1, 2019, to Captains per precinct to reach our goal. Many create procurement rules within its planning HD6 caucus attendees signed up at caucus last process for grid-scale energy storage. This month for which we thank you so much; but all of legislation will reduce consumer costs, help our precincts are still in need of more volunteers for the environment by reducing emissions, and this important work!! make energy generation more efficient. It’s a win-win-win. As part of this effort, your Precinct Committee Person(s) will be contacting caucus attendees and The other big topics at the Capitol right now others in your neighborhoods who want to be part are PERA and transportation funding. The of the activists who create our very own Senate has passed their packages, but both fall ~ HD6 Blue Wave ~ short of addressing the needs in Colorado. For transportation, the Senate bill proposes $3.5 billion of bonding and doesn’t do enough to address the existing $9 billion shortfall. I am also concerned that an approach that relies heavily on bonding could put future K-12 funding in jeopardy. It will be up the House to address these issues in the final days of the session. Colorado needs to produce a comprehensive, long-term plan that addresses local roads, highways, and public transit. We simply have to stop ducking the important You can contact your Precinct Committee decisions in this area. Person(s), your Captains Laura Chauncey Mullins ([email protected]), Karen Tomb If you have any questions, or have the time to ([email protected]) or Jo Ann Fujioka, HD6 join me at the Capitol, please feel free to reach Block/Building Captain Project, out at [email protected]. I’d ([email protected], H-303-333-1258.) love to hear from you. 2 12 ; Volume 2 Spring 2018 Looking for more ways to be part of the 2018 Blue Wave? Do you want to be volunteering but haven’t found something that suits your interest, schedule and talents? The Volunteer Coordinator for the Colorado Democratic Party, Meike Babel, at [email protected], has set up two opportunities for folks. The activities change as the campaigns request different kinds of help. Join us and help the CO Dems Flip the Senate, re-elect our incumbents, and keep our House majority. Candidate work in contested elections will begin after the June primary. COLORADO DEMOCRATIC PARTY VOLUNTEER ACTION MEETINGS 789 Sherman Street, suite 110 EVERY OTHER EVERY OTHER THURSDAY EVENING WEDNESDAY MORNING 6:30PM to 8:30 PM 10:30AM to 12:30PM May 17, May 31, June 14, June 28 ,etc. May 23, June 6, and so on, until Nov 1st The meetings start with a VERY BRIEF mix-and mingle and a short introduction of the trainings and work stations we will have. We will have snacks and beverages to make the work more fun! ACTIVITIES EVERY MEETING: Voter Registration and People-to-People canvassing training.Postcarding, data entry, and mailings. We will also do whatever else campaigns request. QUESTIONS OR TO RSVP: Meike at [email protected] 3 12 ; Volume 2 Spring 2018 Gaining Steam: An Update On Our Efforts to Take Back the CO Senate By Steven Woodrow As many of you know we've been replacing public education funding with engaged in a fierce campaign to flip the vouchers for private schools, blocking State Senate this fall. Our February implementation of the Clean Power Plan, fundraiser for the Democratic Senate and monitoring air quality of schools Campaign Fund was a tremendous near oil & gas wells, and allowing success and we're moving on to focusing anyone to carry a concealed gun in on specific races. First up is SD16 public, with no permit or training of any (Golden, Evergreen, Columbine, kind.” Superior, Eldorado Springs), where Tammy Story is set to take on Tim Tammy and Faith have both "Concealed Carry Without a Permit" demonstrated a commitment to our core Neville. Sen. Neville has repeatedly democratic values: both are strong introduced legislation that would supporters of our public schools, are criminalize abortion as a class 1 felony passionate about protecting our — the same category as first-degree environment, and will fight for common murder and actual treason. He won his sense solutions. Canvassing events are last election by less than 2000 votes and being held nearly every weekend. Be sure is extremely vulnerable this November. to check the HD6 calendar and Facebook page as we'll be organizing groups to go We're also tremendously excited to have pitch in. Our Flip the Senate Committee adopted the race in SD24 (Westminster, is also busy working on a fundraiser for Thornton, Northglenn), where Faith both Tammy and Faith for late- Winter has the early edge on the Spring/early-Summer. Please don't incumbent, Beth Martinez-Humenik. hesitate to contact me ([email protected]) if you're interested! As our friends at coloradoresistance.org have explained: We also want to point to three other races that we hope to include in an event “Humenik won her last election by just towards the latter end of the summer. 900 votes and has taken numerous hard- Together with Faith and Tammy, three right votes that are wildly out of touch other inspiring women have tough with her constituents’ views, leaving her campaigns this fall and need our help: extremely vulnerable in 2018. As a Sen. Kerry Donovan, Rep. Brittany legislator, Sen. Humenik has prioritized Petterson, and Rep. Jessie Danielson. Stay tuned for updates! 4 12 ; Volume 2 Spring 2018 Here’s the Ticket Candidate Forums By Sheila Kowal “Who are these candidates and what do these offices accomplish?” This is the question that thousands of Colorado Democrats have asked for the past 40 years, as they considered the “down-ballot” races on their mid-term election ballots.