Here are our candidates for 2014!

The Supreme Court ruling about the Voting Rights Act is a significant step backward in the fight for our voting rights. By striking down the current rules for preclearance, the Supreme Court has given the green light for right-wing state legislatures to enforce voter ID laws that suppress the vote of our most vulnerable citizens. Jim Crow is back, and he would like to see your papers, please.

However, the Supreme Court ruling did not strike down preclearance in general, so Congress could pass a new set of preclearance rules. Alas, our current Congress cannot even agree that the sky is blue, so the chance of a new set of preclearance rules becoming law between now and 2015 is zero.

Lubbock County citizens will certainly be affected by this ruling. I predict that we will see a series of unhappy voters denied their right to vote at the polls this November when they show up with their current voter card but no photo ID. The scale of this injustice is hard to guess at this point.

The Lubbock County Democratic Party will do its part to raise awareness about the burdensome voter ID requirements in preparation for the November elections. Stay tuned for information about a voter ID rally and other forms of promotion. Texas Attorney General Abbott has said that the 2011 Texas voter photo ID law will be enforced as of Thursday, June 27, so there is no time to waste. Our voices will be heard in Lubbock, Texas!

Congratulations to Bubba Sedeno and the rest of the Lubbock County Commissioners Court for this historic appointment! Bubba is getting work done in Lubbock County. Adelante!

http://lubbockonline.com/local-news/2013-03-04/lubbock-county-commissioners-appoint-first-black-department-head

If you are concerned about the direction of Lubbock Power and Light, there is a special City Council meeting tomorrow at 3:30 to discuss an audit of LP&L. Please attend if you can. Here is the agenda/announcement from the City:

http://www.ci.lubbock.tx.us/agenda/special-20130305.pdf

Your Lubbock County Democratic Party Executive Committee meets this Tuesday, October 15.  These meetings are open to the public and include a program portion from 6-7pm.  This month's speaker is Curtis R. Martin, President of the Lubbock Central Labor Council.

We also have two other events coming up soon that you may want to check out.  Here are all the details:

What: LCDP Executive Committee Meeting
When: Program 6-7pm, Businesss Meeting 7-8pm
Where: LCDP Headquarters
Details: Our program speaker will be Lubbock Central Labor Council President Curtis R. Martin, who will update us about the goals and activities of organized labor in Lubbock and across the state.  Our business meeting will cover a lot of ground in the second hour.

What: Potluck Picnic
When: Saturday, October 19 11am-2pm
Where: Carlisle Park, 28th and Ave X
Details: We are beginning our first prototype potluck picnic this month, a neighborhood-centered community outreach and awareness event.  We will be phone banking Heart of Lubbock neighborhood democrats to invite them out for a  potluck picnic.  We will distribute information about the Affordable Care Act, Texas Voter ID laws, and volunteer opportunities all while having a fun time.  If this event works, then we can replicate 1-2 similar events per month in many Lubbock neighborhoods starting in the Spring of 2014!

What: Texas Tribune Hot Seat in Lubbock
When: Wednesday, October 23 11:30am-1:00pm
Where: Merket Alumni Center, TTU Campus
Details: Texas Tribune hosts a light lunch and discussion about the 83rd legislative session with state Reps. Charles Perry and John Frullo and state Sen. Robert Duncan.  We need Democrats in the audience to balance this event out!  The event and lunch are free, but you must rsvp by email to rsvp@texastribune.org to attend.

Onward!

Tomorrow night (Tuesday, 3/19/2013) is an action-packed Lubbock County Democratic Party (LCDP) Executive Committee meeting!  We have a program portion of the meeting from 6pm-7pm featuring Brandale Randolph, the Executive Director of Project Poverty here in Lubbock.  Mr. Randolph will discuss poverty issues with the CEC in our now-customary Q&A program format.

Our business meeting will be from 7pm-8pm.  Right at 7pm we will have a 10-minute presentation from the Office of Elections so that we can all be re-deputized as volunteer voter registrars for the 2013-2014 biennium.  This opportunity is an easy and quick way to be able to make a real difference by registering others to vote!  We will also have an update about Battleground Texas and their Lubbock visit (Tuesday, March 26 from 6pm-8pm on the TTU Campus, room to be announced tomorrow).

The meeting is at LCDP HQ, 2809A 74th st behind Science Spectrum.  Hope to see you there!

Lubbock Tejano Democrats meet this Saturday, March 9 at 10:00am at Party HQ, 2809A 74th St.

I gave an interview about Battleground Texas today.
http://www.myfoxlubbock.com/news/local/story/Battleground-Texas-Democrat-Rick-Perry/5IiJQu2mfkypAYbHPtMH7A.cspx

We also have a facebook group!  I will work to make sure that anything from the LCDP that is shared in one group will be shared on the other.
http://www.facebook.com/groups/lubbockdemocrats/