RFS feel-good update (1/30): There are no off years
Read the story of a brand new dad having to drive to the Capitol just hours after his daughter was born
Hi Team - With the release of the video showing the murder of Tyre Nichols at the hands of Memphis police officers, we wanted to take a moment to amplify the words of a couple of our alums:
Michigan State Rep. Joey Andrews IV went way above and beyond to serve his constituents last week. Just hours after his wife gave birth to their daughter last week, he was forced to drive two hours to vote on a supplemental appropriations bill.
Because Democrats in the House only have control of the chamber by a 56-54 margin, the supplemental would have stalled without the lawmaker present to give it the chamber majority it needed for passage.
This meant Andrews, hours after the birth of his daughter, was on the road from Saint Joseph to Lansing to ensure House Democrats could move the legislation they wanted. Due to the little sleep he’d had, his wife having labored through the night, Andrews had a friend drive him.
“I knew that there was something that was going to be happening, but I think we thought that it was a procedural vote and so this wouldn’t be a contentious subject” Andrews told reporters. “So, I was surprised there was even a fight over it to begin with. ... (But) it’s the job.”
It’s terrible that there wasn’t one Republican who would do Rep. Andrews a favor and vote to move forward on what was basically a procedural vote, but also not very surprising. As more younger candidates are elected to office, both parties need to find a way for people who want to start families to be able to serve - because this wasn’t it.
Before we move on, a PSA: On Wednesday at 8pm ET, we’re hosting a See Yourself Running event where we will be joined by Black Run for Something alumni to answer questions and speak to what it's like running as a young Black candidate for state and local office. You can RSVP for this event here, so sign up and/or encourage a friend to come.
Check out this amazing interview with Minnesota State Rep. María Isa Pérez-Vega, who talks about her relationship with hip-hop and her community, and why she ran for office.
The same day María Isa was sworn into office, she also released a hip-hop EP, Capitolio, inspired by her campaign run, motherhood, community, and day-to-day living. The action serves as a bold statement to the public: music and diversity are what she represents — and she is here to see those entities thrive and flourish.
Our alums were busy working on issues ranging from medical debt to teacher pay to rent control to affordable child care, and a lot more.
Somerville City Councilor Willie Burnley Jr is working on eliminating medical debt for thousands of people in his city:
New Mexico State Rep. Andrea Romero is sponsoring an assault weapons ban and waiting period for gun purchases.
For her, the massacre of children in Uvalde, Texas, last year was a tipping point that motivated her to propose new restrictions. “These are really smart pieces of legislation,” Romero said in an interview Friday. “We’re not just trying to take away guns.”
Indiana State Sen. Andrea Hunley advocated for bipartisan legislation that would allow undocumented immigrants to legally drive in the state.
Texas State Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin proposed giving Texas teachers a $15,000 raise. If the legislation is passed, minimum teacher pay in the state would rise to $48,660.
California Assemblymember Alex Lee introduced legislation to tax billionaires in the state an additional 1.5%, and starting in 2026, anyone making $50 million would pay a 1% tax. This would only impact the top 0.1% of California households and generate about $21.6 billion in revenue.
Austin City Council Member Vanessa Fuentes is working on improving child care accessibility and affordability by expanding child care options:
"When we look at our working families here in the city, child care is one of the top expenses that households have. It’s either unaffordable or inaccessible, in some cases both," Fuentes said Jan. 19. "
A pair of South Carolina alums, State Reps. Kambrell Garvin and Jermaine Johnson are fighting against legislation that “would prohibit certain concepts from being taught in schools and create a public review of school curriculum.”
Colorado State Rep. Javier Mabrey sponsored legislation that would allow city councils to pass rent control or rent stabilization laws.
“The rent is too high in Colorado, and that’s not just for essential service workers,” said state Rep. Javier Mabrey, a first-year Democrat lawmaker and a prime sponsor.
Georgia State Rep. Marvin Lim is the lead sponsor for bipartisan legislation that would "prevent Georgia colleges from using a student owing money to the school as a reason to withhold a student’s transcript should they need it for a job.”
Minnesota Rep. Cedrick Frazier’s $300 million public safety bill, which focuses on prevention and intervention with grant money for specific use in city, county and tribal law enforcement agencies, passed out of committee.
“We’re talking about youth services, youth intervention programs, diversion programs,” Frazier said. “We’re talking about reentry programs for those who’ve been incarcerated and coming back into the community to make sure they — what I always say — is give them a soft landing pad back into the community so they can get their footing under them.”
Virginia Delegate Irene Shin is proposing legislation that would cap price markups and fees inmates and their families have to pay for goods and services in local jails.
Kansas State Sen. Ethan Corson filed legislation to increase Kansas’s $7.25 minimum wage, which hasn’t changed in 13 years, gradually to $10 in 2024 up to $16 in 2027.
Delaware State Sen. Marie Pinkney co-authored a column about probation reform, noting “For those on probation, keeping out of prison can be like a full-time job — one with no pay and no benefits.”
This system is a rigged game, where unlucky people on probation go back to prison, and the “winners” get to cling to survival by the tips of their fingernails. It’s a system designed for failure.
Maryland Delegate Vaughan Stewart cosponsored a bill that would give businesses in the state a tax credit to switch to a four-day work week for a full year. As an organization that already uses a four-day work week, we love to see it!
Congresswoman and RFS alum Jasmine Crockett was featured in The Guardian last week:
Crockett saw her opening to join Congress in November 2021, when the Dallas Democratic congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson announced her retirement after almost three decades. Four days later, Crockett announced she would run for her seat, with Johnson’s support.
As we say all the time, there are no off years at RFS, and the same is true for our candidates. We’ve already endorsed 36 young, progressives that are on the ballot in 2023, and their campaigns are in full swing.
Heather Wills, who is running for 18th Ward Alderman in Chicago in the Feb. 28 election, was profiled in Block Club Chicago:
“I’m just so excited to just continue to serve my community in this capacity, with this level of access, so that we can really have the resources that we need in our community,” Wills said at a voter education seminar earlier this month. “It’s not because they are not there, it is simply just because we don’t have a proactive leader showing us where they are, giving us those access points and teaching us how to mobilize ourselves,” she said.
And more of our candidates were out working hard on the campaign trail:
We want to leave you with a great story out of Oregon, where 15-year-old Devon Lawson-McCourt is working with a State Representative to propose a Constitutional amendment that would allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote.
Devon Lawson-McCourt, a sophomore at McKenzie River Community School in Blue River, has volunteered for political campaigns since fifth grade but is still several years away from being allowed to vote. Lawson-McCourt recently secured a promise from Rep. Rob Nosse, D-Portland, to propose an amendment to the state Constitution giving 16- and 17-year-olds the right to vote.
Have a great week,
Ross and Abe