With the increase in COVID positivity numbers and breakthrough infections, we are postponing this event for a later date. We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding. If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to us. Stay safe and have a happy New Year!
HISD Runoff Election Day of Action!
The fight to protect our kids and our school board continues! We teamed up with Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher, Swing TX Left, and the Harris County Democratic Party to kick off a day of action! We enjoyed breakfast with other volunteers—thanks, Don Carlos Mexican Restaurant!—before we headed out to knock on the doors of good Democrats.
October Meeting: GOTV Kickoff to Support Trustees Vilaseca and Sung!
In lieu of a "normal" meeting, for October we hosted a GOTV Kickoff for HISD trustees Holly Flynn Vilaseca (Dist VI) and Anne Sung (Dist VII). We had a delicious breakfast—thanks, Trustee Andrea Duhon and Ruchi’s!—and then hit the streets to knock on doors and remind people to vote.
September Meeting with Judge Lina Hidalgo
We were delighted to have a Saturday morning discussion with Judge Lina Hidalgo about the state of the county and the challenges she has faced while in office.
August Meeting: Civics 401 "Let the Sun Shine" - Transparency and Ethics in Politics
Ever want to know who is funding candidates and campaigns? Curious about who is contributing to a shady PAC? At our August meeting we dove into our next Civics course--Transparency and Ethics in Politics. After a presentation by American Promise about money in politics, we learned how to search Texas Ethics Commission (TEC), Federal Elections Commission (FEC), and local reporting agencies for information on where campaign funds come from and where they are spent.
Click here for the American Promise Slideshow
Click here for the Civics 401 Slideshow:
Click here for the Campaign Finance Report Research Manual:
A video of the meeting is available below (and from our YouTube channel):
July 2021 Meeting
We were so happy to finally be able to have our first in-person event since March of 2020! We had a packed house of responsible, fired up Democrats who heard from a horde of candidates, as well as a welcome by our host, Justice of the Peace Israel Garcia, Jr., and HCDP Chair Odus Evbagharu!
Houston's Got Talent - Democrats Karaoke
Who wants to go to a boring fundraiser? Together with our friends at ROADwomen and the Spring Branch Democrats, we put on the first annual Houston’s Got Talent, a karaoke fundraiser for Democrats! To say that everyone had an amazing time would be an understatement.
Liberty Festival at PlazAmericas
it was wonderful to once again participate in the Liberty Festival put on by the Sharpstown Civic Association and the Southwest Management District! Despite the weather, we had a great turnout at our booth in front of PlazAmericas Mall.
Celebration of Independence Parade & Festival (Bellaire)
It’s always a pleasure to join our friends at the Bellaire/Braeswood Democrats for the annual 4th of July parade!
Abrazos y Margaritas: A Democratic Social
We had a blast hosting our “Abrazos y Margaritas” social event at Casa Dominguez in Bellaire with our friends from the Bellaire/Braeswood Democrats. For many, this was their first time out and about since the pandemic began.
Resolution to Censure Rep. Harold Dutton
You may have seen in recent headlines about a horrible action taken by Democratic State Rep. Harold Dutton this legislative session. In a nutshell, Rep. Dutton revived an otherwise dead bill attacking our transgender children in retaliation to having another of his awful bills killed in a procedural move by another Democratic House member. For a full story you can read these links:
https://www.texastribune.org/2021/05/07/texas-transgender-sports-bill-harold-dutton/
In tandem with the SDEC (Texas Democratic Party) and likely the CEC (HCDP), we are asked our members to vote on a resolution to formally censure Rep. Dutton for his inexcusable actions. This is the same resolution that was drafted and will be voted on at the upcoming State Democratic Executive Committee meeting.
By an overwhelming majority, the resolution passed. You may read the full text of the resolution here:
Civics 301: The Judiciary
On Saturday, February 27, 2021, we held our February meeting with a continuation of our Civics presentations. This time we invited Judge Tanya Garrison to present Civics 301: The Judiciary. Learn about our court systems, from municipal to the Supreme Court.
We also received an update from our new County Attorney, Christian Menefee, as well as our State Senator, Borris Miles.
Be sure to watch the video of the presentation below:
Civics 201 - Encore Presentation Now Available
By popular demand, we had an encore presentation of our Civics 201 training and the video is now available! Thank you to everyone who attended both events and asked some great questions.
The PDF of the slideshow is also available here: CIVICS 201.PDF
RIP Dr. Robert Prater
We were recently informed of another loss in our Democratic Family. Dr. Robert Prater was a former dean at TSU, a longtime Democrat, and member of the Sharpstown/Southwest Democrats for many years. Our condolences go out to his family, including former club president Kenneth Jenkins, Dr. Prater's son-in-law, and his wife, Wanda.
https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/houstonchronicle/obituary.aspx?n=robert-prater
Statement on January 6, 2021 Sedition
We are proud to one of over 70 organizations across the state calling for the resignation of Texas politicians complicit in the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
“On January 6th, 2021, a violent mob of extremists motivated by conspiracies that were sowed by the White House stormed into the Capitol, forcing legislators and their staff to barricade with the protection of armed guards. After hearing an address with yet more incendiary rhetoric from the outgoing president, they forced their way inside the Capitol building, carried a Confederate flag through the rotunda, and threatened lawmakers and our seat of government in Washington DC.
Anyone involved in inspiring, encouraging, and abetting these terrorists must be held responsible for their actions. Unfortunately, they have been enabled by a large cross section of extremist politicians, many of whom represent Texans. They have made a mockery of democracy by embracing the fascist rhetoric of a far-right figurehead with a far-right movement behind him. They have suppressed votes while lying about the nature of our election system, sullying our elections while opposing their legally legitimate losses. They have proven themselves entirely unfit for office. They must resign.“
To read the full text of the statement, click here: https://indivisibletxlege.org/statement-on-january-6-2021-sedition/
We're Now Part of the Blue Action Democrats Family!
We're excited to announce that we're one of the newest chapters of the Blue Action Democrats, a statewide network of volunteers mobilizing progressive voters in Texas. It is a network of neighborhood-based Blue Action chapters devoted to building long-term, sustainable, progressive infrastructure throughout Texas.
Join us this Saturday at our January meeting to learn more about the organization from its statewide Executive Director, Lana Hansen.
Getting Out the Vote!
Our Walk Your Own campaign has been a huge success, and now that we’ve moved into Phase 2, we’re working hard to reach out to more voters than ever. We had a fantastic turnout this past Sunday, with dozens of volunteers and candidates showing up to help put our slate cards on the doors of voters. We’ll be doing this every Sunday, so be sure to come by and help defend democracy!
September Meeting: Protect the Vote
This past Saturday we held our September meeting via Zoom, and the topic was about protecting the vote.
Our Democracy, and more specifically, our right to vote is under attack. Trump and his Republican minions are doing whatever they can to prevent people from voting safely and fairly. Our September meeting focused on what is being done locally to protect and expand our right to vote.
We were joined by Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins, and the Harris County Democratic Party's Voter Protection staffer, Nicole Pedersen.
Find out more about mail-in ballots, safe voting locations, voter intimidation, poll watching, and much more!
The Walk Your Own Way Campaign Continues!
We’re moving right along with our GOTV plan, called the Walk Your Own Way campaign. The response has been incredible, and we’ve already knocked out six precincts and well on our way to finishing the seventh. We hope you can drop by and volunteer at our next event this upcoming Sunday!
Proposed Bylaws Changes to Accommodate Emergency Situations
The COVID-19 pandemic has completely altered our lives, including how we interact as an organization. To reflect these alterations, we have decided to amend our bylaws slightly to codify the need to meet virtually in the event of an emergency situation. Two sections of our bylaws will be affected (the added verbiage is in bold text):
Article V, Section 2:
Southwest Democrats shall meet monthly at a regularly scheduled location and time with the exception of special circumstances or holidays. For the purpose of conducting organizational business—in the event of a Natural Disaster or an Emergency Declaration by the Harris County Judge, Texas Governor or President of the United States, or where the Executive Committee has determined it's not safe for the members, an online, virtual meeting will be considered a valid meeting. In the event such a situation occurs, the Organization can continue all the functions necessary via online, virtual meeting. In order to be considered a valid, online, virtual meeting—members must be able to see and communicate with one another for discussion and voting purposes either verbally or through written text which can be viewed by all participants.
Article VI, Section 1
Bylaws changes that are in conflict with official bylaws of record may be amended by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members in good standing who are present and voting at a meeting provided the proposed amendment has been read as a proposed amendment at the preceding meeting by email and on the web 30 days in advance. Bylaw revisions not in conflict with the current bylaws shall be adopted by a majority vote of the members in good standing present and voting at a meeting. For the purpose of conducting organizational business—in the event of a Natural Disaster or an Emergency Declaration by the Harris County Judge, Texas Governor or President of the United States, or where the Executive Committee has determined it's not safe for the members, an online, virtual meeting will be considered a valid meeting. In the event such a situation occurs, the Organization can continue all the functions necessary via online, virtual meeting. In order to be considered a valid, online, virtual meeting—members must be able to see and communicate with one another for discussion and voting purposes either verbally or thru written text which can be viewed by all participants. Voting on simple business can be by voice vote or through an accessible texting section visible by the group. Other voting can be made by roll call, show of hands or through text programs which can be viewed by all and captured for transparency.
You may view the current bylaws here: https://www.southwestdemocrats.org/s/Southwest-Democrats-Bylaws-July-2019.pdf
The membership will be voting on these proposed changes at our September 2020 meeting. Any questions, comments, or concerns should be emailed to info@southwestdemocrats.org