MEETING REFLECTIONS
AUGUST 8, 2023

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Our August general membership meeting was held on Tuesday, August 8, 2023, at 7pm, via Zoom.

Agenda:

• Call to Order
• Quorum
• Treasurer’s Report
• Acknowledgements/Announcements
• What are Advisory Boards/Commissions?
  • Ramon Castellblanch, Ph.D. ED ADAB
  • Monica Brown, Solano Co. Supervisor, Dist. 2
• Jonathan Cook, ED Solano Pride Center
• Endorsement Poll – membership
• Wrap Up – Next Meeting 9/13 at 7:00 pm

Announcements

• Mayor Steve Young reported on:
  • City Council appointed Mario Giuliani as City Manager
  • the City Council meeting on August 15th – topics to be discussed: shutting off water for non-payment; resolution in opposition to SB 532 on bridge toll increases
  • Sept. 5th meeting: two-step request to drop Wells Fargo as City’s bank
  • Concern about Flannery Assoc. buying up land around Travis Air Force Base
• Supervisory Brown gave a quick report on today’s board meeting
• PDB is looking for members to join the ByLaws Subcommittee and the Steering Committee
• United Democrats of Solano County are holding in-depth, hour-long interviews with each state senate candidate. Recordings of these interviews will be made available on their Facebook page.
  • August 9 – District 3 Senate Candidate  Christopher Cabaldon, former mayor of West Sacramento
  • Sept. 6 – District 3 Senate Candidate Rozzana Verder-Aliga, Vice-Mayor of Vallejo

Program

We had a discussion about the Advisory Boards and Commissions in Solano County. Maggie Kolk described the role played by the County boards and commissions.  Supervisor Monica Brown and Alcohol and Drug Advisory Board (ADAB) Chair Rámon Castellblanch, Ph.D. discussed the future of the boards. Both fielded questions.

Steering committee member Jack Kolk shared more about the PDB Google Group and why you should sign up to join it.

Our featured speaker was Johnathan Cook, Executive Director of the Solano Pride Center.  He described the meeting he attended in Vacaville organized by a conservative group speaking out against recognizing June as Pride Month and against raising the Pride flag.  He also spoke about:

• the numerous anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced in state legislatures across the country in 2023.
• AB 1314 mandating that teachers “out” students to their parents. Solano Pride Center opposes this bill.
• Similar battles going on in school districts throughout the state.
• HR 734 banning trans and intersex students from participating in sports. Solano Pride Center opposes this bill.
• AB 957 introduced by Assemblymember Lori Wilson: TGI (Trans Gender-Expansive Intersex) Youth Empowerment Act seeks to update the Family Code allowing judges to take into consideration in custody hearings a parent’s or guardian’s  acceptance of a child’s gender identity. Solano Pride Center supports this bill.

Membership Poll

The membership poll favored voting on which candidate to endorse via the PDB website.

Here is the link to the video recording of this important meeting! If asked, enter the passcode:   %!gQaHZ9

Sept. Meeting Date Moved for State Senate Endorsements

Our September meeting will be on Wednesday, September 13 to accommodate our speakers.  We will be hearing from all three candidates who are running to replace Bill Dodd in the State Senate.

We will offer members an opportunity to vote on which candidate to endorse via the PDB website.  The bylaws state “New Members shall be entitled to vote on all Club matters sixty (60) days after payment of dues. Existing members, upon payment of membership renewal dues, shall be eligible immediately to vote on all Club matters.”

In other words, if you haven’t yet renewed your membership, please do so as soon as possible to ensure you are eligible to vote on the endorsements in September.

An endorsement from the Progressive Dems is important both to candidates and to our club, and there may not be unanimity in our membership regarding who we support.

Don’t miss this important meeting!