Spring into Action with Your Local Democrats!

As President Trump and his shadow co-president Elon Musk attempt to dismantle our federal government, you may be feeling overwhelmed and frustrated. You are not alone! Many of us are feeling extremely anxious and distressed as we come to recognize that our federal government is being transformed into an oligarchy while Republicans in Congress sit idly by. 

But hope is not lost! There is a growing resistance to the Trump/Musk regime both nationally and locally in Jackson County.   

The best antidote to anxiety and depression about the Trump/Musk oligarchy is to “Do Something.”  Check out this page on our website for ideas of what you can do:

https://www.jcdemocrats.org/get-involved/do-something

A quick and easy thing you can do every day to resist the extreme MAGA agenda is to call your elected officials and urge them to take action.  Download the free app “Five Calls” https://5calls.org/   With the app, you can choose a subject you want to call about and you’ll get a script to guide you on what to say as well as your elected officials phone numbers.  It only takes about 5 minutes and calling your elected officials is the most effective way to influence policy.  

Are you interested in finding out about local citizen activist events and calls to action?  Check out Oregon District 2 Indivisible’s Calendar here:  

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pialf5WgGmVSKHKS9OzLwyKvT5wAs7ylzU_PW3XkyPU/edit?tab=t.0

Democrats Preparing for Critical Local Elections This May 

Local elections matter! Special District elections are set for May 20.  Learn more about these crucial elections on our website’s election page:  https://www.jcdemocrats.org/election-info

On your ballot this May, you’ll be voting for candidates to serve on many local boards such as your school district’s board of directors, the Southern Oregon Education District Board, the Library Board, the transportation board, local fire district boards and more.  

The Bad News . .  .

An extreme group, the Oregon Education Project, is organizing here in Jackson County to take over our school boards by electing candidates who support their version of a  “biblical foundation” for education.  They’re attacking policies supporting students and families from diverse backgrounds.  They claim that efforts school boards have made to provide equitable services and inclusive classrooms supporting all students are to blame for low student achievement, despite the lack of any evidence supporting this premise. The Oregon Education Project rejects the principle of the separation of church and state as stipulated in the first amendment of the U.S. Constitution.  Their plan is to ask candidates to take a “pre-test” so they can identify and support candidates who agree with their extreme ideas.  The Oregon Education Project appears to be coordinating with Moms for Liberty and Parents Rights in Education groups.  Beware of candidates endorsed by any of these groups.  

Here’s a video of an interview with leaders of the Oregon Education Project that gives you a view of their extreme ideas:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0ok_n_RBmk

The Good News . . . 

We are organizing to recruit and support strong candidates who share our values to run for local boards, especially school and library boards threatened by the extreme MAGA movement.  A number of good candidates are stepping up to serve.  The filing deadline for this election is March 20.  If you or someone you know is interested in running, please reach out to chair@jcdemocrats.org   We’ll be updating our election page as candidates file for election, so please stay tuned:  https://www.jcdemocrats.org/election-info

Our Neighborhood Leaders (volunteers who work with our party to get out the vote) are gearing up to canvass their Democratic neighbors for the Special District elections this spring.  Can you help us in this effort?  

You can learn more about the Neighborhood Leader Program here:

https://www.jcdemocrats.org/nlp-menu

To volunteer to be a Neighborhood Leader, email nlp@jcdemocrats.org

Turnout for Special District elections is typically very low.  If we can boost turnout of registered Democrats and like-minded voters, WE CAN WIN despite the 7,000 plus advantage in registered Republican voters in Jackson County.  Plus, we have a strong track record.  In the 2023 elections, we were able to defeat all the extreme MAGA candidates who ran for local school boards.  And, in the 2024 elections this fall, we won seats for our endorsed candidates for all of the city council seats in Ashland, Talent, and Phoenix.  

Jackson County Democrats Call for Oregonians’ Rights to a Healthy Environment and a Bill of Rights for the Unhoused 

The Jackson County Democratic Central Committee, the governing body of our local party made up of Precinct Committee Persons (PCPs) from across the county, has passed two important resolutions. 

Resolution 2025-01   Oregon Environmental Rights 

This resolution calls for state legislation leading toward guaranteeing that Oregonians have the right to enjoy a healthy environment.  Guaranteeing this right in Oregon’s Constitution will establish a legal foundation for laws addressing climate action and environmental protection.  

There is currently a bill regarding this in the current Oregon legislative session.  Senate Joint Resolution 28, The Right to a Healthy Environment, would put an amendment to Oregon’s Constitution before voters to affirm that all Oregonians have a fundamental, enforceable right to a healthy environment.  Jeff Golden, our own Oregon State Senator from Senate District 3, which includes Ashland, Phoenix, Jacksonville and parts of Medford, is one of the chief sponsors of this bill.  

Please contact your Oregon State Senator and Representative to express support for this bill.  To find your elected Oregon State Representatives and Senators, use this link:

https://geo.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/lookup/index.html?appid=fd070b56c975456ea2a25f7e3f4289d1

Resolution  2025-02   Homeless Bill of Rights 

This resolution calls on city councils and the Jackson County Board of Commissioners to ensure that all members of our communities have rights to shelter during extreme weather, the right to move freely, exchange food in public, and have access to hygiene facilities.  The resolution calls on State Legislators to pass a homeless bill of rights, enforced at the state level, that would hold communities accountable if they fail to provide these services.  

You can read about these two new resolutions on our website here:

https://www.jcdemocrats.org/resolutions

Who Is Your Voice in Oregon’s State Legislature? 

Do you know who represents you in the Oregon State Senate and House of Representatives?  The Oregon State Legislature is in the midst of their “long session,” and many bills are working their way through various House and Senate committees. 

Visit https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/ to find out who represents you in our Oregon State Legislature.  This website has information on Oregon Senate and House bills going through the legislature, how to submit testimony, how to watch meetings and more.  

All of the Oregon House members and a portion of the Oregon State Senators will be up for re-election in the midterm elections in 2026.  Now’s a good time to get familiar with who represents you and what policies they support or oppose.  

Oregon currently has a Democratic majority in both the Oregon Senate and the Oregon House. Oregonians elected Democrats to serve as Governor, Secretary of State, Treasurer, and Attorney General.  Our State Government is an important bulwark against the Trump and MAGA agenda.  Let’s keep it that way! 

Party Officers Re-elected, Party Committees Add New Members 

Every two years, the Jackson County Democrats hold special meetings per Oregon statute and laws to elect party officers and appoint Precinct Committee Persons (PCPs) to our various standing committees that get the work of our party accomplished.  At the recent organizational meeting for 2025, all of our officers were elected to another term:

David Sours, Chair   chair@jcdemocrats.org

Isabella Lee Tibbetts, Vice Chair  vicechair@jcdemocrats.org

Cole Daneman, Secretary  secretary@jcdemocrats.org

Paul Fisher, Treasurer   treasurer@jcdemocrats.org

Our party’s standing committees go through a similar process every two years. New members have been appointed, and these committees are meeting to elect leaders to be their chair, vice-chair, and secretary.  Thank you to the PCPs who have stepped up to serve on these important committees. 

Are you interested in getting involved in the management and direction of our local party? Please consider becoming a Precinct Committee Person.  Precinct Committee Persons attend monthly meetings (held via Zoom).  All Precinct Committee Persons are encouraged to be actively involved in at least one of our standing committees: Budget and Finance, Campaign, Platform and Resolutions, Office Management, Fundraising, Communications and Technology, Rules, Community Engagement, and the Neighborhood Leader Program (our local Get Out the Vote team).  For more information, visit: https://www.jcdemocrats.org/get-involved/precinct-committee-person

Upcoming Community Events

These events are not officially sponsored or endorsed by the Jackson County Democrats.  We are sharing the following events here for your interest.

Public School Boards  How do they work?  

March 9   3:00 - 5:00 p.m. Medford Public Library 

The League of Women Voters will present information on the role of school board members, the authority of school boards, and who can run for school board seats. For more information, contact voterservices@lwvrv.orgor call 541-772-5044.

Oregon District 2 Indivisible General Meeting 

March 16   2:00 - 4:00 p.m. Medford Public Library 

The local chapter of the national Indivisible movement, Oregon District 2 Indivisible, will be meeting to organize their efforts to push back against the Trump/Musk agenda.  The first half of the meeting will be an introduction to Indivisible and the second half will be general discussion of the strategy going forward.  You can learn more about the Indivisible movement at https://indivisible.org/

Jackson County Democrats
PO BOX 4474
Medford, OR 97501
United States

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