JUNETEENTH-A Black Woman’s Perspective

By Allyson Tabor — Hallelujah! In 2021 the U.S. officially recognized Juneteenth as a Federal holiday, signed into law by President Joe Biden, with no opposing vote in the Senate and only 14 Republicans, including Rep. Tom McClintock, voting against creating the new Federal holiday named Juneteenth “National Independence Day.”

Pride Month — History and Promise

By Susan Gamache, El Dorado Hills — “Gay Pride Day” initially began as a day of commemoration, but soon grew to encompass a month-long series of events, and to be celebrated as LGBTQ Pride Month. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month is celebrated in June to honor the Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan, and the greater issue of human rights.

Senator Braun of Indiana Said States Should Decide

Right on cue, Republican Senator Mike Braun of Indiana today told a reporter that states not only should decide the issue of abortion but should also be able to decide the issues of whether interracial marriage should be legal and whether couples should have access to contraception.

Weak and Harmful Decision

I am compelled to write this letter to the EDUHSD because of the weak and harmful decision to ignore state health laws to pacify those that were loud, vitriolic, and even violent. The Board has made the choice to allow the State mandates to be broken, although they were elected and sworn in to uphold the law. That is a fact that is undeniable.

CONTINUUM OF CARE HOMELESS/UNSHELTERED POINT-IN-TIME COUNT

The PIT Count is an essential element in our effort to end El Dorado County homelessness, as the data gathered from this census shows us so much more than how many people are homeless in El Dorado County – we also learn more about who is homeless and why. The PIT Count presents a great opportunity to raise awareness of the challenges our homeless citizens face, hear personal experiences from those experiencing homelessness, and demonstrate the compassion and generosity of our community!

But what did they think they were seeing?

I’ve thought a lot lately about Representative Lauren Boebert’s (R-CO) tweet on January 6, 2021, saying, “Today is 1776.” It’s clear that those sympathetic to stealing the 2020 election for Donald Trump over the will of the majority of Americans thought they were bearing witness to a new moment in our history.

Youth Franchise: The Forgotten Sixties Movement

Absent from popular memory and most scholarly histories of the 1960s is the youth franchise movement, which achieved the 26th Amendment to the US Constitution in 1971. This amendment gave the right to vote to 18-, 19-, and 20-year-olds and prohibited discrimination in voting “on account of age.” Proposed, passed, and ratified fifty years ago, it was the last time the United States significantly expanded and protected voting rights.

Opponents Team Up Against Voting Rights

In the week that we have commemorated Martin Luther King’s birthday, I found myself thinking about a football coach. In 1990, the voters of Arizona rejected a ballot measure that would have established a state holiday honoring the birth of the great civil rights icon.

NONPROFIT SPOTLIGHT: HOUSING EL DORADO

There is no question that availability of affordable housing is a problem throughout the state of California, and El Dorado County is no exception. The cost of existing housing coupled with the lack of affordable housing units is one factor, among many, driving homelessness in the county.

How to get real accountability for Jan. 6

The Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol was an attempt, through force and violence, to overturn the will of the majority expressed in a free and fair election. In a well-functioning democratic republic, its anniversary would engender a commitment across party lines to protecting and enhancing our system of self-rule.

Possible Criminal Referral for Former President Trump

Tonight the Washington Post reported that the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol is weighing possible criminal referral for former president Trump, focusing on the 187 minutes between Trump’s urging his supporters to march on the Capitol and the video he finally released telling them to stop.

Guilty on 23 Counts of Murder

On Wednesday, November 24, just before the Thanksgiving holiday, a jury found Gregory McMichael (65), his son Travis McMichael (35), and their neighbor William “Roddie” Bryan (52) guilty on 23 counts of murder.

Democracy Risk

“Democracy is at risk,” the report’s introduction begins. “Its survival is endangered by a perfect storm of threats, both from within and from a rising tide of authoritarianism.”

We Did It

The Biden-Harris Administration accomplished what reality star and twice-impeached former President Donald Trump could only talk about: a historic, unprecedented investment in our infrastructure.

What politicians mean when they cry “socialism”

As soon as the Democrats in the House of Representatives, marshaled by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), passed the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (H.R. 3684) by a bipartisan vote of 228–206 last night, Republicans began to say that the Democrats were ushering in “socialism.”

The Filibuster, Explained

Traditionally, the Senate filibuster was reserved for only the most controversial issues, but its use has escalated in recent years, often slowing business in the chamber to a halt. Some lawmakers acknowledge that the filibuster, which has effectively set a 60-vote supermajority requirement