We held our first hybrid meeting April 7, with people attending on Zoom and, for the first time in 26 months, in person at Albany Public Library. Standing from left are Precinct Committee Person and Neighborhood Leader Brenda Sterner, Events Committee Chair Keith Kolkow, Chair Jerred Taylor, Ambassador Paula Connaghan, House District 11 candidate Mary Cooke, Organization Committee Chair Mark Leonard and House District 15 candidate Ben Watts.
Roe v. Wade overturned
'Taking away the right to abortion, as the majority does today, destroys all those individual plans and expectations,' the court's dissenters said and emphasized 'in so doing, it diminishes women’s opportunities to participate fully and equally in the Nation’s political, social, and economic life.'
June 24 protest in Albany
• Court votes 5-3-1, holding that there is no longer
a federal constitutional right to an abortion. (June 24, CNN)
• Abortion remains legal, accessible in Oregon (June 24, Oregon Health Authority)
• Read the opinion: Dobbs vs. Jackson Women's Health Organization (June 24, CNN)
• Biden: SCOTUS decision is a 'realization of an extreme ideology' (June 24, CNN)
Abortion decision could open the door to overturn same-sex marriage,
contraception and other rulings (June 24, CNN)
• A preview of the dangerous future of abortion bans – Texas Senate Bill 8
(June 22, New England Journal of Medicine)
a federal constitutional right to an abortion. (June 24, CNN)
• Abortion remains legal, accessible in Oregon (June 24, Oregon Health Authority)
• Read the opinion: Dobbs vs. Jackson Women's Health Organization (June 24, CNN)
• Biden: SCOTUS decision is a 'realization of an extreme ideology' (June 24, CNN)
Abortion decision could open the door to overturn same-sex marriage,
contraception and other rulings (June 24, CNN)
• A preview of the dangerous future of abortion bans – Texas Senate Bill 8
(June 22, New England Journal of Medicine)
Congress passes
gun safety legislation
The bipartisan gun deal includes millions of dollars for mental health, school safety, crisis intervention programs and incentives for states to include juvenile records in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.
• House passes gun safety measure; bill will go to Biden for signature (June 24, CNN)
• The Senate on Thursday night passed a bipartisan bill, 65 to 33,
with 15 Republicans joining Democrats in support of the measure. (June 23, CNN)
***
New York conceal gun carry law struck down
• Samuel Alitio lashes out at liberals in guns case as tensions boil over at Supreme Court (June 24, CNN)
• The Senate on Thursday night passed a bipartisan bill, 65 to 33,
with 15 Republicans joining Democrats in support of the measure. (June 23, CNN)
***
New York conceal gun carry law struck down
• Samuel Alitio lashes out at liberals in guns case as tensions boil over at Supreme Court (June 24, CNN)
Reflections on Pride Month and Juneteenth
![]() The month of June is traditionally one of celebration and reflection. Pride Month serves to both celebrate our LGBTQ+ neighbors and friends and to commemorate the Stonewall Riots of 1969. Juneteenth commemorates the day – June 19th, 1865 – when news of the Emancipation Proclamation arrived in Texas and enslaved people were declared free, over two years after Abraham Lincoln had signed it. While the LGBTQ+ community and Black community have progress and milestones to celebrate throughout June, the mood in the air is a somber one.
Current events, like the recent mass shooting in New York in which a white supremacist shot and killed Margus Morrison, Andre Mackniel, Aaron Salter, Geraldine Talley, Celestine Chaney, Heyward Patterson, Katherine Massey, Pearl Young and Ruth Whitfield at a Buffalo grocery store on May 14, and the recent apprehension of 31 white supremacists armed with smoke grenades and riot gear for conspiring to incite a riot at Pride in the Park in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, are highly visible signs of an undercurrent that has been festering in the political right for some time. Efforts are underway in states across our country to ban a more complete teaching of American history, one that is inclusive of times when our government and fellow Americans committed brutal acts of violence against, or denied equal rights to communities of color. Books depicting LGBTQ+ lives and experiences are being banned from public schools, universities and libraries. Conspiracy theories that falsely conclude that white people are being replaced by people of color, and that LGBTQ+ people are “grooming” children, are being fostered by white nationalists and seeping into mainstream conservative circles. Parents of Trans youth are being prosecuted for helping their children to survive and Welcome, DemocratsWelcome Dems is an online gathering of like-minded voters. We get together on Zoom on the last Thursday of the month
to chat about anything that comes to mind ... dogs, kids, weather and, oh yeah, politics! Join us for an hour of informative and thoughtful chat. The next gathering will be at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, June 30. To register and receive Zoom access, click here See you there! |
![]() Albany Pride
Saturday, June 25, 10 a.m. to 2 pm Linn County Courthouse, Albany Established in 2017, Albany Pride provides LGBTQIA+ community members of the Greater Albany Area an annual point of connection and space to celebrate their identity and dignity. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.: 20+ Resource and Organizational Booths at City Hall Plaza
10:45 to 11:15 a.m. – PRIDE MARCH 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. – Drag show & dancing Drag Show Featuring six local drag artists and special guest queen, @CocoJemHoliday, contestant from season 2 of Camp Wannakiki. thrive. The thread tying language meant to dehumanize
people of color and LGBTQ+ people directly to acts of violence is in plain sight. So what do we do? We must speak out, we must engage, we must organize, and we must vote. We all must stand up as allies to marginalized communities and push back against hateful rhetoric. Call out politicians and leaders when they repeat damaging and dehumanizing language/labels from white supremacist circles. Report instances of racial discrimination, bias attacks and threats to law enforcement and to the Oregon Department of Justice Bias Response Hotline. Do not support, promote or vote for candidates who stoke these conspiracies, no matter how much they promise to ‘reduce your taxes’. DO vote for candidates who call out these dangerous trends. Show up and support Pride Events and Juneteenth events in your area. It's time to step up and protect our democracy. Jerred Taylor Linn County Democrats Chair |
About the Linn County Democratic Central Committee
The Linn County Democratic Central Committee (LCDCC) of Oregon welcomes all those, regardless of party affiliation, who support our ideals. We’re an all-volunteer organization that works hard to elect Democrats to represent the people of Linn County at local, state and national levels. Our meetings are generally held on the first Thursday of the month at Albany Public Library, 2450 14th Ave. S.E. and on Zoom. The next monthly general meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, July 7.
Contact usQuestions or comments. Let us know here.
Our mailing address is: Linn County Democrats P.O. 2553 Albany, OR 97321 |
Get InvolvedJoin the Party and take your power back.
This is where it happens. |