WEāRE NOT DOOMED: Fri June 5, 2026
Why arenāt we Doomed? Because we are loud. Because of the incredible organizations with the infrastructure to push back and win! Because of our incredible Dems in elected office!
Like those in Colorado (not Polis, he doesnāt get credit for this)
Tue, April 21 - Governor Jared Polis signed Legal Protections for Dignity of Minors into law.
This bill makes sure that when minors change their name, it does not have to be a matter of public record. Currently, like adults, the civil court petition can be found by anyone. This would make those records private.
There are all sorts of reasons a childās name change shouldnāt be public, including for getting out of abusive situations or religious purposes, and of course, most dangerous now, changing their name as a trans individual.
The bill was introduced bicamerally, meaning in both the House and Senate. Senators Katie Wallace and Chris Kolker introduced it in the Senate, while Reps Meg Froelich and Lorena Garcia introduced it in the House.
Before the bill passed, Senator Wallace said:
Passing this bill is simple, but its impact is profound. It gives children the safety and dignity they deserve, and it treats their private life with the same care we afford in other sensitive cases.
Which is more important now than ever. As Republicans continue their war on children, itās vital to protect them in every way possible.
I havenāt seen another bill like this. I love the creativity to try and close all the loopholes, and I hope other states follow suit.
Seeing bills like this become law makes me feel less Doomed!
Wed, April 22 - On March 3, Ypsilanti City Council voted in favor of a 12 month ban on data centers thanks to a lot of noise demanding it. On April 14 the Charter Township Board of Trustees did the same.
The proposal then went to the Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority and they agreed to the ban which is now in effect.
These 12 months need focused on āthe necessity of rigorous, science-based due-diligence analyses, which are to be completed prior to the approvalā of any of these data centers.
The biggest issue, according to Ypsilantiās government is that the sewage system would be stretched to itās limits and as Doug Winters, attorney for the township said, if they had gone forward āthereād be no other building going on in the township ā residential, commercial and industrial ā until that wastewater treatment plant was expanded.ā
And thatās not even mentioning the fact that these two facilities would have totaled 924 acres. Which is still a number that boggles my mind.
Iām so glad that they are taking another look. And who knows, maybe in 12 months, these massive data centers will be so thoroughly rebuked that they wonāt happen at all. Now that really makes me feel less Doomed.
Wed, April 22 - DE ACLU held their Lobby Day for their Every Vote Counts campaign.
The campaign is about pressuring the legislature to pass voting rights legislation. This includes bills: restoring the right to vote for the formerly incarcerated, protecting and broadening early-in-person and vote-by-mail and implementing same day voter registration.
For instance, in Delaware, you have to register to vote 24 days before an election. Which means those who have recently moved to the state canāt vote no matter how prepared they are.
One lobbyist, Sally Barclay, a poll greeter, shared a story about having to turn someone away:
A man came up and told me that he had just moved to Delaware from California a week prior...He had studied up on the candidates, knew who he was going to vote for, found the polling place, got himself there, and was very discouraged and upset that he wouldnāt be able to vote.
Itās stories like this that can hopefully change the conversation. And thatās what lobbying is all about.
And this work has already been successful. Because of the Every Vote Counts campaign, these bills are working their way through the legislature already.
HB 88 and 108 which are about the formerly incarcerated and same day voting respectively are currently waiting to get a vote on the House floor.
While SS 1 for SB 2 and SB 3 w/ HA 1, which cover early in person and no excuse absentee, have passed the full legislature once and need to pass a second session to be codified into the constitution.
If you live in Delaware, the best way to make these bills a reality is to call your legislators. I know the focus is always on DC, but you can call your State electeds just the same and I highly encourage it.
Just this campaign makes me feel less Doomed, but if these all actually become law? Iād feel even less Doomed.
āLess Doomedā and āeven less Doomedā are different things, right?
Well, who cares theyāre both good. And I hope you feel at least one of those after reading these stories too.
Remember, our voices are our superpower, but only when we use them!
