The U.S Department of Education just rolled out a new civics initiative and guess who they’ve got lined up to help them?  Moms for Liberty, Turning Point USA, the 1776 Project – basically the whole censorship crew.  These are the same folks pushing book bans, gutting DEI programs, and rewriting history with a stars and stripes filter.  Now they’re being invited into classrooms under the banner of “patriotism.”  If you think this won’t reach Berks, think again. 

Jeffrey Yass was born in Queens, but he built his empire in Pennsylvania starting in the early ‘80’s on the Philly Stock Exchange.  In 1987, he and five college friends co-founded Susquehanna International Group  (SIG). Now one of the largest trading firms in the U.S., SIG has over 3000 employees and is a powerhouse on Wall Street. 

There’s been a lot of talk this week about First Amendment rights and free speech but here in Berks we’ve been in a fight for a while over another form of censorship: book banning.  Wilson and Oley were in the school board trenches and what did we do?  We fought and we won.  The loudest book banners didn’t even run in Wilson, and in Oley, they were unable to get on the ballot.

As Harrisburg’s budget stalemate drags into its third month, Berks County school districts are staring down a fiscal cliff.   Districts are already dipping into savings just to keep the lights on.  Some are looking at loans with interest fees that could’ve paid for support staff, updated books and technology, maintenance and facilities repairs, or basic supplies.get mess drags on much longer. 

We’re not dead yet but we’re running out of time.   If you’ve been sitting on the sidelines waiting for things to get better, brace yourself because it’s going to get uglier. Every one of us needs to step up, speak out, and get out the vote.  Talk to your neighbors, text your friends, and knock on doors. 

With Labor Day behind us, things are starting to get busy on campaign teams: yard signs, fundraising, button-making and people canvassing.
 
And while things are heating up on campaign trails, people are still protesting in the streets.  The next No Kings National Day of Action is on October 18 – Berks Dems are already planning!  Stay tuned. 

On Saturday, September 13th, we gathered at the Berks Dems Office for our Judging the System panel discussion. The panel was moderated by Kadida Kenner, founding CEO of the New Pennsylvania Project. Kadida was a force: a voting rights champion, a relentless advocate for judicial independence, and a tenacious voice for social and economic justice across the Commonwealth.

JUDGING THE SYSTEM:
BALLOTS, BENCHES AND THE FIGHT FOR FAIR ELECTIONS
 

For every issue we care about including reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ rights and fair wages, it all starts at the ballot box.  Without fair access to the ballot, no other issue can be meaningfully addressed.  That’s why Republicans have spent years trying to undermine voting rights - especially mail-in voting. 

The legal framework is fragile, and judicial elections matter more than ever. 
The bottom line: Abortion is still legal in PA but it’s not protected. The Supreme Court of PA (SCOPA) is our firewall.  As far right extremists legislate across the country by weaponizing the law against women and reproductive care, SCOPA is holding the line.  But that firewall only holds if we keep electing judges who believe in justice, privacy, and autonomy. 
 
There are things you can do!

“What's happening in Texas is exactly what we must never allow to happen in Pennsylvania. It's cruel and inhumane. Abortion is legal in Pennsylvania and must be protected. No judge or elected official has the right to dictate health care decisions.” Senator Judy Schwank

Women have been under assault since the dawn of time and make no mistake – this isn’t ancient history.  It’s a consequence of political systems and policies that prioritize control over justice.  We are witnessing policies that strip away autonomy, punish providers, and treat reproductive care like a felony in progress.  And let’s be clear: in some states - Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Alabama - abortion is a felony!  If you’ve got a uterus, the government has an opinion. 

JUDGING THE SYSTEM PANEL:
Moderated by Kadida Kenner – Founding CEO of The New PA Project
More about this event!

Gerrymandering is spiraling into a full-blown power grab in multiple states.  What we’re seeing now in states like Texas is nothing more than Republican leaders pushing for mid-decade redistricting which breaks the usual ten-year cycle to redraw maps that favor their party.  We know that if Republicans can’t win – they cheat and bend the rules to their advantage.  They don’t even try to hide it. 
 
Texan Republicans, backed by Donald Trump, are trying to redraw the state’s congressional map to flip five Democratic seats.  Governor Greg Abbott called a special session to rush the process, and Democrats responded by fleeing the state to break quorum and block the vote.  Now, Democratic Governors are strategizing retaliatory redistricting potentially moving fast enough to shift control of the current House! 
 

Thanks to SCOPA kicking Goofy and Donald Duck out of the districts, Pennsylvanians finally got the chance to elect two kick-ass Democratic Congresswomen:  Madeleine Dean and Chrissy Houlahan. Both women fight every day for our Democratic values including reproductive rights, education equality, and economic justice. 
Representative Dean hit the ground running, backing transformative legislation like the For the People Act, a direct strike against voter suppression, gerrymandering, and political corruption! 

JUDGING THE SYSTEM:
GOOFY KICKED DONALD DUCK AND SCOPA KICKED BACK

Following years of Republican led redistricting District 7 had become one of the most gerrymandered districts in the nation. Its boundary was famously described as “Goofy kicking Donald Duck.”  It lassoed Reading into a Republican stronghold in Lancaster County, distorting representation and giving Republicans a 2:1 advantage in Pennsylvania’s Congressional delegation, even though Democrats won most votes statewide.  Fair maps = fair elections and this was not a fair map! 
 
As a result, the League of Women Voters filed a lawsuit, arguing the map violated Pennsylvania’s constitutional guarantee of free and fair elections.  Thanks to the 2015 election of Justices Christine Donahue, Keven Dougherty, and David Wecht, the PA Supreme Court (SCOPA) had a Democratic majority, and they didn’t hesitate to act.  In January 2018, SCOPA ruled the map unconstitutional and drew a new one themselves when the GOP-led General Assembly failed to do so. 

Meanwhile, SCOTUS is chipping away at the very rights we fought so hard to obtain back in the seventies. On June 18, they upheld Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender minors in a 6-3 decision. By doing this, they didn’t just ban healthcare - they sent a message that trans kids don’t count. 

“Pennsylvania is a better place when it’s fair. And right now, too many Pennsylvanians can legally be discriminated against because of who they are, because of how they identify in critical aspects of their lives, including housing, including education, and winning public accommodations.” PA State Representative Malcom Kenyatta (D-Philly)

In this edition of our ongoing series Judging the System, we’re shining a rainbow spotlight on LGBTQ+ rights in Pennsylvania from legacy to legislation, from protest to precedent.

These aren’t just distant legal battles.  Here in Berks County, LGBTQ+ kids and families live in a state where protections are not guaranteed.

On June 17, the Pennsylvania House voted 107–90 to pass Governor Josh Shapiro’s bold infrastructure plan with HB1364, a bipartisan push to repair roads, strengthen bridges, and invest in public transit for all 67 counties, including ours here in Berks.

In a party-line vote, Berks County State Representatives Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz (PA 129), Manny Guzman (PA 127), and Jacklyn Rusnock (PA 126) stood in solidarity with their Democratic colleagues to advance HB 1549, a bill to raise the minimum wage.  Meanwhile, local Republicans: Gillen (PA 128), Weaknecht (PA 5), Maloney (PA130), Barton (PA 124), and Zimmerman (PA 99) voted against the measure.