The FCDC Zoom Meeting
7:30 3rd Tuesday
Statement from the FCDC Chairs
Dear Members and Friends of the Fauquier County Democratic Committee,
Two months after the election took place, early Thursday morning Congress accepted the Electoral College vote and declared Joe Biden and Kamala Harris the winners of the 2020 Presidential and Vice-Presidential elections. It has been exhausting to wait through numerous legal challenges, recounts, and presidential intervention prior to Congress’s confirmation. Even during the Congressional acceptance of the state’s electoral votes, there were numerous theatrics, mostly by those Republicans hoping to run for president in 2024.
More dangerous than the Congressional objections were the criminal actions of domestic terrorists who attacked and occupied the Capitol. A noose was erected on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol. Confederate flags were proudly waved as rioters paraded through the Halls of Congress. Anger, disbelief, disappointment and fear for our democracy were among the emotions many of us felt during this attack on Congress. Members of Congress had to be escorted to safety while doing their jobs. Their lives were endangered, not by a foreign army or agents, but by American citizens!
As Americans, we believe in the rule of law. We have watched a deterioration in the respect for law and order during the last four years. Subpoenas can be ignored. Evidence can be ignored. Crimes can be pardoned. In an attempt to overturn a legal election, there have been numerous attempts to invalidate election results, without any evidence. And we have now witnessed the utmost in disrespect for law and order, the attack on our Congress while they were performing their duties at the Capitol.
As frustrating as this two-month period has been, we have many reasons to celebrate. Overshadowed by the events on the Capitol on January 6th, was the victory of both Democratic Candidates in the Georgia Senate runoff elections. Democrats now control the White House and both houses of Congress. Here in Virginia, Democrats also won two runoff elections for vacant House of Delegates seats.
The wins in Georgia do more than give President Elect Biden the opportunity to take bold action on many policy initiatives. It represents another southern state that is shifting from red to blue, as we have here in Virginia. The efforts in Georgia to register voters and get them to the polls can be a model for improving Democratic results throughout the country. Here in Virginia, we have become a reliably blue state but we can still improve our registration, turnout and results here in Fauquier County and in the 1st & 5th Congressional District.
On Jan 20th we will have a new president. In 13 more days, we can be certain that law and order will be upheld. We have worked hard for many years to rid ourselves of this administration, and better days are ahead. On Jan 20th we will once again have a Democratic controlled government, and the country will be better for it.
With Hope for a Better 2021,
Whitney Petrilli & Larry Jackson, FCDC Chairs
Remembering Jerry Wood
Jerry Wood a lifelong member of the Democratic Party died Friday Jan. 8 from complications from Covis-19.
Jerry was elected in 1991 to the Virginia House of Delegates representing the 31 District serving one term. In 2014 he was appointed to the Warrenton Town Council where he served for 6 years, retiring in 2020.
In 1993 Jerry was instrumental in organizing a stop over by then President Elect Clinton to Warrenton. This was a very progressive moment in Fauquier County as a large crowd at the base of the court house cheered Clinton’s remarks.
Jerry Wood was unique, a true statesman. He had great diplomatic ability and a special way about him. He was known as a Democrat who was able to maneuver across party lines for the good of the Commonwealth. Jerry was well liked and respected. When traveling with Jerry to Richmond or Senator Warner’s annual picnic, he knew everyone and there were always many enthusiastic conversations. He was a huge supporter of Virginia’s two Democratic senators, working behind the scenes at each election cycle.
Jerry was always a champion of the under privileged and a true fighter for social justice.
While on the Town Council he worked hard for our local businesses, always present at events and presentations. He cared and it was noticed.
One of the founders of Warrenton’s Boys and Girls Club Jerry worked for years to help make the Club successful. He believed that every child regardless of their background needs support and advocacy.
Jerry was a good friend and I will miss his engaging smile and spirit.
Sunny Reynolds,
Past Warrenton Council member and Vice Mayor
Dream Team 2021
President & Vice-President
NEW YEAR NEW LAWS
Starting Friday January 1 several new laws go into effect.
1. Holding your phone while driving is illegal in Virginia. Let’s all keep our hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.
2. Virginia residents can apply for driving credentials no matter their immigration status. As always, please let me know if my office can assist you with any DMV questions.
3. Insulin co-pays are capped at $50 a month, a life-saving measure for the 1 in 10 Virginians living with diabetes.
4. Best of all: Most Virginia patients will now be protected from surprise medical bills. You can learn more about Virginia's new law here, and keep an eye on Congress for next steps nationwide.
Join and help us
Build back America Better
Click here for Membership Application
https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/region/us/virginia
Information and resources for COVID-19:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/coronavirus/
Coronavirus Hotline
If you or someone you know is being directly affected by COVID-19, please use the contact information below to reach the Commonwealth of Virginia's Coronavirus hotline. Whatever your situation may be, the folks who monitor these hotlines should be able to assist you with your questions and concerns.
877-ASK-VDH3Volunteer Opportunity
Governor Northam is calling on more Virginians, with and without medical backgrounds, to volunteer in the fight against COVID-19. The Virginia Department of Health's Virginia Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is looking for roughly 30,000 volunteers to join them in this effort. For more information, click HERE.
Safety Precautions
The CDC and the Governor have recommended that all Virginians wear face masks if they need to go out in public. This was recommended to help mitigate the spread of this virus. For more information from the CDC about face masks, including how to make one yourself, use this link HERE.
If you feel that you may have contracted the virus, watch for symptoms such as:
- Shortness of breath
- High fever
- Persistent coughing
Medical officials across the globe have been advising everyone to take basic precautions to lower the risk of contracting and spreading the virus, such as:
- Washing your hands often, for at least 20 seconds each time
- Avoiding close contact with people (staying 6 or more feet apart)
- Avoiding contact with people who even have just slight symptoms of feeling ill
- Avoid touching your face with unwashed hands
- Stay at home as much as possible and practice social distancing
- Cover all of your coughs and sneezes with a tissue, or the inside of your elbow.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects daily
Please read the full list of recommendations and news from the CDC by using the link HERE.Stay Informed
For all the latest information and updates regarding COVID-19 in Virginia, click HERE.
The State Dept. of Health is
NOW HIRING Contact Tracers
Last February, as Trump was wasting critical days by refusing to follow recommendations from public health officials throughout his administration.
He told his supporters at a rally
not to worry about COVID-19, because he said -
"It looks like by April ... when it gets a little warmer,
it miraculously goes away."
And now we know he knew the truth but would not act.
Almost 24 million Americans have become sick
And almost 400,000 Americans have lost their lives
more than have died in all our wars since WW II
—it has not gone away!
It is currently spreading at a record rate of
150,000 to 200,000
new cases every day!
Infections are very widespread, anyone you meet could be
2 or 3 Americans die every minute!
Many More than a 9/11 every day!
CDC warns that as many as
90,000 more may die in the next 3 weeks
Don't gather in groups, Wear a Mask!
Get the vaccine as soon as you can!
Hold on, the end is in sight
Here is the summary of the House Democrats’ non-budget legislation which passed during the 2020 Special Session:
COVID-19 Relief
- HB 5046 (Adams) Advancing innovations in telehealth.
- HB 5047 (Murphy) Prohibits manufacturers or distributors from selling necessary goods or services at an unconscionable price during a declared state of emergency.
- HB 5048 (Sickles) Mandating transparency requirements for congregate-care facilities during a public health emergency.
- HB 5059 (Willett) Providing certain liability protection for assisted living facilities in relation to COVID-19.
- HB 5050 (Helmer) Authorizes the Governor, during a declared state of emergency due to a communicable disease of public health threat, to purchase and distribute PPE to private, nongovernmental entities.
- HB 5064 (Price) Providing rent payment plan opportunities for tenants negatively impacted by COVID-19.
- HB 5068 (Ayala) Prohibiting garnishment of stimulus relief checks.
- HB 5087 (Tran) Removing the sunset clause on Virginia’s short-term compensation program (work-sharing) to facilitate eligibility for CARES Act funds.
- HB 5093 (Watts) Granting flexibility in enforcing executive orders through civil penalty. Under current law, the only penalty for such a violation is a Class 1 misdemeanor.
- HB 5106 (Cole) Protecting prospective tenants whose credit is negatively impacted by COVID-19.
- HB 5113 (Roem) Ensuring local school board participation in the federal Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) no-cost breakfast and lunch program.
- HB 5115 (Price) Protecting housing security for individuals and families negatively impacted by COVID-19.
Policing and Criminal Justice Reform
- HB 5029 (McQuinn) Mandating the duty of one officer to intervene to stop use of excessive force by another officer.
- HB 5043 (Bourne) Creating a statewide Marcus Alert system.
- HB 5045 (Delaney) Banning sexual relations between officers and arrestees.
- HB 5051 (Simon) Requiring decertification of a law enforcement officer who is terminated or resigns for violation of law, serious misconduct in violation of statewide standards of conduct, or during an internal investigation.
- HB 5055 (Herring) Strengthening laws related to Citizen Review Panels.
- HB 5058 (Hope) Eliminates certain vehicle equipment offenses or the odor of marijuana as pretexts for a stop or search by law enforcement.
- HB 5049 (Helmer) Demilitarizing police departments by prohibiting the acquisition and use of certain weapons and military equipment by law enforcement agencies.
- HB 5062 (Mullin) Codifying prosecutorial ability to dismiss charges.
- HB 5069 (Carroll Foy) Banning the use of neck restraints by law enforcement except if immediately necessary to protect the officer or another person.
- HB 5072 (Lopez) Empowering the Attorney General to conduct “pattern or practice” investigations of police forces that appear to be violating constitutional rights, including unlawful discrimination.
- HB 5098 (Askew) Expanding the definition of hate crimes to include false 911 calls or reports to law enforcement against another person made on the basis of race, religious conviction, gender, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, color, or national origin.
- HB 5099 (Aird) Prohibiting no-knock search warrants.
- HB 5104 (Price) Strengthening the assessments and review of prior law-enforcement employment records required before hiring law enforcement officers.
- HB 5108 (Guzman) Diversifying the Department of Criminal Justice Services’ Committee on Training.
- HB 5109 (Hope) Standardizing and enhancing training by criminal justice academies and establishing required in-service training standards for law enforcement officers.
- HB 5148 (Scott) Increasing earned sentence credits.
Making Virginia a more Equitable Place
- HB 5052 (Bagby) Codifying Juneteenth as an official holiday in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Fauquier County Democratic Committee stands in solidarity with our communities of color. We stand with millions of people across the country who are rightfully outraged by the killing of unarmed black people.
If we are complacent, if we are silent, we are complicit in perpetuating the cycle of institutional racism and violence for those most marginalized in our communities.
None of us can turn away, we must all speak out and hold each other accountable.
The death of George Floyd, Ahmad Arbery and Breonna Taylor are not isolated incidents. They are the result of systematic racism that has existed for generations.
These murders and the disproportionate deaths to COVID-19 in the black community are just the latest evidence that we live in an unequal world.
As Catherine Rampell of the Washington Post says, “There are two Americas. There’s the America where people can storm a statehouse with long guns, threaten elected officials, scream into the faces of cops and can still walk away unscathed. And then there is the America where citizens can march peacefully, or stand watching from their own front porches, and get sprayed with rubber bullets and paint projectiles. All while cameras roll.”
The cycle continues. More people die. More lives are destroyed. There are protests and promises to do better and the pattern repeats. Here in Fauquier County, some of our friends and neighbors live in fear and dare not venture out on public streets at night. How do we break this cycle? It starts with each of us. We at the Fauquier County Democratic Committee are committed to electing officials who understand this reality, will represent and uphold the rights of all people and will do the difficult work to dismantle the system of race-based oppression.
We stand for justice. We know what it looks like. We stand together!
What Does the FCDC Do?
Support Committed Candidates
The FCDC is responsible for recruiting, nominating and assisting in the election of Democrats to the local governing body, to the Virginia General Assembly, the statewide offices of Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General, the upper and lower houses of the U.S. Congress, and the offices of U.S. President and Vice President.
Organize & Engage Citizens
The FCDC engages Fauquier County communities before and during elections to share democratic policies with our neighbors. We make phone calls, knock doors, and host fundraisers and watch parties to win elections. Click here for Volunteer Opportunity.
Meeting Location
We normally meet monthly at 7:30pm on the third Tuesday of the month (with the exception of December and when campaign offices have been established)
10 Hotel Sreet
Warrenton, VA
All Meetings are currently Virtual
Note: the location indicated by Google Maps is a previous campaign office that we have been unable to get Google to remove.
Our Democratic Leadership
