Midwest Misfits

Hey Misfits,

Thanks for joining us for this weeks bonus episode as Colleen and I chat about the election and what has transpired since. Also, we want to thank you for sticking with us this past year and wanted to let you know that we are going to take a break until after the holidays. Have a very Happy Thanksgiving and we hope to see you in 2023.

Hey Misfits, 

Today we are chatting with Mom, entrepreneur and Nebraska State Senator Megan Hunt. We were lucky to briefly catch her during her busy re-election campaign for Nebraska Legislature District 8. We are now under a week until the midterms so make sure and drop off your ballots or set your reminders for next Tuesday, November 8th and get out there and vote!

Thanks for listening to this episode of Midwest misfits. Make sure and subscribe to our show so you don’t miss a thing. You can also find us on social media @Mistfitpod. For more on Senator Hunt check her out and follow her on social media at:

Twitter: @NebraskaMegan

Facebook: @MeganHuntNE

IG: @NebraskaMegan

We are back with the 2nd half of Colleen's discussion with Dr. Erin Feichtinger, Policy Director of the Women's Fund.  If you missed the first episode you can check it out here:

https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/aRHHyOTUrub

For more on Dr. Feichtinger and to learn where you an get in touch, check out here bio here:

https://www.omahawomensfund.org/staff/erin-feichtinger/

Today we have a special guest, State Senator Tony Vargas who is currently running for the House of Representatives. Senator Vargas began his career as a public-school teacher and member of the Omaha Public School Board. He then went on to the Nebraska Senate is hoping to win your vote for Congress.

Thank you for listening to this episode of Midwest Misfits. For more about Senator Vargas’s campaign, visit https://www.vargasfornebraska.com/. There are only a couple weeks until the mid-terms so mark your calendars and get out to vote on November 8th!

Dr. Erin Feichtinger Represents District 2 on the Metropolitan Community College Board of Governors.She joined the Women’s Fund as Policy Director in May 2022. She brings her extensive experience working on policy to increase housing security, food security and economic security at both the local and state level. Dr. Feichtinger has worked on several successful policy initiatives including Omaha’s Rental Registration and Proactive Inspection Ordinance as well as legislation increasing tenant protections and access to justice, increasing access to SNAP and affordable childcare. Her most recent efforts to secure federal funding for rental assistance and legal representation for tenants in eviction court has resulted in increased housing stability for all Nebraskans.

Dr. Feichtinger has a degree in special education and a Ph.D. in history from Loyola University Chicago. She loves reading, research, music, learning the drums and spending time watching her daughter interact with the world.

https://www.todaysomahawoman.com/news/erin-feichtinger/

“While Erin Feichtinger, Ph.D., is not a journalist, she “plays one on Twitter”—thanks to her undying passion for housing justice.

Her tweet threads detailing Douglas County Eviction Court give a bird’s eye view into the housing crisis, and she is often asked if she is a reporter.

She works with case managers and attorneys and partners with organizations like Metro Area Continuum of Care for the Homeless (MACCH) and Legal Aid of Nebraska to problem-solve and streamline the process so people can apply for rental assistance. “I genuinely believe that most of my job is trying to make their lives easier, from writing policies to showing up to the Legislature and going to City Council meetings.”    

Feichtinger says during 2020, she spent a lot of time with elected officials, securing rental, food and utility assistance funds from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. “I couldn’t be prouder to work every day with the absolute heroes who took on our neighbor’s collective pain and panic and helped them navigate through it all.”

She has championed human rights from the start. In high school, she was a counselor at Camp Munroe, a recreational therapy program from UNMC’s Munroe-Meyer Institute for kids and adults with physical and/or mental disabilities.

“Camp Munroe changed my life and probably set me on this path. I find that I always want to know why things are the way they are, and working with people with disabilities made me see the bigger systems at work that can often make life difficult for people,” she says.”

https://www.civicnebraska.org/20220531-sda-erin-feichtinger/

Each year, Civic Nebraska’s Strengthening Democracy Awards recognize Nebraskans whose work embodies the spirit of a modern, robust democracy.

Civic Nebraska honors Erin Feichtinger of Omaha with the 2022 Civic Catalyst Award for relentlessly fighting for housing justice in Nebraska.

Erin leads calls to action, helps Nebraskans tackle the state’s housing affordability issues, and has been a force in the lobby at the statehouse on behalf of emergency rental assistance for the state’s residents. In the most recent session of the Nebraska Legislature, Erin was instrumental in organizing, educating, and activating hundreds of Nebraskans to fight for aid, as well as other matters of fundamental housing fairness at the state and local levels.

Hey Misfits,

This week we are chatting with Senator Carol Blood and catching up on her campaign and what the state of Nebraska is talking about.  For more on Senator Blood and how you can help her campaign, visit Elect Carol Blood.

To check out our past interview with Senator Blood, click here: Senator Carol Blood for Governor

Today on Midwest Misfits we are talking with Scout Richters with the ACLU of NE

For over 50 years, the ACLU of Nebraska has worked in courts, legislatures, and communities to protect the constitutional and individual rights of all people. With a nationwide network of offices and millions of members and supporters, the ACLU takes up the toughest civil liberties fights.

Also joining the conversation is Andi Curry Grubb State Executive Director - of Planned Parenthood North Central States Advocates of Nebraska

Planned Parenthood Advocates of Nebraska (PPAN) is an independent nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works to educate and empower the electorate regarding issues of sexual and reproductive health and related rights of Nebraskans.

Finally, it always helps to know how your senator voted last time. So we wanted to quickly let NE listeners know how their senators voted on a total trigger ban last session.

OPPOSED EXTREME TOTAL BAN:

Blood, Bostar, J. Cavanaugh, M. Cavanaugh, Day, DeBoer, M. Hansen, Hunt, McCollister, McKinney, Morfeld, Pansing Brooks, Vargas, Walz, Wishart PLEASE SEND THEM A THANK YOU NOTE!

SUPPORTED EXTREME TOTAL BAN:

Aguilar, Albrecht, Arch, Bostelman, Brandt, Brewer, Briese, Clements, Dorn, Erdman, Flood, Friesen, Geist, Gragert, Halloran, B. Hansen, Hilgers, Hilkemann, Hughes, Jacobson, Kolterman, Lindstrom, Linehan, Lowe, McDonnell, Moser, Murman, Sanders, Slama, Stinner, Williams (Gov. Ricketts has since appointed Sen. Dover to replace Sen. Flood, serving out a term that ends January 2025.)

>>>> EXCUSED NOT VOTING:

Lathrop, Pahls, Wayne (Gov. Ricketts has since appointed Sen. Kauthto replace the late Sen. Pahls until the November midterm elections.)

Colleen and Leah here, ramping up some content to get you fired up for the 2024 mid-term elections. Today we have a bonus episode filled with a discussion about the overturning of Roe v wade, the recent raid at Mar-a-Lago and other hot topics. But stay tuned and subscribe as we have a great chat with Andi Curry Grubb, executive director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Nebraska and Scout Richters, Senior Legal & Policy Counsel, ACLU of Nebraska.  We also have a conversation with Nebraska Democrat for Governor, Senator Carol Blood. I promise you won’t want to miss so stick around.

Today we are talking about what is on all of our minds.  The fate of abortion in the United States.  Thanks for listening!

Hey Misfits,

Today we have a lovely chat with Kara Teri, candidate for Elkhorn School Board. Kara is an Elkhorn High alumn she is a human resource professional with more than 15 years of experience and a Master’s Degree in Strategic Management of HR. we are talking about her platform, her goals and breaking down the long list of candidates. Thanks for listening!

Thanks for listening today and remember to fill out those ballots and get them sent in asap. The deadline is May 10th. Follow us on social at @misfitpod and please, if you are enjoying the show and want to support us, leave us a review or donate at MidwestMisfits.com

Kara Teri on Facebook

Vote Kara For Elkhorn