Republican Club
by Brian Harmon
LW contributor
United States Congresswoman Michelle Steel endorsed Scott Baugh for Congress at the “Meet the Candidates 2022” rally on April 22 in Clubhouse 2. She said she asked Baugh to run because “he is the only one who can win back that seat.”
Baugh has served as chairman of the OC Republican Party, and as the minority leader of the State Assembly.
He is also chairman of OC Gang Reduction and Intervention Partnership (GRIP).
OC GRIP works to help young people in schools in atrisk areas avoid getting involved with gangs. Their motto is “Giving Orange County’s youth a chance to thrive.” It is a partnership between the Santa Ana Unified School District, the OC Sheriffs, the District Attorney’s Office, the Santa Ana Police Department and local businesses.
The nonprofit organization is sponsored by the OC Health Care Agency, the Friendly Center, OC Youth Sports, Big Brothers Big Sisters OC, the OC Bar Association Charitable Fund, Pure Game (a nonprofit sports program for kids), Knott’s Berry Farm, the Angels, Chapman University, Saddleback Church, In-N-Out Burgers, and others.
OC Board of Education Chair Mari Barke spoke about how the board has been encouraging the formation of charter schools to give parents more choices in how and what their children will be taught. A charter school can be formed when a group of parents and teachers who want to form a charter school decide to write up their idea, organize a large enough group, and write a proposed “charter” for the new school. If the charter is approved by the local school district, the school can be formed. If not, they can rewrite the charter for re-submission or ask the county board of education to overrule the district’s decision.
The group also heard from the following candidates: Amy Phan West, congress; Janet Nguyen, state senate; Diane Dixon state assembly; Lance Christensen, State Superintendent of Public Education; Barke, OC school board; OC Deputy District Attorneys Christopher Duff. (Seat 9), Andrea Mader (Seat 30) and Steve McGreevey (Seat 33), superior court judge.
The LW Republican Club encourages residents to talk to their friends and loved ones throughout OC about charter school advocates Barke and Christensen and the three judicial candidates.
••• The issue of charter schools has come to the surface at the national level. President Joseph Biden’s Department of Education is proposing regulations that will make it more difficult for charter schools to get federal funding, even though Congress recently voted down a proposal that would do the same thing.
••• The LW Republican Club will meet in person in Clubhouse 3, Room 2, on Wednesday, May 25, instead of the usual third Wednesday of the month.
The club’s booth will be open each Monday and Wednesday in May from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. in front of Clubhouse 6.
