When FORWRD first got rolling in the weeks after Trump’s second inauguration, we were riding a wave of panic.

Y’all remember those days. No one was resisting the destruction Trump and DOGE were unleashing — in fact, institutions we relied on to hold firm collapsed almost instantly. The Supreme Court said he had immunity. Universities, TV networks, and law firms all paid him off. And the feckless Democrats kept talking about bipartisanship, even as it was immediately clear that Trump was pulling a smash & grab job on our entire government.

So we said hell, if no one else is going to suit up for this fight, at least we will. And that’s pretty much been our guiding principle ever since.

In Year One, we experimented — testing the who/what/how of showing up together. We didn’t pursue any official corporate or legal status, knowing that would take time and money away from the real work. We wanted to show up in the community, not in legal documents.

In Year Two, we plan to stay the course — hosting local convenings and events, always on the lookout for ideas with enthusiasm behind them that we can support. But we’re also bringing a strategic electoral focus to the next few months, which will require us to be more deliberate about our organizational structure.

If you’ve been keeping up with our emails, you know already that we’ve “adopted” District 23 and have made a commitment to support the campaign of Katy Padilla Stout.

Since making that decision, we’ve come to realize that if we didn’t acquire some legal status, we could be putting our organizational leaders in jeopardy. As we start planning events together under the FORWRD umbrella, we would be bound by campaign finance laws that limit direct in-kind and financial contributions to a total of $5,000. We’re 1,000+ strong! We’re certainly intending to make more than $5,000 worth of impact in the months to come.

We needed a solution that was quicker and less onerous than becoming a full nonprofit or advocacy organization. Something that would enable and unleash our potential to raise people power.

And so we started talking with legal and campaign experts. As they saw it, our path ahead was clear: register as a super PAC.

That was our immediate reaction. Aren’t super PACs, like, BAD? Giant funnels to dump untraceable money into a district’s media markets to run misleading attack ads?

Yes, we were told, that can be the case. And when you hear candidates say they don’t take any money from corporate super PACs, that’s exactly the type of situation they’re trying to avoid. But every candidate accepts money from super PACs, because everyone has one. EMILY’s List. Planned Parenthood. Indivisible.

And now us. Like all those organizations, we’re not thinking of it as a new identity — it’s just a tool for us to use to make an impact during the midterms. Our super PAC is called FORWRD-TX, reflecting our focus on changing power right here in Texas.

Strategically, we can now expend unlimited efforts on behalf of any federal candidate for office (that includes James Talarico, BTW). We can plan events that bring art, music, community and FUN to Austin, to District 23, and anywhere else we choose. Instead of counting dollars or page views, we’ll measure our impact in face-to-face interactions and authentic connections.

This decision does put some limits on us. We won’t be able to coordinate with Katy’s campaign directly, or fundraise on her behalf. But as individuals, we are all still free to support her campaign directly, by donating and volunteering. You’re not bound or restricted by this in any way! If you’ve got more questions, here’s a list of FAQs.

So what are we going to do with this shiny new super PAC we created? After two great meetings, our plans are taking shape:

We’ll have our final planning meeting this coming Tuesday (6/22) at 6:30. (RSVP here!) Please join us to keep building on these ideas or bring a new one to the group!

If you know you’re ready to jump in to one of these efforts, join the Katy Signal group (email us for details if that sounds daunting). Many of these initiatives have a few volunteers attached already, so no one will be forced into leadership or solo management … we want to share the invitation with all of you to sink your teeth into a long-term project with a huge potential upside. And spread the word to your friends!

As always, shoot us an email if there’s something we didn’t cover or if you’ve got thoughts or feelings to share ….

Looking for something fun to do this Saturday night? Come hang out with us at Radio/East (3504 Montopolis Dr., Austin 78744) for the NO WALL, Y’ALL benefit concert.

Tickets are only $13! And we’ll have a table where we’ll be unveiling our YETI → EVIL sticker campaign … we’ll have 200 to give away, plus a button machine on-site for folks who want to make their own. (Here’s the back story on why we’re doing this, in case you missed it.)

Grab one before they’re gone! Hope to see you there!

For Friday, June 19th: Happy Juneteenth! “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” — James Baldwin

Recurring Events 

MONDAYS in JUNE:

TUESDAYS in JUNE:

WEDNESDAYS in JUNE: 

FRIDAYS in JUNE:

Large Group Voter Registration and Relational Organizing Opportunities:

There are nearly daily events happening with two Texas orgs for people who want to jump in and help get voters registered and connected before November: