Rural Caucus Newsletter May 31st 2026

Written By Butler County Democrats .

Take a look at this graph from a recent MSNow community poll on Reddit: MSNow Community - Google Docs. We shared it on social media to highlight something we see all the time in rural organizing: when you strip away the noise, Americans agree on far more than they disagree. On issue after issue, the responses lined up almost across the political spectrum. Now before you ask, even though it was a "community" poll, Jacqueline fact-checked the percentages on how they measure up against national surveys. She found some of the percentages on the graph were a little low but the rest were pretty well the same within 1- 2% points:

*Protect Social Security - 92%
*Stronger rules for financial industry - 85%
*Higher taxes on the wealthy - 82%
*Paid family and medical leave - 86%
*Stricter gun laws - 70%
*Tuition-free college, based on income (the surveys looked at said "low to middle-income families") - 77%

What surprised us wasn’t the overlap - it was the reaction from some commenters insisting that these shared values were somehow “Democratic values.” That pushback actually proves the point, Rural Democrats. When basic fairness, economic stability, and community well‑being get labeled as partisan, it shows how far the national narrative has drifted from what real people in real communities actually care about regardless of party affiliation.


This poll is a reminder that voters aren’t nearly as divided as the loudest voices want us to believe. The common ground is there and it’s a lot bigger than folks think.

Rural Caucus News

  • We’ve gotten a great response to the infographics and voter guide we put together on the four amendments coming up on the August ballot. Folks keep saying they appreciate the simple, straight‑to‑the‑point format, and several commenters have asked us to keep reposting them through Aug. 4. That’s exactly the plan. We’re even kicking around the idea of paying to “boost” the infographics as we get closer to Election Day What do you all think?.

  • We won’t be holding a June meeting. Folks, we’re in the same boat as the rest of you - there’s a lot going on. The Midwestern Regional Rural Forum on Wed., June 3...the 4th Congressional District is working to help reorganize two counties, we’ve been asked to pitch in at an event on Sunday, June 7, and then we’re heading to Cape Girardeau for the Democratic Club meeting on June 22, with the State Fair Planning Committee in-between. And let's not forget the job that pays the bills (wink).

State Fair

The committee met last night and is still working on SWAG. Guess what we found? We found a lot of great memes that would make terrific stickers. Buttons are popular, and we'll have several of those, but we might have just as many stickers this year.

Volunteering at the State Fair is one of the most fun, high‑energy things we do all year, and we’d love to have more folks jump in with us: State Fair Booth Sign-Up - 2026 - Google Sheets. Whether you’re greeting fairgoers, helping at the tent, or just pitching in where needed, it’s a great way to meet people and keep our momentum going. 

Executive Director Matthew Patterson reported that we've received approx. $800 in donations. We know times are tough but if you’re able to chip in, big or small, it helps us cover the tent, materials, and all the little things that make our presence shine: Missouri Democratic Party - Non-Federal — Donate via ActBlue or mail a check to: Missouri Democratic Party, 407 Jefferson St., Jefferson City, MO 65101. Please note on your check that it's for the State Fair tent. Every hour volunteered and every dollar donated truly makes a difference.

Missouri News

  • Personal bankruptcies are climbing across nearly every state with Missouri seeing up to a 13% increase: Map shows where bankruptcies are soaring - Newsweek. More MO families are struggling under the weight of rising debt, high borrowing costs and inflation - up from 2.4% in January to 3.8% in May.

Project 2029

This deserves its own section: Exclusive: A First Look at the Dems’ Version of Project 2025. The Democratic policy group "Project 2029" just released its first set of proposals, Project 2029 aiming to help shape the presidential primary and rebuild voter trust. It’s not perfect and it has its critics, but it’s absolutely worth a look as we think about how to sharpen our own messaging. At its core, Project 2029 reminds us that voters are hungry for Democrats to offer a bold, positive vision - not just an argument against Trump, but a plan for what comes next. Read it and let's see how we can use it.

National News

  • Trump didn’t just pull back from global health cooperation - he yanked the whole system out by the roots:  Trump administration restricts leading US scientists’ involvement in global Ebola response – report - Yahoo News Singapore. He scrapped the National Security Council’s global health security office, the team that used to coordinate how the U.S. worked with the rest of the world during outbreaks, and then tore up the executive actions that kept America plugged into international health‑security efforts. This is not normal. Former and current officials described it as unheard of during global health emergencies.

Other news

  • With Trump’s nonstop attacks on environmental protections, it’s no surprise we’re staring down even more bad news. New UN projections say the Earth is likely to blow past the global “safe” climate limit again and again over the next five years  Think it's hot now? The next five years will smash records: UN  and break its own hottest‑year record while doing it.  And while the planet cooks, the largest underground water supply in the entire country - the one that keeps a huge share of America’s farms alive - is running dry.  The Largest US Groundwater Supply Is Running Out - Newsweek. Great combo, huh?

In closing...

A federal judge refused to block Trump’s executive order to tighten mail‑in voting rules, leaving the order fully in place as we head into a midterm year. Judge Carl Nichols - a Trump appointee in Washington, D.C.- said that because no federal agency has implemented the order yet, there’s no “concrete harm” for the court to rule on. In other words: come back when the damage is already happening.


The order is carefully written not to directly command states but rather to direct federal agencies. It tells the Postal Service to deliver mail‑in ballots only to voters who appear on Trump's federally compiled eligibility lists. It orders federal databases to share citizenship data with state election officials. On paper, it’s just the president managing the executive branch. But it still tells states what to do. If USPS only delivers ballots to people on a federal list - and federal lists always have errors - eligible voters lose their ballots without their state ever touching the process. A president doesn’t have to order a state to suppress votes if he controls the mail.

Don't forget, June 1st starts LGBTQ Pride Month!

Joshua Dunne

Chair

Jacqueline Farr

Vice-Chair

John Parks

Treasurer

Butler County Democrats .
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Rural Caucus Newsletter, May 22 2026