Josh Schleining
Template:TOCnestleft Josh Schleining is a Billings Montana activist.
Billings DSA Organizers
Billings Democratic Socialists of America Organizers, Closed Facebook Group, October 31, 2017.
- This is a group created to help with online organizing and keep people up to speed on actions and events planned by Billings DSA[1]
Admins
Members
- Ben Hahn
- Pamela John
- Alexander Andrews
- Jim Waldhalm
- Nadine Smith
- Jeff Blatnick
- Keenan Weatherford
- Amelia Danielle Marquez
- Jade Bahr
DSA chair
People might relate Democratic Socialism to national-level issues like universal healthcare, but more often the Billings-level DSA operates in support of more common progressive politics in the area.
The group will also be supporting two Democrat statehouse candidates in 2018. One of them, Amelia Danielle Marquez, is a vice chair for the Yellowstone County Democrats and will run in House District 52.
That overlap is going to be common with just about 20 local members, said Josh Schleining, organizer and chairman of the Billings DSA. The group is working to get recognition by the national branch as a local chapter.
The Billings DSA's efforts often overlap with local Democrats.
“We’re trying to function on our own on one hand, but also if there’s any organization, political parties, anyone we agree with on their stance, we try to help them,” he said.
And with that, the Democratic Socialist movement in Billings isn't looking to buck the establishment. Its members want to make the establishment work for them.
Schleining said that they're passionate about big topics like wealth inequality and drug policy reform. But politics in Billings can feel more accessible for a small political group, and those issues often don't require sea changes in policy.
"Things like minimum-wage increases can happen on a city level," he said. "Community-led policing. There’s lots of ideas that can be implemented at a local level and we’ve seen it.”[2]
"Friends make friends vote!"
Amelia Marquez for HD 52 May 30 ·
Friends make friends vote!
Get your ballots in by Tuesday or head to the Metra on Tuesday to vote. You have until 8pm on Tuesday.
Paid for by Amelia Marquez for HD52| Democrat| Vicki Dickinson, Treasurer | 1121 Rays Lane, Billings, MT 59101 — with Gerane Mae, Rafael Marquez, Penny Ronning, Sara Hagen Hull, Patrick Scott-Wilson, Amy Denise, Tammy Mehlhaff, Autumn Gullickson, Jade Bahr, Kathleen O'Donnell, Hank Fuller, Ella Currier, Marshall Mayer, Jeff Blatnick, Jen Gross, Glenda Brauneis, Andy Boyd, Bekah Kellison-Decker, Danielle Egnew, Chris Kellison-Decker, Alayna Foster, Christl Domina, Denise Joy, Katie Sutton, Amelia Danielle Marquez, Anita Green, Nathalie Wagler, Rockie Gomez, Faranak Argani, Alexander Andrews, Yvonne Williams, Nadine Smith, Shea Gerard, Dakota Hileman, Sonia Davis, Rebecca Contreraz Marquez, Alejandro Marquez, Allie Hay, Drew Mammel, Josh Schleining, Keenan Weatherford, Marian Pesta Bradley, Debbie Macias Brown, Anne Giuliano, Renee Stonebraker, Casey O'Donnell, Christopher Goodridge and Randy Heinz.[3]
Western MT DSA Closed Group
Members of the Western Montana Democratic Socialists of America Closed Facebook Group, accessed May 23, 2018 included Josh Schleining;[4]
July 2018 Statewide meeting
Montana Democratic Socialists of America July 2 2018.[5]
- 40 #beautifullsocialists, all members of the Democratic Socialists of America, convened for the first ever Montana DSA statewide meeting in Helena yesterday. We discussed how we could work together for Medicare for All, on the Poor People's Campaign, electing DSA members to the Montana legislature, for a Populist PAC, exploring fusion voting, and organizing socialists for statewide coordination and action.
- This was the largest meeting of organized socialists in Montana in at least four decades, and over 1/4 of our statewide membership attended. Most Montana communities of over 10,000 people were represented, including members from chapters in Billings DSA, Western MT DSA, Bozeman DSA, Glacier DSA, and Helena DSA.
With George McCauley, Ben Hahn, John Powers, Michael Workman, Marshall Mayer, Leslie Croot, Zeth Stone, Hank Fuller, Jessie Kline, Bonnie Lambert, Celia Winkler, Jacqueline Reimers, Ryan Meyers, Lynn Purl, Sandy Dvarishkis, Amelia Danielle Marquez, Jade Bahr, Arthur Fretheim, Rich Smith, Sonia Davis, Randy Heinz, Andy Boyd, Josh Schleining, Keenan Weatherford, Janet Kosnik, Nadine Smith, Mark Fiege, Haleigh Thrall, Bill Entwistle, Duran Caferro, Mark Anderlik, Philip Richmond and Nancy Fuller Bleck.
DSA Regional Training
Hannah Allison December 2 2018:
Feeling inspired after this weekend’s DSA Regional Training in Salt Lake City! We had Democratic Socialists of America chapters from Utah, Montana, Colorado and South Dakota. Grateful to have these amazing organizers out west!
Y’all tag yourselves as you wish! — with Josh Schleining, Randy Heinz, Laura Gabby, Marshall Mayer, Zeth Stone and Issac Hann in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Billings DSA comrades
Nadine Smith November 15, 2017 ·
Attending A People's History Reading Group with Fitzgerald Jerry Clark, Julia Johnson, Josh Schleining, Denise Joy, Hank Fuller, Jane Collins, Randy Heinz and Jim Waldhalm at Mazevo Coffee Roasters & Espresso Bar.