6/13/19
NATIONAL
ISSUES
VIOLATING THE RULE OF LAW:
Not that more proof was needed that Trump and his administration
hold themselves to be above the law, but now they are refusing to turn over
subpoenaed materials related to the census question issue and are citing
“executive privilege”: https://apnews.com/292e6a9a05f345ae83bff304efebf76b Let’s
let our MoC that we are more than tired of the repeated notion that Trump is
above the law and let’s take to the streets on Saturday to say so with our
bodies: https://act.moveon.org/event/impeachment_day_of_action_june15/search
THE MUELLER REPORT: Shep Smith,
of Fox News, yes, Fox News, took to the airwaves to exhort his listeners to
read the Mueller report:
https://thehill.com/homenews/media/448051-fox-news-shep-smith-tells-viewers-everyone-in-america-should-read-mueller Let’s
let Smith know that we appreciate that he continues to try to break through the
noise:
https://www.foxnews.com/contact or in
writing at Fox News, 1211 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10036.Oh,
and let’s read the Mueller Report ourselves!
9/11 FIRST RESPONDERS: On Tuesday,
tireless advocate (and comedian) Jon Stewart went to Capitol Hill to point out
the naked emperor that is the Congress when it comes to permanently funding the
September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act. His full nine
minutes are here and are very worth watching:
https://twitter.com/NBCPolitics/status/1138486609324777473 Let’s take a moment to honor the bravery and sacrifice
of our first responders by calling our MoC and asking them to support the Never Forget the Heroes: Permanent
Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act (HR 1327/S. 546)
now. Then, let’s contact our senators
and ask them to do their part.
IMMIGRATION--DEATHS IN ICE CUSTODY: 24
people have died in ICE custody under the Trump administration. Overcrowding of
prisons, lack of access to medical care, and reports of abuse continue to
proliferate, and this number does not even include the deaths of 5 migrant
children. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/immigration/24-immigrants-have-died-ice-custody-during-trump-administration-n1015291.
Many of these detainees are being held in for-profit prisons that lack federal
oversight. Let’s make sure our MoCs know we are hyper-aware of this issue
and that we demand an immediate end to these abusive and dangerous
practices.
ENVIRONMENT--URANIUM MINING: The
Trump administration is signaling support for a policy that would allow uranium
mining on lands surrounding the grand canyon. Conservationists had pressured
former Secretary of the Interior, Ryan Zinke, to continue the ban, but the new
Secretary of the Interior, David Bernhardt, has made no such promise. https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/448069-trump-signals-support-for-uranium-mining-near-grand-canyon.
Let’s contact the Department of the Interior (feedback@ios.doi.gov,
(202) 208-3100, Twitter: @Interior, 1849 C Street, N.W. Washington DC 20240)
and tell them this move would be devastating to the beautiful natural habitat
they seem to like to post on social media, and would pose a significant threat
to the area’s groundwater. Let’s also pressure our MoCs to pass legislation to
extend the moratorium on uranium mining in the area.
IMMIGRATION--CHILD MIGRANT DETENTION: The Trump
administration is planning to use the grounds of a former Japanese internment
camp in Oklahoma as an “emergency facility” to host more migrant children. https://time.com/5605120/trump-migrant-children-fort-sillDesignating
these facilities as “emergency shelters” allows the government to incarcerate
children for more than the 20 days mandated by the Flores Act. Let’s express
our outrage to our MoCs at this horrible way history is repeating itself and
ask them to immediately pass (HR 1069/S 397) Shut Down Child Prison Camps Act and
(S388) the Families Not Facilities Act.
DISABILITY RIGHTS/SUBMINIMUM WAGE: From the Autistic
Self-Advocacy Network: The Department of
Labor is seeking public comments on section 14(c), the outdated system
companies and providers use to segregate disabled workers while paying us less
than minimum wage—sometimes less than a dollar per hour. The sheltered workshop
industry will be flooding the comments, trying to drown out the voices of
people with disabilities who want real work for real pay. Help us make
sure our community is heard by submitting a comment The comment period has been extended to June 21.
ROAD TO IMPEACHMENT: Rep. Justin Amash
(R-MI) quit the conservative House Freedom Caucus on Monday night, weeks after
becoming the lone Republican to call for President Donald Trump’s impeachment.
Let's read more at Politico. Let's thank Rep. Amash for taking this stand
and encourage our own representatives, both Republican and Democrat, to stand
with him.
SAVE BIG CYPRESS NATIONAL PRESERVE: The Burnett Oil Company claimed it could explore
for oil in the Big Cypress National Preserve with no significant, long-term
impacts to sensitive wetlands. However, its work to date has caused significant
damage. Let's read more at NRDC. Let's contact Florida Governor Rick DeSantis (R) ,who ran on an
environmental platform, to demand that Burnett Oil Company be halted from
doing further harm to this sensitive habitat, given the severity and extent of
the wetland damage it has caused through its seismic activities. Since this is
a national preserve, we can also contact our MoCs.
GET OUT THE VOTE!: Postcards to
Voters volunteers write to Democratic voters year round to get out the vote for
local and special elections. Recent campaigns include two June 18 special
elections for Florida state house seats (Campaign 161: Kelly Smith;Campaign 162: Ryan Terrell) and the continuing
Florida vote-by-mail campaign. Let's check out Postcards
to Voters today. If we are already volunteers, let's request 5
addresses for one of the open campaigns.
CLIMATE
CHANGE: Facing
a perilous moment, when bold action was needed, Ben Franklin once said,
"We must all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall hang
separately." The threat of climate change has put us in similar bind, and
our choices now will decide what kind of future awaits our descendants. Some
people think we are doomed to hang separately, like this: https://thenib.com/how-to-survive-climate-change
However, others see a brighter future if we can pull together, and this is the
simple idea behind the Green New Deal:
https://www.facebook.com/Vox/videos/2344592079150701/.
Let's tell our MoCs to cosponsor Senate
Resolution 59 and House
Resolution 109, and share this vision for our future with everyone we know.
STATE SPECIFIC ISSUES
NY: RESTORE PAROLEES’ VOTING
RIGHTS: It’s time to grant voting rights to the over 30,000 people on
parole at any given time. Criminal disenfranchisement laws disproportionately
impact people of color, removing the voice of entire communities. We have a
chance to help fix that with S1931/A4987, which would make voting rights for
people on parole permanent, and automate and simplify the process, and fix a
discriminatory system. As the end of
the legislative session nears, time is running short, so we must act now. We
can click this link to find scripts, links numbers and more in the outreach
package inside the doc, and then call our State Legislators to restore
parolees’ voting rights now: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/17-ZPFAfMC-vaaPWItyswpEtR-QDnZXEEWpsP6OLOzrA
TX: GET CAMPAIGN WORKER
TRAINING: The next Arena Academy, held in Houston, TX
from September 13-17 2019, will be offered to aspiring campaign managers,
organizing directors, finance directors, communications staffers, digital
directors, data directors, and organizers. Each track will be tailored to these
roles, but all will incorporate a heavy emphasis on digital, data, leadership,
and management. Application deadline is July 19, 2019. If we a
planning to work on a campaign in Texas, or know someone who would be a good
staffer, we can click here to find out more about The Arena Academy for
campaign staff: https://arena.run/academy
RALLIES/GATHERINGS/TRAININGS
RALLY IN SUPPORT OF MIGRANT CHILDREN:
The American Friends Service
Committee, Bend the Arc, and several other organizations are sponsoring a week
of events to end child detention form June 9-16, ending with a
march at the Children’s Detention Center in Homestead, Florida on Father’s Day, June 16. Let’s check out this and other related events and consider attending if we’re able to travel, or if there’s
an event in our area.
IMPEACH TRUMP PROTESTS: MoveOn.org
is hosting a National Day of Action on Saturday, June 15 with
nationwide protests with a unified message to “Impeach Trump”: https://act.moveon.org/event/impeachment_day_of_action_june15/search/
Let’s get inspired by the recent protests in London against
Trump and the protests in Hong Kong against extradition to China and take to
the streets to say “Impeach Trump”. We can join or host an event in our
area to send a strong message to Congress: Trump is not above the law. We can also use this toolkit: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1X2X7fa3lulvxQdN4E75Fe87IckFrHslrW9xDByVVpX4/edit
NATIONAL NETWORK
ASSEMBLY: The first National Network Assembly, made up
of hundreds of local grassroots leaders organizers from around the country is
happening in Des Moines, IA, August 22 to 25. There will be workshops, sessions, and meetings in which
participants will strategize, plan, and learn skills to take home to their
groups. The 2019 National Network Assembly will strengthen the connective tissue between
grassroots groups by bridging multiple networks and organizations that
represent over 1,000 leaders across all 50 states. We can find more information, register to attend, and donate to
the scholarship fund here: https://www.nationalnetworkassembly.org/
We can use this document to invite others to attend: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oKWdGLESqQYFVIa3JXQrtsXO9zrZv7ihCdGfnmSZ0-M/edit
TO READ
Want to beat Trump? Learn from
workers in Republican states - https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/jun/10/want-to-beat-trump-learn-from-workers-in-republican-states
Donald Trump Attacks Joe
Biden, While Heaping Praise on Kim Jong Un
- https://www.newsandguts.com/video/donald-trump-attacks-joe-biden-while-heaping-praise-on-kim-jong-un/
Donald Trump has done less to
destroy democratic norms than Mitch McConnell - https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/donald-trump-has-done-less-destroy-democratic-norms-mitch-mcconnell-ncna1011451
Jurors refuse to
convict activist facing 20 years for helping migrants - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jun/11/arizona-activist-migrant-water-scott-daniel-warren-verdict
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We can stay up-to-date on
Congress by checking out their schedules. a) The House publishes a
weekly schedule at The Weekly Leader (published and dated Friday)
as well as daily schedules at The Daily Leader. b) The Senate updates
their schedule daily at the Senate Floor Schedule
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