Rogan's List

3/15/18

Contact Federal Government Officials

Find senator’s contact info here: https://goo.gl/RLiotu

Find representative’s contact info here: https://goo.gl/5i7SXC

Fax legislators for free:  Reps:  https://faxzero.com/fax_congress.php

and Senate: https://faxzero.com/fax_senate.php

White House contact:  https://www.usa.gov/federal-agencies/white-house

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Many newspapers, including New York Times and Washington Post require subscriptions, but without one we can see a few articles each month.  We can also check with our local libraries to find out how to get online access through them.

1.       The Bank Lobbyist Act passed the Senate with support from both sides of the aisle yesterday, but our fight to keep the reins on Wall Street isn’t over yet (https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/senate-passes-rollback-of-post-financial-crisis-banking-rules/2018/03/14/43837aae-27bd-11e8-b79d-f3d931db7f68_story.html?utm_term=.afb0322b5aef). S. 2155 heads to the House next, where Republicans are divided about whether to pass the bill as it is or to try to make it even worse. Let’s call our House members and tell them that we want them to protect consumers, not big banks, and say no to this bill. We can find talking points here.

2.       Every day in this country, someone who even our gun control laws bar from owning a firearm tries to illegally purchase a gun from a licensed dealer. In most states, they are unlikely to face consequences for this and neither law enforcement nor those at risk are notified (https://www.thetrace.org/2017/07/washington-domestic-violence-laws-alert-abusers-guns/). Washington State adopted a law last year that cracks down on “lie and try.” Let’s make sure the rest of the country follows suit. Let’s contact our members of Congress and ask them to support H.R. 4471 and S. 2492, which would ensure state law enforcement officials are alerted when criminals break the law and try to buy guns. And let’s contact our state legislators and ask them to pass similar bills and to require that victims of domestic abuse or people who have taken out an active restraining order are given a warning when their attackers attempt to illegally buy guns.

3.       This week, professionals trained in gun use accidentally discharged their guns in schools in both Virginia and California. One was a police officer teaching gun safety for an Administration of Justice class, who injured a 17-year-old student, and the other a resource officer in a middle school, where fortunately no one was hurt (https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/school-resource-officer-accidentally-discharges-sidearm-at-va-school/2018/03/13/7521d906-26ce-11e8-bc72-077aa4dab9ef_story.html?utm_term=.c924c6f1915b; http://www.ksbw.com/article/seaside-high-teacher-accidentally-fires-gun-in-class/19426017). If we can’t rely on professionally trained persons who carry guns to be safe, can we really think arming teachers makes any sense at all? Let’s keep the pressure on our state and federal legislators for sensible gun laws and tell them to oppose any plan to arm teachers. And let’s flood the White House and the Department of Education (apparently no email, but U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20202) with this story. 

4.       Dismissing a ban on assault rifles or an increase in the age for gun purchase, Trump has instead appointed Betsy DeVos to head a commission on school safety. This commission’s real purpose seems to be to repeal Obama’s ‘Rethink School Discipline’ policies, which include guidance on the legal limits on the use of restraints and seclusion, corporal punishment, and equity for special education students. Obama’s policies were a response to federal data showing that African-American students are three times more likely to be suspended or expelled than their white peers and that over 50% of students subjected to school-related arrests or referred to law enforcement are Hispanic or African-American (https://www.politico.com/newsletters/morning-education/2018/03/13/trump-school-safety-plan-targets-obama-discipline-directive-130118 or https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/03/12/devos-commission-eyes-obama-school-discipline-rules/418147002/) Let’s tell Trump and DeVos (1-800-872-5327 or U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20202) that we want the discriminatory school-to-prison pipeline stopped and that repealing “Rethink School Discipline” is irrelevant to school shootings.

5.       With the nerve-agent poisoning in England now attributed to Russia (https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2018/03/12/592964624/nerve-agent-found-in-u-k-is-rare-and-definitely-russian) and the UK calling for a UN Security Council meeting on the issue (https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/mar/14/russian-spy-attack-theresa-may-to-set-out-possible-reprisals-before-mps), we need to make sure our MoCs know that we are very concerned about Russia's meddling everywhere and that we want them to be the check on the executive branch.  We want the US to be with, not against, other countries on this matter.

6.       Another Republican, Rep. Trey Gowdy, broke ranks with the Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee regarding their prematurely closed Russia investigation (https://www.politico.com/story/2018/03/13/gowdy-russia-undermine-clinton-republicans-461612). Let’s thank Rep. Gowdy, as we did Rep. Rooney yesterday, for choosing country over party: https://gowdy.house.gov/contact.

7.       We’re likely to see a vote on U.S. military involvement in Yemen next week, and it can’t come a moment too soon. We’ve launched 22 airstrikes in a campaign never authorized by Congress so far this year, and show no signs of slowing down (https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2018/03/yemen-air-campaign.php). Let’s contact our senators and let them know we want them to support S.J. Res. 54 and stop Trump’s war in Yemen. We can use talking points and call scripts from Indivisible here.

8.      In the newest installment of “draining the swamp”, there is email evidence that HUD Secretary Ben Carson and his wife WERE involved in the selection of the $31K dining set (https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/14/politics/emails-ben-candy-carson-dining-set/index.html). Let’s let Carson know that we are ready for him to show himself the door (though not the $139K Zinke one!): https://www.hud.gov/contact or on Twitter @SecretaryCarson. And let’s ask our members of Congress what they’re doing to hold Ben Carson accountable.

9.       ICE spokesperson James Schwab has resigned his post because “he couldn’t bear to follow Attorney General Sessions’ directive to spread the lie that the immigrants who escaped the recent ICE raid in Oakland were all dangerous criminals” (https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/12/politics/ice-spokesman-resigns-san-francisco/index.html). Let’s remind our MoCs that we resent being lied to, and we know that most of the immigrants in our country are simply hard-working people trying to support their families. And let’s contact AG Sessions (202-353-1555, https://www.justice.gov/contact-us), and ICE Acting Director Tom Homan (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 500 12th St., SW, Washington, D.C. 20536) and tell them to focus their efforts on real criminals, not on punishing immigrants from sanctuary cities. We can also call/email ICE community relations officers in our area through this link.

10.   Let's face it, we let the DREAMers down. We promised that we wouldn't let Congress fund the government without passing a clean DREAM Act, but when push came to shove we let ourselves get shoved. Thanks to a Supreme Court decision, massive deportation of DREAMers has been delayed for the moment, so let's start rebuilding the pressure on our MoCs to do the right thing: pass a clean DREAM Act and defund ICE's repressive and racist campaign against immigrants. We can start easy with this petition, https://act.credoaction.com/sign/immigration_omnibus, then follow up with phone calls.

11.    This New York Times map of what Bears Ears National Monument looks like now, and what it will look like if the proposal to shrink its boundaries goes through, is staggering (https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/12/08/climate/bears-ears-monument-trump.html?smid=fb-share). Public comments on protecting Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments are both due on Monday March 19th. We can use this link from the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance for talking points and to access a portal to send our comments to the Bureau of Land Management.

12.    More than a dozen top election officials across the country are raising concerns about a provision in a Homeland Security Department reauthorization bill that would allow the administration to dispatch Secret Service agents to polling places. We can read more at The Hill.  Let's contact our Senators to let them know that we oppose Secret Service agents at polling places and want this provision removed from the Homeland Security reauthorization bill.

13.    From the Network for Public Education Action: The Military Education Savings Accounts Act (HR 5199 / S. 2517) would siphon Impact Aid money for public schools into a private school voucher program (http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2018/03/Banks_impact_aid_ESA_choice_military.html). In 2016, Impact Aid provided funding for more than 11 million students in 1,300 school districts that had less overall aid because their district included military bases, Native American reservations, or other types of federally tax-exempt land. Both the National Military Family Association and the Military Officers Association of America are opposed to these bills. Let’s tell our MoCs to vote NO on this ill-advised voucher scheme.

14.    Elizabeth Warren has promised that every time Trump refers to her with a racial slur, she will take advantage of the spotlight he provides to call attention to issues important to Native Americans (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/mar/11/elizabeth-warren-donald-trump-pocahontas-native-americans). She’s currently highlighting the horrifically high rate of violence against Native American women and legislation she’s supporting to help stop this crisis. Let’s join her by contacting our senators and asking them to co-sponsor and push for action on Savanna’s Act (S. 1942), legislation to help better address cases of missing Native Americans.

15.    Despite years of people speaking out about its practices, the Judge Rotenberg Center, a residential school for developmentally disabled people, is still using electric shock therapy on its students (http://bit.ly/2oKBuTV). Disability rights groups, including ADAPT, are leading the way again in speaking out against the facility's cruel treatment by hosting vigils across from the condominium of FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb. This time, we are calling out to the FDA to proceed with its ban on shock devices, which they had previously cited as having "“an unreasonable and substantial risk of illness or injury that cannot be corrected or eliminated by labeling" (http://bit.ly/2tJ7hMZ http://adapt.org/jrc/) Let's help speak out against the Judge Rotenberg Center's cruelty and ask FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb to finalize a rule banning electric shock devices on disabled individuals. We can reach him via e-mail: CommissionerFDA@fda.hhs.gov, on Twitter @SGottliebFDA or by mail to Scott Gottlieb, M.D. Commissioner of Food and Drugs, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Department of Health and Human Services, 5630 Fishers Lane, Rm. 1061 Rockville, MD 20852  We can also contact our MoC and ask them to raise awareness about this issue, and add to the pressure on the FDA.

Election 2018 – General

1.       Celebration is in order after Conor Lamb’s win in PA-18, but complacency is not (https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/pennsylvania-18-district-lamb-results/?ex_cid=538fb). Lamb’s strong showing was the result of long, hard work by many, many volunteers – including including many of us! Let’s keep building the Big Blue Wave for 2018. We can visit Ballotpedia at http://ballotpedia.org, search elections in our state, and get in touch with the campaigns of candidates we want to support. And let’s turn our attention to the next big special election: the Arizona Eighth Congressional District. We can follow ER physician and Democratic nominee Dr. Hiral Tipirneni on Twitter here, and sign up to help turn out voters for her with Postcards to Voters.

Election 2018 – By State

1.       IL: ProPublica has updated their Illinois election campaign widget that helps us follow the money in the Governor's race. We can check out the widget and review the information here. Let's be informed voters when next Tuesday’s primary comes.

2.       ME: Know someone who should run for something? "A Republican Maine House candidate has used Twitter to attack two students who survived a shooting at a Florida high school, calling one of them a “skinhead lesbian” and the other a 'bald-faced liar.' Leslie Gibson is the only declared candidate for the 57^th District." (https://apnews.com/430c1049465a46aeb95478a03ad74bad) Those of us in Maine wouldn't want this guy to win the race by default. Let's get the news out and make sure he doesn't.

3.       AR: A 7-month-old law, Act 633 of 2017 (formerly HB1047), that requires Arkansas voters to show a government-endorsed photo identification to ensure that their ballot is counted goes before a judge today for the first test of its legality. The law changed the voter-registration process set forth in Arkansas constitutional Amendment 51 to require voters to prove they are registered before their vote can be counted. Let's read more at Arkansas Online and follow this suit as it develops. This could have ramifications for similar voter ID laws in other states.

Other Actions

1.       If any of our schools participated in the National School Walkout yesterday, the Women's March wants to hear about it. "The Women's March Youth Empower team is collecting information on the number of students who participated...Please provide...information so we can get an accurate count for the day!" We can find the quick, easy survey form here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd7fCZ1tExFd2T3f8wKwB01owMep4cn-qM6Vi4ZT8lEef_FKA/viewform.

2.       Last Sunday, farmworkers from the Coalition of Immokalee Workers began their Freedom Fast outside of the offices of Wendy's largest shareholder and Chair of its Board of Directors, demanding that Wendy's join the Fair Food Program to better protect its employees from sexual harassment and violence in the fields (http://bit.ly/2FI2Cfs). The Fair Food Program is a partnership among farmers, farmworkers, and retail food companies to ensure humane treatment for workers, and includes fast food giants McDonald's, Burger King, and Subway (http://www.fairfoodprogram.org/). The Freedom Fast is set to last from March 11-15th, culminating with a march today. Let's help show our support for Immokalee Workers and put the pressure on Wendy's by calling Wendy's Board Chair Nelson Peltz. We can find the phone number and call script here: http://www.allianceforfairfood.org/call-wendys-peltz. We can also visit our local Wendy's and ask that they pass this letter on up the chain: http://bit.ly/2pdmYqI.

3.       Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza has launched the Black Census Project in order to help build political power from black communities. "The survey collects information about key issues impacting Black communities including: generational oppression, mass incarceration, police violence, and inequities in healthcare and economic access. The information gathered will guide the priorities and positions of the Black Futures Lab." If we are part of the black community, we can fill out the census online here: http://bit.ly/2DqX07L. To learn more about the Black Census Project and the Black Futures Lab or to donate to the cause, we can check out their page: https://www.blackcensus.org/.

4.       Let’s keep up the pressure on Bass Pro Shops to do the right thing and stop selling assault weapons by asking that sponsors and celebrities cut ties with the Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf tournament unless they step up (http://bassprolegends.com/). We can reach out to sponsors listed here and to celebrity endorser Mark Wahlberg here.

Marches/events/webinars/Tweetstorms to attend/organize

1.       If we are LBGBTQ and thinking about running for office or want to be part of a winning campaign staff, we can apply for the Victory Institute’s Candidate and Campaign Training in Long Beach, CA from Thursday, May 10, 2018 through Sunday, May 13, 2018. We can learn the necessary skills and strategies to run a winning campaign by engaging in tough, realistic campaign situations and hearing from real life experts. Victory Institute has trained thousands of openly LGBTQ people to build winning campaigns, including Annalise Parker, former Mayor of Houston, and Danica Roem, who recently won a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates. We can find out more about the training here: https://victoryinstitute.org/event/long-beach-candidate-campaign-training/. If we are interested, we can apply for the Workshop here: https://victoryinstitute.org/long-beach-cct-form-may-2018/.

States

1.       CA: Let’s check out “Code Blue Central Valley Events,” an awesome email newsletter that is sent out on Wednesday of each week. We can subscribe to this e-mail to find out more about how to help remove Devin Nunes from Congress and turn the Central Valley blue. Events listed include voter registration drives, volunteer training for canvassing, finding events to hear candidates speak and much more. We can sign up here: https://mailchi.mp/de08b8bebb7b/code-blue-cv-events-mar-15-21?e=931906075e.

2.       KS: From Equality Kansas: Let’s join Equality Day at the Kansas State Capitol on Tuesday, March 20, 2018, from 8:30am to 4:00pm. Equality Kansas and LGBT groups from around the state will continue to press our government for equal justice and fair treatment under law, and a stop to discriminatory "religious freedom" and "bathroom bills" legislation. The 2nd Floor Rotunda and north wing hall of the statehouse have been reserved for the entire day. LGBT groups and our allies will have the opportunity to reserve display tables and distribute their organization's message. If our group would like to participate, we can write info@eqks.org, or call the office at 316-683-1706. Table space is limited, so we need to get in touch soon! We can find out more about the event, including a schedule, here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1350033008436369/.

Reading/Watching

1.       “How A New Wave of Female Candidates is Training to Fight the Trolls,” https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/03/12/how-a-new-wave-of-female-candidates-is-training-to-fight-the-trolls-217350.

2.       Women currently represent just 25.3 percent of state legislators and 22.8 percent of statewide elected executives. At a national level, they make up just 19.8 percent of Congress. Let's review these state-by-state graphs compiled by the Center for Public Integrity that shows the share of elected women in each state.  Let's see how our own states are doing.

3.       “Stockton’s Awesome Public Experiment: Stockton will soon begin a pilot project experimenting with a universal basic income. But could this be the beginning of something bigger?” https://democracyjournal.org/arguments/stocktons-awesome-public-experiment/.