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 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


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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 Congressional Budget Office has reported that S. 2155, The Economic Growth and Recovery Act, (dubbed by opposition as “The Bank Lobbyist Act”) would increase the risk of a bank bailout and add $671 million to federal deficits over the next 10 years. http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/budget-office-senate-bank-regulatory-relief-bill-would-raise-risk-of-a-bailout/article/2650768. This bill is heading for a vote. This is one more talking point we should make when we call our Senators, which we should do IMMEDIATELY, since the bill will be voted on this week. More background on the bill, which guts key provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act, can be found here.

2.      Washington has become the first state to set up its own net neutrality rules (https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/washington-becomes-1st-state-to-approve-net-neutrality-rules/ and https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/washington-1st-state-approve-net-neutrality-rules-53545642). "The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted in December to gut U.S. rules that meant to prevent broadband companies such as Comcast, AT&T and Verizon from exercising more control over what people watch and see on the internet. The regulations also prohibited providers from favoring some sites and apps over others." Let's call our lawmakers and insist they restore net neutrality protections for all.

3.      "The Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced last week that it will now consider all permits for importing elephant trophies from African nations on a “case-by-case basis," breaking from President Trump's earlier promises to maintain an Obama-era ban on the practice." Why don't we let them know that we're against this, as well as the preposterous new "International Wildlife Conservation Council," which is supposedly to "advise the Secretary of the Interior on the benefits that international recreational hunting has on foreign wildlife and habitat conservation." http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/376839-trump-admin-to-consider-elephant-trophy-imports-on-case-by-case Let's call FWS at 1-800-344-WILD or send them a comment here: https://www.fws.gov/duspit/contactus.htm

4.      Even the most hard-line opponents of immigration should agree that ICE’s practice of separating young children from their parents during detention is inhumane and must be stopped. A seven-year-old girl has been held for months in a detention center in Chicago, while her mother is being held in San Diego. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/huppke/ct-met-aclu-lawsuit-immigration-family-chicago-huppke-20180227-story.html. We should express our outrage to the Department of Homeland Security 202-282-8495; Email: DHSExecSec@hq.dhs.gov; Tweet @DHS.gov, or FB: https://www.facebook.com/homelandsecurity/, We should also call the White House and our MoCs and demand that this practice stop immediately.  

5.      Donald Trump last week rolled out a slate of nominees for the U.S. Sentencing Commission, a bipartisan independent agency that is tasked with analyzing sentencing data and helping to reduce sentencing disparities. ( https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-sentencing/trump-announces-slate-of-nominees-for-u-s-sentencing-commission-idUSKCN1GD5ZQ) One of them, William G. Otis, has a history of racist remarks on crime and has publicly called for the Sentencing Commission to be abolished. Another, Henry “Hang ‘Em High” Hudson, is known for his harsh sentences as a judge and his decision to prosecute a mentally impaired man for rape and murder and then refusing to apologize after the man was exonerated ( https://www.wsj.com/articles/sessions-promotes-tough-on-crime-judge-for-sentencing-panel-1502385002). Their histories disqualify them for serving on this commission. Let’s check out this Mother Jones article to learn more, and tell our senators to reject these nominations.

6.      Today marks the 53rd anniversary of “Bloody Sunday,” when police brutally attacked civil rights activists including future Rep. John Lewis as they attempted to march from Selma to Montgomery to advocate for voting rights ( http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2018/03/bloody_sunday_53_years_later_c.html). It’s usually an occasion where politicians praise the heroism of these protesters and laud their accomplishments. But the voting rights protections they secured are being undermined, often by some of the politicians Tweeting about them. Let’s stand up for their legacy by contacting our members of Congress and telling them we want action on restoring the Voting Rights Act, and we want it now. And let’s donate to Spread the Vote, which works to undermine the modern poll tax by helping everyone who needs them obtain voter ID.

7.      GOP leaders in Congress are attempting to attach riders into upcoming budget appropriations bills that would weaken the Johnson Amendment, which currently prevents any church with tax-exempt status from endorsing political candidates.  https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/provisions-attached-to-budget-bills-could-reshape-campaign-finance-laws/2018/03/01/7e06274c-1b3f-11e8-b2d9-08e748f892c0_story.html?utm_term=.d3d5872a5dca. Let’s make sure our MoCs know that we oppose this attempt to weaken the separation of church and state and ask them to vote against any appropriations bill that contains this politically contentious addition. More information about the Johnson Amendment can be found from Project FairPlay here.

8.     A woman who fled Congo for fear of her life arrived in the US with her young daughter and asked for asylum.  She was approved, but then the authorities separated mother and daughter and they are now in two different time zones.  The ACLU has filed a lawsuit.  https://www.cbsnews.com/news/aclu-accuses-u-s-government-of-unlawfully-separating-mother-child-seeking-asylum/  Let’s sign this petition to the Dept. of Homeland Security and use some of the actions suggested within:  https://www.change.org/p/department-of-homeland-security-reunite-asylum-seeking-congolese-mother-and-7yo-daughter  Let’s also ask our MoCs for some humanitarian intervention in this case. 

Election 2018 – General

1.       Verified Voting provides resources that allow you to find what voting equipment is used in each State, how the equipment works and laws and regulations in place across the country to promote transparent and verifiable elections.”  With the Russian meddling, the need for some kind of paper trail to votes is now essential.  Let’s see how our state stacks up:  https://www.verifiedvoting.org/verifier/


Election 2018 – By State

1.       GA: These are our final days to find Dem challengers and there are far too many seats left unchallenged.  We need to find candidates for these red state seats so that we can flip GA blue in November! We have until Friday noon -- please share & recruit. Qualifying taking place now until noon on 3/9. Watch for the updates showing who has newly jumped in &/or qualified (dates in green)! We can check this online version for clickable candidate websites: https://tinyurl.com/ybgnkk5o Anyone interested in running please contact Megan at peachresist@gmail.com. And please add info, ideas & questions in comments.

Other Actions

1.       Dick's has stopped selling assault-style rifles, and they, along with Walmart and Kroger, will no longer sell firearms to anyone under the age of 21. Bass Pro Shops (which also owns Cabela's) remains the only national big-box store which still sells assault rifles, and has not taken any steps to combat gun violence  http://reut.rs/2FYJsTHLet's keep up the momentum for change, and ask Bass Pro Shops to cease all sales of assault rifles. We can send them an e-mail or tweet at Sierra Rise's action page http://bit.ly/2oTbUhD Or, we can contact them via phone: 417-873-5000 or mail: 2500 East Kearney Springfield, MO 65898

2.      Folks in Anchorage, Alaska will vote on a transphobic “bathroom bill” called Proposition 1 on April 3rd. This initiative would strip away rights and protections from transgender people in public spaces, doing away with the city’s non-discrimination law (http://www.ktuu.com/content/news/gender-related-bathroom-use-471716734.html). We can help fairness and equality win. The National Equality Action Team is recruiting people nationwide to phonebank voters to oppose this bigoted ballot proposition. We can sign up to make calls here. We can also follow their partners, Fair Anchorage, on Twitter here.

3.      U.S. Immigration and Customs and Enforcement (ICE) has been largely operating, carrying out raids and deportations, without oversight or transparency: https://theintercept.com/2018/03/04/somali-deportation-flight-ice-detention-center/ and  http://nbc4i.com/2018/02/27/attorney-immigration-agents-are-targeting-central-ohio-traffic-courts/  ProPublica is trying to fight this by gathering information on ICE or Border Patrol actions in sensitive locations. If we have witnessed or been affected by these actions, we can share our story with ProPublica, so that they can help spread awareness about ICE's activity:  https://www.propublica.org/getinvolved/ice-border-patrol-in-your-community-tell-us

4.      From gun legislation, to de-regulating banks, to immigration/DACA and the war in Yemen, there is a lot happening in Congress right now. Indivisible has a hub where we can find a rundown of what's going on in March, and what we can do about it. Let's check it out and be sure we've taken action on each of the four main issues this month: 

5.      There’s a new way we can take part in Postcards to Voters.  Abby the Address Bot is on Facebook and can assign voter addresses to you via Messenger!  Here’s what to do:  A) Visit: www.Facebook.com/AbbyTheAddressBot, B) LIKE the page, C) Click the blue “Send Message” button near the top right, D)  Type and send HELLO, and E) Follow Abby’s instructions. Join in this effort to encourage others to vote!

6.      The finance industry also plays a part in how guns are made available: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/19/business/banks-gun-sales.html  Let's call Visa and MasterCard (I've done it; both numbers work!) and ask them to please, please, please, stop allowing the purchase of assault weapons with their cards.
Here's who to call:  A) Seth Eisen, Mastercard Vice President of Communications: 914-249-3153 and B) Nathaniel Sillin, Visa Senior Director of Public Affairs: 415-805-4892 (you can also email him at Nsillan@visa.com ) h/t Chop Wood/Carry Water

7.      As the NRA, Fox News and Russian Bots deliberately sow discord and division between us, polarization has increased dramatically and our civil society itself is under attack.
it is time to take action, to ask if, as a counter measure, empathy can be spread. If we want to change hearts and minds and are interested in finding out more about how empathy can be acquired or increased, we can start by checking out this Stanford review of current empathy studies.  The authors found several ways to increase empathy including widening boundaries between “us “and “them” For example we may come from different places, but we are all kids, parents, Mets fans, farmers, immigrants etc. Another way is to focus on shared goals such as, “we all want a better future, or “we want an end to school shootings.”  They also found that to preserve a sense of group identity and belonging, people will adopt beliefs they think their group holds, so if group norms can be shifted toward empathy, group members will follow.  We can read the study here and then strategize ways to push back against the hate and hysteria that has been deliberately injected into our public discourse. The answers may not be quick or easy, but they are worth finding.  http://ssnl.stanford.edu/download/file/fid/654   We can read about the increased polarization of public life here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/06/24/youre-about-as-likely-to-marry-outside-your-race-as-outside-your-political-party/?utm_term=.a127d0b03807  And in this editorial here:  http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/california-forum/article203648794.html

Marches/events/webinars/Tweetstorms to attend/organize

1.       March 14th, is the 17-minute #ENOUGH National School Walkout all over the country coordinated by Women’s March Empower youth group.  Let’s check here to see if there is an event near us:  https://www.womensmarch.com/enough

2.      “On March 24, the kids and families of March for Our Lives will take to the streets of Washington DC to demand that their lives and safety become a priority and that we end this epidemic of mass school shootings. The collective voices of the March for Our Lives movement will be heard. Join us in DC or march in your own community.”  Let’s find out more:  https://marchforourlives.com/

3.      The Network for Public Education is now part of a larger coalition of organizations called Protect Our Schools that includes teachers, superintendents and advocacy groups who are planning a National Day of Action Against Gun Violence in Schools on April 20, the 19th anniversary of the Columbine massacre.  We can also find more information here:  https://networkforpubliceducation.org/2018/03/next-steps-april-20th-day-action/

4.      April 20th, 19th anniversary of the Columbine shooting, a national student-led WALK-OUT will commence. Start: 10a.m. Ends: End of your school day. http://nationalschoolwalkout.us/  We can learn more here:  https://twitter.com/rosemaryCNN/status/968413051203420161

States

Reading/Watching

1.       Today marks 53 years since the tragic Bloody Sunday in Selma, Alabama when some 600 civil rights marchers headed east out of Selma on U.S. Route 80. They got only as far as the Edmund Pettus Bridge six blocks away, where state and local lawmen attacked them with billy clubs and tear gas and drove them back into Selma. In so many ways, we are "Still on the Bridge":   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5zz6wTAPAA  If we want peace, we have to work for justice. 

2.      There's a case moving through the courts right now, and "the outcome has significant national implications for voting rights." When the now infamous Kris Kobach was State Attorney General of Kansas, he had "35,000 voters in Kansas ...blocked by the state for failing to provide documentary proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate, passport, or naturalization papers, when they registered." Although he's currently being sued by the ACLU for this, he still "views his Kansas law as a model for the rest of the country and wants every state to adopt proof-of-citizenship laws. If he loses in the lower courts, Kobach is almost certain to appeal to the Supreme Court. And if he wins, millions of eligible voters across the country could be disenfranchised if other states adopt similar laws with the knowledge that they’ll hold up in court." Let's keep a close eye on this case because of its implications for nationwide voter suppression. https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/03/millions-of-americans-right-to-vote-is-at-stake-in-this-case/

3.      In yesterday’s edition of “Fresh Air”, Terry Gross interviewed Jane Mayer who wrote the significant profile of Christopher Steele, creator of the Trump dossier, appearing in the current issue of New Yorker Magazine.   Let’s listen:  https://www.npr.org/programs/fresh-air/2018/03/06/591182835/fresh-air-for-march-6-2018-the-bizarre-twists-and-turns-of-the-trump-russia-doss




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