1/30/20
NATIONAL
ISSUES
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Contact all Federal
Members of Congress
(includes contact info and
links to social media)
Fax
legislators for free:
Or use Resistbot: https://resist.bot/
Or use StampsLicked to
have messages hand-delivered to our own legislators: https://stampslicked.org/
White
House contact: https://www.usa.gov/federal-agencies/white-house
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IMPEACHMENT
TRIAL: The written question
phase of the impeachment trial started yesterday and the poor behavior of
Trump’s attorneys and the Senate Republicans is in full effect: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-impeachment/as-white-house-objects-to-bolton-book-senators-pose-queries-in-trump-impeachment-trial-idUSKBN1ZS19Q The
questioning continues today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/01/29/donald-trump-impeachment-trial-senators-get-chance-ask-questions/4562939002/
It is more imperative than ever to keep up the pressure on our Senators.
Particularly those in the GOP. A vote may be taken by Friday to determine
whether witnesses and evidence will be allowed or not. This will be the deciding factor whether this
is a trial or a sham. Let’s contact our Senators to say that the abuse of
our democracy must stop and that witnesses must be called. Let’s also scan the
list of US Senators to jog our memories about where we might have friends and
family with GOP Senators and ask them to be in touch (providing Capitol
Switchboard number [1-202-224-3121] and a simple sentence about calling to
demand witnesses - to help move them into action):
CORY
GARDNER: On Wednesday, GOP
Colorado Senator Cory Gardner shared that he does not think that witnesses need
to be called in the impeachment trial:
https://www.denverpost.com/2020/01/29/cory-gardner-impeachment-2020-election/ If
we live in Colorado, let’s be in touch with him to express that his view is mistaken.
Let’s also brainstorm whether we know people in Colorado we can ask to do the
same: https://www.gardner.senate.gov/contact-cory/email-cory
“REMAIN IN
MEXICO” ANNIVERSARY: It
has been one full year since the “Migrant Protection Protocols” (MPP) policy
went into effect, trapping tens of thousands of asylum-seekers in Mexico in
unsafe, unsanitary, inhumane conditions:
https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/09/25/us-move-puts-more-asylum-seekers-risk#
Congress must support legislation to defund this appalling policy; we
should join with the medical workers who are now demanding that MoCs take
action to end MMP. A petition from Physicians for Human Rights is
here: https://secure.phr.org/secure/defund-and-abolish-us-migrant-protection-protocols.
A phone call to our MoCs is better. We can’t let impeachment supersede all else
when the lives and health of thousands of immigrants are at risk.
SELF-CARE: This has been a particularly difficult stretch
for those committed to the continuation of a healthy democracy. Let’s
be sure to take actual breaks from the news, stay active when we can, connect
with loved ones, and seek professional support as needed.
PINTEREST
SUPPORTS TRUTH FOR CENSUS 2020: “Pinterest,
the feel-good social media site known for wedding planning and scrapbooking,
announced on Wednesday that it is partnering with the U.S. Census
Bureau to remove any misinformation about the 2020 census from
its platform. Pinterest is the latest social media network to
announce it is banning all posts that could keep people in the U.S.
from participating in the 2020 census, a vital demographic survey that
determines everything from congressional representation to government funding.”
https://thehill.com/policy/technology/480467-pinterest-bans-misinformation-about-2020-census Let’s join PINTEREST if you’re not on it
already. Lots more than wedding planning and scrapbooking on that site.
Encourage your friends and family to be looking for their census forms in Mid-March,
get them fill out, and send back forms ASAP: https://census.nc.gov/census-frequently-asked-questions
AMAZON
EMPLOYEE POLICY: After
previous global protests against climate change by Amazon employees, the
company immediately changed its communications policy, prohibiting employees
from speaking publicly about Amazon's impact on climate change without
authorization (https://bit.ly/2vrDv0d, https://www.wired.com/story/amazon-employees-protest-communications-policy/).
Organized by Amazon Employees for Climate Justice, a group of more than 350
Amazon employees have joined together "to intentionally break the
communications policy so prolifically that it is unenforceable," via a
post on Medium where they speak out against, and even for, Amazon's
environmental impact, as well as its collaboration with ICE. Let's read through the post, check out Amazon Employees for
Climate Justice's thread on why this is so important, then let's contact
Amazon and tell them that instead of silencing their employees, they should
take the time to listen and engage in productive conversation with them. Amazon
has a considerable global impact; they ought to take responsibility for that. Mailing
address: 410 Terry Ave. North, Seattle, WA 98109-5210. Twitter: @Amazon
JOB
OPPORTUNITIES AT LATINO ORGANIZATION JOLT: Texas Latino Led-Organization Jolt is looking for a Communications
Director, Development Director and Grant Writer. Jolt builds Latino
leadership and collaborations to create change and have a strong voice on key
issues for Latinos in the state. People of color, immigrants, and LGBTQ+
individuals are encouraged to apply to open positions. We can learn more
about Jolt here: https://jolttx.org/en/ We can find out more about these positions
and apply here: https://jolttx.org/en/careers/
BAKERY
SENDING CAKES TO SENATE ASKING FOR BOLTON TO TESTFY. “The cakes are the brainchild of Colin
Bishopp, the executive director for clean-energy advocacy group PACE, who
started a GoFundMe campaign this week to send the sheet cakes
to senators. Bishopp managed to raise just over $6,700 and tapped the activist
bakers at Butter & Scotch to decorate the cakes, which will be delivered
throughout the day. Each cake is being decorated with a different message, including
“Don’t Dessert Democracy,” “You’re in the Room Where It Happens,” “This Trial
Is Half-Baked Without Witnesses,” and “This Is History in the Baking,” each
followed by the statement, “Let Bolton Testify.” According to an Instagram
post from Butter & Scotch, Senator Ted Cruz turned his cake away
(sad!), but that doesn’t mean every GOP senator (or their staffers) will be
able to resist the saccharine pleasures of a gigantic sheet cake. After all,
it’s hard to do democracy on an empty stomach. https://www.grubstreet.com/2020/01/bakery-impeachment-cakes-republican-senators.html The GO FUND
ME is closed. They raise just over $7000 for the cakes. What a clever way to
get the message to the Senate. If you live in Brooklyn, check out the activist
bakers, Butter & Scotch bakery. https://shop.butterandscotch.com/ If
baking is our thing, we can also order Rage Baking: the Transformative Power of Flour, Fury, and
Women’s Voices and a percentage of proceeds go to Emily’s List: https://www.ragebakers.com/
ELECTION/VOTING
PRIMARIES/CAUCUS CALENDAR: From Ballotpedia:
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Iowa (statewide)
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Primary election
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February 3, 2020
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New Hampshire
(statewide)
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Primary election
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February 11, 2020
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Wisconsin
(statewide)
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Primary election
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February 18, 2020
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Nevada (statewide)
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Primary election
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February 22, 2020
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South Carolina
(statewide)
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Primary election
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February 29, 2020
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GOTV STARTS NOW: Letters from citizens urging their fellow
citizens to vote have been shown to increase voter turnout, in some cases by as
much as 3.9%. Vote Forward has a program in which we can start writing and
stockpiling letters to voters in key states now and mail them on October 27,
2020, a week before the November 3, 2020, Presidential Election. Let’s
sign up at https://votefwd.org/ If
we download and personalize just five letters a week, we’ll be putting almost
200 GOTV letters in the mail just before the election!
STATE/LOCAL
ALL: PROTECTING ELECTIONS: Disinformation
threatens the integrity of our elections, and yet most counties haven't taken
one simple, inexpensive step that would instantly provide greater protection:
moving their public websites to .gov domains: https://www.npr.org/2020/01/29/800131854/1-simple-step-could-help-election-security-governments-arent-doing-it
Let's all call our county election boards and/or supervisors to demand
that they move their informational websites to .gov domains.
CA PRIMARY - MAR.3: California will begin mailing vote by
mail ballots on Feb. 3. We can return them thru March 2. We can find
more details about California elections at the CA Secretary of State's website. If we are CA voters, let's
make a plan to turn our ballots as soon as we receive them. Southern California
voters in LA and Orange counties will be seeing voting changes this year. We
can read more LAist.
MI PRIMARY-MAR.10: Early voting is underway in Michigan.
We can read more at Oakland Press and find details about voting in MI at
the Michigan Voter
Information Center.
MI: LGBTQ BALLOT PROPOSAL: A coalition of
organizers are launching a petition drive to get a measure on the 2020 ballot
to prohibit discrimination against LGBTQ individuals by including sexual
orientation and gender identity or expression in the definition of
"sex" under the Michigan Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act of 1976 (https://bit.ly/2Qy81O4). The
petition language has just been approved by the Board of State Canvassers,
and we have until May 27, 2020 to gather at least 340,047 signatures to
get the measure on the ballot. Let's read more from Fair
and Equal Michigan, then sign up to collect signatures: https://secure.everyaction.com/IouJeXXEgUG0YjBUTbsoNQ2
MN PRIMARY - MAR. 3: Voting for the presidential primary in MN opened
Jan. 17 and runs through March 2. We can vote by mail or in person. Please note: vote by mail ballots in MN require
a witness, either a registered voter or a notary. Let's share this
information with our Democratic friends and family in Minnesota.
VT PRIMARY - MAR. 3: Vermont began its early voting period
on Jan. 18. We can read more at Burlington Free Press and find details about voting in
VT at the Secretary of State's website.
WI: TELL RON JOHNSON TO VOTE FOR BOLTON’S TESTIMONY: Senator Ron Johnson has
called for John Bolton to bypass the Impeachment Trial and speak directly to
the media instead; an action Bolton has already refused to do. https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/480298-gop-senator-john-bolton-should-go-public-with-what-he-knows We
cannot let our Senator evade his duty like this, making an empty gesture, while
effectively allowing a coverup. We can call Ron Johnson at (202)
224-5323 and insist he votes to allow Bolton, and other witnesses with direct
knowledge of the events, to testify under oath. We can also reach him at these
local offices: Milwaukee: (414) 276-7282 Oshkosh: (920)
230-7250 Madison: (608) 240-9629.
RALLIES/GATHERINGS/TRAININGS
ALL RISE: Lawyers Demand Impartial Justice: Lawyers for
Good Government are asking lawyers and law students to show up in
Washington D.C. on January 31st to demand impartiality among the U.S.
Senate. The event will start at the U.S. Capitol building, then participants
will march to the U.S. Supreme Court. Let's check out the event details
and sign up here: https://www.lawyersforgoodgovernment.org/allrise
LAUNCH PARTIES FOR THE GREEN NEW DEAL—The Sunrise
Movement, a youth-led anti-climate change organization, https://www.sunrisemovement.org/ ,
is giving us a way to recruit millions of young people and their allies to
gather momentum for the passage of the Green New Deal. Let’s consider
organizing a 2020 launch party on January 29—we can sign up here: https://actionnetwork.org/forms/our-plan-to-win-the-gnd-2020-launch-parties
NATIONAL PILGRIMAGE TO CLOSE THE CAMPS—Tsuru for
Solidarity, a non-violent, direct action project of Japanese American social
justice advocates, is leading the planning of a gathering of Japanese Americans
from across the country in Washington, DC, June 5-7, 2020. The purpose of the
gathering is to express solidarity with immigrant and refugee communities under
attack in the US. Attendees will bring 125,000 paper cranes (tsuru) to
represent the Japanese Americans who were imprisoned in concentration camps by
the US government during World War II. We can support the pilgrimage by holding
“Tsuru Fold-ins” to bring to D.C. or to mail them to Tsuru for Solidarity by
May 1, 2020. To organize a fold-in, receive updates, register to attend
and learn of other ways to participate, let’s visit: https://tsuruforsolidarity.org/2019/11/13/125000-paper-cranes-to-dc-in-june-2020-for-tsuru-for-solidaritys-national-pilgrimage-to-close-the-camps/
READING/WATCHING
The
Troubling History of How America's 'Public Charge' Immigration Rule Blocked
Jews Fleeing Nazi Germany - https://time.com/5712367/wwii-german-immigration-public-charge/
AP fact
check: Trump misstates Bolton record - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/ap-fact-check-trump-misstates-bolton-record
Pompeo
Called Me a ‘Liar.’ That’s Not What Bothers Me - https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/28/opinion/mike-pompeo-kelly-interview.html
or
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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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