Hi everyone!
Join us tonight for an online event.
Thursday – 3/25/2021 – ONLINE – “Free Arts Program for LGBTQ+ Youth and Allies”” (6:30pm – 8:30pm thru June 2021. Spectrum’s Spring session will begin March 25th and end in June 2021. We will meet 12 times, skipping any Holidays. We will continue to meet from 6:30-8:30 pm on Thursdays (VIA zoom). (Sign up here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdGlcdtnBmcemfjpihEYTr4uTcnwzQFaSUOrSiuxBsZ6Hl4SA/viewform)
ACTIONS/ACTIVITIES
Thurs 3/25: “AB-534 Fishing: ropeless fishing gear” – dullest title ever for life-saving legislation.
We haven’t kept exact metrics, but our gut feeling is that the duller and drier the title, the more dramatic the bill. This one will save the lives of animals whose mere swish of a tail above the water line leaves us breathless. It’s just starting its path through the CA legislature, but let’s give it a push!
https://indivisibleventura.org/2021/03/25/thurs-3-25-ab-534-fishing-ropeless-fishing-gear-dullest-title-ever-for-life-saving-legislation/
LOCAL ISSUES:
If you live in Camarillo, help stop the Camarillo recall:
If you live in Camarillo, you’ve probably heard about the petition to recall the Vice Mayor, Shawn Mulchay or Councilwoman Susan Santangelo. Extremists have made inaccurate claims about “defunding the police” in Camarillo in order to recall these councilmembers at a cost of $250,000 to Camarillo taxpayers. According to this fact sheet (https://static1.squarespace.com/static/604ee27a6c8eba3fe771ad40/t/604f0efd6f5a175d9f24077b/1615793917871/Camarillo+Recall+Fact+Sheet.pdf) , they’re using deceitful tactics, libelous statements, and out-of-town partisan volunteers to fuel their efforts. Learn more about this here (https://www.camarillorecall.com/) and sign the online “Affirmation of Council Members Santangelo and Mulchay.”
If you live in Ojai, work in Ojai, eat, drink or shop in Ojai, join in this action from SURJ:
Ongoing: Email in support of demands for the Ojai police services contract with VCSO: Template for letter to Ojai City Council and Board of Supervisors here. (https://indivisibleventura.org/ongoing-email-in-support-of-demands-for-the-ojai-police-services-contract-with-vcso/)
The “digital divide” in broadband coverage is a form of racial injustice. The FCC is asking for help to find the blind spots. Share!
We’ve all seen the photos of kids sitting in parking lots outside coffee shops, doing their homework, because their home doesn’t have internet access. (GRI) “Just less than half of households with annual family incomes less than $20,000 have home-internet access. Further, 83% of Asians and 81% of Whites have home-internet access, compared to 72% of American Indian/Alaska Natives, 70% of Hispanics, 68% of Blacks. Largely a product of America’s overall racial wealth gap, the “digital divide” is a term that has come to describe the racial and economic disparities seen in internet access for Americans.”
Articles:Global Resilience Institute – https://globalresilience.northeastern.edu/us-digital-divide-how-internet-access-disparities-affect-resilience/The Hill – https://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/technology/443336-race-and-the-digital-divide-why-broadband-access-is-more-thanThe Verve – https://www.theverge.com/2021/3/22/22345533/fcc-broadband-data-collection-program-fix-the-internet
(the Verve)“…The form the FCC is using for your responses (https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov/hc/en-us/requests/new?ticket_form_id=360001440131) is decidedly rudimentary; it looks like a general complaint form, and doesn’t ask any specific questions about broadband at all (the only reference is in the header). But the FCC says it’s a stopgap on the path to a more detailed and specific reporting tool. For now, perhaps you can take a look at the FCC’s current crappy maps at your address, and tell the FCC whether you actually have the kinds of choices that the ISPs claim you have.
H.R. 8 – Bipartisan Backgrounds Checks Act and H.R. 1446 – Enhanced Background Checks Act have both passed the HOUSE.
Be sure your senators know that passing these bills is the LEAST they can do!
https://indivisibleventura.org/2021/03/09/tues-3-9-21-h-r-8-and-h-r-1446-gun-background-check-bills-vote-possible-tomorrow-yes-on-both-call-your-legislators/
The filibuster is unconstitutional. Pass it on.
An op-ed by Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the UC Berkeley School of Law and Burt Neuborne, Norman Dorsen Professor of Civil Liberties at New York University School of Law has reignited the debate over the constitutionality of the filibuster, which just like in its heyday during the Jim Crow era and the civil rights struggles of the 1950’s, is being used again to strangle meaningful democratic reform. As Senate leader in the 116th Congress, Mitch McConnell blocked almost 400 bills. Common Cause’s Aaron Scherb stated “It’s a Senate that’s not reflecting the will of the American people. It’s despite that many reforms that have 60, 70, 80 percent support among the public, whether its anti-gun-violence prevention measures or climate change legislation or voting rights bills to provide additional election funding to ensure every eligible American can vote, the Senate fails to take action on any of these reforms.” Even though he’s no longer the Senate leader, McConnell can still block any progress with the filibuster. Call Vice-President Harris, and both your senators, and let’s get this fixed. https://indivisibleventura.org/2021/03/23/the-filibuster-is-unconstitutional-pass-it-on/
D.C. statehood is in the HOUSE! Pile on! YES on H.R.51/S.51!
Lots of moaning from GOP legislators that the DC statehood issue is a “power grab.” Zero concern about the second class citizenship of DC residents.
So, business as usual… Meanwhile, pile on the calls, emails and postcards, no matter what party your senator belongs to. https://indivisibleventura.org/2021/03/22/d-c-statehood-is-in-the-house-pile-on-yes-on-h-r-51-s-51/
Email during the weekend/call during the week: “Filibuster Friday” is directed at Sen. Feinstein and others who’d waste this opportunity to get fundamental bills passed.
Our own Senator Feinstein likes the filibuster for all the wrong reasons. But she has turned 180° in the face of serious constituent pressure before. So pile on and let’s make this happen. Also included is a petition and an opportunity to join Arizona Indivisible’s phone bank targeting a similarly reluctant Sen. Sinema. https://indivisibleventura.org/2021/03/19/3-19-its-filibuster-friday-and-theres-lots-to-do/
ANYTIME – ONLINE PHONEBANK – Flip the West “Phone Bank into Arizona to Urge Sen. Sinema to Change the Filibuster with Indivisible Arizona”
The For the People Act may be the most important piece of legislation of the past decade. During a time when Republican state legislators are lobbying for the most restrictive voting regulations since Jim Crow, we need to urge key Senators to pass the For the People Act. Join in by signing up here. https://www.mobilize.us/flipthewest/event/379308/But as long as Mitch McConnell can veto popular legislation through the filibuster, that won’t happen. So, we are reaching out with Indivisible Arizona to progressive, solid Democrats in Arizona and urging them to ask Senator Sinema to modify the filibuster. It’s not enough to just elect progressive candidates; we need to pass progressive policy. THIS IS NOT A ZOOM CALL – YOU MAY CALL INTO ARIZONA ANY DAY BETWEEN 9:00AM AND 9:00 PM PACIFIC. Click on the “INSTRUCTIONS” button for the link to the phone bank and the script. (Wait a few seconds until you see the Google document.)
Email your senators in DC about S.1 – For the People Act, join in the phonebank, textbank outreach campaign.
SAYING AGAIN – WE ARE NOT THE ONLY ONES CALLING LEGISLATORS! From another Indivisible group member: “Just called Senator Padilla’s office at 202-224-3553. I got a staffer, who told me the office is getting lots of CON HR1 calls from the “Fox News brigade” (her words) after Fox personalities asked viewers to contact their MoCs to oppose especially HR1”.
EMAIL your senators with scripts from here to get it done: (https://indivisibleventura.org/2021/03/10/wed-3-10-21-the-h-r-1-s-1-for-the-people-act-is-now-in-the-senate-call-your-senators-and-join-in-the-outreach-campaigns/)
Senator Feinstein, Please Vote to End this Filibuster! – Sign Petition
Actions from”Black Voters Matters” – Call GA-based corporations and tell them to divest all donations from sponsors and supporters of HB531 and SB241.
- Share BVM Direct Action pageon social media. (https://blackvotersmatterfund.org/stand-with-georgia/)
- Call sheet here with instructions and phone numbers. (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfrlkZvb8Eg0qPAhhQ0JY_PS0nabvctcJXvgzPsukyjZc9aXQ/viewform)
- Share this on social media. (https://blackvotersmatterfund.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/BVM_Flyer-1.png)
- Sign up for a Texting shift with BVM here. (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdJh_bkIA9aUEBaaq7h-g5NbAxkXpVStc0rntwjlwgJLSLsRA/viewform)
Sign-on petition- “Black Lives Matter – Pass Medicare for All”
Sign Petition here. (https://blacklivesmatter.com/sign-the-petition-pass-medicare-for-all/)
Let’s be clear — passing Medicare for All is a racial justice issue.
Black people are impacted the most by health care inadequacies in the United States. Whether you’re looking at the mortality and morbidity rates of Black mothers, the high rates of Black people dying from COVID-19, and the disproportionately Black population in American prisons — where access to adequate health care is a huge issue — the time has never been more urgent to pass Medicare For All and take bold action to create the conditions for Black people to thrive.
Every single institution that currently exists that is led by local, state, and national government is predicated upon anti-Black racism in particular — and it’s the same reason why these exact institutions are profit-driven.
Profit-driven health care systems have no place in society, and they have never existed to serve Black people — only to exploit us.
The current health care system has not prioritized Black bodies, but has exploited them. But not any longer. Please sign the petition demanding Congress pass Medicare for All.
Sign-on petition- “Speak up against anti-Asian hate. Ask Congress to take action and pass two resolutions.”
Send a email to your officials here. (https://www.adl.org/Anti-Asian-Hate) Hate crimes, anti-immigrant bias and discriminatory acts against Asians and Asian Americans have significantly increased in the U.S. since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Congress can take action by passing two resolutions that condemn this rising tide of hatred and aim to curb the damaging effects of hate, bias and violence to society.Members of the House of Representatives have introduced H. Res. 151, led by Representative Grace Meng and H. Res. 153, led by Representative Michelle Steel, condemning all forms of anti-Asian sentiment related to COVID-19. ADL urges Congress to speak out against bias and hate and support Asian and Asian-American communities by adopting these
Send a letter to Rep. Brownley/Carbajal and Senator Dianne Feinstein to support the Build Green Act.
Use your own words, use a provided letter template or mix and match here. https://act.350.org/letter/buildgreenact/
U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey along with Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Andy Levin introduced the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development and Generating Renewable Energy to Electrify the Nation’s (BUILD GREEN) Infrastructure and Jobs Act.
The BUILD GREEN Infrastructure and Jobs Act is a new plan to address the climate crisis and our crumbling infrastructure by providing $500 billion in grant funding for roads, bridges, and rail, while electrifying our public transportation systems (including school buses!) over the next ten years.
Adriene
Co-Director
Indivisible Ventura
indivisibleventura@gmail.com
