Stand Up for Reproductive Rights
News that the Supreme Court intends to overturn Roe v. Wade means abortion – and most likely even certain types of contraception – will become illegal throughout roughly half of the country. Luckily, New York codified Roe v. Wade in 2019 and state officials are looking at ways to bolster the law.
Actions to Take This Week
- Contact your state representatives and thank them for standing up for women’s reproductive rights, for recognizing that abortion is health care, and for pledging to make New York a safe harbor for those seeking abortions.
- Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says he intends to bring the Women’s Health Protection Act, which codifies Roe at the federal level, to a vote this week. Please contact Sens. Schumer and Gillibrand and let them know you support this legislation and thank them for being pro-choice champions.
- Plan to join the Women’s March and Planned Parenthood Ban Off our Bodies Rally on May 14th in NYC – sign up here.
- Donate to a grassroots on the ground org doing work, like the National Network of Abortion Funds .
Elections Matter 2022 Edition: Midterms & More
Activist Amy Siskind compiled this terrific list of races that we need to pay attention to this year and how to get active.
House of Representatives:
- Every member of the House is up for re-election. We hold a slim majority in the House. If your district is safely blue, consider volunteering to help in competitive districts. Once redistricting in NY is completed by the end of May, we will know which House districts in NY will be battlegrounds. We need to be sure to support races in our own state first and foremost, which will also help down ballot. This is crucial if we want to expand abortion rights at the state level in New York and make sure we remain a safe harbor state.
- For races out of state, Swing Left can help direct you to volunteer.
Senate:
- 34 Senators are up for re-election – 20 Republicans and 14 Democrats. Currently the Senate split is 50-50, with Democrats having the majority with VP Harris as the tie breaker. The Senate is crucial!
- Two Senators, Manchin and Sinema have held back progress on many measures, so picking up two seats would be incredibly helpful. Either way, we want to maintain a majority! We must keep competitive seats in AZ, GA, NM and NH blue, while trying to turn FL, NC, OH, WI and PA.
- You can donate to the basket or pick and choose from it. I will add WI and PA once they pick their candidates in the primary. Amy’s Keep the Senate Blue Basket will make donations towards the most competitive races.
Statewide Races:
- Trump is also putting forth candidates for Attorneys General, Secretaries of State and Governors in swing states that determine presidential elections. Last week as Siskind hosted Michigan’s AG Dana Nessel and SoS Jocelyn Benson, they learned that the Trump-backed candidates, who support his lie that 2020 was stolen, were chosen in the GOP primary. If they win in November, they would be in a position to overturn 2024 results in their state. You can donate to Nessel and Benson here.
- Trump has also backed candidates in other key states including PA, WI, AZ and GA, who back his lie that 2020 was stolen.
State Legislatures:
- The onerous abortion and anti-gay laws are put forward by state legislatures. Republicans have focused here for decades. To volunteer for state races outside of NY, you can volunteer or donate to these two excellent organizations: The States Project or Sister District.
Support the Hybrid Voting Machine Ban
Please tell your representative how important it is that the Assembly passes the Hybrid “All in One” Voting Machine Ban bill (A.1115c).
Companies selling these machines are trying to get them approved by the NY State Board of Elections. But these machines are cumbersome and very expensive. Most importantly, they pose a security risk: they can produce unreliable paper ballots, and make a post-election audit near impossible.
There is no time to waste! We are asking you to make FOUR CALLS so that the bill is brought to committee and then onto the floor before session ends.
These calls are to:
1. Assemblywoman Latrice Walker, chair of the Elections Committee:
Albany Office–518-455-4466
2. Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie–
Albany Office–518-455-3791
3. Central Assembly Staff ( Aubree Haydrick, Nate Kerstein, Christina Philo)
Albany Office–518-455-4355
4. Your own Assembly Member–Go to the Assembly website–www.nyassembly.gov— if you do not know who your Assemblymember is, then click on “Who is my Assemblymember”
Script:
“My name is xxx and I belong to xxx group. I strongly support A1115C.
This bill bans expensive, bulky voting machines that create long lines at the polls and have raised privacy concerns by updating our old state voting machine standards. I urge you to help pass this bill through the Assembly.”
School Board Elections Are Next Tuesday
School board elections and budget votes throughout Westchester are slated for Tuesday, May 17th.
If you are registered to vote in the General Election, you are automatically eligible to vote in your school district election. All voters are eligible to vote by absentee ballot. You can request an absentee ballot by mail or in person. Contact your Board of Education Clerk for registration or absentee voting deadlines.
Click here for voting information for each school district in Westchester.
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