Happy Sunday, Indivisible Venturans!

OMG, we are behind as usual. Please keep ahead on events by going to tinyurl.com/vc-events.

ACTIONS!
Social and environmental justice starts at home. Join in! (more info)
 
Action #1: Share this information for Sunday’s social justice fair – both with those you know who could use it, and everybody else!

Services by community volunteers- both immigration experts and just regular people like us – are free, available without appointment, and offered to all who can make it to the Oxnard College Campus this Sunday between 9 am – 3 pm and every other “last-Sunday-of-the-month.” 

• CITIZENSHIP/VOTER REGISTRATION: Our lawyers and acredited representatives (from MICOP, El Concilio and the amazing Vanessa Frank) oversee us community volunteers, who fill out applications for voter registration, citizenship, green card and DACA renewals. These experts also wrangle a million questions.
• SPECIAL THIS MONTH – EMPLOYMENT LAW: Xavier Villegas, local employment and labor attorney, returns this month to help with questions about pay, overtime, rest and lunch time breaks, discrimination, and other important workplace issues.
• SPECIAL THIS MONTH – FAMILY LAW: We will also have family law attorney Elvia Garcia, who can answer family law questions, along with preparing power of attorney forms (cartas de power).
• EXPUNGEMENT: Attorney Onyx Starrett from the County of Ventura Public Defender’s office provides expungement services for those whose records are from Ventura County and advice for those from other counties and/or have felonies on their record. Misdemeanors can impede one’s ability to get a job, rent an apartment, or get a federal school loan, amongst other issues. This is the only free monthly expungement clinic available in CA. 
• EXPUNGEMENT+IMMIGRATION: Those going through the USCIS who want to clear their records of misdemeanors have access to both types of expertise at our fair.
• FAMILY RESOURCES: From Medi-Cal navigators who can fill out applications at the fair to organizations who help with health care, notario awareness and more, this is an amazing opportunity to get assistance from a number of local organizations.

SHARE THESE EVENTS ONLINE: 

• Citizenship & Family Resource Fair: tinyurl.com/May-Citizenship-Fair, 
• Expungement Clinic: tinyurl.com/May-Expungement-Clinic

How can I (a citizen, a non-citizen, an interested teen) become involved?:

• Become a volunteer: 8:30 am for first-volunteers here. 
  • More information: https://swapmeetjustice.org/volunteer-voluntarios/
  • (Note: We reserve the right to refuse any volunteer services offered.)
• Become a donor: swapmeetjustice.org/donate-donar/
• Learn more: swapmeetjustice.org
• Hand out flyers! Downloadable flyers here: swapmeetjustice.org/flyers-volantes/

Action #2: Reach out to your neighbors – “YES” on Measures A & B is the right vote for clean water for all and environmental justice for neighborhoods impacted by the oil industry. Here’s how!

• “THOUGHTS & PRAYERS” ARE NOT ENOUGH FOR ANYTHING, FRANKLY: Make sure your friends and neighbors are ready and willing to vote. All this information on measures A & B is of no use if they don’t mark “YES” on their ballot and turn it in. We made a voting guide here: tinyurl.com/2022-primary, which also contains links to non-partisan guides. If they need help, offer it.
• Go to vc.safe.org to learn why to vote “YES”, the trusted community members and experts who endorse it and learn more about the opposition and issues here.
• FAQ’s to share for the doubters: 350 Ventura County Climate has put together a great list of responses to questions they heard while knocking on doors here. (https://world.350.org/ventura/2022/05/16/whats-at-stake-with-measures-a-b-facts-and-a-future-we-care-about/)
• Share this message on social media.
  • They have a huge tool kit of Facebook and Instagram-ready samples here. 
  • Great images to use here.
  • Slide show here.
• Work for them! Temp. job listing: Yes on A&B is hiring canvassers for 10 to 40 hours a week – $25/hr – if you or anyone you know is interested Liz Soto know, lizsoto6@gmail.com
• Get a yard sign! https://vcsafe.org/yard-signs
• Canvass in your own neighborhood!  https://vcsafe.org/canvassingSign up for multiple dates in Ventura, Oxnard, Thousand Oaks and Camarillo, for both this weekend and for the coming week!
• Text Voters on Saturday, May 28th!
• Text Ventura County voters with a prewritten message asking if we can count on their “yes” vote on Measures A & B. Let’s go win this! Sign up here: https://www.mobilize.us/fww/event/462798/
• Write a letter to the editor! Information to use is here. Tips on writing one here.
• Print out flyers and small posters to display on shop windows!https://vcsafe.org/flyers-and-posters

“‘No Way To Prevent This,’ Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens.” (more info) 

FEDERAL – Action #1: Call your senators to pass H.R.8 and H.R. 1446. Then, more importantly, ask your friends and relatives with GOP senators to call theirs! Every day. Over and over. Make their phones ring off their desks! 

Minimal script for Democratic senator: I’m calling from [zip code] to tell Senator [___] that I want [him/her] to strongly support and pass H.R. 8 – Bipartisan Background Checks Act and H.R.1446 – Enhanced Background Checks Act, bills that the overwhelming majority of Americans from both parties approve of.

Minimal script for Republican senator: I’m calling from [zip code] to tell Senator [___] that I want [him/her] to strongly support and pass H.R. 8 – Bipartisan Background Checks Act and H.R.1446 – Enhanced Background Checks Act, bills that the overwhelming majority of Americans from both parties approve of. Tell the senator to prove to me that NBA coach Steve Kerr is wrong – that you actually care about my family, my kids, my parents, my friends, my coworkers, more than you do about personal power by finally doing the right thing.

• Senator Feinstein: email, DC (202) 224-3841, LA (310) 914-7300, SF (415) 393-0707, SD (619) 231-9712, Fresno (559) 485-7430
• and Senator Padilla: email, DC (202) 224-3553, LA (310) 231-4494, SAC (916) 448-2787, Fresno (559) 497-5109, SF (415) 981-9369, SD (619) 239-3884
• Who is my representative/senator?: https://whoismyrepresentative.com

STATE – Action #2: Call your assemblymembers to push SB-915 and SB-1384 through.

Minimal script: I’m calling from [zip code] to tell Assemblymember [___] that I want [him/her] to vote “YES” on  SB-915: Firearms: state property and SB1384:Firearms: dealer requirements.

• State Assemblymember Steve Bennett: (CA-37): email, SAC (916) 319-2037, SB (805) 564-1649, VTA (805) 641-3700
• State Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin: (CA-44): email, SAC (916) 319-2044, CAM (805) 482-1904, OX (805) 483-4488
• Not your people? Which assemblymember/state senator is mine?:findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov.

EVENTS!

– Sunday – 05/29/22- OXNARD – Swap Meet Justice Volunteer Citizenship and Family Resource Fair” LAST SUNDAY OF EVERY MONTH”) (9-3pm) (8:30 am for first time volunteers) Special this month – EXPUNGEMENT CLINIC! New website!: swapmeetjustice.org

• Facebook event: Citizenship and Family Resource Fair link: https://www.facebook.com/events/1472326103170559
• Facebook event: Expungement Clinic link: https://www.facebook.com/events/339158848326437

– Sunday – 05/29/2022 – CANVASSING IN VTA/Oxnard/ Cam – “CA: Canvass to Protect Our Drinking Water in Ventura” (9:00 am – 12:00 pm PT) All canvassing opportunities (dates differ per location) Weekends: 9-12, Weekdays 4-7 pm

• Ventura (May 28, 29, 30, June 4, 5):https://www.mobilize.us/fww/event/453816/
• Oxnard (May 28, 29, 30, June 4, 5):https://www.mobilize.us/fww/event/453825/
• Thousand Oaks (May 28, 30, June 4): https://www.mobilize.us/fww/event/460072/
• Camarillo (May 29, June 5):https://www.mobilize.us/fww/event/453833/

– Sunday – 05/29/2022 – PHONE BANK – ”Voter Protection Phonebanks with Common Cause” (3:00 pm – 5:00 pm PT)
– Monday – 05/30/2022 – PHONE BANK – ”Voter Protection Phonebanks with Common Cause” (1:00 pm – 3:00 pm, 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm PT) Mobilize link: 
– Tuesday – 05/31/2022 – ONLINE PHONE BANK – ”Guided Phone Bank to Virginia” (3:00pm – 5:00pm PT) 
– Thursday – 06/02/2022 – ONLINE PHONE BANK – ”Guided Phone Bank to Virginia” (3:00pm – 5:00pm PT) 
– Tuesday – 06/07/2022 – PHONE BANK/Canvassing –  “CHIRLA – Immigrant Political Power Project Canvass Day of Action” (9:00 am – 1:00 pm, 1:00pm – 4:00 pm, 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm PT) Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84334640623

Get Ready!

Saturday – 06/11/2022 – THOUSAND OAKS – “Nationwide – March For Our Lives” (11:00am PT) Westlake Village Promenade, Westlake & Thousand Oaks Blvd.

Saturday – 06/18/2022 – OXNARD – “Juneteenth Freedom Day Celebration” (10:00 am – 5:00pm PT) Plaza Park, Downtown Oxnard, 500 S. C St.

NEWS!
Voter Guide Update – the gun additions.
Due to the recent massacres, we just expanded our ridiculously long and snarky voter guide to include NRA and CA Rifle & Pistol Association (CRPA) endorsements.  (tinyurl.com/2022-primary)
– Mark under “no surprise” – Mike Garcia (R) won one of only 11 NRA endorsements for CA congressional seats.
– Mark under “interesting” – The CRPA couldn’t choose between our candidates for sheriff and went “no comment”.
– Mark under “alarming AF” – Out of ALL THE LOCAL CANDIDATES ACROSS THE ENTIRE STATE, the CRPA found only three who met their requirements for gun-positivity. One was TIM McCARTHY, who is running for a supervisor seat against Claudia Bill-De-La-Peña. Just say “NO”!
– Mystery Slate Alert: We also added a note about what appears to be a duplicious slate mailer trying to trick unwary Democratic voters into voting for right-wing endorsed Jeff Hargleroad by putting his name, cuckoo-bird-style, amongst actual Democrats. He’s running for Clerk/Recorder, the person who would run our elections… Nothing to see here…

Executive action on federal law enforcement.

President Biden: “I’ve called on Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, but Senate Republicans have stood in the way of progress. That’s why this afternoon, I’m taking action and signing an Executive Order that delivers the most significant police reform in decades.”
“The president’s executive order sets new standards of conduct for the 100,000 federal law enforcement officers, including banning the use of chokeholds unless deadly force is authorized, restricting the use of no-knock entries, and requiring federal officers to use body cameras to record arrests and searches.
The order also takes many other steps, including: creating anti-bias training for police, incentivizing state and local police departments to make needed reforms, restricting the transfer of military weapons to police departments, creating a federal database of police misconduct, mandating new standards for accrediting law enforcement agencies, and requiring the federal government to issue guidance to state and local governments on best policing practices.” (https://thegrio.com/2022/05/25/bidens-executive-order-policing-benefits-black-people/)

Gov. Newsom is ready and waiting to sign anti-gun violence legislation

“An initial package of bills the Governor has committed to signing include:
AB 2571 (Bauer-Kahan) – Restricts advertising of firearms to minors
AB 1621 (Gipson) – Restricts ghost guns and the parts and kits used to build them
SB 1327 (Hertzberg) – Creates private right of action to limit spread of illegal assault weapons and ghost guns
AB 1594 (Ting) – Allows governments and victims of gun violence to sue manufacturers and sellers of firearms
Governor Newsom and legislative leaders will continue working together to expedite additional bills pending before the legislature aimed at curbing gun violence and increasing safety in California communities.”
(https://www.gov.ca.gov/2022/05/25/following-texas-elementary-school-shooting-governor-newsom-and-legislative-leaders-to-expedite-gun-reform-legislation/)

Ventura County’s got a new seal.

The winning seal design has been chosen! (Read about it here – https://www.ventura.org/seal/ – the comparison to seals of other counties is very interesting.) For those who were concerned about “wasting money on this issue”, we copied this excellent comment.

“The costs were addressed at the meeting and it is minimal because most “paperwork” these days are digital, the existing seals need regular replacement and the seal is only used on official documents. That issue is a red herring. The new seal is not based on technology of the day or religious icons. So until the Anacapa Arch falls we’re good. If you are insensitive to harm done by the Spanish plantation system which trapped local natives into forced labor, you will not understand why a change was needed.”

Perfect.
VC Star article here: https://www.vcstar.com/story/news/2022/05/25/new-ventura-county-seal-features-channel-island-no-mission/9857829002/