April 28, 2023
Mass incarceration, Grown Ups for Growing Up, elections, and more!
Contact all members of Congress:
- By phone: (202) 224-3121
- By email: democracy.io
- By US mail: Representatives / Senators
- By fax: Representatives / Senators
- By Resistbot: Resist.bot
Contact White House or other federal agencies:
- END MASS INCARCERATIONIn the early 1970’s, there were 360,000 people incarcerated in prisons and jails across America. Today, there are nearly 2 million, a disproportionate number of them Black. The U.S. per capita imprisonment rate is higher than any other nation. The Brennan Center for Justice is calling on Congress to introduce and pass the Public Safety and Prison Reduction Act. It would create a $1 billion federal grant program incentivizing states to reduce “unnecessary incarceration while promoting humane and fair criminal justice policies and preserve public safety.” Let’s read about the Brennan Center’s proposal, and let’s forward the link to our Members of Congress and tell them to sponsor the Public Safety and Prison Reduction Act.
- GROWN UPS FOR GROWING UPIn response to the Tennessee school shootings last month, a new group, Grown Ups for Growing Up, a community space designed for parents, teachers, caregivers, and caring adults to organize, share, and act around gun violence prevention, was born. They are having their first collective call on Sunday, April 30 at 3 pm PT. We can sign up to learn more and participate in the call by signing up here.
- HELP DEMOCRATS WIN LOCAL ELECTIONSTogether We Elect, an organization that works to get Democrats elected up and down the ballot, is currently focusing on local elections across the country. Their events include phone banking, writing postcards, social media messaging orientations, and more. Let’s check their website and sign up to help.
- WHY AND HOW TO MAKE PUBLIC COMMENTThose of us who have heard about this process but aren’t sure how it works can consult the Public Comment Project, which both explains why public participation in government regulatory processes is important and how we can do so. After we learn about commenting, we can use their database that allows us to search by subject for causes important to us.
- POSTCARDS TO VOTERS FOR PA SPECIAL ELECTIONWe can help get voters out to vote for Heather Boyd for Pennsylvania State House! This is a special election on the same day as a state primary, so Postcards to Voters needs us to give our best and turn out folks who might tend to skip primaries but vote in the generals. We’ve written for Heather before, so we will be supporting a friend and ally.Those new to Postcards to Voters, text JOIN to 484-275-2229 and follow the prompts. Let’s do this!
STATE-SPECIFIC ACTIONS
- AR, TX – ANTI-ABORTION MONUMENTS ON STATE LAND APPROVEDBoth Texas and Arkansas have approved the permits and space for monuments to honor unborn (aborted) ‘children.’ “Arkansas’ proposal faced opposition from some anti-abortion Republicans who said it was counterproductive, and Democrats who said the monument proposal was divisive.” These monuments hurt and shame women, as well as the medical staff that treated them. They have yet been built. Let’s contact our governors and state legislators telling them to stop these divisive monuments and revoke the permits.
