July 31, 2023
GOTV for democracy in Ohio, crucial deadline for renter protections, day of action for Starbucks workers, 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:
*** SUMMER SCHEDULE ***With Congress on recess, Rogan’s List will switch to the second half of our summer schedule this week! We will update Monday, Wednesday and Friday through August and return to our usual five-days-a-week list right after Labor Day. Hope you all are taking some time to relax!
- FINISHING THE JOB IN OHIO
We are closing in on the first of two huge referenda votes in Ohio, as Republicans try to pass a constitutional amendment raising the bar for initiatives to 60% of the vote on August 8th before abortion rights comes to the ballot in November. Recently we’ve gotten two extremely positive polls, with 57% of voters saying they oppose getting rid of one person one vote in Issue One and 58% saying they will support restoring Roe. Now it’s time to turn out those voters! We can sign up to text with All On The Line here, write letters to inconsistent voters with VoteForward here, sign up to phonebank with the #VoteNoInAugust coalition here, find even more ways to help from our ally Jessica Craven here, and commit to phonebanking for the vote in November to protect the right to choose here. - SUBMIT COMMENTS *TODAY* TO SUPPORT PROTECTIONS FOR RENTERS
Corporate landlords control an increasingly large share of available properties for rent, answering to shareholders rather than their customers and contributing to a relentless growth in rents. Tenant organizers are looking to fight back by attaching protections for renters, including rent control, good cause eviction, fair leasing and safe housing standards, to federal loans – which would cover 1 in 4 apartments in the country. The Federal Housing Finance Agency is accepting comments on how they can create and enforce protections in multifamily rental housing, but the deadline to make our voices heard is TODAY. Let’s make sure we submit a comment here in favor of strong protections for renters, using these talking points from tenant organizers and this sample letter from the National Low Income Housing Coalition for guidance.
- STARBUCKS WORKERS UNION DAY OF ACTION AUGUST 7TH
The campaign to organize Starbucks rolls on, with more than 340 stores now unionized, even in the face of brutal and often illegal union-busting tactics by corporate. Now, organizers are pressing forward with a national day of action on August 7th, with customers and allies joining workers for Starbucks partners across the country to demand respect for workers’ rights. Let’s attend an event near us, or organize one if no one else has. Or if we can’t make it, we can sign up to volunteer in support of future Starbucks Workers Union campaigns here.
- CONGRESS CAN AND SHOULD REGULATE THE SUPREME COURT
With more and more ethics failures by the Supreme Court being revealed, Samuel Alito is lashing out. He insisted in an interview published in the Wall Street Journal that “no provision” in the Constitution allows Congress to regulate the justices– an interview conducted by a lawyer who works for conservative judicial activist Leonard Leo and has a case before the Court next term. As multiple legal experts and congressional Democrats pointed out, Alito’s claim is flat out untrue, and it demands a response. The Senate Judiciary Committee recently voted along party lines to move forward the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal and Transparency Act, which would create a binding code of ethics for the judges. Let’s contact our senators and let them know we want to see this passed by the whole Senate as soon as possible, and let our representatives know we expect action from them too.
- TAKE CARE WITH HOW WE PROTECT KIDS ONLINE
We want to keep our kids safe online, but the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) isn’t the way to do it. This op-ed in Teen Vogue explains how KOSA “would harm LGBTQ+ youth and restrict access to information and community.” Given that “KOSA authorizes state attorneys general to be the ultimate arbiters of what is good or bad for kids,” we should be wary of the power this bill could give conservative elected officials. Let’s contact our representatives and tell them not to pass KOSA as is.
- PAID SICK TIME FOR AMERICAN WORKERSAn email blast from MomsRising.org alerts us that the Healthy Families Act is procedurally ready for a floor vote in the Senate—but we need to push for it to be scheduled. If passed, the Act would, among other things, allow workers in businesses with 15 or more employees to earn seven paid sick days each year, and those in smaller businesses to earn seven unpaid sick days. There is currently no federal law that ensures paid sick leave for workers, a situation with serious deleterious effects especially for low-wage earners and their families. Let’s tell our U.S. Representatives to co-sponsor H.R.3409 and our U.S. Senators to co-sponsor S.1664. Let’s also tell our Senators that we want the Healthy Families Act to come up for a floor vote ASAP, and let’s tell Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer the same.
STATE-SPECIFIC ACTIONS
- ME/ALL – CREATE THE FIRST PUBLIC-OWNED STATEWIDE UTILITY COMPANY
This November, Mainers will get the opportunity to vote on creating the first statewide consumer-owned utility company in the nation – Pine Tree Power. This could help lower utility bills and make Maine a leader in shifting away from fossil fuels. Opponents are being heavily funded by the foreign-owned parent companies of the current private utilities. 350.org is coordinating a weekend of action for this ballot measure in Portland this weekend, Friday, August 4th to Sunday, August 6th. Let’s sign up to attend if we can. We can also find further opportunities to phonebank or textbank in support of Pine Tree Power with 350.org here, and can find more ways to help and a place to donate here.
AND FINALLY, SOME GOOD NEWS
- LAST WEEK’S WINS
The battle for progress is long and wearing, making it all the more important to acknowledge and celebrate the wins when they happen – and this week saw plenty of wins! Here’s an extra-long summary of some of the best news from the last week from our stalwart ally Jessica Craven at Chop Wood, Carry Water, including the Senate finally getting by Rand Paul’s blockade on ambassador nominees, the Defense Secretary endorsing long-needed changes for how the military prosecutes sexual assault, and win after win after win for Bidenomics.