October 4, 2023
Protect the vote, support the reproductive freedom agenda, elect pro-education school boards, and more!
*** ANNOUNCEMENT: SUBMITTING YOUR ACTIONS TO ROGAN’S LIST ***
We’ve had a number of the Rogan’s List family (now 12,000 strong!) send in action items in the last few weeks – and some really important ones at that! So we’re setting up a “tip line” you all can use if you have ideas or submissions for us: roganslisttips@gmail.com. Please don’t hesitate to email and pass on your suggestions, we look forward to hearing from you!
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:
- PROTECT THE VOTEWith her colleagues, Democratic Congresswoman Nikema Williams (D-GA-5) has introduced a series of bills to protect and expand access to voting. Let’s contact our U.S. Representatives, regardless of party, and ask them to co-sponsor these bills, and let’s tell our Senators that we want them to introduce and co-sponsor companion legislation in the Senate. The bills are:· Time Off to Vote Act, HR 5322, which would require employers to give workers at least two consecutive hours of paid time to vote in federal elections· Expanding the Vote Act, HR 5295, which would expand access to more translations of elections materials· People Over Long Lines Act, HR 5291, which would require waiting times at the polls to be no more than 30 minutes· Youth Voting Rights Act, HR 5293, which would remove certain barriers that young people face in voting and having their ballots counted· Sustaining Our Democracy Act, HR 5292, which would provide $20 billion to help states and local governments support election administration· Unhoused VOTE Act, HR 5294, which would reduce the barriers to voting faced by those facing homelessness· Election Mail Act, HR 2897, which would improve the delivery and processing of election mail· Voters on the Move Registration Act, HR 5290, which would give Americans information on registering to vote when they moveh/t Center for Common Ground
- TELL CONGRESSIONAL DEMOCRATS: SUPPORT THE REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM AGENDAIndivisible is urging us to tell our Democratic US Representatives to co-sponsor three bills that protect women’s reproductive freedom: HR 782, Ensuring Women’s Right to Reproductive Freedom Act, protecting women’s right to travel for abortion care; HR 3420, My Body, My Data Act, protecting women’s digital health care privacy; and HR 4303, Abortion Justice Act, protecting access to abortion care for all. Why tell Democrats to co-sponsor these bills when they have little chance of passing now? Because, Indivisible explains, we want to win back the House, and Members of Congress who are strong champions of abortion rights are strong candidates for 2024 (example). Let’s tell our Democratic US House Reps to co-sponsor these three pieces of legislation. We can use the links provided by Rogan’s List, or we can use this calling tool from Indivisible.
- DON’T PUNISH LOW-WAGE EMPLOYEES FOR GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWNS
The threat of a government shutdown on November 17th is looming, and Democrats in Congress are pushing for ways to protect against the damage if it happens. During the last shutdown, federal contractors – who include such essential but low-wage jobs as the custodians and food service workers – lost up to 15% of their income. Rep. Ayanna Pressley and Senator Tina Smith have introduced the Fair Pay for Federal Contractors Act (HR 5810; the Senate bill is as yet unnumbered) and to guarantee they receive backpay once the government reopens. Let’s reach out to our members of Congress and urge them to ensure these crucial employees receive their salary even if the government shutdowns, just like our lawmakers will.
- SUPPORT FOR PRO-EDUCATION SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATESLaws and policies limiting how race and gender-related topics are taught in schools are interfering with how teachers teach, and depriving our children of an honest, accurate education. These restrictions on teachers’ professional expertise and judgment are coming in part from rightwing candidates running for, and winning, school board seats. Run for Something, the organization that recruits and supports progressives to run for office, has launched a 50 State School Board Strategy to stop the extreme, rightwing takeover of local school boards across the country. Let’s see how we can help this initiative to recruit and support school board members who will make sure that our schools teach our children the truth, and are welcoming and inclusive to all children. And let’s consider running ourselves! h/t Chop Wood, Carry Water
- AN IMPACTFUL WAY TO LOWER OUR CARBON FOOTPRINTSome 15% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from animals raised and slaughtered for food. That number rises to about 40% when deforestation and other side effects of raising livestock are taken into consideration. A study by Project Drawdown projects that if half to three-quarters of people worldwide lowered their meat consumption, 78.33 to 103.11 gigatons of greenhouse gases would be avoided by 2050. Eating less meat is an important way that individuals can reduce their carbon footprint and take action on climate change. Let’s read this article to learn why the media isn’t doing a better job of reporting on this issue and tell our favorite news outlets (via their websites) that we expect better coverage. And let’s ask our public librarians for cookbook recommendations that are good for the planet and good for us.
STATE-SPECIFIC ACTIONS
- WI—STOP TRANSGENDER DISCRIMINATION BILLSA Rogan’s List reader has alerted us that wending through the Wisconsin Assembly are three bills that, together, would exclude trans students from college and school sports and deprive them of needed health care. These bills are about discrimination, pure and simple. There is no evidence that transgender athletes have unfair advantages, and ensuring that transgender youth have emotional and medical support for their identities reduces their rates of suicidal ideation, depression, anxiety, and suicide. If we’re in Wisconsin, let’s contact our Assembly Members (look up) and tell them to oppose Assembly Bills 378 (designating University of Wisconsin and technical college sports and athletic teams based on the sex of the participants); 377 (designating athletic sports and teams operated or sponsored by public schools or private schools participating in a parental choice program based on the sex of the participants); and 465 (prohibiting gender transition medical intervention for individuals under 18 years of age).
- MA – JOIN THE MOMS DEMAND CALL TEAM
In the wake of the Supreme Court’s Bruen decision, judges have struck down more than a dozen common sense gun control laws at the state and federal level, putting folks even in states where lawmakers have taken gun violence seriously at more risk. Activists are fighting back. In Massachusetts, Rep. Mike Day has introduced a new omnibus bill to ban ghost guns, keep guns out of sensitive places like schools and government buildings, modernize registration systems, enhance tracking systems for guns used during the commission of crimes, standardize training requirements, and more. New polling shows key provisions of this bill have substantial public support. Moms Demand’s MA CALL Together Team is stepping up efforts in October to reach out to gun safety supporters in our state and urge them to push their legislators for these critical steps, along with voters nationwide. Let’s sign up to take part in their phone banks in the coming weeks here.
- AZ – ABORTION ACCESS ACTA coalition of organizations, including the ACLU and Planned Parenthood of Arizona, have launched a ballot initiative in order to enshrine the right to abortion in the state constitution. Arizona is categorized as a “hostile” state by the Center for Reproductive Rights, is enforcing a 15-week ban, and Arizona law includes numerous restrictions and penalties for those who do qualify abortions. The initiative needs approximately 400,000 signatures by July 2024 to make it on the November 2024 ballot. Let’s check out the Arizona for Abortion Access website, and sign up to collect signatures.
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