Do not betray Ukraine, horror for Texas women, law enforcement accountability database on the way, and more!
*** SUBMITTING YOUR ACTIONS TO ROGAN’S LIST ***
We’ve set up a “tip line” so Rogan’s List subscribers can send in their ideas or submissions for action items at 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:
- WE STILL STAND WITH UKRAINEWe are on the verge of a horrific betrayal of our allies in Ukraine. Continued support is being held hostage by the right as they demand asylum be gutted for migrants before moving forward, and despite public professions of backing from Republican leaders in both houses of Congress, the House is set to finish their work for 2023 this week without approving more aid – meaning the flow of assistance could stop. Both the Ukrainians and the White House have warned of dire consequences if this comes to pass. Ukraine has slipped from the headlines, and our lawmakers need to know we have not forgotten. Let’s reach out to our representatives and senators and let them we do not intend to stand quietly by while they abandon our friends, and ask them to commit to aggressively and proactively using whatever tactics are available to them to force a standalone vote on aid for Ukraine without any border cruelty – starting with keeping Congress in town until the job is done. Let’s also touch base with the White House and urge them to be creative in ensuring Ukraine gets what they need while this logjam continues. Finally if we’re able we can donate to Come Back Alive and support the war effort directly.
- FORCED BIRTHERS BRUTALIZING TEXAS WOMAN
For the first time since before Roe, an actively pregnant adult woman has gone to court to get an abortion – and right now, she may not be able to exercise her rights with horrible personal costs. A Dallas woman named Kate Cox has sought permission to terminate her pregnancy as the fetus, which she and her husband very much wanted, has a lethal abnormality and continuing the pregnancy poses a risk to her health and future fertility. It is unclear whether her circumstances qualify under the narrow medical exception in Texas’ abortion ban. She was granted a temporary restraining order by a district judge, but Texas’ indicted attorney general Ken Paxton convinced the state supreme court to halt the order and has threatened several hospitals with legal action if they perform the abortion. This is a tragedy, and one conservative lawmakers are deliberately causing. Let’s reach out to the White House and our lawmakers and ask them what action they are planning on taking to help Kate and all those who will come after her. If we’re in states with restrictive abortion laws, let’s contact our legislators to let them know we see the “exceptions” they’re writing into abortion bans don’t work and will hold them accountable. And we can all take this moment to connect and sign up to volunteer with those campaigning to secure reproductive rights in key states, including Arizona, Florida, Missouri, Montana and South Dakota. Further, if we can, we can donate to support those working to help Texans in this frightening time – like the Center for Reproductive Rights, who are representing Kate in court; Frontera Fund and Lilith Fund, who fund abortions and the necessary travel to obtain one; and Avow, which is advocating for long-term change in the state.
- PUBLIC COMMENT FOR A NATIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT ACCOUNTABILITY DATABASEAttorney General Merrick Garland has finally made progress on establishing a National Law Enforcement Accountability Database (NLEAD) to document and store records of instances of officer misconduct – progress Rogan’s List subscribers have long demanded. This is part of President Biden’s executive order “to build and sustain fairness and accountability throughout the criminal justice system and extends to state, tribal, local, and territorial law.” The intent of the database is to “include records of officer misconduct (including convictions, terminations, de-certifications, civil judgments, resignations and retirements while under investigation for serious misconduct, and sustained complaints or records of disciplinary actions for serious misconduct), as well as commendations and awards.” Last week, the DOJ published a notice regarding the long overdue database. It is open for public comment until January 2, 2024. Let’s tell them here we think this is important and will help address the national problem of bad actors in law enforcement.
- PROTECTING KIDS ONLINE?In recent weeks, there’s been a renewed push to bring a number of bills addressing children’s online safety to a floor vote. The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) in particular “has bipartisan support from nearly half the Senate and the enthusiastic backing of President Joe Biden, but opponents fear the bill would cause more harm than good for children and the internet.” We want our kids to be protected online, but not at the cost of “empower[ing] state attorneys general to file lawsuits prosecuting culture war issues, such as content areas related to gender identity and abortion.” Let’s call our representatives with this handy tool to let them know that “The government should not have the power to decide what topics are ‘safe’ online for young people…This isn’t safety—it’s censorship.”
- NO GUNS FOR PERPETRATORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCEConnecticut resident Lori Jackson, 32, was shot and killed by her estranged husband, who was permitted to have a gun even though she had a temporary protective order against him. Oregon resident Nicolette Elias, 46, was killed by her estranged, abusive ex-husband who had access to firearms. The Lori Jackson–Nicolette Elias Domestic Violence Survivor Protection Act, named for both women, would, among other things, “restrict those under emergency restraining orders from purchasing or possessing a firearm, and would extend protections to domestic violence survivors who have been abused by their dating partners.”Let’s tell our US Senators to co-sponsor S.3303. (h/t Jewish Women International)
STATE-SPECIFIC ACTIONS
- CA – STAND WITH STRIKING FACULTY, TEAMSTERS AT CAL STATE
The strike wave has reached America’s largest public university system, with the California Faculty Association holding rolling one-day strikes at four different California State University campuses last week. The faculty are demanding higher pay and salary floors, expansion of paid parental leave, and caps on class sizes as part of negotiations for a new contract and modification of the current deal, which runs through June. Let’s contact the chancellor’s office and the Board of Trustees and urge them to come to a fair agreement with the faculty and with the Teamsters Local 2010 union, and reach out to our legislators and Governor Newsom to tell them to issue statements of support for the unions and ensure the system has the funding it needs.
AND FINALLY, SOME GOOD NEWS
- LAST WEEK’S WINSIt may not always feel like it, but our work is making a difference every day. Our friend Jessica Craven at Chop Wood, Carry Wateroutlines a few ways how in her run-down of last week’s wins, including faster cleanups of toxic waste due to the infrastructure bill, 1300 guns (including 190 AR-style rifles) taken off the streets because of the Safer Communities Act, and 22,500 additional votes in the midterms thanks to Postcards to Swing States.