December 22, 2023
New Texas crime, more STEM expertise in Congress, car loan industry, and postcarding for elections!
** ANNOUNCEMENT: DECEMBER SCHEDULE ***
Rogan’s List is taking a brief hiatus as we reach the end of the year! Today is our last regularly scheduled edition. We will resume our usual schedule on Wednesday, January 3rd. We wish you all a happy new year and look forward to fighting for our democracy with you in 2024! We can do this!
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:
- A NEW “SHOW ME YOUR PAPERS” LAW IN TEXAS
Governor Greg Abbott has signed into law SB4, one of the harshest immigration policies in the country to date. Reminiscent of Arizona’s notorious “show me your papers” law SB 1070, it will now be a state crime to cross into Texas without documentation and those who do are threatened with decades in prison – violating the Constitution. SB4 also gives law enforcement the ability to arrest anyone they believe has crossed into the state illegally, a recipe for racial profiling and other forms of discrimination. Civil rights groups have already sued, and Immigration activists and members of the House led by Rep. Joaquin Castro are calling on the Justice Department to intervene to stop this cruelty before it takes effect in March. Let’s contact the Justice Department and add our voices to theirs and urge our own members of Congress to do the same. - BUILDING SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY EXPERTISE IN CONGRESSFrom artificial intelligence to data privacy legislation, social media election interference, climate change, and other urgent, highly technical and scientific issues, Congress lacks access to the high-quality research, data, and nonpartisan expertise needed for crafting sensible, effective legislation, according to a recent report from the Brennan Center for Justice. Remedies include beefing up the Government Accounting Office’s Science, Technology, and Analytics department; establishment of a Commission on Evidence-Based Policymaking; and investing in more congressional staff with specialized expertise. Let’s share the Brennan Center’s report with our Members of Congress and ask them to enact its policy recommendations, including their co-sponsorship of H.Con.Res.49 (Congressional Evidence-Based Policymaking Resolution).
- POSTCARDS TO TAKE BACK THE HOUSE IN 2024Grassroots Democrats Headquarters has several postcard-writing campaigns going on now that are aiming to help flip US House seats from red to blue in battleground districts in New York and California. They’re looking for volunteers! Let’s sign up and start writing. We can also sign up to receive email updates from Grassroots Democrats to stay apprised of phone banking, postcarding, and other volunteer opportunities to help elect Democrats everywhere.
- HELP PROPUBLICA REPORT ON THE CAR LOAN INDUSTRY“U.S. consumers are falling behind on their auto loans at historic rates. Experts blame inflation, soaring interest rates and high retail car prices. Our journalists want to learn more about this industry and understand the causes and consequences of the surge in delinquencies…Do you work for a subprime lender — in customer service, collections, loan funding, training or risk management? Are you paying off a subprime car loan? Are you a lawyer dealing with these issues in court? A regulator? An investor?” If we are, we might have the information they’re looking for. We can use the form here to get in touch with ProPublica.
STATE-SPECIFIC ACTIONS
- MA: For the climate, stop private jet expansionA report from the Institute for Policy Studies, a progressive think tank, finds that “private jets emit at least 10 times more pollutants than commercial planes per passenger,” and “approximately 1 percent of people are believed to be responsible for about half of all aviation carbon emissions.” The Massachusetts Port Authority is proposing to build 27 additional hangars for civilian private jets at Bedford’s Hanscom Field. A coalition of environmental groups called Stop Private Jet Expansion at Hansom or Anywhere is warning that all of the progress being made in Massachusetts communities to reduce greenhouse gasses “is cancelled out by the current and growing emissions due to private jet operations at Hansom Field.” Let’s read up on this issue at SPJE’s website, and let’s take action by signing the petition against the Hanscom Field private jet hangar project, and by contacting Governor Healey. We can also see if there are upcoming events we can help with.