"Make no mistake. This is democracy in reverse. Rather than voters being able to pick the politicians, the politicians are trying to cherry-pick their voters. This cannot stand." 

- Georgia Senator Rev. Raphael Warnock,
Commenting on the over 250 anti-voter bills introduced in states across the nation.

Combating Disinformation - Save the Date

At our next monthly meeting on Tuesday, April 20, 2021 at 6:30-7:30, we will discuss the issue of disinformation: how it is spread, how we (and others) are combating it, and how those efforts are working. Disinformation is the cause of so much of the dissent in this country, which is why combating the lies and promoting truthful information are critical parts of our 2021 mission.  We'll discuss social media monitoring and efforts to pressure corporate donors, social media companies, right-wing media, and the cable companies and advertisers that support those channels. Please plan to  join us on Zoom for an informative and eye-opening hour! In the meantime, sign up here if you would like to join our Combating Disinformation team. 

Join Us to  Socialize!

Our next Persistence Happy Hour is on Friday, April 9 at 5:30-6:30. Please plan to join us for drinks, conversation, and laughter. We’re hoping the weather will be nice enough to plan this next gathering outside. As we all know the unpredictability of New England weather, though, we’ll need to wait until a few days before the event to decide if we can meet in person or should gather on Zoom again. Please keep the event to your calendar and we’ll let you know the final plan as the date approaches!

Georgia Voter Suppression Law Highlights the Urgency of Passing  the For the People Act 

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp just signed into law one of the harshest, most restrictive anti-voter bills since the Jim Crow era. Its provisions include new restrictions on vote-by-mail, limits on when voters can drop their ballots off, rule changes that let right-wing voter suppression groups to challenge the qualifications of individual voters, removal of the Secretary of State’s authority to certify election results, and the widely denounced law making it a misdemeanor to give food or water to someone who is in line to vote, in a state where many spent hours waiting at their polling place last year.

This is especially scary because it is not just happening in Georgia. Already, Trump-aligned politicians are pushing more than 250 voter disenfranchisement laws this year -- particularly in states that the former president narrowly lost.

Georgia’s new law and those that are in process in other states illustrate just how critical it is that the For the People Act is passed, and that we all work to help accomplish that. Most of the actions highlighted in this newsletter describe ways to help push for passage of that federal voter protection law. Let’s each take on at least one of these actions to help make a difference!

For the People Phone Banks

During a recent joint I-RISE / Common Cause phone bank, callers reached 2 Republicans who were interested in learning about the For the People Act and were considering contacting their Senators to encourage support of the bill. That was a great accomplishment, and it is why these phone calls are so critical. Our joint weekly phone banks are continuing on Wednesdays at 4:00, with comprehensive training and support as needed. Sign up for a shift here.

This week, we’ll be calling NH voters and encouraging them to contact Senator Hassan to thank her for her support of the For the People Act (S1). Calling to thank Senators is important because it makes it clear that the bill is widely popular. If you’d like to call with Common Cause on another day or time, or you’d rather call into another state (the current targeted areas are AZ, CA, ME, PA, and AK), please email us at indivisible.rise.newburyport@gmail.com and we’ll help you find options at your preferred times. 

Texting Opportunities

MoveOn and Movement Labs (formerly Resistance Labs) both have active texting programs in place. MoveOn is currently texting to encourage voters to persuade their Senators to vote to end the filibuster. Movement Labs has been texting for Black Voters Matter and Contest every vote, addressing issues related to implementation of the American Rescue Plan and GOTV efforts for local elections in various states. 

Check out our Texting Opportunities document for links to these and other active texting opportunities. If you trained with Resistance Labs or MoveOn during our pre-election Action Hours, you’ll be all set to text with them again. If not, all texting organizations offer straightforward training and support, and our Texting Opportunities document has contact information if you have additional questions with which we might be able to help.

Spread the Truth
 

Here's the current Truth Sandwich from Indivisible’s Truth Brigade. Help counter the lies by spreading this accurate messaging throughout your networks. Please copy and post this latest Truth Sandwich on your personal social media platforms. If you don’t use social media, please email it to your contacts who may need some persuading or print it and give a hard copy to people the old fashioned way! If you would like to get involved with our efforts to spread the truth, please sign up for the Truth Brigade / Proactive Posting here.

 

Senate Hearing on the For the People Act

The more we learn about the Senate’s efforts concerning the landmark For the People Act, the better positioned we will be to help ensure its passage. As a start, click here to listen to or read the testimony of Senators who spoke at the Rules Committee hearing on Wednesday, March 24. Sen. Klobuchar explained in her opening statement: “At its core, the For the People Act is about three simple ideas: making voting easier, getting big money out of politics, and strengthening ethics rules. These are not radical proposals. These are ideas that nearly everyone in this country agrees with. And with this bill, we can make them a reality and ensure that Americans have a democracy that works for them.”

Not surprisingly, our Democratic Senators support S1. Please express your appreciation  by calling Senators Markey and Warren to let them know that you support their votes on this bill. Importantly, please also ask friends, family and social media contacts to call their Senators, particularly Republican Senators who need to pressure from their constituents. Senators phone numbers are here.  

Legislative Watch Team Update

Massachusetts’ ground-breaking Climate Roadmap bill was signed into law last week.  The Act Creating a Next-Generation Roadmap overhauls the state’s climate laws, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, advances the clean energy industry, improves gas pipeline safety, and prioritizes environmental justice communities. Interested in learning more about our state legislators’ priorities here in MA?  Sign up here to join the Legislative Watch team.

Upcoming Events 

There are so many interesting events and actions concerning democracy, elections, voting rights, pending legislation and other relevant issues that we have decided to list opportunities on the I-RISE Action & Events Calendar rather than summarize them here. This way, you can quickly glance at everything and choose your own priorities. Click here to access the calendar, with more complete descriptions and registration links for each event. 

In addition to the events described in this newsletter, highlights of events taking place over the next few weeks include:

Please review the I-RISE Actions & Events Calendar for additional events, and check back periodically because we continuously update the calendar. And don’t forget the weekly phone banks with Moms Demand Action (Sundays) and Common Cause (Wednesdays), and the MA Dems Activist Hubs (Saturdays).

Please sign up here to volunteer with I-RISE. Choose among numerous options and devote as much or as little time as you prefer!
Every bit makes a difference! 

• Bookmark our Event Calendar for events sponsored by Indivisible-RISE and allied organizations.
• Find us on Facebook  and visit our website.