Action Alerts – Week of June 19th – CNY Solidarity Coalition

CNY Solidarity members and supporters:

Please find below the weekly ACTION ALERTS from our legislative action team. Also, please note that for the remainder of the summer, these legislative ACTION ALERT emails may move to a somewhat more irregular schedule. If you start to miss them, don’t despair! We’re still monitoring our reps and will be back with further action alerts soon, just not necessarily every Monday.

Highlights for this week include a mayoral candidates’ forum in Syracuse tonight, a CNY Solidarity full-coalition meeting on Wed., the last 3 days of the state legislative session in Albany, and still more pressure to defeat TrumpCare. On the latter front, we’ve got a phone-calling campaign targeting Sen. Schumer and Gillibrand today, and a sit-in planned for Thursday.

Monday (June 19): Two phone-calling actions (1 state, 1 federal) today, and a mayoral candidates forum in Syracuse tonight

One final push for progressive legislation in NYS this year

The governor may introduce an end of legislative session omnibus bill that could include several previously introduced bills. NYS legislative session officially ends Wednesday (6/21). We’re asking that people make phone calls to Governor Cuomo (1-518-474-8390) requesting he include the following in such a bill:

— Early Voting (S2950)

— Electronic Poll Books (S2788)

— Automatic Voter Registration

— No-excuse Absentee Ballots

— Comprehensive Contraceptive Coverage Act (S3668)

— Climate Change & Community Protection Act (S8005)

— Genda (S502)

We realize that this is a long list & many of you have limited calling time, so choose your favorite 2 or 3 and ask for those. Public support for any of these bills is welcome.

No business as usual for TrumpCare

Healthcare advocates nationwide are calling on Democratic Senators to do everything in their power to slow down Senate business in an effort to derail the enactment of TrumpCare. More details here and here. Senate Republicans have regularly used the Senate’s arcane procedural rules to delay (and sometimes defeat) enactment of progressive bills, and TrumpCare is so bad that Senate Dems need to return the favor. Please call Sen. Schumer (202-224-6542; 315-423-5471) and Sen. Gillibrand (202-224-4451; 315-448-0470) and urge them to “withhold consent” and “filibuster by amendment” to block TrumpCare.

Mayoral forum in Syracuse

The Syracuse Chapter of the National Action Network (NAN) is partnering with the Alliance of Communities Transforming Syracuse (ACTS), the SW Community Center, Parents for Public Schools (PPS), CNY Solidarity Coalition, Greater Syracuse HOPE and the Urban Jobs Taskforce to conduct two candidates forums in June. The first is a Mayoral Candidates Forum tonight from 7-8:30 pm at the Southwest Community Center, 401 South Ave, Syracuse 13204. More info and livestreaming here.

Tuesday (June 20): The state legislative session ends tomorrow, so we’ve got 2 phone-calling actions and an on-line petition today, all state-focused

Say NO to the IDC!

This is an easy one: Sign and share this online petition as part of a continuing effort to urge State Senator Dave Valesky to leave the IDC! The IDC is the “Independent Democratic Conference,” a group of elected Democrats in the NYS Senate who refuse to caucus with their Democratic colleagues, thus giving control of the chamber to the Republicans. This control allows the GOP to prevent votes from being held on essential legislation on a host of progressive issues. All 18 Democratic U.S. House members from NY, Senator Gillibrand, DNC co-chair Keith Ellison, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have called on the IDC to disband and rejoin the Democratic caucus. The number of signers to the petition will be announced at an event on June 28, so please keep spreading the word until then.

Green Light New York – Help win drivers licenses for immigrants in NYS

Green Light NY legislation would allow undocumented immigrants to obtain drivers’

licenses, marked specifically for driving only. When immigrants don’t have access to licenses, they can’t legally drive to work or to the doctor, and a routine traffic stop can lead to deportation and the separation of families. Please call your NYS Assembly Member and urge her/him to support this bill (A4050). Most of us are represented in the Assembly by one of the following, but if you’re not sure whose district you’re in, click here and enter your address to find out:

Assembly Member Pamela Hunter: 315-449-9536
Assembly Member Al Stirpe: 315-452-1115
Assembly Member William Magnarelli: 315-428-9651
Assembly Member Gary Finch: 315-255-3045

Pass Progressive Climate Legislation

From our friends at NY Renews: The Climate & Community Protection Act is set to put NY on the path to a completely fossil fuel free economy by 2050 and ensure a just transition that lifts up workers and low-income communities. Please call your state Senator and demand an up-or-down vote on the Climate and Community Protection Act during this last week of the legislative session. Use this sample script if you like. Most of us are represented in the State Senate by David Valesky (315-478-8745), John DeFrancisco (315-428-7632), or James Seward (607-432-5524), but if you’re not sure whose district you’re in, click here and enter your address to find out.

Wednesday (June 21): One phone call and two meetings today

Health care, women’s rights, prisoners’ rights—with one phone call!

It might be too late, as today is the last day of the state legislative session, but this is so outrageous that we’re going to squeeze in one final phone call. Republican and IDC Senators are preventing passage of S6176, which would provide no-cost menstrual hygiene products to incarcerated women. Call your state Senator and let him/her know what you think. Most of us are represented in the State Senate by David Valesky (315-478-8745), John DeFrancisco (315-428-7632), or James Seward (607-432-5524), but if you’re not sure whose district you’re in, click here and enter your address to find out.

6pm: Rapid Response Meeting

The ICE deportation machine is in overdrive. ICE director, Thomas Homan, recently remarked that all undocumented people are “perpetrators”—those who have children are, he says, culpable for the state’s separation of their families—and should be looking over their shoulders. Chillingly, Homan went on to remark, “No population is off the table,” a phrase evocative of a long history of state violence. More than witnessing, this is a time to challenge the arrest, detention, and deportation of undocumented people. 6pm, Workers’ Center of CNY 2013 E. Genesee Street Syracuse, NY 13210. For more info: Nikeeta at nslade@workerscentercny.org.

7pm: CNY Solidarity meeting, Bishop Harrison Center

Full-coalition meeting. Agenda includes discussion of two items: 1) the question of whether or not the Coalition should incorporate as a 501c organization and 2) a coalition statement regarding nonviolence and civic engagement.

Thursday (June 22): One sit-in and one letter-writing campaign today

No business as usual on TrumpCare!

Thursday June 22 12pm

Healthcare Sit-In @ Schumer’s Office

Federal Building 100 S. Clinton St.

We will be joining a statewide action at taking place at all of Schumer’s offices on Thursday, calling for Senate democrats to get the TrumpCare bill to fall apart by delaying a vote until after the July 4th recess. We will demand that a) the minority party withholds consent on all Senate business and b) filibusters by amendment until the Republicans schedule public hearings. (Here is an explanation of these procedures.)

Support immigrant dairy workers

Please choose one of the following letter-writing options:

1) Write a letter to the editor re: Milked: Immigrant Dairy Farmworkers in New York State. Published by the Workers’ Center of Central New York and the Worker Justice Center, this study finds that a race to the bottom is occurring in the treatment and working conditions of the immigrant laborers who toil in milking parlors and barns. Please continue reading and sharing the report at www.milkedny.org.

2) Write a message to Chobani, a leading yogurt company located in upstate New York and major purchaser of New York dairy, asking them to read the report and to implement a worker-driven code of conduct ensuring fair labor practices throughout their supply chain.

Friday, Saturday, Sunday (June 23-25): No CNY Solidarity actions (until further notice!) Enjoy the weekend with your friends and family. We’re in this fight for the long haul, so rest up.

Save the date for these upcoming events:

Mon., June 26, 7-830pm: National Action Network candidates forum (for Syracuse Common Council and judicial elections), co-sponsored by CNY Solidarity and others, Southwest Community Center.

Wed., June 28: Public launch of “No IDC 53” campaign urging State Sen. Dave Valesky to withdraw from the “Independent Democratic Conference,” which has repeatedly been a graveyard for progressive legislation. More details soon.

Thur., June 29, 10:30am: Meeting w/ Assembly Member Hunter (email diana.ryan3@gmail.com for further details)

Sun., July 9, 3-5pm: CNY Solidarity meeting, location TBD

Sun. July 16, 9am-4pm: Workers’ Center of CNY 3^rd Annual Soccer Tournament Fundraiser, CBA, 6245 Randall Rd. 13214. Volunteers needed to help. Email nslade@workerscentercny.org for further details.

Wed., July 26, 7pm: CNY Solidarity meeting, location TBD

Sun., Aug. 6, 3-5pm: CNY Solidarity meeting, location TBD

Wed., Aug. 23, 7pm: CNY Solidarity meeting, location TBD

Today and every day, be sure to follow us online and on social media!

Check out our website: www.cnysolidarity.org