INCO Weekly Newsletter 4/15

"INDIVISIBLE is what gives me the most hope that sane, decent people can re-establish democracy in this country.  Their influence has been tremendous, so far, and I expect it to become ever stronger.  Being with our local group again was a joyous experience...much love to you all." Sincerely, Sue Zerangue, Astoria TOWN HALL WITH CONGRESSWOMAN SUZANNE BONAMICI Don't miss this opportunity to share your questions and concerns with her. Tuesday, April 16 6 pm Columbia Hall 219, Clatsop Community College 1651 Lexington, Astoria. Enter accessible parking from Lexington just east of 15th Street. "BIG MONEY AGENDA: DEMOCRACY ON THE BRINK" This film shows the links between US health care and money in politics, along with other obstacles to common-sense solutions for healthcare and our democracy. Saturday, April 20 2 pm Astoria Public Library Flag Room, 450 10th Street Documentary film screening, with Q & A and panel discussion Free, with donations welcome. Co-sponsored by INCO. KEEP INCO ACTIVE AND EFFECTIVE  Indivisible national will MATCH your donation to INCO if you donate in April!   Use this link so Indivisible will double your contribution, up to a total of $500. If you wish you could do more to make our country better, this is an excellent way to help. Your donation will go toward INCO's efforts to: Promote informed voting Promote efforts that increase voter participation Support voting rights and fair districting Support campaign finance reform Advocate for government transparency and accountability Defend First Amendment Rights Only donations given through this ActBlue site will be doubled by Indivisible.  Thank you for contributing to INCO and for working to save our democracy. NPV PASSES OREGON SENATE - TIME TO CALL TIFFINY!  National Popular Vote passed the Oregon Senate, 17-12, in a bipartisan vote, despite Senator Betsy Johnson's NO vote.  If the House Rules Committee agrees, the NPV bill will go to the House for a vote. The National Popular Vote bill would guarantee the Presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Contact Representative Tiffiny Mitchell, a longtime NPV advocate, to thank her and ask her to vote YES.Your calls and emails will help her convince her colleagues to vote YES. She is at 503-986-1432‬ and Rep.TiffinyMitchell@oregonlegislature.gov. Things are heating up in Salem, and we need your help.   The Clean Energy Jobs (CEJ) Bill  This climate and economy legislation (HB 2020) is still in the Joint Committee on Carbon Reduction. Once it's out of committee for a vote, nothing is certain...except that those opposed are ramping up their pressure against a clean energy economy. Please call or email Senator Betsy Johnson and Representative Tiffiny Mitchell to express your support for CEJ. Please write a Letter to the Editor to keep a positive message in the paper.  There have been a number of negative LTE's recently in the Daily Astorian.  Whether you write to the Daily A or another publication, keep your comments positive about the benefits of the Clean Energy Jobs Bill.   Here are some helpful resources to give you ideas: •  Representative Mitchell's guest column in the Daily Astorian. •  HB 2020 talking points and general concepts about CEJ from the SOCAN (Southern Oregon Climate Action Network) website  •  Opposition letters in the Daily Astorian •  Renew Oregon and CEJ Thanks to Eric Halperin and everyone who's been working to pass this major legislation!  Other pending legislation includes: •  CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM: Oregon's latest attempt to limit corporate and individual campaign contributions is SJR 18, with Measure 5 amending. • THE STUDENT SUCCESS ACT:  HB 2019 proposes improved funding for education. Please ask Betsy to support the measure, which was largely developed by a joint Senate and House committee.  • GUN SALES AND STORAGE: SB (Senate Bill) 275 and HB (House Bill) 2505 require that that guns be safely secured. HB 2251 was introduced by Governor Kate Brown to require common-sense limits on gun ownership. After consulting with Mom's Demand Action and reviewing these bills, INCO'S Advocacy Team has endorsed these bills. Contact info is here.  Check out OPB's look at proposed legislationthis session. CONTACT BETSY AND TIFFINY TODAY!  Ask them to support important progressive bills coming to a vote! Ask State Senator Betsy Johnson to vote for these bills endorsed by INCO; she has been silent on many progressive issues. Thank State Representative Tiffiny Mitchell for her ongoing support of progressive legislation. • Betsy -- 503-986-1716and Sen.BetsyJohnson@oregonlegislature.gov.  • Tiffiny -- ‭(503) 986-1432‬ and Rep.TiffinyMitchell@oregonlegislature.gov. INDIVISIBLE TUESDAY CALL OF THE WEEK Tell your Members of Congress to block Homeland Security's cruel agenda.  We are in an autocratic state  - Trump has weaponized DHS, with its shadow head, Stephen Miller, to terrorize the country and use children as weapons against his opponents: parents are being asked which torture they will inflict on their kids with binary choice, the military is poised to run concentration camps, and Trump is determined to release immigrants into sanctuary cities as retaliation. We ask Congress to immediately address this - start by passing the REUNITE Act and the Families Not Facilities Act while calling for Stephen Miller's resignation   Senator Merkley's DC office: 202-224-3753. Senator Wyden's DC office: 202-224-5244.  Congresswoman Bonamici's DC office: 202-225-0855 Join other Oregon Indivisibles and call your MoCs on Tuesday. Contact info is here.   After you call,  • WRITE a Letter to the Editor. The Daily Astorian - editor@dailyastorian.com or through their website - publishes up to 250 words. No name-calling. Include your contact information. MEDICARE FOR ALL Indivisible has a new resource about this key topic, including different legislation proposed in Congress. CHECK OUT THE CANDIDATES On May 21 Clatsop County elects volunteers to serve on the boards of Special Districts, including local school districts; and local fire, water, health, and sanitary districts. Serving all of the county are the college, the Port of Astoria, and Sunset Empire Transportation District. These board members set budgets, policy, and hire key staff. This election is non-partisan. Learn more about the candidates at this forum: Seaside School District Board Candidate Forum Tuesday, April 30, at 7 pm Broadway Middle School Library 1120 Broadway, Seaside Hosted by Seaside AAUW and the Seaside Signal If you know about other candidate forums, please contact incoregon@gmail.com so we can list them in the newsletter. The last day to register to vote in the May 21 election is April 30. * * * * * * * *  INCO on KMUN Cheryl Johnson and Bryan Kidder talk about the May 21 Special District election with "Perspectives" host Joan Herman.  Tuesday, April 30 9 - 9:30 am 91.9 FM and 91.3 FM on the south slope HAPPENINGS Details on our events page. Everyone is welcome to all these events. THIS WEEK Tuesday, April 16 - Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici Town Hall, 6 pm, Clatsop Community College, Columbia Hall 219, 1651 Lexington Avenue, Astoria Wednesday, April 17- Vote the Future (VTF) monthly meeting,  6:30 pm, Seaside Library Board Room Saturday, April 20 - Warrenton Community Group meeting, 11:30, Dooger's Seafood and Grill, Highway 101, Warrenton Saturday, April 20 - Cannon Beach-Manzanita Community Group table at Cannon Beach Earth Day. 11 am - 1 pm, US Bank parking lot Saturday, April 20 - "Big Money Agenda, Democracy on the Brink" film, Q&A, and panel, 2 pm, Astoria Public Library, 450 10th Street. Co-sponsored by INCO. UPCOMING Wednesday, April 24 - US Representative Bonamici Town Hall, 6 pm, Clatskanie Cultural Center, Birkenfeld Theater, 75 South Nehalem Street, Clatskanie Tuesday, April 30 - INCO on "Perspectives" radio program, 9 am, KMUN. Cheryl Johnson and Bryan Kidder talk about the May 21 Special District election with host Joan Herman. Tuesday, April 30 - Last day for new voters to registerto vote in the May 21 Special Districts election. Clatsop County Elections, 820 Exchange, 2nd floor, Astoria. More info here. Tuesday, April 30 - Seaside School Board Candidates Forum, 7 pm, Broadway Middle School Library; hosted by Seaside AAUW and the Seaside Signal. Wednesday, May 1 - Advocacy Team monthly meeting, 6:30 - 8 pm, Seaside Library Board Room Thursday, May 2 - INCO Table at Ales & Ideas, 7 pm, Lovell Showroom, 426 14th Street, Astoria. Doors open at 6 pm. Food and drink available for purchase. INCO t-shirts and In Our America yard signs available for purchase.  Saturday, May 4 - Astoria Community Group monthly meeting, time changed to 10:30 a.m. - noon, WineKraft, on the Riverwalk at the foot of 10th.  INSIGHTS “Hope is not a lottery ticket you can sit on the sofa and clutch, feeling lucky. It is an axe you break down doors with in an emergency.” -- Rebecca Solnit, HOPE IN THE DARK ACTION PRIORITIES   How will your Members of Congress know what you want if you don't tell them? •  Members of Congress (MoC) care about getting re-elected, so contact ONLY elected officials who represent you so you don't dilute the power of actual constituents. •  It's more effective to contact your MoC about one issue at a time.  •  Be sure to tell your MoC when you agree with their positions and votes.   Contact YOUR elected officials here.   For current action items, visit www.incoregon.org and www.indivisible.org. Find other suggested actions in the Americans of Conscience Checklist.

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS Get active with INCO's Advocacy Team, Vote the Future Team,  Book Club and Community Groups. Contact Laurie at incoregon@gmail.com for more information.   Questions, suggestions, & photos to INCO at incoregon@gmail.com.  INCO has 3 websites: our main one; Vote the Future; and Really Do Care INCO Under 40s. Really Do Care also has a Facebook group.  Join INCO's closed Facebook group. Share this newsletter with other resisters. You can sign up for emails from national Indivisible at www.indivisible.org. Deb Vanasse and Laurie Caplan, INCO Co-chairs INCO Weekly Newsletter   April 15, 2019