Monday, March 22, 2021

3-22-21 Newsletter

 

STOP HATE, VIOLENCE, IGNORANCE
Local high school students inspired INCO's Rally For Our Lives in downtown Astoria on March 24, 2018. About 400 people braved icy rain to stand up for safe communities and smart gun laws.

Today INCO grieves with the country over the lives lost to hate and gun violence around the country, particularly last week in Atlanta. We are outraged that Americans inflict bigotry and violence on our Asian and Pacific Islander neighbors and their descendants, who include American citizens, visitors, and immigrants.  

We demand that Congress enact common sense gun laws to keep everyone safe. 
Northwestern University has resources here for fighting xenophobia and anti-Asian racism.
THANK YOU, HIPFISH
Hipfish Monthly, the valuable alternative community and culture newspaper, publishes a monthly column featuring issues and ideas written by INCO members and other activists. Thank you, Dinah Urell, Hipfish's dynamic owner and editor, for your continuing support of INCO and political conversations. Pick up your free issue at various stores and galleries around the lower Columbia Pacifici region.
WHAT IS A QUORUM?
Senate Joint Resolution 4 (SJR 4) would amend the Oregon Constitution to require a simple majority for a quorum in the legislature. Currently, the Oregon Constitution requires 2/3 of legislators to be present in order for the legislature to vote on bills. Both parties have misused this requirement to stage walkouts that have denied votes on critical legislation. 

Please call or write State Senator Betsy Johnson and let her know you want her to support SJR 4: Sen.BetsyJohnson@oregonlegislature.gov or https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/johnson 
Here's the latest update about legislation COIN members endorse and oppose. Teams of Oregon Indivisibles are vetting these bills and then presenting them to the various groups, like INCO, for a decision. INCO's leadership team reviews the recommendations before we take a position on them. If there's a bill or issue you'd like COIN to check out, please contact incoregon@gmail.com, and we'll let the teams know.
WHY INDIVISIBLE ACTIVISM MATTERS
Read more about the Republican war on voting in this New Yorker article.
HAPPENINGS
VIRTUAL
Tuesday, April 13 - INCO South County Community Group Zoom meeting, 6:30 pm - 8 pm. Please RSVP to Kathleenannmacdonald@yahoo.com thru Monday, April 12 for your Zoom link.

Saturday,  April 17 - INCO North County Community Group Zoom meeting, 11 a.m - noon. Contact incoregon@gmail.com to get the Zoom link.

EVERY FRIDAY: The INCO Write to Voters group invites you to a Zoom open house for informal chat and writing to voters in special elections and for ballot issues every Friday from 3-4 pm. Pets and children welcome. Contact incoregon@gmail.com to get the Zoom invitation from Bebe. 
INSIGHTS
"Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could
only do a little.”  
- - Edmund Burke 
Comments, news, and photos to INCO at incoregon@gmail.com
Resources and other information at www.incoregon.org and www.indivisible.org.
Encourage others to sign up for the INCO newsletter at our website or here.

INCO Weekly Newsletter   March 22, 2021