4-5-21 Newsletter

 

USE YOUR VOICE How will our elected representatives know what you want if you don't tell them? Indivisibles around the state are evaluating proposed legislation described in today's newsletter. Now it's up to each of us to tell our state legislators how we want them to vote. Use today's newsletter as a guide for contacting your state legislators. Contact incoregon@gmail.com with questions and comments. TELL BETSY TO TAKE ACTION ON CLIMATE AND SJM 5 The Oregon Senate votes Wednesday, April 7 on a resolution urging Congress to pass the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act (EICDA). This resolution - SJM5 -  was written by Senator Michael Dembrow at the behest of former Representative Tiffiny Mitchell.  Please write or call State Senator Betsy Johnson and ask her to vote yes. Please contact her again if you reached out before.  Here are the key points about the EICDA and SJM 5:  •  The EICDA will put a fee on carbon pollution at its source (the coal mine, oil well, natural gas well, and fuels imported across the US border) and then take that money to give back to American households in monthly dividend checks. •  This policy is revenue neutral. The fees collected on carbon emissions will be allocated to all Americans to spend any way they choose. The government will not keep any of the fees collected. •  This is a market based solution that doesn't grow the government or increase regulations. •  The EICDA has had bipartisan support in Congress.  •  SJM 5 has bipartisan support in the Oregon Legislature.  Questions?  Contact Eric Halperin at  ehod1@yahoo.com 38 BILLS REVIEWED BY COIN NEED YOU Thanks to the team of COIN activists who have assessed 38 bills currently before the state legislature. Now it's up to us to do our part to enact the 36 bills that COIN recommends and reject the other two. COIN asks that you send the following letter to our legislators, State Senator Betsy Johnson and State Representative Suzanne Weber. The links to the bills COIN has reviewed are here and here. If you can, please copy and save the recommendations as a PDF and attach with your email. If you'd like a ready-made PDF of the recommendations, contact incoregon@gmail.com.  Please personalize your letter, especially the first and last paragraphs, shown in blue.    • • • • • • • • • • • • •  Subject: Bills to Support/Oppose   Dear [Sen. Johnson D-16] or Dear [Rep. Weber-D-32], I am one of your constituents in District 16/32. You recently got this email from the Consolidated Oregon Indivisible Network: The Consolidated Oregon Indivisible Network (COIN) is a coalition of over 40 Indivisible groups in Oregon that cooperate and amplify their joint efforts to advance federal and state legislation and hold their elected representatives accountable. Collectively, we represent tens of thousands of progressives throughout Oregon, from the Portland metro area, to Central, Eastern, and Southern Oregon, the Coast, the Columbia Gorge and the Willamette Valley.   Attached you will find a COIN document listing 38 bills currently before the Oregon Legislature on which COIN has made a recommendation. In order to qualify for a recommendation, the COIN Legislative Team first carefully researches and vets each bill. Next, worksheets proposing a recommendation on each bill are prepared and reviewed by COIN’s leadership. Finally, the recommendations are put out for COIN Indivisible member groups to join.On behalf of COIN, I am providing you with our recommendations. We hope you will consider them thoughtfully as you cast your votes.  Very truly yours,​ Mary Chaffin On behalf of the Consolidated Oregon Indivisible Network consolidatedoregonindivisible@gmail.com I want you to pay particular attention to this list of recommendations because I, and many others in District 16/32 support them. My group, Indivisible North Coast Oregon (INCO), is an active member of COIN. Sincerely, FUND THE FUTURE Starting today, Indivisible national will match donations to INCO up to a total of $500, which means $1000! You can help INCO be ready to defend democracy this month and throughout the year.  Your donation will be matched dollar-for-dollar by Indivisible national for a limited time. With your help, we can continue our work for democracy in these tumultuous, challenging times.  Please donate here. WHY INDIVISIBLE ACTIVISM MATTERS INCO registered voters and distributed Agree/Disagree signs for the first time at Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici's Town Hall, Warrenton High School, April 15, 2017. MAKE THEM HEAR YOU Watch this on YouTube. Go out and tell our story Let it echo far and wide Make them hear you Make them hear you How Justice was our battle And how Justice was denied Make them hear you Make them hear you And say to those who blame us For the way we chose to fight, That sometimes there are battles That are more than black or white And I could not put down my sword When Justice was my right Make them hear you Go out and tell our story to your daughters and your sons Make them hear you Make them hear you And tell them, "In our struggle, We were not the only ones" Make them hear you Make them hear you Your sword could be a sermon Or the power of the pen Teach every child to raise his voice And then my brothers, then Will justice be demanded by ten million riteous men Make them hear you- When they hear you, I'll be near you Again Brian Stokes Mitchell sings this song from "Ragtime," the musical, here.   Lyric by Lynn Ahrens, music by Stephen Flaherty Make Them Hear You lyrics © Wb Music Corp., Wb Music Corp. O/b/o Pen And Perseverance, Wb Music Corp, Wb Music Corp. O/b/o Hillsdale Music, Inc., Pen And Perseverance, Inc., Hillsdale Music, Inc. 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 "Many a time freedom has been rolled back -and always for the same sorry reason: fear."            -- Molly Ivins, columnist  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  April 5, 2021