5-31-21 Newsletter

 

2 POSTCARDS TO SAY THANKS Indivisible has given INCO 100 of these stellar postcards featuring our own Cheryl Conway so we can write Senators Merkley and Wyden to thank them for co-sponsoring S.51, for DC statehood.  You can be part of this statewide and nationwide project. We'll provide you with stamped postcards, the senators' addresses, and talking points. There's room for just 1-2 sentences so this is an easy way to advocate for this important cause. We'll mail you your 2 postcards when you contact incoregon@gmail.com with your name and mailing address.

DEMAND CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM Last fall 78% of voters approved Measure 107 to allow campaign finance reform in Oregon. Since then, the state legislature has been developing several reform bills. As of Friday night, HB 2860 has turned into a public financing and small donor bill with nothing about campaign limits on non-public funds.  COIN (Consolidated Oregon Indivisible Network) urges us to contact our legislators, with a slightly revised message: 1. Continue to express opposition to HB 2680-1. Support our preference for HB 3343 in terms of contribution limits; 2. acknowledge posting of HB 2680-12, which appears to now be a purely public financing bill that we are still reviewing but are optimistic about, and 3. assuming that this is the case, urge the Rules Committee to immediately push forward with HB 3343 as well. Contact Representative Barbara Smith Warner, the Rules Committee chair; her contact info is below. Oregon legislative contact info is below.

MOVING RURAL OREGON TOWARD PROGRESSIVE VALUES Unpacking Deep Canvassing Training series with Indivisible’s Rural Caucus One of the discussions that emerged from the recent election campaigns is how to communicate progressive values and policies in a rural community. Join other Indivisible groups for a training series on the listening, curiosity, conversation, and practical skills needed to successfully have deep canvassing conversations to move folks toward progressive values and action in your community. This is a 4-part series of sessions that build on each other -- please join us for all four if you can, but drop-ins are also welcome! You can choose to attend one or more of the following sessions.  Jun 2, 2021 08:00 PM   Jun 9, 2021 08:00 PM   Jun 16, 2021 08:00 PM   Jun 23, 2021 08:00 PM REGISTER HERE:  ttps://indivisible.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEsdeCqpzkiEtePpwmAUE0wT6TJ7sEnVJC3

IMPORTANT BILLS NEED YOUR SUPPORT INCO supports S.1, the For the People Act INCO's letter to the editor tells why. We also wrote US Senator Jeff Merkley to thank him for sponsoring this essential bill and Senator Ron Wyden to thank him for co-sponsoring S.1. Now it's your turn! Our calls and emails prove that their constituents support this vital legislation - something they can tell their GOP colleagues. We must prevent more Republican-sponsored anti-democracy voter suppression bills in states around the country.  Contact State Representative Suzanne Weber and urge her to co-sponsor and vote for SJM 5. This is a bipartisan resolution endorsing a proposed climate change bill in Congress, the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act (EICDA). This resolution is part of a nationwide effort to show support from state legislatures and their constituents for the EICDA.  State Representative Weber: 503-986-1432 Senator Merkley: 202-224-3753 Senator Wyden: 202-224-5244 More contact information is here.

Wear Orange Weekend starts June 4 - hosted by Everytown for Gun Safety. Save the date and learn more about Wear Orange. June 4 is National Gun Violence Awareness Day. After Hadiya Pendleton was shot and killed in 2013 at the age of 15, her friends and family organized in Chicago to honor her life by wearing the color orange. Wear Orange originated on June 2, 2015—what would have been Hadiya's 18th birthday—and is now observed nationally on the first Friday in June and the following weekend each year in order to raise awareness for gun violence prevention. This year, that means calling special attention to how the gun violence crisis has worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, the number of people killed by gun violence exceeded 40,000—the highest rate of gun deaths in two decades.

Ad Fontes Media just released its latest chart to rate news sources via reliability, analysis, and political point of view. Check out the interactive and static charts, and find more here.

OREGON LEGISLATURE CONTACT INFO Senate Leadership President Courtney     https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/courtney             Email: sen.petercourtney@oregonlegislature.gov Pres. Pro Tem. Manning     https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/manning             Email: Sen.JamesManning@oregonlegislature.gov Dem. Leader Wagner    https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/wagner             Email: Sen.RobWagner@oregonlegislature.gov Rep. Leader Girod         https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/girod             Email: Sen.FredGirod@oregonlegislature.gov   House Leadership Speaker Kotek   https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/kotek             Email: Rep.TinaKotek@oregonlegislature.gov Speaker Pro Tem. Holvey           https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/holvey             Email: Rep.PaulHolvey@oregonlegislature.gov Dem. Leader Smith Warner       https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/smithwarner Email: rep.barbarasmithwarner@oregonlegislature.gov Rep. Leader Drazen       https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/drazan             Email: Rep.ChristineDrazan@oregonlegislature.gov   Clatsop County's legislators State Senator Betsy Johnson: 503-986-1716 State Representative Suzanne Weber: 503-986-1432 More contact information is here.

HAPPENINGS VIRTUAL  Tuesday, June 8 - INCO South County Community Group Zoom meeting, 6:30 pm - 8 pm. Please RSVP to Kathleenannmacdonald@yahoo.com thru Monday, June 7 for your Zoom link. Saturday,  June 19 - INCO North County Community Group Zoom meeting, 11 a.m - noon. Contact incoregon@gmail.com to get the Zoom link. The INCO Write to Voters group meets via Zoom on Fridays, 3-4 pm. Join us for informal chat and writing to voters in special elections and for ballot issues. Pets and children are welcome. Contact incoregon@gmail.com to get the Zoom invitation from Bebe.  WRITE TO VOTERS: Special elections and issue campaigns need you year-round. You can sign up to write to voters at www.postcardstovoters.org or for general Get Out the Vote campaigns, sign up at Vote Forward.

INSIGHTS Hope has two lovely daughters,      anger and courage. Anger so that what must not be         will not be and courage so that what can be           will be.                     -- St. Augustine

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  May 31, 2021