8-23-2021 Newsletter

 

TOMORROW, Tuesday, August 24. Register here. WEDNESDAY, August 25. Register for this Zoom webinar here. Learn what’s at stake, what we should expect and what we need to advocate for in redistricting this year. See below regarding the legislative hearings that start next month. WE MISS YOU! How are you doing in these tragic and confusing times?  We miss seeing you at rallies, town halls, Community Group meetings, and other events. We look forward to seeing you in person as soon as it's safe to gather again.   In the meantime, INCO would love to hear from you. What causes and resources would you like others to know about? Have you discovered actions or projects that support democracy locally or elsewhere? We'd love to know what you're doing!  Please email your comments to incoregon@gmail.com.    Take good care of yourself, stay safe, and keep on standing up for democracy.  OREGON REDISTRICTING HEARINGS START SOON The official site has links to census data, instructions for submitting your proposed maps, and a link for signing up for redistricting updates. We'll let you know when the legislature posts links for watching the hearings and submitting your comments. CONSERVATIVES CHALLENGE OREGON VOTING LAWS OPB reports that conservative activists want to overturn Oregon's newest election laws. These laws allow sallows to be mailed on Election Day and keep more voters on state rolls. Learn more here. S.1 - FOR THE PEOPLE ACT UPDATE "Chuck Schumer has promised another vote on For the People in September. That could be another Motion to Proceed vote (which probably means we still don't have the votes to change the filibuster) or it could be a rules reform vote that would help us bypass the filibuster and open the path to actual progress. Everything we do from today until then is to make sure it’s the latter." -- Indivisible national, 8-16-21 "A bill to expand Americans' access to the ballot box, reduce the influence of big money in politics, strengthen ethics rules for public servants, and implement other anti-corruption measures for the purpose of fortifying our democracy, and for other purposes." -- govtrack Please contact Senators Merkley and Wyden, even if you've called before. Thank them for their support of S.1 and urge them to continue to push for its passage. They need to know what their constituents, including you, want. “… the best way to navigate the challenging times ahead is to personally engage in the noble causes of defending democracy and preserving our planet while keeping our gaze fixed on the distant horizon. We must be proactive and patient in equal measure. Get involved, or serve as a mentor for someone else. Better yet, do both.”  -- Robert Hubbell, Today's Edition, 8-12-21 RIVER DEMOCRACY ACT VIRTUAL TOWN HALL SENATOR RON WYDEN Tuesday, August 31 at 1 pm Pacific time If you live in rural Oregon and would like to ask a question at this 1 pm PT town hall, you can register and submit questions here. Questions will be moderated by People's Town Hall. Senator Wyden's on-line town hall will be streamed on People's Town Hall's Facebook page here. Last February Senators Wyden and Merkley introduced legislation to protect 4700 miles of Oregon Rivers.  HAPPENINGS  SUMMER HIATUS - INCO South County Community Group and INCO North County Community Group are not meeting during the summer. They'll resume meetings in September.    Write To Voters - Special elections and issue campaigns need you year-round. INCO encourages you to sign up to write to voters at www.postcardstovoters.org or for general Get Out the Vote campaigns, sign up at Vote Forward. For supplies or information, contact incoregon@gmail.com. INSIGHTS "Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough.”   - - Franklin Roosevelt 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  August 23, 2021