ENEWS
ADONAL’S MESSAGE … THE DM SUMMIT…QUOTE OF THE MONTH…CONGRESSIONAL DEMOCRACY… MONEY ON MY MIND…DM ALUMS …FACTS YOU CAN USE
A MESSAGE FROM ADONAL
The treasonous storming of our Capitol has left us shaken. But the activism that culminated in electing Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff gives us great hope for the future.
Strengthening democracy has never been more important. Democracy Matters students are on the front lines of ensuring that voting rights are protected, that big money no longer dominates elections, and that fairness and social justice is ever-present.
THE GREAT DM SUMMIT
Join members, alumns, staff, and friends for the 20th Democracy Matters Summit with organizing best practices, expert information, interactive workshops, sharing ideas, and networking.
WHEN: SATURDAY FEBRUARY 13, 2021
WHAT: STRENGTHENING DEMOCRACY
HOW: REGISTER TODAY
DO IT NOW!! Send your name and contact information to joanm@democracymatters.org
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
As we mark the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. we celebrate his deep commitment to activism and democracy.
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.
DEMOCRACY in CONGRESS
“The For the People Act (HR 1) was introduced on January 3rd 2021
as the very first bill in the 117th Congress.
This historic “Democracy” legislation, passed
by the House in 2019, will soon be voted on.
(See “Facts You Can Use” for more information below.)
“The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act” Paired with HR 1, the Lewis Act will push back against the widespread voter suppression implemented after the Supreme Court gutted the 1965 Voting Rights Act. The House passed this bill as HR 4 in 2019.
(See “Facts You Can Use for more information below.)
ACTION Call, write, email and/or text your Congressional representatives to urge them to support both bills. And thank those who are supportive.
https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative
MONEY ON MY MIND: POST-INSURRECTION ACTIVISM
The threat that January 6th represented can best be defeated by strengthening democracy. Mandle argues that grassroots activism should now be directed to implementing “democracy” legislation.
Hold social media accountable for its messages; expand voting rights by restoring the 1965 Civil Rights Act (Lewis Voting Rights Act); and pass HR 1 (“For the People Act”) to provide public campaign financing for Congressional candidates. https://www.democracymatters.org/money-on-my-mind-2/post-insurrection-activism/
HONORING DM ALUMNS
Emily Kincaid & John Latini (Bloomsburg U. DM-2002)
Emily just won election to the Pennsylvania House, defeating a 20 year Republican incumbent.
John worked on Capitol Hill, and is now Director of Federal Relations for Penn State.
Te-Ping Chen (Brown University DM-2005) Te-Ping, who founded the Brown DM chapter, just published Land of Big Numbers, a collection of stories set in the US and China where she lived for years as a reporter for the Wall Street Journal.
%203.jpg "HR 1 (2) 3")
FACTS YOU CAN USE:
“DEMOCRACY” LEGISLATION
HR 1 “FOR THE PEOPLE ACT” would implement:
Public campaign financing for federal offices through a 6-1 match of donations, a pilot state voucher system, improved disclosure of donations, and curbs on foreign donors; An end to partisan gerrymandering; Tightening ethics for federal offices; And the expansion of voting rights through automatic voter registration, a national holiday on election day, increased early voting and same-day voter registration, and guaranteeing former felons’ the right to vote.
HR 4 “JOHN LEWIS VOTING RIGHTS ADVANCEMENT ACT” would restore sections of the 1965 Civil Rights Act. In 2013, the Supreme Court (in its Holder v Shelby decision) invalidated the requirement that any state with historic patterns of voter discrimination had to secure permission to change its election laws. The Lewis legislation would restore those provisions in order to prevent further disenfranchisement of American citizens.
https://sarbanes.house.gov/issues/hr-1-the-for-the-people-act; https://live-naacp-site.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/JOHN-LEWIS-ACTION-UPDATE.pdf