CNY Solidarity Coalition supporters:
Great turnout at yesterday’s meeting. Thanks again to St. Lucy’s for hosting, and welcome to all the newcomers! Below is the weekly set of action alerts from our legislative action team (aka Katko Watch—Indivisible NY 24).
Today (Feb. 20): Three actions (1 on-line, 1 phone-calling, 1 in-person training). Please do all 3 if you’re able.
- Rep. Katko has published a brief survey on his website. If you live in NY’s 24th (Katko’s district), pleaseclick here to take it. I did it yesterday, and it took less than 2 minutes. You may find the questions somewhat ridiculous, but they each include space to type in comments, so let’s use those to highlight our calls for a town hall and any policy priorities of your choice.
- Please call Rep. Katko’s Syracuse (315-423-5657) or Auburn (315-253-4068) office and ask for his position on an independent bipartisan investigation into the Trump campaign’s communications with Russian officials during and after the election. As always, it’s best to use your own words and tell your own story, butclick here for some helpful background and suggested phone scripts. And note that Katko is a member of the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Protection subcommittee of the House Homeland Security Committee.Whether you reach a live person or voicemail, please clearly identify yourself as a constituent (always mention your zip code!), politely ask about Rep. Katko’s position on the matter of Russian interference in US elections, and if the staffer says he/she doesn’t know (or if you’re talking to voicemail), leave your name and number and ask for a call back with this information.
- The Workers’ Center of CNY and CNY Solidarity Coalition would like to invite you to a Sanctuary trainingtonight from 4-7pm, With the Trump administration’s barbaric crackdown on immigrants, we want to equip ourselves with all the tools needed to mount successful community defense and sanctuary efforts in our city and throughout the region. Please register for the event if you plan on coming. We also have a few volunteer needs (childcare, giving rides, interpretation, set up, serving food, and clean up) we still need to fill. If you’re able to help, please contact Carol Baum carol@peacecouncil.net.
Tuesday (Feb. 21): From our new state legislative monitoring team (!), please call your state senator and urge him/her to support the New York Votes Act. Many of us live in districts represented by State Senator Dave Valesky (315-478-8745 or 518-455-2838) or John DeFrancisco (315-428-7632 or 518-455-3511). If you’re not sure who your state senator is, click here and enter your address to find out. New York has among the lowest voter turnout rates in the country, due in large part to our onerous voter registration procedures and inadequate provisions for absentee and early voting. This bill would fix these problems. Click here for more details.
Wednesday (Feb 22): 3 options today (1 meeting, 1 rally, 1 phone-calling)
- Meet with State Assembly Member Bill Magnarelli at 10:30 AM, at his Syracuse office, 333 E. Washington St., Room 840. We will get together beforehand to make a final agenda at Recess Coffee across from City Hall at 10 AM. (If you intend to get something at Recess, please arrive by 9:50 AM.) If you can’t make it to the agenda discussion, please meet us at Room 840 by 10:25 AM. For more info: Paul Weichselbaum canela8800@gmail.com.
- Attend our Katko Can’t Ignore Us Rally. In conjunction with New Feminists for Justice, Indivisible Cayuga, We the People: Oswego Indivisible, and a number of other groups throughout the 24th congressional district, we are planning coordinated, simultaneous rallies at Rep. Katko’s offices in Syracuse, Lyons, Auburn, and Oswego on Wed., Feb. 22. The Syracuse event kicks off at the Galleries Building, 440 S. Warren St, at 3pm. Because he has yet to schedule a public town hall, one of our key messages remains “Where’s Katko?” This event falls during the public school break, and we’re hoping that a number of school-age kids will turn out for the Syracuse action.
- For folks who can’t make it to any of the 4 offices in person, please call Rep. Katko’s Syracuse (315-423-5657) or Auburn (315-253-4068) office today and politely ask when Rep. Katko’s next public appearance in the district will be. If his staff won’t give you a concrete answer, please urge them to schedule a public town hall, leave your name and number, and ask for a callback when it is scheduled. As always, please be respectful toward congressional staff, who are overworked public servants.
Thursday (Feb. 23): 2 options today (1 meeting, 1 phone-calling)
- Meet with State Assem. Pamela Hunter at 3pm at the Center for Peace & Social Justice, 2013 E. Genesee St. (meeting at 2:30pm to prepare). RSVP and for more info: Jonah Minkoff-Zern jzern@citizen.org.
- Call Rep. Katko’s Syracuse (315-423-5657) or Auburn (315-253-4068) office and urge him to co-sponsor the Statue of Liberty Values Act (aka SOLVE Act) of 2017. This bill states that: (1) beginning on January 27, 2017, Executive Order 13769, entitled “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States,” is null and void, shall have no force and effect, and may not be implemented or enforced; and (2) no federal funds may be used to implement or enforce any of the policy changes set forth in such order. Among the order’s major provisions are restrictions on the entry of immigrants and nonimmigrants from seven countries (Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen) and additional limitations on refugee admissions to the United States. More details on the SOLVE Act here.
Friday (Feb. 24): Plans are in the works for an immigrants and workers’ rights rally today, time and location TBA. So stay tuned for further details. Also today, the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) is hosting an issue-framing session on reproductive rights from 6:30-8pm, location TBD. This is one of a number of local NYCLU sessions building up to a Day of Action in Albany on Mar. 13. For more details: (315) 471-2821.
Saturday (Feb. 25): At 11am, SEIU 1199 is hosting a town hall focused on health care at the SW Community Center, 401 South Ave. Rep. Katko has been invited, but the event will go forward whether or not he attends.
Sunday (Feb 26): CNY Solidarity Coalition will likely meet today at our usual time (3-5pm). Stay tuned for further details.