Action Alert – Week of Oct 9th – CNY Solidarity Coalition

CNY Solidarity Coalition members and supporters:

Please find below the weekly ACTION ALERTS from our legislative action team.

One important note: If you are currently registered to vote in NYS, but would like to change your party affiliation in order to vote in the 2018 primaries for state or federal elections, the deadline for making the change is this Friday, October 13. (Likewise if you want to vote in the November 2017 elections but are not currently registered, Friday the 13^th is your deadline.) We’ll be rallying against this ridiculous deadline on Thursday (details below), and you can check your voter registration here and change your registration online here.

On another note, Rep. Katko voted against the GOP budget resolution last week. Thanks to everyone who rallied and called on this issue! And now, on to this week’s alerts.

Monday (Oct 9)

One phone call today, a celebration of Indigenous Peoples Day this afternoon, and a Facebook Live discussion of tax policy tonight

Contraception Coverage is Essential Health Care

On Friday, the Department of Health and Human Services rolled back a federal requirement that employers must include birth control coverage in their health insurance plans. The Trump administration’s new rules offer exemptions to any employers who object to covering contraception of the basis of religious or moral beliefs. Today, please call Rep. Katko, remind him that access to safe and effective birth control is central to women’s economic and political equality, and ask him what he proposes to do to stand up for women’s health care here in CNY. As always, Katko’s numbers are 315-423-5657 (Syracuse), 315-253-4068 (Auburn), or 202-225-3701 (DC).

Celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day, not Columbus Day

4:30pm, Columbus Circle, downtown Syracuse. Hosted by Neighbors of the Onondaga Nation. More details here.

Tax Policy demystified

At 8:30pm, the national Indivisible folks are hosting a Facebook Live discussion of tax policy with staff from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Just click the link, like the page, and you’ll get a notification when it starts.

Tuesday (Oct 10)

One phone call today, plus a rally for the I-81 community grid option at noon, and a meetup on gun control this evening.

Contraception Coverage is Essential Health Care, Part Deux

In light of the Trump administration’s recent actions, the New York Comprehensive Contraception Coverage Act (drafted by state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman) is more important than ever. This legislation, which would protect women’s access to free or low cost contraception, passed the State Assembly earlier this year, but has not received a vote in the State Senate. Today, please call your State Senator and urge him/her to advocate that the State Senate hold hearings on the Act and then vote on it as soon as possible (which may not be until January 2018). Most of us are represented in the State Senate by David Valesky (315-478-8745), John DeFrancisco (315-428-7632), or James Seward (607-432-5524), but if you’re not sure whose district you’re in, click here and enter your address to find out. If you’ve got time for a second call, please call Gov. Andrew Cuomo (518-474-8390) to advocate that he push for a Senate vote as well.

Rally for the Community Grid

12-1:30pm, Hanover Square, Syracuse.

Note that this rally was previously listed for Oct. 11, but has been changed to today. More details here.

Syracuse Meetup with Moms Demand Action

6:30pm at DeWitt Library, 5110 Jamesville Rd. If you’d like to learn more about how to demand legislative action on gun control, Moms Demand Action is the group for you (and it’s open to everyone, not just moms!). More details here.

Wednesday (Oct 11)

One phone call, plus a candidate forum this afternoon and a lecture this evening in Syracuse

The NRA should not be in charge of public health research!

In 1996 the gun lobby won a provision in federal law that prohibits the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) from studying gun violence in America. Gun violence is a definitive public health crisis, and there is no possible justification for a legislative ban on scientific research that examines it. Today, please call Rep. Katko and urge him to support a repeal of this research ban. As always, Katko’s numbers are 315-423-5657 (Syracuse), 315-253-4068 (Auburn), or 202-225-3701 (DC).

Candidate Forum on Disability Issues

1-4pm, Rosamond Gifford Community Room, 518 James St. in Syracuse. Learn about Syracuse Mayoral, Common Council, and Onondaga County Legislature candidates’ positions on issues affecting people with disabilities and seniors. Hosted by ARISE, Access CNY, and others. More details here.

Rev. Liz Theoharis Speaks on Ending Poverty

7-9pm at Hendricks Chapel at SU. More details here. If anyone would be willing to distribute some CNY Solidarity flyers at this event, please let us know.

Thursday (Oct 12)

One phone call today, plus a rally for fair voting laws this afternoon, and a Syracuse mayoral debate tonight.

Stop Sabotaging the ACA!

If the Affordable Care Act (ACA) collapses, 2.7 million New Yorkers could lose healthcare coverage. The Trump administration has failed to repeal the ACA in Congress, but it has taken repeated actions designed to undermine the Act’s effectiveness, including:

1. Gutting of the birth control mandate by allowing virtually any employer to claim a religious or moral objection;

2. Slashing grants to groups that help consumers get insurance coverage;

3. Blocking staff at HHS regional offices from participating in marketplace enrollment events;

4. Blocking access to HealthCare.gov applications on all but one Sunday morning during the upcoming 45-day enrollment period due to system maintenance;

5. Failing to fund navigator groups that conduct consumer outreach and provide marketplace enrollment assistance;

6. Shortening the enrollment period;

7. Reducing the advertising budget for ACA enrollment by 90%;

8. Refusing to commit to funding the cost-sharing reductions that help about 7 million lower-income Americans afford out-of-pocket expenses on their ACA health plan, which is causing spikes in insurance premiums;

9. Announcing plans to cut Medicaid and Medicare by a combined $1.5 trillion (with a T); and

10. Reportedly planning to issue an Executive Order allowing “association health plans” which would offer no pre-existing conditions protections & would turn ACA into a high risk pool.

Katko has voted against ACA repeal when it has come to a vote in Congress, but he has been silent on most of these administrative efforts to achieve the same thing. Please call his D.C. office today (202-225-3701) and ask what he is doing to defend New Yorkers’ health care from the administration’s attacks.

Rally the Vote

4-5pm, Columbus Circle, downtown Syracuse (E. Onondaga at E. Jefferson St.). Rally to call attention to the registration deadline of Friday, Oct. 13—the last day to register for the Nov. 2017 election AND to change your party registration if you want to vote in the 2018 primaries next summer and fall. Come learn why New York’s election laws need to change! More details here and here. If you can’t join us, you can check your voter registration here and change your registration online here.

Syracuse Mayoral Debate

6-7pm, Palace Theater, 2384 James St., in Syracuse. Hosted by FOCUS Greater Syracuse, Greater Syracuse Association of Realtors, Tomorrow’s Neighborhoods Today, and Eastwood Neighborhood Association.

Friday (Oct 13)

Katko is not a moderate

Today, we’re asking everyone to write and submit a letter to the editor pointing out that Rep. Katko is not a moderate. Please choose one item from our recent legislative action alerts (available here), describe the Trump administration’s harmful/hateful/unjust policy choice, and call attention to Katko’s support or silence, as the case may be. If your letter gets printed, please share it on social media with the hashtag #KatkoIsNotaModerate, and tag @cnysolidarity and/or @Indivisibleny24 when you do so. Indivisible’s guide to writing letters to the editor is here, and our list of local outlets is here.

Saturday and Sunday (Oct 14-15)

No actions this weekend (until further notice!), but if you didn’t get a chance to draft a letter to the editor yet, it’s not too late. Otherwise, enjoy the time with friends and family.

Save the date for these upcoming events:

Mon., Oct 16, 5-7pm: Screening and discussion of From the Ground Up: Economic Growth Powered by Community Strengths, Southwest Community Center, 401 South Ave in Syracuse. If anyone would be willing to distribute some CNY Solidarity flyers at this event, please let us know.

Mon., Oct 16, 7-9pm: Syracuse Common Council debate, Southwest Community Center, 401 South Ave. in Syracuse. Co-sponsored by CNY Solidarity, ACTS, National Action Network, Parents for Public Schools, and others.

Mon., Oct 16, 7pm: General Membership Meeting, Citizens Response Network of Wayne County, Palmyra, NY.

Wed., Oct 18, 12-1pm: Rally Against GOP Tax Giveaways at Rep. Katko’s Syracuse , Oswego, and Auburn (and possibly Lyons) offices. Click here for more info on Trump’s tax plan.

Wed., Oct 18, 7pm: CNY Solidarity Coalition meeting, location TBD

Sun., Oct. 22, 2-3:30pm: Strathmore Speaker Series hosts the League of Women Voters to discuss November’s ballot measure regarding state constitutional convention and Prof. Thomas Keck to discuss some key current threats to the US Constitution. Onondaga Park Firebarn, 500 Summit Ave, Syracuse 13207. More details here.

Mon., Oct 23, 6:30-8:30pm: Syracuse Board of Ed and City Court Candidates Debate, Southwest Community Center, 401 South Ave., in Syracuse. Co-sponsored by CNY Solidarity, ACTS, National Action Network, Parents for Public Schools, and others.

Tue, Oct 24, 6pm: Syracuse Mayoral Candidate Debate

Wed., Oct 25, 7-9pm: Undocumented but with a Voice. Discussion with Cesar Vargas, national immigrant rights activist, hosted by Citizens’ Response Network of Wayne County, Ohmann Theatre, 65 Williams St., Lyons.

Wed., Nov. 1, 10:30-3pm: COVERAGE FOR ALL meeting in Albany. An opportunity to participate in critical statewide meeting to build toward affordable health coverage for all New Yorkers, regardless of immigration status. Contact ursula.rozum@gmail.com for details, including carpooling plans from Syracuse.

Sun., Nov. 5, 3-5pm: CNY Solidarity Coalition meeting, location TBD

Wed., Nov. 15, 7pm: CNY Solidarity Coalition meeting, location TBD

Wed., Dec. 6, 7pm: CNY Solidarity Coalition meeting, location TBD

Sun., Dec. 17, 3-5pm: CNY Solidarity Coalition meeting, location TBD

Today and every day, be sure to follow us online and on social media!

Check out our website: www.cnysolidarity.org

Check us out on Flickr and Instagram, and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

You’re receiving this email because you’re subscribed to the CNY Solidarity Coalition announcements list. This is a low-volume list (typically no more than 4-6 messages per week), which now has almost 2,000 subscribers. We also maintain higher-volume listservs (cnysolidarity-discussion@lists.riseup.net and cnysolidarity-legislativeaction@lists.riseup.net) as venues for discussion of key Coalition-wide organizing priorities and key legislative-action team organizing priorities, respectively. If you’d like to be added to either or both of these, please reply to me and let me know which ones.

In solidarity,

Tom