Quote of the Week:“In matters of life and death, it is best to proceed with caution. In this case, the Government took the opposite approach.” - Justice Sotomayor’s dissent from a maneuver by SCOTUS concerning due process rights of immigrant-deportees. Get Out on the Streets:Want the scoop on upcoming rallies, marches, and related events? Visit OI’s Rallies, Marches, Town Halls and Boycotts webpage! Olympia Indivisible Get-Togethers: Saturday, July 5, 5-7:30pm: Picnic! DIY Independence Weekend OI Picnic at Lions Park Shelter. All OI members are invited to pack a picnic, bring a blanket or chair, and come gather together to celebrate the United States of America's 249th anniversary! This informal, unscripted, no-host event will be all about better getting to know each other and building community. We hope to see you there! Lion’s Park is at 800 Wilson St SE, Olympia. Federal Actions:Tamp Down the Deeply Awful Budget Bill Source: From Ezra and Leah and the Indivisible National Team The vote on the reconciliation bill, also known by Republicans as the Big Beautiful Bill (and by everyone in the Indivisible movement as the Trump Tax Scam), is coming up fast, and we have just a few days to make sure key constituents get the chance to be connected to their Member of Congress. That means we're continuing our June patch-through phonebanks in order to reach constituents in North Carolina, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. Monday is focused on the Senate, and Tuesday and Wednesday we’ll be driving calls to the House. Our message remains the same: vote no on cuts to Medicaid, SNAP and other essential services. Indivisible National is hosting three rapid response phonebanks this coming week using Scale to Win Pros, and they are calling on trained volunteers only -- no onboarding, no walkthroughs. Action 1: If you’ve made calls with Indivisible National before and know your way around, sign up now and be a phonebank superhero! Here’s the schedule:
These are short, high-impact shifts targeting key lawmakers ahead of the vote. If you're ready to jump in, pick a shift (or a few!) and join us. Action 2: Fax wavering GOP Senators to urge them to save Medicaid and Snap Tell Your US Senators: Working Americans Need Artificial Intelligence (AI) Safety Rules Submitted by the Union and Workers’ Justice Team Source: American Unions, AFL-CIO Background: Working People Want Strong AI Protections AI is being utilized in the workplace at an explosive speed. Working people are looking at a future where AI systems decide whether or not they get a job, control workload, and determine the quality of provided healthcare. Workers need AI safety rules to stop anti-worker use of AI. The US Senate may be voting on the budget reconciliation bill this week which contains dangerous provisions that could ban the creation or enforcement of all current or future state and local AI safety rules for the next 10 years. Action: Tell Your US Senators: Do Not Ban Any AI Safety Provisions in the “Big Ugly” Budget Reconciliation Bill.
Script: I am a constituent of yours at zip code _______. Working people need AI safety rules to stop anti-worker use of AI. The “Big Ugly” budget reconciliation bill has provisions that would ban the creation or enforcement of all current or future state and local AI safety rules for the next 10 years. You must insist these provisions be removed from the budget bill. Take Action Now to Save Our Salmon Photo Credit: Knepp Timothy, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service The Northwest Power and Conservation Council (NPCC) is reviewing and revising its Fish and Wildlife Plan, a process that determines how the region protects salmon impacted by dams. But once again, Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) is attempting to gut recovery efforts. We must demand that NPCC hold the line — and act for fish, Tribes, and the people of the Northwest. Action: Submit a public comment to NPCC no later than July 3, 2025 telling them to hold the line — and act swiftly for fish, Tribes, and the people of the Northwest. Suggested Script: Dear Chair Milburn and Council Members, As a resident, taxpayer, and energy customer in the Northwest, I am deeply concerned about the crisis facing salmon and steelhead in the Columbia Basin. I strongly urge the Council to reject the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA)’s proposal to lower salmon recovery goals and instead adopt recommendations from state and Tribal experts to include modelling for dam breach and “fish first” hydro operations in the Council’s 2026 Fish and Wildlife Program and Power Plan. BPA’s proposal to eliminate the 5 million salmon return goal and adult return benchmarks would undermine recovery efforts – attempting to redefine the problem rather than solve it. These goals are essential for accountability, funding, and meaningful progress on fish recovery. BPA’s stance that it has no legal obligation to meet these goals directly contradicts its mandate under the Northwest Power Act “to protect, mitigate, and enhance salmon populations to the extent they are affected by the federal hydrosystem.” I also support including dam breach and “fish first” scenarios in program modeling. Understanding the impact of these scenarios on energy production is critical to developing solutions that support both healthy salmon runs and affordable, reliable energy – which is the core of the Council’s mission. Thank you for your consideration. [YOUR NAME] [CITY, STATE] Fight to Save Green Energy Credits Background:
President Trump calls clean-energy initiatives a SCAM. Now he says he absolutely hates the clean-energy tax credits that are included in his “one big, beautiful” budget bill. The tax credits were created by law in President Biden’s 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to encourage consumers to invest in electric vehicles and energy efficiency and to encourage businesses to invest in energy developments such as wind, solar and hydrogen power. Americans know we need to continue ways to combat climate change. $522 billion in ongoing investment credits–the vast majority going to Republican districts—have been authorized across the country under the IRA. These would be halted under the budget bill. House and Senate Republicans want to use this IRA-authorized funding as a replacement source of funding for tax reductions for the rich instead. They’re debating over how much to cut the clean-energy credits, or even scrap them and end the existing projects. And to impose a shorter phase-in deadline for ending clean-energy funding, from 2032 to 2026. But advocates and lawmakers—Democrats, clean power activists, and Republicans from some red congressional districts with IRA projects– are battling back to protect our country’s future. Action: Take this opportunity to ask our congresspeople to work hard to salvage clean energy and the IRA.
Script: As an American who is concerned about our country and addressing climate change, I am writing to urge your active support in salvaging the green-energy credits created by the Inflation Reduction Act. The federal government has already invested $522 billion in ongoing energy incentives. We can’t afford these important investments to be scrapped so the richest Americans have lower taxes. Please do all you can to protect the IRA green-energy investments. WA State Actions:Defend Residents from ICE Abductions Source: Indivisible National Blue State Indivisibles: Call on your AG to fight hard against ICE overreach in your state. Donald Trump keeps doubling down on calls for ICE to aggressively target blue states and big cities. State Attorneys General have real power to fight back, and we need to keep pressure on them to use every tool at their disposal to hold ICE in check. Action: Use TAN to Contact AG Brown Ask AG Brown to Defend Residents from ICE Abductions DEADLINE: July 04 • 9:00pm Demand immediate action to stop ICE’s political targeting and unlawful detentions. Thank Insurance Commissioner Patty Kuderer for Supporting Gender-Affirming Care Recipients Background:
After a long tenure by her predecessor, Washington State has a new Insurance Commissioner Patty Kuderer as of January 2025. Commissioner Kuderer has done many good things thus far in her tenure, especially focusing on amping up outreach and communication with citizens on a variety of channels/mechanisms (podcasts, Community Connects visits, blog entries, keynotes at events) and on a wide variety of topics. We have been noticing and we are most appreciative. During Pride Week, the Insurance Commissioner’s office has created a new page about the rights of gender affirming care and released a sample template that WA State citizens who have been denied gender affirming care by their insurance providers can use to appeal the decision. While a webpage and creation of a template might seem like a small step, it has huge symbolic import as it tells our trans fellow citizens that we care about making their lives just a little bit easier at a time when our Federal government is doing anything but. Action: Please contact Insurance Commissioner Kuderer to thank her and her staff for this meaningful and compassionate step, and for her fresh approach to her new role.
Script: My name is __________. My zip code is ________. I am so grateful that the Insurance Commissioner’s Office recognizes concrete and meaningful ways that they can support and make life easier for WA State citizens. I particularly appreciate your being proactive about educating and encouraging citizens to contact/look to the Insurance Commissioner’s organization for help. I’m writing specifically to thank you for creating a webpage detailing rights for gender-affirming care, including a sample letter that can be used to appeal an insurance denial decision. It is especially meaningful that this was released during Pride week. Great job, Commissioner Kuderer! Local Actions:Join OI’s 2025 Elections Volunteer Support Team Olympia Indivisible has developed a reputation of being our region's most organized and energized campaign support volunteers for progressive candidates. How do we do this? Teamwork!
Our Elections Volunteer Support team (EVS Team) connects with the campaigns of candidates our membership endorsed. Team members take part in these campaigns and relay information to our membership about opportunities to do volunteer campaign support during the electoral season. Our EVS team already has 11 members, including two great co-leads. We need 10 more members to ensure that we can connect with candidates for all of our school boards, city councils, and Port races. Sign up today! Action: Sign up to be a member or co-lead of the Elections Volunteer Support Team |
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