Quote of the Week:“The significance of the Colorado Supreme Court’s finding that Trump engaged in insurrection cannot be overstated. Tens of millions of Americans witnessed in real-time as Trump incited an insurrection on January 6, 2021; they have lived through three years of denial, evasion, euphemism, and revisionist history. To finally—finally—have a court speak the plain truth in a careful opinion after a fair trial is liberating.” Robert Hubbell, Today’s Edition Newsletter, December 20, 2023 Happy Holidays!Give the Gift of Democracy for 2024!Take a moment today to sign up for Olympia Indivisible’s launch to Mobilize for Democracy! As we did in 2020, we’ll meet on Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Monday, Jan. 15, 2024) at the St. John’s Episcopal Church (114 20th Ave SE, Olympia) from 1 to 3pm. Come learn about how you can help Olympia Indivisible to elect pro-democracy candidates here at home, at the state level, in Congress, and in the White House. See the website for team descriptions starting with the Endorsement Team in the Election Engagement section. We will be recruiting for the three new electoral teams we are launching to do this work:
This all-member event will also be open to the public, so bring your friends. Register HERE today! WA State Actions:We Need More Volunteers to Observe Ballot Initiative Petition Signature CountPhoto credit: William Wesen Appraiser on Wikimedia Commons Washington progressives need our help. For months, Washington’s wealthiest MAGA Republican donors have bankrolled signature gathering for six “Backwards Washington” initiatives, which, if successful, will repeal programs that help our kids and their schools, working families trying to afford childcare, seniors who benefit from long-term care, and clean energy solutions that tackle the growing climate crisis. These initiatives are intended to up-end Washington laws that progressive legislators put years, sometimes decades, into passing. The next opportunity to put the brakes on these initiatives is at the point they are qualified to appear on the ballot. Hundreds of thousands of ballot initiative signatures are now flooding into the Washington State Elections Office and we need progressives to step forward NOW to get trained to be signature counting observers beginning in January. Tens of thousands of petitions must be verified and we need signature counting observers to ensure that the signatures are in fact valid. All you need to do to qualify to be a ballot count observer is to take a 30-minute in-person training in Tumwater this coming Thursday, December 28th, hosted by the Washington Secretary of State from 4:30-5pm on Thursday, December 28th. Please note that the training is 30 minutes and it is in-person. The address is 243 Israel Road SE Tumwater, WA 98501. The training is on the third floor, in room TC304. You must register to attend (see the Action for details). (For more information about the "Backwards Washington" initiatives, go here.) Action: Send an email to Washington Secretary of State Elections trainer Kristine Marshall at [email protected] and tell her you want to sign up for the December 28th training. Please also cc your email to Kurt Fritts at [email protected]. Kurt is coordinating the scheduling of shifts for opponents to the ballot initiatives (that’s us). Federal Actions:Tell the Army Corps of Engineers to Stop the Line 5 PipelineJannan J. Cornstalk, citizen of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians Photo credit: Dave Brenner, Wikimedia Commons SOURCE: From our friends at Native Organizers Alliance Action Fund. When the Michigan Public Service Commission recently granted Enbridge Energy a permit to build the Line 5 pipeline, they did it without regard to sacred water and fishing rights codified by an 1836 Treaty. The five Tribes of the Chippewa Ottawa Resource Authority have the right to fish and the duty to protect the fish habitats in the Upper Great Lakes. Jannan J. Cornstalk, citizen of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, emphasized the cultural and spiritual importance of protecting the waters of the Great Lakes, saying:
That’s why all of Michigan’s 12 Tribal Nations oppose the pipeline and it’s why we need to back them up now by demanding action. Action: Sign and send a letter to demand the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers respect the treaty rights of Indigenous peoples and deny a federal permit for the Line 5 pipeline now. Important Note, Save yourself from unnecessary emails: Before you begin to write your message, make sure to click on the “Edit Subscription Preferences” box below the “START WRITING” box and UNCLICK the two “sign up to receive emails” unless you actually want to have a LOT more email. Have You Scheduled This Event?Action Cafe December 25th, the Cafe is Closed On Xmas morning, Chef Lisa will be out delivering food to CARE, the non-profit created by our new County Commissioner, Emily Clouse. The Cafe will be back on Jan. 1st to start the New Year right! You Might Also Like to Attend: Jasmine Vasavada, Port Commissioner, Swearing-in Ceremony When: December 27, 2023 at 2:00 pm. Where: South Puget Sound Community College, Kenneth J. Minnaert Center for the Arts Community Participation:Support Trader Joe Workers’ Investigation of Union-BustingTrader Joe’s United, the independent union of Trader Joe’s workers, is facing a campaign to undo the union election at the very first store they won.
Are union-busting consulting firms involved? That would be illegal, but because of Trader Joe’s track record of unlawful union-busting, Trader Joe’s United is asking our help to see proof that the company is not involved in supporting union-busting consultants. Action: Send an email to Trader Joe’s CEO and their President of Stores asking that the Trader Joe’s Board of Directors open their books to prove they aren’t involved in the decertification campaign. ____________ Stock Up on Forever Stamps USPS has announced plans to increase the price of Forever stamps: from 66¢ to 68¢ for domestic mail and from 51¢ to 53¢ for postcards (pending approval from the Postal Regulatory Commission) on Sunday, January 21, 2024. Over the next few weeks, make sure to visit your local post office or USPS.com to stock up on supplies so you’re ready to send your letters and postcards to voters when the time comes next year! |
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