Week of June 28, 2020

Democracy Reform: Indivisible has an excellent explainer about how reforming democracy is a racial justice issue. You can read it here: https://indivisible.org/resource/why-democracy-reform-matters. This week’s actions are all from this explainer. Please call all three of our Members of Congress to indicate your support for the following:

1) Statehood for D.C. and self-determination for Puerto Rico and other US territories. Note that Congressman Malinowski voted Yes on DC Statehood last week.

2) Voting rights for all, including incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people, and young people. This includes restoring the Voting Rights Act and overturning voter ID laws and other suppressive laws that target communities of color.

3) Reform the Supreme Court, to set the course for a less hyper-partisan process for selecting and appointing judges.

4) Ensure a free and independent media by breaking up media conglomerates and by investing in public broadcasting.

5) Support the For The People Act (H.R. 1). Note that Congressman Malinowski voted Yes on HR1 in 2019, and the Brennan Center has a nice explainer here: https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/policy-solutions/hr-1-people-act-2019. The act:

  • Requires members of Congress, Vice Presidents and Presidents to divest their assets and disclose conflicts of interest, and Presidents and VPs to disclose their tax returns
  • Institutes strict revolving door requirements to keep corporate lobbyists from moving back and forth into government
  • Fights racial and partisan gerrymandering at all levels of government
  • Institutes public funding for elections to reduce the power of corporate money in government

You can learn more on the Indivisible link https://indivisible.org/resource/why-democracy-reform-matters.

Quote of the week: “Our democracy is rigged to privilege the white and wealthy, and it has been from the start…In order to save our democracy, we need a bold day-one democracy agenda: we must pass legislation to democratize the Senate, institute voting rights for all, legitimize the courts, preserve a free and independent media, create fair maps and fair elections, and institute campaign finance reform.” – Indivisible