March 11, 2024
Stronger air quality regulations, reuniting families, fully funding HBCUs, and more!
Contact all members of Congress:
By phone: (202) 224-3121
By email: democracy.io
By US mail: Representatives / Senators
By fax: Representatives / Senators
By Resistbot: Resist.bot
Contact White House or other federal agencies:
ASK EPA TO GRANT WAIVERS TO CALIFORNIA TO STRENGTHEN AIR QUALITY REGULATIONS
California continues to take the lead in passing many pollution-reducing initiatives that are stricter than what federal law allows. New regulations being considered would even further limit emissions on trucks, boats, and trains. However, the state needs a waiver from the Environmental Protection Authority in order to go beyond federal law. Once this waiver is granted, other states can adapt California standards, as has happened with past environmental initiatives. Let’s join on to EarthJustice’s campaign and tell the EPA to grant these waivers ASAP. The template is here. Personalizing your letter will make it more effective.GRANT PAROLE FOR SEPARATED SPOUSES OF U.S. CITIZENS
In his State of The Union address last week, Biden pledged not to separate families. However, according to American Families United, there are more than a million U.S. citizens whose spouses have been denied entrance or been deported from the United States. Let’s tell President Biden he can use his discretionary powers and act on this pledge by allowing these spouses to apply for humanitarian parole.
FULLY FUND HBCUS – INSTEAD OF CLOSING THEM
Advocates for historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) received a jolt in recent weeks as a Mississippi legislator introduced a bill that would close three of the state’s public universities – focusing on factors that raised suspicions it was aimed at shuttering HBCUs. While the bill’s sponsor and opponents in the legislature both agree SB2726 will not make any progress, this is an opportunity to shine a spotlight on the long history of discriminatory funding these schools have been subjected to. The Biden Administration recently noted that over the last 30 years HBCU land-grant universities in 16 states have been denied $12.6 billion in funding they should have received under federal law mandating equitable distribution of state support for all land-grand universities, and a report from the Century Foundation noted how they have lost out on equal federal funding as well. But we have an opportunity to push for change – land grant schools are provided federal funding in the Farm Bill, and the current version is set to expire at the end of September. Let’s share the Century Foundation report and its recommendations on how Congress can ensure equity and justice for HBCUs with our representatives on Capitol Hill, and urge them to accept their proposal. Further, if we’re from one of the 16 states the Biden Education Department identified as having funding disparities between land grant colleges (AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, MD, MS, MO, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV), let’s reach out to our governors and legislators and tell them it’s time to make up the shortfall.  Lastly, we can also sign this petition from Mississippi Votes against SB2726 to show our support for these institutions.MORE MOMENTUM IN RETIRING MEDICAL DEBT
Governor J.B. Pritkzer (D-IL) is set to propose investing federal funds to erase a billion dollars in medical debt for Illinois residents and Governor Katie Hobbs (D-AZ) has announced a program to cancel two billion dollars in medical debt for Arizonans, becoming the latest to follow the lead of Connecticut and New Jersey and local governments from Cook County to Washington DC to New Orleans. Between the two of them, these funds would retire debt for more than 1.3 million people in partnership with RIP Medical Debt. These programs have been miraculous for working families across the country, and we can keep the momentum going. Let’s reach out to our governors, state legislators and local officials and urge our state to become the next to invest in medical debt retirement, and we can also consider donating to RIP Medical Debt ourselves.
ACTIVISM 101 WORKSHOP TOMORROW
If we are new to political activism or need a refresher, Jess Craven of Chop Wood Carry Water is presenting her popular and well-received Activism 101 workshop TOMORROW, Tuesday March 12th. She will cover all the ways we can help us win this November, from postcarding, to donating strategically, to phonebanking, to canvassing, and more. Let’s sign up here. (h/t Chop Wood Carry Water)
STATE-SPECIFIC ACTIONS
MI – SAVE THE PORCUPINE MOUNTAINS FROM MINING
Copperwood, a foreign company, plans to open a metallic sulfide mine at the juncture of Lake Superior, Porcupine Mountains State Park and the North Country Trail. If that weren’t bad enough, the project would be backed by a $50 million grant in Michigan taxpayer funds. While the project may bring a short-lived economic boom to the area, many are concerned about the long-term negative environmental impact this will have on our pristine natural resources. Protect the Porkies is a citizen-led group trying to stop the effort. A final decision whether to go ahead with this project will be made later this month. We can submit our concerns by March 25 to the Michigan Strategic Fund at msfcomments@michigan.org. We can also sign the petition, contact the governor, contact the attorney general, and put pressure on our state legislators. Â
AND FINALLY, SOME GOOD NEWS
LAST WEEK’S WINS
It may not always feel like it, but our work is making a difference every day. Our friend Jessica Craven at
outlines a few ways how in her run-down of last week’s victories, including a new effort by the Biden Administration to lower child care costs, a new rule from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau banning excessive credit card late fees, and an end to the use of certain forever chemicals in food packaging.
Thanks for the plug, Susan!