W.E.M.A.D
We are Energized to March, Act, Demonstrate
Newsletter #7 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â June 7, 2017
Calendar Updates….
Monday, June 12
Our Immigrant Community:
Education about Rights and
Law Enforcement
St. Alban’s Church
301 Caldwell Ln, Davidson, NC 28036
with Police Reps from Davidson, Huntersville, Mooresville and Cornelius
6:30 pm-8:00 pm
(full write-up below)
Sunday, June 11
The Equality March Charlotte and Worldwide,
12 pm-2:00 pm.
First Ward Park.
The Equality March for Unity and Pride is a global movement that will be brought to Charlotte, NC- the epicenter of HB2. We will use the Equality March- Charlotte, along with our National and Sister marches, to give voice to our concerns, and to support, uplift, and bring attention to those in our communities who are targeted due to immigration status, ethnicity, religion, skin color, gender, sexual orientation, age and disability. We affirm and celebrate that we are a mix of diverse communities. Family friendly march through uptown Charlotte.
All marchers should meet at First
Ward Park just before noon.
Tuesday, June 13
Speaker at Progressives of North Carolina at the Pearl Restaurant
19501 W. Catawba Avenue in Cornelius.
A speaker from the Climate Reality Project. Dinner ($15) begins at 6:30 pm but if you just want to come for the talk, be there at 7:00 p.m. For dinner, call Michelle at 704-608-1329 to reserve a space. Make sure to tell her it is for the June 13th meeting!
Tuesday, June 20
Jon Ossoff’s Georgia District 6 Run-Off Race
Wednesday, June 21
Women’s March Charlotte Summer Social 5pm – 8pm
Immigration Education Rights Night Details…… (thanks to Candy Gipe and Barbara Randolph)
After many hours of work, meetings, coordination, discussion and collaboration, we are pleased to come one step closer to helping our immigrant community in a tangible way, by helping those who HELP them.
On Monday, June 12, we are gathering representatives from area agencies that serve the immigrant communities of Mooresville, Davidson, Cornelius and Huntersville with representation of the four police departments to review immigrant rights . Thank you to St. Alban’s for allowing us to use their space for this important meeting.
6:30 pm Start Time
• Welcoming Remarks by a Deacon Rebecca Yarbrough of St. Alban’s Church
• Presubmitted questions answered by officers of each of the 4 precincts– Davidson,         Mooresville, Cornelius and Huntersville
• Additional Questions from Audience answered by Police Reps
• Wrap Up and Next Steps
8:00 pm Closing
If you can help at this meeting, we would love to have you. Do keep us in your thoughts and intentions for a successful outcome to this important endeavor.
We’ll keep you posted!
Candy (candaceassociates@att.net)
Barbara (brandolphk@gmail.com)
NC SB 145 Immigration meets the “Bathroom Bill….” (forward by Candy Gipe and thanks to Barbara Randolph)
In getting ready for our Immigration Education About Rights & Law Enforcement Night , I came across an active bill in the NC house (SB145) that would again make NC famous for all the wrong reasons. My co-chair, Barbara Randolph, dived “right in” and after doing more research, just felt she had to reach out to someone with a greater bully pulpit than our own: Rachel Maddow.
Needless to say, this is still an important bill to mention to your representative (Jeff Tarte), the sponsors (#s below) and how you feel it will not only hurt immigrants but hurt the State of NC. BTW, Jeff Tarte said at his town hall (last wemad newsletter edition writeup) that “There is a ‘correct way’ to enter this country” and thus, he is all for SB 145 because it punishes those who did not use the ‘correct’ way….
To read the whole bill or any nc bill, check out ncleg.net
To check the status of any bill, check out openstates.org
Primary: Norman W. Sanderson, District 2, 919-733-5706 Cosponsors: David L. Curtis, District 44, 919-715-3038 Andrew C. Brock, District 34, 919-715-0690 Chuck Edwards, District 48, 919-733-5745 Bill Cook, District 1, 919-715=8293 Ralph Hise, District 47, 919-733-3460 And our Rep, Jeff Tarte, District 41, 919-715-3050
Here is Barbara’s email to Rachel Maddow.
From: Barbara Randolph
Date: 2017-05-20 15:11 GMT-04:00
Subject: House Bill 145 of NC targeting immigrants
To: Rachel@msnbc.com
Dear Rachel, I am a true fan of your show! I reach out to you however for another reason. I reside in North Carolina, having relocated here recently after living outside of the US for many years. I co-chair an Immigration Committee that formed from the movement which began after the Women´s March on January 21st. Our committee, comprised of all voluntary members, has been working on matters related to immigration in our area since that time. We organized specifically to fight the Executive Order regarding Deportation, signed January 25th by Donald Trump, as well as advocate for the immigrant community with local law enforcement in regards to policies and practices on this matter. We recognize the need for balance between federal and local interests in ways that do not diminish public safety but we are concerned about overreach and abuse of civil liberties. We are proponents for their rights to seek basic services available to them including education, medical services, and vocation, which in today´s environment are on the decline as they recess further to the shadows.
The immigrant community is now more vulnerable to exploitation, including wage theft, sex trafficking, sexual assault, and this trend is something you are aware of and have spoken about in your programming. We are grateful you continue to cast a spotlight on these realities. To the point of my email; Once again NC is on its way to making another name for itself as a “regressive state”, introducing punitive bills that isolate and target a specific population. You are aware, I am sure, of NC´s famous “Bathroom Bill” which targeted specifically the transgender population National attention to this matter was the only motivator, along with loss of sponsors for highly profitable events, that has caused the needle to move somewhat to reconsideration of this senseless and unnecessary bill regarding transgender rights. I am requesting consideration to casting a spotlight on the following; A bill called Senate Bill 145 has passed the State Senate and is now on its way for approval within the House, in North Carolina — a bill that is one of the most restrictive against immigration in the US to date. The bill´s provisions can be seen in this link – http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/Sessions/2017/Bills/Senate/HTML/S145v1.html
1. The entire NC state university system will be restricted from limiting federal immigration enforcement on its campus and funding from the state will be cut off if they do so.They will not be able to stop law enforcement officers from gathering information regarding a student´s status, or prohibit information from being passed on to federal agents. In addition, violation of the law will lead to constraints on the system´s spending authority.
2. The State Police force must now agree to an MOU re 287(g) which makes all state police officers collaborators and enforcers along with ICE.
3. An anonymous complaint process for any citizen will be opened allowing for reporting to the Attorney General´s Office a suspicion that a local government is not following immigration laws.
4. It repeals a current law that allows community or Faith based IDs as a form of identification, such identifications are customarily needed to receive many forms of aid and food relief.
This bill is, to put it bluntly, mean spirited. This does indeed put NC into regression. Over the last decade, the national trend has gone in the other direction, with states introducing and passing legislation that allows undocumented immigrants to attend public colleges and even be eligible for in-state tuition. I can say that even the state of Texas has done this! By barring access to the NC state university system we are reducing the number of capable qualified people that could earn degrees, contribute to the economy as opposed to becoming reliant upon it, and help build our state. State officials across the country say that in order to be competitive, they need all the education young people – documented or undocumented — can get. By 2020, 65% of jobs in the US will require some sort of postsecondary degree or training beyond high school, according to the Georgetown Public Policy Institute.
We began our activism knowing our voice would not have an effect at the national level but addressing disconcerting trends and the impact locally of President Trump´s agenda was where we needed to focus our efforts and energy. This bill is noteworthy in the length it goes to eradicating immigration altogether and further isolates the existing community, eliminating their hope to survive the new measures the Republican dominated NC General Assembly is close to making law. Can I implore upon you to take a look at this bill? I am grateful and recognize you are terribly busy!
My warmest regards, Barbara
Barbara Randolph Senior Advisor,
Fundación México en Harvard, A.C. Davidson, North Carolina
Barbara Randolph, passionate about immigration issues!
A PRACTICAL WAY TO HELP…….
(Barbara Randolph and I have networked into other organizations that are embracing the Immigrant Rights fight and here is a very practical way you can help the community. Court Observers will in no way be asked to do anything except be present and do a small write-up on what transpired during the court session)
The ACLU’s Charlotte chapter is looking for volunteers to serve as local court observers in Charlotte’s Immigration Court. In a jurisdiction with some of the lowest asylum grant rates in the nation, the presence of volunteers would foster fairness and consistency in the courtroom. Volunteers will:
• Receive hands-on training about immigration court proceedings
• Experience our justice system in action
• Gain perspective on the needs of our local immigrant communities
• Help immigrants in the Charlotte and surrounding area have a more consistent court experience.
Observers provide much-needed oversight in cases involving unrepresented respondents, particularly minors and non-English speakers. Make a difference in your community: the first training for people interested in this project is this Friday, June 9th at 5:30pm. Go to https://goo.gl/forms/owXUtU644Qmerzq43 now to register for Friday’s training and/or to receive information about subsequent training events and times.
Please note that due to space limitations, Friday’s training will be capped at the first 35 people to sign up
Sincerely, Lisa Wielunski Team Leader ACLU Charlotte Immigrant Rights Team
Indivisible LKN Meeting June 3, 2017 (thanks to Ann Mead)
( I know this is a special edition on Immigration but there is so much going on and this
happened on Saturday. Our next edition will focus on gerrymandering. This is a reprint of the notes Ann Mead sent to her Gerrymandering Huddle)
“Where have all the representatives gone, possible summer dreaming? Well whatever it was they (Jeff Tarte, Chaz Beasley, John Bradford, Tedd Budd, Richard Burr, John Fraley, Thom Tillis, ) were a NO-SHOW. Yes, our representatives who live just a few miles away, did not show-up or even have the courtesy to respond to Lake Norman’s Indivisible’s invitation.
*** Now, Where I come from that is just not right….
But we did have one Member from our State Legislature Show-Up. It was Jeff Jackson!!! Link to Jeff’s website: http://www.jeffjacksonnc.com/
Yes, Jeff drove up all the way from Charlotte, through congested 77 construction, on a hot Saturday afternoon to meet with the Lake Norman Indivisible Group, and he was happy to do so. What a truly dedicated public representative, “This is what Democracy Sounds & Looks Like”! Jeff Jackson, (unlike Jeff Tarte who showed up at a recent town hall with a 48 page power point presentation, planning on answering as few questions as possible), was engaging, genuine, and refreshingly honest. Jeff even stayed longer than expected to make sure everyone’s questions were addressed.
Jeff, described for us what it’s like working in our state capital, the struggles, the
challenges and the rewards. He encouraged us not to lose hope, stay united and engaged. If we want a representative government that works to enrich the lives of “All the People”, from health care to education to environment to social programs, we are going to have to work together to make it happen. And believe it or not, achieving our goals are within reach and closer then they may seem Meeting Q&A Highlights (and Yes…nothing was off the table):
• Redistricting: Jeff updated us on recent progress, House Bill 200 and upcoming events. We are looking to the Supreme Court to unblock re-drawing of 28 districts in NC, however the plan to hold elections in 2017, does not look promising. He is a link to some additional information. https://ballotpedia.org/North_Carolina_state_legislative_special_elections,_2017
• Game Plan: We discussed 2018 elections and learned about the concept of having a “full-bench” of representatives that learn and grow through our democratic process. Basically, an elected official, that align to our progressive agenda, representing us from the school board level all the way up through NC Senator in Washington. The GOP is very good at this.
• Fake News/Phony Politicians: We discussed Fake News and phony politicians, I believe Ted Cruz was mentioned as an example. And I don’t mind calling him out since he was the ring leader in the government shut-down in 2013 that cost me a trip to the National Parks.
• The Work: Jeff was honest with us. Breaking the GOP super majority in 2018 is very doable – 3 house seats and 6 senate, but we have to get involved. Yes, this means phone calls, knocking on doors, mailings etc… Which really sounds like “No Fun” but with a good strategic plan (leveraging our limited resource pool) and quality voter data, flipping 9 seats is doable.
• The Country is Awake: Jeff said he has never seen anything like the energy and engagement at the grass roots level. He attended the Women’s March, shaking hands and meeting people who want to learn more about running for office. GOP candidates running unopposed in 2018 will hopefully be a thing of the past.
• Bang-for-the-Buck: Jeff recommended donating to the State Senate and House Democratic Caucus.
Link to Caucus – http://www.ncsenate.org/
After Jeff’s Q&A, as you can imagine the group was eager to get started. We broke out into groups by area of interest. We got to know each other, shared information, discussed possible direction and next steps. Speaking of Next Steps: WEMAD and Lake Norman Indivisible will be joining forces to host a Community Information and Engagement Event on “Gerrymandering”/ “Redistricting” sometime in July…stay tuned….
In Other News…
• I had a fantastic meeting with Tom Ross, who has been heavily involved in working with an independent, nonpartisan redistricting panel working on a special task force program to research and simulate independent redistricting. The panel consisted of current/former NC judges and Duke University Research students. The goal of the program is to develop new maps for NC congressional districts and increase public understanding of how independent political redistricting might function in North Carolina. Tom also developed a TED Video on this topic that I will be sharing the group in a future newsletter. See Link for details:
https://today.duke.edu/2016/04 /redistrictingsimulation .
RESOURCES
Websites for Taking Action–100 Days and Beyond …….
https://www.thenation.com/article/your-guide-to-the-sprawling-new-anti-trump-resistance-movement/
https://www.indivisibleguide.com/resourceshttps://knockeverydoor.org/
https://swingleft.org/https://www.runforsomething.net/
https://www.pussyhatproject.com/
http://jointhemovementtoday.weebly.com/
http://peoplespowerassemblies.org/
If you are a Facebook user, operationfortyfive has a great page with tons of info on events and actions.
If you want an app for your device, countable has a thread and reminders of bills and actions that matter to your specific state and county.