Sign a virtual postcard for Freedom to Drive MN

This is the year to turn back the clock. Before Governor Pawlenty changed the rule in 2003, Minnesota residents didn’t need to be US citizens in order to obtain a driver’s license.

Women’s March MN and the Freedom To Drive MN Coalition wants to return the privilege of a driver’s license to eligible Minnesotans. The bill is moving quickly as it is important to Minnesotans, such as members of law enforcement, business owners and leaders of faith communities. Each hearing has been packed with supporters.

You can show your support by letting your legislators know you care about this issue. Complete this virtual postcard. Your response will be added to a physical card and delivered to the legislators or stacked on a hearing table.

To find out more about the campaign, please visit Freedom to Drive MN's website.

Driver’s licenses for all, regardless of immigration status! Support HF1500!

HF1500 is one of Women’s March Minnesota’s 2019 legislative priorities. This bill is about improving public safety, bolstering economic development, and building stronger families and communities for EVERYONE

Did you know that approximately 82,000 residents of Minnesota are eligible for a driver’s license or state ID, but cannot get one because they are undocumented immigrants. Many have been living here for decades and were able to obtain a driver’s license, until Governor Pawlenty changed the law in 2003. Imagine having your driving privileges and access to an ID stripped away. For undocumented immigrants, having access to a Driver’s License or State ID is both a matter of convenience, access and dignity to move around the state.

Here's how YOU can help get this bill passed:

1. HF1500 will have a hearing on Monday, March 4th. Please attend if you can to show your support:

   • 5:00 p.m., Judiciary FInance and Civil Law Division, Rm 10, State Office Building, 100 Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard, St Paul, MN 55155

2. If your Representative is on this committee, contact them and urge them to support this bill.

3. Find out more about the bill and why it is so important. Read what Ann Curoe of WMM has to say about this bill.

4. Like the Freedom to Drive MN coalition's Facebook page - at @Freedom2DriveMN.

Driver’s licenses for all, regardless of immigration status! It’s time! Support HF1500!

When is the last time you used your driver’s license as an ID? For me, it was when I forgot my library card but wanted to check out the books that I had reserved. For you, perhaps it was when you checked in for a medical appointment, entered your child’s school or ordered a drink in a restaurant.

Approximately 82,000 residents of Minnesota are eligible for a driver’s license or state ID, but cannot get one because they are undocumented immigrants. Many have been living here for decades and were able to obtain a driver’s license until Governor Pawlenty changed the law in 2003. Imagine having your driving privileges and access to an ID stripped away. For undocumented immigrants, having access to a Driver’s License or State ID is both a matter of convenience and access and dignity to move around the state.

Currently, twelve states and the District of Columbia allow undocumented people access to a driver’s license. Issuing a driver’s license requires that people pass a written test and a driving test. After passing these tests people can purchase car insurance. States that have driver’s licenses for all see a reduction in uninsured drivers which results in a decrease in the cost of car insurance for everyone in the state.

Ann Curoe

The Minnesota campaign for driver’s licenses for all, regardless of immigration status (HF1500) is led by the Freedom to Drive MN Coalition - a statewide coalition of non-profit organizations, unions, immigrant rights advocates, community-based groups and collectives, faith-based organizations, workers’ rights advocates and businesses led by the Multiracial Coalition on Immigration. Learn more about the coalition and the importance of driver’s licenses at www.freedom2driveMN.com

Join Women’s March MN and the Freedom to Drive MN Coalition in supporting HF1500. Sign up to show your legislators that this issue is important to you and receive updates on how to support driver’s licenses for all.

Also, follow WMM on Facebook to get Calls-to-Action relating to this and other bills, or find the latest in our weekly newsletters.

By Ann Curoe, WMM Volunteer and our representative in the Freedom to Drive Coalition.

“One of us is going to Washington” - what Habon Abdulle of WOW Network wants you to understand about Ilhan Omar’s election.

The first woman who Habon Abdulle of WOW Network recruited to run for office was Ilhan Omar.

"After the election, many of us felt that we can put our bags down. We are here to stay, and now we have a stake in the game. While we recognize this election is not presidential, the effect on marginalized people’s emotions are similar, as prejudice is confronted by elected representation. " - Habon Abdulle

Please take the time to read this excellent article by Habon Abdulle on the key to Omar's success, and how civic engagement is an important mechanism to counter discrimination and exclusion.

The WOW Network supports MN East African women and girls to become engaged citizens and community leaders. Learn more, including how to support their crucial work.

Contact your Congress people and tell them you do not support these tent cities for migrant teens

Health and Human Services of the United States [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

There are currently 2,324 mostly Central American boys and girls (13-17 years old) living in canvas tents at Tornillo detention center (LA Times) for migrant teens. More than 1,300 teens have arrived here since the end of October alone. None of the 2,100 staff who work at this Texan tent city have not been properly vetted. Anything could be happening to these teens, in the US in 2018, on our watch. What’s more, the cost of running this detention center is 50% higher than originally estimated and it is thought it will cost the US taxpayer a total of $430 million.

Teens are not almost adults. They are still fragile and vulnerable and the trauma this kind of treatment is inflicting on them is horrendous. For us, this is one more horrific thing that runs across our screens. For them, this is their reality. These are scars that they will carry forever. And then they will be blamed if they are violent or angry or use drugs or don’t adjust well when their captors release them. This is how they will view America, view us.

Being outraged and heartsick is not enough. This is what our tax dollars are supporting. Contact your Congress people and let them know what you think about your tax dollars being used for this.

Find your US House Rep and US Senators and contact them, please.

Shocked by events along the southern border? Here are some ways you can help!

While the inhumane treatment of people seeking asylum at the southern border continues and the President claims the tear gas used on Sunday was "very safe," blames migrants with children for putting them in harm’s way and questions whether the children were theirs at all (Washington Post), there is a growing list of ways you can help.

Choose something on the list and do it. Then choose something else. America needs to be better than this.

Want to understand the issues behind this situation better? Attend "What is the Honduras Caravan?" Educational Forum - on Thursday, Nov. 29, 5.30 pm-7:00 pm at the University of Minnesota West Bank Campus, Humphrey School Room 50B, 301 19th Avenue S, Minneapolis, MN, 55455 (Near Green Line light rail - West Bank station). Come hear experts and people with direct experience. Find out about local efforts to support those seeking asylum and oppose the militaristic response. Hear from a previous caravan refugee and from Maria Mendez (Political Science PhD candidate, UMN).

This event is hosted by Minnesota Caravan Solidarity-Minnesota en Solidaridad con la Caravana, Witness for Peace Midwest, and more.

Thanks to Action Together Twin Cities (Group) for the list of ways to help.

Proposed restriction on immigrants using public aid - public comment open til Dec. 10th

Did you submit your public comment on DHS's proposed redefinition of "public charge" yet?

This new regulation will make it harder for immigrants living in the US to qualify for permanent US residency if they have received public benefits such as food aid, public housing or Medicaid. It will also make it harder for foreigners to immigrate to the US if they are predicted to need to use these benefits.

And it will have a chilling effect on immigrants using health or food aid to which they or their children are entitled, in case it impacts their residency application.

The deadline for public comments is December 10th.

For more information on this proposed regulation, see

• Protecting Immigrant Families FAQ

• Report: Public Charge rule change will have ‘chilling effect’ on immigrant community
  Rio Grande Guardian, Oct. 11, 2018

#ProtectFamilies

Speak another language? Your help is needed at polling places on Election Day!

Apply to be an Election Judge!

Our Constitution demands that every citizen have an equal voice and vote in determining the future of our families, communities, and country. EVERY citizen.

Election judges are the backbone of our democracy. Do you or someone you know speak Spanish, Somali, Arabic, Hmong or any other language?  This is an opportunity to make a BIG difference. Unfortunately, some Minnesota citizens with English as a second language, and needing a little help at the polls on election day, frequently leave their polling place because no one is able to assist them.

Some Minnesota citizens have not had a positive experience with government and are very intimidated by the process. Having someone at the polling place they may recognize from their community makes it less daunting.

We need your help in recruiting people to apply as election judges; especially if they are bilingual! Email me and we will get you, or those you send our way, set up: abelladonna@commoncause.org

There is both online or in-person training.

We’re working to ensure that every eligible citizen has access to the ballot and the freedom to vote and that their votes are accurately counted.

Minnesota citizens needing a little help because of language barriers should not be excluded from the vote; volunteer as an Election Judge. Send me an email: abelladonna@commoncause.org TODAY! 

You Know You're Making A Difference; Phonebank for COPAL-MN & GOTV

The last time I did any phone banking was in 1989 and I was a paid telemarketer for Rudy Boschwitz. I hated every minute of calling people during dinner and asking them to fund a campaign during a non-election year. Times change!

Fast forward to the 2018 election and feeling like we need to ensure change at the state and federal level. COPAL MN is a Latinx-run organization, committed to building an active grassroots communal democracy. One way they do this is through voter engagement. Their goal is to get 10,000 Latinx voters to the polls this November. I volunteered to help get pledged voter information into the database and the next step was to call pledged voters to remind them of the upcoming election.

The goal of phone banking at COPAL MN is to encourage people to the polls. There is no asking for money or convincing people of one way of thinking. It is simply a friendly call to see if the voter has any barriers to voting. For example, some of the people I connected with had moved and didn’t know where to find their polling place. COPAL MN shows you how to look it up for the voter and provide that information. Some might need a ride or help with translation. You simply send that call to staff members in the same room who can take over the call and get that voter connected.

I have volunteered 3x to make calls. Many calls are not answered (I don’t answer unknown numbers either!). Some are wrong numbers. And some are answered by grateful people who are happy that people are working to make change.  This type of volunteering is rewarding because you know you might be making a difference. Just last week, I talked to a voter who was very discouraged. He did not like that the popular vote was not recognized during the last election. He felt like his vote was useless. I could relate but then we talked about NOT GIVING UP and making sure our votes are recognized. He pledged to vote!

Making calls can feel intimidating. People worry that they won’t be articulate enough or be able to speak the language needed. Don’t worry. There are bilingual staff ready to jump in and this is not a job with someone listening in and tracking how many calls you made in an hour. This is a chance to chat with people about voting and using our right to make change.

Join other WMM volunteers in this or other phone banking opportunities. We have 40 days to get us ALL to the polls!

Next dates to phonebank for COPAL MN:

• November 3rd

Open Streets Volunteers Needed!

Open Streets Volunteers Needed: Sunday, Sept 23, or Sunday, Sept 30 10:00-1:30 or 1:30-5:00. 

Register voters, Peer to peer text vote reminders, post card mailing, and video recording!

Sign Up Here to help!

PRESS RELEASE: Power to the Polls

GET A SHIRT!

WOMEN'S MARCH MINNESOTA ANNOUNCES POWER TO THE POLLS

9/14/18: St. Paul, MN ---- Power to the Polls: Over the past two years we’ve resisted, persisted and created change, and now it’s time to bring our collective Power to The Polls. 

On Sep 21st, early voting opens in Minnesota. At that point, it is 45 days until the general election on November 6th. 

For these midterms and beyond, Women’s March Minnesota, in partnership with Women’s March National, is launching Power to the Polls.  We are channeling our energy and activism into voter registration and mobilization across the state by empowering grassroots activists with information, tools, educational events, resources, and strategies to impact Minnesota’s turnout in the upcoming elections.

We are partnering with over 25+ organizations (and growing) to GET OUT THE VOTE. Our partners include: 

Asamblea de Derechos Civiles

Asian American Organizing Project

COPAL

ERA MN

East Side Freedom Library

Gender Justice

Honor the Earth

Little Earth Community

League of Women Voters

MN Interfaith Power and Light

Indivisible Minnesota Local

Make Voting a Tradition

Minnesota Indivisible Alliance

MNxMN

MN Voter Project

MN Women’s Consortium

MSP NOW

NAACP Mpls

National Council of Jewish Women Minnesota

Navigate MN

Planned Parenthood

ProtectMN

Reviving the Islamic Sisterhood for Empowerment

St. Croix Valley Alliance NOW

Women Winning

Women’s Congress

WOW Network

YWCA

Sisters of St. Joseph Carondelet

We are launching a social media campaign that will share video of 45+ women in our State talking about “Why I Vote”, we are linking across communities to provide resources (financial and boots on the ground activism) to support the communities who will really make a difference in the polls - communities with boots on the ground doing the important work of registration, early voting, getting people to the polls, and ACTIVATING VOTERS!  We are launching a cross-community shared calendar that educates, inspires, and informs voters about ballot issues, the importance of voting, and where and how to vote.

How to participate in Power to the Polls:

1. Make sure you are registered to vote! Register!  Know a person who is not a registered voter?  Have them check out our Election Central Page for informative information on the voting process (link to https://www.womensmarchmn.com/election-central-1/) .  People can also text P2P to RTVOTE (788-683) to receive text prompts to voter registration forms and other information.  

2. Join us for Rock the Vote Rock the Dam: Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door.  Get yours early! This fundraiser will support mini-grants to provide resources to our partner organizations.  https://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/mobile/index/1759925?utm_medium=bks  

3. DONATE! Support Power to the Polls – make a tax-deductibel donation on our Go Fund Me page: https://www.gofundme.com/power-to-the-polls-minnesota.  No amount is too small!

4. Join us!  Sign up to learn more about all the ways to volunteer with partner organizations across the state: https://www.womensmarchmn.com/volunteer/)  phone banking, texting, post card writing, calling to remind voters, registering voters, data entry, driving voters to the polls, helping organizations raise funds, supporting volunteers as they door knock in their communities, info tabling to GOTV, are among the early opportunities!

Join your fellow Minnesotan’s to show up and bring your Power to the Polls! Get a Shirt!

Power to the Polls Challenge! YOU are needed!

Join Women's March Minnesota and Women's March for Power to the Polls! P2P Fundraiser

Minnesota is going to retain its title as the TOP STATE to GET OUT THE VOTE again in 2018, and we are going to protect our progressive values, increase voter registration, build community, and ACTIVATE VOTERS!

We are working with a growing collaboration of MN organizations because we know that this year Minnesota voters are going to say ENOUGH to anyone who is anti-abortion, anti-LGBTQIA+ rights, anti-worker’s rights, anti-immigrant, anti-equity and anti-voter rights.  We are going to remind our legislators that they work for us, and that a woman's body is not a political agenda.
 
We are all working together to get this done.  YOU are needed!

We will continue to amplify the voices of our State's most marginalized communities to make change all the way to the November election.

Your donation will support our 45 day Power to the Polls Campaign by:

*We are directly supporting groups that are working to GOTV work materially with mini-grants and resources

*We are launching a cross-community shared calendar that educates, inspires and informs voters about ballot issues, the importance of voting

*We will feature Minnesota women leaders and why they vote every day for 45 days!

*We are activating people power to GOTV by inviting YOU to pledge to vote, activate your friends, family, and co-workers

*We are inviting you to join the boots on the ground groups with opportunities to show up to volunteer for our partner organizations

*Providing transportation funding to communities throughout greater Minnesota - shuttles for community elders to vote early, eliminating barriers to day-of-voting by providing rides, and supporting community  GOTV  gatherings in locations across MN!

Please help us make this all possible with your donation!

Important Dates to Remember:

September 21, 2018- The first day you can vote EARLY for the 2018 Midterm Election
November 6, 2018 - MIDTERM ELECTION DAY

Join us for daily announcements, opportunities to help GOTV and participate in Power to the Polls at our  website: WomensMarchMN.com. 

To join us as a P2P volunteer, and help put MN GOTV into action  fill out this form.

This is why we marched.

This is it. The time is now. You are all needed. On Sep 21st, early voting opens in Minnesota. At that point, it is 45 days until the general election on November 6th. 45 days. 45.

Women's March Minnesota is focusing those 45 days on helping our community partners register, educate, and motivate voters. A spectacular example is COPAL, a Latinx grassroots movement. COPAL registered 10,000 new voters!  Now they need our help to stay in contact with those voters through election day. Did you know it takes 6 contacts with voters to ensure they actually vote?

Over the next 45 days, we will be sending out requests for you to get engaged in our Power to the Polls initiative - supporting other organizations with their voter registration efforts. These requests will come in the form of asking for volunteers to help with actions and events and requests for donations.

Now is the time to take action to ensure that we protect our rights and once again live in a country we are proud of. If not now - when? This is why we marched. In addition to the requests to participate, we will be sending out motivational videos and educational pieces about the election process called “Election Central”.

Get ready to participate - not just once but many times. You will be tired, you will be pushed, you will win. Get ready. 45 days. This is why we marched - you are all needed.

Support our Power to the Polls Go Fund Me Campaign. Join us for ROCK THE VOTE. ROCK THE DAM

12,800 Detained Migrant Children

12,800 migrant children in federal custody this month and the WH wants to make it legal to detain them indefinitely. Tell them NO!

12,800 migrant children were detained this month in federal custody – yes, 12,800! That’s up from 2,400 in May last year! And the WH just announced that they plan to triple the size of the "Tent City" in Tornillo to house even more - a total of around 3,800 children! This is all so shameful and wrong! 

Add to this the reports of abuse and terrible conditions in some of the detention centers.

One reason there are so many migrant children in detention centers is that fewer are being released. Recent rules mean that sponsors collecting children from centers must be fingerprinted, and this information is then shared with immigration officials. As a result would-be sponsors who are undocumented are put off from coming forward, for fear of risking deportation.

Now the DHHS has proposed new rules to allow children to be detained indefinitely. (Currently, the Flores settlement limits it to 20 days). These rules will also get rid of state inspection requirements for centers, and limit the type of relatives who children can be released to. These proposals are wrong in so many ways.

We now have 53 more days for public comment on these proposals. Please add your concerns to the Federal Register today.

Are you ready for the elections? Do you know what your candidates stand for?

Just 55 days to the elections! Want to find out what the candidates running in your district stand for? Even better - want to ask the candidates a question so they will have to go public on issues that are important to you?

The League of Women Voters Minnesota are holding 34 candidate forums in districts across the state in the next month alone. See their event calendar here.

to find a forum for candidates in your district. Every the event description will include details of how to submit questions to the candidates before the forum.

This google doc might also help you to find the right event for you. (Thanks Chuck!) These are fantastic opportunities to put democracy into action!

Help International Institute of Minnesota

Please assist the International Institute of Minnesota reach their goal of helping 1500 people become US citizens this fiscal year.  In addition to weekend opportunities the IIMN recently added weekday group processing events to reduce the waitlist of over 80 people.

The weekday hours range from 9am-12pm, 1pm-5pm and 2-5pm. The Saturday hours are from 9-1. When you are finished may vary as you need to finish working with a client before you leave. If you have not done so already, please watch the 18 minute training video and answer the 3 question quiz. Click on the links to sign up for a time.

1. Click here to view the training video on Vimeo. Use the password “Americans”

2. Use this link (also listed in the video description) to take a quick, easy comprehension quiz

3. Check your email, if you answered the questions correctly, you’ll receive links to sign-up for future group processing events. If you missed a question, you’ll be asked to try again.

Thursday Sept 11 1-5pm

Friday Sept 14 9am - 12pm

Monday Sept 17 1pm-5pm

Thursday Sept 20 1pm- 5pm

Friday Sept 21 1pm-5pm

Monday Sept 24 1pm-5pm

Tuesday Sept 25 1pm-5pm

Thursday Sept 27 1pm-5pm

Friday Sept 28 9am-12pm

Upcoming Saturday dates from 9-1pm:

September 15th

October 13

November 17

ID's in Minneapolis

Aug 25, Hosted by MN-Immigrant Movement-MIM (@MN-Immigrant Movement-MIM) and La Voz Del Pueblo MN (http://kfai.org/lavozdelpueblo) and MIRAC - Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (https://mirac1.wordpress.com/)     

From the hosts: 

This is the moment! Join us for a meeting this Saturday, August 25th at 10 AM about Municipal ID in the City of Minneapolis.  For those who need an ID, for those who do not have ID, and for those who want to stand in solidarity with impacted communities.

For you who believe in justice for all;
Homeless, transgender and nonbinary individuals, older adults, and low income people face significant obstacles in obtaining photo identification. In the coming weeks, Minneapolis City Council will vote on establishing a Municipal ID program to make IDs
more accessible for all. 

We're seeking individuals to join the movement, both those who would directly benefit from a Municipal ID and people who support the effort as an important step in the struggle for justice and equality. 

At the meeting you will:

• Learn more about Municipal ID in Minneapolis
• Hear the most recent updates from the City about the ordinance and funding 
• Learn how you can become involved in passing and implementing Municipal ID.

What: Municipal ID Info Session and How to Get Involved
When: Saturday, August 25th, 10AM-12PM.
Where: Waite House

This meeting is for supporters of the Municipal ID movement who agree with the following points of unity. We support the immediate creation of a Municipal ID that: 

• Is accessible to all residents of Minneapolis over the age of 14 regardless of immigration status, gender identity, or homelessness status.
• Has incentives to encourage all city residents to participate.
• Has strong privacy mechanisms to protect all collected data including name, date of birth, and address.

Support ongoing implementation to make the best possible ID program. Please reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns. We hope to see you there!

Jovita Morales
Community Organizer
MN-Immigrant Movement
Jovis4525@gmail.com
6122461149

Hosted by Minnesota Immigrant Movement (MIM) and Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) in partnership with the City of Minneapolis.

Has the Manafort/Cohen news given you new energy to #StopKavanaugh? We hope so!

The latest developments in the Mueller investigation only strengthen the argument that the US Senate should NOT proceed with considering Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination for SCOTUS.

If you are looking to add your voice to this demand, NARAL Pro-Choice America and Move On have partnered to organize Unite For Justice events across the country this Sunday, August 26th. There are 4 in and near Minnesota!

Please attend one near you if you can and help #StopKavanaugh and #HaltHearing. For more background on these events, see here.

EVENTS: 

• Minneapolis:  11 a.m. – Stop Kavanaugh: Gavel on a Stick Edition -  Moon Palace Books, Minneapolis, MN 55406 For more details 
• Duluth:  2 p.m. – Brews and Repro Freedom - Bent Paddle Brewing Co. Taproom, Duluth, MN 55806 For more details
• Fargo Moorhead: Noon – Unite for Justice Flagship Event - Fargo Civic Center Plaza, Fargo, ND 58102 For more details
• Sioux Falls: 1pm – Unite For Justice - Fawick Park, Sioux Falls, SD 57104 For more details

Here are more actions you can take to help #SaveSCOTUS, see here.

For an excellent reminder of why Brett Kavanaugh is such a dangerous choice for SCOTUS, take some time to listen to the speakers at the #StopKavanaugh rally in front of the Supreme Court yesterday, organized by the National Women's Law Center.

Fundraiser for LaDonna Redmond - Social Justice, Gun Violence and Food Advocate

LaDonna Redmond is a social justice, gun violence and food advocate. She is a community organizer, and she is a friend of Women's March MN. We respect the work LaDonna is doing in the community and have learned so much from her. Now she needs our help. Her young adult child had a cardiac arrest and is fighting for their life. Please show LaDonna the generosity she has shown us and contribute to this emergency fundraiser to help her and her child.

“There was a point in my life that I thought when I became a mom I would protect my child. That it was my job to make sure that they got the right education, that we lived in the right neighborhood, that I kept them out of trouble and made sure they had the right friends. I would protect their potential. I’ve since learned better. [I’ve learned] my child is the one who is protecting my potential. The one that has introduced me to a love of the earth and a love of the land and the love of the soil that I would have never known without them.”

— LaDonna Redmond

Help GOTV with COPAL-MN and the Latinx Community; Saturday!

Great opportunity THIS WEEKEND to help Get Out The Vote (GOTV)! Let’s get to work! Join us to phone bank with our friends at COPAL MN as they work to mobilize the Latinx community statewide for the Midterms in November. 

When and where: Saturday, Aug 18th, 10am - 1pm, 3702 East Lake St, Minneapolis. (Park in adjacent lot). 

Training will be provided by COPAL MN for new volunteers. Spanish is not required. Bring a laptop if you can. Please sign up here. If you have any questions, contact Teresa: tkthewriter@gmail.com Learn more about the great work COPAL MN does.