Energy and Climate Omnibus bill is looking good!

Although environmental bills did not appear in our initial list of Legislative Priorities for 2019, climate action and justice has to be a priority for all of us, and we were waiting to see what bills would be introduced to address climate change.

We are very excited about the Energy and Climate Omnibus bill (HF 1833) that has really come together in the last few weeks!

It is packed with policies needed to address climate change: 100% carbon free electricity by 2050, electric buses, electric vehicle infrastructure, community solar access for all income groups, extension of solar incentives, solar on schools, energy storage pilot projects, clean energy first policy for any new plants. This is what climate action looks like!

Let's call/tweet thanks for bold, visionary leadership to Gov. Tim Walz, Rep. Jean Wagenius and Speaker Melissa Hortman.

• Gov. Walz - tweet; tel/email

• Rep. Jean Wagenius - tweet; tel/email

• Speaker Melissa Hortman - tweet; tel/email

Please also call/email your House Rep. to let them know why you want them to support this bill, using this form from 100PercentMN.org.

Not sure who your legislators are? Check this legislator look-up tool. 

To read more about the Energy and Climate Omnibus bill, see these two articles from Session Daily:

• House energy and climate division unveils its omnibus proposal (3/26/29)

• House energy and climate division approves its $54 million omnibus bill (3/29/19)

Bill to establish taskforce on missing and murdered Indigenous women gets first hearing in the Senate!!

Great news! The bill to address the silent epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous women, children and men (SF515) will be heard by the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee this Tuesday (4/2), 1:00 p.m., 1100 Senate Bldg, 95 University Ave W, St Paul, MN 55155.

1. Attend if you can to show your support.

2. If your senator is on the Judiciary and Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee, ask them to support SF515 as a STAND ALONE bill.

 For more information on the bill and why it is so important, see the this short report by TPT.

HF70/SF515 will create a task force to identify the root causes of this epidemic of violence, gather data and make recommendations to the Legislature. HF70, introduced by Rep. Mary Kunesh-Podein, has done really well in the House. This is the first hearing of the senate version of the bill (SF515). It will be introduced by Senator Patricia Torres Ray.

Judiciary and Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee members: Senators Limmer, Hall, Latz, B. Anderson, Dziedzic, Ingebrigtsen, Johnson, Pappas, and Relph.

Not sure who your legislators are? Check this legislator look-up tool.

Keep going with pressuring the Senate about hearing gun safety bills - it’s working!

Good news! Senate Majority Leader Gazelka says he will allow the Senate to hear gun safety bills, IF they pass in the House. (The House versions, HF8 + HF9, have already passed a number of committees). Read more about it.

Thank you! Your calls and emails have helped make this happen. Please keep them coming!

Contact your MN state representative AND your MN state senator ASAP and tell them why you want them to vote YES on both of these bills. Please also contact Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka and Senator Warren Limmer, Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and let them know why it is so important that these bills get a hearing and a vote.

For more details and talking points on HF8/SF434 (Criminal Background Check) and HF9/SF436 (Red Flag) see Protect Minnesota's website.

Not sure who your legislators are? Check this legislator look-up tool.

Keeping Black Families Together (HF342/SF730)

The African American Family Preservation Act (HF342/SF730), is a bill that addresses racial disparities in the MN child protection process.

Did you know that:

• African American children are 3 times more likely than white children to be reported to Child Protection services

• In the face of the same allegation, African American and children of 2 or more races are removed from their home at a rate 3.1 and 4.8 higher than their white counterparts

• The rights of African American parents are terminated at higher rates. African American and children of 2 or more races are between 3 and 5 times more likely than white children to become a state ward

• African American children are the highest populations of children moving from the child protection system to juvenile protection.

This bill would oversee the creation of an African American Child Welfare Advisory Council and an African American child wellbeing department within the Department of Human Services to provide oversight and accountability.

HF342 is doing well in the House - it passed in the Government Ops committee this week and is about to be heard in the Judicial Finance and Civil law Committee.

However, like many important progressive bills, this one needs some help in the MN Senate.

So, how can you help?

1. If your House Rep. is on the Judicial Finance and Civil law Committee, please contact them and tell them why you want them to vote YES on this bill.

2. If you can, please attend tomorrow’s hearing (3/15) to show your support - 9.30am, Rm 400 State Office Building.

3. This bill has had one hearing in the Senate so far. If you are a constituent of any of the following senators, please contact them and let them know why you want them to grant this bill a hearing. And if you know anyone who is a constituent of these senators, encourage them to contact their senator with the same message.

   This is the list of senators:

   Senator Kiffmeyer (Senate District 30, R)

   Senator Limmer (Senate District 34, R)

   Senator Abeler (SD 35, R)

   Senator Benson (SD 31, R)

4. And don’t forget to contact your MN state representative and senator and let them know why you want them to them support this bill when it comes to the floor.

Not sure what district you live in or who your MN House Rep or your MN Senator is? Check this lookup tool.

For more details on the bill see this news story from MPR.

Watch the recent press conference by the authors Rep. Rena Moran and Sen. Jeff Hayden when they announced the bill.

Equal Rights Amendment - Celebrations and time to roll up our sleeves!

Last week, one of the two ERA bills (HF13 - to establish gender equality under the law, and propose a constitutional amendment) passed in the House. Hooray!!!!

The debate was something to behold as Representatives argued that the word “gender” should be replaced by “sex” or “biological sex”, worried that the bill would spell the end of women’s sports by granting rights to transgender people, and were concerned that this bill could lead to the lifting of bans on taxpayer-funded abortions. Watch the whole debate here.

The bill passed by 72 - 55, which means that 55 representatives did not agree with the statement “equality under the law shall not be abridged or denied on account of gender”. Let us not forget who voted against the idea of “equality for all”, when election time comes around!

This victory in the House was followed by ERA Lobby and Rally day on International Women’s Day. See here for full coverage of the wonderful event, with fantastic speeches from chief authors to the Governor and Lt Governor. For shorter clips of the rally, see here.

This bill (HF13/SF200) needs a hearing in the senate, as does the second ERA bill (HF71/SF208). Both bills have been referred to the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee, but the Chair of that committee - Sen. Warren Limmer - is not scheduling either bill for a hearing. He is leaving it up to Senate Majority Leader, Paul Gazelka to decide whether these bills should move forward. See this good assessment from ERA MN on the situation.

Time to get busy!

1. Contact your senator and urge to support these bills.

2. If your senator is on the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee, ask them to pressure their chair to grant these bills a hearing.

3. Urge Senator Limmer, Chair of the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee, to give SF200 and SF208 a hearing.

4. Urge Senate Majority Leader Gazelka to make sure that both ERA bills (SF200 and SF208) get a hearing in the Senate, as well as a vote.

Things to mention in your messages to your senator and others:

• As a woman/mother/sister/aunt/grandmother/father/grandfather, etc., securing equal rights for women is a top priority for me, and getting the ERA into the US Constitution is long overdue.

• This is not and should not be a partisan issue.

• Both women and men have been denied equality in the Constitution, because it does not expressly prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex or gender. This amendment is for all people of Minnesota and this country.

• Twenty-four other states in the United States (including Texas) have added an Equal Rights Amendment to their state constitutions. It is time to give Minnesotans the opportunity to vote for an Equal Rights Amendment for our state.

• Recent events have shown clearly that despite claims of equality, women still face inequality due to sexual harassment, inequitable pay and unequal treatment in the courts. Our courts are an uncertain place to determine the equality of over half our population.

• Now is the time to ensure equal justice for all Minnesotans.

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.

Restore the Vote (HF40/SF856) - Support this bill in the MN House and help get it a hearing in the Senate

HF40/SF856 is a bill to restore the vote to 52,000 Minnesotans (11,000 women) (who’ve been convicted of a felony) either upon their release from prison, or when they’re on probation, living in the community. It also requires notifying people when their right to vote has been restored. Many groups are supporting this bill - law enforcement, correctional offices, attorneys, civil rights groups, and it has 35 sponsors in the House.

Here’s how you can show your support too!

Mar 6th: Attend the next hearing of this bill by the Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform Finance and Policy Division at 12.45 p.m., Rm 120, State Capitol Building. For more on the event, see https://www.facebook.com/events/610243306089750/.

Whether you can make the hearing or not, please contact your Representative and urge them to support this bill, particularly if they are on this committee.

This document has more information on this bill and the issues behind it (PDF).

Mar 7th: Attend the Restore the Vote Press Conference, 9-10 a.m., Press Conference Rm B971, State Capitol Bldg, hosted by chief authors Sen. Bobby Joe Champion and Rep. Ray Dehn, and the Restore the Vote Minnesota Coalition - on the 54th anniversary of the March on Selma for voting rights across the nation. Come and support your public officials and organizational leaders. For more details, see https://www.facebook.com/events/2195680670693330/.

Mar 9th: Attend the Ed Owens People’s Movement Assembly at Metropolitan State where Anika Bowie of Restore the Vote Coalition will be speaking. Look out for more calls-to-action on this bill as the RTV Coalition works to get a hearing for it in the Minnesota Senate.

Things to mention when talking to others about this bill:

• This bill will impact 52,000 Minnesotans, 64% are from Greater Minnesota. 35K are white, 12K are Black, 3K are Latinx and 3K are Native Americans. In Minnesota, African Americans are 7 times more likely to be disenfranchised than white Minnesotans.

• Although Minnesota has one of the lowest incarceration rates in the US, Minnesota probation and supervision rates are among the highest (and longest). Some people are on probation of 10, 15, 20, even 40 years. That means they are working and paying taxes but unable to vote.

• Once the criminal justice system has determined that a person should be allowed to live in our community, there is no good reason they should not be allowed to have a voice in our democracy. Civic engagement should be encouraged, not prosecuted.

The Equal Rights Amendment bills need a hearing in the MN Senate!

The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) bills - HF13, SF200 and HF71, SF208 - are doing well in the MN House but need a hearing in the Senate.

HF13/SF200 puts an ERA into the Minnesota Constitution. HF71/SF208 resolves that the deadline in the Federal ERA be removed and that ratification of the ERA in the US Constitution advances.

Both bills have been referred to the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee, but the Chair of that committee - Sen. Warren Limmer - is not scheduling either bill for a hearing. He is leaving it up to Senate Majority Leader, Paul Gazelka to decide whether these bills should move forward. See this good update from ERA MN on the situation.

Time to get busy!

1. Urge your senator to support these bills. If s/he is the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee , ask them to pressure their chair to grant these bills a hearing

2. Urge Senator Limmer, Chair of the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee, to give SF200 and SF208 a hearing

3. Urge Senate Majority Leader Gazelka to make sure that both ERA bills (SF200 and SF208) get a hearing in the Senate, as well as a vote

4. Attend ERA Lobby Day at the Capitol, THIS FRIDAY, March 8th, 9:00 - noon to lobby your legislators and to rally support. Followed by lunch at Best Western Capitol Ridge, Peddler's Pub, 12-2pm. Rally at 10:00 am, Minnesota State Capitol Rotunda. Confirmed speakers include: Governor Tim Walz, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, Sen. Dick Cohen, Sen. Sandy Pappas, Sen. Scott Dibble, Rep. Mary Kunesh-Podein, Rep. Rena Moran, Rep. Kaohly Her, and Rep. Hunter Cantrell. See FB event page.

Things to mention in your messages to senators:

• As a woman/mother/sister/aunt/grandmother/father/grandfather, etc., securing equal rights for women is a top priority for me, and getting the ERA into the US Constitution is long overdue.

• This is not and should not be a partisan issue.

• Both women and men have been denied equality in the Constitution, because it does not expressly prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex or gender. This amendment is for all people of Minnesota and this country.

• Twenty-four other states in the United States (including Texas) have added an Equal Rights Amendment to their state constitutions. It is time to give Minnesotans the opportunity to vote for an Equal Rights Amendment for our state.

• Recent events have shown clearly that despite claims of equality, women still face inequality due to sexual harassment, inequitable pay and unequal treatment in the courts. Our courts are an uncertain place to determine the equality of over half our population.

• Now is the time to ensure equal justice for all Minnesotans.

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.

Post-March actions you can do now

THANK YOU! Women’s March Minnesota deeply appreciates the support of the many individuals, communities, and organizations who join in our purpose of harnessing the power of women and their communities to create transformative social change. And when we say women we mean and include—black women, Indigenous women, trans women, LGBQ+ women, immigrant women, Muslim women, women with disabilities, Deaf women, Jewish women, Latinx women, Asian and Pacific Islander women, women of low socioeconomic status—all women and gender non-conforming people from a multitude of backgrounds, identities, ages, faiths, statuses, and abilities.

The important work of educating, amplifying, and activating to improve and support the lives of women, girls, and gender nonconforming folks requires thoughtful and intentional intersectional activism. This means first recognizing that justice and liberation for all requires everyone to work together against the underlying current of all forms of oppression – white supremacy and toxic masculinity. Ending oppression is a long-term process that can only be achieved through collaborative action. We are dedicated to this movement and hope you are with us, too. We appreciate the trust of YOU, our community members, activists, and leaders as we chart a new course into what 2019 and beyond looks like for Women’s March Minnesota.

We came together SATURDAY, JANUARY 19, in unity to fight all forms of oppression and injustice, because when we are together we are UNSTOPPABLE! It was an opportunity to both learn and educate, celebrate and activate, become grounded and grow. We marched to send a message and rally before leaders and activists from around the state, who shared their stories and amplified social justice issues in Minnesota and across the country. We celebrated progress and raised hope. Together, we stood against racism, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, Islamophobia, xenophobia, ableism, anti-Semitism, classism, ageism, and oppression in all forms. We marched for the planet, for justice, for equity, for the future. And today our work continues, because we are more than a march.

Here are four actions you can take now:

1. Support the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women’s Fundraiser and show up on Thursday, February 14, 2019 for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons March in Minneapolis. There are also sister marches in Duluth and Bemidji.

2. Join us to get the Equal Rights Amendment in the Minnesota Constitution at the January 24 bill hearing, February 2 fundraiser, and March 8 International Women’s Day at the Capitol. Learn more at ERA MN.

3. Learn how to become a new or more effective activist—register for MNxMN2019: Beyond the Vote, a one-day civic activism conference on February 24 in St. Paul.

4. Attend the “Restore the Vote” Rally at the Capitol March 7. Stay updated with RestoreTheVoteMN.

Longer term, support the following legislation this session, some of which we just discussed:

• Equal Rights Amendment (HF13/SF200 and HF71/SF208): With ERA Minnesota, to add overdue gender-based protections to the Minnesota Constitution: “Equality under the law shall not be abridged or denied on account of gender.”

• MN African American Families Preservation Act: With NAACP Minneapolis and others to protect black children and families and stop the devastating impact of racial disparities in MN’s child protection system.

• Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women’s Act (HF70): With a strong coalition of indigenous women’s organizations and all 11 of Minnesota’s tribes, this task force will address and finally collect data on missing and murdered indigenous women and girls.

• Restore the Vote (HF40): With Restore the Vote Coalition, support the re-enfranchisement of individuals with past felony convictions. Restoring voting rights means a more equitable, healthy, and active community.

• Driver's Licenses for All: With Freedom to Drive MN, to allow MN drivers to obtain a driver’s license regardless of their immigration status and live full lives without fear of criminal justice system interaction.

• Legislation to protect the environment, mitigate climate change, and advance environmental justice.

• Legislation to advance and/or protect reproductive rights and healthcare access/coverage, election fairness and healthy democracy, affordable housing, gun control, economic justice for disadvantaged communities, LGBTQ+ rights (including bans on conversion therapy).

• Legislation introduced to protect women, girls, and people across the gender spectrum from all forms of violence of any kind against our bodies.

And finally, don’t wait—text RESISTER to 22828 now to keep up with Women’s March MN! You can also sign up for our listserv at WomensMarchMN.com and find us on various social media @WomensMarchMN, where we alert people about actions that need to be taken to support these pieces of legislation, and other community actions!

Elections - Get Involved!

let’s get to Work!

Voting is key, but if we are serious about turning things around, we have to do more.

Here’s a list of ways you can get involved. Find one or two that appeal and commit to doing them regularly between now and November 6th. Once a week…twice a week…convince a friend or two to join you!

1. Engage with your friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers about the elections.

Make sure they are registered to vote; that they know what’s on their ballot and why the different races (federal/state/local) matter. Ask them if they plan to vote early or on election day.

If they are already enthusiastic, encourage them to get involved in making sure others vote too.

Votewithme is an excellent app to help you identify friends who live in swing districts and who aren’t in the habit of voting in midterms. Use this to contact these friends and encourage them to vote. It’s genius!

2. Register people to vote.

Many organizations are running voter registration drives at public events, in colleges and schools, or by going door-to-door. It’s very satisfying work. People are grateful and genuinely excited to be registered to vote.

Below are some of the groups we know who are registering voters. Contact them to find out when their next drive is. Volunteer to help them.

• League of Women Voters

• ACLU MN

• COPAL MN

• NAACP Mpls

• Navigate MN

• MN Let People Vote

• Black Votes Matter MN

• Minnesota Indivisible Alliance to find your local Indivisible group.

You can also set up your own voter registration drive.

New to door-knocking and phone banking?
Check out this series of videos to learn the basics.

3. Talk to people - phone bank, text bank, door knock.

a) About issues - helping people understand the issues

Advocacy groups like ACLU MN, Planned Parenthood Minnesota Action, COPAL MN, NARAL Pro-Choice Minnesota, SEIU Minnesota and other unions, and Take Action MN are very active doing issue-based canvassing leading up to the elections and rely on volunteers to help them do this work. They will also train you on how to phone bank, door knock or text bank, before you start. Campaigns also rely on volunteers.

b) About candidates - helping people understand what candidates stand for

Women’s March Minnesota cannot endorse or name candidates, but you can! To find out about campaign volunteer opportunities, contact your party. Alternatively, both the DFL and the GOP have comprehensive campaign calendars: find out what’s going on in your area, contact the campaign directly and sign up to help.

Political Contribution Refund.

Did you know that every year you can donate up to $50 ($100 for a married couple) to a state level political campaign and the full amount will be refunded. This is a great way to support state candidates. Learn more about Minnesota’s political contribution refund program.

• DFL Volunteer Calendar

• MN GOP Volunteer Calendar

• Crooked Media’s excellent nationwide campaign volunteer calendar

• MoveOn.org’s texting team for contacting people in key areas in the country.

4. Write postcards to voters.

This is a creative way to be in touch with people in your district and elsewhere to encourage them to vote, vote for a specific candidate or on a specific issue. It’s also great for people who are not up for the more direct contact experience of door knocking or phone banking.

• Attend a postcard party and mix your postcard writing with some socializing with like-minded folks. Or do it from the comfort of your own home.  

• Join the Facebook group Postcards for America - Minnesota for up-to-date information on upcoming postcarding events as well as good ideas of what to do from home.

• Set up your own postcard party - at your home, a local library, a nearby cafe. It’s easy! Request a list of voter addresses from the Secretary of State, buy some cards, put a jar out for donations to help cover the cost of mailing, and invite some people to come. It’s amazing how many cards you can get written in a short time.

5. Register to be an Election Judge

Election judges are temporary, paid employees of local election officials trained to handle all aspects of voting at the polling place. This is a great way to be involved and to help make sure that every vote counts. Learn more.

6. Assist others to the polls. Offer to take your neighbor to vote. Call your local campaign office and sign up to drive people to the polls.

“Voting is the only way to ensure that your concerns matter...PERIOD.”

— Michelle Obama

What's On My Ballot?

The Election is coming up!

Not sure who is running for what? Check here and then click on “View your sample ballot” to see a list of the candidates and ballot questions you'll be voting on. 

Now you know which candidates are running, take some time to work out who stands for the things that are important to you. Check their websites, do a google news search on them, and also look at what advocacy groups who care about the issues that are important to you say about them.

Some groups endorse certain candidates, while others rate candidates depending on where they stand on issues. Check groups like Planned Parenthood, Sierra Club, Protect MN, LWV MN, etc. 

After the #FamiliesBelongTogether Marches, what now?

posters by artist Leon Wang

Last week, WMM joined a number of other organizations in a civil disobedience action at General Dynamics, Bloomington, to protest the company’s involvement in the business of immigrant detention and monitoring. This action was led by Navigate MN, Black Visions Collective, CTUL, and SEIU Local 26. Eight protestors were arrested, including Sen. Patricia Torres Ray.

This was just one of many similar disobedience actions protesting family detention, family separation and the zero tolerance policy: Women’s March #WomenDisobey action in DC on June 28th, New Mexico Women’s March action in Albuquerque on the same day, the action by Mijente in San Diego this Monday. Philadelphia, Portland and yesterday in NY.

Last weekend, hundreds of thousands of people in over 700 towns and cities across the states joined marches to protest the zero tolerance policy of the current administration - calling for the an end to family detention and the abolishment of I.C.E., among other things.

Meanwhile, in spite of a court order to return separated children to their parents within 30 days, there are reports that little attempt is being made by the administration to reunite the 2300+ children with their families. In some places, it seems that officials are actively putting obstacles in the way of families being reunited and that relatives of separated children are being charged for their transportation.

posters by artist Leon Wang

What more can we do?

• Keep the issue in the forefront:
• Talk about it
• Post about it
• Write to the editor of your local newspaper about it
• Be willing to have uncomfortable conversations with you family, friends and neighbors
• Join local protests on this issue
• Expose corporations who profit from the business of immigrant detention
• Support immigrant rights groups working at the border and across the country
• Call the Department of Justice and let them know what you think about what they are doing - P: 202-353-1555
• Call your US Reps and senators and tell them that they must work to put together an immigration system that does NOT criminalize, detain or deport immigrants (children or adults) who are seeking asylum or immigrant status in the US or who are already in the US. 

Click for a list of organizations that are mobilizing to help immigrant children separated from their families.

P.U.C. Approves Line 3. What's Next?

“Minnesota and Enbridge have asked us if this is gonna be like Standing Rock. And they have gotten their Standing Rock...It is time to come to Minnesota to protect the water.”

— Winona LaDuke

Last week, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) approved Line 3, but there is still a long way to go before Enbridge can start construction on the tar sands oil pipeline. In his response regarding the approval Governor Mark Dayton said "Many people hold passionate views on this project. I urge everyone to express themselves peacefully. The PUC’s decision is not the final approval of this pipeline.”

The activist and advocacy groups opposing the project have vowed to continue the fight to stop line 3.For more on this, see Unicorn Riot’s excellent coverage  In particular see the video titled “Winona LeDuke Speaks After Line 3 Approval" below.

Winona LaDuke Speaks After Line 3 Pipeline Approval: "It is time to come to Minnesota to protect the water" Read more about the approval of Line 3 by Minnesota's Public Utilities Commission: https://www.unicornriot.ninja/2018/line-3-oil-pipeline-approved-by-minnesota-regulators/ Video Credit: Unicorn Riot

To support the hard work of the groups working to #StopLine3 and protect Minnesota’s precious environment, please check out the websites of the following groups, donate to them if you can and follow them on Facebook and twitter for updates of actions and help needed:

• Stop Line 3

• Honor the Earth

• Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light

• MN350

• Sierra Club North Star Chapter

To read similar articles and topics visit:

Comment Now to Oppose the Gutting of the NEPA

Justice Kennedy Resigns

Children must be reunited with their families. Children should not be in detention centers.

Speak out! Call your MoC! Join a Protest! Donate!

More horrors keep emerging on the family separation policy: 2,300 children removed from their parents in 6 weeks; younger kids and toddlers housed in “tender age” shelters; no plan yet on how to reunite kids with their parents!

The Executive Order ending the family separation aspect of the Administration’s “zero tolerance” policy  has done little to solve the huge problems created by this administration’s new “zero tolerance” policy, and has brought with it great confusion.

For now anyone crossing the border illegally will be criminally prosecuted. However, instead of being separated, parents and children will be kept together indefinitely in detention centers which are already at capacity and are not a healthy or safe place for kids.

There are no plans yet for how to reunite the 2,300 separated children with their parents either. Adults and children have been processed by different agencies who have not shared information and some children have been transported to different parts of the country with little transparency. This reunification process will take a long time to sort out, and will rely heavily on NGOs, and for some it may never happen. 

Reports are emerging of children being mistreated in “shelters” with reports emerging of children being administered psychotropic drugs. Of course, on top of all this, many of these children are dealing with terrible trauma, from situations they are seeking to escape, their journey to the US and now from the process of being separated from their parents. It is a shameful situation.

No plans have yet been offered for how to reunite the 2,300 separated children with their parents and children. Adults and children are processed by different agencies who have not shared information, and children are transported to different parts of the country the potential reunification process will take a devastatingly long time to sort out, relying heavily on NGOs. For some children it may never happen.

This week in Minnesota: Governor Dayton denounced the Immoral and un-American ripping apart of immigrant families. Yesterday State Attorney General Lori Swanson announced that Minnesota would  join other states preparing to sue the Trump administration over the inhumane treatment of children separated from their parents.

These are the messages to remember:

• Families should be kept together.
• Mass incarceration of families is not acceptable. (Huge amounts of money are being made by the private companies running detention centers and “shelters”).
• Criminalizing and punishing immigrants who come to the US seeking a safer life is not okay.

It is very important to keep the pressure and attention on this issue:

• Make sure you talk to your neighbors and friends about the subject.
• Contact your Congress people about it.
• Call or write the Department of Justice  (tel: 202-353-1555  or contact them and tell them what you think about what they are doing.
• Find opportunities to protest this situation publicly over the next few weeks - there will be many events happening (check out our calendar) or you can organize your own. Check out this site to find events happening near you as part of the #FamiliesBelongTogether action.
• Donate to organizations doing important work with the children separated from their families.

We need to send a very strong message to your US Senators and Representatives TODAY – STOP SEPARATING FAMILIES NOW!

Call them once, twice, more - tell them what you expect of them - ask them to clarify their position on this issue.

Urge them to pass legislation to remedy this and other immigration policy issues:

The US House plans to vote on 2 anti-immigrant immigration bills this week - both are UNACCEPTABLE. Make sure your Rep knows this! For more on the bills and why they should be opposed

Here are some bills they should be supporting - are they?

• Keep Families Together Act S3036 (Sen. Feinstein) to limit separation of families at all ports of entry
• HELP Separated Children Act S.2937 (Sen. Smith) to protect separated minors
• SECURE Act (S. 2144) (Sen. Van Hollen), to protect current TPS holders
• American Promise Act H.R. 4253 to protect holders of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) or Deferred Enforced Departure (DED)
• ASPIRE-TPS Act of 2017 H.R. 4384 to allow TPS holders who can prove “extreme hardship” to apply for a green card

When you call your representative, an assistant will answer. Their job is to listen to what you have to say and pass it on. It is fine to keep your message very simple - they are not going to ask you questions. Be sure to tell them you are a constituent of theirs.

Additional resources:

Indivisible has a great summary of the situation and what you can do

For more on what the Executive order does and does not do

Find your US Rep or Senator

Yesterday’s Executive Order came as a result of the intense pressure put on the Administration in the last while. Congratulations! However, It is a small victory and we must keep going.

Thank you for your action!

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Photo Credit: John Moore via Instagram. Follow @jbmoorephoto

Final days of argument before PUC decision on Line 3. Can you attend?

There are 3 or possibly 4 more days left of the Public Utility Commission meeting to discuss the pros and cons of the Line 3 project. At the end of these meetings, the PUC will decide if Line 3 goes ahead.

Can you help pack the room on any of these days (part or full day is okay):

• Tuesday June 26th
• Wednesday 27th
• Thursday 28th
• possibly Friday 29th

For more details on the meetings: http://www.mn350.org/line-3-final-decision-meetings/ or https://www.facebook.com/events/197083517596938/.

Sign up to attend. If you are an early riser, please queue up anytime from 5:30 am or later - whenever you can make it - to get a ticket for our side in the main hearing room. Tickets are given out at 8am.

Did you know that 68,244 people submitted comments against Enbridge proposed Line3? Only 3,756 supported it!

“We aren’t selling our souls for a barrel of oil.” "Enbridge’s spills are left to us, it’s our water, our trees, our lands at stake." Quotes from video of MN landowners reacting to proposed new line 3 route -

If you can't make the meetings but want to keep up with the discussion, follow:

1. Dan Kracker and Elizabeth Dunbar on Twitter.

2. Facebook: Honor The Earth, MN 350: Building a Climate Movement in Minnesota, Stop Line 3, and Sierra Club North Star Chapter

3. Website: Honor the Earth, MN350: Building a Climate Movement in Minnesota, Stop Line 3 and Sierra Club North Star Chapter

Listen to MPR's new 5-part podcast "Rivers of Oil". This series looks at how pipelines are now at the forefront of an epic tug of war between our reliance on oil and the risk that oil poses to the future of our planet — and how we all play a role in that story.

• Episode 1
• Episode 2

Stop Line 3!

Now we know who is running (sort of), let’s get busy!

Hectic day at Mn Sec. of State’s office yesterday – 275 people filed to run for public office! Lots of musical chairs and some hotly contested seats, INCLUDING record numbers of women filed for state House seats - YES!!!

2018 Primaries are 10 weeks away - August 14th.

Early voting is June 29th-Aug 13th, by email or in person. What’s your voting plan?

It's going to be a busy summer for candidates and their teams. Which campaigns can you help on?

• Here’s where to find out who is running for MN House in your district and districts you care about
• Here’s who’s filed to run in ALL state and federal offices
• Find out what district you live in.

The time is now! Let's do it!

Minnesota House Public Safety Omnibus Bill and others need your response NOW!

The MN House Public Safety Omnibus bill (HF2856), to be discussed and possibly voted on Tuesday May 1st, has some problems:

a) It includes 2 anti-protest provisions that are being rolled out across the country and are aimed at chilling dissent, particularly by groups like BLM and Water Protectors. 

b) It includes NO gun control provisions. (26 sensible gun law bills are waiting at MN Leg for action to be taken on them.)

If this bill gets passed as it is, penalties will be increased for obstructing a right-of-way to highway/airport or transit to a gross misdemeanor, with fines up to $3000 and 1 year in jail. Blocking highways is a time-honored form of protest that led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

An amendment to the bill will be discussed and voted on May 1st that will make trespassing on pipelines etc., a felony (fines of up to $20,000 and 10 years jail), and applies to protestors and to the organizations who educate and recruit them. For more see here- https://goo.gl/MdpY5a

For more on the lack of gun control language - https://goo.gl/pqEtCQ
Contact your state Rep and the Governor ASAP and tell them to vote NO on these anti-protest provisions and urge them to fight for gun control laws to be included.

Don't know who your state Rep is? https://www.gis.leg.mn/iMaps/districts/
Call Governor Dayton's office on 651-201-3400

For more on bills up for a vote this week in Mn Leg, see Watch Your Reps Mn weekly update below:
https://mailchi.mp/…/watchyourrepsmn-action-alert-for-week-…

Stand Against Permitless Carry - Welcome Back to the Capitol Lobby Day

Thursday, Feb. 22nd, 10:00am-4:00pm for Protect MN's:

Welcome Back to the Capitol Lobby Day

Women's March Minnesota is a co-sponsor for this event, please join us.  If you can make it be sure to reply "going" on the WMM Facebook event page AND register on Protect MN's website.  Please share this event and spread the word! 

More Info:
Join PROTECT MINNESOTA and our partners* on February 22
as we welcome law makers back to the Capitol and let them know that the people of Minnesota won’t accept any weakening of state gun laws. 

Help us send the message—loud and clear--that WE STAND AGAINST 'STAND YOUR GROUND' and WON’T PERMIT PERMITLESS CARRY!

To participate go to Protect Minnesota
1. Register today to visit your legislators. (We'll set up the visits for you.)
2. Register to be a Lobby Day Team Leader by recruiting four friends to attend with you.

10am-1pm: Visits with Legislators
Register by February 18 and we’ll arrange your visits.

2pm: Rally in the Rotunda
After the Rally, we’ll visit the Governor’s office.

*Many thanks to our partners:
National Council of Jewish Women-Minnesota
Muslim Jewish Women of Minnesota
Reviving the Islamic Sisterhood for Empowerment (RISE)
Minnesota Public Health Association
Women's March Minnesota

More lobby day partners are welcome! To learn more, contact
Rev. Nancy Nord Bence, Executive Director at Protect Minnesota

Downloadable "Welcome Back to the Capitol Day" flyer.

See you at the State Capitol!