WMMN-AF Blog
Real stories. Bold action. Powering all women & their communities to dismantle oppression.
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!
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.
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!
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!!!!
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.
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!
The Equal Rights Amendment bills need a hearing in the MN Senate!
The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) bills - HF13, SF200 and HF71, SF280 - are doing well in the MN House but need a hearing in the Senate.
HF13/SF200 puts an ERA into the Minnesota Constitution. HF71/SF280 resolves that the deadline in the Federal ERA be removed and that ratification of the ERA in the US Constitution advances.
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.
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.
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.
We came together SATURDAY, JANUARY 19, in unity to fight all forms of oppression and injustice, because when we are together we are UNSTOPPABLE!
Here are actions you can take now.
Elections - Get Involved!
Voting is key, but it’s not all there is to the election process. You can get involved in a lot of ways:
What's On My Ballot?
The Primaries are coming up!
There are a bunch of races that are having primary elections on Aug 14th - federal offices, state and county offices as well as some local offices too. Find out who and what is on your ballot.
After the #FamiliesBelongTogether Marches, what now?
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.
P.U.C. Approves Line 3. What's Next?
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.
Children must be reunited with their families. Children should not be in detention centers.
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!
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.
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?
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.)
Stand Against Permitless Carry - Welcome Back to the Capitol Lobby Day
Did You Know?
11: American women are 11 times more likely to be murdered with a firearm than women in any other developed nation.
16: A woman in the U.S. is fatally shot by her current or former intimate partner every 16 hours.
80: 80 percent of people killed by firearms annually in the U.S. by intimate partners are women.
53: The percentage of intimate partner murders that involve a fatal gunshot.
1 in 3: The number of women living in domestic violence shelters in California who were threatened or harmed with a firearm by their domestic partners.
Help us send the message - loud and clear - that we stand against 'Stand Your Ground' and won't permit permitless carry.