Utica Voting Rights Rally Monday 5-6 pm

The For the People Act was filibustered in the Senate. Meanwhile, states across the nation are passing voter suppression laws. Over 20 have been passed and hundreds more bills are coming down the line. The For The People Act would stop them in their tracks.

But only if we act now.  We need to show Senator Schumer that this is a fight we cannot back down from. There is overwhelming grassroots support for voting rights and we cannot let democracy be delayed.  We need every single one of our IMV activists to show up in Utica this Monday, June 28th, 5-6 pm at Oneida Square (1300 Genesee Street) for our Utica Deadline for Democracy Rally.   This local action will be in coordination with rallies around the country and is co-sponsored by CNY Citizen Action.

Signs should say any of the following: #ForThePeopleAct. Sen. Schumer: Pass S1. EndTheFilibuster. Stop voter suppression. Save Democracy. #DeadlineForDemocracy Voting Rights NOW.

You get the idea. There are no do-overs on this one, friends. Democracy is on the line, and only people power pushing on Congress can save it.

You can sign up on for the rally here so that you will receive notifications in case anything changes about the event.  
 

Letters to the Editor Writing Group

Please join our wonderful, active group of letter writers at their monthly meeting!  This is a fun and accessible group welcoming experienced letter writers and those who are new to writing and submitting LTE's Writers pair up to support and help each other, and experienced writers will also help you shape your ideas or edit your letter.  The group meets next on Sunday, June 27th at 6 pm over Zoom.   Here is the FB event.   Or just click here for the Zoom link:  
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86384912124
Meeting ID: 863 8491 2124

Congratulations to Katy Timpano, whose letter about LGBT rights was published in the Utica OD on Sunday, June 20th!
 

Beware of Phishing Emails

One of our longtime members was hacked recently, and the phishing emails that looked like they came from her to people in her contact list were very credible. The emails were written in a familiar tone of voice as if asking for a favor--specific technical help with figuring out how to make a small online purchase for a friend who just had knee surgery.  This was a good reminder that we should all be cautious when we see an unexpected email asking for a favor.   A good approach is to call your friend or contact and ask directly how to help, or text, email, or Facebook message separately from the message you received, without hitting reply.  Please beware, and stay safe online!
 

Diaper Collection for Citizen Action Continues

Citizen Action will be holding diaper drives throughout the summer into the fall and needs your help!

Just a small pack of diapers can cost $12 for a pack of 32. Babies need to be changed 7-10 times a day. Some families are forced to spend 14% of their income just on diapers. Our political and community organizing ally, Citizen Action, is embarking on a project to close the diaper gap and understand the childcare needs in Central New York to better advocate for those in need. Packages of diapers are provided to parents as a thank you to them for completing the local childcare needs survey. It's win win for everyone.

To donate diapers please contact
Chelsea at carcuri@citizenactionny.org, 315-281-4939.
To donate $$, go to https://cit.ac/CNYdiapers
Thank you for your support for this critical effort for families with young children in our community.

What July Looks Like for IMV

IMV Steering Committee is currently working on meeting dates for July and August.

• Tentatively we are planning our annual IMV summer Potluck Picnic for Tuesday, July 13, 6-8 pm.

• Our August meeting (probably August 10th or 17th) will focus on preparations for local campaign election season.

• The Clinton Racial Justice Honk & Wave will move from weekly to monthly, on the second Friday of every month, 4-5 pm. So join today, and then again on July 9th.

• We are looking to hold monthly climate, racial justice and democracy rallies in Utica the third Friday of every month.

We are all sad to hear the news that Anthony Brindisi will not be running against Claudia Tenney a third time, but happy that he will be able to spend more time with his family. No one knows at this point what will happen with redistricting in central New York. Oneida County and surrounding areas could end up with NY21 so that Tenney is forced to challenge Stefanik (for a safe very red district) in a primary. Or it could end up with NY24 so that she is forced to challenge John Katko. There are even more options and that could include breaking up Oneida county in a variety of ways. NY22 with Tenney as an incumbent candidate is unlikely to survive re-districting that is controlled by a Democratic state legislature. Regardless of how the re-districting goes, it is clear that it will not happen right away, which means that candidates are going to get a very late start in campaigning once districts are known.

If you need to process Anthony's announcement, want to talk about all the possibilities, or just need to connect with like-minded people while democracy hangs in the balance in Congress, remember that Friday CAFE is 9:30 am this morning, and the Racial Justice stand is at 4 pm today in Clinton.

No matter what happens with NY22, IMV will continue to work on local elections and support candidates for local office. We will push for health care, climate funding, and many other critical legislative goals at the state level in Albany. We will continue to lobby elected officials and call our representatives. We will try to move public opinion in a progressive direction and stand with our allies in the Mohawk Valley.

For the next week, though, we have a single minded focus, and that is #ForThePeopleAct. We are on a deadline to save democracy. See you Monday at Oneida Square to rally for voting rights and support Sen. Schumer as he tries to get S1 passed.

Follow us on Twitter using @indivisiblemv and of course our Facebook page and IMV Activism Group.