01/25/21 - Missouri Mondays - “A nation that isn’t broken but simply unfinished” What can you do?

We breathed a sigh of relief and cried out with joy as we witnessed the peaceful transition of power that we had always taken for granted in the past. We were so inspired by the words of 22 year old poet laureate Amanda Gorman, “Somehow we’ve weathered and witnessed a nation that isn’t broken, but simply unfinished” adding “We are striving to forge a union with purpose, to compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and conditions of man” and it is reassuring that President Biden and Vice-President Harris wasted no time getting to work on our nation’s unprecedented challenges on day one.

We also face many serious challenges right here at home. As the Missouri legislature returns to session this week, we need to make sure our voices are heard and we are urging immediate action on this bill of concern in the MO Senate:

HELP FIGHT MO SENATE BILL (SB) 66 ”STAND YOUR GROUND” EXPANSION BILL!

Today at 1:30pm, the MO Senate Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee will have a hearing on SB 66, a dangerous bill that will expand “stand your ground” in our state.

SB 66 SUMMARY:

Would encourage use of force against protestors and would make it easier to sue local governments for injuries related to the government failing to prevent an “unlawful assembly.”

Creates a new “unlawful traffic interference” felony, creates a new “conspiring to cause a riot” felony and makes state funds unavailable to localities that reduce their police budgets by a certain amount

Would also provide civil liability to motorists who injure people who are blocking traffic in connection with a protest

Would discourage localities from allowing lawful protests and encourage people to physically harm protestors, would make it easier to use lethal force against protesters.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

1. Call committee members to OPPOSE SB 66!

MO Senate Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee

Sen. Tony Leutkemeyer - 573-751-2183 - tony.luetkemeyer@senate.mo.gov

Sen. Bob Onder - 573-751-1282 - bob.onder@senate.mo.gov

Sen. Bill White - 573-751-2173 - Bill.White@senate.mo.gov

Sen. Holly Rehder - 573-751-2459 - Holly.Rehder@senate.mo.gov

Sen. Karla May - 573-751-3599 - karla.may@senate.mo.gov

Sen. Steve Roberts - 573-751-4415 - Steve.Roberts@senate.mo.gov

2. Submit written testimony BEFORE 1:30PM TODAY JAN 25!

Use this link https://www.senate.mo.gov/senatewitnesssystem/ to the senate website where you can create a “witness account” and submit a witness form for any bill being heard in the Senate this session. When you create your account it will ask for a Lobbyist ID, just click “I am not a lobbyist” and it should push you past that question.

3. Document your actions (emails, phone calls, written testimony) here: https://secure.ngpvan.com/FKKNPLG0_U-eyjyrkzXn8w2

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Help protect the right to vote in Missouri with the Missouri Voter Protection Coalition (MOVPC)!

*The Missouri Voter Protection Coalition (MOVPC) is a nonpartisan statewide network working to protect the right to vote in Missouri, promoting access to the ballot and working to remove barriers to voting.

*Sign up for MOVPC's mailing list for information and links to join meetings: https://movpc.us4.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=90d5fdc569e873a58aff5887a&id=cf802f0c87 or by texting MOVPC to 66866

Join Zoom meeting TODAY MON JAN 25 at 10am to learn more about the campaign to Ensure Voting in Missouri Amid the COVID-19 Crisis and beyond.

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JOIN HEARTLAND ALLIANCE FOR PROGRESS TONIGHT MON JAN 25 at 6PM! RSVP HERE: http://bit.ly/3sNKyK9

Our friends with HAP are hosting a Zoom meeting “Take Action: Gerrymandering, Voting Rights, Workers’ Rights and Ballot Initiatives” with guest Speaker Richard von Glahn, Policy Director with Missouri Jobs with Justice discussing what we can do to deal with the gerrymandering aspects of Amendment 3 that overturned Clean Missouri, and will talk about other ballot initiatives as we go forward.

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MO COVID UPDATE

According to the MO Dept of Health and Senior Services as of Sunday January 17 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Missouri rose to 449,535 an increase of 11,986 new cases since last week on Jan 17. This is far from over so please stay safe and always wear your mask in public.

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Are you interested in receiving the COVID-19 Vaccine?

Jackson County Residents Fill out this survey on the Jackson County Health Department website https://form.jotform.com/203524953651153 Based on availability, and guidance from the Missouri Department of Health and Human Services (MO DHSS) and the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the Jackson County Health Department will be providing the COVID-19 vaccine based on a pre-determined tier system. Individuals will be identified to receive the vaccine based on risk status and occupation.Once the vaccine is made available for your tier, the JCHD will use your information from the survey to contact you with further instructions on how to schedule an appointment to receive your vaccination.

Kansas City Residents Fill out this KCMO Health Department survey: https://hipaa.jotform.com/210117358088152 If you don't have access to fill out digitally, call the Health Dept. at (816) 513-6152 and someone will assist you.