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02/27/23 Missouri Mondays - So much at stake for trans kids, voting rights, direct democracy...

...public education, more! Together we can make a difference!



Welcome to another Missouri Mondays! Thank you for staying informed and taking action each week. We try to shine a light on our state lawmakers and give you everything you need to easily connect with them on the issues of importance to you. Help us spread the word to get involved and sign up for Missouri Mondays updates here: https://www.moactionalliance.com/signup

ACTIONS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE THIS WEEK!


Tell State Senators to vote YES on SB 210! Allow voters to fix mistakes on their absentee ballot envelope!


This measure provides needed support to voters who cast absentee ballots by mail who may have inadvertently missed a checkbox or other information on the ballot outer envelope -- disproportionately seniors, those with visual impairments, people with disabilities.


In 2020, Missouri Voter Protection Coalition (MOPVC) filed suit to require voters the opportunity to cure minor omissions on absentee ballot envelopes after identifying numerous vote by mail ballots that were at risk of not being counted due to minor errors or omissions on the ballot envelope. At the time some jurisdictions allowed voters to do so; others did not. Last year's passage of HB 1878 cut off opportunities for voters to cure such errors.


SB 210 provides a meaningful fix to ensure that voters are not unnecessarily disenfranchised due to a minor omission on the ballot envelope that they can correct.


About SB 210

  • Allows voters to cure incomplete absentee ballot envelopes. Under current law, if the statement on an absentee ballot envelope is incomplete, the ballot must be rejected.

  • This bill would require the election authority to notify the voter that the envelope is missing information and give the voter an opportunity to supply the missing information by visiting the office of the election authority or by completing an affidavit.

  • Voters have until the close of polls on election day to supply missing information. Only the office of the election authority is permitted to contact voters pursuant to this act

There will be a public hearing TODAY Mon Feb 27 on SB 210.

State Capitol

Mon Feb 27 at 2:00pm

Senate Committee Hearing Room 2


*Only those appearing in person will have testimony entered into the record. No online testimony.


–TESTIFY in person in Jefferson City FOR SB 210 if possible


–CONTACT the Senate Local Government and Elections Committee and tell them to vote YES on SB 210!


Sen. Elaine Gannon, Chair

Call: 573-751-4008

Sen. Sandy Crawford, V-Chair

Call: 573-751-8793


Sen. Jill Carter

Call: 573-751-2173

Email: jill.carter@senate.mo.gov


Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman

Call: 573-751-1492


Sen. Andrew Koenig

Call: 573-751-5568


Sen. John Rizzo

Call: 573-751-3074


Sen. Barbara Washington

Call: 573-751-3158


–CONTACT your state senator to vote YES should SB 210 come to the Senate floor! Find your senator using the Legislator Lookup here: https://www.senate.mo.gov/LegisLookup/Default


 

KEEP FIGHTING TO PROTECT THE CITIZEN’S INITIATIVE PETITION PROCESS!


The MO GOP is desperate to undermine the will of Missourians by making it harder if not impossible to place a measure on the ballot through the initiative petition process and pass it statewide. THANK YOU for making phone calls, submitting testimony or testifying on bills that would gut the IP process! We must continue to make our voices heard.


The Senate Local Government and Elections Committee could vote out two of the initiative petition bills TODAY MONDAY FEB 27!


MO Senate Local Government and Elections Committee

Executive Session on HCS HJR 43, SJR 28

State Capitol

Mon. Feb. 27, 2023 - 2:00pm

Senate Committee Hearing Room 2


Testimony in Opposition to HCS HJR 43 from Missouri Voter Protection Coalition (MOVPC) here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Qe32-sdwgSmKTCowLTChqPo46wrh4HtA/view


Testimony in Opposition to SJR28 from Missouri Voter Protection Coalition (MOVPC) here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qS92nBt89PO1s49Dh2bRVEL6BTFqIoAo/view


Tell Senators on the Local Government and Elections Committee to vote NO to HCS HJR43 and SJR 28 or ANY changes to the initiative petition process!


Sen. Elaine Gannon, Chair

Call: 573-751-4008


Sen. Sandy Crawford, V-Chair

Call: 573-751-8793


Sen. Jill Carter

Call: 573-751-2173

Email: jill.carter@senate.mo.gov


Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman

Call: 573-751-1492


Sen. Andrew Koenig

Call: 573-751-5568


Sen. John Rizzo

Call: 573-751-3074


Sen. Barbara Washington

Call: 573-751-3158


Tell your senator to vote NO to HJR43 and SJR 28 or ANY changes to the initiative petition process! Find your senator using the Legislator Lookup here: https://www.senate.mo.gov/LegisLookup/Default


Find additional bill information in Missouri Voter Protection Coalition (MOVPC) Legislative Tracker here: bit.ly/movotingbills


 

TELL STATE ELECTEDS TO CONDEMN ATTACKS ON LGBTQ KIDS!


The MO GOP majority has sponsored a record number of anti-LGBTQ bills advancing through the legislative process including Sen. Mike Moon’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, several so-called “Save Women’s Sports Act” bills seeking to prohibit trans kids from participating in sports. We cannot stay silent! “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”


“Don’t Say Gay” bill SB 134 sponsored by Sen. Mike Moon “Prohibits the discussion of gender identity or sexual orientation by school personnel.” “This act establishes the "Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act", which prohibits any school nurse, counselor, teacher, principal, or other personnel at a public or charter school from discussing gender identity or sexual orientation with a student unless such person is a licensed mental health provider with prior parental permission.


Numerous so-called “Save Women’s Sports Act” bills ex: SB 39 https://www.senate.mo.gov/23info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&BillID=44496


ACLU interactive map with anti-LGBTQ bill tracker by state here: https://www.aclu.org/legislative-attacks-on-lgbtq-rights?state=MO


–CONTACT your State Rep and State Senator and tell them to reject these hateful and harmful attacks on our LGBTQ kids! Find your state electeds using the Legislator Lookup here: https://www.senate.mo.gov/LegisLookup/Default


 

Missouri in the news for anti-LGBTQ bills


“‘They Can’t Attack Me. Now They’re Coming After Kids’–- Missouri’s legislature has set a national mark for proposed restrictions on transgender people. The lone gay member of the Senate decries his Republican colleagues’ priorities.”


“Greg Razer is the only openly gay member of the Missouri State Senate — the upper chamber of a legislature that, according to the ACLU, by late January led the nation in bills the organization calls anti-LGBTQ. That’s 31 such bills covering a wide range of policies, though most of them are identical or similar and concern one of two issues: banning transgender girls from playing on sports teams that match their gender identity and forbidding health-care providers from performing gender-transition procedures on minors. Another would prohibit public or charter schools from offering instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity — broader provisions than the Florida law critics have branded “Don’t Say Gay” for banning such instruction in kindergarten through third grade.”


“Razer, a Democrat representing a Kansas City-area district, does not view all of these bills with equal concern. But as a once-suicidal teen struggling with his sexuality growing up in southern Missouri’s cotton country, Razer, 44, feels a kinship with transgender youth who feel targeted in the state. In an interview with POLITICO Magazine, he said kids who visit his office wonder, “Why are these adults doing this to us?” He says he tells them about LGBTQ history, how people in the community have historically been banned from jobs, marriage, and the military, and how, as a white gay man, he feels he’s won these battles. “They can’t attack me anymore,” he says, “so now they’re coming after kids.”



“Missouri Senate debates ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill banning talk of sexual orientation or gender in schools” https://www.kcur.org/politics-elections-and-government/2023-02-07/missouri-senate-debates-dont-say-gay-bill-banning-talk-of-sexual-orientation-or-gender-in-schools NPR Feb 7


 

TELL STATE REPS TO REJECT SENATE BILL RESTRICTIONS ON RACE AND DIVERSITY EDUCATION, SO-CALLED PARENTS BILL OF RIGHTS, TRANSPARENCY IN SB 4 now SS#2 SCS SBs 4, 42 & 89


Senate Bill SB 4 now SS#2 SCS SBs 4, 42 & 89, sponsored by Sen. Andrew Koenig (R – Manchester) passed the Senate and is now in the House. While some changes were made, there are still serious concerns about the effect the bill might have on teaching, professional development, and curriculum.


SS#2 SCS SBs 4, 42 & 89 seeks to specify certain types of curriculums and content that would be prohibited in classrooms, which could impact classroom teaching currently being offered in some Missouri districts and there is fear that the measures contained in the bill could have a chilling effect on the teaching profession moving forward.


–CONTACT your state rep and tell them to vote NO on SB 4 now SS#2 SCS SBs 4, 42 & 89 Find your state representative using the Legislator Lookup here: https://www.senate.mo.gov/LegisLookup/Default


SB 4 in the news



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TELL YOUR STATE ELECTEDS TO EXPAND POSTPARTUM MEDICAID COVERAGE WITH STANDARD LANGUAGE AND NO ABORTION RESTRICTIONS!


Multiple bills in the MO House and Senate would extend the 60-day Missouri Medicaid (MO HealthNet) coverage for pregnant and postpartum women up to a year after birth. Last week Republicans in the Senate added abortion-related restrictions that may violate federal guidelines “and cause the federal Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services, which must sign off on the proposal, to delay approval or reject the plan.”


“Joan Alker, executive director of Georgetown’s Center for Children and Families, called the focus on abortion a “solution in search of a problem.” “If Missouri legislators are sincere and want to address the needs of postpartum women they should do what the majority of states are doing and stick to the standard language,” Alker said.


The federal Medicaid agency provides a template for states to apply for the program. They wrote in guidance to the states in late 2021 that individuals under state extension plans are “entitled” to postpartum coverage “regardless of the reason the pregnancy ends.”


–CONTACT your State Rep and Senator and tell them to expand Medicaid postpartum care with STANDARD LANGUAGE AND NO ABORTION restrictions!


Find your state electeds using the Legislator Lookup here: https://www.senate.mo.gov/LegisLookup/Default


Read more here:




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TELL YOUR STATE ELECTEDS TO VOTE NO ON PUBLIC SCHOOL OPEN ENROLLMENT


Multiple bills in both the MO House and Senate would allow students to enroll in public schools outside of their district of residence.


Under open enrollment


  • A student leaving their district of residence means those state resources leave as well, and the students who remain have fewer resources available for their educational experience.

  • Convenience may be the most likely factor in a parent’s decision to send a student to another district. As a result, resources that would have come to the student’s district of residence are sent to the neighboring district and the students that remain in your high performing district are left with less.

  • If parents are allowed to send their students to another district in which they do not pay property taxes, school districts should expect less community support and involvement.

  • Open enrollment will lead to school consolidation. Many associate school consolidation with smaller schools. However, school consolidation is not limited to just small, rural districts. Urban/suburban districts that are also financially fragile will have significant difficulties with the passage of this bill and it may result in their consolidation as well.

  • If students leave a district it will very likely be spread across multiple age groups and grade levels, meaning a district will not always be able to eliminate staff. This means that a district will instead be forced to look at cutting programs meaning the students that remain in the district could see fewer opportunities in their resident district. (e.g., loss of programs such as choir, band, scholar/debate teams, FFA, DECA, and athletic programs).

–CONTACT your state electeds and tell them to vote NO on public school open enrollment. Find your state rep and state senator using the Legislator Lookup here: https://www.senate.mo.gov/LegisLookup/Default


Read more about open enrollment bills in the House and Senate here:





 

CHECK OUT OUR MISSOURI MONDAYS NEWS SUPPLEMENT!




With so much important news each week we don’t want you to miss a thing!


 

MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR THESE UPCOMING ACTIONS AND EVENTS


TAKE ACTION WITH THE MISSOURI VOTER PROTECTION COALITION (MOVPC)

TO PROTECT THE RIGHT TO VOTE

Join the MOVPC meeting MONDAY FEB 27 at 10 AM

Text “MOVPC” to 66866 or register HERE: bit.ly/protectmovoters


Our work to protect the vote requires our continued attention! So we hope you'll join our next MOVPC call where we will discuss next steps in our fight to protect the right to vote in Missouri. MOVPC is a nonpartisan statewide network promoting access to the ballot and working to remove barriers to voting in Missouri!

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UPCOMING APRIL 4 PRIMARY MUNICIPAL ELECTION IMPORTANT DATES


MARCH 8 Last Day to Register to Vote

FEBRUARY 21 In Person Absentee Voting Begins

MARCH 21 No Excuse In Person Absentee (Early) Voting Opens



For more information about registering to vote, checking your voter status, requesting an absentee ballot, and more visit:


League of Women Voters Vote411 - https://www.vote411.org/


Vote 411 Personalized ballot and candidate information - https://www.vote411.org/ballot

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Democratic Legislative Network Monday Night Call

Every Monday night at 7pm


Want to stay up to date on what's happening in Jefferson City and how YOU can help secure Democratic victories for Missouri? Sign up below to join the Democratic Legislative Network and be a part of our Monday night messaging calls.


Sign up here: Bit.ly/MissouriDLN

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Black History Month


The 19th Newsletter - “Meet the local trailblazers making Black history in their communities”


“This Black History Month, we’re telling the untold stories of women and LGBTQ+ people.


The 19th staff does its best to tell stories about Black people who are trailblazing and working to make our society more equitable, so last month we asked you to share the stories and names of the people in your lives who are making Black history — whether in your own family history or through the work happening where you live.


We selected three of the folks you told us were making an impact and showing Black excellence in their own way. They represent three different fields, and their work has impacted both their neighborhoods and cities and has been featured internationally. Here are their stories.”


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THANK YOU! for answering the Missouri Mondays CALL TO ACTION!

Invite your friends and neighbors to join us and sign up for Missouri Action Alliance and this Missouri Mondays email at moactionalliance.com/signup

Follow us on Twitter at @MissouriAction, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/MOActionAlliance and check out our website at http://www.MOActionAlliance.com


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