03/22/21 -Missouri Mondays -Stand with Asian Americans, protect voting rights, trans kids, and more
This week we mourn the loss of eight individuals in Atlanta, six of whom were Asian American women. Although some would not characterize this heinous act as a hate crime, it most certainly is, combining both racial and gender violence. Hate crimes against Asian Americans have been steadily increasing in prior years. “The Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism found that anti-Asian American hate crimes reported to police rose 149 percent between 2019 and 2020. Tampa Bay Times March 2021 To learn more about opposing this trend and supporting the Asian American community visit:
Asian Americans Advancing Justice Atlanta - https://www.advancingjustice-atlanta.org/
National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum - https://www.napawf.org
MISSOURI LEGISLATURE ACTIONS FOR THIS WEEK!
The Missouri legislature returns from break and the GOP majority will be pushing hard for laws that would:
Cut state minimum wage by more than $2.00/hr
Limit voting rights and change the initiative petition process to make it harder for Missourians to influence their democracy
Harm transgender children
Strip away the power of cities and counties to protect the health of their residents
We must keep fighting back! Call your state representative and state senator to vote NO on the bills listed below! Find your electeds by entering your address here: https://house.mo.gov/legislatorlookup.aspx
ATTACK ON THE MINIMUM WAGE
Tell your Representative NO cuts to voter approved minimum wage increase! Vote NO on HB 726! Rep. Cody Smith's bill HB726 will cut workers' pay by more than $2.00-an-hour. This would be a massive pay cut to nursing home workers, retail clerks, child care providers, and food service workers - the very workers we have deemed 'essential' during this pandemic. This is outrageous and is a new low for even this GOP majority legislature. The hearing for HB 726 is at 5pm on Tuesday, March 23 in the Special Committee on Small Business. Submit witness testimony HERE: https://house.mo.gov/WitnessForm/Default.aspx?bill=HB726¬iceid=5933 Personalize it as much as you can - if you helped gather signatures, get out the vote, or even voted yourself to raise the minimum wage - let the committee know! Do you or someone you care about make minimum wage? How would a $2-3 pay cut (mandated by the legislature) affect their lives and families? We know that no one who works hard should live in poverty - let the Missouri legislature know that too!
VOTER SUPPRESSION
Tell your Representative to vote NO on HB 1065, HB 738, and HB 842. We must STOP attempts to make it harder to vote in Missouri! HB 738 requires voters to present a photo ID. Both HB 738 and HB 842 would eliminate electronic voting machines and require paper ballots, which could hamper voting efforts for the disabled as well as delay election results. HB 1065 would establish no-excuse absentee voting but for in-person voters only beginning three weeks before Election Day rather than the current six weeks. Vulnerable citizens such as the elderly or those with chronic health conditions could vote by mail only if they met one of six conditions. It also denies caretakers the right to vote absentee unless they reside in the home of the individual they care for, and it would require a state-issued photo ID to vote. The courts have already found the requirement of a photo-ID to be unconstitutional.
Tell your Senator to vote NO to HB 334 Photo ID bill! HB 334 passed in the House and is now in the Senate! “For fifteen years, MO lawmakers have attempted to implement discriminatory photo ID requirements to vote in Missouri. Last year the MO Supreme Court made clear that such measures are unconstitutional and violate our fundamental right to vote. The State’s own data shows that HB 334 stands to burden more than 200,000 Missouri voters who do not have a current state-issued photo ID and would face barriers getting one, disproportionately voters of color, seniors, voters with disabilities, young voters, and low-wage workers.” Tell your Senator to vote NO on HB 334!
Tell your Representative and Senator to vote NO on ANY attempts to change the initiative petition process! Republicans in the Missouri legislature are trying to take away your right to vote for positive changes in our state. In recent years Missouri voters have used the Initiative Petition process to gather signatures and place important issues on the ballot. We have expanded Medicaid, legalized medical marijuana, and raised the minimum wage. Now the GOP wants to change this honored process that has served the people well for over 100 years to make it almost impossible for the people of Missouri to take part in and influence their democracy! Some of these bills include: House bills HJR 5, HJR 2, HJR 9, HJR 15, HJR 14, HB 333, HJR 20, HJR 25, HJR 26, HJR 27, HB 556, HJR 22 / Senate Bill SB 149. Tell your electeds to reject any attempt to make it harder for the people to have a voice through the initiative petition process!
ATTACKS ON TRANSGENDER KIDS
Tell your Representative to vote NO on HJR 53 and HB 33, two cruel anti-transgender bills that have been assigned to committees. The public hearing for HJR 53 was completed on March 3rd and included emotional testimony from a father who urged lawmakers “not to pass a bill that would force his daughter to quit her volleyball team, dance squad and tennis team by forcing students to play on teams based on the sex listed on their birth certificates. I ask you, please don’t take that away from my daughter, or the countless others like her who are out there. Let them have their childhoods, let them be who they are. I ask you to vote against this legislation.” Washington Post March 18 2021 We must continue to stand up for trans kids! Tell your representative to reject these attacks and vote NO!
PREVENT LOCAL GOVERNMENT PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY ACTIONS
Tell your Senator to vote NO on HB 75 and tell your Representative to vote NO on HCS HB 602. HB 75 passed the House and is now in the Senate. HCS HB 602 was voted out of committee and will progress to the House floor this week. Procedures required by these bills could prevent necessary actions by local governments to protect their citizens during public health emergencies that require immediate action.
CELEBRATE WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH!
Standing up for Change: African American Women and the Civil Rights Movement
“As far back as the 19th century, African American women fought for civil rights. They resisted slavery. They spoke out against racism. They established women’s clubs to improve conditions for African Americans. They worked in politics and journalism, organized black labor, and supported education. In the 20th century, they formed the backbone of the modern Civil Rights Movement. African American women were the critical mass, the grassroots leaders challenging America to embrace justice and equality for all.”
Explore this important visual exhibit here: https://www.womenshistory.org/exhibits/standing-up-for-change
Find more events celebrating the vital role of women in American history:
Join Missouri Voter Protection Coalition Zoom meeting TODAY MON MARCH 22 at 10am to learn more about the campaign to Ensure Voting in Missouri Amid the COVID-19 Crisis and beyond. Text MOVPC to 66866 to sign up!
IMPORTANT DATES FOR APRIL 6 ELECTION!
Election Day: April 6, 2021
Polls Open: 6:00 a.m.
Polls Close: 7:00 p.m.
LAST DAY TO REQUEST AN ABSENTEE BY MAIL BALLOT: March 24, 2021
IN PERSON ABSENTEE VOTING NOW UNTIL 5PM APRIL 5, 2021
Military & Overseas Portal opens: February 19, 2021
Applications mailed to permanently disabled: February 9, 2021
COVID VACCINE RESOURCES AND SIGN UPS
COVID VACCINE NAVIGATOR https://covidvaccine.mo.gov/navigator/ is a secure registry tool to assist Missourians in receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. You can also call the COVID-19 hotline at 877-435-8411 for registration assistance. TRUMAN WAIT LIST SIGNUP - https://www.trumed.org/forms/covid-19-vaccine-wait-list/ 816-404-CARE HCA WAIT LIST SIGNUP - https://researchmedicalcenter.com/covid-19/covid-19-vaccine-information/covid-19-vaccine-distribution.dot WALMART WAIT LIST SIGNUP - https://www.walmart.com/cp/1228302 SAM’S CLUB WAIT LIST SIGN UP - https://www.samsclub.com/pharmacy HEALTHMART SIGN UP - https://scrcxp.pdhi.com/Portal/Member/d1e1f5d5-007f-4167-b8d1-1ea83cb3b215 HY-VEE SIGN UP - https://www.hy-vee.com/my-pharmacy/covid-vaccine OPERATION SAFE/CLAY COUNTY (NKC & LIBERTY HOSPITALS) -https://clayhealth.jotform.com/210138520201032 SAMUEL U. RODGERS HEALTH CENTER COVID-19 VACCINE WAITLIST - https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=WYw-ckSF30ei2eXLBBAfJSZy6fvP_mhBpLKAX9-FudlUNko2VDFBWEtMSVIyQlo0NUJXTko2RlZUTCQlQCN0PWcu MASS VACCINATION EVENTS SIGN UP: https://covidvaccine.mo.gov/events/. PROVIDERS WHO CURRENTLY HAVE VACCINES ON HAND - You will be able to view a map and look up local, approved vaccinators - https://covidvaccine.mo.gov/map/. COVID TESTING IN KC METRO https://www.kcmo.gov/city-hall/departments/health/coronavirus-covid-19-kcmo-information-and-response/covid-19-testing-locations
MO COVID UPDATE
As of Sat March 20 MO Dept of Health and Senior Services reports confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Missouri rose to 485,997 and 8,374 confirmed deaths. The New York Times database reports as of March 21 at least 578,617 cases and 8,821 deaths in Missouri since the beginning of the pandemic
Please sign up to be ready to get your COVID-19 vaccine when you qualify, continue to social distance, wash your hands, and ALWAYS wear your mask in public!
THANK YOU! for answering the Missouri Mondays CALL TO ACTION!
Invite your friends and neighbors to join us and sign up for Indivisible Missouri and this Missouri Mondays email at indivisiblemo.com/signup
