09/13/21 - Missouri Mondays - Strength in Unity--Remembering 9/11 / Protecting Our Democracy!
Over the weekend our nation marked the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks with memorials honoring the victims and everyday heroes who gave their lives saving others. President Biden reminded us that in those dark days we gained strength by turning to each other and uniting in purpose. “20 years after September 11, 2001, we commemorate the 2,977 lives we lost and honor those who risked and gave their lives. As we saw in the days that followed, unity is our greatest strength. It’s what makes us who we are — and we can’t forget that.”
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Today U.S. Senators return to Washington and Majority Leader Schumer has promised that voting rights will be the first legislative priority. We must pass the For the People Act and John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to protect against extremist state legislatures all across the county passing anti-voter bills making it harder for people to vote, especially people of color, and will guard against partisan gerrymandering of congressional maps that will disenfranchise voters for the next decade.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
VOTING RIGHTS UNDER ATTACK IN MISSOURI LEGISLATURE!
Missouri lawmakers will hold three hearings Tues. Sept. 14 on voting rights.
To learn more about these hearings, join the Missouri Voter Protection Coalition on Zoom TODAY Monday Sept 12 at 10AM to protect the right to vote in Missouri!
MOVPC Zoom meeting link here: https://wustl.zoom.us/j/92149884120
MO LEGISLATURE HEARINGS
Missouri House Elections Committee
Tues. Sept. 14, 2021
10am
House Hearing Room 1
Subject: Discussion of Photo ID
Missouri House Special Committee on Redistricting
Tues. Sept. 14, 2021
12pm
House Hearing Room 1
Subject: Presentation by Matt Hesser, State Demographer, on the 2020 Census Data
Missouri Senate Interim Committee on Elections
Tues. Sept. 14, 2021
1pm
Senate Lounge
Subject: Initiative Petition Process; Photo ID
Only those testifying in person will be added to the minutes
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
In this Sept. 1, 2021, file photo, women protest against the six-week abortion ban at the Capitol
in Austin, Texas. (Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman via AP)
U.S. Supreme Court Allows Most Restrictive Abortion Law To Go Into Effect in Texas
From M’Evie Mead, Dir. Planned Parenthood Advocates in MO - “On September 1, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed Texas' six-week abortion ban to take effect, ignoring 50 years of precedent and nearly eliminating Texans' right to access abortion. Like the majority of Missouri patients who need abortion, Texas patients are now traveling out of state, including to nearby clinics in the Midwest.
In 2019, we all fought back against MO House Bill 126 and its attacks on Missourians' reproductive freedom. So far, federal courts have blocked HB 126's eight-week abortion ban, but on September 21, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals (one step from the Supreme Court) will consider whether to allow Missouri's ban to take effect.
This year the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to take up a Mississippi case that could render Roe v. Wade meaningless. The Supreme Court is set to hear a case this upcoming term on Mississippi’s 15-week abortion ban. Reproductive rights advocates and abortion providers across the country are already preparing for what a post-Roe world could look like.”
What you can do!
Donate to MO abortion fund https://mofund.org/donate
Donate to TX abortion fund bit.ly/txfunds
Volunteer NARAL clinic escort/PP greeter
Tell your story
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
COURT HEARING FOR KEVIN STRICKLAND SCHEDULED TODAY MON SEPT 12
Kevin Strickland will be in court today with his attorneys to fight for his freedom after 43 years behind bars for a triple murder that Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker says she has evidence to prove he did not commit.
Read more on Kevin Strickland’s case and Monday’s hearing here:
https://www.kmbc.com/article/court-hearing-for-kevin-strickland-scheduled/37566719#
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/court-hearing-for-kevin-strickland-scheduled-monday/ar-AAOn5Pc
Help Kevin Strickland by donating to his GoFundMe fund organized by the Midwest Innocence Project: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-kevin-strickland-after-wrongful-conviction
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
GOVERNOR MUST RETURN LGBT HISTORY EXHIBIT TO MISSOURI CAPITOL
An exhibit titled “Making History: Kansas City and the Rise of Gay Rights” documenting the LGBT rights movement in Kansas City, was removed from the state capitol by Missouri state parks officials after a legislative staffer complained.
We proudly support Senator Razer and stand with him in denouncing this disgraceful act of LGBT discrimination in our state capitol!
Send a message of support to Senator Razer 573-751-6607 greg.razer@senate.mo.gov
Call Gov. Parson (573) 751-3222 and tell him that LGBT history is MO history, and to return the KC LGBT history display to the Capitol Museum. The Parson administration's removal of an exhibit on LGBT history from the Missouri Capitol Museum was disappointing. That the governor lied about his reasons for doing so is indefensible. The statutory procedure the governor says wasn't followed for approving exhibits does not exist. State law authorizes the Board of Public Buildings to allocate space to the museum but gives the board no power to determine the content of exhibits and there is no evidence the board has ever done so. The governor had no justification for removing this exhibit and no excuse for not restoring it. House Minority Leader Crystal Quade argued in a letter to Dru Buntin, director of the Department of Natural Resources, “If you stick to your story that the LGBTQ exhibit had to come down because the board of public buildings didn’t approve it, then to be consistent you must immediately remove all exhibits the board hasn’t approved. Since this is a function the board has never performed, that means stripping the Missouri State Museum bare.” Missouri Independent https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/democrats-demand-lgbtq-exhibit-return-to-missouri-capitol-or-other-exhibits-be-removed/
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
OTHER IMPORTANT EVENTS
National Voter Registration Day Sept. 28
Webinar: Talking to Voters on National Voter Registration Day
Sept. 14, 2021, 1pm CT
National Voter Registration Day is a nonpartisan civic holiday celebrating our democracy. First observed in 2012, it has quickly gained momentum ever since. Nearly 4.5 million voters have registered to vote on the holiday to date. Celebrated on the fourth Tuesday of September, National Voter Registration Day will next take place on September 28, 2021 when volunteers and organizations from all over the country will “hit the streets” in a single day of coordinated field, technology and media efforts. National Voter Registration Day seeks to create broad awareness of voter registration opportunities to reach tens of thousands of voters who may not register otherwise. For more information go to https://nationalvoterregistrationday.org/
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
#FINISHTHEJOB RALLY FRI SEPT 17 IN ST. LOUIS
Fri Sept 17
12-1pm
In front of Federal Courthouse
111 S 10th St. St. Louis MO
Sign up here: https://www.mobilize.us/dfadcoalition/event/413287/
Join MOVPC, SEIU, NAACP, and others in St. Louis in front of Sen. Blunt's Office 12-1pm Fri. Sept. 17 as part of Finish the Job For the People Nationwide Day of Action.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
MISSOURI COVID UPDATE - Week Sept 5-12
“Thousands get COVID in first weeks of school in Missouri”--Associated Press, Sept. 8
“Thousands of Missouri children have been diagnosed with COVID-19 since the new school year began, and at least one rural school closed for cleaning after an outbreak.” --AP As school districts across the state struggle to ensure the safety of their students while maintaining in-person education, cases of COVID continue to rise. This past week saw a positivity rate of 11.3% across the state, and many hospitals report few or zero ICU beds available. Although masks have been shown to effectively reduce the spread of COVID, Attorney General Eric Schmitt has filed a lawsuit seeking to block mask mandates by public school districts. The most effective protection for children at this time is wearing a mask, social distancing, clean air, and being surrounded by vaccinated adults.
LET’S GET VACCINATED MISSOURI! - PLEASE SHARE THIS RESOURCES LINK WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY!
FIND COVID-19 Vaccines KC Metro - Statewide and COVID-19 Testing & Recovery Treatment (KC Metro) HERE https://docs.google.com/document/d/1i1vCikZiGfMulA8tFCDSJbEKV5N37S1JU_TSlgs699A/edit?usp=sharing
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
YOUR SUPPORT IS NEEDED FOR AFGHAN REFUGEES IN KC - HERE’S HOW YOU CAN HELP!
Jewish Vocational Services (JVS) and Della Lamb are the primary organizations in Kansas City for resettling people with Special Immigrant Visas — immigrants who worked as translators, interpreters or other professional roles for the U.S. government in Afghanistan or Iraq.
Donate household items and clothing to Jewish Vocational Services (JVS): https://jvskc.org/get-involved/donate-stuff/
Make a monetary donation to JVS: https://jvskc.org/give/
Make a monetary, furniture, or household item donation to Della Lamb: https://www.dellalamb.org/how-you-can-help/donate/
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Missourians Vaccinated - as of Sat Sept 11 The New York Times
46% of Missourians are fully vaccinated - (54% fully vaccinated in the U.S.)
53% of Missourians have received at least one dose - (63% at least one dose in the U.S.
~~~~~~~~~~
Total COVID-19 Cases and Deaths in Missouri
650,898 confirmed cases and 10,876 deaths as of Sat Sept 11 MO Dept of Health and Senior Service
801,140 total cases and 11,570 deaths as of Sat Sept 11 The New York Times
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
In solidarity,
Missouri Action Alliance
