ECHO BASE

Thanks to ACLU of MN (not affiliated with Echo Base) for the good word on how to support DACA recipients in Minnesota: 1. TELL CONGRESS YOU WANT A CLEAN DREAM ACT WHAT TO DO: Call your U.S. Senator. Find your Congressional representatives here: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members If you're in Minnesota: Senator Tina Smith: (202) 224-5641) Senator Amy Klobuchar: (202) 224-3244 / 612-727-5220 SCRIPT, if you need it (if you know your rep already supports what you're asking for, adapt your script as a thank you— yes, this is important to do too!): "Hello. My name is _______. My zip code is _____. I don't need a personal response. I'm calling to encourage Senator ________ not to vote for any long-term budget resolution that does not include a clean DREAM Act. DACA is worth a government shutdown. If you could pass my concerns along, I'd appreciate it." If you care to, throw in a request for similar support of the Children's Health ...

The Constitution requires the United States to conduct a census every decade. And so, in 2020, we'll do our 24th national headcount. The United States Census Bureau, an office under the Department of Commerce, oversees the project. The census is much more than a headcount. It is the most influential data the government gathers. The numbers determine how many members of the U.S. House of Representatives each state is allotted and how congressional districts are drawn within states. It's used to allocate government funding, conduct crucial research and set public policy. And the 2020 census will be used for all of this until the next census is taken in 2030. Making sure the census is conducted fairly and impartially, therefore, is crucial for good governance and for fair elections. Tom Brunell is set to become a deputy director of the census bureau—and he would be a disaster. As just one example of the philosophy he would bring to the job, Brunell, a polit...

Thanks to Watch Your Reps MN (not affiliated with Echo Base) for the info here, reprinted almost verbatim. Read on for how you can get involved to oppose an unconcstitutional attempted power grab by the GOP. (Encouragements to contact Sen. Fischbach via Facebook and Twitter are Echo Base embellishments.) = = = = Last week, Tina Smith went to Washington as the new US Senator from Minnesota. That left the Lt. Governor position open and, according to the succession laid out in the MN Constitution, the President of the Senate becomes the Lt. Governor. This should be easy, but of course it isn't. Despite knowing that one of the possibilities when you take the role of Senate President is that you might be called up to Lt. Governor, Senator Fischbach is refusing to be sworn in, isn't taking the salary of the Lt. Governor and is trying to keep her position as Senator. She's calling herself an "acting" Lt. Governor and claims she can do both roles....

There are two special elections coming up on February 12th here in Minnesota. One is in the State Senate, one in the State House. Both are due to resignations stemming from harassment allegations. One is an opportunity to flip a seat; the other is a chance to keep a seat blue. Both races offer a chance to elect a Democratic woman. Both need your support. Time is of the essence. Here is the DFL-endorsed candidate in each race:    Melissa Wagner for MN House 23B   Karla Bigham for MN Senate District 54 = = = = = HOW YOU CAN HELP: = = = = = 1. MAKE DONATIONS Donate to Melissa Wagner Donate to Karla Bigham + send office supplies to Karla Bigham's field office at 1594 Hastings Av, Newport MN, 55055 2. VOLUNTEER Volunteer for Melissa Wagner There's a postcard writing event for Melissa Wagner at the Golden Valley Lunds/ Byerly's on 1/4/18 at 7:30 PM. Melissa Wagner's campaign is also hosting a door knock kickoff a...

Hello! Here are two things you can do to fight the GOP's authoritarian agenda today. 1. No DACA? No CHIP? Then no CR Demand that your reps refuse to vote on a continuing resolution without clean resolutions to the DREAM Act and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). WHAT TO DO: Go back to this previous entry and repeat the steps therein. Everything is the same; we need to keep up the pressure on these fronts. 2. FIGHT THE GOP TAX SCAM If you've got some more time today, please sign up to make some calls to oppose the appalling tax legislation that's within a hair's breadth of passing in the Senate. WHAT TO DO: The good people at Indivisible have set up a nifty peet ro peer dialing tool that allows people to contact progressive voters in key states with a swing Republican Senator. These folks are your friends—they attended the Women’s March, they’re standing up to pass a #CleanDREAM, and for other progressive causes. Sign up to ma...

Let's keep up the pressure on our legislators to demand a clean Dream Act , reauthorize the Children's Health Insurance Program , and (if your Senator is a Democrat) refuse to vote for a continuing resolution unless these issues are resolved first. In the next two weeks, 1,708 Dreamers will lose their protection under DACA. Last week, both the House and Senate passed a “continuing resolution” (CR) to keep the government open for another two weeks-- without including a clean DREAM Act.  Here's a list of Congressional Democrats who didn't demand a clean Dream Act. Minnesotans: the list contains Franken, Klobuchar, Walz, and Collin Peterson. Take action by letting your reps know that you want DACA restored before Congress moves forward. SENATE ACTION: WHAT TO DO: Call your U.S. Senator. Find your Congressional representatives here: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members If you're in Minnesota: Senator Al Franken: (202) 224-5641 / 651-221-1016 S...

Thanks for the info from the good people at Protect Minnesota ! And by the way, they're hosting a rally concerning this very issue at 11 am on 12/6/17. The Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017 is opposed by law enforcement leaders across the country because it will put officers at risk and make communities less safe. Concealed carry reciprocity (CCR) threatens public safety by forcing states with stronger concealed carry laws, like Minnesota, to honor permits from states with weak or nonexistent concealed carry laws, like North Dakota, undermining current state permitting standards. The House is expected to vote on this legislation as early as this coming Thursday. Congressman Jason Lewis is a co-sponsor of this dangerous bill, as is Congressman Tom Emmer and Congressman Collin Peterson. Please call your rep in the U.S. House of Representatives and ask them to vote no on this legislation. WHAT TO DO: Call your U.S. Representative. Find your Congressional rep...