ECHO BASE

Minnesotans! Our state legislature is considering important new legislation. They could vote on these measures at any time, as they don't schedule votes in advance. Please call your district reps; script is provided below if you need it. If you like, you can use the script when you make these calls, and take our word for it that you'll be opposing legislation curtailing the free speech of protestors, rolling back environmental regulations, and locking the media and watchdog groups out of agricultural research data, while supporting legislation strengthening sexual harassment law. Or consult more background by Watch Your Reps MN (from whom we've received this info, as we're often fortunate enough to do). = = = = = WHAT TO DO: 1. MN HOUSE Call your MN House Rep (find him or her using this link ). Script, if you need it: "Hello. I'm a consituent of Representative ________. I'm calling to urge the Representative to oppose HF3280, HF3162, HF31...

As ever, thanks to Watch Your Reps MN for the good word here... The Minnesota House of Representatives is hearing 2 bills on Thursday 3/1 that will help keep guns out of the hands of criminals and people who are a danger to themselves and others. Please share this ACTION ALERT broadly! Actions: 1. If your representative is on the committee ( http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/comm/committeemembers.asp?comm=90019 ), contact them and tell them to support these bills. If they are not, contact the committee chair ( http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/members/members.asp?id=15403 ) and tell him to support these bills 2. Sign up to testify about these bills in person, contact the committee administrator at Mike.Valleau@house.mn or 651-296-9115 3. If you cannot testify in person, email Michael Valleau Mike.Valleau@house.mn (mailto: Mike.Valleau@house.mn ) and copy the DFL Minority Lead Debra Hilstrom rep.debra.hilstrom@house.mn ( http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/sendmail/mailt...

UPVOTE is a new feature on Echo Base focused on campaigns and organizations that can help Democrats gain ground in the 2018 elections, icluding info on how to get involved. Conor Lamb 's candidacy represents yet another potential Democratic gain where once it seemed unthinkable: this time in Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District , which Trump won by 19 points. The spceial election will be held on March 13th. Recent polls show that the race is tightening, and very much winnable by the Democrat. HOW WE CAN HELP 1. Donate to Conor Lamb's campaign here . 2. If you live in Pennsylvania, please consider traveling to the district to volunteer for Conor Lamb. 3. If you know anyone who lives in Pennsylvania, especially in CD18, contact them and encourage them to get involved . Conor Lamb campaign home page = = = = = Echo Base on Facebook Echo Base on Twitter

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...