For the safety of our community, we are conducting our meetings online until conditions permit us to resume assembling in person.
Monday March 20th 7-9 PM Town Hall w U.S. Rep Jim McGovern!
IN-SLWM is thrilled to host progressive champion, U.S. Rep Jim McGovern for a discussion of how to defend AND move our progressive values FORWARD over the next 2 years of divided government.
Rep. McGovern is a member of the increasingly powerful Progressive Caucus, has advocated for and passed a variety of legislation to help end hunger, to improve infrastructure nationally and in Western and Central MA, for greater transparency in government, and more.
Bring your questions (and your neighbors!) to this lively, informative and important opportunity to meet with our Representative in Washington!
Tuesday March 21st 4:30-6 PM JOIN US ON 3.21.23 TO
Stop Dirty Banks! Don't Bank at Chase
Over the past year, thousands of people have taken the Banking on Our Future pledge to close their accounts, cut up their credit cards, and boycott Bank of America, Chase, Citibank, and Wells Fargo if they don’t move their investments out of fossil fuels. On 3.21.23, we are gathering to show the strength of our movement.
This event is part of a National Day of Action organized by Third Act, and many local groups including Climate Action Now (Western Mass), Mothers Out Front, Extinction Rebellion and multiple faith communities.
You don’t need to be a Chase customer or cardholder or a Third Actor to participate –– we need people of all ages, races, and means to make visible the connection between cash and carbon. Bring your friends, energy, and creativity!
The event is 4:30-6pm on Tuesday, March 21. We'll start at Pulaski Park in Northampton and march to the soon-to-open Chase Bank at Main and King Streets, passing the TD Bank and Bank of America. Sign up on Mobilize here.
Founded by Bill McKibben. Third Act is dedicated to organizing older Americans to fight for the planet. Their mission statement: We are building a community of over the age of sixty determined to change the world for the better. Together, we use our life experience, skills, and resources to build a better tomorrow.
Sunday March 26th 7-9 PM Fundraiser for the Brigid Alliance
Join in as the focus is on the 2023 Municipal Elections & the Option to Opt Out of Voting By Mail (VBM). Hear accounts of what's happening in some towns and learn action steps to keep VBM for your Town's Municipal Election.
Help save democracy in WI - and the country -by calling Dem voters in WI to urge them to vote in the little known butenormously importantelection this spring! We'll be partnering with the Wisconsin Dems and Swing Blue Alliance to make sure that the WI State Supreme Court flips to a progressive majority, protecting voting, reproductive and other freedoms in this crucial swing state. See these articles from the NYT and Win WI for more info on this critical race.
This is very winnable, and our calls are crucial - many WI voters don't even know there's an election, don't know the candidates (who aren't identified by party on the ballot!), and aren't even sure of the election dates and rules! We can make the difference between no, low - and the high turnout of Dems that we need to win!
Training will be provided, but for those who like a little advance prep:
We are major-ly stepping up for Wisconsin!! Having helped Judge Protasiewicz win the primary, you have been sending hundreds of postcards to get her over the finish line….
Here is our last WI campaign! Many of you sent the Blue Wave postcards that explained what is at stake in this election. Now we will send another card, to the same voters, with a powerful message as to why they must come out to vote (see graphic above). It’s a stark reminder of how narrow the margins are in these swing state elections. In the last WI Supreme Court election, the progressive lost by 0.5% which is less than one vote per precinct! Our postcards to voters can make the difference! Click here for more background about this race.
Sign up here to send postcards! The message you will hand write is brief (Vote to make your voice heard. (your first name)). Cards should be mailed as soon as possible, within a week of receiving them. A pack of 30 postcards/labels costs $2.50; cards/labels/30 postcard stamps is $17.
Once again, Vote Forward is running a letter-writing campaign to get out the vote in the Wisconsin Supreme Court election on April 4. Eighteen IN-SLWM volunteers are already at work preparing letters to voters, urging them to vote in this crucial race. The letters will go out on March 28, so there’s no time to waste. We’re no longer recruiting volunteers for our group, but if you already have a Vote Forward account and want to help, go to votefwd.org and download letters to prepare. If you want to help more, download a lot of letters and organize a letter-writing party – in-person or virtual – and have a good time while you’re doing good!
If you have any questions or need help getting started, email me atmjdover44@gmail.com.
Rapid Response Rally to Hold Trump Accountable Post Indictment!
(From our friend, Debby Pastrich-Klemer, and Public Citizen):
Donald Trump and his co-conspirators must be held accountable for their criminal conspiracy to overturn an election they knew they lost and the violent attack on our country on January 6th.
If Donald Trump is indicted in any of the ongoing investigations into his conduct, we must be ready. We need to show that the American people are standing up for our freedoms.
Join us for a Not Above the Law:
Trump Indictment Rapid Response rally
Northampton City Hall.
If indictments are announced before 2:00 p.m. ET, a rally will be held at 5:00 p.m.local time that day. If indictments are announced after 2:00 p.m. ET, a rally will be held at noon local time the next day.
RSVP to join us for the Northampton rapid response rally:
Call your State Elected Officials to tell them to follow California's lead and cut ties with Walgreens!
to hold Walgreens to account for their shameful decision to stop selling the abortion medication mifepristone in 24 states in cowardly deference to those states' Republican Attorneys General's request.
(thanks to Greylock Together Indivisible & Indivisible MA Coalition's Feminist Action Team)
Using gas to heat our homes and businesses is bad for our health and our climate. Gas companies (like Eversource) are profiting by expanding unnecessary gas infrastructure at the expense of ratepayers statewide!
We need a rapid transition away from gas to a future of clean heat powered by clean electricity, not millions of dollars in stranded assets. This is urgent for our planet and our communities (like Springfield and Longmeadow) which are right now facing expansion projects.
Join the many people in the Commonwealth who have signed the petition to stop MA gas companies from continuing business-as-usual at the cost of our health, safety, wallets, and climate future. It urges Gov. Healey to halt gas system expansion until the state has a concrete plan for a just transition to clean energy. See how many signatures have been collected in your area.
WISCONSIN SUPREME COURT ELECTION FUNDRAISER: LAST CALL
This Tuesday, March 14, was a remarkable day. That morning, I sent an email to our mailing list with the title above, reminding folks that time was running out to raise money for our two funds, Movement Voter Project’s Wisconsin Fund and Swing Left’s Wisconsin State Fund. Not long after that, my inbox exploded with donations. By the end of that one day, we had raised $4,260 for the MVP fund.
We have so far raised a combined total of $7,903 for the two funds. Here’s the interesting part: Donors have overwhelmingly chosen MVP’s fund ($7,331, or 93%) over the Swing Left fund ($582, or 3%). It seems clear they believe that supporting grassroots groups in Wisconsin is the wiser choice because it helps to build a statewide movement for progressive change rather than focusing entirely on one election.
We’ve soared past the $5,000 goal for the MVP fund. The Swing Left fund never took off, but that’s OK. It’s a real accomplishment that we’ve raised this amount in just a few weeks for a single, but extremely important, election. So thank you to everyone who has donated.
The time for effective donating is just about over. With the election less than three weeks away, the three most important things now are turnout, turnout, and turnout. If you were thinking of giving, there’s no time to spare. Please consider a final contribution to help flip the Wisconsin Supreme Court to a progressive majority. The good news is that gifts to MVP’s fund will sustain its recipients beyond April 4.
We look forward to reporting to you on April 5 that Janet Protasiewicz has won the seat, and that our donations helped to make it happen!
BAR INSURRECTIONISTS FROM THE BALLOT
Sign the Petition
Enacted after the Civil War, Section 3 of the 14th Amendment disqualifies from public office any individual who has taken an oath to uphold the U.S. Constitution and then engages in insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or gives aid or comfort to those who have.
By inciting a violent attack on Congress in an effort to prevent the certification of his own electoral defeat, Donald Trump engaged in insurrection and violated his oath of office. Free Speech For People and Our Revolution have teamed up to urge Secretaries of State and chief election officials across the country to follow the mandate of Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment and bar insurrectionists from any future ballot.
Sign hereto tell Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin to abide by Section 3 of the 14th Amendment and bar Trump from appearing on any future ballot in MA.
And read about this success in New Mexico! where citizens filed suit and a County Commissioner was removed from office as a result of his participation in the Jan. 6th insurrection!
TEAMS
The Feminist Action Team
The Indivisible MA Coalition meets every Friday at 4pm to fight for the human rights of all women. Join us as we plan our upcoming campaign to expose fake abortion clinics (aka Crisis Pregnancy Centers) all across MA (including the one right here in Easthampton) and continue the fight for our rights!
And whether or not you're able to come help plan, SAVE THESE DATES to join our upcoming actions!
April 25th, 7:30-8:30pm Zoom meeting on the issue, including MA Senator Becca Rausch, addressing her proposed Abortion Access Act, and how it will impact these fake clinics as well as the proposed $1 million statewide campaign to educate the health care community and the public about these centers.
Saturday, May 13 , Mother’s Day weekend
Mothers by Choice Action
Reproductive justice groups around Massachusetts, including IN-SLWM, along with the Indivisible Feminist Action Team and others, are planning standouts at as many of the 34 fake clinics across MA as possible to educate the public about their tactics. Join us!
Here's the link to join our next Friday at 4 zoom planning meeting
The Friday Action Group
On Wed evenings at 8 pm or Fri mornings at 9 am, join Paul Spector and activists from across the country to collaborate on helping Democrats win elections. At Paul's meetings, you will...
hear upbeat political news
share questions and comments
learn about new political actions
support fundraisers with special guests -- such as Swing Left, Movement Voter Project, Flip the Senate, New Georgia Project, and Bucks County Democrats
hear inspiring music (mostly from Playing for Change).
Folks find his meetings educational, uplifting, and hopeful, and it's wonderful to see 50-100 other people at each of the two meetings. To check out the meeting, come Wednesday at 8 p.m. or Friday at 9 a.m. EDT, to this Zoom room: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87820043147?pwd=aXZ0K3QrZGtHR2dBUFlCZnk2TU1hQT09
Debt Ceiling Crisis Team
We've formed a new team to deal with the debt ceiling crisis.Our next meeting will be on Tuesday, March 28 at 5pm on Zoom.
See Indivisible's explanation of what the Debt Ceiling is, and how the GOP is using it to try and dismantle the social safety net, climate mitigations, and all things progressive.
If you'd like to join us or for more information, contact Joel Rosen at jalrose2@gmail.com.
Letters to the Editor (LTE) Writing Team
Join us as we strategize together to write the most impactful Letters to the Editor. These can be powerful ways to share our thoughts and influence the opinions - and even the votes - of our neighbors and elected representatives!
We had a very successful first meeting, and our next one will be on Tuesday, March 21, at 7:00pm, on Zoom.
For questions or more information, please contact Larry at lpareles@yahoo.com. And don't forget to use the Zoom link HEREto join our next meeting. Let's write and be heard!
If you have questions or would like further information, contact Larry at lpareles@yahoo.com.
IN-SLWM Climate Team
Our Climate Team is continuing to receive weekly action alerts by email, mainly about climate action that they can take at home.
See our announcement above for our local participation in the nationwide action to
Stop Dirty Banks! Don’t Bank at Chase
Northampton, March 21
If you’d like to join in the Climate Team, email Michael Dover at mjdover44@gmail.com.
NEWS
Indivisible New England Digest:
National Workshop, Webinar & Call Calendar
We are fortunate to have Judy Stadtman as our Indivisible National regional organizer. Judy is the liaison between the national organization and local groups in CT-MA-ME-NH-VT. She does an incredible job keeping IN-SLWM connected to and supported by Indivisible National. If you attended our recent general meeting, you might have had the pleasure of hearing her speak about the national political landscape and actionable steps we here in MA can take.
Judy is incredibly active and responsive to our needs. She is eager to lend a hand and hear from anyone who seeks her advice or guidance. If you have any questions or would like to connect with her, please don't hesitate to email her at Judith@Indivisible.com. She looks forward to hearing from you!
New Mission Statement
The Steering Committee has recently updated our Mission Statement to better reflect our post-merger identity and priorities as we collaborate with you to save democracy.
We're eager to hear your thoughts and feedback, so please take a moment to check out our new Mission Statement and let us know what you think. Thanks for your continued support!
Here it is:
Our mission is to promote a strong and inclusive American democracy by educating and mobilizing constituents of MA CD-2 and beyond. We work to elect and hold accountable bold progressive leaders who will protect our country from the dangerous agenda of the right-wing MAGA extremists. We aim to strengthen our democratic institutions, advance social justice, protect the environment, and more. As a proud chapter of Indivisible and Swing Left, we collaborate with local, regional and national groups to build an informed, sustainable activist community.
Northampton Reparations Committee Webinar
On January 24 the Northampton Reparations Committee presented an online webinar cohosted by Forbes Library.
This section of our newsletter features articles written by one of our subscribers and an article or two selected by our steering committee. Subscribers to the newsletter are welcome to submit writing by email to info@indivisiblenorthampton.org with the subject line "Newsletter Submission".
The opinions expressed in the writings don't necessarily reflect any consensus of Indivisible Northampton.
When you click the link in your confirmation email, a Zoom page will open in your web browser and the Zoom app will open.
If the Zoom app does not open, here are a few things you can try. You will need to know the meeting id, which is embedded in the address of the Zoom page that opened. On the page that opened in the browser, in the address bar you'll see an address that looks something like this:
