Write to Virginia & California!

A4D’s Democracy Can’t Wait Rally Was a Success Fifteen Act for Democracy members braved the heat last Tuesday to take a stand for democracy. They reminded commuters from their perch above I-405 how important it is to urge the Senate to pass the For the People Act (S1) while Chris Cobey of the League of Women Voters stressed the importance of fair districting in his remarks. You can listen here on A4D’s Facebook page to Roberta Ruimy reading to the group a statement from Representative Lisa Reynolds, Oregon House District 36. Indivisible Tuesday with Senator Merkley Tomorrow Tomorrow is the third Tuesday of August, which means it’s time to meet virtually with staffers from Senator Merkley’s office. To join the Zoom conversation about policies that will safeguard our institutions, rights, and lives, register here. Write Write Write! Many Options for Sending Postcards & Letters What better way to spend the last days of summer than writing to voters in Virginia and California! Your options are many. Indivisible Oregon makes it easy to say yes. They’ve prepared Vote Forward packets with twenty letters and envelopes and instructions, which you can get pick up at your convenience from a volunteer’s front porch. Plus a volunteer will gather up your written letters during the remaining weekends in August if you have your letters done by August 29. And they’ll also add stamps. Or you can take your time and mail the letters yourself after September 18. Details and sign up here. For those of you who prefer to write postcards and have already written postcards with the Center for Common Ground’s Reclaim Our Votes program, you’re covered, too. You can pick up postcards from a volunteer’s front porch by making your preference known at the link above. Or you can go sign up directly at the Center for Common Ground here and take it from there. You say you don’t like writing postcards by yourself? No worries. There’s an option to join others via Zoom and write in company. Click here for details about these virtual events hosted by Swing Left. And there’s more! Our local A4D postcard-writing group is targeting California voters to defeat the Republican-led recall of Governor Gavin Newsom. Governor Newsom has been ahead of the curve on many important issues, including prison reform, universal pre-K education, debt relief, and tenant protections. Get in touch with Susan Nunnery at spnunnery@gmail.com and let her know how many sets of ten postcards you’d like to send to California. The deadline is August 31. We’re Creating a COIN Squad Jump Onboard! Act for Democracy is joining the new COIN Squad effort. COIN Squads are being formed as a way to create community and accountability so that we can keep the pressure on our members of congress. Members of congress pay attention to constituent calls because it helps them gauge public support for an issue. It can strengthen their resolve if they agree with callers or help them see how much trouble they may face if they disagree. By calling in Squad teams, we’ll be able boost our impact on Congress. COIN Squads will also be used for letter and postcard-writing campaigns, to share information, hold informal get-togethers, organize canvassing, and create phone banks. The potential for amplifying and expanding our impact is endless when we come together in a Squad team. To learn more about this new structure for being even more effective activists, visit the COIN website. We’ll have more information soon as A4D’s COIN Squad starts shaping up. Mark Your Calendar The next COINversation will be held Tuesday, August 24, at 7:00pm. The topic is Oregon wildfires, their effects and recovery. The conversation will take the format of a panel discussion with moderator Terrie Martin, who lost her family’s business in last year’s Almeda Fire; Carina Miller, a leader on the Warm Springs Reservation and a Columbia River Gorge Commissioner; Jamie McLeod-Skinner, who helped the town of Talent recover from its losses last September; Phil Chang, a Deschutes County Commissioner with experience in forest management; and State Representative Dacia Grayber, who is a professional firefighter. Register in advance and submit your questions here for what promises to be a thorough and informative inquiry into an issue Oregonians can no longer avoid.