It’s not just Chad. Tell your senators – No more Federalist Society members and FILL THOSE JUDICIAL VACANCIES NOW!

UPDATE: The White House has pulled its nomination of this abomination! Thanks for your calls and emails!

Action #1: Tell your senators that voting for Chad Meredith, or ANY FEDERALIST SOCIETY MEMBER, is a racist and anti-democratic action. AND START FILLING THOSE VACANCIES!
Action #2: Call Biden.
Action #3: Write Biden.

By now, Biden is probably rethinking nominating Stephen Chad Meredith to a lifetime seat on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky. Chad is a Republican forced-birther whose career has included defending abortion restrictions, participating in a pardoning scandal for the outgoing Republican governor, and working to limit the incoming Democratic governor’s executive authority. He is also a Federalist Society member, just like the six SCOTUS members who killed Roe, unleashed guns, crumbled the wall between church and state, disempowered the EPA, and degraded Native American rights.

As there’s no seat currently available for Chad, it’s clear that this is part of some larger deal on judicial nominations between the President and Mitch McConnell,” Rep. John Yarmuth (D-KY) said in a statement. Slate reported that the deal was a promise not to stop the confirmation of two U.S. attorneys in exchange for Meredith — effectively two temporary political appointees for a lifetime seat on the federal bench.

However, Chad is just one part of our problem. There may be no seat for him right now, but Democrats are on track to leave more than 60 open judicial seats for McConnell to fill if the GOP retakes the Senate, including NINE in California(!). This needs to be addressed NOW!

Action #1: Tell your senators that voting for Chad Meredith, or ANY FEDERALIST SOCIETY MEMBER, is a racist and anti-democratic action. AND START FILLING THOSE VACANCIES!

Federalist Society nominees are committed to protecting the structure of racism – the interests of corporations and the richest 1%. Under the cover of strengthening states’ rights, their true mission is suppressing voting rights, removing health care and safety net access, degrading labor rights and worker protections, militarizing police, impoverishing public education, and permitting the poisoning of the very air we breathe and the water we drink. They are the judicial backstop behind every choke-hold that goes awry, every shooting of an unarmed person, and now, the removal of bodily sovereignty of women.

The six of them on the Supreme Court may even end democracy.

Continue reading →

Fri 5/24: Skin in the Game for Everyone! – Part 3 of 2 – UPDATES & Actions!

Yep. Part 3 of 2!

It’s been a busy week!
Part 1 of 2 here: a modest proposal for states who enact an abortion ban, a great video, a list of pregnancy and birth injuries, & a reading list.

Part 2 of 2 here: H.R.1692/ S.758 – EACH Woman Act, ~~SB-24 – Public university student health centers~~ (updated below), where to donate, June 20th local activity to write voters in states affected by bans, videos to watch, free graphics..

Action #1 – “YES” on SB-24 – PASSED THE STATE SENATE!

Our Senator Jackson co-authored SB-24, a bill that allows student health care services clinics on CSU or UC campuses to offer abortion by medication techniques. This allows the over 400,000 female students who may decide they want abortion services to obtain access to that care as easily and as early in pregnancy as possible. The bill was vetoed by Governor Jerry Brown last year. The re-introduced bill has PASSED through the State Senate and has been read the 1st time in the Assembly. It is sponsored by ACCESS Women’s Health Justice, ACT for Women and Girls, ACLU of California, California Latinas for Reproductive Justice, NARAL Pro-Choice California, Students United for Reproductive Justice at Berkeley, Women’s Foundation of California/Women’s Policy Institute.

Action #2 – “YES” on SB-464 – PASSED THE STATE SENATE!

Continue reading “Fri 5/24: Skin in the Game for Everyone! – Part 3 of 2 – UPDATES & Actions!” →

Tues – 5/21: #Stop the Bans – Rally in Ventura – 12pm-1pm. VC Government Center.

Sponsor: Planned Parenthood Central Coast Action Fund.
Location: Ventura County Government Center, corner of Victoria and Telephone Rd.
Facebook event here.
#StopTheBans Day of Action site here.
Bring signs and flags. We stand side-by-side with Planned Parenthood and others to protest the extreme & unconstitutional abortion bans being passed across the country.

Mon 5/20: Skin in the Game for Everyone! – Part 2 of 2 – How to help – Actions!

#Stop the Bans – Rally tomorrow – Tuesday May 21st! 12pm-1pm.

Sponsor: Planned Parenthood Central Coast Action Fund.
Location: Ventura County Government Center, corner of Victoria and Telephone Rd.
Facebook event here.

no bans

Make some signs! Bring flags! Download your own “flipoffian tube” symbol here or here to use wherever, compliments of the artist, Jim Cooke

Action #1 – Watch these movies – Share with family and friends.

Continue reading “Mon 5/20: Skin in the Game for Everyone! – Part 2 of 2 – How to help – Actions!” →

Sun 5/19: Men who barely understand women’s bodies want to ban abortion. A reflection on the cruelest game… – Part 1 of 2

This post is not an action but a “thought experiment” on the banning of abortion. (easy-to-read PDF here). It includes, in pink, a primer for forced-birther legislators on the serious risks women face. We also have parts for the men who cause unwanted pregnancies and walk away (in blue), and the states who currently restrict abortion while providing little or no pre-natal care (in yellow). And in the lower right-hand corner, we provide a role for the legislators themselves.
skin in the game - careful

Continue reading “Sun 5/19: Men who barely understand women’s bodies want to ban abortion. A reflection on the cruelest game… – Part 1 of 2” →

Wed. 5/23: The “Gag Rule” comes home. Now American women will die for someone else’s beliefs.

“The First Thing A Principle Does Is Kill Somebody”

– Dorothy Sayers.

We’ve been abusing women abroad with the “global gag rule” every time a Republican president is in office. Literally dying. Preventable deaths. By the thousands. Now it’s our turn. Continue reading “Wed. 5/23: The “Gag Rule” comes home. Now American women will die for someone else’s beliefs.” →

Monday 3/26 – “This is the use of religion to hurt people because you disapprove of who they are.” Deadline to comment tomorrow!

Quote from Harper Jean Tobin of the National Center for Transgender Equality.

You are sitting in one of those horrible backless gowns on a paper-covered table, waiting…

You are sick, or hurt, or need a legal medical procedure. This is not where you want to be right now, but you need help.

If you can’t imagine for yourself, do so for your child, or grandchild…

The door opens. A scrubs-covered medical professional comes in, reading a file.

A moment of silence.

“Treating you would violate my sincerely-held religious beliefs. You’ll have to wait until we can find someone else to deal with you.”

Door closes.

A new HHS rule would allow physicians and health care workers to opt out of procedures that conflict with their religious teachings…We need to send in comments today and tomorrow to stop this.

You do not need to be a woman to feel the importance of this.
You do not need to be part of the LGBTQ community.
You just need to do what we say we do.
Stand INDIVISIBLE with vulnerable Americans, who are, even now, being traumatized by these types of behavior. This proposal just lets offenders off without consequences.

We really like this gif-filled explanation guide from the National Women’s Law Center. Lots of information in here to use in your comments.

1. This rule is definitely NOT about patients.

Continue reading “Monday 3/26 – “This is the use of religion to hurt people because you disapprove of who they are.” Deadline to comment tomorrow!” →

Monday is busy, folks! 2 urgent calls, 2 written comments – all laid out for fast action!

Calls actions – Two quick ones that are being voted on today! If you’ve called before, call again. These are that important.

Call #1 – This dangerous anti-choice bill is scheduled for voting on Monday at 5:30 pm. Get your calls in early. Try the DC offices first.

The House has already passed their version of the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (H.R. 36) and Mitch McConnell (R-KY) plans to bring the Senate version (S. 1922) to a vote this week, perhaps in time for the State of the Union address and in a calculated move to target Democrats before the midterms.

Why is access to abortions after 20 weeks so important? Read this woman’s story and this one. If you haven’t seen this movie yet, download it on itunes.

Minimal Script: I am calling from [zip code] to thank Sen. [___] for supporting a woman’s essential liberty to choose what’s necessary for her and her family in consultation with her medical advisors and to strongly and publicly oppose S. 1922 – Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act.

Senator Feinstein: DC (202) 224-3841, LA (310) 914-7300, SF (415) 393-0707, SD (619) 231-9712, Fresno (559) 485-7430

and Senator Harris: DC (202) 224-3553, LA (213) 894-5000, SAC (916) 448-2787, Fresno (559) 497-5109, SF (415) 355-9041, SD (619) 239-3884

Other Senator Contacts: http://www.phoneyourrep.com

See connected post here.