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BEST FREE PHONE APP to use to contact your representatives: 5 Calls
Current Calls to Action
Protect our Public Lands and Fully Fund Medicaid
House Bill #: Budget Reconcilliation
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Contact Representative Jeff Hurd at (970) 317-6167 (Durango) or (202) 225-4676 (D.C.) or email
Background and Suggested Scripts: WHY ARE THESE ISSUES IMPORTANT? Public Lands: Once these lands are sold they are gone FOREVER! Once these lands have been destroyed by extractive industries, it will take many years for them to recover. Republicans are discussing selling Public Lands to pay for continuing the Trump tax cuts. Medicaid: Without health care, people suffer needlessly. Pressure increases on our Emergency Departments. Rural hospitals, including 2 in our area, will close, increasing the pressure on the remaining hospitals and reducing the overall quality of healthcare. SUGGESTED MEMBER SCRIPTS: Public Lands: “Hi, my name is …, and I am a constituent from “insert town”, zip code 81***. I am opposed to the sale of our Public Lands. I am asking that you work to protect these lands and to ensure Federal Laws, including NEPA (the National Environmental Policy Act) are followed when industry wants to drill, cut trees and use the resources of our Public Lands. These lands are vital to me and SW Colorado in so many ways. (Please insert how you use the Public Lands; why they are important to you and how you and your family will be hurt by their sale and destruction.)" Medicaid: “Hi, my name is …,and I'm a constituent from “insert town”, zip code 81***. I am opposed to any cuts to Medicaid funding. Medicaid provides health care to our children with serious conditions and illnesses, to our low income and disabled neighbors, and to many of our nursing home residents. Most people who are on Medicaid work and need this assistance to avoid emergency room visits, when they cannot get regular healthcare. Two rural hospitals in our area will close if Medicaid is not fully funded. This will put increased pressure on the remaining hospital and we will all suffer as a result. I do not want my neighbors to go without healthcare and the quality of my healthcare to suffer to pay for tax cuts for billionaires."
Tell Colorado Governor Jared Polis to Sign HB25-1147 and SB25-045
HB25-1147: Fairness and Transparency in Municipal Court
SB25-045: Healthcare Analysis Bill
Call: 303-866-2471
Email: Governorpolis@state.co.us
Background and Suggested Scripts: WHY ARE THESE BILLS IMPORTANT? #HB25-1147: This Bill has passed the House and Senate and is waiting for the Governor’s signature. Governor Polis is getting significant pressure from some municipalities to veto this bill. Our County Commissioners and Sheriff Sean Smith all support this Bill. The lack of consistency in our laws and lack of due process adversely affect our unhoused neighbors. People can end up spending significant amounts of time in jail for sleeping outside and other minor crimes. That is a waste of taxpayer money and not a good solution to the issue of people sleeping outside. Please encourage the Governor to sign this Bill. #SB25-045: This Bill has passed the House and Senate and is waiting for the Governor’s signature. The Bill will commission a study from the Colorado School of Public Health to analyze how we might implement single-payer universal healthcare in Colorado. Special interest groups will be lobbying the Governor not to sign this Bill. Let’s encourage him to sign. SUGGESTED MEMBER SCRIPTS: #HB25-1147: “Hi, my name is …, I'm a constituent from “i.e., insert town” zip code 81***. I am in favor of you signing the Fairness and Transparency in Municipal Court Act, HB25-1147. I think we should have consistency in our legal system, between municipal and State Courts. The inconsistent punishments and lack of due process in municipal courts adversely affects our unhoused neighbors. #SB25-045: “Hi, my name is …, I am a constituent from “i.e., insert town” zip code 81***. I am in favor of you signing the Healthcare Analysis Bill. We need to study whether a single payer system will work in Colorado. (If applicable, please talk about how the current healthcare system has failed you or made your life difficult.) This study will provide the information we need for decision making about our healthcare system."
Tell CO State Senator Cleave Simpson to Support Bill HB25-1127 Fairness & Transparency in Municipla Court
Contact CO Senator Cleave Simpson: Phone # 303-866-4875; Email cleave.simpson.senate@coleg.gov
Municipal Court Fairness and Transparency will soon be headed to the Senate for a vote. This bill brings municipal courts into better alignment with state court practices. Municipal courts are now Colorado’s most punitive courts for minor offenses and as you all know, are very frequently used to criminalize our unhoused neighbors. La Plata County already supports the bill, as does Sheriff Smith. We’re hoping Senator Simpson will vote yes on HB1147 for La Plata County, but he hasn’t yet heard from many of his constituents. We encourage you to reach out to Sen. Simpson to ask for his support on HB25-1147.
Tell Representative Jeff Hurd to Support Bill HR 1936 and Protect Medicaid/CHIP
Contact Representative Jeff Hurd at (970) 317-6167 (Durango) or (202) 225-4676 (D.C.) or email
Read the Article: The Republican House Budget Resolution’s Potential $880 Billion in Medicaid Cuts by Congressional District
Tell Representative Jeff Hurd to support bill H.R. 1936, which was introduced by RI Dem congressman Magaziner. HR 1936 seeks to prohibit the use of U.S. Armed Forces funds for operations aimed at invading or seizing territory from Canada, Panama, or Greenland. Also contact Jeff Hurd about the cuts to Medicaid/CHIP! In his district (CD3): -194,122 constituents are currently covered by Medicaid - The district could lose $2.43B - 58,000 constituents would lose medicaid/CHIP enrollment.
Comment on Dismantling the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)
What you can do:
- Contact Representative Jeff Hurd at: (970) 317-6167 (Durango) or (202) 225-4676 (D.C.) or email
- Sign the petition at EveryLibrary
This is a serious threat to Colorado's libraries as the Colorado State Library is predominantly federally funded by IMLS, not by our state government. If IMLS is destroyed, the State Library will pretty much cease to exist and almost everyone who works for the State Library will lose their jobs. The loss of IMLS and of the Colorado State Library will negatively impact every library in the state.
Take Action! Contact Your Representatives
Message them about something YOU care about so they caan represent YOUR views. IT'S THEIR JOB!!!!
Senator Michael Bennet
Facebook: @SenatorBennet
DC Office: 202-224-5852
Durango Office: 970-259-1710
Committees:
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Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry;
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Finance;
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Rules and Administration;
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Select Cmte on Inteligence
Colorado State Level Representatives
House District 59 Representative Katie Stewart
303-866-2904 or 970-779-0608
Senate District 6 Senator
Cleave Simpson
303-866-4875
cleave.simpson.senate@coleg.gov
Senator John Hickenlooper
Facebook: @SenatorHick
DC Office: 202-224-5941
Durango Office: 970-880-7236
Committees:
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Appropriations
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Commerce, Science, and Transportation
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Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
County Level
La Plata County Commissioners
970-382-6219
City Level
Durango City Council
Congressional District 3 Rep Jeff Hurd
https://hurd.house.gov/contact
Facebook: @Rep. Jeff Hurd
DC Office: 202-225-4676
Durango Office: 970-317-6167
835 E 2nd Ave Ste 204
Committees:
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Natural Resources
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Science, Space, and Technology
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Transportation and Infrastructure
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Indian and Insular Affairs
WHITE HOUSE
Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
RESOURCES
Below are excellent reference materials full of both concrete action items and indepth analyses of how we got here.
DO:
Action items for TODAY and every day. How to get started - and why.
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5Calls.org - dow An App that lists actions to take and makes it easy to call your MOCs (Members of Congress)Indivisible: https://indivisible.org/
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Indivisible.org - an updated, practical guide to "Democracy on the Brink" - a set of strategies and practical first steps to combat rising authoritarianism and oligarchies.
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Jessica Craven, Chop Wood, Carry Water - a blog with daily actions you can take.
CURRENT RESEARCH:
Medicaid /CHIPS. CD3 - Colorado’s west slope (US!) slated to lose $2.43 Billion in Medicaid and CHIP funding under the legislation Rep. Jeff Hurd just voted for. That would directly impact 194,122 of his constituents - with a complete elimination of services for 58,000, many of whom are children and elderly. Source.
US Public Lands. Fire mitigation, timber sales, fee collection, grazing supervision, public safety, interpretation, even toilet cleaning and access are all being cut, drastically. Columbine District Ranger Glidden said recently that we are at the same moisture levels as 2002 and 2018, years of the Missionary Ridge and 416 fires. Contact Hurd today!!!
BOYCOTT:
Align your values with your votes! Many, many corporations are putting their quarterly profits and goals above the need of their buyers. And many of these are supporting the GOP.
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Goods Unite Us: download their excellent app to see which companies contribute to which parties.
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Index Align: Want to dive deeper? Visit this site (allied with Goods Unite Us) to see how corporate dollars directly impact society.
PONDER:
Some writers we hugely respect, sending out positive energy and fact-based research.
Heather Cox Richardson: a concise summary of each day framed with historical context.
Joyce Vance: legal knowledge and analysis, served with a dose of optimism.
Robert Reich: a mix of "what you can do" and economic background on policy.
Marc Elias, Democracy Docket: the leading litigator fighting across the US to protect democracy and voting rights.
Others? Send us your favorites!
Resources for These Times (PDF)
Download this comprehensive list of resources with tons of handy links to help you take action now!
