Take Action
End the #FakeTrumpEmergency
Trump declared a national emergency to build his vanity wall after signing the funding bill that will lead to even more detention, deportation, and family separations at the border. This is a full-fledged attack on our democracy.
On Monday at 12 p.m., we take to the streets.
- In Austin: Republic Square Park, 4th Street and Guadalupe. RSVP here or view on Facebook.
- Find events outside Austin
Whether you can attend or not:
TELL YOUR REPS to support the resolution to end the #FakeEmergency
Say NO to David Whitley for TX Secretary of State
Take action today and tell your State Senator that voter suppression has no place in Texas, and that they must vote NO on the confirmation of Secretary of State David Whitley. (Austinites: Sen. Kirk Watson is on record as a NO, but contact him anyway to express your support.)
Send an email to your State Senator now
How your voices are making a difference
- The House Judiciary Committee passed a measure to require background checks for all U.S. firearm purchases.
- the Senate approved the most sweeping conservation legislation in a decade
- Thousands of young students walked out of school in the middle of classes to protest inaction on climate change
Read about Donald’s compensatory wall
Events
SAVE THE DATES:
- Indivisible Austin General Body Meetings will occur on the second Tuesday of the month, at 6 p.m. Locations will vary. The next meeting will be on Tuesday, March 12.
- We’re also planning additional #TXLEGE training this Saturday at 10 a.m., focused on visiting lawmakers’ offices. Stay tuned for additional info or email ask@indivisibleaustin.com.
Monday, Feb. 18
TAKE TO THE STREETS to protest Trump’s #FakeEmergency
12 noon, Republic Square Park, 4th Street and Guadalupe. RSVP Here. (Or view on Facebook.)
Thursday, Feb. 21
James Talarico Town Hall
6:30 p.m., Round Rock ACC Multipurpose Room, 4400 College Park Drive Round Rock, TX
Doors open at 6:30 PM and the Town Hall will begin at 6:45 PM. We’ll be meeting in the Round Rock Multipurpose room at 4400 College Park Drive.
#TXLEGE Watch
That time Ken Paxton’s wife filed a bill to legalize Ken Paxton’s crimes
It’s not easy for a bill to become law in the Texas Legislature. (Our guide walks you through the process.) But SB 860, filed by State Senator Angela Paxton—wife of our indicted attorney general—is leaving ethics experts “slack-jawed,” according to the Texas Tribune. The bill would let people to work as an investment advisor without a license—the exact crime for which Paxton was indicted.
Upcoming Hearings
Tuesday, Feb. 19
- House Appropriations Article II subcommittee (health and human services, including early childhood intervention), 8 a.m. in E2.028.
- House Public Education (see this blog post for more detail, several bills will be heard), 11:30 a.m. or upon final adjourn./recess or bill referral if permission granted, in E2.036.
Congress Critter of the Week: John Cornyn
Cornyn in a kinder, gentler phase. What happened?
Fortunately for John Cornyn, he won’t be around to see the worst effects of climate change. But many of us will. Our children and grandchildren will. And John Cornyn, as a United States Senator, wields the power to make life or death decisions on our behalf.
Last week, Cornyn pretended not to know that the Green New Deal was a resolution, not a bill. He pretended not to even know what a resolution is—despite being in Congress since 2002.
He has shared multiple articles denying the facts of climate change, and dismissing the Green New Deal as a liberal boondoggle.
Here are some facts about John Cornyn, and about the Green New Deal:
- Yes, the Green New Deal is a resolution. So was FDR’s New Deal, at the beginning.
- The oil & gas industry is John Cornyn’s 2nd-biggest contributor.
- The Green New Deal is about more than the environment: It’s about infrastructure. It’s about immigration. It’s about health care. This is because climate change’s devastating effects go far beyond the environment, intersecting with virtually every aspect of our lives.
- John Cornyn is the #1 top Senate recipient of contributions from the natural gas transmission & distribution industry for 2017-18.
- The Green New Deal is actually really short and easy to read. Don’t be intimidated. Go check it out.
Read more about Cornyn’s environmental record on senatorjohncornyn.com
Your Moment of Zen
First, watch this:
One of our favorite moments from yesterday's Masters Agility Championship Preliminaries, Winky the Bichon Frise! #WKCDogShow pic.twitter.com/p55IxGC5iH
— Westminster Dog Show (@WKCDOGS) February 10, 2019
Then, read this beautiful essay on Winky the Bichon Frise.
Funding the Fight
Trump’s #FakeEmergency is a real problem, and we have to push back against it now. On Monday you can join us at Republic Square Park. You can make a gift right now to help us make these kinds of protests happen, along with all our other actions to protect democracy.