Our hearts go out to friends and family of Garrett Foster, who was killed in Austin Saturday night at the Black Lives Matter protest. Garrett died fighting for justice. May he rest in power.
Garrett Foster gave his life marching with his fiancé, Whitney Mitchell, for #BlackLivesMatter. She is a quad-amputee and he was her caretaker.
Let’s make sure we take care of Whitney now that Garrett is fallen. We take care of our own.? https://t.co/l5msXdHgrQ
— Chad Loder (@chadloder) July 27, 2020
Week of Action
July 27 marks 100 days until the general election, and it also happens to be the third anniversary of Indivisibles defeating Trumpcare. In celebration and commitment to the work ahead, from July 27-August 2, Indivisible groups all over the country will be hosting phone banks and text banks.
Tell Austin City Council: Fund communities not policing, reject Spencer Cronk’s budget proposal!
This Thursday July 30 is City Council’s 2nd Public Hearing on the Budget! The community has spoken and called on the city of Austin to defund the Austin Police Department by 50% and divert those funds for R.E.A.L Solutions (see the petition link below for a description). It is of the utmost importance to tell City Council not only to divest from the APD budget, but also how and where to reallocate it. The current proposal cuts only $150,000 (a third of one percent of the APD budget) in funding to APD compared to last year’s budget, and even falls short of removing all of the currently vacant positions in APD.
Sign up (starting at 10am on Monday) to speak at the budget Public Hearing this Thursday
New website from Grassroots Leadership: defundaustinpolice.com
Sign this petition calling on Austin City Council Members to refuse this budget proposal
White allies: join UWSA by putting a sign in your window or yard to support a just Austin budget!
Tell Greg Abbott: Your half-measures won’t kill COVID-19
Had Governor Abbott acted responsibly in the first place—as other governors did—we could have recovered more quickly. Now is his chance to show true leadership by ignoring Trump and issuing aggressive and enforceable statewide policies that stop the virus and allow the economy to thrive.
Events
Monday, July 27
Payback Project with Indivisible National’s Dani Negrete
7 p.m. Indivisible Grapevine hosts a Payback Project event to unseat John Cornyn, featuring Dani Negrete of the national Indivisible team.
Tuesday, July 28
Webinar: Indivisible Textbanking Training
6 p.m. Learn how to start texting with the IndivisiText program on our platform TextOut!
UWSA Actionar: Policing in Austin & the Upcoming City Budget Process
6:30 p.m. As conversations about defunding the police continue, UWSA is looking closer at how white people specifically fit into this change process in Austin.
Wednesday, July 29
Rescheduled: IATX Action Meetup—Introducing Our New Series
6:30 p.m. Join Indivisible Austin for an exciting new series: introductory trainings on anti-racism and community organizing and how approaches need to guide Indivisible’s fight for justice!
Thursday, July 30
Medi-Caravan celebrating Medicare’s 55th Bday/Medicaid Expansion
Please join us as we celebrate Medicare’s 55th Birthday and promote Medicaid expansion! Texas has the highest rate of uninsured adults and children in the country and this is our chance to advocate for all-inclusive HealthCare that covers everyone.
The Medi-Caravan will start lining up at Huston Tillotson at 10:30am where you will be able to decorate or put finishing touches on your car. We ask that you decorate your car prior to the event but if you do not, no worries, we got you covered. Some of our Host will have a few signs, tape, chalk markers and other things needed to decorate your car.
Mask are required and the emphasis on this event is safety!
The Medi-Caravan hits the road at 11am, drive around the Governor’s mansion and capital. Detailed directions will be added soon.
Friday, July 31
2020 Medicaid/Medicare Anniversary: Take Racism Out of Healthcare
6 p.m. Join the #SICKOFITTX coalition in a discussion about the racial bias that still exists within the medical community, and what we can do to help take racism out of healthcare.
Join the event (Facebook Live)
Congress Critter of the Week: Roger Williams
Rep. Roger Williams—the millionaire whose car dealerships took money for Covid relief—stood shoulder to shoulder with Florida GOP Rep. Ted Yoho and accosted Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. From CNN:
[Rep. Roger] Williams, meantime, was first watching Yoho and then Williams “literally started hollering about throwing urine,” Ocasio-Cortez said Friday.
“He started talking about throwing urine,” she said. “I don’t know what he was talking about. I think he was maybe talking about an incident at some protest somewhere that I don’t know about. But he started talking about throwing urine and at that point, I was so bewildered. I was like, these folks are out of their minds.”
She added, “He was walking down the steps with Yoho, shoulder to shoulder. And at this point, they were just yelling at the world,” referring to the two men.
This is one of the most important speeches ever delivered on the floor of The House of Representatives.
Thank you @AOC for your bravery and speaking truth to power.
Please watch all of this. Men especially. pic.twitter.com/xl60lEv7Ks
— Michael Skolnik (@MichaelSkolnik) July 23, 2020
Had enough? Support Julie Oliver
Your moment of Zen
This sparks so much joy and I'm not even a cat person. pic.twitter.com/o5Ifxlh4i4
— dennisjansen (@dennisjansen) July 19, 2020