One more step to pass the ERA Ballot initiative in Minnesota
One more step to pass the ERA Ballot initiative in Minnesota

The MN HOUSE needs to complete 1 final step - to pass the State ERA Ballot Initiative on the House Floor by Monday night!!
ACTION STEPS:
✅ Contact House Speaker Melissa Hortman to call for  the vote on ERA Bill SF37 as written. Speaker Melissa Hortman:(rep.melissa.hortman@house.mn.gov), 651-296-4280.
✅ Contact Representative Jamie Long to support the ERA Bill SF37 as written. House Majority Leader Jamie Long:(rep.jamie.long@house.mn.gov), 651-296-5375. 
✅ Prepare to show up on Monday, May 22nd, time TBD.

Find your Legislator.

 Why is it important to pass ERA Bills in 2023? So there is adequate time to educate the public on the amendment prior to voting on the general ballot in 2024.  Learn more.

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Ann Treacy
Call to Action (May 15!) Protect Kids' Safety Online - urgent!
Call to Action (May 15!) Protect Kids' Safety Online - urgent!

Time to act now to protest children online!

The MN AADC bill would protect children online, by reaching vendors duringin the design phase. The bill would require all online products and services likely to be accessed by children to do a risk assessment and mitigate risks to children online during the design phase and before the harm can happen. It is the best of this type of bill in the country at present. Behind the scenes Big Tech agrees, but this is not stopping them and folks from the StarTribune (new CEO Steve Grove, former DEED Commissioner and former employee to Big Tech’s  YouTube) from trying to kill it quietly by getting to key Senators in an attempt to stop these online protections for kids as they’ll mean putting children over profit.  In particular it seems that Sen. Latz needs to be encouraged to support this bill. If he is your senator, that's the best. However, even if you don't live in his district, I am told it is worth a shot. But it needs to happen NOW. 

This is the ask from supporters of this bill:
Pls call, email, reach out to Senator Latz.  Tell him something like - 
"It is time to protect our children online. It is time to prioritize our kids, over big tech profits.  Parents, families and communities demand that you get out of the way and pass the Age-Appropriate Design Code (AADC) NOW!"
 
Latz Capitol Office
651-297-8065
Email - https://www.senate.mn/members/email-form/1102

If you have extra time, pls also reach out to:
Senate Leader Kari Dziedzic and Senate President Bobby Joe Champion to urge them to pass the AADC this session. 

The MN AADC has already passed as a standalone bill (HF2257) in the House and it has also been amended into the Deep Fake bill (HF1370), but is under threat of not continuing to be in there (or something like that). 

Get more background.

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Ann Treacy
ERA is so close. Help get it closer by contacting your policymakers #ERAbyMothersDay
ERA is so close. Help get it closer by contacting your policymakers #ERAbyMothersDay

Thanks for all your organizational support for ERA so far. It is making a difference. ERAMN is turning up the pressure and setting a timeline for passing the ERA Bills in 2023. We don’t want to wait until the last week of session or be pushed out to 2024 session.  Please promote and share the attached #ERAbyMothersDay graphics. 

It is crunch time and we could really use your support now to get the Equal Rights Amendment over the finish lie in 2023. As allied organizations we would be grateful if you would reach out to legislators on behalf of your organization and let them know that you would like to see the ERA passed. We are currently stuck in the Rules committee (Rep. Jamie Long).

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Ann Treacy
Time for the ERA full-court press - Minnesota Indivisible CALL TO ACTION!
Time for the ERA full-court press - Minnesota Indivisible CALL TO ACTION!

Two sets of ERA Resolutions related to equality are pending in the MN legislature!

1.     Resolutions SF47/HF197 calling for the affirmation that the Equal Rights Amendment is valid and is the 28th Amendment Chief authors: Senator Sandy Pappas & Rep. Kristin Bahner https://eramn.org/2023-minnesota-federal-era-resolution/  This is headed for a floor vote. Similar resolutions have been passed in CA, HI, MI, CO

2.     MN' s STATE ERA Bill (SF37 & HF173) Chief authors: Senator Mary Kunesh & Rep Kaohly Her. https://eramn.org/2023-minnesota-state-era-bill/  This a proposed Amendment to the MN Constitution guaranteeing equality for all. This bill is currently being held in the Rules Committee by Representative Long. It needs to get out of committee and pass in 2023 so there is adequate time to educate the public prior to it being placed on the ballot in 2024.

Please contact your legislators and tell them to support both bills now. Most importantly, please contact LEGISLATIVE LEADERS House Speaker Melissa Hortman, House Majority Leader Jamie Long, and Senate Majority Leader Kari Dziedzic and tell them the MN ERA must be a top priority:

- No other movement has waited longer than equal rights for all. Call for the vote on ERA now. The time is always right to do what is right.

- What’s the hold-up? Call for the vote today on the ERA.

- We respectfully request that you take up the Equal Rights Amendment bills post haste. 100 years is too long to wait for equal justice for all.



You can FIND YOUR LEGISLATOR HERE:

https://www.gis.lcc.mn.gov/iMaps/districts/

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Ann Treacy
Six easy steps to getting politically involved in Minnesota
Six easy steps to getting politically involved in Minnesota

The Legislative Session is happening now. At the most basic level, it’s the time when the House and the Senate are making decisions on laws and budgets. It’s also the time to remind your representatives what you want. Below are actions you can take to get started:

  1. Find out who your reps are online.

  2. Follow your reps on social media and comment on their posts.

  3. Send emails to your legislators to tell them how you want to represent your interests. 

  4. Find out if they have town halls coming up and attend them in person or online. Same with city council, school board or other local policymakers. To find city council members, check your city website; for school board members, locate your school district name and search for its website.

  5. Follow bills that interest you. You will get an email when relevant actions or meetings happen. Tell the people around you what's going on. Knowledge is power!

  6. Attend events, such as rallies at the Minnesota Capitol, to stand with others to show the reps what you want. These are powerful and uplifting events. We track them on the WMM calendar. (If you see an item to add, please let us know at admin@womensmarchmn.com.

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Ann Treacy
Contact Your Senator Now to Protect Reproductive Rights: Support PRO Act!
Contact Your Senator Now to Protect Reproductive Rights: Support PRO Act!

The Minnesota Senate will be voting on the PRO Act (Protect Reproductive Options) on Friday. It will protect Minnesotans’ right to contraception, the right to carry a pregnancy to term and the right to abortion – free from interference by anti-abortion politicians who seek to enact or defend medically unnecessary barriers to comprehensive reproductive health care. We have heard that a few senators are getting bombarded with messages (bordering harassment) from anti-abortion activists in advance of the Senate vote on the PRO Act, which is scheduled for this Friday. In addition to sending a note to your own Senator, please send or call with a message of support to these 5 DFL Senators and encourage them to stay strong, remind them that we have their backs, and that the majority of Minnesotans want to protect the right to make their own choices about reproductive healthcare, including access to abortion. Minnesotans want to make their own personal decisions about when and whether to have a family. We cannot allow the anti-abortion extremists to drown out that message.

These are the 5 Senators who need to hear from us now (and please share with your groups):

Here is a sample message (but of course, please you can write your own): 

"Senator xxx, I want to thank you so much for your work supporting women's healthcare decisions. It is so important to me to be able to talk privately with my healthcare team to make the best decisions for myself around my reproductive health care. I have heard that you have been receiving some pretty hateful messages from people who are trying to restrict women's rights to bodily autonomy. I know how vitriolic the speech can get and I'm sorry you have to endure that. I stand with you and support you as you vote Yes for the Pro Act on Friday morning."

These are the 5 Senators who need to hear from us now (and please share with your groups):

Here is a sample message (but of course, please you can write your own): 

"Senator xxx, I want to thank you so much for your work supporting women's healthcare decisions. It is so important to me to be able to talk privately with my healthcare team to make the best decisions for myself around my reproductive health care. I have heard that you have been receiving some pretty hateful messages from people who are trying to restrict women's rights to bodily autonomy. I know how vitriolic the speech can get and I'm sorry you have to endure that. I stand with you and support you as you vote Yes for the Pro Act on Friday morning."

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Ann Treacy