Stop Pres. Trump from rewarding predatory lenders

Submit a public comment to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: "Preserve and protect strong rules on payday lenders, including standards for ensuring recipients can repay loans. Anything less is a giveaway to an exploitative industry that preys on hard-working Americans." Add your name:

One of the textbook examples is Trump University, his sham educational center that a judge forced to pay students $25 million in damages for making fraudulent promises.2 In Washington, just look at the Trump Tax Scam – Trump claimed to drain the swamp, but he then drained working people's pocket books and gave massive handouts to the rich.Donald Trump spent most of last month's State of the Union address lying about his record. That's no surprise. He's been lying about his plans for years. In fact, that's how he stayed in business: making grandiose promises to get people to believe in him before they realize it's a scam or outright fraud.1 Nowhere in the State of the Union did this fraud populist admit to the American people that he just handed a massive giveaway to predatory lenders that trap people in debt.3 Now, it is up to us to resist his gift to payday lenders and expose Trump's false populism. Stop scam artist Donald Trump from rewarding predatory lenders. Click here to submit a public comment. The dirty secret of the payday lending industry is that there is no money in people repaying their loans on time. The key to the whole profit-making engine, the one that makes lenders’ Wall Street backers rich, is tricking people into taking out a loan and then locking them into months or years of debt. Charging hidden fees and demanding sky-high interest rates, payday lenders are little more than legal loan sharks. Now Trump wants to make it easier for payday lenders to exploit people. His handpicked leaders of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau – first now-acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and then Kathy Kraninger – have set out to destroy the watchdog Sen. Elizabeth Warren initially proposed.4 Kraninger just announced the CFPB would rescind the most important part of an Obama-era rule on payday lenders: the part that would force lenders to confirm if someone has the ability to repay a loan, instead of deliberately trapping them deeper in debt to make money off the interest.5 Once again, Trump is siding with powerful Wall Street financial interests and pushing a change that will disproportionately hurt low-income Americans and people of color. We have fewer than 90 days to flood the CFPB with comments opposing the giveaway to predatory lenders and exposing the latest Trump scam, so we need your help. Stop scam artist Donald Trump from rewarding predatory lenders. Click below to submit a public comment: https://act.credoaction.com/letter/trump-payday-lending-rule?t=9&akid=31743%2E3130208%2EP4KX52 - Josh Nelson, CREDO Action Add your name: References: Bess Levin, "Trump wants to give loan sharks easier access to the poor," Vanity Fair, Feb. 6, 2019. Josh Hafner, "Judge finalizes $25 million Trump University settlement for students of 'sham university,'" USA Today, April 10, 2018. David Dayen, "This Is What Trump Quietly Screwing the Poor Looks Like," VICE, Feb. 7, 2019. Ibid. Ibid.

Tell the Senate to revoke Trump's illegal national emergency

Now that the House of Representatives voted to revoke Trump's national emergency, all eyes are on the Senate. Call or tweet at your senators to voice your opposition to Trump's fake national emergency.

Yesterday, the House of Representatives passed a resolution to revoke Trump's fake emergency declaration. Now the Senate must hold its own vote within 18 days In just the last few days, CREDO members made almost 2,000 calls to members of the House of Representatives. Now we need to put massive pressure on the Senate to reject Trump's racist power grab. Can you contact your senators today and demand that they do the right thing? Click here to call Sens. Kyrsten Sinema and Martha McSally. Click here to tweet at Sens. Kyrsten Sinema and Martha McSally. Donald Trump's emergency declaration to steal billions for his wall and anti-immigrant agenda is an attack on our communities and democracy. But this isn't just about a wall. It's about a racist autocrat determined to lock up and deport immigrants by any means necessary. Trump's unconstitutional power grab gives him vast new powers to undermine our democracy and supercharge his white supremacy. Declaring a state of emergency gives him access to more than 100 statutory powers that would allow him to override the laws that protect our civil rights and civil liberties, unleashing a range of nightmarish scenarios at the border and in communities across the country.1 He'll be more able than ever to escalate his attacks on immigrants, communities of color, Muslims, and Black and Brown people. Congress must use its authority to stand up to Trump before he erodes our democratic norms and institutions any further. We need every senator, regardless of party, to do their duty and rein Trump in. Tell your senators: Protect our democracy. Pass the resolution to revoke the #FakeTrumpEmergency. Click the links below to contact your senators. To call your senators: https://act.credoaction.com/call/revoke-trump-emergency-calls/?t=10&akid=31746%2E3130208%2EP-MUhc To tweet at your senators: https://act.credoaction.com/sign/tweet-emergency/?t=12&akid=31746%2E3130208%2EP-MUhc - Brandy Doyle, CREDO Action Add your name: References: Elizabeth Goitein, "What the President Could Do If He Declares a State of Emergency," The Atlantic, January/February 2019 Issue. More Information: House Votes to Cancel National Emergency in Rebuke to Trump - U.S. News and World Report

Action Needed: Demand a hearing on House Bill 2570 to create a statewide task force to collect info on missing indigenous females

House Bill 2570- the bill that would help us create a Statewide task force to collect information on the missing, murdered indigenous women and girls in Arizona, has come to a halt with a serious threat in killing this bill.

It will only take two minutes. We need to flood Representative Anthony Kern with phone calls and emails with support of HB2570. Requesting the bill is heard before the House Rules Committee, so that it can make it to the floor for a vote.

Email him directly at akern@azleg.gov

Call him directly or LEAVE A MESSAGE urging your support to help push this bill through. (602) 926-3102

Sample script: 
My name is _______________, I support HB2570 which will create a statewide taskforce to collect information on the Missing Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in Arizona. HB2570 has total bipartisan support and was passed in the Health & Human Services committee unanimously 9 for 0 against. I ask that you allow HB2570 to be added to the House Rules Committee agenda for consideration.

Stop fossil fuel lobbyist Bernhardt’s confirmation to head of the Department of the Interior

It's been two weeks since the Green New Deal resolution officially dropped and I’ve never heard so many people talking about the climate crisis with such ambitious, people-centered plans.

I’m thankful because we need to completely transform how fossil fuel extraction decisions are made.  But, as you can imagine, Trump and the oil and gas industry aren’t going to come along with us.

As we speak, the administration is moving to confirm David Bernhardt to lead the Interior Department — a veteran fossil fuel lobbyist who wants to open protected public lands and waters to drilling and brings new meaning to the conservative tagline “drill, baby, drill”.

Sign here to tell the Senate to block Bernhardt’s Secretary of the Interior approaching confirmation and protect public lands and waters from oil and gas drilling.

Let me tell you about David Bernhardt... He has pushed hard to open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling. His former firm has actually sued the Interior Department four times before on behalf of a client around water regulation. And, as Deputy Secretary of the Interior, he played an active role in the Trump administration's work to open public lands to fossil fuel and mining interests.

Bernhardt has made a career out of being a glorified errand boy for the oil and gas industry.

The good news is the Senate still has to vote to confirm Bernhardt as the official Secretary of the Interior. And, we’ve teamed up with Daily Kos, Climate Hawks Vote, and CREDO Action — along with millions of people like you to throw a wrench in Trump’s plans.

But, you need to act now.

Add you name to stop Bernhardt’s confirmation as Secretary of the Interior by telling your Senator to vote “no” now.

Since January, there’s been tremendous opposition to Trump’s agenda to allow oil and gas companies to do whatever they want. Because of your help, SAExploration won’t be seismic blasting in the Arctic Refuge this season — an important milestone to protecting the area from oil drilling.

The fight to stop all new fossil fuel expansion needs to continue with you right now to get to the green future we want.

Every voice counts in the effort to stop Bernhardt and outweigh fossil fuel industry dollars, especially now.

Sign the petition to stop David Bernhardt’s confirmation as Secretary of the Interior.

From offshore drilling to the plundering of Bears Ears to attacks on the Endangered Species Act, there are basically no Interior Department issues that don’t raise questions about Bernhardt’s ability to act objectively. It’s time that Congress provided actual checks and balances so that lobbyists like David Bernhardt don’t get away with turning our country into a giant oil field. Sign the petition to the Senate now.

- Vicky Wyatt, Greenpeace USA

More Information:

Trump to nominate ex-energy lobbyist Bernhardt to head Interior - Reuters 

IMMEDIATE Request to Speak action for Appropriations meeting at 11 a.m. this morning

SB1477, appropriation, best land management practices (Sens. Otondo: Allen S., Alsto)

On 02/21/2019 SB1477 was adopted by the Senate Water and Agriculture Committee

(I have done my best to transpose the main points from the video. )

At that meeting, they clarified the purpose of the bill. 

It would fund land management including the removal of vegetative products that are hazardous using Best Land Management Practices established by the Land Commission and State Forestry.

It requests a transfer of $4 million from the General Fund to the State Forester 2020.

For any public agency from State, Federal and tribal lands.

Amendment: The termination date extended from July 1, 2027 to July 1, 2029

It is in accordance with the standards of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

Sen. Otondo has been working on funds for Best Land Practices to bring forest health back especially after watching fires in CA hurting property.

Another committee member said that we need to manage and thin the land. You can see where the fires hit the ground in Prescott. 300 homes were lost near Prescott.

Thinning the land also helps to protect watersheds and water infrastructure in municipalities (like Prescott’s.)

Request to Speak participant:

Representative from Salt River Projects

Weighed in to support of SB1477 because forest run off is a big part of SRP’s water supply.

The amendment adopted by Senate Water and Agriculture Committee, now it goes to the Appropriations Committee at 11 a.m. today, Tuesday, February 26. 

Sign in on Request to Speak and weigh in on SB1477 NOW. 

TAKE ACTION: Prosecutor/Mass incarcerator Bill Montgomery being considered for the AZ Supreme Court

There will soon be a vacancy on the Arizona Supreme Court and we’re deeply concerned that Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery is vying for the seat. Bill Montgomery has helped fuel Arizona’s mass incarceration crisis by advocating for the passage of laws that put more people into prison for longer periods of time and aggressively fighting against every meaningful attempt at reform. Additionally, Montgomery has allowed prosecutorial misconduct to go unchecked. He has not been fair and impartial in situations where lives are on the line.

We need you to let the Commission on Appellate Court Appointments know that you’re concerned about Bill Montgomery’s destructive civil liberties record. Tuesday is the last day the commission will accept public comments before they make their recommendation to Gov. Ducey after March 1.

- Jared Keenan, Criminal Justice Staff Attorney, ACLU of Arizona

Click here to send the following message: 

(Consider personalizing your message for more impact.) 

Subject: Bill Montgomery’s destructive civil liberties record

I have serious concerns about Bill Montgomery, one of the applicants for the Arizona Supreme Court vacancy.

Bill Montgomery has been the Maricopa County Attorney since 2010. In this time, Montgomery let prosecutorial misconduct go unchecked in his office by failing to adequately discipline prosecutors who act unethically. In fact, the Arizona Supreme Court found one of Montgomery’s top prosecutors, Juan Martinez, repeatedly engaged in misconduct in two separate death penalty cases.

Prosecutors are the most powerful people in the criminal justice system and when misconduct occurs, liberties are lost and lives are damaged. Yet, Montgomery continues to foster a culture of impunity when his prosecutors engage in misconduct.

Here’s another example of Montgomery violating Arizonan’s civil liberties. After Arizona voters approved the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act, Montgomery argued that Maricopa County could deny Arizonans access to needed medicine by refusing to issue zoning documents to medical marijuana dispensaries.

Plus, Montgomery hired a virulently anti-Muslim activist, John Guandolo, to indoctrinate law enforcement officers, ignoring the protestations of Muslim community members and civil libertarians who believe in the U.S. Constitution’s protections for religious freedom.

Finally, Montgomery played a key role in fueling Arizona’s mass incarceration crisis. A recent study by Fwd.us found that Maricopa County sends people to prison for longer periods of time than any other Arizona county. The study found Montgomery’s office is using the repeat offender enhancement far more than other counties in the state.

AZ State Legislature UPDATE: Good News and Bad News

It was an incredibly busy week at the Capitol. This was the last week for bills to get through committees in their chamber of origin, which meant some packed committee agendas. 

BAD NEWS

 The House Elections Committee saw a lot of action this week. Three bad bills, HB2489, HB2616, and HCR2005, squeezed through the committee on a party-line vote.

HB2616 is particularly egregious, as it would criminalize paying staff to register voters. While the sponsor indicated in committee that this would not be the bill’s final form, there was no amendment offered in committee. We will monitor this bill very closely in the coming weeks.

GOOD NEWS

Things weren’t all bad in the House Elections Committee, however. A "strike-everything" amendment to HB 2327 would allow early voting to continue right up until Election Day, a reform that would help provide access to voters at a convenient time close to the election. And HB 2076, the rare pro-Clean Elections bill to get a hearing, would somewhat strengthen candidates' ability to use our voter-approved Clean Elections system. 

Keep an eye out for when these bills are being heard.  

The action certainly isn't over. Next week, the House and Senate will focus on voting dozens of bills out and sending them across the courtyard to the other chamber. AANF is preparing for long floor sessions as bills are passed through the COW and Third Reading processes.

You can still contact your legislators to let them know how you feel about these bills. 

> See right column for contact information >

Update provided by Arizona Advocacy Network and Foundation
http://www.azadvocacy.org/

Tell Congress: Protect & expand Bears Ears National Monument

The petition to Congress reads: "Support the Bears Ears Expansion and Respect for Sovereignty Act to undo Donald Trump's massive giveaway to the fossil fuel industry and protect sacred Native American lands and fragile environmental areas." Add your name:

Now, with Democrats firmly in control of the House of Representatives, we have a shot at reversing Trump's massive giveaway of public lands to the fossil fuel industry. When Donald Trump illegally slashed the size of Bears Ears National Monument by 85 percent in 2017, the fossil fuel industry was laughing all the way to the bank: The sacred Native American lands and fragile environmental areas protected by President Obama would soon be open for oil and gas drilling.1 Reps. Ruben Gallego and Deb Haaland recently introduced legislation to expand Bears Ears National Monument to 1.9 million acres and protect 100,000 culturally and scientifically significant Native sites. With drillers already buying leases in the Bears Ears region, it's now more urgent than ever to demand that Congress protect and expand this important national monument. Tell Congress: Protect and expand Bears Ears National Monument. Click here to sign the petition. Ever since Trump began his occupation of the White House, he and his administration have waged war on public lands and put the profits of fossil fuel companies and big polluters ahead of American and Native people. For the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, 2018, the number of oil and gas leases on public lands nearly tripled those offered during the Obama administration, covering an astounding 12.8 million acres with much of it being destroyed by dirty hydraulic fracturing.2 In fact, a recent report by the USGS found that drilling on public lands and offshore areas accounts for 24 percent of all greenhouse emissions in the United States.3 The Bears Ears Expansion and Respect for Sovereignty Act would not only prevent destructive, climate-harming drilling on these precious public lands, but it would also expand protections to more sites containing sacred Native artifacts and scientifically important fossils, which are currently under threat by looters and vandals.4 The legislation has broad support, with more than 70 original cosponsors, many major environmental groups and leaders from the Hopi tribe and Navajo Nation.5 Activism by indigenous leaders, environmentalists and more than 85,000 CREDO members to protect Bears Ears played a big role in convincing President Obama to create the national monument before he left office. Now we need to speak out once again to ensure Congress stops Trump's war on public lands before any more damage is done to Bears Ears. Click the link below to sign the petition: https://act.credoaction.com/sign/bears-ears-expansion?t=9&akid=31712%2E3130208%2Ecw0cLV - Josh Nelson, CREDO Action from Working Assets Add your name: References: Eric Lipton and Lisa Friedman, "Oil Was Central in Decision to Shrink Bears Ears Monument, Emails Show," The New York Times, March 2, 2018. Eric Lipton and Hiroko Tabuchi, "Driven by Trump Policy Changes, Fracking Booms on Public Lands," The New York Times, Oct. 27, 2018. Miranda Green, "Public land drilling contributes a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions in US: report," The Hill, Nov. 26, 2018. Michael Greshko, "Rich Fossil Trove Found on Land Removed From Bears Ears Monument," National Geographic, Feb. 22, 2018. Rep. Ruben Gallego, "Reps. Ruben Gallego and Deb Haaland Re-Introduce Bill to Protect Bears Ears National Monument," Jan. 30, 2019.

Tell Trump Secretary of Labor Alex Acosta: Resign

Tell Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta: Resign. 

This week, a federal judge ruled that Acosta and the Department of Justice broke the law when they offered Epstein a sweetheart plea deal without notifying the women he had assaulted. Acosta's sympathy for a billionaire child abuser rather than the survivors of his abuse shows he has no place in public service. Please add your signature today to join us in saying that Acosta must resign now. The petition to Secretary of Labor Alex Acosta reads: "Shielding a serial child abuser from justice disqualifies you from public service. Resign." Add your name: When the FBI started investigating billionaire Jeffrey Epstein for sexually abusing and trafficking dozens of underage girls – many as young as 14-years-old – he could have gone to prison for the rest of his life. Instead, a federal prosecutor arranged for a sweetheart plea deal to shut down the investigation and allow Acosta to spend just 13 months in a county jail.1 That federal prosecutor is now Trump's Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta. There should be no place in government for someone who shields a serial child abuser from justice. Acosta must go – now. Tell Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta: Resign. Click here to sign the petition. In November, the Miami Herald released a bombshell report based on a year's worth of investigative reporting into Epstein's case. Reporters identified about 80 women who say they were molested or otherwise sexually abused by Epstein as underage girls.2 But what reporters uncovered about how Acosta helped Epstein avoid justice is just as disturbing. In a highly unusual move, Acosta met with Epstein's attorney – a former colleague of Acosta's – and worked out a secret deal. He essentially allowed a criminal defendant to write his own punishment, and he illegally kept that deal secret from the victims.3 This secret deal granted immunity to “any potential co-conspirators’’ who were also involved in Epstein’s crimes. By preventing the FBI from investigating anyone else who participated in Epstein's sex ring, Acosta made sure that other wealthy child abusers never faced prosecution. Now Acosta runs the federal agency that is supposed to oversee our labor laws, including human trafficking. Trump was considering Acosta for Attorney General, though he now says Acosta is out of the running.4 But Acosta has no business being secretary of labor either. He clearly has no interest in defending the rights of the vulnerable – his priority is protecting the powerful from the consequences of their actions, however immoral. Pressure is growing on Acosta to resign,5 but he will try to weather the criticism and keep his job if possible. We need to raise our voices now and say that Acosta has no business in public service. Click the link below to tell Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta to resign: https://act.credoaction.com/sign/acosta-resign?t=10&akid=31705%2E3130208%2EJX0V5h - Brandy Doyle, CREDO Action Add your name: References: Julie K. Brown, "How a future Trump Cabinet member gave a serial sex abuser the deal of a lifetime," Miami Herald, Nov. 28, 2018. Ibid. Ibid. Anita Kumar, "Trump labor secretary out of running for attorney general after Miami Herald report," Miami Herald, Nov. 29, 2018. Jake Johnson, "Demands for Trump Labor Secretary to Resign After 'Jaw-Dropping' and 'Enraging' Story About Sweetheart Deal for Billionaire Pedophile," Common Dreams, Nov. 29, 2018. More Information: It’s Time for Alexander Acosta to Resign - New York Magazine

ACTIONS NEEDED BEFORE MONDAY MORNING on HB2111 and 3 Request to Speak items

Legislative UPDATE from Sandy Bahr from the Sierra Club, Grand Canyon Chapter

This week, the last week to hear bills in committee in the house of origin, is referred to as "hell week," due to the super long agendas with long lists of bills and strike-everything amendments and the meetings that drag into the night. While there was time to hear a plethora of bad water bills in the Natural Resources, Energy, and Water Committee, there was no time to even consider ecological water. In fact, many good bills went in the dustbin this week -- ecological water, voters' bill of rights, Equal Rights Amendment, reversing the ban on bans of plastic bags, banning fracking, climate resolutions, and more. While these important bills are dead in their current form, the Sierra Club is not giving up and will continue to look for ways to amend them on to other bills and have our voices heard. Meanwhile, we will also focus on a few of the good ones that got through the first part of the process and on stopping the ones that roll back protections, suppress votes, and make it more difficult to qualify a citizen initiative.

Again...Please send a message to your Representatives asking them to oppose HB2111.

HB2111 S/E water supply; adequacy; exemptions (Griffin) allows counties such as Cochise and Yuma that have adopted water adequacy provisions for subdivisions to rescind them unanimously. If they rescind them, they cannot readopt them for five years. This is likely to result in ever more harm to the San Pedro River due to excessive groundwater pumping and will weaken the limited protections for consumers.

If you are not sure who your legislators are, just use this Find My Legislator link and enter your address. To contact legislators, go to Members.

REQUEST TO SPEAK OPPORTUNITY

There are three bills being heard in the House Appropriations Committee Monday morning at 8 a.m. This is an opportunity to weigh in on Request to Speak and leave a comment that becomes part of the public record.

Monday, February 25th, House Committee on Appropriations at 8:00 AM

HB2590 appropriation; water districts; infrastructure; DCP (Cook: Blackman, Campbell, et al.) appropriates $20 million for Pinal County agricultural and development interests to pay for infrastructure to pump more groundwater. OPPOSE.

HB2591 WQARF; appropriation (Gabaldon) appropriates $20 million for the Water Quality Assurance Revolving Fund to assess and clean up contaminated sites. Too bad we cannot do more to make the polluters pay, but we do need to get this cleaned up. SUPPORT.

HB2701 state parks; lottery; heritage fund (Osborne: Cano, Cobb, et al.) establishes the state parks lottery fund for trails, historic preservation, local parks, etc. and appropriates $10 million from the Arizona Lottery. SUPPORT.

To set up a Request to Speak account, just select Request to Speak, then select "Create An Account" and fill out the information. You will need to go to the Capitol or to the Tucson legislative offices to activate it or you can contact Sandy Bahr and she will help you activate it.

Sandy Bahr at (602) 253-8633 or sandy.bahr@sierraclub.org.

Here is a short YouTube video on how to set up an account.

Protect Arizona's Groundwater: Urge your state legislator to vote NO on House Bill 2111

In Arizona, groundwater use outside of five specific geographies, called Active Management Areas (AMAs), is not regulated under the Groundwater Management Act. However, counties and municipalities outside of AMAs can voluntarily sign up for more rigorous groundwater protections, opting in to what are called the adequate water supply rules. To protect home buyers and business owners, Cochise and Yuma Counties, as well as the Towns of Clarkdale and Patagonia, opted in to require that new development prove it has enough water for the next 100 years.

House Bill 2111, a strike everything amendment on a bill previously concerning carbon dioxide emissions, proposes to allow counties that have previously opted in to the adequate water supply rules to opt out with a unanimous vote. The roll back of these consumer protections would threaten Arizona's groundwater supplies, put places like the San Pedro River at risk, and could have negative implications for sound water management statewide. The bill passed out of the House Natural Resources, Energy, and Water Committee last night (chaired by realtor Gail Griffin.)

As this bill moves to the House Floor for a potential vote, please let your representatives know that this is not the time to retreat from forward-looking policy such as the adequate water supply rules. Especially in an era of water scarcity, we should reject attempts to weaken the Groundwater Management Act.

- Audubon Arizona
az.audubon.org

More information by Audubon:

Keeping the Focus on Water

10 Things You Should Know About Arizona’s Groundwater Management Act

TO CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES 

Find your district:

https://azredistricting.org/districtlocator/

Use that district number to find your Representative:

https://www.azleg.gov/MemberRoster/

Tell Congress: Don't let Trump use the military to intervene in Venezuela

The petition to Congress reads: "Pass H.R. 1004 and prohibit Trump from initiating U.S. military intervention in Venezuela without congressional approval." Add your name:

Donald Trump may be getting closer to using the American military to help overthrow Venezuela's government. On Monday, he told a crowd in Miami, “We seek a peaceful transition of power, but all options are open."1 Venezuela is struggling after a devastating economic collapse, U.S. sanctions and the illegitimate re-election of an increasingly authoritarian leader.2 But the last thing the people of Venezuela need is U.S. military intervention that will inevitably result in civilian deaths, destruction and a destabilized region. Congress must use its authority to rein Trump in before it's too late. Tell Congress: Block Trump from using the U.S. military to interfere in Venezuela. Click here to sign the petition. Trump is cravenly using threats of military intervention and offers of humanitarian aid to pressure the Venezuelan military to turn on its government. His words Monday were chilling. He warned Venezuelan military officials that they must turn on the government, or else "you will find no safe harbor. No easy exit. And no way out. You lose everything. There will be no going back."3 But we know it's not just Venezuelan leaders that will suffer if the U.S. military gets involved, because we have seen this many times before. The United States has a long and violent history intervening in Latin America to serve its own interests, from supporting coups in Chile and Honduras to aiding repressive governments during bloody civil wars in El Salvador and Guatemala.4 One of the architects of these abuses is the infamous Elliot Abrams, convicted of lying to Congress in the Iran-Contra scandal and later pardoned. He is now Trump's envoy to Venezuela. Despite the devastating long-term harm caused by past U.S. intervention in Latin America, we could see another chapter in this bloody history unless Congress decides to stop it. Rep. David Cicilline, the vice chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, introduced legislation that would prevent the Trump administration from taking any military action related to Venezuela without the approval of Congress, which is required by law.5 So far, the legislation has 33 cosponsors in the House of Representatives. Venezuela does not need U.S. military intervention. It needs the United States to lift sanctions to help prevent widespread starvation and support a democratic process to resolve its political crisis. But if Trump thinks he can distract from domestic scandals by sending American troops, he could end up repeating history. We need Congress to join with Rep. Cicilline and stand up to Trump now. Tell Congress: Block Trump from using the military to intervene in Venezuela. Click the link below to sign the petition: https://act.credoaction.com/sign/venezuela-Cicilline?t=9&akid=31669%2E3130208%2EV73wAG - Brandy Doyle, CREDO Action Add your name: References: Toluse Olorunnipa and Anne Gearan, "Trump warns Venezuelan military leaders they could ‘lose everything’ over socialism," The Washington Post, Feb. 18, 2019. William Neuman and Nicholas Casey, "Venezuela Election Won by Maduro Amid Widespread Disillusionment," The New York Times, May 20, 2018. Olorunnipa and Gearan, "Trump warns Venezuelan military leaders they could ‘lose everything’ over socialism." Carla Pineda and Daniel Medina, "Deportations, Assassinations, and Dictator Nations: A Timeline of U.S. Intervention in Latin America," KCET, June 21, 2018. Rep. David Cicilline, "Cicilline Introduces Legislation Prohibiting Unauthorized Military Force in Venezuela," Feb. 6, 2019.

Request a hearing on Arizona climate change resolutions

There are two climate change resolutions in the Arizona Legislature sitting in the House Natural Resources, Energy and Water Committee and the Senate Natural Resources and Energy Committee. 

House Bill: HCR 2033 and Senate Bill: SCR 1024

The resolutions are identical, and are based on the Utah resolution passed last year with the help of the CCL chapters in that state. 

You can view a copy at https://about.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=733e5f1c4ab5e6eea7d3e2a69&id=7f73b3aec1&e=408b33f2b9.

These resolutions are a small, but important step for Arizona in acknowledging the importance of climate change to the state and the role of science in guiding our government's actions. It calls for "economically viable and broadly supported private and public solutions" to the problem. All of this leads to other climate change proposals!

Unfortunately, these resolutions are stuck in committee without a hearing and therefore will not advance to the full legislature for consideration. We have one slim chance to change this by mounting an all-out campaign to urge the leaders of these committees to recommend them to the legislature.

PLEASE CALL OR EMAIL THE RESPONSIBLE COMMITTEE CHAIRS TODAY

1. House Natural Resources, Energy and Water Committee: Gail Griffin

(ggriffin@azleg.gov, 602-926-5895)

Senate Natural Resources and Energy Committee: Frank Pratt

(fpratt@azleg.gov, 602-926-5761)

2. Tell them that you support the resolutions. Say also that you would like them to hold a hearing this week and to recommend they advance to the full legislature for consideration.

House Bill: HCR 2033 and Senate Bill: SCR 1024

This should take you all of 5 minutes and will send a strong message if enough of us call.

Please help keep this important legislation on track!

Register for the Request to Speak now so you are prepared to support for these bills if they are scheduled to be heard in committee. 

Call to Action: Support SB 1270 for Better Education for Arizona's Tribal Nations!

Senate Bill - SB1270 needs your support!

Senator Peshlakai is introducing a bill that would increase funding for the Office of Indian Education in the Arizona Department of Education.

Currently the entire state of Arizona (which is home to 22 federally recognized tribes) is served by an office with only 1.5 employees. There is NO way that this office can serve the 22 Tribal Nations of Arizona with one full time employee and one half-time employee.

If you are on the Request To Speak (RTS) system, please show your support for: SB1270

SB1270 is being heard in committee Thursday, February 21 at 2 p.m. Get your comment posted by then!

Sign onto Request to Speak Now.

Directions for Request to Speak here: 

For more information on how to register for the Request To Speak system, and to use the system courtesy of Civic Engagement Beyond Voting, click here: CEBV.us/rts 

---

You can also call the members of the Education Committee. Start with the Chair and the Majority Leader. Make sure to mention if you are in their district.

Sylvia Allen, Chair:  District 6, (602) 926-5409

Paul Boyer, Vice-Chairman, District 20, (602) 926-4173

Kate Brophy McGee, District 28, 602) 926-4486

Andrea Dalessandro, District 2, (602) 926-5342

Sally Ann Gonzales, District 3, (602) 926-3278

Rick Gray -- Majority Leader, District 21, 602) 926-5413

Tyler Pace, District 25, (602) 926-5760

Martin Quezada, District 29, (602) 926-5911

If you prefer to send e-mails, you can find them here: 

https://www.azleg.gov/MemberRoster/?body=S

ACTION ALERT: Proposed State Legislation Makes Democracy Harder

This week at the State Capitol there are some serious threats to election access and the initiative process and we need your help to stop them!

In the House Elections Committee

HB 2616 would make it a crime to register people to vote as part of your job. This would criminalize everyone from organizers to librarians who register people to vote. Reach out to your Representatives and have your voice heard.

If you have Tuesday, February 19th free, please join AZAN for a “pack the room” event during the House Elections Committee (2 - 8 p.m.) to show the members how dangerous this attack on our democracy is. For more information, or to share with your networks, click HERE.

Or

Sign into the Request to Speak system at the State Legislature website. After clicking on Request to Speak and then New Request, fill out the form with HB2616 in the House Election Committee.  ** See complete directions below.

NOTE: You must be signed up for the Request to Speak system first, which might take a day or so. So sign up right away.

Meanwhile...

Sign this petition. 

Ballot Measure Attack

Also up on Tuesday is HCR 2005, which would place even more barriers on the citizen initiative process by preventing initiatives and referendum from making it onto the ballot if too few signatures are gathered in even one of the thirty legislative districts.

Note: This didn't come up on Request to Speak. But you can call in. 

Kelly Townsend (Chair)	LD 16	R	ktownsend@azleg.gov	602.926.3298
Frank Carroll (Vice-Chair)	LD 22	R	fcarroll@azleg.gov	602.926.3249
Shawnna Bolick	LD 20	R	sbolick@azleg.gov	602.926.3244
John Fillmore	LD 16	R	jfillmore@azleg.gov	602.926.3187
Jennifer Jermaine	LD 18	D	jjermaine@azleg.gov	602.926.5170
Warren Petersen	LD 12	R	wpetersen@azleg.gov	602.926.4136
Diego Rodriguez	LD 27	D	drodriguez@azleg.gov	602.926.3285
Athena Salman	LD 26	D	asalman@azleg.gov	602.926.4858
Raquel Teran	LD 30	D	rteran@azleg.gov	602.926.3308
Bob Thorpe	LD 6	R	bthorpe@azleg.gov	602.926.5219

In the Senate Judiciary Committee

SCR1023 is the exact same bill as HCR 2005 and will be heard at 9 a.m. on Thursday, February 21st. It would place even more barriers on the citizen initiative process by preventing initiatives and referendum from making it onto the ballot if too few signatures are gathered in even one of the thirty legislative districts. Reach out to members of the Senate Judiciary Committee or use the Request to Speak System to have your voice heard.

Eddie Farnsworth (Chair)	LD 12	R	efarnsworth@azleg.gov	602.965.5735
Rick Gray (Vice Chair)	LD 21	R	rgray@azleg.gov	602.965.5413
Sonny Borrelli	LD 5	R	sborrelli@azleg.gov	602.965.5051
Lupe Contreras	LD 19	D	lcontreras@azleg.gov	602.965.5284
Andrea Dalessandro	LD 2	D	adalessandro@azleg.gov	602.965.5342
Vince Leach	LD 11	R	vleach@azleg.gov	602.965.3106
Marin Quezada	LD 29	D	mquezada@azleg.gov	602.965.5911

Use the legislature's Request to Speak system to log in and voice your opinion on these bills. If you don't have a Request to Speak account yet, sign up for one here. 

- Arizona Advocacy Network and Foundation
http://www.azadvocacy.org/

**How to weigh in on Request to Speak online:

Sign in.

https://apps.azleg.gov/account/signon

In the left column: click on Request to Speak.

In the left column: click on New Request

Fill in the form:

Click on House or Senate

Scroll down for the committee (House Election Committee or Senate Judiciary Committee)

In the Search Phrase box: fill in the bill number (HB2616 or SCR1023.)

Click on SEARCH

A rectangle box will pop up. Click the blue Add Request button to the right. 

At Request to Speak

Pick thumbs up or down (or neutral).

Indicate that you won't be speaking. (Unless you are speaking in-person at the Capitol.)

Leave a short comment for the public record (250 characters) 

SUBMIT. 

Thanks for participating in our democracy!