Amy Hom and Melissa Maceyko, Directors, Public Policy Committee Co-chairs, publicpolicy@aauw-ca.org
Find Ways to Take Action (There Are So Many Ways)!
As we outlined in a webinar in October 2024, the objectives of Project 2025 directly counter the Public Policy Priorities of AAUW California. With federal policy pronouncements and changes continuing to take place at a head-spinning pace, it is clear that changes are underway to make Project 2025 become reality (track implementation HERE).
To respond to the attack on the people and issues we care about, and to fulfill the mission of our organization, “to advance equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, and research,” we have continued to compile resources to help you take action to fight back. And, with the help of our amazing Public Policy Interns, we are finally able to launch an interactive Take Action spreadsheet that will provide you with action options.
This spreadsheet attempts to create a clearinghouse for ongoing resistance activity, so that you can follow and join-in based on your passions and preferences. We also highlight successful political and legal actions, to give us both hope and a blueprint for moving forward. On the spreadsheet you will be able to click on the following areas:
- QUICK ACTIONABLE ITEMS if you are looking for general action resources,
- LITIGATION & LEGISLATION TRACKERS if you want to keep track of advancing legislation and/or legal challenges,
- PODCASTS if you want to learn more and/or encounter even more “good trouble,” and
- ISSUE AREAS if you are looking for information and resources in a specific issue area.
Please share this resource with anyone who you think will find it useful - inside or outside of AAUW California!!
TAKE ACTION: PROTECT VOTING RIGHTS!
We continue to ask you to take action by choosing one self-focused, one other-focused, and one political-focused item from the list below.
Self-Focused: Education
- learn more about the SAVE Act that is moving through Congress
- learn more about California Assembly Bill (AB) 25
- learn more about how voting rights challenges that target small or non-existent populations and issues, like SAVE and AB 25, serve to disenfranchise many others in the process
Other-Focused: Education & Connection
- tell a few people (2-10) something about the potential impacts of passage of the SAVE Act and/or AB 25
- tell a few people (2-10) something that THEY can do to oppose the SAVE Act, CA AB 25, and/or voting rights challenges more broadly
Politically Focused: Outreach to Legislators (State/Federal)
- use AAUW National’s 2-minute activities platform to voice your opposition to the SAVE Act
- watch the progress of California’s AB 25 and reach out to representatives in CA if/when the bill is being heard to make sure the bill is actively opposed.
TAKE ACTION: HELP KIDS FEEL SAFE AT SCHOOL!
Many of our members have expressed concerns about the potential for ICE raids in our local schools. These intrusions on school grounds are already happening in some places and are having a significant detrimental impact on these families, especially for their children. Some of the ramifications have included:
- Parents not showing up at school events, fearing agents might be there
- Students don’t want to come to school, fearing their parents will be taken while they’re gone
- Children not learning, consumed by fear of agents coming on campus to take them away
Here are some things you should know:
Current law (Plyler v Doe 1982) held that all children, even undocumented, have a constitutional right to free public education. In 2011, DHS issued the “Sensitive Locations” policy, which prohibited raids from certain places including schools. Although the President has attempted to revoke the order, Executive Orders and Actions cannot change statutes or regulations.
There are currently four lawsuits challenging the attempted revocation; three from churches have been successful so far, one from a school in Denver has resulted in a denial of a request for a temporary injunction.
Current law also prohibits ICE entry on campuses without a warrant. Even if they have a warrant to enter, that does not entitle them to have access to private/protected student records.
Here are two things you can do:
Urge your school boards/districts to issue a “Safe Zone” Resolution – template can be found here: Guidance on Immigration Issues | NEA
Engage your branch members in a postcard-writing campaign to their school boards with following message:
WE STAND WITH
Immigrant students
LGBTQ+ youth
AAUW California Public Policy is on Bluesky
We plan to use our Bluesky account to send out state-level legislative action alerts, promote Resistbot petitions, and provide real-time updates. We encourage you to create your own account, if you have not yet done so, and follow us! You can find us by clicking this link or by following us on Bluesky.
