Wednesday, March 19 - Protect Public Schools / Oppose Dr. Oz as Admin of CMS / Support the Equality for Every Family Act
Partner Action: Protect Public Schools at the Federal and State Levels
On March 11, US Department of Education employees were told to stay home, quickly followed by layoff announcements, bringing the total employees to half of what they were in January.
While shutting down the department would require a vote from Congress, slashing the staff achieves the same goal -- crippling public schools, where 90% of students learn. It will destroy programs and protections that guarantee educational opportunities for all students.
👉 Contact your representatives today to demand they stop the destruction of the Department of Education!
Contact Senator Durbin at 312-353-4952 or at other numbers listed here
Contact Senator Duckworth at 312-886-3506 or at other numbers listed here
Students’ personal data is at risk as key federal agencies are gutted, leaving enforcement weak. Illinois’ privacy law (SOPPA) exists, but tech companies keep violating it—and nothing happens.
HB 2696 would change that in Illinois by letting families sue companies that sell or fail to secure student data. Tech giants oppose it because it holds them accountable.
👉 Support HB 2696 today! The cost of public education shouldn’t be students’ private data.
Call your state rep today and urge them to co-sponsor HB 2696.
Follow up with this form asking the same.
File a witness slip by Thursday, March 20, at 2:00pm here.
More info, scripts, and witness slip instructions are here.
Action via IL-FPS
Partner Action: Oppose Dr. Oz as Admin of CMS
Over 160 million people rely on healthcare programs run by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), including the Health Insurance Marketplace, Medicaid, and Medicare, which provide essential coverage to children, seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income workers.
Donald Trump has nominated Mehmet Oz, a TV doctor known for spreading dangerous medical misinformation, to lead CMS. From pushing hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 to promoting fraudulent health products, Oz has repeatedly ignored evidence-based medicine. Now, he could oversee health care for nearly half the country, including 37.6 million children on Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.
👉 Call on Senators today to vote NO on his confirmation and demand responsible leadership for CMS:
Contact Senator Durbin at 312-353-4952 or at other numbers listed here
Contact Senator Duckworth at 312-886-3506 or at other numbers listed here
Can't get through on the phones? Send a free fax
Script: Hi, my name is [NAME] and I’m a constituent from [CITY, ZIP]. I’m calling to demand [REP/SEN NAME] oppose the nomination of Mehmet Oz for CMS Administrator. Oz has repeatedly promoted dangerous medical misinformation for his own financial gain and has no substantive leadership experience. CMS programs insure nearly half of Americans and must be led by someone with both administrative expertise and an understanding of evidence-based medical practices.
Action via 5 Calls
Partner Action: Witness Slips to Support the Equality for Every Family Act
We've continued to urge our Illinois Reps to support and co-sponsor the Equality for Every Family Act (SB 2507 and HB 2683) sponsored by President Harmon and Rep. Katz Muhl.
At a time when the federal administration is attacking LGBTQ+ families, Illinois laws have not kept pace to ensure equality and protection for our state’s diverse families. That’s why the Equality for Every Family Act is critical. The legislation will update our state’s laws to clarify who can be a parent and how to establish parentage.
This legislation:
Clarifies parentage for children born through assisted reproduction
Sets clear standards for surrogacy; Promotes equality for LGBTQ+ families in establishing parentage
Provides courts with clear guidelines to resolve parentage disputes
Reduces unnecessary litigation and ensures consistency in family law.
👉 Support the Equality for Every Family Act today!
Fill out a witness slip as a PROPONENT of the bill by Thursday, March 20, at 2:00pm. Even if you have submitted a witness slip for a particular bill in a previous committee hearing, you still need to submit a new witness slip for this upcoming hearing. Not sure how to fill out a witness slip? Instructions here.
Call your state rep today and urge them to co-sponsor HB 2683.
Action via Chicago Therapy Collective
While some of these Daily Actions come from our own work as Indivisible Chicago Alliance, others are from our many partners working to advance the progressive agenda. We invite you to join us in supporting their work. Postings from partners do not imply Indivisible Chicago Alliance endorsement of specific policies and positions.
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