Tuesday, October 24 - Environmental Justice is Reproductive Justice / Fight School Vouchers in IL
Action You Can Take Today
Action 1: TONIGHT - Chicago in Focus: Environmental Justice is Reproductive Justice from 5:30 PM-7:00 PM
Action 2: Ask your state senator and representative to end the Invest in Kids voucher program
Action 1: TONIGHT - Environmental Justice is Reproductive Justice
Join us to discuss clean water access and Black maternal health. Our featured speaker is Chakena D. Perry, Senior Policy Advocate for the Safe Water Initiative at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).
The event starts tonight, Tuesday, October 24, from 5:30 PM-7:00 PM, Virtual OR In-Person at Oakdale Covenant Church (9440 South Vincennes Avenue). You must register here to attend.
Action via League of Women Voters Chicago
Action 2: End Invest in Kids Voucher Program
The Koch network has been pouring money into the campaign to continue the back door voucher Invest in Kids. Americans for Prosperity (AFP) is the core of the national network of dark-money political and lobbying orgs founded by billionaire brothers Charles and (the late) David Koch.
So, why is this national organization, whose annual revenue alone could cover the cost of the Illinois voucher program, attempting to stop the scheduled sunset? The goals of AFP and the rest of the Koch network are ideological and radical: a nearly complete dismantling of the public good and the public revenue we use to fund public goods – infrastructure, healthcare, education.
Their wealthy funders want to undermine voting rights and free elections, workers’ rights, environmental protections and have long worked to roll back all of the progressive government programs established over the course of the 20th century. Public schools are one of those public goods they want destroyed and replaced with a privatized system.
We have worked for months to ensure the end of Illinois' school voucher program Invest in Kids. Now we face the final round: the Veto Session (October 24-26 and November 7-9). Now is the time to tell our Illinois State Reps and Senators to NOT continue Invest in Kids during the veto session. Calls are always better than emails! Find your representatives’ number here.
Script: "I’m a constituent and a supporter of public schools. I’m calling about the Invest in Kids voucher program which is diverting millions of taxpayer dollars to private, religious schools that are discriminating.
Can I count on {Senator ----------} to oppose ANY extension of this program?
[Possible follow up comments:]
Support for continuing this program means standing in alliance with rightwing groups that oppose LGBTQ+ rights and reproductive rights and want to dismantle the separation of church and state.
The program is in its 6th year, and there's not just no data to show its effectiveness, but there are no reports from the State Board of Ed on how voucher students are doing.
The {Senator/Rep} needs to make a public statement that she will not support any continuation of the voucher program. It is simply not in the best interest of the children in this district for it to continue."
Action via Illinois Families for Public Schools
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.