Wednesday, November 8 - Pass Karina’s Bill / Keep Chicago a Welcoming City
Action You Can Take Today
Action 1: Ask your state senator and representative to end the Invest in Kids voucher program
Action 2: Demand that your Alderperson stand up against TX Governor Abbot’s racist agenda
Action 1: End Invest in Kids Voucher Program
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 that ends THIS WEEK!
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
Action 2: Keep Chicago a Welcoming City
Chicago is home to 1.7 million immigrants. Chicago has long been a hub for immigrants from all over the world, and has been a Welcoming City since 1985 when Mayor Harold Washington signed an executive order saying that the city will not cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.
As immigrants became targets of harmful and dangerous federal immigration enforcement, Chicago residents organized and won a robust Welcoming City Ordinance that further bars police collaboration with ICE, protects families from separation and prevents deportations.
Because of the way that we have lived our values, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has laid a white supremacist trap – and some alderpersons are falling for it. In recent council meetings we have seen opportunistic alderpersons manipulate their colleagues and constituents to turn against the Welcoming City Ordinance and our immigrant neighbors by allowing anti-immigrant efforts to move forward.
Undermining the Chicago Welcoming City Ordinance would:
Validate and support Governor Abbott’s racist anti-immigrant agenda as he treats families and children fleeing desperation and seeking safety as political pawns.
Do NOTHING to address the current challenges the city is facing to care for new arrivals.
Do NOTHING to provide support to reverse decades of disinvestments in communities that are stretched thin trying to provide immediate shelter and care.
Disproportionately harm immigrants who have lived in Chicago for years and have worked to make a home here.
Sow mistrust between immigrant families and local police, to the detriment of our entire city.
To TRULY address the challenges that we face today, we must look long-term and make the structural investments needed to provide shelter, case management, and a pathway to housing for ALL who need it, regardless of how long they have lived in Chicago.
That’s why immigrant leaders across Chicago are asking alderpersons to reject any effort to diminish the protections extended by the Chicago Welcoming City Ordinance, and focus on REAL solutions by supporting investments for all Chicago residents experiencing housing insecurity.
Action via ICIRR
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.