91 weeks to the presidential election
The AoC Checklist features clear, well-researched actions for Americans who value democracy, equality, voting, and decency. We are a big tent for all people who want a kinder, flourishing nation.
If you only have 10 minutes, take our top three suggested actions:
- Action 4: Protect the integrity of the AP African American Studies curriculum.
- House Call: Support transparency in political donations and oppose “dark money”.
- Action 3: Send a “food Valentine” this February.
In this edition of the AoC Checklist:
- Senate actions: What we’re contacting our senators about.
- House actions: What we’re contacting our House reps about.
- Action 1: Disqualify insurrectionists from holding elected office.
- Action 2: Protect voters and election workers in your state.
- Action 3: Send a “food Valentine” this February.
- Action 4: Protect the integrity of the AP African American Studies curriculum.
- Action 5: Ensure officials provide Medicaid coverage for vulnerable citizens.
- Action 6: Urge Missouri Gov to stay the execution of an innocent man.
- Action 7: Encourage the President to reunite families.
- Say Thanks: Acts of Gratitude
- Check out Good News from around the nation
- How you can support and share the AoC Checklist
Contact your senators
Check the box if you made contact–whether for one issue or all–so we can count your action. Contacting your senators’ staffers with multiple concerns is more efficient for both of you.
Join the 75 Americans of Conscience who have completed this action by checking the tally box!
Your script: Hi, I’m from [ZIP] calling/writing about several issues. I’d like Sen. [NAME] to:
- Introduce and pass new versions of the Honest Ads and DISCLOSE acts in the 118th Congress to reduce the influence of dark money in political campaigns by requiring donor transparency. [Source: Brennan Center]
Contact your House representative
Check the box if you made contact–whether for one issue or all–so we can count your action. Contacting your representative’s staffers with multiple concerns is more efficient for both of you.
Look up your House representative here.
Join the 116 Americans of Conscience who have completed this action by checking the tally box!
Your script: Hi, I’m from [ZIP] calling/writing about several issues. I’d like Rep. [NAME] to:
- Pass H.J.Res. 13 to amend the Constitution to prohibit unlimited corporate financing of political campaigns and overturn the Citizens United decision. [Source: Declaration for American Democracy Coalition]
- Introduce and pass new versions of the Honest Ads and DISCLOSE acts in the 118th Congress to reduce the influence of dark money in political campaigns by requiring donor transparency. [Source: Brennan Center]
- Oppose House Speaker McCarthy’s agenda to cut Social Security and Medicare to seniors through raising the age of eligibility.
I value democracy
With respect and collaboration, we work to create a nation that welcomes all people, expands freedoms, and upholds the Constitution. Each citizen must be able to freely and fairly elect those who represent their values.
Action 1: Disqualify insurrectionists from holding elected office.
Source: Free Speech for People
Join the 79 Americans of Conscience who have completed this action by checking the tally box!
Write: Your secretary of state (or top election official) (look up).
Script: Hi. I’m from [ZIP] and I’m calling to ask you to prevent insurrectionists from appearing on future ballots in our state. Section three of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution bars anyone who has “engaged in insurrection” from holding public office. A federal judge has barred one county commissioner from holding office for participating in the January 6th insurrection. I’m asking you to read Free Speech for People’s declaration to disqualify insurrectionists and take steps to prevent them from appearing on future [STATE] ballots. Thank you.
Action 2: Protect voters and election workers in your state.
Source: AoCC
Join the 51 Americans of Conscience who have completed this action by checking the tally box!
Contact: Your state legislators: (look up).
Script: Hi, I’m from [ZIP] and want [STATE]’s elections to remain free and fair. I’m asking you to do three things:
1. Oppose legislation that targets the nonexistent issue of people casting extra ballots by creating new enforcement rules and penalties for not investigating voter fraud.
2. Follow Michigan’s lead and enact legislation to protect election workers from threats and crack down on election misinformation.
3. Oppose legislation that disenfranchises military and overseas voters, like Ohio’s new restrictions on mail voting.
Can I count on you to support the expansion of voting rights in the 2023 legislative session? Thank you for your reply.
I value equality
Support the dignity of your rainbow of neighbors from every religion, race, ethnicity, culture, gender, sexual orientation, economic status, age, and ability. We also support policies that show welcome to aspiring Americans and decency to people seeking refuge.
Action 3: Send a “food Valentine” this February.
Source: AoCC
Join the 119 Americans of Conscience who have completed this action by checking the tally box!
February is the month for hearts, and what better way to show unconditional love than supporting your neighbors through hard times? Send a “food valentine” this month with a donation of food or cash to your local food bank or food pantry. Our goal is to make 1000 donations in the next 28 days. Can you help us get there?
Look up your local food bank: Search by ZIP code here.
Donate: Make a monetary donation or drop off nutritious, non-expired food and supplies before Feb 28. (Donation ideas here)
Action 4: Protect the integrity of the AP African American Studies curriculum.
Source: AoCC
Join the 267 Americans of Conscience who have completed this action by checking the tally box!
Contact: The College Board at 866-630-9305 or via the College Board contact form.
Script: I’m from [STATE], urging the College Board to reject unsubstantiated objections to the proposed AP African American Studies curriculum by the Florida Department of Education. To exclude such subjects as the movement for Black lives, intersectionality, and reparation damages the integrity of this curriculum. It has been designed with the input of respected Black scholars and long-standing AP principles and practices to conform with the College Board’s standards. Preserving this outstanding curriculum is of critical importance to the education of our nation’s youth and prepares them for the real world.
Action 5: Ensure officials provide Medicaid coverage for vulnerable citizens.
Source: AoCC
Join the 17 Americans of Conscience who have completed this action by checking the tally box!
If you live in AL, FL, GA, KS, MI, NC, SC, TN, TX, WI, WY
Contact: Your state legislators (look up) and governor (look up).
Script: I’m concerned about expiring Medicaid coverage for some of our most vulnerable citizens. [STATE] must join the majority of U.S. states who have expanded Medicaid to maximize coverage and protect against a funding drop as continuous coverage enacted during the pandemic ends. Inaction could potentially lead to unprecedented loss of health coverage for our neighbors, resulting in burdening emergency departments, increasing the risk of premature death, and bankruptcies due to excessive medical costs. Please act today to expand Medicaid coverage in [STATE].
Action 6: Urge Missouri Gov to stay the execution of an innocent man.
Source: Missourians to Abolish the Death Penalty
Join the 25 Americans of Conscience who have completed this action by checking the tally box!
Contact: Governor Mike Parson 573-751-3222
Script: I am calling because on February 7, Missouri is scheduled to execute Leonard Raheem Taylor, an innocent man. In solidarity with Missourians to Abolish the Death Penalty, I’m asking Governor Parson to choose clemency with a stay to allow St. Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office time to review new materials that demonstrate Mr. Taylor’s innocence. Thank you.
Action 7: Encourage the President to reunite families.
Source: No Muslim Ban Ever
Join the 114 Americans of Conscience who have completed this action by checking the tally box!
Contact: President Biden using the White House contact form.
Script: Hi, I’m from [STATE] and urging you to fix the issues caused by the former Muslim and African Bans. It’s been years since your administration rescinded these bans, yet over 40,000 people remain separated from their families, and are being forced to restart a lengthy visa process that many had already completed. I’m asking you to follow the federal court’s 2022 order and create and implement a fair, effective pathway to reunite impacted families. Thank you.
Acts of Gratitude
We believe in gratitude as a tool for change. We will print a letter of thanks from Americans of Conscience with your signature and mail it to the recipient. Your information will be removed from this website no later than four weeks after the Checklist’s publication date.
Thank MI Sec. of State Jocelyn Benson (D) for protecting election workers from threats and working to eliminate intentionally shared misinformation about elections and voting.
If you’d like to mail your own personal expression of gratitude, use this address: 430 W. Allegan St., Richard H. Austin Building, 4th Floor, Lansing, MI 48918
Thank Rep. David Cicilline (D–RI) for introducing legislation that will enforce the 14th Amendment and bar the previous president from holding federal office due to involvement in the January 2021 insurrection.
If you’d like to mail your own personal expression of gratitude, use this address: 2233 Rayburn HOB, Washington, DC 20515
Thank AG Merrick Garland and federal prosecutors for not seeking the death penalty in an already tragic mass shooting case.
If you’d like to mail your own personal expression of gratitude, use this address: U.S. Dept. of Justice, 950 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20530
Good News
If you find good news for democracy, equality, and the planet, share it with us here!
Progress on issues previously featured in the Checklist
- The Biden administration outlines new principles for lead in drinking water to accelerate the replacement of lead pipes.
- The Biden administration restores environmental protections to AK’s Tongass National Forest.
- EPA blocks the proposed Pebble mine and bars other mining projects that would disrupt AK’s Bristol Bay watershed.
- Cleburne County, AR will use hand-marked paper ballots in future elections.
- The Berks County immigration detention center is now officially empty.
National
- Congress passes and the president signs an extension of the Civil Rights Cold Case Review Board’s term to 2027 to investigate unsolved lynchings and murders.
- Congress passes and the president signs the Speak Out Act, which bars nondisclosure agreements in employment and empowers workers to speak out against workplace abuse.
- Dept. of Health and Human Services approves a first-of-its-kind Medicaid expansion for CA to provide access to care for people returning home after incarceration.
- In a move towards keeping the product accessible, the FDA clarifies on morning-after pills’ packaging that using the pills cannot result in an abortion.
- The FDA introduces a proposal to update their currently discriminatory blood donation policies for gay and bisexual men.
- The Biden-Harris administration allocates nearly $1.7 billion to modernize public bus fleets and make them more environmentally friendly.
- Rep. Pramila Jayapal, the first South Asian woman elected to the House and one of only two dozen naturalized citizens in Congress, becomes the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement.
State
- AZ court rejects efforts to declare early voting unconstitutional.
- MA funds 485 environmentally sustainable food system projects.
- MI’s legislature and Sec. of State Jocelyn Benson address threats against election officials and workers as well as the intentional spread of voting-related misinformation.
- MT: SJ Howell and Zooey Zephyr are elected to the state legislature, becoming the first openly non-binary and openly trans elected officials, respectively, to serve there.
- NE voters pass a ballot initiative to incrementally raise the state minimum wage.
- NJ’s Medicaid expansion includes healthcare coverage for all children, regardless of immigration status.
- NV residents vote to increase the state minimum wage.
- PA: Dr. Arvind Venkat is elected to the state legislature, becoming the first Indian American representative to serve there.
- SC court unanimously rules that the recent redistricting in the state’s 1st district was illegal.
- VA Senate panel rejects three proposals that would have limited abortion access.
Local
- New York City offers free abortion pills at sexual health clinics.
- Following the death of Tyre Nichols at the hands of police, Memphis’s police department disbands their SCORPION unit.
- Washington, DC will incrementally increase the minimum wage for tipped workers until it is equal to the non-tipped minimum wage.
- Montgomery, AL adds electronic voter registration kiosks to local high schools.
Corporate/business
- George Washington University becomes the latest college campus to install emergency contraception vending machines.
Groups and organizations
- Planned Parenthood opens a mobile clinic that will travel the IL border to provide abortion care in surrounding states that restrict access.
- Sisters Enjoli and Sesha Joi Moon found the JXN Project to highlight the history of Jackson Ward, VA, commonly known as Black Wall Street.
- Project IMPACT seeks to address gaps in knowledge and racial bias in healthcare to improve health outcomes for people of color.
- The Center for EcoTechnology assists states working towards eliminating and diverting food waste.
- The ACLU sues KS over their use of the death penalty.
- Birthing Advocacy Doula Trainings host a free virtual training in Feb. 2023 on how to use Narcan in the case of an opioid overdose.
- Yale Climate Connection releases a reading list of books full of practical advice for taking action on climate change.
News with heart
- A new record is set after 16 million people signed up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act during the 2022-2023 enrollment period.
- Former execution workers’ experiences lead them towards deep reflection, changes of heart,
- and more compassionate political views.
- Maya-Mexican actor Josué Maychi takes on the roles of both cast member and Mayan language coach in the making of Wakanda Forever.
- Starr Andrews wins the fourth place pewter medal at the U.S. National Figure Skating Championships, becoming the first Black woman in 35 years to medal in the competition.
- A statue honoring Henrietta Lacks will replace one of Robert E. Lee in Lacks’s hometown of Roanoke, VA.
- NASA discovers a bear on Mars. (Well, kind of!)
Need inspiration?
- Read this week’s inspiring message from Jen: Black History Month: The fight for water justice
- Work Worth Doing by Julia Figliotti
- What we need to succeed in 2023
Support the Checklist
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Have you had this action yet? Thank California Governor Newsom for making phone calls by people in prison FREE!!!