November 2019 Reminder Notes

1 – Legislative Days at the Capitol in Salem (Monday November 18th, 2019)

We have been absent from the Capitol building for several months.  Meanwhile, Timber Unity, Industry, and our well-oiled opponents and their lobbyists have been inundating legislators in the Capitol with their ongoing campaign of lies and misinformation.  On Monday (18^th) we will try to recapture that sense of energy and enthusiasm for climate action that we demonstrated in the 2019 session.

To this end, we will be driving to Salem to (a) be seen in large numbers wandering the Halls in the Capitol, (b) visiting our legislators to indicate that we are still here and urging action, and (c) delivering letters from rural Oregon to those legislators demonstrating rural concern for action It would be helpful if those going to Salem were to carry  letters to their legislators (from themselves and anyone else they can tap to write a letter that:  1) identify why they were inspired by HB2020, 2) explain why they, as rural Oregonians, care, 3) Underline that this is unfinished business, and 4) urge a strong bill in the 2020 session. These can also be mailed / e-mailed: Find your state legislators: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/FindYourLegislator/leg-districts.html

The plan is to leave the region about 8:00 – 8:30 to be in Salem by around noon.  We are trying to schedule legislator visits between 12:30 and 2:00 so we can head back soon after that – to return by 5:30 – 6:00.  If you plan to make the trip, please contact Alan (541-301-4107, alan@socan.eco) so we can keep you updated on plans and the schedule of meetings.  If you would like to join a car-pool, let Alan know so this can be arranged.  SOCAN will buy carbon offsets for those joining the car-pool to counter GHG emissions resulting from the trip.  A flexible one-on-one orientation to the day’s activity and legislator messaging has been scheduled for whenever we arrive – at the Salem (Marion County) Democratic Party HQ: 245 High St NE, Salem, OR 97301 any time between 8am – 4pm.

Please wear your orange SOCAN, grey MCP,  or the white Clean Energy Jobs T-Shirt since our goal is to be conspicuous by our presence.

2 – Urgent Action Requested – Help us take a stand against corporate polluters!

Would you like to close loopholes in Oregon law that currently allow cancer-causing chemicals like mercury, arsenic and lead to be released into our air, water, and soil? Sign The Toxics Reduction and Right to Know Act (IP 56) right now!

The Toxics Reduction and Right to Know Act will give Oregon voters a voice in the 2020 election to close toxic pollution loopholes and allow total transparency of toxic pollution. Here’s what it does:

Toxic pollution is making people sick and contributing to unnecessary deaths. Toxic pollution causes cancer. Toxic pollution causes asthma. Toxic pollution causes heart disease. Together we can reduce toxic pollution and lift the gag order that prevents local communities from learning which toxics go into their air, water and soil from industrial and commercial facilities.

The Toxics Reduction and Right to Know Act has been endorsed by Oregon League of Conservation Voters, Beyond Toxics, Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste (PICUN), Oregon Environmental Council, NAACP Eugene/Springfield, Union of Concerned Scientists, and others in the Oregonians for Clean Air coalition (including SOCAN).

We are seeking signature on the first round petition drive to get the Secretary of State to accept the Ballot Measure.  This requires that statewide we gather 1000 signatures submitted to and reaching Renew Oregon by Wednesday (21^st).  We’d like you to  download the form, sign it, and mail it by Monday at the latest to the address on the form: (Renew Oregon, Attention Sonny Mehta, P.O. Box 5999, Portland OR 97228).