WofA – We of Action – is an Indivisible / Women’s March group and movement for change, based in Virginia. Our group of volunteers, founded by a teacher, sends simple steps everyone can take to restore American rights, values, and civil liberties. We are also a community – your friends and neighbors, meeting near you to build positive results. You can make a difference, and we’re doing it together.
BE A PART OF THE ACTION – CLICK HERE TO JOIN WOFA
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Virginia Needs Medicaid Expansion!
Medicaid Expansion was in the Virginia House budget but not the Senate’s budget. Will 400,000 Virginians have health care? Expanding Medicaid will SAVE nearly $400 million in the state budget, which can go to education, transportation, and other needs.
The budget committee will now decide. If you have a minute, please contact these state senators:
*Tommy Norment, 804-698-7503, district03@senate.virginia.gov;
*Emmett Hanger, 804-698-7524, district24@senate.virginia.gov;
*Steve Newman, 804-698-7523, district23@senate.virginia.gov;
*Frank Ruff, 804-698-7515, district15@senate.virginia.gov;
*Frank Wagner, 804-698-7507, district07@senate.virginia.gov;
*Dick Saslaw, 804-698-7535, district35@senate.virginia.gov;
*Janet Howell, 804-698-7532, district32@senate.virginia.gov
What Do I Say? Tell their staff (or voicemail) whether you’re a constituent, your name and zip code, why you want Medicaid expansion, and that it will save millions of dollars – and people. You can feel good about yourself for working to make a difference!
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The Time for Gun Safety is Now
WofA doesn’t ordinarily post calendar events on our home page. However, in the wake of Parkland, this list of events is important.
Please also contact your lawmakers and tell them #EnoughIsEnough! It’s time to pass gun safety legislation. Find your lawmakers at http://www.whosmy.virginiageneralassembly.gov and https://whoismyrepresentative.com/
When you call, give your name and zip code so they can verify you are a constituent.
March 14: Enough! National School Walkout
Everywhere
The Youth EMPOWER Arm of the Women’s March coalition is “calling for students, teachers, school administrators, parents and allies to take part in a #NationalSchoolWalkout for 17 minutes at 10am across every time zone on March 14, 2018 to protest Congress’ inaction to do more than tweet thoughts and prayers in response to the gun violence plaguing our schools and neighborhoods”
Links: https://www.womensmarch.com/empower/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1767175080245694/
March 24: March for Our Lives
Washington, DC and Everywhere
With participation by George & Amal Clooney
https://www.marchforourlives.com
https://www.facebook.com/events/157161255003456/
April 20: Rally for Gun Safety
Loudon, Virginia
Office of Barbara Comstock
https://www.facebook.com/events/152722212203929/
April 20: School Walkout
Everywhere
http://nationalschoolwalkout.us
Equal Rights Action Days
With participation from many activists all over Virginia, we organized an Equal Rights Coalition, visited our lawmakers and asked them to ratify the ERA . Senator Surovell introduced us from the floor of the Senate, the House gave us a standing ovation, and First Lady Pam Northam spoke at our rally.
We were honored to rally and meet with First Lady Northam, Senators Scott A. Surovell, Jennifer Wexton, and Delegates Alfonso Lopez, Hala Ayala, Kathleen Murphy, Kathy Tran, Karrie Boutchia Delaney, Elizabeth Guzman, Wendy Gooditis, Dawn Adams, Cheryl Turpin, Ken Plum, and Mark Keam. Their words inspired us!
We were also pleased to welcome CD 7 candidate Abigail Spanberger, and the Virginia Secretary of Education, as well as Kim Drew Wright, and the Virginia girl who posed with the NYC statue of the girl staring down the bull, a symbol of the ERA.
We are grateful to Republicans courageously standing up for women’s rights, including Senators Sturtevant and Dunnavant and Republicans Roxann Robinson, John McGuire and Bob Thomas. They are valiantly doing the right thing by filing or supporting bills to ratify the ERA. If they are your representatives, thank them!
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Your Vote Is Your Voice!
With the House of Delegates majority decided by a single vote last year, we saw the importance of fair, accurate, and transparent elections. We are committed to voting every year for peace, justice, and integrity.
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Calls to Action
Immigration
Call to help DACA Dreamers! Enter your zip code at https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members to find your U.S. Senator and Representative, then call to request a Clean DREAM Act, a restoration of deportation deferral for young immigrants without increased enforcement. Deportation would mean a new, often dangerous, country. Help them stay in the only country they know.
Redistricting
Gerrymandering subverts your votes and our democracy!
When districts are gerrymandered, politicians only speak to the partisan majority in their areas, driving us apart as a nation. To bridge the divide, we need better districts.
Call your state legislators now. Go to whosmy.virginiageneralassembly.gov and click their names to get their phone numbers.
Provide your name and zip so they can verify that you live in their district. Urge them to support Rip Sullivan’s bill HJ 21 (https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?181+ful+HJ21), to reduce the influence of political parties on electoral districts.
Together, we can help bring our nation back together.
Equal Rights for Women
The Equal Rights Amendment is back in the news. Nevada just ratified it this year. With the energy of our new movement, Virginia could become one of the last two states needed to ratify it! Help make this a reality:
- Follow us on twitter, @equalrightsva
- Sign up for the email list of www.women-matter.org
- Join WofA for postcards: every Sunday, 10 AM – Noon at Northside Social, Arlington
- Make calls: https://tinyurl.com/eracallsinfo
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New Members of Virginia’s House of Delegates!
Orientation for the Delegates-elect, courtesy of Delegates
Alfonso Lopez and Marcus Simon
With Kathy Tran‘s baby, Elise Minh Khanh Tran, named after Ellis Island and the Liberty Bell. “To us, our daughter’s name means ‘ring the bells of liberty and champion opportunity for all.”
FOR VIRTUAL PHONEBANK ACCESS,
EMAIL PHONEBANK4VA@GMAIL.COM OR
ON TWITTER, FOLLOW AND DIRECT MESSAGE @PHONEBANK4VA
