[Lekooks] Voting Rights Bill

Wed Dec 15 14:08:49 CST 2021

I'm reading that there is a 3rd senator dragging his feet on the voting rights bill; he is Sen. Jon Tester from Montana. While he was one of the co-authors of the Senate bill, he is committed to keeping the filibuster, in effect killing the bill. Like a bird who lays an egg and then abandons the nest.
Please email Sen. Tester about this as well, at Email Senator Tester | Jon Tester | U.S. Senator for Montana (senate.gov)
Thanks,
Gerry

-----Original Message-----
From: Gerald Flakas <gerflak at aol.com>
To: lekooks at lekook.org <lekooks at lekook.org>; brewermarktaylor at gmail.com <brewermarktaylor at gmail.com>
Cc: lekooks at lekook.org <lekooks at lekook.org>
Sent: Wed, Dec 15, 2021 7:01 am
Subject: Re: [Lekooks] Voting Rights Bill

Yes, a great letter to Sen. Baldwin. I have also contacted her about this, but she has been fully on board with it from the beginning. Writing her is sort of like sending a Bible to the Minister (conversely, contacting Johnson is like sending one to Satan, a total waste of time and effort). What we really need is to convince Sen. Manchin and Sinema, the two Democratic hold-outs, to blow away the filibuster and pass the Act. Maybe sending letters to Contact Joe | U.S. Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia (senate.gov) and
Contact Kyrsten | Senator Kyrsten Sinema (senate.gov)would help?
Gerry F.
-----Original Message-----
From: philip smith via Lekooks <lekooks at lekook.org>
To: Mark Brewer <brewermarktaylor at gmail.com>
Cc: LCUUC GroupEmail <lekooks at lekook.org>
Sent: Wed, Dec 15, 2021 6:50 am
Subject: Re: [Lekooks] Voting Rights Bill

Nicely said Mark! I also called senator Baldwin- thanks for taking the lead and inspiring us!Phil
On Tue, Dec 14, 2021 at 5:29 PM Mark Brewer via Lekooks <lekooks at lekook.org> wrote:

Hi Lekooks,  
I sent the following to Tammy Baldwin via her website and called her because I believe urgent action is required.  I would encourage each of you, if so motivated, to do the same as I believe the future of our democracy is at stake.  At this point, I am not sending this to Senator Ron Johnson.   Does anyone see any harm of sending this to the three Democratic U.S. House members that represent Wisconsin  ?  
Mark  
Dear Senator Baldwin, I am writing to you to ask you to work with your colleagues and do everything within your power, including eliminating the filibuster, if necessary,  to make a new federal voting rights bill the law of land before the 2022 primaries and elections. This law should accomplish the following: outlaw gerrymandering,ensure an independent bipartisan commission at the state level to draw congressional and state district maps, make the November election a national holiday,  make provisions such as longer early voting periods, easier mail in voting, and the liberal use of drop boxes, to allow all groups equal access to the polls, and prevent the ability of state legislatures or other groups from overturning valid election results. 
As you are aware, the G.O.P. at both the national and state level are promoting lies about the 2020 election results, using those lies to justify, propose, promote and pass election laws that restrict voting access and allow state legislatures the ability to overturn valid election results. They are also openly promoting conspiracy theories around COVID, vaccines and other topics. Senior Republicans are attempting to subvert and delay the bipartisan commission investigating the January 6, 2021 insurrection attempt. Fox News and other right wing media outlets are even promoting people to use violence to overturn future election results. These actions  have done severe damage to the credibility of democracy in the United States and the hope for democracy both here and throughout the world. 
Regardless of one’s political views, the Democratic Party and such a voting rights law, now remain the only viable option to preserve America’s democracy. Lack of making this a priority within Congress almost guarantees Republicans taking control of both houses of Congress in 2022 and the reelection of Trump or a similar G.O.P. politician in 2024, regardless of all other good accomplishments of the Biden administration.  This scenario could result in continued changes to laws at the state and federal level to ensure the election of Republican party candidates for the foreseeable future and the end of democracy as we know it in the United States.  The United States and the world simply cannot afford this to happen.  Such a scenario would thwart all major efforts to: reduce inequality such as those efforts in the Build Back Better legislation, pass common sense Gun laws, and efforts to stop the most important long term issue, global climate change.   It makes me sad and angry that in 2021 we are even having to fight such a fight to uphold American democratic values, such as fair elections, that many of us hold so dear.
I implore you to please work with your colleagues and do everything possible to ensure we have a federal voting rights bill in place before the 2022 primaries and elections.  Thank you for all the work you do to support democracy and the democratic values of the United States._______________________________________________
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Phil Smith (he/him)W318 S4121 Highview RdWaukesha, Wi. 53189262/ 719-1542_______________________________________________
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