After an important victory on Wednesday, the Mujeres en Liderazgo were given 6 days notice on the next hearing for the «Drivers Licenses for All» bill.

The next hearing is scheduled for 4:30, Thursday March 18th- For a bill that would allow access to drivers licenses for all.

We Need/appreciate your Urgent support for this campaign under such short notice!

For more info check here: http://tc.indymedia.org/2010/mar/drivers-license-bill-passes-house-committee

Please call the representatives below, and come out to the hearing on Tuesday!

*Remember that we are really trying to keep the message focused on improving safety in our communities and on our roads by increasing the number of licensed and insured drivers. We are trying to stay away from the immigration/documentation argument because this will be used against the campaign by some politicians.

Michael Beard (R) 35A 651-296-8872

Randy Demmer (R) 29A 651-296-9236

Connie Doepke (R) 33B 651-296-4315

Mary Liz Holberg (R)36A 651-296-6926

Doug Magnus-R- 22A 651-296-5505

Will Morgan –D- 40A 651-296-4212

Michael Nelson-D- 46A 651-296-3751

Jerry Newton- D- 49B 651-296-5369

Roger Reinert- D- 7B 651-296-4246

Peggy Scott-R- 49A 651 296-4231

Dan Severson R- 14A 651-296-7808

Lyndon Carlson D- 45B 651-296-4255

Loren Solberg D 3B 651-296-2365

Other things we need:

· Your presence on Thursday, 3/18 at 4:30pm

· Help w/ transportation 3/18

· Help w/ Childcare 3/18

· Help w/ visits to representatives on Monday 3/15 – Thursday 3/18

· Outreach

· Media

Please let us know if you are able to help w/ any of the tasks listed above!

Anuncio publicitario

«The “Drivers Licenses For All” campaign is picking up speed after an important legislative victory.

On Wednesday, HF1718, a bill that would increase access to drivers licenses was introduced, voted on, and passed in the Transportation and Transit Policy Committee in the House of Representatives

The bill was proposed by Mujeres en Liderazgo, a group of women organizers in South Minneapolis, who have been organizing in their community for the past 2 years.

On March 4^th, the Mujeres held a successful day at the capitol to lobby support for the bill, and numerous supporters made calls to the state representatives during the week leading up to the hearing.

Wednesday, they brought their demands to the state capitol.

Approximately 70 community members and allies, showed their support by holding up their bright green ‘DRIVERS LICENSES FOR ALL» signs as they filed into the room for the hearing.  After hearing testimonies from the Mujeres as well as National Lawyers Guild attorney Bruce Nestor, the decision was made:  The bill would pass.

Jovita Morales of Mujeres en Liderazgo commented on the victory:

“Our victory yesterday was due to the participation of the community, including visits and phone calls that were made by community members and allies to support the bill.  When the politicians looked out in the room yesterday and saw a room full of people, they could not deny the strength and importance of this campaign.”

This bill would increase the types of primary documents that one may present when applying for a drivers license in Minnesota, opening up access to those members of our community that do not meet the current standards, due to the requirement of a social security number.

If this bill becomes a law, the end result will mean more licensed and insured drivers in our streets, thus, safer communities for everyone.  The daily lives of many of our community members are negatively affected by not having access to a license; it is a human rights and justice issue for many Minnesotans.

The bill will now go on to the Senate Finance Committee, and will then go back to the House Transportation & Finance Committee.

Stay tuned for more action alerts!»

http://tc.indymedia.org/2010/mar/drivers-license-bill-passes-house-committee

[From TC Daily Planet]

«About 30 activists gathered at the Waite House Community Center in Minneapolis on February 25  to strategize ways to move forward with a bill that would allow undocumented immigrants to obtain a driver’s license.  Mujeros En Liderazgo (Women in Leadership), an organization dedicated to social and immigration issues, organized the meeting. Only a handful of states have passed similar laws, while a larger number require proof of immigration status to be presented by drivers license applicants.

Maria Cisneros emphasized the problems that lack of a driver’s license can create. «If a child gets sick, and they don’t have access to the emergency room or they can’t get a job, this is a loss to the economy,» she said. «Someone who is affected by domestic violence may not report to the police because they don’t have a driver’s license or I.D. This affects single mothers and their children, from not being able to take children to the doctor or to get to work to support their children.»..»

http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/news/2010/02/28/drivers-license-bill-undocumented-workers

[From FightBack! News]

«Saint Paul, MN – The struggle for immigrants to be able to get drivers licenses in Minnesota is gaining steam. The group leading the struggle is Mujeres en Liderazgo (Women in Leadership), a grassroots group of Latina immigrant women. They want the Minnesota legislature to allow anyone who lives in Minnesota to get a drivers license, regardless of their immigration status.

A bill has been introduced in the state legislature, House File 1718, which will have its first hearing on March 10. Mujeres en Liderazgo has built a coalition to support the bill, along with various other immigrant rights activists and supporters. They are mobilizing to go the capitol to show the massive community support for the bill at the March 10 hearing…»

http://www.fightbacknews.org/2010/3/4/immigrants-minnesota-fight-right-drivers-license

Mujeres en Liderazgo is a group of Women from the Latino Community that was born out of a leadership workshop in the Waite House in September 2008. During the workshop, the group engaged in a community action activity that identified the greatest community priority as access to a valid MN driver’s license to ensure public safety. Little did they know that this would be the beginning of a long and rigorous journey. With the support of the community, different organizations, religious groups, and the media, the Mujeres en Liderazgo made the decision to finish what they had started during the workshop.

In 2012 the women decided to focus some of their efforts on media literacy as part of their ongoing efforts to obtain valid drivers’ licenses for Latinos. Among their media-centered activities Mujeres participated in a writing workshop, learned how to use Microsoft Publisher, and take digital photos using Facebook and cell phone cameras. Below are some samples of their  work from the writing workshop.

Here is the flyer for the campaign.

Licencias_de_Conducir_para_Todos[1]_0

There are two important events coming up:

Thurs. March 4th @ 9:30am-11:00am. there will be a community meeting at the state rep office (next to the capitol building).  This will be important becuase  it is an opportunity to have a presence in the building as we are pressuring reps to vote on the bill next week.  It is an opportunity to show how strong the support is for this campaign.  Afterwards, those who can stay will visit representatives who will be voting on wednesday, march 10.

Wed, March 10th at 12pm-2pm. Day of the hearing for the drivers license bill.  It will be presented and voted on.  The mujeres ask for there to be a community presence to show support for the campaign.

Here are some ways you can participate:

• Outreach (SPREAD THE WORD! pass out flyers, invite people)

• Calls to Reps (Listed below)

• Transportation on the 4th and the 10th

• Childcare on the 4th and the 10th

• Media (contact media sources, invite to cover event)

• Videotape at both events

Here is the list of representatives who will be voting on the 10th. Please call them before March 10 and encourage them to support the drivers license bill – House File 1718:

o   Marsha Swails 56B: 651-296-1147

o   Dean Urdahl 18B: 651-296-4344

o   Greg Davids, 31B: 651-296-9278

o   Mary Liz Holberg 36A: 651-296-6926

o   Sandra Masin, 38A:  651-296-3533

o   Carol McFarlane 53B: 651-296-5363

o   Paul Torkelson, 21B: 651-296-9303

o   Terry Morrow, 23A: 651-296-8634

o   Andy Welti, 30B: 651-296-4378

o   Marty Seifert, 21A: 651-296-5374

Calling all allies and supporters!

Please come out to support the Mujeres en Liderazgo as they take their campaign for driver’s licenses to the capitol.

After over two years of organizing, the Mujeres en Liderazgo are preparing for their bill to be voted on by the state representatives.  This is a crucial moment for the bill which would give drivers licenses to everyone, regardless of citizenship status.

With the support of the community, different organizations, religious groups, and legislators, “Mujeres en Liderazgo” has introduced a Bill in the State Legislature that would allow anyone living in Minnesota to get a driver’s license, regardless of their citizenship status.

Currently, immigrants are forced to drive without a license and without insurance to get to work every day, since public transit doesn’t run at night when many immigrants work, and many immigrants work in suburbs or outstate areas where public transit is inadequate or nonexistent.

This Bill would contribute to safety in our streets by making sure all drivers in Minnesota take the drivers test and have a license and insurance.

Furthermore, there are already other states which allow all state residents to apply for a drivers license, regardless of citizenship status.

Please support this campaign to dramatically improve the lives of some of the most vulnerable members of our community that are currently forced to drive without a license under constant fear of arrest, and possible deportation.

In solidarity,

MIRAc (Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action coalition)

http://mirac1.wordpress.com/

(Cross-posted from Twin Cities Indymedia

http://tc.indymedia.org/2010/mar/support-immigrant-women-support-drivers-license-campaign-where-allies )