Tuesday, Sept. 22nd- National Voter Registration Day!

Use the side bar and click onto Voter Registration to update YOUR registration. Come to the CMNEA meeting Thursday to also register!

What Is National Voter Registration Day? 2016 Activists Want Women, Blacks And Latinos To Vote

By Aaron Morrison @aaronlmorrison on September 21 2015 5:09 PM EDT

Various labor unions and progressive organizations protest for the strengthening of the Voting Rights Act on Capitol Hill in Washington, Sept. 16, 2015. Agence France-Presse/Getty Images/Paul J. Richards

Six million Americans didn’t cast ballots in the 2008 election because they missed a registration deadline or didn’t know how to register, according to organizers of Tuesday’s National Voter Registration Day. The national registration drive is a coordinated effort that combines field events, technology and media campaigns with the goal of reaching tens of thousands of eligible voters whom activists said they could not reach otherwise.

As he commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, which prevents states from creating racial and socioeconomic barriers to the polls, President Barack Obama last month proclaimedSept. 22 as a day for Americans to make sure they are registered. Some voter advocacy groups have said this year’s registration drive is crucial to ensure historically disenfranchised and underserved populations speak with a louder voice in next year’s presidential election.

The Voter Participation Center, a Washington group, has coined the term “Rising American Electorate” to represent those underrepresented voters. Unmarried women, people of color and millennials are included in that group.

There are about 125 million eligible Rising American Electorate voters, according to the Voter Participation Center. That's approximately 57 percent of the nation’s vote-eligible population. Roughly 51 percent of millennials and Asians are not registered to vote, according to the research. Latinos are unregistered at a rate of 49 percent, unmarried women at 40 percent and blacks at 37 percent.

Overall, 42 percent of historically disenfranchised voting groups did not register to vote last year, compared with 26 percent of other Americans, according to the Voter Participation Center. As conservative politicians moved to enact voting laws that disproportionately affect underserved Americans, activists sounded the alarm.

“We should be mindful of the dark days in America when it was dangerous, and in some cases impossible, for women and people of color to register,” Page Gardner, president of the Voter Participation Center, wrote this week for the Huffington Post.

Why Tomorrow May Be the Most Important National Voter Registration Day Ever

by Page Gardner of the Huffington Post

Posted: 09/21/2015 9:13 am EDT Updated: 09/21/2015 11:59 am EDT

Ever since we started the Voter Participation Center more than a decade ago, we've honored National Voter Registration Day. It's always been an important day for us, but never more so than this year. That's because in 2016, for the first time ever, people of color, young Americans and unmarried women will likely cast over half of all the ballots in the presidential election. Think about that. For the first time in our nation's history, the most diverse electorate ever will enter voting booths on Tuesday, November 8, 2016. They will look more like the real America, and drive their own destinies.

But the first step starts tomorrow, with National Voter Registration Day. At the Voter Participation Center, we are dedicated to increasing the civic engagement of unmarried women, people of color and Millennials--the three demographic groups who comprise the Rising American Electorate (RAE), also called the New American Majority. We have helped 2.6 million Americans register to vote in the last decade, and see a direct line between registration and voting.

There are about 125 million eligible voters in the RAE, or 57% of the vote-eligible population in this country. A true majority. But as our new research with Lake Research Partners makes clear, we have heavy lifting to do to make sure that the RAE is voting--and registering--in proportion to their share of the population. As of last year, the percentage of voting-age RAE members who were not registered to vote was daunting:

Not Registered to Vote:
Millennials: 51%
Asians: 51%
Latinos: 49%
Unmarried Women: 40%
African Americans: 37%

Averaged out, about 42% of all RAE members failed to register last year, compared to just 26% for other non-RAE Americans.

Getting more of the RAE to register is crucial, and it kicks this week. That's when the VPC and its partners will start sending out 1.4 million voter registration forms and other pieces of mail to encourage the RAE to register. Over the entire presidential campaign, our goal is to register between 1 million to 1.5 million new voters.

As more and more states pass laws to restrict free and open voting, we should be mindful of the dark days in America when it was dangerous, and in some cases impossible, for women and people of color to register. Few remember those days as vividly as Congressman and Civil Rights hero John Lewis. "Many were harassed, jailed, beaten, and some were even killed for trying to participate in the democratic process," Lewis recalls. Sure, it's important to remember the sacrifices of the pioneers who came before us. But registering to vote is not only about honoring our past. It's also about defining our future so it reflects the values and voices of most Americans and delivers on the promise of majority rule.

So register to vote! Ask your friends and family if they're registered. We show you how to do it here, at www.voterparticipation.org, or you can log onto the Secretary of State's website for your current state. Your power is in your vote... and the first step is to register!

Two political events this week

Please check out the tab "Candidate Events." Stephen Webber and Susan McClintic have two events I KNOW you'll want to attend! Remember, they are not "official" MNEA sponsored yet, so please refrain from wearing MNEA/CMNEA paraphernalia. Thanks!

Here is a rundown of what took place during the Sept. 16th Veto Session:

MNEA Veto Session Update
September 16, 2015
 
By Otto Fajen
MNEA Legislative Director


VETO SESSION WINDS DOWN

The Missouri House and Senate convened for Veto Session at noon on September 16.  The legislature considered motions to override several bills passed during the Regular Session and vetoed by the Governor.  As of this writing, the Senate is still debating an override motion on HB 722 (Shaul), the last vetoed bill to be taken up for override.


STUDENT TRANSFER/CHARTER AND VIRTUAL EXPANSION BILL DIES IN HOUSE

The House discussed a motion to override HB 42 (Wood).  However, the House did not bring the motion to a vote, and the bill did not become law.  The Association opposed the bill.  HB 42 would have intruded on local district control, expanded the transfer provision, created a costly expansion of charter and virtual schools without appropriate accountability and failed to fully address the needed action on the transfer issue.


SO-CALLED "RIGHT-TO-WORK" DIES IN HOUSE

The House failed to override the Governor's veto of HCS/HBs 116 & 569 (Burlison) by a vote of 96-63, and the bill did not become law.  This so-called "Right-to-Work" provision would have affected the constitutional bargaining rights of all Missourians.  HB 116 would have applied to all employees and would remove the ability of labor unions to receive compensation for the costs of fulfilling their duties as exclusive representative. The Association opposed the bill and appreciates the Governor's veto and the support of the bipartisan group of legislators who voted against the bill. 


UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION PERIOD BILL BECOMES LAW

The Senate overrode HB 150 (Fitzpatrick) into law by a vote of 24-8.  The bill makes several changes to unemployment compensation, including shortening the period of benefits to as little as 13 weeks, depending on general unemployment figures.  Legal questions may be raised regarding the override process, since the House override motion occurred during Regular Session, while the Senate motion occurred during Veto Session.  The issue may eventually be decided by litigation.


A+ SCHOLARSHIP RESIDENCY RESTRICTION BECOMES LAW

The Senate and House voted to override the Governor's veto of SB 224 (Romine) and enacted the bill into law.  The bill requires that a student be a United States citizen or permanent resident in order to be eligible to receive reimbursements from the A+ Schools Program.  This change will deny A+ Scholarships to otherwise-qualified students who are lawfully present under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. 

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Missouri National Education Association  1810 E Elm Street
Jefferson City, MO 65101
1-800-392-0236www.mnea.org

Volunteer to screen for upcoming races

Dear CMNEA members,
The spring of 2016 will be important for us politically. The HUGE election cycle will enter the stage when voters begin deciding which candidates they would like to see in the August primary elections, and then in the November general election. 

Spring 2016 is also the time when organizations such as our will begin making endorsements of candidates and providing support to those candidates. In deciding who to endorse, MNEA uses the screening process to help with the decision making.  MNEA members throughout the state are encouraged to volunteer to participate in the screenings. Members will visit with candidates in their area and decide who should receive the MNEA endorsement.  The screening notes are shared with the MNEA State PAC Committee. Based upon the screening notes and knowledge from MNEA Political Director Mark Jones and MNEA Legislative Director Otto Fajen, the State PAC committee makes the final recommendations. Those candidates will then receive notification from our MNEA State President, Charles Smith, that they have received the MNEA endorsement for the August primary election and then the November general election. As a member of the MNEA State PAC committee, I will share our notes with the other members of the committee and ensure that our voices are heard.  

CMNEA members will be needed to help by participating in the spring screenings!! Our area has several candidates in our area who are running for the same seat, and from opposing political parties!   Please consider volunteering to help with this very important process! 

How can I participate in the SCREENINGS, YOU ASK!?!?!?!

Easy! Click onto this link right here : MNEA Education Advocate

Fill out the information and click  "submit" when you are finished. This will let MNEA Political Director, Mark Jones, know you are interested in screening. Your name will then be added to our list. I hope you join us. It is very informative and even fun!