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UN calls out racial disparities in US Immigration - No Hate In Our States

9/29/2022

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United Nations Calls Out Racial Disparities in U.S. Immigration System

Boundless Immigration, Inc
 
Friday, August 26th


The U.S. government is facing public criticism over its long history of racial discrimination in immigration policy. Last week, the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) raised a series of questions about the U.S.’s racial profiling, questionable detention practices, flawed asylum system at the U.S.-Mexico border, and more. The CERD committee’s role in the UN is to evaluate the U.S. government’s compliance with international human rights law as it pertains to racial discrimination and hold government officials accountable when they fail to do so. 
 
After raising a series of questions to U.S. delegates, the CERD committee determined that racial discrimination in the U.S. immigration system is a “systemic issue that requires a systemic overhaul,” and that the U.S. government must be held accountable for its abuses against immigrants of color. 
 
This is certainly not the first time the U.S. has been accused of discriminatory policies against immigrants of color, particularly Black immigrants of African and Caribbean descent. According to a recent study, the Center for Migration Studies found that 76% of Black immigrants are deported on criminal grounds, as opposed to 45% of all immigrants. Black immigrants are also detained for longer periods of time on average, and are more likely to be subjected to harsher forms of treatment in immigration detention, such as solitary confinement. 
 
More recently, immigration advocates have also drawn attention to the inherently different experiences between Afghan and Ukrainian nationals seeking asylum in the U.S., amid refugee crises in both countries. While Ukraine was swiftly designated Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in response to Russia’s invasion, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) waited nearly six months after the Taliban’s seizure of power to do the same for Afghanistan.


Note: if you are interested in more information like this, sign up for BIT by Boundless. This is a weekly email regarding immigration issues. 

​PACG Webmaster
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Learn how lower drug prices will affect you - Watch the webinar

9/27/2022

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Learn how lower drug prices will affect you!

Health Care Reform Forum

​
The most significant legislation aimed at lowering drug costs for people on Medicare and Medicaid has been passed as part of the Inflation Reduction Act. Do you know how it will affect you and your family? Kaiser Health News has a webinar that explains the changes. These changes will save lives!  Click the following link to learn how.

https://www.kff.org/medicare/event/august-11-web-event-understanding-health-care-provisions-inflation-reduction-act/

Deb Sperry
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Showing of "I Am the Future" - A Message from the President

9/27/2022

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I Am the Future: Standing on the Shoulders of the Past  showing and discussion
​
Tuesday, October 25th at 5:00 pm

Rock Island Public Library
401 19th Street
Rock Island, IL 61201 (map)


Civil Rights Forum


Join us on October 25th for a free showing of our Black History movie, I Am The Future: Standing on the Shoulders of the Past.

In 1963, some residents of the Quad Cities attended the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Hear their first hand accounts and learn how their connection with Martin Luther King, Jr. inspired each of them to become civil rights leaders in our community. We will have a discussion after the video. 

For more information visit: https://www.rockislandlibrary.org/event/community-viewing-i-am-future-standing-shoulders-past-pacg

Glenda Guster
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PACG Picnic & Pie Auction a Great Success! - After Action Report

9/26/2022

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Tenth Annual Picnic and Pie Auction a Great Success! - After Action Report

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Sunday, September 11th noon to 3:00 pm
Longview Park
Rock Island
, IL

PACG Picnic Committee


Despite the rain, and 60-degree weather, seventy-five people joined us at Longview Park to enjoy food catered by the Taste of Ethiopia and music by Chris Dunn. This year, we were fortunate to have Kate Holsen sing the Star-Spangled Banner, which was a nice tribute to the legacy of 9/11, on which the deadliest terrorist attack in American history occurred.

Once again, Jen Broders, assisted by her husband, Ed, officiated our famous Pie Auction, which is designed to help fund the many activities of our very active Civil Rights, Environmental and Health Care Reform Forums, as well as our brand new Gender Equity Forum. We heard short reports from our forum leaders on the work they're doing to advance progressive issues during a time when we are being challenged as never before.  
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the picnic afforded a chance for everybody to just relax, and visit with other progressive-minded folks!

Thanks to all who were able to join us this year! It is heartening to see so many members come together, and this traditional gathering was a testament to the great work PACG does, and will continue to do in our community.   

The PACG Picnic Committee
Glenda Guster, Susan Leuthauser, Loxi Hopkins, Julie Ross, Caryn Unsicker, Maggie Davis
​

We had pies!

Star Spangled Tribute and other music

Announcements and Forum Updates

Food and Socializing

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October Green Drinks - Is CC & S a Climate Solution?

9/25/2022

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October Green Drinks - Is CC&S a Climate Solution?
Tuesday, October 4th at 5:00 pm via Zoom

Three companies seek to build thousands of miles of CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) pipelines across the Midwest to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) and transport it to underground storage sites. One of these pipelines will go through Scott County, IA and Black Hawk County, IL.

What is CCS?
What are the risks and benefits of this process?
Is CCS a viable solution to the reduction of CO2 emission from industrial sources?

Dr. McCue will help you answer these questions. She will share with us what CCS is, why the fossil fuel industry is excited about it and whether this is a true solution to our climate crisis.

Dr. McCue is a retired physician and professor of Global Health Studies Program at the UI Colleges of Public Health and Liberal Arts and Sciences. She has been the coordinator of the Iowa Chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility for the past 20 years and served for many years as a provider and medical director at a local women’s clinic. Her efforts today remain focused on achieving a healthy and livable future confronting the interconnected threats of climate chaos, militarism, and environmental racism.

​RSVP at:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcoduGpqTIsH9fD6ssFCjEteY09ZHZ41w6m

​
Registrants will receive a link to the recording of the meeting the day after the meeting.

Download a flyer


​Susan Leuthauser
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Stop the reckless Iowa gun rights amendment - A Message from the President

9/25/2022

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Stop the reckless Iowa gun rights amendment

American Association of University Women

In 2021, the Iowa legislature repealed the law requiring a background check to purchase a gun. State lawmakers also repealed the law requiring a permit to carry loaded, concealed handguns. Had the people of Iowa demanded that these basic gun safety laws be removed from the books? No, according to the Iowans for Responsible Gun Laws Coalition (of which AAUW-Iowa is a member) a strong majority of Iowans support common sense gun laws:
  • 91% support banning carrying a firearm while under the influence of drugs or alcohol
  • 85% support prohibiting felons from possessing firearms
  • 85% support requiring background checks on all gun purchases
  • 83% support requiring gun safety courses before the purchase of a handgun
​
At a time when more Iowans are dying from gun violence and most Iowans want to strengthen laws to keep us safe, state lawmakers instead want to further weaken Iowa’s gun laws.

A state constitutional amendment, proposed by the Iowa legislature, will appear on the November 8th ballot. If passed, it will make ownership and use of guns a “fundamental right,” prioritizing gun rights over public health and safety. Whether they own weapons or not, Iowans of both major parties and, especially those in law enforcement, warn against adopting this constitutional amendment.

Read more and find out how you can help stop this reckless gun rights amendment!

Glenda Guster

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2022 Local Iowa Candidate Forums

9/25/2022

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Local Iowa Candidate Forums 

PACG encourages our members to attend candidate forums and ask questions about the issues they care about. We will update this list as we receive more information. Please send information to PACG ([email protected]) if you want a candidate forum included on this list. 
​
Saturday, October 1st at 10 am to noon - Peoples Forum
  Candidates: Scott County Board of Supervisors

  Location: St Ambrose University Rogalski Center Ballroom, 518 W Locust St, Davenport (map)
  Sponsors: St Ambrose University Latinos Unidos, LULAC, Davenport NAACP,
                      Power in Our Numbers


Monday, October 3rd at 6 pm - Meet the Candidate Forum
  Candidates: Scott County Board of Supervisors
  Location: North Scott High School auditorium, 200 S 1st St, Eldridge (map)
  Sponsor: Scott County Farm Bureau
 
Saturday, October 8th at 10 am to noon - Peoples Forum at EICC

  Candidates: Scott County Auditor, Recorder, Attorney
  Location: Eastern Iowa Community College, 101 W 3rd St, Davenport (map)
  Sponsors: St Ambrose University Latinos Unidos, Davenport NAACP, LULAC

Wednesday, October 12th at 6 pm to 8 pm - Interfaith Candidate Forum
  Candidates: Iowa State Representatives and State Senators
  Location: Beit Shalom, 2215 E Kimberly, Davenport (map)
  Sponsors: Various religious groups

Saturday, October 15th at 10 am to noon - AAUW Candidates Forum
  Candidates: Iowa State Representatives
  Location: Bettendorf Public Library, 2950 Learning Campus Dr, Bettendorf (map)
  Sponsors: Progressive Action for the Common Good and Iowa State Education Association

​
Alta Price
​​

First Forum - Saturday, October 1st at 10:00 am at St. Ambrose University

 Candidates: Scott County Board of Supervisors
  Location: St Ambrose University Rogalski Center Ballroom, 518 W Locust St, Davenport (map)
  Sponsors: St Ambrose University Latinos Unidos, LULAC, Davenport NAACP, Power in Our Numbers
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​Third Forum - Saturday, October 8th at 10 am to noon at EICC

Candidates: Scott County Auditor, Recorder, Attorney
  Location: Eastern Iowa Community College (EICC), 101 W 3rd St, Davenport (map)
  Sponsors: St Ambrose University Latinos Unidos, Davenport NAACP, LULAC
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​
​Scott County Candidate Forum Planned for October 15th at 10:00 am at the Bettendorf Library

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Come meet your Candidates as a group of 3 local nonprofit organizations will be hosting a series of 2
Scott County Candidate Forums in 2022.

The first Forum will convene Saturday, October 15th at the Bettendorf Library located at 2950 Learning Campus Dr, Bettendorf, IA 52722 with all local Candidates running for Iowa State Representative.
​
Please join us from 10:00am-10:30am for social time and time to meet individually with your Candidate. The Forum is from 10:30am-12:00pm.

Maggie Tinsman convened the group to bring bipartisan candidate forums back to Scott County.
Tinsman added: “The purpose of the Forums is to ask questions of our Iowa Candidates - both
Republican and Democrat Senators and Representatives regarding concerns to us. Our goal is to
encourage courteous civil discourse. We urge attendees to be respectful of all candidates as well as of those asking questions or listening to the discussion. Please join us!”
​
Here is the link to the Scott County Candidate Forum Facebook page! Please like us and spread the
word.
https://www.facebook.com/scottcountyforums
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Informational Town Hall on Potential Abortion Legislation in Iowa - October 2, 2022

9/24/2022

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Gender Equity Forum Sponsors Informational Town Hall on Potential Iowa Abortion Ban
Sunday, October 2nd at 2 pm

Metropolitan Community Church of the Quad Cities
2930 W Locust St
Davenport, IA (map)


Led by the Gender Equity Forum of Progressive Action for the Common Good, a coalition of local organizations and pro-choice activists have announced plans for an informational session on the Governor’s proposed Iowa abortion ban. The event will be held on Sunday, October 2nd at 2:00 pm at the Metropolitan Community Church of the Quad Cities, located at 2930 West Locust Street, directly across the street from the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds in Davenport. Discussion will focus on how the six-week abortion ban will impact women’s and nonbinary individual's health, as well as the social justice implications for these people's autonomy and equality.

The announcement comes in response to Governor Kim Reynolds' court filing requesting a state court to reinstate a 2018 law banning abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy, now that state and federal precedents protecting abortion rights have been overturned. This action comes despite a recent Des Moines Register poll reporting that 60% of Iowans believe abortion should be legal in most or all cases.  

Among the speakers scheduled to present on October 2nd are: Dr. Carolyn Martin, a retired obstetrician-gynecologist; Maize Stilwell, Director of Public Affairs for Planned Parenthood Advocates of Iowa; Francine Thompson, Executive Director of the Emma Goldman Clinic; and, Iowa House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst. The event will be hosted by Scott County Supervisor Ken Croken.

Contact Carolyn Martin or Alta Price for more information.
 


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October 2022 PACG Book Club

9/10/2022

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PACG Book Club - The Rage of Innocence: How America Criminalizes Black Youth  by Kristin Henning
Monday, October 24th at 6:30 pm

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Moline Public Library
3210 41st St
Moline, IL (map)

​In October the PACG Book Club will have a joint discussion with the Project Now Book Club of Kristin Henning's book, The Rage of Innocence: How America Criminalizes Black Youth. Read more about the book at Goodreads.

PACG hosted a webinar with Professor Henning in June of 2021. You can read all about it, and find a list of resources she shared with us, at this PACG Blog post.

Contact me with questions.

Alta Price
​
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Final DACA Rule to be released - No Hate in Our States

9/9/2022

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Biden Administration Releases Final DACA Rule

Boundless Immigration, Inc

August 26, 2022
​
On Wednesday, the Biden administration released the final version of a rule to codify and fortify the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. 

 
The rule, scheduled to be published on August 30, 2022 in the Federal Register, largely maintains the DACA program as it was created by an Obama-era memo in 2012. The rule should take effect October 31, 2022, presuming no legal challenges are launched against it.
 
DHS received over 16,000 public comments on the proposed rule that was released in September 2021. Many of these comments urged DHS, who proposed the new rule, to move the required entry date into the United States forward so that younger people who are otherwise eligible for DACA could apply for the program. However, the new rule maintains the requirement that the applicant must have entered the U.S. and resided in the country continuously since June 15, 2007.
 
In a change from the 2021 proposed rule, the final rule released Wednesday did not follow through with a plan to “decouple” work authorization (the Employment Authorization Document (EAD) application) from the principal DACA application. Immigration advocates worried that making the application for work authorization optional would put applicants at risk of losing their work permits while waiting for the USCIS EAD backlog to clear. 
 
Despite the new rule, the DACA program remains under threat in the Fifth Circuit federal appeals court, which could issue a decision on the legality of the program at any time.

Note: if you are interested in more information like this, sign up for BIT by Boundless. This is a weekly email regarding immigration issues. 

​PACG Webmaster

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Progressive Action for the Common Good (PACG)

 PO Box 544  Bettendorf, IA  52722  
 (563) 676-7580      
​ [email protected]
​
                                                                                                  
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