Queen City Indivisible December meeting notes

We had a big turnout of over 50 members last week at our December meeting. Special guests included state representatives Bram Kleppner, Tiff Bluemle, and Martin LaLonde who described the process of making laws in Vermont, some of the areas they want to work on in the upcoming session, and the various challenges to influencing federal actions at the state level. It seems likely that bills will be proposed to outlaw masked police, limit domestic use of the Vermont National Guard, expand protected spaces where ICE cannot go, and more. At this time, there are no specific bills to monitor, but they promised to call on us for contacting legislators and lobbying for pro-Democracy issues. 

Vigil for Justice

Thursday, December 18 | 4:30 PM

First Unitarian Universalist Society | 152 Pearl Street, Burlington

The Vermont Faith Communities for Immigrant Justice will hold a vigil on the steps of the UU meeting house. They have chosen a theme of light. Dress warm! Contact john.mcmahon@essexcatholic.org

ICE OUT Holiday Caroling

Saturday, December 20 | Noon - 2:00 PM

Church Street Marketplace

Bring your holiday cheer and join us in singing away the secret police. For instance, to the tune of "The Christmas Song" (Chestnuts roasting on an open fire...)

Grandma hiding by the closet door

Grandpa huddled on the floor

Baby’s cries being hushed under clothes

Outside men dressed up like GI Joes

Everybody knows ICE agents in their unmarked cars

Help spread fear throughout the night

Moms and dads holding children tight

Trying hard to stay completely out of sight

They know that ICE is on its way

More info soon...

Cancel Spotify 

Spotify is running ads recruiting agents for ICE. These ads target vulnerable populations, promise signing bonuses, and normalize fear and intimidation in our neighborhoods.

Streaming hate is not neutral. It’s a choice. We refuse to fund it. We refuse to ignore it.

• Cancel your subscription to Spotify Premium. We’ve got instructions (and some suggestions on alternatives) here. 
• Don’t use Spotify’s free version either. You don’t need to delete your account. Just close out your apps and don’t open them again until Spotify stops forcing ICE ads into people’s feeds.
• Instead of sharing your Spotify Wrapped this year, share our Wrapped-themed posts calling on others to cancel Spotify. As long as Spotify is willing to take money from ICE, they don’t need (and don’t deserve) free advertising on our social feeds. And there’s no reason you can’t post your own list of top songs/artists on social -- maybe alongside a message about why you chose not to stream them on Spotify.

Vermont is maple syrup and ... insurance?

Yes, Vermont is the #1 state for a special product delightfully called "captive insurance". For instance, Florina  Insurance is a Vermont company that only insures facilities owned by GEO group, which runs over 100 ICE detention centers. This saves GEO millions of dollars. Details here. The good news is that the state of Vermont regulates these companies. Representative Leonora Dodge has committed to sponsoring a bill that would increase oversight on captive insurance for ICE contractors, require insurers to certify that their parent companies aren’t violating human rights, impose additional requirements on companies profiteering from immigration detention, and create financial penalties that offset any subsidies Vermont provides these companies. Our friends at Champlain Valley Indivisible have all the details here.

• Contact your state Representative and state Senator urging them to support legislation increasing oversight on captive insurance for ICE contractors.
• Contact Sandy Bigglestone, Deputy Commissioner of the Captive Insurance Division of the Vermont Department of Financial Regulation (DFR), to ask how she can support Vermont requiring insurers to certify that parent companies aren’t violating human rights.

January Membership Meeting

Tuesday, January 6 | 5:30-7:30 PM

Queen City Brewery | 703 Pine Street

We meet every month on the first Tuesday. January will feature more on how we can influence the Vermont legislative session that will convene that morning.

Save the date for Charity Clark 

Tuesday, January 20 | 6:00 -7:30 PM (doors open at 5:30 PM)

Phoenix Books | 89 Church Street

Join us as we hear from Vermont's Attorney General, Charity Clark. Clark has filed multiple lawsuits to block the federal destruction of constitutional rights with some notable successes. We'll hear what she has planned next and how to support her work. Details to come...

“We cannot play ostrich. Democracy just cannot flourish amid fear.”

 — Thurgood Marshall, Supreme Court Justice, 1967-1991

Queen City Vermont Indivisible is a group of concerned individuals seeking to preserve democracy, resist autocracy, and empower our community through nonviolent protests, actions, and local events.

 

Be well, take care of each other, have fun, and fight the good fight!

 

https://queencityvtindivisible.org/

Instagram: @queencityindivisible