IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 13, 2016
Contact: Malik Russell (703) 589-0856
For Many, Grassroots MLK Day Event to Provide first Experiences in Lobbying State Lawmakers
STUDENT DEBT, IMMIGRATION AND MASS INCARCERATION HIGHLIGHT KEY ISSUES FOR PARTICIPANTS
Student Speakout@9AM (Hotel) AND RALLIES @11AM & 2 PM IN FRONT OF GAB (sidewalk of 9th Street between E Broad St. and E. Grace St)
Richmond—the process of sitting down and meeting with state legislators to lobby for better laws is normally a process reserved for policy wonks, advocates and representatives of corporations. Rarely, do people from communities most-impacted by legislation view this level of civic engagement as a normal part of the political process.
On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in Richmond, New Virginia Majority (NVM) organizers are bringing together students, activists, community residents and others to meet with close to 50 lawmakers to talk about legislation and the issues that affect their daily lives.
“This is a new experience for me,” said Noah Goodwin, a sophomore at the University of Mary Washington. “We’ve been out front protesting the rising cost of college and the crisis of student debt all year, but the actual process of sitting down with legislators to talk about legislation and our issues is something totally brand new,” he added. Students are putting their support behind 2 bills sponsored mainly by Senator Janet Howell and Del. Marcus Simon – SB 52/ HB 400 and HB 401. Currently Virginia public universities are the fifth most expensive in the nation.
For others, such as Iman Shabazz, a New Virginia Majority organizer based in Richmond, the focus is helping local residents meet with legislators around supporting criminal justice legislation that will slow the impact of mass incarceration in African American communities.
“One of the key bills we are pushing for is SB310 which raises the felony larceny threshold from an incredibly low level of $200,” said Shabazz. “This law has a disproportionate and detrimental impact on my community,” he added. Supporters will also push legislators for support on HB1061 patroned by Sen. McEachin, which promotes alternatives to incarceration by instructing schools to utilize ideas like restorative justice as opposed to incarceration for addressing behavior. “Often these laws trap young people in the criminal justice system and mark them for life. We have to do better,” added Shabazz.
Also partaking in the day of action will be individuals from Latino communities all around the state who are seeking to talk to legislators about issues related to immigration as well as the issue of providing driver licenses for undocumented immigrants.
“For many of our members this is an issue that impacts them on a daily basis, especially in localities that have limited public transportation options. Proving driver’s licenses for all, would cement Virginia’s commitment as a welcoming state for the refugee and immigrant communities,” said NVM organizer Melquiades Fernandez.
Fernandez and others point to the recent study by the Commonwealth Institute showing that providing driver licenses to all would boost the economy and make roads safer, as validation of their cause. They look to support legislation from Delegate Kaye Kory and Senator Scott Surovell designed to expand driving privileges to more residents of Virginia.
In all, NVM expects over 200 supporters to travel to the GAB on MLK Day with the first rally by students members of the Virginia Student Power Network at 9am and a large rally at 2pm. From 2 – 4 pm, participants have several scheduled meetings with legislators to talk about their issues.
See below for day of events schedule.
NVM MLK DAY (Jan 18th) Grassroots Mobilization Schedule
9:15-11 AM — Virginia Student Speak-Out against Student Debt:
@River City Ballroom – Hilton Hotel 501 E. Broad Street
Rally includes firsthand accounts on how debt affects them, skits, music performances and speeches.
11-11:45 AM — Virginia Student Power March for Free Higher Ed, outside and around the General Assembly.
- 11:10-11:20 AM: marching down E. Broad St. from the Hilton to outside the GAB, chanting and holding signs.
- 11:20-11:35 AM: rally on the sidewalk of 9th Street between E Broad St. and E. Grace St. (right outside the General Assembly Building). Students chanting and telling their personal stories on the megaphone.
- 11:35-11:55 AM: marching around the perimeter of Capitol Grounds, chanting, holding signs, and hearing students’ stories on the megaphone.
12-1:20 PM — Lunch with all of NVM’s campaigns and members. Educational program over lunch to teach members about the different campaigns and train them for doing lobby visits that afternoon. @River City Ballroom – Hilton Hotel 501 E. Broad Street
1:30-2 PM – Big Rally outside with all NVM campaigns, for a joint message.
- 1:25 PM: March on E Broad St from the Hilton to rally near the General Assembly Building on 9th Street.
- 1:35-2 PM: rallying on the sidewalk of 9th Street between E Broad St and E Grace St (right outside the General Assembly Building). (Same location as student rally before lunch.)
2:30-4:30 PM — Lobby meetings: members from all of NVM’s campaigns break into groups of 5-10 and enter the GAB to attend scheduled lobby meetings with legislators.
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