Black Lives Matter has introduced a new initiative, Our States:
A new initiative launched by Black Lives Matter activists seeks to re-focus the movement's efforts on state capitols, building on momentum at the national level to push back against President Donald Trump's political agenda on issues such as policing and immigration.
The online platform OurStates.org is the latest indication that Democrats and left-leaning groups are turning their attention to statehouses after concluding that many of the policies they oppose are being enacted at the state level, since Congress has passed few major laws in recent years.
Despite the movement's national presence, it has not concentrated "on engaging and resisting what state legislatures are doing to essentially implement the same agenda," said Sam Sinyangwe, a data scientist with the project. "If we don't engage on the state level, many of the same rights we're fighting to protect will be restricted at the local level anyway."
Users visiting the site can choose categories and click on states to learn more about pending legislation. It has a guide for influencing lawmakers, directing people to ask for in-person meetings, present specific demands and track the progress of legislation. The site also suggests conducting protests in lawmakers' offices to apply pressure and get their attention.
From the Our States website:
You have more power to influence your state legislator than your member of Congress. The average state representative's district is 12 times smaller than a Congressional district. Most are not lifelong politicians, or even full-time politicians. They are not always focused on reelection because many of them run unopposed. And state legislators have the power to decide many of the most important issues impacting communities.
However, since state legislators have fewer resources than members of Congress, it is harder for them to take ideas and turn them into legislation.
That's where you come in.
This is a welcome addition to the fight to start putting Democrats who can affect chance in our society into state houses. I look forward to seeing how it goes, and maybe I'll even get involved. I've added a link to it in the right hand sidebar under "Get Involved." Check it out.
It's good to see a group that has done an amazing job
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