February 24, 2020 02:50 PM UTC

What you can do to fight back this week (February 24)

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• by: ProgressNow Colorado

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As you may know, my boss Ian Silverii is out of the office on parental leave. Last week, Ian took a break from spending time with his new family to write a column for the Denver Post on an issue that’s now closer to Ian’s heart than ever: paid family leave.

We’ve learned a lot about what it takes to raise a baby. The time and effort, the lack of sleep, and the extreme joys and challenges of a human being’s first month of life have been unforgettable. Unfortunately, one in four new mothers in our country must return to work within ten days of giving birth, and 83% of American workers have no access to paid family leave, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. For that huge majority of workers, starting a family is an enormous financial sacrifice.

Read Ian’s latest column on paid family leave here.

Right now in the Colorado legislature, paid family leave is facing tough opposition. Senator Faith Winter and Representative Matt Gray are doing everything they can to get a majority of lawmakers on board. Gov. Jared Polis wants to sign a bill this year, and we need to encourage everyone under the Gold Dome to work together to make paid family leave a reality.

Action item #1 this week: Drop a line to Sen. Winter and Rep. Gray, and let them know you’ve got their back as they keep fighting for paid family leave.

Sen. Faith Winter: 303-866-4863, faith.winter.senate@state.co.us
Rep. Matt Gray: 303-866-4667, matt@matthewgray.us

Thanks for your help supporting a program that stands to benefit thousands of Coloradans. It’s these fights over bread-and-butter issues at the Colorado state capitol that often matter most in our daily lives–sometimes even more than what happens in Washington.

Here are more great ways to help for the week of February 24:

Town Hall with Rep. Jason Crow

The event will be in the Aurora Central High School Auditorium. To access the auditorium, please use the west entrance on Newark St. By registering for this event, you agree to receive occasional notifications on this event and updates from the office of Rep. Jason Crow.

Where: Aurora Central High School, 11700 E 11th Ave, Aurora
When: Monday, February 24 at 5:30pm

Click here to RSVP.

2020 Colorado Women’s Legislative Breakfast

Purpose of event: Bringing legislators, community members, and advocates together to discuss the most important issues to Colorado women and legislation that can affect those issues. At the end of the program, attendees will be asked to assist with a specific “Call to Action.” Spanish Language and ASL translation will be provided.

Where: Denver Scottish Rite Consistory, 1370 Grant St, Denver
When: Tuesday, February 25 at 7:00am

Click here to RSVP.

Celebrate Mardi Gras & Support CCDC!

On Tuesday, 2/25/20, Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition will be holding a fundraiser from 4pm to 9pm, at the Skylark Lounge, 140 S Broadway, in Denver. There will be a $15 suggested donation to support the work of CCDC. With all the meetings, emails, computer screens, and conferences, a good celebration is overdue. It’s time for some fun. This will be a Mardi Gras themed event, so it’s time to put on the purple, green, and gold. We will have a silent auction, raffle, some traditional festival food and drink, speakers, and LIVE music.

Where: Skylark Lounge, 140 S Broadway, Denver
When: Tuesday, February 25 at 4:00pm

Click here to RSVP.

Advocate for a Sustainable, Clean Energy Future!

How can you help with the fight for a better climate? Our lawmakers need to hear from business leaders like you! Learn how you can effectively support clean energy policies and directly engage with your legislators. Sign up for free to join our volunteer team of business leaders for a day of action. Schedule for the Day: We ask you participate in both the prep session and the advocacy meetings from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Please prepare a brief “elevator speech” in advance about who you are and where you work, and read the information we send prior to the event to make the most of the training.

Where: Alliance Center, 1536 Wynkoop St., Denver
When: Wednesday, February 26 at 10:00am

Click here to RSVP.

Colorado People’s Action: People Power Training

We have a wild idea that elections should revolve around everyday people, not candidates. Join us to learn about an exciting new tool called OutVote. Together, we can change who shows up for elections and build a movement of multi-racial working class people like you and me. All you need is a smart phone!

Where: 14707 E 2nd Ave, Aurora
When: Wednesday, February 26 at 6:30pm

Click here to RSVP.

Colorado Sierra Club: Denver Lobby Day

It’s up to us as Colorado citizens to get environmental champions elected to office. Once they’re elected, we must hold them accountable to safeguarding our open spaces, clean air and water for all to enjoy, explore and protect. This is our chance to make sure our legislators turn that mandate into transformative public policy that results in meaningful change. We need your voice to ensure state leaders pass bold pro-environmental legislation this year.

Where: First Baptist Church of Denver, 1373 Grant St, Denver
When: Thursday, February 27 at 8:00am

Click here to RSVP.

Parasol Patrol: Shielding Kids From Protesters At Drag Queen Story Time

Parasol Patrol is honored to help shield children from vocal protesters at their Drag Queen Story Time at the Broomfield Auditorium in Broomfield, CO. Many of these are expected to be the same protesters the children face at the Drag for All Ages Show at Mile High Comics. Our volunteers and community members will help kids with umbrellas to create a visual barrier with you and walk audience to the door of the venue. The organizers are calling for attendees to dress colorfully and festive.

Where: 3 Community Park Rd, Broomfield
When: Saturday, February 29 at 8:30am

Click here to RSVP.

CORRN Confirmer & Legal Observer Training

Legal observers are independent witnesses of ICE behavior and support the legal rights of vulnerable populations. While the focus of this training will be on how to support and observe in case of a raid conducted by immigration authorities, legal observers can apply what they learn in many situations, such as: Accompanying immigrants and their families as they attend court dates or ICE check-ins, and attending public demonstrations, protests, and other activities where there is a potential for conflict between the public or activists and the police, security guards, or other law enforcement officials.

Where: Justice for All Center, 2525 W Alameda Ave, Denver
When: Saturday, February 29 at 10:00am

Click here to RSVP.

Remember to watch your inbox for late-breaking alerts! We’ll see you next Monday with more ways to make a difference.