Hi John, 

Welcome to the latest New PA Project Education Fund (NPPEF) newsletter!

Yesterday, the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) bill passed the U.S. House, 220 to 208, and is now headed to the Senate.

This bill, if it passes the Senate, would require prospective voters to show proof of U.S. citizenship in order to register to vote, a move that will create unnecessary barriers for over 21 million of eligible U.S. citizens.

Actions like these disproportionately harm working people, young voters, new Americans, anyone who has changed their name, such as married people taking their spouse's last name, and Black and brown communities.

As a voting rights organization, we are vehemently opposed to any additional barriers that would make it more difficult to register to vote, and also make it more difficult for our voices to be heard at the ballot box.

A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law. The idea for a bill can come from anyone. It could be a member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, or even by people or citizen groups who recommend a new or amended law to a member of Congress that represents them.

Once a bill is introduced, or presented in either body, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make any necessary changes to the bill.

The bill is then put before that chamber (U.S. House or Senate) to be voted on.

If the bill passes in one body of Congress, it goes to the other body to go through a similar process of research, discussion, changes, and voting (If it started in the House then it goes to the Senate and vice versa).

Once both bodies have passed the bill, they need to review if there were any changes, to make sure they pass the same version. If it passes, it goes to the president.

The president then either approves the bill and signs it into law, making it an act. Or the president rejects the bill. This is called a veto.

If the president chooses to veto a bill, in most cases Congress can vote to override that veto and the bill becomes a law. But if the president does not sign off on a bill and it remains unsigned when Congress is no longer in session, the bill will be vetoed by default. This action is called a pocket veto, and it cannot be overridden by Congress.

The SAVE act is not really an act. It is a bill that has passed the House. In order to become an act, the Senate would have to pass it, and then the president would have to sign it, and maybe adjust the name or it would become the "SAVE act Act" if it became law.

This week, 159 years ago the Civil Rights Act of 1866 was passed.

It declared that anyone born in the United States was a citizen, regardless of their race or previous condition of slavery.

This law was passed about one year after the abolition of slavery to counteract discriminatory "Black Codes" passed by many southern states after the Civil War. The Codes limited the freedoms of Black people.

President Andrew Johnson initially vetoed the bill, but Congress overrode the veto, and the Act became law on April 9, 1866.

Today, 159 years later, there are still some elected officials who are trying to dismantle these rights - by, for example, proposing the end of birthright citizenship. 

The race for one seat on Wisconsin's Supreme Court this year became the most expensive state Supreme Court race in U.S. history. 

Three Pennsylvania Supreme Court seats are up for retention this November.

Pennsylvania is one of only seven states that votes for all of our judges and justices in partisan elections. Our State Supreme Court justices serve 10-year terms. At the end of this term the justices face a nonpartisan retention election, where voters choose “yes” or “no” on whether a sitting justice should stay on the bench. If a seat is vacated, Governor Shapiro can nominate temporary justices until the partisan election of 2027, but two-thirds of the state Senate must approve the nomination.

Here is a list of all the judges up for retention elections in PA this year.

Meanwhile on the Federal landscape, on Wednesday, the House voted to pass a bill to limit nationwide orders from federal district judges. Recently, federal courts determined that actions such as the firings of federal workers, the freezing of federal funds, and the closing of long-running federal offices are unlawful. It is unlikely this bill will pass on the Senate, but another example on how some legislators want to control the judicial power.

Just last week, U.S. District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter, ruled that the practice of rejecting undated mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments, and is currently being appealed by the Republican National Committee (RNC).

Disqualifying voters’ ballots over a trivial paperwork errors on their return envelope discourages voters from participating in the democratic process.

We want Pennsylvanians voting twice a year - every year - and not disenfranchised by unnecessary rules. We hope this decision motivates voters to turn out to make their voices heard. 

This November, voters will have the power to retain or vacate three seats of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

The votes cast by powerful Pennsylvania voters in November will impact our lives for years to come, as Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court will make decisions about our election administration, access to abortion, the safety of our workplaces, and the right to unionize. Make sure you can voice your vote!

Let's provide civic education together! 

We're looking for people passionate about voting rights in Erie, Lawrence, Lehigh Valley, Bucks, Montgomery, Chester, and Delaware County to help us shape the future of Pennsylvania.

Join our team and help us provide civic education in our communities and register folks to vote!

Positions start at $20 an hour.

Interested? Contact [email protected]

Trump reversed tariffs that caused the market meltdown, but not until it hurt billionaire's pockets, and not without letting other deep pockets profit. 

Just the threat of tariffs forced some companies to delay or cancel plans, temporarily lay off workers, or institute a hiring freeze. Main street was feeling the pain long before they came into action but once Wall Street got hurt the administration backed down. 

After four days off losses Trump announced a 90-day pause on nearly all tariffs, making stocks soar. The market, measured by the S&P 500, gained back about $4 trillion, or 70%, of the value it had lost over the previous four trading days.

Speaking of money, remember that next Tuesday, April 15th is the last day to submit your tax information.

Did you know that many people without legal status pay billions in taxes, filing under tax identification numbers? According to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, undocumented immigrants paid $96.7 billion in federal, state and local taxes in 2022. The IRS will now have to share their information with ICE. 

Why should this matter? Some say that it is a slippery slope, like the one related to mass deportations which were supposed to ONLY be of undocumented criminals. Now, legally here students across the nation have had their visas revoked. Plus, this week the White House confirmed Trump is thinking about sending US citizens to prisons in El Salvador. 

This is the same prison where, almost a month ago, a Maryland man was mistakenly deported to. The Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that the administration must bring him back.

Super voters vote twice a year, every year!

Thank you for doing your part to stay informed and engaged! 

Important Links:

PA Department of State Website

Upcoming elections

Mail-in and Absentee Ballot

Fact-Checking Election Claims

Voter Hotlines:

Voter Protection Hotline: 1-866-OUR-VOTE

DOS PA Voter Hotline: 1-877-VOTESPA

Spanish/English Hotline: 1-866-VE-Y-VOTA

Asian Languages Hotline: 1-888-API-VOTE

Arabic/English Hotline: 1-844-YALLA-US

Paid for by the New PA Project Education Fund

New PA Project Education Fund
PO Box 453
West Chester, PA 19381
United States

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