Fellow activist,
This week, the U.S. Supreme Court made a major decision that could impact the future of millions of people across the nation: It ruled that the Trump administration can proceed with firing approximately 1,000 employees at the Department of Education, which, according to The New York Times, effectively eliminates the agency.
The department is responsible for critical functions, including disbursing grants and loans to college students, sending money to K-12 schools to support low-income students and students with disabilities, tracking student achievement, and enforcing civil rights laws. While only Congress can eliminate a cabinet-level agency, Trump is working to gut the Department of Education so it can no longer effectively function.
In Justice Sonia Sotomayor's dissent, she wrote that the court decision “would have severe consequences for the country’s students by unleashing ‘untold harm, delaying or denying educational opportunities and leaving students to suffer from discrimination, sexual assault and other civil rights violations without the federal resources Congress intended.’”
This is just another example of why courts matter.
Judges and justices on the bench make decisions every day that affect our lives, our children's future, and the outcomes of our communities. From education to reproductive rights, immigration, climate, and beyond, the state and federal judiciary hold critical decisions in their hands, and we must work to ensure our justice system remains an impartial, just, and fair system that prioritizes people over politics.
Due to federalism, both the federal government and each state government have their own court systems. State courts are the final arbiters of state laws and state constitutions, their interpretation of federal law or the U.S. Constitution may be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. In recent years, among other decisions the PA Supreme Court ruled on cases that protected voting rights and access to the ballot, fair and equitable school funding, reproductive freedom, and environmental justice.
This matters deeply to us, as Pennsylvania has critical judicial elections just around the corner. Republicans are running a massive anti-retention campaign against Democratic-elected justices on our state Supreme Court. We need to ensure that voters understand what’s at stake and are prepared to cast their votes at the ballot box to elect leaders who will stand up for our rights and freedoms.
We must protect the independence of our state judiciary and time is running out to fully fund our critical voter education and mobilization campaigns ahead of the general election this year. Please help support our work to ensure voters understand the power of the courts by donating $25 or more today.
If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately:Donate $25 ([link removed] $50 ([link removed] $100 ([link removed] $250 ([link removed] $500 ([link removed] NOW → ([link removed]
In solidarity,
Team NPP
Donations to the New Pennsylvania Project supports our staff’s community engagement efforts including; organizing and hosting town halls, educational webinars, community conversations, and creating digital content, bi-weekly blasts and social media to reach the communities we engage year-round.
The New Pennsylvania Project (NPP) is a voting rights organization with a year-round primary focus on voter registration, civic education, and mobilization. NPP centers historically disenfranchised and often neglected Black, Indigenous and other people of color, immigrant communities and the youth in our work. Through civic engagement, we ensure all eligible voters feel compelled to exercise their freedom to vote in the Commonwealth.
Will you support us with a monthly contribution today?DONATE MONTHLY ([link removed]
www.newpaproject.org
Facebook || Twitter || Instagram || YouTube
The New Pennsylvania Project is a 501(c)(4). Contributions are not for charitable purposes and are not tax deductible.Paid for by the New Pennsylvania Project
Our Contact Information
New Pennsylvania Project
P.O. Box 443
West Chester, PA 19381
412-699-6771
[link removed] ([link removed]
Unsubscribe ([link removed] | Manage email preferences ([link removed]
