Louisiana Senator Proposes Openly Racist Amendment Kicking Ex-Cons Off Food Stamps
Many of us are wise to the racist private prison pipeline for people of color in the US. Black men have been incarcerated at higher rates than white men for decades. Thanks harsh immigration laws, brown men and women now make up the highest proportion of our federal prison system.
To add insult to injury, Senator Vitter has proposed an amendment to the farm bill which would prohibit anyone convicted of a crime from ever receiving food stamps during their lifetimes.
So, a 19-year-old man who serves prison time and returns to society rehabilitated would never be allowed to get subsidized food while he is trying to rebuild his life. What is his likely course of action? More crime? It could happen.
This amendment is openly racist. The only benefit would be to the private prison industry.
Read more about this in this story from Colorlines. Then call Senators Flake and McCain.
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The Living Economy event was very informative; we had a great time hob-nobbing. My husband Jim is a small business owner and a member of Local First Arizona. I have owned two small businesses in the past– Powers/Queen Associates and Wind Dancer Design. We support Local First Arizona and buying/investing locally. We believe that supporting local small businesses with low-interest loans through a public/private partnership between a public bank and community banks and credit unions is the sustainable route to improving our local economy. Trickle down economics doesn’t work; it’s time for new ideas.
Governor Ducey had proposed increasing prison beds and funding, while cutting education. Protesters took issue with that short-sighted idea.
We are the 99%.
#RedForEd teachers and supporters in the Arizona House Gallery, 2018.
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Rep. Pamela Powers Hannley with members of the Tucson Chapter of NOW on opening day at the Arizona Legislature, 2018.
I have a background in research. Help me build Tucson’s tech industry and grow our own local businesses.
PDA Tucson Coordinator Jim Hannley speaks against both the crowd management ordinance and the urban camping ban at the City Council meeting.
Jim and I were part of a contingent of Unitarian Universalists who came up from Tucson. Here I am with Rev. Ron Phares from the Mountain Vista UU Church in my district. (Jim is photobombing us.)
Jobs with Justice marching with Occupy Tucson in support of postal workers.
Occupy encampment in Armory Park– before it was cleared out in the middle of the night by Tucson Police.
Rep. Sally Ann Gonzales and I were interviewed by NBC at the Phoenix rally.
Safe Park, downtown Tucson
Protesting migrant deaths in the Arizona desert.
Despite the sweltering heat, Jim and I had a great time at the Labor Day Picnic. We collected a lot of Clean Elections $5 donations and signatures. Here I am with LD9 chair Michael Dues.
We often hear that corporations need migrant workers because Americans “don’t want to do these jobs.” When I hear this statement, I picture farm workers picking vegetables. Recently, I toured two dairies and an animal feed packing plant in Pinal County. The photo above from the Zinke Dairy shows a giant cow milking carousel. Nine migrant workers milk 4000 cows three times a day at this dairy. Legislators watched the two men pictured here– working at a brisk pace– bend over and pick up, lift, and attach large electronic suction cups to the cows as they ride the carousel around the giant facility. This level of automation is the wave of the future for industrial jobs.
Congressman Ron Barber and Pamela Powers Hannley at Cyclovia
The Oberlin Rescuers outside of the Cuyahoga County Jail.
A homeless man sleeps in the shadow of corporate America.
Giving the LD9 update at the June meeting. What a great crowd!
This is a broken sink in the Ladies’ Room at the Arizona State Building in downtown Tucson. One of the elevators also was broken. It’s time to fix Arizona government.
A giant poet’s head made up of stainless steel letters marks the stop near the UA Poetry Center.
Ironically, I posted this blog post on the anniversary of this election on June 19. 1970ish.
There have been many lively debates in the Arizona House in 2018. This team of House Democrats fought for consumer protections and fought against risky financial deals in a “regulatory sandbox.” (Pictured are Reps. Mitzi Epstein, Kelli Butler, Athena Salman, Pamela Powers Hannley, Ken Clark and Isela Blanc.)
It was truly a honor to meet Nevada State Senator Patricia Spearman (center) in October and to confer with her regarding our efforts to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in Arizona. Spearman led the successful Nevada efforts to ratify the ERA in 2017. Here we are with activist and NOW leader Dainne Post after the ERA workshop at the We the People Conference in Phoenix. There are a lot of Arizona women who are ready to make history in 2018. Watch my blog here and my Facebook page here for ERA updates.
Pamela Powers Hannley, Progressive Democrat for Arizona House, LD9
In the 1980s, the Tucson Weekly called Tucson the “Baked Apple”.
Protesting cuts to education
Visiting with PALF chairman Fred Yamashita at the 2016 Labor Day Picnic.
PDA members, including Advisory Board Chair Mimi Kennedy, protested food stamp cuts in front of Congressman Henry Waxman’s office.
Martin Luther King, Jr. march.
Protesters hand deliver symbolic big check from corporate American to McCain.
John Nichols of ‘The Nation’ addressed progressives and unionists at a Tucson event.
Arizonans for New Economy co-directors Jim Hannley and Pamela Powers Hannley with UA Tech Park VP Bruce Wright.
Protesting anti-woman laws at the Arizona state capitol.
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