Hi All,
Christine is going to this, it would be great if we could get a group to go. We are co-sponsoring the event.
Confronting the Conservative Agenda in New Hampshire – A Progressive View of the NH Legislative and Electoral Year Ahead
Thursday January 18, 2018 Snow Date: Thursday, January 25, 2018
7 pm – 9 pm 7 pm – 9 pm
@ South Church @ South Church
292 State Street 292 State Street
Portsmouth, NH Portsmouth, NH
We’re bringing together members from a variety of local resistance groups to hear from seasoned veterans of NH grassroots activism focused on the areas of Healthcare, Social Justice, Education, Voting Rights, and the Environment, to shed light on the coming year ahead, as well as preview the crucial 2018 election year for New Hampshire voters.
Join us for a keynote address by AFSC co-director Arnie Alpert, and a panel discussion and Q&A session with state grassroots experts, who will provide insight on upcoming key legislation in Concord, and put forward a progressive vision in the months leading up to the 2018 election!
This year, RESOLVE to really make a difference in NH!
_______________________________________________________
The event is envisioned as a forum for grassroots activist groups and their members throughout the NH Seacoast/area to gather, to network and engage – to motivate us for the coming political year ahead in Concord.
Arnie Alpert of the American Friends Service Committee has agreed to be our keynote speaker and provide a general view of the political weather forecast in Concord for 2018 particularly as pertains to a wide variety of social justice issues and will give us inspiration for the months ahead identifying what issues we need to watch and when to get engaged.
5 topic experts will give short, focused presentations on a number of key legislative issue areas:
Zandra from Granite State Progress will speak about the Medicaid Expansion Reauthorization which is expected to dominate the legislative agenda, and other health care issues,
Cathy Corkery will highlight key environmental issues
Bill Duncan is tentatively on board to discuss the Education forecast under Edelblut.
I am still working on someone to speak about the Voter Suppression efforts in the coming year. I am hoping the revision of our language is sufficient to permit ACLU to participate….Jeanie?
Liz Wester from America Votes will give an overview of the key races in the election year ahead, including the crucial races for Governor and Representatives for both US Congressional seats.
Our speakers are being asked to concisely boil down the coming chaos in Concord to a handful of action items for the audience. After the Q&A and closing song, audience members will be directed to staffed tables where they can sign up to stay informed or get engaged.
The proposed schedule for the evening looks like this:
Speakers and sponsors arrive 6:30; issue tables set up in foyer and staffed by 6:45
6: 45 Doors Open – Time for audience arrival/mingling
7:00 opening comments, acknowledgements
7:05 Intro of Arnie
7:05-7:30 – Arnie Keynote
730-800 – 4 Issue experts – each with 5-8 minutes to concisely summarize their issues and with a call to action
800-810 Election Year ahead
815-840 Q&A Panel
840-845 – End in song
845-900 Audience moves to issue tables for engagement and on-ramping, more mingling/networking
900-930- close up
930-1030 — post event conversation/socializing at Book&Bar for speakers and audience members
Our goal is to capitalize on people’s New Years’ Resolutions, and get their attention focused on our fights in NH before the State of the Union Address on January 22 re-directs people’s attention back to national issues in DC.
The following Seacoast-Area groups have agreed to co-sponsor
Indivisible NH
The Resistance Seacoast
Occupy Seacoast
Indivisible Portsmouth
Exeter Rises
Newcastle Promise
Seacoast Huddle
Seacoast Women’s Action Network (SWAN)
and I’ve reached out to
Exeter Huddle
SURJ
Kent Street Coalition
ACLU
NH Youth Movement
and LEAD NH