[Peace] Time Sensitive Action Alert: Kill anti-BDS bill in Illinois TODAY

[SJP UIUC]

Hi all,

After a successful lobbying campaign a couple of weeks ago, Illinois State
Senator Ira Silverstein's unconstitutional bill to punish universities and
academics that participate in professional associations that adopt
resolutions boycotting Israel or Israeli higher education institutions has
been re-assigned from the Higher Education Committee to the *Judiciary
Committee*. A Senate Judiciary Committee hearing at which the bill may be
considered is scheduled for this *Wednesday afternoon, March 19, at 3pm*.


Before Wednesday afternoon, we ask you to help with two things:


1.* CALL SENATORS ON THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE NOW AND STATE YOUR OPPOSITION
TO THE BILL.*

*1) MAKE A CALL NOW to state your opposition to SB 3017 (talking points
below)*!

   - *If your State Senator is on the Judiciary Committee, then we need you
   to call your Senator.* You can check to see if your Senator is on the
   Judiciary Committee, and find the phone number for their Springfield
   office, here: http://www.ilga.gov/senate/committees/members.asp?
   CommitteeID=1248<https://glr.starcafecrm.org/sites/glr.starcafecrm.org/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=17359&qid=787713>
      -

      Click on the legislator's name to find the phone number for their
      Springfield office.
      -

      For "talking points," see below.
      -

      If you don't know who your State Senator is, go to this link and type
      your address to find out: http://www.elections.il.gov/
      districtlocator/addressfinder.aspx<https://glr.starcafecrm.org/sites/glr.starcafecrm.org/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=17360&qid=787713>
      - *if your Senator is not on the Judiciary Committee*, then we need
   you to call the chair of the Judiciary Committee, Senator Kwame Raoul (D-
   Hyde Park). CALL *(217) 782-5338 <%28217%29%20782-5338>*. For "talking
   points," see below.

*2) HELP SPREAD THE WORD:*


   - Share this message as widely and as quickly as you can! *Especially if
   your Senator is on the Judiciary Committee*, we need you to help spread
   the word in your Senate district.
   - Try to get this information to people throughout the state - it
   important that this be a state-wide effort.



*TALKING POINTS - TELL STATE SENATORS:*

I am calling to oppose the Judiciary Committee Amendment to Senate Bill
3017 that seeks to punish certain constitutionally protected political
speech in Illinois.

This amendment proposes that the legislature defund an Illinois state
university which provides funds for membership, travel or lodging for any
employee to attend activities of an academic entity which has issued a
public resolution or statement supporting boycotting a country which is a
member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
or higher education institutions in that country.

   - This bill is unconstitutional because the Supreme Court has ruled that
   boycotts are protected First Amendment activities.
   - The State cannot deny funding to universities because certain
   legislators don't like the views that faculty and staff are expressing
   through protected First Amendment activities like boycotts.
   - Legislative intrusion in academic decision-making undermines
   academics' abilities to associate and exchange views with their colleagues.
   - It is fiscally irresponsible and unconstitutional to condition funding
   for the Illinois university system on the university's censorship of
   academic associations' political viewpoints.

*Thank you for taking action! Our organized response can help prevent this
legislation from moving forward. Let's keep up the pressure! *


2. *Generating "witness slips" for testimony at the hearing in opposition
to the bill.* Our focus for this action is leaders and more engaged
activists. There is a simple online form where interested parties can
register as witnesses for the hearing in opposition to the bill. To
register your opposition in writing, submit as a "Record Of Appearance
Only," which means that you don't have to attend the hearing, but your
opposition will be officially recorded. Our friends at the Illinois ACLU
say that generating many such witness slips in opposition is an effective
tactic to demonstrate opposition to legislators. *We urge you to
individually encourage leaders and engaged activists to submit this form.* It's
actually pretty simple and should just take a few minutes, but might be
daunting to someone who has never heard of "witness slips" before.


The link is here:

http://my.ilga.gov/WitnessSlip/Create/79303?committeeHearingId=11620&LegislationId=79303&SCommittees3%2F21%2F2014-page=1&committeeid=0&chamber=S&nodays=7&_=1394831006091&GridCurrentCommittees-page=1


Here are some brief instructions for filling out the form:

I.  Identification - Enter your information; fax number is not required but
if you don't include a fax number you must clear this field completely.

II. Representation - Fill in if you are representing an organization

III. Position - Click on the button next to "Opponent"

IV. Testimony - Click on the box next to "Record of Appearance Only" if you
don't plan on testifying in person.

- Type the Captcha Code in the box.

- Click Next to "I Agree to the ILGA Terms of Agreement."

- Click on "Create Slip."

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-- 
*-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*
*Students for Justice in Palestine *
*University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign*
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