URGENT: Mask Rights at Risk! Join Statewide Call in Day of Action to stop Gov Hochul

Dear signer,

We figured this would be a tough fight. But we were truly frustrated to learn that Governor Hochul, after not mentioning mask bans for months, not in her formal budget proposal or state of the state, surprised the leaders of the Assembly and State Senate this week by naming a mask ban as one of her top priorities. 

Your legislators need to hear from you.

We are joining with NYCLU, COVID Advocacy NY, Bend the Arc and other coalition partners for a call-in day on Wednesday, March 26th. 

Our coalition will hold two Zoom events for making calls on Wednesday:

Bend the Arc and JFREJ are hosting a progressive Jewish-specific call-in at 10:30 AM (rsvp here)

The New York Civil Liberties Union and others will host a wider call-in at 1:30 PM (rsvp here)

More details are forthcoming. Even if you can’t make those times, we will get you all the tools you need to be successful.

Why would J4MR partner with these groups?

We have Jews of all varieties, backgrounds, and affiliations who have signed the Jews for Mask Rights letter. Our strength lies in the universality of the need to freely and safely mask, which transcends political affiliation. If you feel comfortable calling with Bend the Arc and JFREJ, join the call on Wednesday morning! If you'd prefer, you're welcome to join the general call that afternoon! And of course, you don’t have to join a virtual phone bank call to make these calls, so make the calls on your own if you like. Everyone who needs the right to mask (which is all of us) has a place in this fight.

Why join a call-in day? Why not call right now instead?

We are planning this as collective action to try to reach as many legislators with as many people on the same day as possible. AND- it is good to be persistent, to call repeatedly, to let elected officials know this really matters to you- because that's the only way your Senators and Assembly members will push to keep this terrible legislation out of the budget. So- if you want to call today, and Wednesday, that's incredible! And, full disclosure, we will ask you to call again until we're sure we've kept this out of the budget.

Spread the word!

The other benefit to a call-in day is: there’s time to spread the word! Let your friends in New York know, your family members, your social action team at your shul or prayer community. Whether you think mask access is important to protect ourselves from illness and wildfire smoke, whether you worry about yourself or your neighbors being racially profiled and this being turned into another stop and frisk, or you worry about your right to freely protest, the more of us calling the better.

We will send more details soon, but we wanted to get this on your radar. Carve out some time on Wednesday, March 26th to tell your State Senator and Assemblymember, Speaker Heastie and Leader Stewart-Cousins, and lastly, Gov. Hochul, that you do not want to see New York restrict mask access in any way.

Excelsior,

Jews for Mask Rights