Following the women’s marches across the globe on Jan. 21, 2017, many have asked what the next steps are.
Rally+Rise, an activist group based in New York City, is working to give people an answer.
The group, which was formed after the election, describes itself as “a group of ordinary New Yorkers” that is “worried about what a Trump-led White House and Republican-led Congress will do to our basic rights.” It hopes to encourage others to organize and lobby locally to protect those rights.
Its first call to action is to ensure that if Roe v. Wade is overturned, “New Yorkers are protected no matter what,” one of the group’s members Anna Dutkowsky said. That means lobbying for the passage of the New York Reproductive Health Act. If Roe v. Wade is overturned, states would then have control over the right to an abortion, but the current law in New York is from 1970 and doesn’t guarantee the same rights Roe v. Wade does, the group says.
To do this, Rally+Rise will hold a lobbying workshop on Tuesday to offer training on the best ways to impact legislation. The workshop is open to the public and will be led by Alessandra Biaggi, who was the deputy national operations director at Hillary for America.
Following the workshop, the group plans to hold letter writing parties and eventually meet with representatives, Dutkowsky said.
While Rally+Rise is primarily focused on New York legislation, New Yorkers can also get involved in actions led by the Women’s March organizers. The “10 Actions 100 Days” campaign begins with writing a postcard to senators about issues that matter most to you.
The Rally+Rise lobbying workshop will be on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at Honey’s Brooklyn, 93 Scott Ave., in Williamsburg.
