SOMA Action Blog
SOMA Actions: Week of May 17
DO TONIGHT! Attend a Virtual Town Hall on the Filibuster, with Sens. Jeff Merkley and Elizabeth Warren
DO NOW! Visit the wishing tree in honor of Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) month
DO NOW! Register for NJ Cannabis Virtual Roundtable
GO DEEPER! Learn about why SOMA Action membership is so important
GET INVOLVED! Contact your reps to support the "American Jobs Plan"
Click through for links and details!
Call to Action: Become a Sustaining member of SOMA Action!
In a special message to SOMA Action members, Membership Chair Beth Boily lays out why sustaining membership is important for our success.
SOMA Actions: Week of May 10
DO NOW! Make Calls to Arizona to Protect Voting Rights!
GET INVOLVED! RAINDATE for MAPLEWOOD John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Action, May 15th!
SO EASY! Sign the petition in support of the NJ Domestic Workers Bill of Rights!
DON'T FORGET! South Orange Residents: Deadline to Vote
GO DEEPER! Learn about our brand new Democracy Action Committee!
Click through for links and details!
SOMA Action’s Democracy Action Committee
Amy Higer and Allison Posner are the co-chairs of the newly formed Democracy Action Committee. They answered a few questions about what this new committee is, and what we can expect to see from it in the months ahead.
SOMA Actions Week of May 3
Much to do this week! Click through for details on the following:
DO NOW! Sign the petition in support of the NJ Domestic Workers Bill of Rights!
Put pressure on Essex County to help detained immigrants
GET INVOLVED! Join us on May 8th: National John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Action Day
Pay Up Climate Polluter Postcards Still Available!
GO DEEPER! Learn about the candidates for South Orange Trustee
DON'T FORGET! South Orange Residents: Get Ready to Vote!
SPECIAL OFFER! Join SOPAC for a virtual presentation featuring renowned journalist Chris Wallace
Hilton, Brown and Haskins Respond to Our Questions in Advance of Election
SOMA Action sent a questionnaire to the candidates for South Orange trustee with questions about achieving equity in policing, increasing affordable housing, defending the environment and other issues. Read their responses…
New Jersey and Climate Change: Making Progress but More to Do
SOMA Action Board member Mary Barber thinks New Jersey is making progress in terms of climate change, but there’s much more to do…
Everything (Yep, Everything) You Want to Know About Legal Cannabis in New Jersey
Back in November, New Jersey voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure to decriminalize marijuana and establish a legal cannabis market statewide—which means April 20th will really be a day worth celebrating this year. There’s just one slight problem…
Our 2020 Year in Review Report is "Live!"
It goes without saying that 2020 was a critical and historic year for our nation. It was also a year in which SOMA Action made an outsized impact—on our local community, as well as the nationwide progressive landscape—thanks to all of the hard work, generosity, and ingenuity of our volunteers, donors, and leaders.
So we decided to capture the highlights of our 2020 with our first-ever Year in Review Report.
SOMA Actions: Week of April 5
Lots of opportunities to get involved this week! Click through for links and details.
DO NOW! Send an email to NJ legislators advocating for climate justice in the state budget
Register NOW for Zoom Call on "The Far Right, Fascism & Insurrection"
GET INVOLVED! Join SOMA Action's LGBTQ Committee!
GO DEEPER! Learn about Voter Suppression in NJ
Celebrate a WIN with Menendez!
Holly Gauthier and David Harris Discuss Voter Suppression
Voter suppression is on everyone’s mind these days. But how is it playing out right here in New Jersey? David Harris and Holly Gauthier, Co-chairs of the Voter Rights Committee, shared some thoughts.
Meet Tara Mallon, Education Committee Chair
Tara Mallon is the chair of the newly revived Education Committee for SOMA Action. She shares some thoughts about what she’s hoping to accomplish.
SOMA Actions: Week of March 22
DO NOW! Sign up to volunteer with the Immigrant Rights Committee
Call/write Senator Bob Menendez to take a stand on filibuster reform
Send an email to Gov. Murphy fighting for Climate Justice
GO DEEPER! Register for our Guest Speaker Event
Click through for details!
SOMA Actions: Week of March 15th
Missed Monday’s email? No problem! There’s still plenty of time to act this week.
DO NOW! Call Governor Murphy to Press for Representation on the Cannabis Equity Initiative! AND
Call Local Leaders to Urge them to Accelerate COVID Vaccines for Educators
GO DEEPER! Read our Blog about Words that Win!
Click through for details!
WORDS THAT W!N helps SOMA Action members construct compelling narratives
Last week several SOMA Action members attended a workshop led by WORDS THAT W!N. The workshop uses the “Race Class Narrative” to craft compelling messaging. They offered simple and effective ways to re-frame messaging to make it really resonate.
SOMA Actions: Week of March 8
Whether you have just a few moments or want to do some long-range planning, there’s an action for everyone this week!
DO NOW! Contact Gov. Murphy for Cannabis Equity
Spend 2 Minutes Fighting for the Climate
LEARN MORE! Take Further Action for AR 75, the bill to hold the fossil fuel industry accountable in NJ
GO DEEPER! Start prepping for the 2022 Midterms
Click through for links and details!
Democrats in Jeopardy of Losing the Senate
With the election barely in the rearview mirror, it seemed like we could relax for a bit. But, no, Democrats are already in jeopardy of losing the Senate. New SOMA Action trustee, and co-captain of the Georgia Senate team, Allison Posner answers a few questions about the issue.
SOMA Actions: Week of March 1
Take Action!
DO NOW! Sign this Petition Against Fracking
LEARN MORE! About the New Energy Aggregation Initiative
Click HERE for more details!
Energy Aggregation Initiative: Some Answers
As you may know, SOMA is participating in a new energy aggregation initiative that will be hitting your electric bill soon. Tracey Woods, the chair of the Maplewood Green Team answers some questions about it.
Member Spotlight: Geneva Paul
Geneva Paul, treasurer of SOMA Action, says surrounding herself with others who were “just as upset and motivated for change was a blanket of comfort on some of the toughest days over the last four years.”