Birmingham (AL) Indivisible is a grassroots political org interested in using civic engagement for accountable gov't. Also for social, environmental & economic justice. Affiliated w Indivisible Nat'l https://www.youtube.com/@BHMIndivisible
![July 8th, Demand Real Oversight of ICE; Arrests & Detention Conditions
ICE arrests have now climbed to about 2,000 a day, described by a federal source as a new normal [Source: NBC News]. Here is what that looks like in Alabama:
On June 30, Homeland Security Investigations detained more than 30 people at a Birmingham manufacturing plant, Scholar Craft, in an operation the agency says is still active [Source: ABC 33/40].
Leonardo Garcia Venegas, a U.S. citizen from Robertsdale, was pulled from his car and handcuffed at a work site in May even while holding his REAL ID, and is now suing DHS. It was at least the third time agents detained him [Source: Institute for Justice].
In Franklin County last November, at least 28 people were detained at checkpoints near a Pilgrim's Pride poultry plant outside Russellville. Advocates said some had valid work permits, plants closed early, and local school absences doubled
People are now held again at the Etowah County Detention Center in Gadsden, a facility with a decades-long documented record of inadequate medical care, poor food, and abuse. ICE itself stopped using it in 2022 over serious deficiencies, and it is now being brought back into ICE use as detention expands
Hi, my name is [NAME], and I'm calling from [ZIP], [STATE].
I'm concerned that ICE is now arresting about 2,000 people a day nationwide, sweeping up people who work and raise families here, and even U.S. citizens.
Last week agents detained more than 30 people at a Birmingham plant, and a citizen from Robertsdale was handcuffed even though he showed his REAL ID.
I'm asking [Senator/Representative NAME] to demand real oversight of ICE, starting with a public accounting of how its funding is spent and an independent investigation of detention conditions, including the Etowah center in Gadsden.
This is about due process and stopping the waste of our tax dollars on mistreating our neighbors. Please act now, and thank you for your time.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:r6foxcfryyzazfbajthdjo42/bafkreib33n3cuafobwqnkijw3e5ye76drr4orlevlqeoh5e4npnk75ji3q)
![Daily Action Call, Tuesday, June 30th, Please Read and Call
Senator
Hi, I’m a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.
First, please ask the Senator to vote yes on S. 4814, which would extend TPS for Haitians despite last week’s Supreme Court ruling. I’d like to see a similar bill for Syrian TPS recipients also. Sending these people back to their horribly dangerous countries right now is not an option.
I also strongly oppose giving Trump any more money towards defense or his war in Iran, whether it be by reconciliation or a supplemental bill.
The total cost of the war is already estimated to be at least $132 billion. American taxpayers are bearing the cost— a new report says the average household has spent up to an additional $1,313 as a result. I don’t want one more penny of my money going to Iran, war in Venezuela, or on bombing anyone. I want it to go to Americans who are struggling. Vote no!
Representative
Hi, I’m a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.
First, I want the representative to stand up for disability rights and support a resolution to reaffirm the promise of the Olmstead Supreme Court ruling. Millions of Americans depend on those protections to live independently in their communities, and Congress shouldn't allow the Trump administration to reverse nearly three decades of progress. [H/T and more info]
I strongly oppose giving Trump any more money towards his war in Iran, whether it be by reconciliation or a supplemental bill. The total cost of the war is already estimated to be at least $132 billion. American taxpayers are bearing the cost— a new report says the average household has spent up to an additional $1,313 as a result. I don’t want one more penny of my money going to Iran, war in Venezuela, or on bombing anyone. I want it to go to Americans who are struggling. Vote no!](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:r6foxcfryyzazfbajthdjo42/bafkreicvqpeybzyfzqw4ajf6juojnpdkympkucbef423stoffvphzec6o4)
![About 670,000 Alabamians rely on SNAP, including roughly 300,000 children.
👉🏻Starting this October, Alabama is on the hook for about $35 million a year in new administrative costs, and once a benefit penalty kicks in, the state’s share could run between $174 million and $261 million a year, depending on Alabama’s “error rate,” which is a clerical accuracy measure, not a fraud rate.
👉🏻 The state’s own SNAP director told Alabama’s human resources board the choices come down to pay the new cost, drive the error rate down, or end the program.
👉🏻The one place left to soften this financial blow to the state is the farm bill now in the Senate, where a bipartisan coalition that includes the National Governors Association has asked Congress to delay the cost-shift until 2030.
1️⃣Hi, my name is [NAME], and I’m calling from [ZIP], [ STATE].
I'm asking Senator Tuberville to vote to delay the SNAP cost-shift in the Senate farm bill. SNAP helps about 670,000 Alabamians buy groceries, including 300,000 children, and the new cost-shift could hand our state a bill of more than $170 million a year.
👉🏻The Senator voted for that cost-shift last year, and he sits on the Agriculture Committee writing this farm bill, so he's the right person to undo it. A bipartisan group of governors has already asked Congress to delay it.
👉🏻Senator Tuberville helped pass this cost onto Alabama, and now he can help fix it by voting for the delay.
🗓️ Saturday, 6/27 4:45 Signs of Fascism
🔹Signs of Fascism event. We will be present with our signs outside Regions Field for a Birmingham Barons Home game.
🔹If you are available on that day and would like to learn more, please complete this google form 👇🏼
https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLSebt.../viewform...
🗓️Saturday, 7/4 9:00 AM Visibility Brigade
🔹If you are available to help spread a 4th of July message to our friends and neighbors, please complete this google form 🔹Details about the location will be shared closer to the event](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:r6foxcfryyzazfbajthdjo42/bafkreihdq6ifcfwq73wkgkj3mw4h6b6mbkhghd6nbwbto75geqs2fqc7gy)
![☎️Daily Action Call, Tuesday, June 23rd, OPPOSE the Save Our Bacon Act☎️
📚Background
👉🏻The “Save Our Bacon Act” is a controversial provision included in the House-passed Farm Bill (H.R. 7567) that would roll back animal welfare protections by preventing states from enforcing many of their own livestock production standards. If enacted, it would prevent states from adopting or enforcing laws that protect farm animals from being raised in cruel conditions like extreme confinement.
🔹This harmful provision would:
👉🏻Nullify voter-approved laws such as California’s Proposition 12 and Massachusetts’ Question 3, which require that certain animal products sold in those states come from livestock raised under minimum humane standards.
👉🏻Prevent other states from adopting similar protections in the future, even when approved by voters or state legislatures.
Override states’ longstanding authority to determine what agricultural products may be sold within their borders.
👉🏻Its impact could also extend far beyond pork production. According to an analysis by Harvard Law School’s Animal Law & Policy Clinic, the provision could undermine more than 600 state agricultural laws, including regulations governing food safety, seafood labeling, and the spread of pests and diseases.
👉🏻As Congress finalizes the Farm Bill—the massive, multiyear legislative package that governs agricultural and food programs—lawmakers should reject the “Save Our Bacon Act” provision and preserve the authority of states to enact and enforce their own animal welfare protections.
1️⃣Hi, my name is [NAME], and I’m calling from [ZIP], Alabama.
👉🏻I'm calling to urge [REP/SEN NAME] to oppose the inclusion of the Save Our Bacon Act in the Farm Bill. This harmful provision will roll back crucial animal cruelty protections and undermine the ability of states and voters to establish their own animal welfare standards.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:r6foxcfryyzazfbajthdjo42/bafkreicog6edkpfxz6pkfllbo5wxbbfeksobr4pck7y2extnby3lqqnr44)
![Daily Action Call, Thursday, June 18th, Demand Review of Iran War Negotiations
Iran 'deal': Trump has announced that a deal has been reached with Iran to extend the current ceasefire for 60 days, lift the U.S. naval blockade on Iranian ports, and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. However, the agreement is not a permanent peace deal, as many key issues, including details of Iran’s nuclear program, remain unresolved.FISA: In April 2024, Congress passed the Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act (RISAA), expanding the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and redefining the laws that govern how the US can conduct foreign intelligence surveillance. This act extended a controversial 2008 law called Section 702, which allows for wiretapping and data collection without a warrant or court order.
Section 702 has been repeatedly abused in the past, with the FBI using its loopholes to access the communications of “peaceful protesters, federal and state lawmakers, Congressional staff, thousands of campaign donors, journalists, and a judge reporting civil rights violations by local police.” As over one hundred civil liberties groups expressed in a March 19th letter to Congress, new advancements in technology will only create further opportunities for abuse of this surveillance, such as the use of AI to mine and sell personal data.
Hi, my name is [NAME] and I’m a constituent from [CITY, STATE, ZIP].I'm calling to urge [REP/SEN NAME] to demand and conduct congressional oversight of Trump's negotiations with Iran. Any final and costly agreement must be reviewed and approved by our representatives.Further, I'm calling to urge [REP/SEN NAME] to oppose a clean reauthorization of Section 702 of FISA. Section 702’s numerous loopholes allow for unwarranted government surveillance and can be easily manipulated at the expense of Americans’ civil liberties. I ask that [REP/SEN NAME] only support its extension with warrant requirements and significant reforms](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:r6foxcfryyzazfbajthdjo42/bafkreibjo3hgzrgphbthziumoftxt7rvnhaijtbb3cscxdkdn2f4cjigk4)
![☎️Daily Action Call, Wednesday June 17th, Calling Governor Ivey ☎️
📚Background
👉🏻Montgomery’s Jackson Hospital, an 80-year-old community hospital with 1,800 employees, has set a deadline of June 25 to announce its closure unless it reaches a deal with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama over reimbursement rates.
👉🏻 Governor Ivey and a state bonding board pledged up to $40 million to help, but only after the hospital exits bankruptcy, and her office has said the negotiation is between Blue Cross and Jackson and that she will “defer to them right now”
👉🏻 the CEO said the board will announce closure on June 25 unless Blue Cross agrees to a comparable rate before then, with a wind-down beginning by July 1 if no deal is reached
🔹Resources 👇🏼
https://www.wsfa.com/.../jackson-hospital-cites-true.../
https://aldailynews.com/montgomerys-jackson-hospital.../
https://www.waka.com/.../jackson-hospital-issues-warning.../
📱 Governor Ivey’s office: (334) 242-7100
1️⃣Hi, my name is [NAME] and I’m a constituent from [CITY, ZIP].
I’m calling about Jackson Hospital in Montgomery, which says it will announce its closure on June 25 without a deal with Blue Cross. That’s 1,800 jobs and an 80-year-old hospital the River Region depends on. The Governor has pledged $40 million but says she’ll defer to the two sides. With eight days left, I’m asking her to stop deferring and personally bring Blue Cross and Jackson to the table to reach a deal before the deadline. Please don’t wait until the doors close.
********************
🔹Sign-Up for Daily Action Call Email👇🏼
https://forms.gle/vfqo7wgNUGaCWZTB8
🔹Daily Action FAQ👇🏼
https://docs.google.com/.../1JQgb4KWqCDZPhwH5NfP6.../edit...
📣EVENTS: Check B’ham Indivisible Facebook Public Page Events/More for links
🗓️ Saturday, 6/20 from 1:00–3:00 PM Immigration in America and Alabama — A Town Hall Event
📍 Homewood Public Library](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:r6foxcfryyzazfbajthdjo42/bafkreics5vz3k6r3lehn2gii6mivxifbh272caji4g7qwx7wqpv45wmjla)
![📚Background
On May 29, the White House Office of Management and Budget published a proposed rule, the “Uniform Grants Regulation,” that would rewrite how every federal agency awards research grants.
Senior political appointees would review every grant before it is awarded and would be barred from routinely deferring to scientific peer review panels, whose recommendations become advisory only [Source: AAU].
Agencies could also cancel active grants mid-project if they are deemed inconsistent with “agency priorities,” with no process for researchers to appeal [Source: AAU].
The rule would restrict international collaboration across all federal programs and require pre-approval for conferences researchers attend on grant funds, putting government gatekeepers between scientists and the worldwide exchange of knowledge that research depends on [Source: AGU].
This is not hypothetical: Science reported that since mid-April, every grant approved by NIH has gone through an extra screening at HHS, where political staff have asked for substantive changes to peer-reviewed research, in one case telling a depression study in its fourth year to add genetic analyses [Source: Science].
The rule is set to take effect October 1 and would govern all federal research funding next fiscal year.
📜Call Script — Senators and Representatives
📞Hi, my name is [NAME], and I’m calling from [ZIP], Alabama.
I’m asking [Senator/Representative NAME] to publicly oppose OMB’s proposed grant rule and call on the White House to withdraw it before the July 13 comment deadline. The rule lets political appointees override scientific peer review on every federal grant, cancel active research mid-project with no appeal, and restrict scientists from collaborating internationally. Research here in Alabama depends on these grants and on the open exchange of knowledge this rule would choke off. Scientists should judge science, not political staff in Washington. Please act now. Thank you for your time.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:r6foxcfryyzazfbajthdjo42/bafkreigzmb7464k4w4udh7tqojfrbce3bqu5jxgusubkmzzg6yk2r3vm5a)
![☎️ Daily Action June 11 ☎️
📲Today we are calling to oppose Bill Pulte as Director of National Intelligence.
❤️🔥A huge THANK YOU to everyone who called and showed up for the public meeting for the new data center draft ordinance.
BACKGROUND
Oppose Bill Pulte as DNI
https://5calls.org/.../bill-pulte-director-national.../
Pulte has no background in intelligence, national security, or law enforcement, and his appointment has alarmed national security experts and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. Pulte is widely viewed as unqualified, even by Trump administration standards, yet he will now oversee the nation’s 18 intelligence agencies and serves as the president’s top intelligence adviser.
Since Pulte was appointed in an acting capacity, he can serve for up to 210 days without Senate confirmation while exercising significant authority over the U.S. intelligence community. Congress must demand rigorous oversight of Pulte’s actions as Acting DNI and oppose any effort to make him the permanent Director of National Intelligence.
📞CALL SCRIPT — Senators/Representatives
👋Hi, my name is [NAME] and I’m a constituent from [CITY, ZIP].
I’m calling to urge [REP/SEN NAME] to oppose the appointment of Bill Pulte as Acting Director of National Intelligence and conduct rigorous oversight into his security clearance and actions.
Pulte is a Trump loyalist with no intelligence background. Giving him authority over the nation's intelligence systems and highly sensitive information will endanger our national security.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
IF LEAVING VOICEMAIL: Please leave your full street address to ensure your call is tallied
Saturday, 6/20 from 1:00 to 3:00 PM Immigration in America and Alabama: A Town Hall event Homewood Public Library
Birmingham Indivisible invites the public to a community town hall on immigration in America and Alabama, an issue shaping families, communities, and public policy across our state right now.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:r6foxcfryyzazfbajthdjo42/bafkreicfsasdzyh7kjrgwmywaqbznengspd5owwg7vsydlzx6e2ge2isw4)
![Today we are talking about the expansion of AI Centers. Especially, at the local level regarding Nebius, and the public meeting on it today! There is a petition to sign from the Greater Birmingham Humane Society saying NO to Nebius!
As AI companies race to expand, states across the country are approving massive new data centers with very little public oversight. The U.S. already has more than 4,000 data centers with thousands more planned or under construction.
These facilities consume enormous amounts of electricity and water and in some areas, utility companies are already predicting that rapid data center expansion could strain power grids and increase energy costs for residents. According to the Environmental and Energy Study Institute, data centers could account for roughly 12 percent of all U.S. electricity demand by 2028.
And while the real long-term effects on public health have yet to be seen, researchers warn that these facilities can create noise pollution, threaten water quality, and deplete natural resources in surrounding areas.
Despite these risks, many data centers are approved behind closed doors with fast-track permits and non-disclosure agreements, leaving communities in the dark about the true environmental and financial costs.
CALL SCRIPT — Senators/Representatives
Hi, my name is [NAME] and I’m a constituent from [CITY, ZIP].
I’m calling to express my deep concern about the growing number of data centers being built in our state. I ask that [REP/SEN NAME] prioritize the needs of our communities over tech companies by…
[CHOOSE 1-3 options]:
opposing permits for new data center construction or supporting a statewide moratorium until stronger safeguards are in place, (and)
requiring comprehensive environmental oversight and ongoing reports, (and)
protecting residents from rising energy costs and grid strain, (and)
stopping closed-door deals, tax giveaways, and NDAs that prevent transparency and public accountability.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:r6foxcfryyzazfbajthdjo42/bafkreifh5bxkdxzkzuskwf4d6xruciv7erf6yzfiwb72t4w3ojiny3ssfi)
![Daily Action Call, Friday , June 5th, OPPOSE Harmful & Wasteful National Defense Authorization Act
Hi, my name is [NAME] and I’m a constituent from [CITY, ZIP].
I'm calling to express my concern about harmful provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act and the wasteful increases in Pentagon spending. I specifically ask that [REP/SEN NAME] oppose...
Section 224, the expanded U.S.-Israel defense technology integration,
funding for the Golden Dome missile shield,
funding for Trump’s new battleship program,
an unnecessarily bloated $1.5 trillion dollar defense budget.
Congress should pass a responsible budget that addresses real security needs, not impractical funding for Trump's vanity projects and measures to deepen our ties to a foreign government's military.
The Trump administration is asking Congress to approve a record-breaking $1.5 trillion Pentagon budget, the largest inflation-adjusted defense budget in American history, funding Trump’s vanity project rather than investing in the modern, cost-effective capabilities our military actually needs,
https://www.americanprogress.org/.../the-presidents-1-5.../
This massive bill, H.R. 8800, includes:
https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/8800
Section 224, titled the United States-Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative: Gives Israel unprecedented access to American military technology, while forcing the U.S. to integrate Israeli defense systems into our own supply chain
$17.5 Billion for the “Golden Dome”: Modeled on Israel’s Iron Dome, this proposed missile defense shield is unlikely to ever be fully operational and would cost an estimated $1.2 trillion to develop, deploy, and operate for 20 years
The current NDAA introduces some guardrails on the “Trump-class” battleship program, it stops short, leaving the door open for billions in spending on a weapons platform that defense experts say makes little strategic sense for our Navy](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:r6foxcfryyzazfbajthdjo42/bafkreibs3ae4mfs5w5wntqoq3zyzvtt2zz4drlmzqtkglvh6kwgukq5jdy)
![We’ll stay on data centers because of the Birmingham’s City Council vote next week on rules that will shape where massive data centers can be built in our city, and how close they can be to your home, your kids’ school, and your neighborhood’s water supply. Alabama drew this industry in with decades of generous tax breaks and cheap power, and cities across the state are now scrambling to write the rules that state government never did. What Birmingham decides at that June 9 hearing will either set a strong model for the rest of Alabama, or give developers a playbook for what they can get away with. If you are outside Birmingham, this still matters and you can call our city council anyway.
Background
Alabama attracted the data center industry with one of the most generous incentive packages in the country: under state law, companies investing $400 million or more and creating as few as 20 jobs can qualify for both sales tax breaks and property tax abatements for up to 30 years, a combination only five states offer. [Source: Alabama Reporter] The Legislature this spring passed a bill trimming that window to 20 years and requiring very large facilities to pay some taxes, but it did nothing to regulate where data centers can be built, how close to homes and schools, or how mu
Hi, my name is [NAME], and I’m calling from [ZIP], Alabama.
I’m calling about the data center ordinance coming up for a public hearing on June 9. Birmingham drew this industry in with decades of tax breaks, and now we have a chance to set real rules before more projects break ground. I’m asking the council to strengthen the ordinance in two ways: restore the 1,000-foot residential setback that planning staff originally proposed, and keep the special exception requirement that gives the public a voice before any hyperscale facility gets approved. These protections exist in the draft because residents asked for them. Please don’t weaken them now. We’re watching this closely.
Thank you for your time.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:r6foxcfryyzazfbajthdjo42/bafkreidihthsxjitb4q3usjvvhojxdx4eminlifjvdnld7z3shid2aq4t4)
![Daily Action Call, Friday, May29th, Make Your Voice Heard on AI Data Centers
Nebius and Hyperscale AI Data Centers
Tell Birmingham City Council you want public hearings on data centers and the setback returned to 1000’ not 500’
As you may have heard, the City of Birmingham delayed the vote on the data center ordinance after hearing from citizens that they want more protections.
Unfortunately, there were also business interests who are asking the city to water down the ordinance.
Specifically, there was some discussion of removing a public hearing requirement for certain hyperscale data centers.
We want to keep public hearings and the setback returned to 1000’ not 500’
Councilors
I’m calling to urge Councilor [NAME] to keep the public hearing requirement for certain hyperscale data centers in the new data center ordinance. The special exception requirement gives neighborhood associations and citizens a greater voice when large scale data centers are proposed for certain areas—light industrial and mixed use. The special exception requirement is not anti-growth—it is a key protection for residents to make their voices heard.
I appreciate the city’s decision to pump the breaks on data center development and come out with this progressive ordinance. But having communities have a say in data center development is critical. The special exception requirement protects more sensitive uses and promotes transparent, informed, and accountable decision-making.
Please maintain the proposed protections, including a set back of 1000’ not 500’.
and please do not remove the special exception process for hyperscale data centers in light industrial and mixed use zones. Thank you.
Saturday, 5/30 at 5:00 PM Signs of Fascism
Regions Field, Birmingham If you would like to take part, please complete this
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdjJt8ZPiuRZ4lpprNFvk6pVCQis-cEivwFggJmveou1M5CJw/viewform?usp=dialog
](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:r6foxcfryyzazfbajthdjo42/bafkreihssavzkpzyuvlg3skuzzvjonvvzqgwcp2muosn6o7jgogkk7cuxq)
![Daily Action Call, Thursday, May28th , Town Halls Now! We Want Answers /Make Your Voice Heard on AI Data Centers
Representatives/Senators
KEEP CALLING TO DEMAND TOWN HALLS DURING THE RECESS
Hi, I’m a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.
First, I vehemently oppose Trump’s 1.8 billion dollar slush fund, his 1 billion dollar ballroom, and his 70 billion dollar reconciliation bill.
Two-thirds of Americans say the country is going in the wrong direction and 70% disapprove of Trump’s handling of the economy. Consumer sentiment has sunk to the lowest level ever recorded. Yet Republicans are throwing billions at an unwanted ballroom, payouts to criminals, and ICE and CBP? Unacceptable. Vote no on all of it and put that money toward healthcare instead.
Stephen Miller is spreading malicious lies about Americans abusing welfare services, yet we are pouring billions of dollars into these other funding sources. I want my tax dollars to help people, not hurt people.
Second, I’m horrified at what’s happening at Delaney Hall in New Jersey as well as at detention centers across the country. Inmates are getting rotten food, being denied medical care, being verbally abused by guards, and being denied legal help. On top of that ICE agents are abusing protesters and pepper spraying US Senators. These centers need to be shut down and ICE and CBP defunded.
Finally - when will [SEN/REP] be holding district town halls during the recess period??
Nebius and Hyperscale AI Data Centers
Councilors
Tell Birmingham City Council you want public hearings on data centers and the setback returned to 1000’ not 500’
EVENTS: Check B’ham Indivisible Facebook Public Page Events/More for links
Saturday, 5/30 at 5:00 PM Signs of Fascism
Regions Field, Birmingham contact membership@birminghamindivisible.org for more info
Weds 6/3, 7pm - "Everything is Great!" A Town Hall for the People - Saturn
SATURDAY 6/6 — DEMOCRACY DAY VISIBILITY BRIGADE](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:r6foxcfryyzazfbajthdjo42/bafkreie2kjmo3femrkj44xq62ejt5o724m6z52akyinewfgswzw2tutksi)
![Quick win first: the federal court rejected the state’s 2023 congressional map. We were ready to have you call Secretary Allen and Governor Ivey but that fight is on pause. For now the 2026 election proceeds under the current map.
BHM data center ordinance The City Council vote is June 9, and the protections residents asked for are being pushed back on. Please call again, even if you called yesterday The Birmingham City Council votes on its new data center ordinance after a public hearing on Tuesday, June 9 at 9:30 AM at City Hall Two protections are at risk: the special exception requirement, which guarantees a public hearing before any hyperscale data center can be sited in a light industrial or mixed-use zone, and the residential setback, currently 500 feet in the draft when residents and the Southern Environmental Law Center are asking for 1,000 Mayor Woodfin and Councilor Hunter Williams have publicly argued against the special exception Whatever the Council passes June 9 governs every future hyperscale project in Birmingham, since the current moratorium expires in September. Call or Email Birmingham City Councilors Tell Birmingham you want public hearings on data centers, and a 1,000-foot setback. You can call any councilor regardless of which district you live in Hi, my name is [NAME]. I’m calling from [ZIP]. I’m asking Councilor [NAME] to keep the special exception requirement for hyperscale data centers in light industrial and mixed-use zones, and to set the residential setback at 1,000 feet, not 500. The special exception is what gives neighborhood associations and residents a real public hearing before a 300-megawatt facility goes up next to our homes. I am not against growth. But the city needs to make decisions transparently and with the people who actually live here. I appreciate the Council stepping on the brakes to get this ordinance right. Please don’t let it get watered down at the last minute Keep the public hearings keep the 1,000-foot setback.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:r6foxcfryyzazfbajthdjo42/bafkreigg2eg77raqp4odbn5nnmninoces3oll2czmokuvvb4qjjrbs64vy)
![Nebius and Hyperscale AI Data Centers As you may have heard, the City of Birmingham delayed the vote on the data center ordinance after hearing from citizens that they want more protections. there were also business interests who are asking the city to water down the ordinance. Specifically, there was some discussion of removing a public hearing requirement for certain hyperscale data centers.We want to keep public hearings and the setback returned to 1000’ not 500’ I’m calling to urge Councilor [NAME] to keep the public hearing requirement for certain hyperscale data centers in the new data center ordinance. The special exception requirement gives neighborhood associations and citizens a greater voice when large scale data centers are proposed for certain areas—light industrial and mixed use. The special exception requirement is not anti-growth—it is a key protection for residents to make their voices heard. I appreciate the city’s decision to pump the breaks on data center development and come out with this progressive ordinance. But having communities have a say in data center development is critical. The special exception requirement protects more sensitive uses and promotes transparent, informed, and accountable decision-making.
Please maintain the proposed protections, including a set back of 1000’ not 500’.
and please do not remove the special exception process for hyperscale data centers in light industrial and mixed use zones. Thank you.A number of concerning issues are currently worthy of direct discussion with your representatives:The use of taxpayer money for Trump’s $1.8 billion slush fund and White House ballroom The ongoing unauthorized war with Iran creating drastic price hikes New data centers draining local water and energy supplies and creating health hazards Congressional Republicans’ push for $70 billion in additional ICE and CBP funding A nationwide effort to have messages on 1,000 overpasses displaying messages supporting democracy](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:r6foxcfryyzazfbajthdjo42/bafkreig3le6qguwcjzrsh4fugng6ra6eu2adaz2iekbhjyczqy5v2pijwy)
![Trump sued the IRS for $10 billion in damages from a leak of his 2019 tax returns. He then dropped the lawsuit to create a $1.7 billion slush fund free of judicial review and accountability. The fund will be controlled by five people handpicked by Trump’s DOJ, and will funnel taxpayer money to Trump’s political allies, including Jan. 6 insurrectionists. Trump’s DOJ has also included a sweeping permanent ban on IRS audits or “examinations” into Trump, his family, and his businesses.
He has unilaterally started an unauthorized war with Iran and threatened to commit war crimes in the region.
He has withheld federal funding to assert political control over universities and government agencies.He has weaponized the Department of Justice to attack political enemies and shield himself and his allies from prosecution.He has threatened states’ authority over their elections and pushed for additional partisan gerrymandering to rig congressional elections. He is extorting the Justice Department for $230 million for past cases against him. Any settlement will be approved by DOJ official Todd Blanche, Trump’s former personal lawyer, and be paid with taxpayer dollars.He demolished the East Wing of the White House, without the necessary approval, to build a ballroom funded by undisclosed billionaire “donations.”
Trump announced that the U.S. will pay $10 billion to the Board of Peace, the institution he unilaterally created and leads. The legal authority and source of this payment is unclear, as is how it will be spent.
Hi, my name is [NAME] and I’m a constituent from [CITY, ZIP].
I’m calling to express my outrage over Trump’s ongoing abuses of power, unconstitutional actions, and violent authoritarianism. I ask that [REP/SEN NAME] support the impeachment of Trump for repeatedly defying the law and endangering the American people. Additionally, I ask that [REP/SEN NAME] investigate and prosecute any government official who has participated in this administration’s illegal actions.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:r6foxcfryyzazfbajthdjo42/bafkreiewwnr4eusl7pdcqzezoexcz5zoxuigohmqpcym7lta7qif7opu5a)
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