Crab Orchard Residents Dump the Dump!
Congratulations to the Cumberland County Chapter for a big win! Residents in Crab Orchard have been fighting a landfill in their town since 2009 and they've defeated it once again.
On February 22, the City Council (mayor and two aldermen) were scheduled to vote on whether or not to award a permit to SPC Investments to build a landfill at the site of a current limestone quarry. In a nail-biting moment, the motion to accept the permit for the landfill died for a lack of a second. Over 100 residents came to the meeting and applauded afterwards.
A special thanks goes to Cumberland County Co-Chair Jean Cheely who led this outstanding show of community involvement and engagement. Opponents of the landfill met with officials, held public hearings, and even went door-to-door collecting signatures against the proposal. A true victory for community organizing and the residents of Crab Orchard.
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Lobby Day Details Coming Together
SOCM has some big hurdles to overcome this legislative season so we need your support! Check out the Legislative Section of our website for issues we are covering and ways to become involved.
The staff is making final preparations for our annual Lobby Day on Wednesday, March 7th, and we still have a few spots open. If you are interested in attending Lobby Day, please contact Organizing Director Kazi Wilkins at kazi@socm.org or 865-249-7488 by 5pm tomorrow, Friday, March 2nd.
For those of you joining us, your organizer will be in touch about transportation.
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Scenic Vistas Protection Act Moves Forward with Amendment
On Wednesday, Feb. 29th, the Scenic Vistas Protection Act was passed by the Senate Energy and Environment Committee, 8-1. Unfortunately, before the bill was passed, the title and language of the bill were gutted by an amendment offered by Senator Mike Bell (R) of Cleveland. Senator Bell's amendment erased the bill language as written and inserted a very narrow definition of mountaintop removal, a definition that will - by Senator Bell's own admission - have little if any impact here in Tennessee.
Needless to say, the bill, as passed, is not the Scenic Vistas bill. However, with all that being said, the bill is now a blank slate which allows us to take the conversation to the entire 33-member Tennessee State Senate. We can proudly say that a mountaintop removal ban will be heard in its entirety on the Senate floor of a state legislative body. Go Tennessee!
This critical conversation continues, and we need to make sure we step up the pressure and members contact their senators to let them know that we want to protect our mountaintops in the state of Tennessee by adding meaningful, powerful language back to the bill.
It was apparent in the hearing that the committee members' phones had been ringing off the hook and their email inboxes were flooded with support for the bill. Keep up the good work!
For more information on the bill, the amendment, and where we go from here, please see our legislative page.
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Cassie Watters Chosen as February's Every Member Get a Member Winner
Congratulations to Cassie Watters for being this month's Every Member Get a Member winner! A former staffer and current Knoxville member, Cassie has won a beautiful beaded Cherokee Star, worn as a ceremonial piece, and made by a member of the FarAway Cherokee of Tennessee. Former staff member Fran Day donated this gift.  Next month, we will be giving away a box of Tibetan Knives. These knives are given by the Tibetans to visiting dignitaries to signify the giver's willingness to cut through obstacles that the honoree might encounter. The knives come in a beautiful display box and are valued at $65. If you need any membership information or materials to help tell SOCM's story as part of your recruitment efforts, please contact our Office Manager Kathy Nix at 865-249-7488 or kathy@socm.org. |
Maury County Hosts Successful Forum on Proposed Metro Charter
The Maury County SOCM Chapter hosted a well-attended, very successful forum on Tuesday, Feb. 28th at Columbia State Community College. It was designed to address questions from residents about the proposed Metropolitan Charter between Columbia and Maury County. SOCM members decided to host the non-partisan forum after discovering their friends and neighbors were unaware of the proposed Metropolitan Charter which is to be voted on March 6th.
Over 80 people attended the forum which featured panelists on both sides in Maury County Mayor Jim Bailey, Metro Charter Commission Vice Chairman Randy Hardison, Metro Charter Commission Treasurer Trent Ogilvie, and County Commissioner Kim Willis.
Maury County Chapter members got great media coverage for the event which can be found in the news section on our website. The forum was also recorded and is available on youtube here. |
SOCM Taking Applications for End Mountaintop Removal Week in Washington
Registration is now live for the Alliance for Appalachia's annual Week in Washington, June 2-6, 2012. If you are interested in attending, please contact E3 Organizer Ann League at 865-249-7488 or ann@socm.org for an application.
If you are seeking a scholarship, the deadline for applications is Friday, April 6th. Full and partial scholarships are available on an as-needed basis. If you do not need funding support, the deadline is Sunday, April 15th. Please contact Ann today!
Last year's Week in Washington was a tremendous success. More than 150 people from over 20 states came to Washington, holding over 200 meetings with Congressional offices, the EPA and the Obama administration. We hope to have a strong SOCM presence in 2012!
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| Southeast Immigrant Rights Network: Marching for America
Forty-seven years ago, civil rights leaders marched from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. In commemoration of this historic event and the continued struggle for racial justice, civil rights organizers and activists annually walk the same 54-mile route. This year, the march will also draw the attention to HB56, the state's inhumane and unjust anti-immigrant law enacted last year.
The march will take place in its entirety from March 4-9th, with events on March 8-9th dedicated to lifting up immigrant stories from Alabama, and the fight for immigrant rights as part of the broader struggle for racial justice. On March 8th, a delegation from Tennessee will join brothers and sisters in Montgomery for the last two days of the March.
The Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRCC) is organizing a bus to leave Nashville at 7:30 a.m. on March 8th, and return the following night at 9pm. The bus ride is free. There is a $25 fee for the hotel on March 8th.
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Your Community
Needs You
Join SOCM today! Click on the link below and designate your donation as membership dues or mail us a check with "new member" in the memo line.
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E3/GCJ Committees Retreat
March 3-4
Mt. Juliet, TN
SOCM Lobby Day
Tuesday, March 7
Nashville
Maury County Chapter Meeting
Saturday, March 10
Fresh Word Ministries, Columbia
5:30 - 7 p.m.
Cumberland County Chapter Meeting
Monday, March 12
Art Circle Library, Crossville
3 - 5 p.m.
Jackson Chapter Meeting
Tuesday, March 13
SOCM West Office, Jackson
6 - 7:30 p.m.
Renter's Rights Workshop
Tuesday, March 13
Fly Arts Center, Shelbyville
6 - 7 p.m.
Bedford County Chapter Meeting
Tuesday, March 13
Art Circle Library, Crossville
7 - 8 p.m.
Roaring River Chapter Meeting
Thursday, March 22
Cookeville Unity Church, Cookeville
7 - 9 p.m.
SOCM Board Meeting
Saturday, March 31
Lebanon, TN
9:15 a.m. - 3:15 p.m.
Delivering on the Promise of Health Reform
Saturday, March 3
Cherokee Health Systems, 2018 Western Ave., Knoxville
9:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.
A free workshop for people who want to move health reform forward in Tennessee.
Southeast Immigrant Rights Network Marching for America
March 8 - 9
Selma to Montgomery, Ala.
Barbara Kingsolver and Kathy Mattea present "A View from the Mountaintop"
Sunday, March 11
Bijou Theatre, Knoxville
5 p.m.
SOCM partners LEAF brings renowned author Kingsolver and Grammy-award winning singer Mattea for an evening of spoken word and song that celebrates their Appalachian heritage and casts spotlight on mountaintop removal mining. See www.knoxvilletickets.com for tickets.
"The Last Mountain" Screening
Sunday, March 18
Knoxville Museum of Art, Knoxville
1:30 p.m.
SOCM is co-sponsoring a screening of "The Last Mountain"
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"There are... places ...where one has to set aside his imaginative powers to convince himself that he is still in free America."
- Duncan McDonald, UMWA organizer, 1903
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