ACTION TODAY - Protect Voter Registration in Tennessee!

Today, a bill that would chill voter registration is headed to the House floor, and it is expected to go to the Senate floor any day this week.  SB0971(Jackson)/HB1079 (Rudd) seeks to impose burdensome regulations on organizations doing voter registration drives. If passed, this would create the country's most aggressive penalties for turning in incomplete forms.

USE THE FORM BELOW TO TAKE 1 MINUTE TO CALL YOUR SENATOR AND REPRESENTATIVE.

This bill puts organizations and volunteers between a rock and a hard place - if you toss out any deficient forms, you could be suppressing someone’s right to vote, but if you turn in a deficient form, you could face criminal penalties.  While an amendment introduced to the bill exempts volunteer voter registration drives, the state elections coordinator, Mark Goins, testified in committee last week that it would still apply to organizations who receive grants to coordinate volunteer drives.

This legislation would have a chilling effect on any organization trying to register community members. Tennessee already has one the lowest voter registration levels in the country, we should be looking for ways to encourage voter engagement - not suppress it.

If you’re in Nashville, please join a rally at 4:30 pm TODAY outside the state capitol to make your voice heard and urge legislators to vote NO on this dangerous legislation. More information about the rally is available here.

Read more about SB0971/HB1079

Tennessee should improve voter registration drives not criminalize them. Kill bill that would do that.
- Marion Ott, The Tennessean

Punitive registration drive reform bill is voter suppression
- Charlane Oliver, The Tennessean

Protect Tennessee Families! OPPOSE HB0662

14,000 Nashvillians Can Take This Step

Haga clic aquí para español.

There are currently more than 14,000 residents in Davidson County who are eligible to apply for citizenship today.

It’s more important than ever for all in Nashville who are eligible, to take this important step and become a US citizen. As a citizen, you can play a powerful role in shaping the future of our city and our country with your voice, your vote, and your participation. Together we can ensure our government represents the incredible diversity of its residents

Mayor David Briley agrees.

Ready to get started? Join TIRRC for a citizenship information session with USCIS on March 28th at 6:00 PM to learn about benefits, eligibility requirements and the process of applying for citizenship. You may qualify for special benefits such as fee waivers and language exception. Click here for more information.

Do you want to help your neighbors complete their citizenship applications? Click here to volunteer with our citizenship programs.

"Tennessee is our home. We are here to stay!"

Yesterday, more than 250 of our members, representing over 20 countries, traveled from communities across the state to attend our Immigrant and Refugee Day on the Hill-- and it was incredible.

Our members courageously shared their stories and spoke out against anti-immigrant legislation with more than 60 lawmakers. It was an amazing display of the power of our movement.

But our fight is not over.

For years, we have been campaigning against anti-immigrant bills at the state legislature. Since our founding, we've defeated nearly 200 pieces of legislation that would harm our communities. This year, freshman Representative Bruce Griffey is taking this anti-immigrant race to the bottom to unconscionable new lows. He has introduced a slate of hateful bills that target the most vulnerable Tennesseans-- babies born to undocumented parents. He wants to deny them prenatal care, deny them birth certificates, and advocate that they be stripped of their citizenship entirely.

Too often our politicians forget that immigrants, refugees, and their children are Tennesseans, too. But yesterday, our community had a message for them - Tennessee is our home and we are here to stay.

Yesterday our members made an impact and we got one step closer to defeating Representative Griffey's bills, but we need your support to keep the pressure on during the rest of the legislative session. Together we'll defeat every single one of his proposals and demand more from our elected officials.