The future of community radio stations

Woodburn, Ore-- On December 18th, Congress passed the Local Community Radio Act which expands opportunities for local community radio to people in urban areas of the U.S. who have previously been excluded. Low Power FM – or LPFM -- stations are community-based, nonprofit radio stations that broadcast at the local level.

The bill repeals earlier legislation that big broadcasters supported. The Radio Broadcast Preservation Act of 2000 limited LPFM radio to primarily rural areas. The broadcast lobby groups claimed that the new small stations could create interference with their own stations; in 2003, a congressionally mandated study disproved this claim.

Read more »

A Dose of Harsh Reality for DREAM Act

A Dose of Harsh Reality for DREAM Act
Chris Thomas, Public News Service - OR
December 20, 2010
Audio (MP3)

Salem, Ore. - Oregon's two U.S. senators voted for the DREAM Act, but that wasn't enough to save it from a Republican filibuster over the weekend. There were 55 yes votes, but 60 were needed to pass the bill that would have allowed young people brought to the U.S. by undocumented immigrant parents to gain citizenship for enrolling in college or enlisting in the military.

Francisco Lopez, executive director of CAUSA, Oregon's immigrant rights coalition, says his group will now ask the state legislature to at least allow in-state tuition for students of immigrant parents living in Oregon.

"If you are an undocumented immigrant, if you want to go to college, you need to pay foreign student tuition - and that's thousands of dollars. If we change that to in-state tuition, they can pay tuition like everyone else."

Read more »

Republicans block the DREAM Act, Continue keeping the lives of immigrant youth in limbo

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 18, 2010

Contact:
Francisco Lopez, Executive Director: (503) 269-5694
Erik Sorensen, Communications Director: (503) 488-0263

Republicans block the DREAM Act, Continue keeping the lives of immigrant youth in limbo

Oregon Immigrant Rights Coalition vows to continue advancing the movement and building power
Washington, D.C.--Today the U.S. Senate failed to pass the DREAM Act. A motion to move debate further on Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act (H.R. 5281) failed with a vote of 55 in favor and 41 opposed. 60 votes were needed to end cloture.

"CAUSA expresses it's disappointed in the Senate for failing to pass legislation that would have made it possible for children of undocumented immigrants who have grown up in the United States to be able to realize the American Dream", said Francisco Lopez, CAUSA's Executive Director. "For far too long, these children have lived in uncertainty of their own future. While we applaud those who voted in favor of the legislation including Senator Wyden and Senator Merkley, the failure of the Senate to pass the DREAM Act today continues that uncertainty."

Read more »

U.S. Senate to vote on DREAM Act on Saturday

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 17, 2010

Contact:
Francisco Lopez, Executive Director: (503) 269-5694
Erik Sorensen, Communications Director: (503) 488-0263

U.S. Senate to vote on DREAM Act on Saturday

Oregon Immigrant Rights Coalition urges bi-partisan passage of crucial legislation

Salem, Ore.-- Last night, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) filed a cloture motion on the DREAM Act setting up a vote for Saturday Morning.

The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act is bipartisan legislation that will create a path to citizenship for immigrants who entered the United States undocumented as children under the age of 16 and have lived in America for at least five years, obtained a high school or General Education Development diploma and have demonstrated good moral character.

Over the last month, CAUSA and our allies around Oregon have been working tirelessly to mobilize our supporters to contact the offices of Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR).  And although Senator Wyden may possibly miss the vote on Saturday due to surgery, CAUSA continues to mobilize it's supporters and allies to call both Oregon Senators to vote in favor of passage of this crucial legislation.

Read more »

DREAMing of the holidays

The latest from the Reform Immigration For America Campaign

The Senate will vote soon on DREAM Act, which passed the House last week.

Before they leave town to spend time with their loved-ones for the holidays, Senators will vote on the DREAM Act. It’s up to us to make sure they vote the right way.

The best thing you can do to pass the DREAM Act is to call your senator. But there are lots of other ways you can tell your senator to do the right thing and vote with us.

• Make a phone call: dial 866-996-5161, or click here and our system will connect you directly.
• Send a holiday card to your Senator
• If you're on Twitter, tweet this .
• If you're on Facebook, check out our fanpage and share with friends.

We can get the DREAM Act passed. We have to stand together to raise all our voices, and we have to do it now. We have a few days to be sure Senators hear us loud and clear. Can you raise your voice?

Read more »

Who are Senate Republicans representing?

Originally posted at the Reform Immigration for America blog

Who are Senate Republicans representing?

The media has finally started to catch on to Senate Republicans’ blatant and unbelievable obstruction. In their steadfast effort to keep tax cuts for the wealthiest 2% of Americans, they have stood in the way of numerous vital and popular bills.

Obviously the DREAM Act has been caught in their snare, along with other measures like the new START II Treaty, the repeal of the military’s Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, and others. Senate Republicans have obstructed each measure, even though they all have broad bipartisan support and majorities of Americans in favor of them.

For instance, the DREAM Act, which just passed the House of Representatives, is favored by 54-42 by Americans, according to Gallup.

So take a minute and CALL YOUR SENATOR and ask them who they are representing in Congress — the American people, or their restrictionist base?

Read more »

DREAM Act: We don't stop

Yesterday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid passed a motion to delay a vote on the DREAM Act so that Senate leaders could set aside their previous DREAM bill and take up the House version. Moving the vote also gives more time to shore up the votes needed for passage. The Senate could vote on DREAM next week!

We had a huge historic victory on Wednesday night, however, passing DREAM in the Senate will be an uphill battle -- we can't stop fighting now and we can't take anything for granted.

We need to continue making calls to the offices of U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley asking them to vote "YES" on the DREAM Act.

Please call their D.C. offices directly by using the numbers below:

Senator Ron Wyden (202) 224-5244
Senator Jeff Merkley (202) 224-3753

For all other Senators, please call 866-996-5161 (866-961-4293 en espanol)

Don't stop making calls until the last vote is recorded! We need to continue this push to ensure Latino and Immigrant Youth will be able to realize the American Dream.

Read more »

CAUSA Oregon applauds House for Passage of DREAM Act; Focus turns to the Senate

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 8, 2010

Contact:
Francisco Lopez, Executive Director: (503) 269-5694
Erik Sorensen, Communications Director: (503) 488-0263

CAUSA Oregon applauds House for Passage of DREAM Act; Focus turns to the Senate

Washington, D.C. --This evening, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the DREAM Act by a vote of 216-198.

CAUSA applauds members of the Oregon Congressional Delegation, U.S. Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D) and US Congressman Peter DeFazio (D), for voting in favor of the bill.

Read more »

No Excuses: Pass the DREAM Act Now

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release                                    
December 8, 2010

Contact: Katherine Vargas, 202-641-5198

NO EXCUSES: PASS THE DREAM ACT NOW

DREAM Act Scheduled for House Vote, Senate Cloture Vote on Wednesday

Washington D.C. – Late Tuesday evening House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer announced that a vote on the DREAM Act will take place Wednesday December 8^th.  The Senate is tentatively scheduled to vote on the measure late Wednesday. The following is a statement from Ali Noorani, Executive Director of the National Immigration Forum and Chair of the Reform Immigration FOR America campaign.

Read more »

CBO estimates DREAM Act could cut deficit by $1.4 billion

The Congressional Budget Office has released their estimate of the DREAM Act. Not surprising, the DREAM Act could reduce the U.S. deficit by as much as $1.4 billion over the next 10 years.

The new report from the CBO proves that immigration restrictionists, who so often deal in lies and misinformation, are once again wrong. It also provides one more reason for Congress to pass the DREAM Act now.  With 70% of Americans supporting passage, there is no excuse for Congress not getting this done.

As Reform Immigration For America points out, "the DREAM Act would bring justice to young people who, through no fault of their own, are not allowed to fully participate in and serve the country they love. And it would bring in increased revenue that could slash our country’s deficit during a time of economic hardship."

To make your voice heard, call your Senator now and ask them to support the DREAM Act.

Read more »

Another Voice for the DREAM Act

Originally posted at Reform Immigration For America

Following in the steps of President Obama and Defense Secretary Gates, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has come out in support of the DREAM Act:

By opening the American Dream of college for these bright, talented youth, we will unleash an academic force into the U.S. higher-education system. The result will be a new generation of college graduates who will help strengthen our economic security. This new generation will be a new set of future taxpayers who will contribute much more as college graduates than they ever would as struggling workers moving from one under-the-table job to another. They will help build the economy of the 21st century.

Read more »