Hi John,
Welcome to the latest New PA Project Education Fund (NPPEF) newsletter!
The Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution establish the right to due process. The Fifth Amendment says that “[n]o person shall … be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.” The Fourteenth Amendment extends this obligation to the states.
This applies to everyone in the United States.
According to Denise Gilman, who leads the immigration clinic at the University of Texas School of Law, “this is a critical constitutional right, and if due process were to go away for noncitizens, it could easily go away for citizens as well. Because the Constitution does not distinguish who is protected, so when we start limiting due process, then we put U.S. citizens at risk, too.”
We remember Fannie Lou Hamer's statement: "No one is free until everyone is free," which is more relevant today than ever. |
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On May 5th, we will gather at the Pennsylvania State Capitol to stand in solidarity with immigrant communities and advocate for their rights.
Together, we can amplify voices that have been silenced, fight against injustice, and show that solidarity is not just a word—it is a force that creates change.
We must not forget that when fear and division are used as tools for governance, we all lose. Immigrants are essential and integral to our community. |
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"I'll tell you what freedom is to me: no fear." – Nina Simone
Nina Simone was a classically trained pianist (not common for a young Black woman in the 1950s) who fused her foundation with jazz, gospel, blues, and folk to create a sound entirely her own, defying all genres.
She didn’t fit into a box or label, nor did she try to.
Simone was denied entry to a prestigious music school, the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, because of her race. This moment fueled her lifelong work in civil rights.
Her songs like “Mississippi Goddam” became an anthem for civil rights and Black empowerment nationally. "An artist's duty is to reflect the times." – Nina Simone
#NinaSimone #BlackHistory #CivilRights
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Let's save our planet by saving our democracy.
Happy #EarthDay from NPPEF - remember you have the choice to voice your vote for leaders and legislations that protect our only home, planet Earth. |
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The U.S. Justice Department has withdrawn a lawsuit filed last January. The lawsuit accused the city of Hazleton and its leaders of violating federal law by making it almost impossible to elect hispanic candidates to City Council. The city of Hazleton has about 30,000 residents, two-thirds identify as Hispanic.
Meanwhile, ICE has wrongly detained dozens of U.S. born citizens, that have Latin American roots — including a ten-year-old Texas girl recovering from brain cancer, a 20-year-old born in Georgia, and arrested in Florida, and 19-year-old U.S. citizen with learning disabilities. The 19 year old was wrongfully incarcerated for 10 days in a privately run immigration detention facility until his family presented his birth certificate to a judge who ordered his release.
Judges are the ones that determine the meaning of laws, how they apply to specific cases, and whether they violate the Constitution.This November, voters will have the power to retain or vacate three seats of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
The votes cast by powerful Pennsylvania voters in November will impact our lives for years to come, as Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court will make decisions about our election administration, immigrant rights. access to abortion, the safety of our workplaces, how bankruptcies are handled, and the right to unionize. Make sure you can voice your vote! |
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Let's provide civic education together!
We're looking for people passionate about voting rights in Erie, Lawrence, Lehigh Valley, Bucks, Montgomery, Chester, and Delaware County to help us shape the future of Pennsylvania.
Join our team and help us provide civic education in our communities and register folks to vote!
Positions start at $20 an hour.
Interested? Contact [email protected]
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State Rep. David Rowe (R-Union) wants to introduce a bill to make it easier for hunters and fishermen to get registered to vote. He represents a lot of sportsmen in the rural 85th state House District, which includes parts of Union, Juniata, and Mifflin counties and all of Snyder County.
“'The bill will not complicate the process of getting a license. The bill will not add another step to the hunting license process,' Rowe told Capital-Star. 'Rather, it will simply make it more accessible. So, for sportsmen that are going to a state office, there will be paper registration forms available for them to simply grab.'”
As a voting rights organization, we applaud all legislation that would make it easier for people to register to vote and make our voices to be heard at the ballot box.
Meanwhile, Pennsylvania’s first two openly autistic legislators, State Reps. Jessica Behnam (D-Allegheny) and Abigail Sailsbury (D-Allegheny), condemned the comments made by the Department of Health Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. attacking autistic people. Both also opposed to his plan to collect private medical records from US citizens to research autism.
If you are waiting for a tax return but have not paid your student loans, there is a chance the government will not send you money back. The Department of Education announced Monday it will restart collections on defaulted federal student loans on May 5th, including potentially keeping the wages of millions of workers. This is legal. A program called Treasury Offset allows for the government to keep your tax returns, and if you still owe money, and they give you a 30 day notice, they can also take your wages until you are paid up. So make sure to check your statement!
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Regional Organizing Director, Daniel Levin providing civil education to students. |
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Did you know that as long as a student is 18 years of age on or before the day of the next election - they can register to vote?
Many 17 year old students don't know this and might pass up the opportunity to register to vote, thinking they have to be 18 at time of registering. It's our passion to bridge the gap here on civic education.
#YourVoiceYourPowerYourVote #GoVotePA #StudentVoters
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Several students register to vote at a high school in Coatesville. |
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Canvassers on the streets of York |
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Meeting people where they are, be it on the bus, the park or the gym |
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Super voters vote twice a year, every year!
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Thank you for doing your part to stay informed and engaged! |
Last day to register to vote: Monday, May 5, 2025
Primary Election: Tuesday, May 20, 2025 Last day to register to vote for the General Election: Monday, October 20, 2025
Last day to request mail-in ballot: Tuesday, October 28, 2025
General Election: Tuesday, November 4, 2025 |
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Voter Hotlines:
Voter Protection Hotline: 1-866-OUR-VOTE
DOS PA Voter Hotline: 1-877-VOTESPA Spanish/English Hotline: 1-866-VE-Y-VOTA
Asian Languages Hotline: 1-888-API-VOTE Arabic/English Hotline: 1-844-YALLA-US |
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Paid for by the New PA Project Education Fund
New PA Project Education Fund
PO Box 453
West Chester, PA 19381
United States |
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