ELCA Advocacy

With daily developments in the spread and scope of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), our anxiety and uncertainty tempt us to curve inward and fixate on self-preservation. Appropriately, ELCA congregations and ministries are responding to the outbreak in their communities to ensure the health and safety of worshipers, staff and neighbors by adopting practices to slow transmission of COVID-19. Resources and links on ELCA.org/publichealth offer guidance to inform and prepare our worshiping communities. But as church in this pandemic, we can also shine a light on impacts for our most vulnerable neighbors. God calls us to stand by them in advocacy for dignity, equity and justice.

As a church for the sake of the world, committed to God’s call to love and serve our neighbor, we must turn our attention to those who will be most impacted by what may be massive disruptions. The probability of lockdowns, quarantines, and intensified health and safety precautions is growing. From employment and income to government services, from access to testing and emergency health care to schooling for students, disarray can cause hardship.

Our heightened concern extends to neighbors, including:

The elderly and those in fragile health.
First-line health care workers under stress as they meet unprecedented demand.
The poor, people in low-wealth communities and workers in the gig economy, facing risks that include no paid sick leave, unavailable childcare, inadequate health care or lack of a savings cushion.
The unhoused who have few choices for protecting shelter or health care access.
Immigrants, mothers, fathers, daughters, sons and children in detention centers that are crowded and lack sanitary conditions.
People who are incarcerated, with no access or options to appropriate prevention or care.
Indigenous community and village residents, especially if they live in isolated areas where health care and infrastructure may not have immediate resources to respond to a large-scale crisis.

Last week, Congress passed emergency funding to fund local, state and federal governments’ public health response to the virus. This is an important first step, but we must do more so that our nation’s health care and economic systems work together to minimize impacts on poor and low-wealth communities, the elderly and other vulnerable people.

We call on Congress to strengthen programs that serve as an economic backstop for individuals and families. In doing so, we can help prevent unnecessary harm to communities and the nation-at-large, especially in vulnerable populations who may be overlooked.

Social teaching

ELCA social teaching understands that caring for health is a shared endeavor among individuals, government and the wider society that “expresses both love for our neighbor and responsibility for a just society” (“Caring for Health: Our Shared Endeavor”). We must be faithful stewards of our own health, but that is not all. “The Church also supports the just obligations of a society to serve those who are often left out and to be present with those who suffer” (page 9).

At this moment of global crisis, God calls the church to promote the health of and ensure care for those who suffer during this pandemic and their loved ones. We will use our voice to advocate for government services and societal actions that will support the public health and well-being of all people and communities, especially those without power who may be forgotten or left behind.

Policy points

To achieve these ends, ELCA Advocacy will prioritize policy points with the administration and on Capitol Hill to help our nation respond compassionately to the most impacted. The ELCA Advocacy network will be invited to act* when there are opportunities for our collective voice to make a difference. Areas being monitored include:

Funding for testing and treatment for the underinsured and uninsured so health access for individuals is not financially prohibitive, and health care providers and hospitals can focus on treatment.
Access to food and nutrition programs, which will be essential for the most vulnerable people to feed their families and maintain health, especially if movement is restricted or they fall ill. Important measures include ensuring continuation of school meal programs if schools are closed and addressing campus hunger, services on tribal lands, delivery of food to the elderly and access to food in rural areas.
Housing assistance for the homeless or those at risk of losing their homes will ease the process of tracking and treating the sick and in doing so help reduce infections. Shelter system expansion that allows for safe distancing and personal hygiene will help protect the unhoused.
Proper care and medical services for detainees in government custody is essential.
Awareness that fears could prohibit beneficial public health access at entry points for migrants living in our communities is relevant. Screening and health care without fear of a documentation litmus test or detention should be emphasized in sensitive locations for individual and community wellness.
Global health systems may be quickly overwhelmed, reducing ability to prevent transmission and provide health care to those who might acquire COVID-19. The ELCA can walk with global partners to advocate with the U.S. Congress for global public health resources to address international needs.
Xenophobic harassment and attacks are on the rise at this time of heightened uncertainty. The church must lead in denouncing stigmatism and displays of racism by modeling welcome and inclusion and disseminating accurate information.

Our life together

In our civic engagement:

Voting remains critical, and measures must be taken to ensure access to the ballot and election integrity during the increased risk due to COVID-19. Early voting, mail-in and other methods may be increasingly attractive options, and adjustment to registration methods may be advisable.
As Census 2020 gets underway, congregations can use ELCA Census materials to encourage participation through online and paper formats so door-to-door census worker visits are kept to a minimum

Learning from this experience includes pointing to underlying policy decisions that better equip us to handle the unexpected, which will require improved policy.

Infrastructure — multiuse medical facilities are needed in times of crisis.
Food access — rural communities and other food deserts have unique challenges.
Unemployment benefits — policy should be shaped to respond to such unexpected and urgent economic disruptions.
Mental health needs — the body of knowledge on the long-lasting impact of traumatic events needs to increase.

Spiritual support, prayer and accompaniment by God’s faithful is needed to provide for those children and adults experiencing anxiety during this crisis, including witness to the healing work of God. Health care workers in particular may be in need of witness to God’s healing and presence as they tend to the growing and perhaps overwhelming number of sick.

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A prayer for caregivers and others who support the sick
God, our refuge in strength, our present help in time of trouble, care for those who tend the needs of the sick. Strengthen them in body and spirit. Refresh them when weary; console them when anxious; comfort them in grief; and hearten them in discouragement. Be with us all and give us peace at all times and in every way; through Christ our peace. Amen (Evangelical Lutheran Worship, page 85).

* Receive updates and Action Alerts from ELCA Advocacy by signing up at ELCA.org/advocacy/signup,
and connect on social media @ELCAadvocacy.

Following are updates shared from submissions of the Lutheran Office for World Community and state public policy offices.

Lutheran Office for World Community, United Nations, New York, N.Y.

Dennis Frado, director elca.org/lowc

DEFENDING PEACE AND HUMAN RIGHTS IN COLOMBIA: On February 26, LOWC co-hosted, on behalf of the Lutheran World Federation, Caritas Internationalis and the World Council of Churches, a briefing by four winners of the National Prize for Human Rights in Colombia. Those who spoke were: (second from left) Ms. Clemencia Carabalí, 2019 National Prize for the Defense of Human Rights “Defender of the Year” Award Winner and Director, Association of Afro-descendant Women of Norte del Cauca (ASOM); (far right) Mr. Ricardo Esquivia, 2019 National Prize for the Defense of Human Rights “Lifetime Defender” Award Winner and Executive Director of Sembrandopaz; (second from right) Ms. Annye Páez Martinez, Representative of the Rural Farms Association of Cimitarra River Valley and 2019 National Prize for the Collective Experience or Process of the Year; and (far left) Mr. Marco Romero, 2019 National Prize for the Defense of Human Rights “Collective Process of the Year” Award Winner and Director, Consultancy for Human Rights and Displacement. The group was visiting New York and Washington, D.C. under the sponsorship of Diakonia and ACT Church of Sweden to discuss the ongoing challenges of protecting human rights and encouraging efforts toward peace despite limited implementation of the 2016 agreement between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

ADVOCATING HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE 21ST CENTURY: Also on February 26, the Alliance for Multilateralism held a discussion “Advocating Human Rights in the 21st Century – building bridges between Geneva and New York” to support the protection and promotion of human rights in the context of strong and effective multilateral cooperation as “an indispensable foundation for securing peace, stability and prosperity.” An aim of the event was to underscore the relationship between discussions about human rights in Geneva, primarily at the Human Rights Council, and those on international peace and security in New York, primarily at the Security Council. Another objective was to examine, as outlined in a preparatory concept note, the New York-Geneva relationship with respect to “specific contemporary human rights issues such as women’s rights and gender equality, the effects of climate change on human rights, and risks and opportunities of digitalization and artificial intelligence for the protection of human rights.” German Foreign Minister H.E. Mr. Heiko Maas had issued the invitation and also spoke, but the event was sponsored by at least eleven other permanent missions in New York. The webcast can be accessed here.

Arizona

Solveig Muus, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona (LAMA) director@lamaz.org

Greetings from the Grand Canyon Synod (GCS), and from the new Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona (LAMA)! We give thanks to God as we seek to live out our baptismal call to “defend human dignity, to stand with poor and powerless people, to advocate justice, [and] to work for peace” (The Church in Society: A Lutheran Perspective). After a 12-year hiatus and a year of planning, a committed group of clergy and lay leaders brought the dream of an advocacy office in Arizona to life once again. Together with our partners at Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest (LSS-SW), and using the ELCA’s social teaching documemts as our guide, we look forward to being God’s hands and feet in the world, following the path of serving people and encouraging GCS people to do the same.

At our January Policy Committee retreat we discussed priorities for this Legislative session, heard from Angie Rogers with the Association of AZ Food Banks, and from ELCA Advocacy Director, Domestic Policy John Johnson via Zoom. Our first action was for committee members to join LSS-SW for the 2nd annual Refugee Lobbying Day at the Capitol on February 10th to gain legislative support and pass the Refugee Welcoming Bill. Solveig Muus agreed to be the director of this new ministry. Her experiences with building businesses, passion for connection, and a heart for the most vulnerable among us has kept the ministry moving forward.

In this early building stage we will: introduce ourselves to our congregations and identify ministry partners and create website and social media platforms (FOLLOW us on FB at @LutheranAdvocacy. We are following you!). Our priorities for March will be to go live with a website, grow our network, learn about the legislative process, engage with our congregations on the 2020 Census and lift up the new ELCA World Hunger VBS God’s Good Creation for summer planning.

Our thanks to those who have been willing to share your resources and knowledge. We ask for your prayers as this ministry continues to unfold.

California

Regina Q. Banks, Lutheran Office of Public Policy- California (LOPP-CA) lutheranpublicpolicyca.org

END CHILD POVERTY DAY OF ACTION: The Lutheran Office of Public Policy- California came together with faith partners and anti-poverty activists for the End Child Poverty day of Action. Following moving speeches and a press conference on the west lawn of the capitol, participants walked the halls of the legislative and executive offices to garner support for a plan to end childhood poverty in the state by 2030. The event was well attended, and legislators and staff appeared open to our positions. Contact LOPP-CA for ways to get your congregation involved in the campaign.

CALFRESH 2020 FORUM: The CalFresh 2020 forum is a working conference dedicated to identifying and planning strategies to improve the reach of CalFresh throughout the state. CalFresh- formerly known as food stamps- is a program that helps families acquire healthy and nutritious food in their local community. The uptake rate of the program, especially in otherwise vulnerable populations, needs improvement. We lobbied for a variety of legislative policies that would lead to a more equitable and sustainable food distribution chain. With our commitment to food and farming policy this year, LOPP-CA is a strong partner with California Food Policy Advocates and the California Food and Farming Network. For more information about how your congregation can take the next step from food pantry to food policy advocacy, contact Nicole Newell at nicole.newell@elca.org.

CONGREGATIONAL VISITS: A special and heartfelt “Thank You” goes out to the pastors and members of the following congregations for inviting LOPP-CA into your Sunday worship experience. It is always a blessing to see the many ways that the spirit is moving in our communities and share a bit about the work that we do here with individual members and worshiping communities: Advent Lutheran in Citrus Heights, Calif.; St. Paul Lutheran in Fullerton, Calif; Advent Lutheran in Auburn, Calif; Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Thousand Oaks, Calif; and American Lutheran Church in Burbank, Calif. If you are interested in hosting LOPP-CA for worship, contact Regina Banks at regina.banks@elca.org.

Colorado

Peter Severson, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-Colorado www.lam-co.org

DEATH PENALTY WILL BE REPEALED: We are thrilled to join a broad-based faith community and the ACLU of Colorado in successfully advocating for the repeal of the death penalty in Colorado. The bill, SB 20-100, passed its final vote in the House on February 26. It heads to the desk of Governor Jared Polis, who has promised to sign it.
The bipartisan legislative effort was led by Senators Julie Gonzales and Jack Tate and Reps. Adrienne Benavidez and Jeni James Arndt. The effort was repeated four times in the previous decade, but this year’s bipartisan cooperation ensured the bill’s passage.

ELCA Lutherans have long opposed the death penalty for a variety of reasons, all deriving from our Gospel witness: it is impossible to undo a mistake, it is applied unequally, it is using violence to respond to violence, and it does not reflect the restorative way taught by Jesus. With gratitude for all the voices that engaged this process on all sides, we welcome this new day that is dawning.

LUTHERAN DAY AT THE LEGISLATURE: Nearly 80 advocates came together for Colorado Lutheran Day at the Legislature on February 27. We are grateful that Rep. Jeni Arndt joined us in the morning to talk about death penalty repeal and excited that almost every attendee had the opportunity to speak to at least one of their legislators face to face.

Delaware

Gordon Simmons, Delaware Lutheran Office for Public Policy delutheranpublicpolicy@gmail.com

The Delaware Lutheran Office for Public Policy is concentrating on two issues in 2020: education and the environment. There is a major Commission working on revisions to the educational system in the state, with an emphasis on Wilmington. This is partly a response to a lawsuit which contends the state is not providing adequate funding to children from low income families or those learning English. In regard to the environment, we have signed onto a resolution from the Sierra Club calling for a movement towards 100% renewable energy. There is a bill before the Legislature which calls for 40% by 2035. The current mandate is 25% by 2025. We are also monitoring the squabble between the State Division for Natural Resources and Environmental Control (which is supporting the move) and the Public Service Commission (which keeps trying to put up roadblocks). We have a day at Legislative Hall planned for March 25 and a larger “Lutheran Day at the Capitol” set for June 13.

Kansas

Rabbi Moti Riebe, Kansas Interfaith Action (KIFA) kansasinterfaithaction.org

KIFA’s major focus this year, as in the last two years, is on Medicaid Expansion. Before the session, Gov. Kelly (D) and Senate Majority Leader Denning (R) announced a compromise bill which would expand Medicaid to the statutory 138% of the Federal Poverty Line without work requirements. Our alliance supported the bill. However, other Republican leaders still oppose expansion, and things became complicated when a proposed constitutional amendment on abortion failed to pass the House. Expansion opponents are holding expansion back as leverage for the abortion amendment, despite the two issues being unrelated (Medicaid funding cannot be used to fund abortion in Kansas).

The expansion bill is stuck in a Senate committee; 24 votes are needed for a procedural motion to bring it out of committee but only 23 have been identified. The last several weeks have seen a series of events to keep the pressure on, including statements (op eds, letters to the editor) from faith leaders; a press conference attended by ELCA Central States Synod Bishop Candea among others; a letter from 75 Kansas nuns supporting expansion; and a faith leader event with Gov. Kelly and Sen. Denning which KIFA helped organize that was attended by 35 faith leaders.

One other thing I’d like to mention: at our annual climate and energy lobby day in February, called WEALTH Day, we organized what we consider to be the first comprehensive climate hearing in the Kansas legislature. To talk about this pressing issue, we put together an ad hoc committee made of legislators of both parties and both chambers from a broad cross section of the state. They heard from advocates and experts on a variety of aspects of climate disruption in Kansas, including impacts on the agriculture sector, increased spending on disaster relief and recovery, and the importance of proactive planning for future disruptions. The hearing was very successful and got some press coverage (not enough), but we’re hoping the legislature will have this hearing in front of an authorized committee next year!

Minnesota

Tammy Walhof, Lutheran Advocacy- Minnesota (LA-MN) lutheranadvocacymn.org

FAITH LEADER HOUSING SUMMIT: Many Lutheran leaders participated in a Faith Leader Housing Summit through long-time advocacy partner, Joint Religious Legislative Coalition (JRLC). It was exciting to hear Gov. Walz talk about housing priorities!

PRECINCT CAUCUSES: LA-MN Advocates had the opportunity to bring resolutions to their caucuses on housing & homelessness and clean energy! We hope that major parties will include statements on the party platforms.

“CLEAN ENERGY FIRST” LEGISLATION: Clean Energy First refers to prioritizing clean renewable energy over other sources, if more economically viable. Wind and solar energy have become the lowest cost option, but tweaks are needed to update current law. The Senate Energy & Utilities bill rolls back current statute and redefines clean renewable energy in ways that are not actually clean but does include positive language regarding jobs and transition. LA-MN advocates have made many contacts with legislators to improve the bill, but action is still needed as most of the problems remain.

HOUSING: Many LA-MN advocates contacted legislative leaders to push for $500 million in affordable housing bonds. We appreciate feedback and welcome the legislative responses advocates share with us.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

From the Upper Midwest? Join this event!! Includes worship that sings Easter for the whole creation; young activists sharing their motivations; breakout sessions; faces of the climate crisis; messaging on climate & difficult environmental issues; networking for musicians, students, creation care teams, church gardeners, youth leaders, preachers, public advocates, and more!

Now the Green Blade Rises: The Easter Gospel for the Whole Creation
(2020 EcoFaith Summit) – Flyer / Registration
Saturday, March 28, 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 418 8th Ave. NE, Brainerd, MN 56401

Want to meet with your state lawmakers? Come join the Joint Religious Legislative Coalition’s (JRLC) Day on the Hill in St. Paul this April!

2020: Serving the Common Good
Joint Religious Legislative Coalition (JRLC) Day on the Hill – Info/ Registration
Wednesday, April 1, 8:30 a.m. – afternoon legislative visits
InterContinental Saint Paul Riverfront, 11 E Kellogg Blvd, St Paul, MN 55101

Ohio

Deacon Nick Bates, Hunger Network in Ohio hungernetohio.com

We were very excited to continue our collaboration with the Southern Ohio Synod in February in hosting a training, Seeing Race Through Faith for 30 congregational leaders from across the Dayton area. We discussed the history of American racism and slavery and how it continues through our politics, culture and economy today. We finished the afternoon with situations where we find ourselves in each and every day and are confronted with racism. How can we respond to unite a world that has been segregated by sin? Our first action always needs to be to confess our own sins and ask God to help and guide us.

Want to learn more? Check out our reading list! White Fragility, Dear Church, The New Jim Crow, Race Matters, Living into God’s Dream; Dismantling Racism in America, America’s Original Sin, How to Be an anti-racist.

RAISE THE WAGE: Did you know that the ELCA Social Statement on economic life says, “Although our identity does not depend on what we do, through our work we should be able to express this God-given dignity as persons of integrity, worth, and meaning. Yet work does not constitute the whole of our life. When we are viewed and treated only as workers, we tend to be exploited.”

As a church we commit ourselves to “…a minimum wage level that balances employees’ need for sufficient income with what would be significant negative effects on overall employment.” Beginning later this month, faith leaders can join with partners around Ohio in gathering signatures to put the minimum wage on the ballot in November!

Pennsylvania

Tracey DePasquale, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry–Pennsylvania (LAMPa) lutheranadvocacypa.org

STATE BUDGET: LAMPa supports Gov. Tom Wolf’s call for an additional $1 million for the Pennsylvania Agricultural Surplus System (PASS) in his spending plan.

SOLIDARITY, NOT SOLITARY: LAMPa joined the Pennsylvania Council of Churches at a press conference inviting policymakers to “experience” solitary confinement at a real-scale replica of a solitary cell on display in the Capitol. Staff continued legislative visits supporting legislation to end overuse of the practice.

Lutheran advocates stood with lawmakers and supporters of protections for LGBTQ Pennsylvanians in the Capitol as members of the LGBTQ community and their families shared stories of continued discrimination in housing and employment in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania’s seven ELCA bishops issued a joint letter in support of non-discrimination protections.

ASHES-TO-GO: On Ash Wednesday, LAMPa staff joined ecumenical partners in sharing Ashes-to-Go at the Capitol. Many expressed their thanks for the offering of ashes and prayer in the midst of their day, particularly those who are not able travel to their home communities for the start of Lent.

LAMPA ENDORSES CHIP EXPANSION: Public health advocates, including LAMPa, urged policymakers to expand the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to include prenatal care for pregnant women ineligible for other medical assistance because of immigration status.

EQUIPPING LEADERS: Tracey DePasquale led workshops at SWPA Synod’s training for congregational councils and taught at St. Luke’s, Devon, SEPA Synod. She also toured the food pantry at the Lutheran Center at Kutztown University with alumna Shana Rose and the Rev. Inge Williams, LAMPa policy council member from NEPA Synod,. The pantry’s food helps support the hunger ministry and is sourced through the State Food Purchase Program and PASS, both of which are priorities for LAMPa advocacy.

STANDING WITH DETAINED FAMILIES: Lutherans are helping to lead monthly vigils at Berks Family Detention Center. Sister Dottie Almoney, St. Peter’s, Lancaster, led the vigil in February. Read press coverage.

ELECTION REFORMS: Comprehensive reforms designed to encourage greater participation in Pennsylvania elections are in place for the April 28 primary.

Southeastern Synod

Matt Steinhauer, Southeastern Synod Advocacy Team synod.office@elca-ses.org

My position as Assistant to the Bishop, Director of Advocacy for the Southeastern Synod began on February 1, 2020. The annual gathering of the Advocacy Policy Council for the Southeastern Synod was held on that day at Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Atlanta. Thanks to the good work of my predecessor, Hilton Austin, who conducted the meeting. Approximately 30 advocates from all four states in the synod, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi, heard presentations by the Georgia Justice Project on criminal justice legislation, Georgia Interfaith Power and Light on care for creation legislation, and the American Cancer Society on healthcare legislation.

As all four of our states’ legislatures are in session at this time, it has made it difficult to attend to pressing needs of communication with our advocates, and, at the same time, orient myself to this new position. My first month has been mostly spent assessing the resources already in place, connecting with the advocates across the synod, and working on educational information around our baptismal charge to “work for justice for the poor and oppressed,” in preparation for spreading that word through the congregations in the synod.

I have much to learn, and I am excited to get to know my colleagues across our ELCA, and covet not only your prayers but your good ideas and experiences of building strong advocacy ministries.

Texas

Bee Moorhead, Texas Interfaith Center for Public Policy texasimpact.org

TEXAS INTERFAITH ADVOCACY DAYS: Texas Impact hosted our inaugural Interfaith Advocacy Days February 16-18 in Austin. Participants spent three days in legislative training, participated in Texas’ only US Senate Candidate Forum on climate change, and visited legislative offices at the Capitol to advocate for health equity, migration justice, and climate justice.

The ELCA was well represented at the event. Ruth Ivory Moore, ELCA Advocacy Director, Environment and Corporate and Social Responsibility, was one of the featured speakers, and the Rev. Jeff Thompson was awarded Texas Impact’s Advocate of the Year award for his dedicated service. Pr. Thompson visited his representatives at their Capitol office dozens of times during 2019 and worked to build relationships with campaigns and representatives in their district offices—both for Texas Impact and other local organizations.

REIMAGINING JUSTICE HEALTH EQUITY PODCASTS: Texas Impact has completed production of a special series of Texas Impact Weekly Witness podcasts focused on various aspects of the social determinants of health. The 10 episode health equity series is available by searching for “Texas Impact Weekly Witness” in your favorite podcast app. Also available in the same feed is our recent Weekly Witness conversation with Bishop Michael Rinehart, ELCA Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod.

Washington

Paul Benz, Faith Action Network (FAN) fanwa.org

INTERFAITH ADVOCACY DAYS: Over the last month, FAN co-hosted three Interfaith Advocacy Days (IFAD) – in Spokane, Olympia, and Yakima. In Spokane (January 25) and Yakima (February 8), advocates joined us for issue workshops, interfaith panels, and strategizing sessions on advocacy efforts this year. Two hundred advocates joined us for IFAD in Olympia on February 6, where we heard from our new Speaker of the House Laurie Jinkins, held workshops on our Legislative Agenda issue topics, and planned in caucus groups in the morning. In the afternoon, advocates met with their Senators and Representatives, and we ended the day hearing from some key elected officials on how the session is going and how FAN can support the passage of justice-centered bills.

WASHINGTON LEGISLATIVE SESSION: We are nearing the end of the 2020 session on March 12, with many bills still alive and needing a final push to be voted out of the second chamber and onto the Governor’s desk! We encourage our advocates to send weekly emails to their legislators on bills from our agenda, and we are especially urging constituents to ask their Representatives to pass the Death Penalty Repeal bill (SB 5339 Sen. Carlyle) these final two weeks. The state Supreme Court, the Governor, and the Attorney General have all called for the repeal, and it is time we make it law!

CENSUS 2020: FAN co-hosted a Census 2020 Faith-Based Summit in Tukwila last month to rally the faith community and local organizations around the census to ensure that all are counted. We heard from inspirational keynote speakers Ron Sims, former Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Urban Development and former King County Executive (bottom right), and Rev. Dr. Kelle Brown of Plymouth Church Seattle (top right). Co-Director Elise DeGooyer led an interfaith panel, which included ELCA Bishop Rick Jaech (top right) who implored us to stand with our immigrant neighbors who may be fearful of how their information will be used.

Wisconsin

Pastor Cindy Crane, Lutheran Office for Public Policy in Wisconsin (LOPPW) loppw.org

HUNGER: LOPPW participated in a conference call with hunger leaders from the Northwest Synod and East Central Synod of Wisconsin to plan a panel discussion the three groups will lead at a statewide Feeding Wisconsin conference. Pastor Cindy Crane earlier shared LOPPW’s presentation on hunger and advocacy with our main leader from the Northwest Synod. LOPPW also advised a direct service nonprofit addressing hunger on how to get involved with advocacy.

CARE FOR GOD’S CREATION: We focused on water for February’s Wednesday Noon Live. We also sent out action alerts on protecting children from lead in water, supporting farmers to care for their land in a way that would improve their production and protect drinking water, and a new comprehensive bill that addresses several environmental issues and that does not have much traction yet.

ANTI-SEX TRAFFICKING: LOPPW participated in our quarterly Wisconsin Anti-Human Trafficking Consortium, helped with updates on legislation and learned about one new bill that is relevant to LOPPW’s work.

IMMIGRATION: LOPPW participated in a conference call with our D.C. office and Directors for Evangelical Missions on immigration and began preparing for our focus on immigration for March Wednesday Noon Live.

LOPPW displayed a table at the Greater Milwaukee Synod’s Together in Mission (left) and at the Northwest Synod of Wisconsin Walking Together (right). We have snazzy new t-shirts based on a design from a former ELCA t-shirt design.

ELCAVOTES: We began seeking an intern or consultant to help LOPPW recruit poll workers in the context of talking about ELCAvotes resources, thanks to funding from All Voting is Local.

IN ADDITION: LOPPW led a workshop on advocacy at a congregation in the South-Central Synod. Pastor Crane had conversations with two new advisory council members from the La Crosse Area Synod – Irene TenEyck and Rev. Adam Arends – before welcoming them during our March check-in call.

By the Rev. Amy E. Reumann, ELCA Director of Advocacy

This week my daughter came to me, shaken. “Mom,” she said, “There’s a video of a Chinese woman getting attacked because people are blaming HER for the coronavirus. They kept beating her and only one person tried to help!” Her voice conveyed anguish and outrage and no small amount of fear at this display of brutality.

Xenophobic outbreaks

As our nation responds to COVID-19 with public health measures to test and contain the outbreak, we are also confronted by an outbreak of xenophobic attacks on Asian Americans, adults and children, with reports of similar aggressions around the world. These attacks on individuals, Asian and Pacific Islander communities and their businesses are a tragic extension of the fear and misinformation regarding the origins and spread of the virus.

They are also yet another manifestation of the viral racism that infects our body politic and, as put in an opening question by theologian Howard Thurman to his classic book, Jesus and the Disinherited, the body of Christ in the United States.

“Why is it that Christianity seems impotent to deal radically, and therefore effectively, with the issues of discrimination and injustice on the basis of race, religion and national origin? “

Targeting populations based on racial or ethnic origin is not new in U.S. history, especially in times of national instability. My daughter has learned in school about the Chinese Exclusion Act, the first significant law restricting immigration into the United States, and about Japanese American internment camps, the forced relocation by the U.S. government of thousands of Japanese Americans to detention camps during World War II. We have recently discussed over the dinner table Trump administration actions to make it easier to deport Lao and Hmong community members despite the sacrifices and solidarity of these refugees during the Viet Nam war.

But the video startled and brought home to her how close xenophobia is to the surface of everyday life in a new and frightening way.

Jesus’ life-changing message

Thurman’s book challenged the church in 1949 and still does today, insisting we reflect on the depth of our hunger and thirst for justice to address racism and religious discrimination in church and society.

Thurman explores the life-changing message of Jesus for “those who stand, at a moment in human history, with their backs against a wall.” He contends that those who have been driven to the edge, dehumanized, degraded and denied basic dignity are Jesus’ primary audience. They are also the ones who can apprehend God’s “liberating spirituality” rooted in the religion of Jesus and an emancipatory way of being.

Siding with emancipatory faith

Thurman probes this spiritual resilience as developed through the suffering and beauty of the African American experience. Rooted in the presence and power of God who sides with the oppressed, this emancipatory faith provided sustenance during the atrocities inflicted by whites on enslaved African Americans and strength through the Jim Crow era.

To all whose backs are to the wall God offers this same liberating spirituality and calls for the church to stand alongside them.

Thurman mourns that the church, called to be in solidarity with those with their backs to the wall, often fails or falters. Long before Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter From Birmingham Jail, Thurman took on “conventional” Christianity as “muffled, confused and vague,” more concerned with respectability than siding with those who are persecuted, weak and in need of defense.

Certainty in times of uncertainty

He has a word for us today, when there still are so many with their backs to the wall, experiencing persecution and in need of the church’s accompaniment, solidarity and advocacy. In times of national uncertainty, with all the unknowns about COVID-19 spread, there are a few things about which we can be certain.

That our prayers for God’s power, protection and presence are with those on the front lines of public health leadership and those who are isolated, sick or fearful.

That our nation has an essential role to play in public policy decisions that shape the health, security and well-being of people, throughout this country and the world, and that our vigilance and advocacy are required to hold our leaders accountable.

That as the ELCA we will not stand by when people are scapegoated, attacked or targeted based on race or ethnicity, which today means solidarity and presence with Asian and Pacific Americans and their communities.

That in Lent God invites us to renewal of faith and life, and at this moment of fear and uncertainty the church is charged with witnessing to a liberating spirituality that includes repentance, resistance and hope.

Our communities are significantly shaped by census data, and Census 2020 will update these numbers for the first time in 10 years. The ELCA is an official partner of the 2020 Census to encourage the most accurate count possible.

“Funding for over 100 federal programs, many of which combat poverty and hunger and support people in need, are distributed based on population,” says the Rev. Amy E. Reumann, Director of ELCA Advocacy. “An accurate count ensures that resources more justly go where they are needed most. It is also critical for representation in the political process as census information determines electoral maps.”

Undercounting is a significant issue among groups which benefit most from anti-poverty programs and from greater representation in decision-making. “Hard to count” individuals in census experience include persons residing in rural areas, young children, LGBTQIA persons, people experiencing homelessness, people who do not speak English, indigenous peoples and racial and ethnic minorities. The Census aims to count everyone regardless of immigration status, and as a result of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling, there will not be a question about citizenship status on the 2020 Census.

People underrepresented in previous census counts are not strangers. They are part of our congregations and communities. As we work toward a just world where all are fed, for your neighbor and yourself – encourage your community to be counted!

from the ELCA Advocacy office in Washington, D.C. – the Rev. Amy E. Reumann, director

TRAVEL BAN | GIRLS’ EDUCATION | DISASTER AID FOR PUERTO RICO | FAIR HOUSING RULE | CENSUS 2020

TRAVEL BAN EXTENDED: On Jan. 31, 2020, the Trump administration announced an expansion of the January 2017 travel ban to include more countries in Africa and Asia. Under the new policy, citizens from Nigeria, Eritrea, Myanmar and Kyrgyzstan will be barred from applying for visas to immigrate to the United States. The National Origin-Based Antidiscrimination for Nonimmigrants (NO BAN) Act would address this executive action and assist those of us escaping perilous or life-threatening situations. Support for the NOBAN Act can be facilitated in a current Action Alert.

In a statement on the expanded travel ban, the Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton writes, “As Lutherans, these actions should concern us. Through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, God has set us free from ourselves to serve our neighbor. This expanded policy separates families from loved ones already here. Further, it prevents people — especially those escaping perilous or life-threatening situations in several of these nations — from coming to safety in the U.S. It does not enhance our safety or reflect our vocation as Christians.”

GIRLS’ EDUCATION: On Jan. 28, the House of Representatives passed the Keeping Girls in School Act, a bill that seeks to strengthen U.S. international programs by reducing education barriers faced by millions of girls around the world. The bill calls on continued U.S. government and private investments to ensure quality and equitable education, promotes girls’ empowerment and streamlines existing programs.

Hundreds of ELCA Advocacy network members used an Action Alert in support of this legislation to send over 1,000 messages to members of Congress. An identical bill in the Senate awaits committee action before it can be sent to the Senate floor for a vote.

DISASTER AID FOR PUERTO RICO: The House of Representatives passed legislation to provide an emergency aid package for Puerto Rico in the wake of ongoing earthquakes and aftershock damage to the island. Support for this emergency aid in the Senate is the subject of an Action Alert, which emphasizes the lowest-income families in the greatest distress and the pressing need for authorizing proactive disaster policies for the greater United States.

The new package comes as the Trump administration recently released half of the blocked allocated assistance to help Puerto Ricans recovering from severe storms such as Hurricane Maria who now face additional devastation across the region. Two years after the 2017 hurricanes, more than 30,000 households are still waiting for assistance to have their homes repaired and/or rebuilt. Recent earthquakes have only accentuated the devastation many have experienced. Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding is desperately needed to assist survivors with building materials, furniture and labor so that they can rebuild their lives and homes.

FAIR HOUSING RULE: In January the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) proposed a new rule that would weaken oversight and national data on fair-housing initiatives in low-income communities of color. Under the new proposal, the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) rule would be rendered almost completely ineffectual. Before March 16, use the Action Alert to make a public comment discouraging implementation of the change.

AFFH was first designed to help localities promote diversity and inclusivity under the 1968 Fair Housing Act and take proactive steps to reverse the effects of housing segregation. ELCA World Hunger recently shared a blog outlining the effects of altering the AFFH rule and explaining how discrimination in housing is an intersectional moral issue that affects multiple aspects of our lives.

ELCA PARTNER WITH 2020 CENSUS: The ELCA is an official partner of the 2020 Census as we work toward a just world where all are fed and further our commitment to greater justice in public policy and the electoral process. More than $675 billion in federal funds, grants and support to states, counties and communities is based on census data. An accurate count determines electoral maps and ensures that resources more justly go where they are needed most, including to vital programs that combat poverty and hunger and support people in need.

Posters are available from ELCA.org/resources/advocacy to help ELCA congregations encourage participation, particularly among hard-to-count populations such as people residing in rural areas, young children, LGBTQIA people, people experiencing homelessness, indigenous people, people who do not speak English, and racial and ethnic minorities. National Census Day is April 1, 2020, at which time all homes should have been invited to complete the census. For your neighbor and yourself — encourage your community to be counted!

Receive monthly Advocacy Connections directly by becoming part of the ELCA Advocacy network – http://elca.org/advocacy/signup , and learn more from elca.org/advocacy .

Following are updates shared from submissions of the Lutheran Office for World Community and state public policy offices.

Lutheran Office for World Community, United Nations, New York, N.Y.

Dennis Frado, director

U.S.-IRAN CRISIS: On January 9, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton offered a pastoral message to ELCA members about the crisis between the United States and Iran. Calling it “worrisome,” she said “Our country and Iran need urgently to find ways to resolve our differences through a de-escalation of the current crisis, using diplomacy and other peaceful means.” She concluded, “We should appeal now to our elected officials to pursue the path of dialogue and diplomacy with Iran — for our sake, for the sake of the people of Iran and for the sake of the world God so loves.”

ADMINISTRATION’S “PEACE TO PROSPERITY” PLAN: Presiding Bishop Eaton said on January 28, she was “very dismayed and disturbed by President Trump’s announcement” of his new “Peace to Prosperity” plan, expressing her “fear, [that it] will bring greater insecurity for Israelis and Palestinians instead of peace.” She lamented that it “involved only one party,” noting, “A plan made for a people without consulting that people will not bring peace.” She observed, “Rather than drawing together Israelis and Palestinians to reach a peace accord, the effect of this plan will be further alienation and, I am afraid, more tension” and concluded by calling “upon President Trump to develop a different plan that would involve all parties, and to pursue efforts that would adhere to international law and human rights conventions. This plan should ensure the protection and preservation of internationally recognized human rights and realize, for Palestinians and for Israelis, two viable, secure states living side by side in peace.”

ADDRESSING HATE SPEECH AND PREVENTING INCITEMENT: The United Nations Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect as well as the Permanent Missions of Bangladesh, Italy and Morocco sponsored a panel discussion held February 4, “Addressing Hate Speech and Preventing Incitement to Discrimination, Hostility and Violence: Synergies within the United Nations system”. In addition to the respective ambassadors of sponsoring missions, Mr. Adama Dieng, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, stressed the importance of existing UN initiatives such as the “Fez Plan of Action for religious leaders and actors to prevent incitement to violence that could lead to atrocity crimes” (July 2017).

A number of the other panel members, representing entities such as the World Council of Churches, the UN Alliance of Civilizations and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), noted the urgency of combating hate speech on online platforms and social media. Of particular interest also to churches and other religious organizations are the “Rabat Plan of Action on the prohibition of advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence” and the Beirut Declaration and 18 Commitments on “Faith for Rights”. A useful new tool is OHCHR’s Faith4Rights toolkit with peer-to-peer learning modules, exploring the relationship between religions, beliefs and human rights.

Colorado

Peter Severson, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-Colorado www.lam-co.org

LEGISLATIVE SESSION BEGINS: The Colorado General Assembly convened on January 8 and will adjourn May 6. We have already begun advocating in earnest on several important issues from our policy agenda. These include:

SB 20-100, Repeal the Death Penalty. The bill has moved out of the Senate and on to the House. We support this measure to repeal Colorado’s outdated, expensive and unjustly administered death penalty.
SB 20-029, Basic Cash Assistance Increase. This bill would increase the baseline amount for Colorado Works, our state version of cash assistance from TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families). The first hearing takes place on February 11.
HB 20-1009, Suppressing Court Records of Eviction Proceedings.

FAITHFUL THURSDAYS: People of faith, including ELCA Lutherans, are once again convening a fortnightly gathering at the State Capitol. We are gathered around the themes of equity, a moral economy and ending racism. Learn more at FaithfulThursdays.org and join us in February on the 6^th and the 20^th at noon!

LUTHERAN DAY AT THE LEGISLATURE: Join us on Thursday, February 27, for Colorado Lutherans and other people of faith to gather at the State Capitol and learn about the process of our government, as well as how to advocate faithfully on specific issues. Registration is open now at https://www.rmselca.org/legislature_day_2020.

Minnesota

Tammy Walhof, Lutheran Advocacy- Minnesota (LA-MN) lutheranadvocacymn.org

AFFORDABLE HOUSING: Lutheran Advocacy-MN will again have housing and homelessness as one of its two top priorities for the 2020 legislative session. The lack of adequate affordable housing remains a statewide crisis! In some previous years, we have organized joint education and advocacy events with Lutheran Social Service of MN or in conjunction with Homes for All end of session events. This year, our long-time advocacy partner, Joint Religious Legislative Coalition is holding their first ever Faith Leader Summit on Housing, with opening remarks by Governor Walz and participation by important legislative leaders. We strongly encourage all faith leaders & advocates to attend this free event on the morning of February 20. Register on JRLC’s website.

JRLC Faith Leader Housing Summit
Thursday, February 20, 2020, 8:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. (plus afternoon legislator visits)
Christ Lutheran on Capitol Hill, 105 University Ave. W. St. Paul, MN 55103
LUNCH PROVIDED / *Please make appointments with your legislators for the afternoon hours following the summit and encourage them to make housing a top priority in the 2020 bonding bill!

CREATION CARE: Clean Energy & the Climate Crisis is the other key issue area that Lutheran Advocacy-MN is addressing with the 2020 Minnesota State Legislature, We are also continuing to make public education for our church people and other people of faith a key priority for the care of God’s creation. Lutheran Advocacy-MN has partnered with the Northeastern Minnesota Synod’s EcoFaith Network in their summits & retreats over the last several years. This year, we encourage people of faith throughout the Upper Midwest to join with us in Brainerd for the 2020 EcoFaith Summit! What will happen at the Summit? Worship that sings Easter for the whole creation; Young activists share what motivates them; Breakout sessions for worship and grassroots action in your congregation and community; How to have conversations about important yet sensitive environmental issues; Networking for musicians, students, creation care teams, church gardeners, youth leaders, preachers, public advocates, and more! Register soon, as space is limited!

Now the Green Blade Rises: The Easter Gospel for the Whole Creation
2020 EcoFaith/Creation Care Summit
Saturday, March 28, 2020, 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 418 8th Ave NE, Brainerd, MN 56401

Pennsylvania

Tracey DePasquale, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry–Pennsylvania (LAMPa) lutheranadvocacypa.org

LAMPA ANNOUNCES FEATURED SPEAKERS FOR LUTHERAN DAY AT THE CAPITOL: Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) President and CEO Krish O’Mara Vignarajah will be the featured speaker at the LAMPa Honorees Celebration Dinner on May 18. The Rev. Roger A. Willer, PhD., ELCA Director for Theological Ethics in the Office of the Presiding Bishop, and leader in the development of the social message on government and civic engagement, will be the keynote speaker for Lutheran Day. LAMPa Director Tracey DePasquale joined other advocacy staff at the Lutheran Ethicists Gathering in January.

ANTI-TRAFFICKING BILL HEADS TO GOVERNOR, RELATED BILLS PASS HOUSE: The House passed a package of anti-trafficking bills, including SB 60, which increases penalties on traffickers and those who would buy sex or labor from those in servitude. Revenue from increased fines would fund services for child sex trafficking victims. The package has moved into the Senate. SB 60 awaits the governor’s signature. LAMPa advocates acted on alerts requesting support for the bills and thanking lawmakers who voted in favor.

PUSHING BACK ON POTENTIAL HIGH-COST LENDING LEGISLATION: LAMPa program director Lynn Fry and the Rev. Matthew Best, a LAMPa policy council member whose congregation works closely with those experiencing homelessness, joined coalition partners in meeting with lenders to discourage them from pursuing legislation that would significantly raise fees and interest on consumer loans in Pennsylvania.

EDUCATING AND EQUIPPING LEADERS: DePasquale participated in a panel discussion with fellow SPPO directors for Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary (PLTS) students and taught about advocacy as part of a faith formation course at United Lutheran Seminary (ULS). Fry shared an informative session on LAMPa and ELCA Advocacy with the adult discussion class at St. James, Gettysburg. DePasquale also met with leaders at Union, York to plan community gun violence awareness events connected to National Gun Violence Awareness Day, Emanuel Nine and Juneteenth commemorations.

Washington

Paul Benz, Faith Action Network (FAN) fanwa.org

WASHINGTON LEGISLATIVE SESSION: Washington state’s 2020 legislative session meets from January 13-March 13. During that time, Co-Director Paul Benz is at the state capitol most of each week lobbying for the many bills on FAN’s Legislative Agenda, while the staff in Seattle send weekly updates on the session, create sample advocacy emails for constituents to send to their legislators on important bills, and keep our Bill Tracker up-to-date with the progress in Olympia. Two major successes we celebrate so far are the passage of the Sustainable Farms and Fields bill to reduce the carbon emissions produced by agriculture (SB 5947) and the death penalty repeal bill (SB 5339) out of the Senate – we are hoping those will be followed by passage in the House, and that 2020 will be the year the death penalty is finally repealed in Washington State!

INTERFAITH ADVOCACY DAY: FAN hosts three regional legislative days – in Olympia, Spokane, and Yakima. We recently cohosted a successful Eastern Washington Legislative Conference in Spokane, with 150 advocates who discussed issues affecting our state in workshops, heard an overview of FAN’s legislative priorities, and heard from local elected officials. We are currently putting the last-minute touches on Interfaith Advocacy Day in Olympia, which is taking place this Thursday, February 6. We look forward to about 200 advocates who will meet in workshops and caucus groups before heading off to meetings with their legislators, and we’ll conclude the afternoon with updates from key elected officials on the 2020 session. Finally, we’ll conclude the weekend with Yakima Interfaith Advocacy Day.

CENSUS 2020: FAN received a grant from the WA Census Equity Fund, managed by Philanthropy Northwest, to dedicate outreach efforts across the state to coordinate the Census in hard-to-count populations. We look forward to engaging faith communities in this important work to ensure that all communities receive their fair share of critical federal and state funding, and that everyone in Washington State counts!

Wisconsin

Pastor Cindy Crane, Lutheran Office for Public Policy in Wisconsin (LOPPW) loppw.org

CARE FOR GOD’S CREATION: LOPPW participated with coalition partners via the Wisconsin Climate Table. We discussed ways to make known positive state level efforts to diminish greenhouse gas emissions.

LOPPW supported a bill that, if passed into law, would help ensure quicker communication between departments in counties where groundwater standards have been threatened by violations made by Discharge Elimination System permit holders. A case in La Crosse County revealed that the county and residents were unaware of a potential risk to groundwater contamination for 10 years.

Other news includes:
-The care for God’s Creation team met to discuss our solar project.
-The director advised our advisory council member from the Northern Great Lakes Synod as he helped to initiate a care for God’s creation team in his church.
-In January, for Wednesday Noon Live program we interviewed a meteorologist on climate change and natural disasters. We turned the interview into a stand-alone VIDEO https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=313763922844559 and PODCAST: https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-gfe6k-ceed73

ELCAVOTES: LOPPW attended an initial voting coalition meeting, sought a partnership with a local organization that focuses on voting to explore how concrete actions we would partner on could fit into our larger ELCAvotes efforts, and was in dialogue with a leader from the Northwest Synod about ELCAvotes.

ADVOCACY TRAININGS AND MEETINGS: LOPPW led a workshop on advocacy at a congregation in the South-Central Synod. The director was also part of a panel for Dr. Cynthia Moe Lobeda’s class at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary (PLTS). The panel was made up of SPPOs and organized by Ryan Cumming. Lastly, LOPPW participated in the Northwest Synod of Wisconsin social justice team meeting.

IN ADDITION:
-The director was part of a conference call for relators to Directors of Evangelical Mission.
-LOPPW advised leaders with advocacy ideas for a young adults group in the South-Central Synod

Looking ahead, 2020 is likely to be an eventful year. In the midst of societal shifts and opportunities, ELCA Advocacy has identified areas of priority for our work together on the federal level. “These priorities reflect ELCA Advocacy commitments for faithful and timely attention to pressing concerns that affect our neighbor’s well-being and the wholeness of creation,” says the Rev. Amy E. Reumann, Director of ELCA Advocacy.

Please consider being part of the ELCA Advocacy network for information and notification when your action matters most. Use ELCA.org/advocacy/signup to sign up, and invite your congregation and ministries to do so as well (sharable invitation posts are available on social media @ELCAadvocacy). Find a reproducible copy of 2020 priorities at ELCA.org/resources/advocacy. ELCA Advocacy is a resource in our church to help bring our faith based voices into public policy dialogue as God calls us into the world to serve together.

2020 ELCA ADVOCACY FEDERAL POLICY PRIORITIES

In the ELCA we believe that, through baptism, God is calling us into the world to serve together.
We are a church that views governments as helpful ways God is active in our world and that is energized by lively engagement in our faith and public life. When we, as ELCA members, lift our voices together to influence policies that advance the common good, we further God’s work in our world.

Shaped by the ELCA’s social teaching documents and the experiences of its congregations, ministries and partners, we advocate to end world hunger and stands up for policies that create opportunities to overcome poverty, promote peace and dignity, preserve God’s creation and promote racial justice.

You will find ELCA faith-based advocates meeting with policy makers, taking joint action with values-sharing issue partners, writing letters, making public comments, talking with neighbors, asking questions in town hall meetings — listening, learning, educating and visibly and skillfully asserting policy considerations guided by faith foundations.

In addition to faith-based advocacy organized by local congregations and synods, by Lutheran state public policy offices and by Lutheran Office for World Community representation to the United Nations, ELCA Advocacy is active in Washington, D.C. Following are policy priorities on the national horizon for 2020.

Civic engagement

Anticipating the 2020 U.S. presidential election and supporting the church’s #ELCAvotes initiative, ELCA Advocacy will continue to prioritize policy and practice that increases both government inclusion of and civic participation in our communities.

GO TOs — Find more in ELCA social teaching resources, including the social policy resolution “Voting Rights to All Citizens.”

Domestic Policy

Child nutrition programs — Restore, protect and adequately fund school and community-based feeding programs as part of the federal safety net, and oppose efforts to convert nutrition assistance programs to block grants to states which would over time diminish free and reduced-fee meal benefits.

Criminal justice reform — End mass incarceration, promote fairer sentencing and support restorative reentry programs in our communities through federal and state funding and reforms.

Civil and human rights — Safeguard and promote protections for vulnerable populations, including communities who face barriers, unjust treatment or inequalities on the basis of racial, ethnic, cultural, gender, sexual orientation or class identity.

GO TOs — Find more in ELCA social teaching resources, including the social policy resolution “Advocating for Child Nutrition,” the social message “Human Rights” and the social statement The Church and Criminal Justice.

Domestic Policy: Housing

Budget concerns — Foster bipartisan cooperation and public support for budgeting of federal programs that fund affordable housing and assist people who are homeless.

Shelter and housing reforms — Ensure that the experience of churches and faith-based ministries informs federal reforms and public rule revisions that affect low-income housing programs.

Natural disaster impact — Support federal disaster aid resources and equitable access to recovery programs that assist communities before and after natural disasters.

GO TOs — Find more in ELCA social teaching resources, including the social message “Homelessness: A Renewal of Commitment” and the social statement Sufficient, Sustainable Livelihood for All.

Environment Policy

Mitigation, Adaptation and Resiliency — Support legislation and policies that address the global impact of greenhouse gas emissions, incorporating the principles of participation, solidarity, sufficiency and sustainability. Impacts and related policy considerations are multifaceted, including food security threats, agricultural challenges, increased health issues, national security and the forced migration of thousands.

Sustainability — Encourage and advocate for important legislation to protect frontline communities and vulnerable populations that disproportionately experience the negative impacts of environmental degradation, including climate-related changes that exacerbate existing racial, economic, ecological and social injustices.

Creation care strengths of ELCA — Amplify ELCA experiential, educational and creation-care value resources, expressing faithful hope for the future, at this time of pressing and wide-ranging environmental concerns.

GO TOs — Find more in ELCA social teaching resources, including the social statements Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope, and Justice; Sufficient, Sustainable Livelihood for All; and Genetics, Faith and Responsibility.

International Policy

Federal budget considerations — Advocate for robust support for international antipoverty, humanitarian and global health funding (i.e. HIV/AIDS, malaria), as well as funding for conflict prevention and peace-building programs.

Gender Justice — Strengthen U.S. government capacity to prevent gender-based violence, promote girls’ education, protect women and girls during humanitarian crises, and support the economic and health care needs of women and girls globally.

Peace and Diplomacy — Promote human rights and strengthen conflict prevention and peace-building activities around the world, including bilateral and multilateral initiatives.

GO TOs — Find more in ELCA social teaching resources, including the social statements For Peace in God’s World and Faith, Sexism, and Justice.

Migration Policy

Plight of children, women and men fleeing the Northern Triangle of Central America — Raise awareness of the challenges and humanitarian stories on the United States’ southern border.

Human rights of migrants — Restore, protect and promote the human rights of those fleeing violence, poverty, environmental degradation or food insecurity, to name a few causes, and urge the relevant governments and ad hoc institutions to protect migrants, refugees and asylum seekers as established under international law, by denouncing policies and practices that exacerbate the risks and discrimination these populations face.

Militarization of foreign aid — Organize against the allocation of funds to militarize the U.S. southern border and the development of practices that compromise the human rights of migrants.

Path to citizenship — Support policy that reinforces Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).

GO-TOs — Find more in ELCA social teaching resources, including the social messages “Immigration,” “Human Rights” and “Gender-based Violence.”

How can you get involved?

Become part of the ELCA Advocacy network at ELCA.org/advocacy/signup! You will receive monthly updates on policy activity and be invited to take action at moments when your voice and experience will have an impact.

Find resources for your advocacy efforts at ELCA.org/resources/advocacy and a community with which to engage on social media at @ELCAadvocacy. Together we endeavor to live into our baptismal covenant to serve all people, following the example of Jesus, and to strive for justice and peace in all the earth.

Following are updates shared from submissions of the Lutheran Office for World Community and state public policy offices. This January 2020 edition particularly emphasizes priorities in the new year.

Lutheran Office for World Community, United Nations, New York, N.Y.

Dennis Frado, director

ELCA HIV & AIDS STRATEGY: In Commemoration of World AIDS Day (1 December each year), LOWC Program Associate Rebecca Anderson spoke on ELCA’s HIV & AIDS Strategy at a one-day Symposium (7 December 2019) hosted by the Peoples’ Community Evangelical Lutheran Church’s HIV Awareness project, in Baltimore, MD. The theme was “Ending AIDS 2030, Act Now.”

Dr. Ulysses Burley III (CEO of UB the Cure) focused his presentation on the UNAIDS Fast-track strategy to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030. 30 countries worldwide account for 89% of new HIV infections. The UNAIDS Fast-Track Strategy stresses the necessity of concentrating its resources towards the most affected cities and communities within those countries most affected. This requires significant commitments from both national and international sources.

Ms. Anderson highlighted the Strategy’s recognition that “the body of Christ has AIDS… [we are] a church that is HIV positive.” The Strategy urges the Church to turn outward in compassion through a multifaceted approach of prayer, charity, advocacy and education in combatting the HIV & AIDS pandemic. ELCA, in partnership with the Lutheran World Federation, have been working with companion churches, partners, the government and civil society to “halt the spread of HIV through effective prevention, treatment and care, eliminate the stigma and discrimination experienced by those who are HIV-positive and reduce the conditions of poverty and marginalization that contributes to the spread of HIV.”

Derrick L. Weston (Director of Programs and Volunteers at HopeSprings), spoke about the faith community response to the HIV and AIDS epidemic, particularly in Baltimore and Maryland. Mr. Weston shared statistics for the Baltimore area, stating that the “Baltimore-Columbia-Towson Metropolitan Region is 10^th in the nation for diagnosed HIV cases and 4^th in the nation for people living with HIV, with 1 in 41 people in Baltimore City HIV positive.” Mr. Weston shared HopeSprings’ best practices, bringing those affected back into a positive relationship with the church. HopeSprings offers a holistic approach and appropriate referral services when working with those affected and works together with the faith community, providing wholistic ministry training and community engagement training.

A Q&A period featured Ms. Patrice Henry (Senior Community Program Coordinator/Project LINK Patient Advocate, John Hopkins University – School of Medicine) who spoke about living with HIV & AIDS. Diagnosed late and considered ‘a miracle’ by the doctor who correctly diagnosed her, Ms. Henry spoke of her journey fighting the stigma she grew up with and her experience counselling those affected.

HUMAN RIGHTS DAY: On Human Rights Day (December 10), the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR) hosted an event titled “Celebrating Human Rights Day: Youth standing up for human rights.” In his introductory remarks, Andrew Gilmour (Assistant Secretary-General, OHCHR) spoke about the “sustained and sometimes ferocious pushback against the entire global human rights agenda that we haven’t seen before.” The United Nations Secretary General Antόnio Guterres commended the efforts of young human rights activists, stating “they are powerful torchbearers for a better future, and we owe them all our support.” A video message was given by the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, who reminded viewers that “what is at stake is our freedom, our security and our environment, we must all rise up peacefully to achieve a world of rights for all.”

A panel discussion featuring youth took place, moderated by Jessica Stern (Executive Director of OutRight Action International) who emphasized the importance of UN using universal language in policies that translates into local languages. Fatou (Toufah) Jallow (23), from The Gambia, supported this, commenting on her struggle to break the silence and stigma around rape after experiencing such sexual violence, as the English word translates in her local language to “falling on someone” and does not express the gravity of the human rights violation. Feliciana Herrera Ceto, (23) a youth indigenous leader from the Ixil Region in Guatemala, was unable to attend due to her visa being denied but sent her remarks including “[Human Rights] have come at a great cost. I have been criminalized for standing up for the human rights of the indigenous/for exercising my rights to self-determination in order to keep peace in our communities. We don’t enjoy Human Rights.” Carl Smith (17) from the indigenous Yupiaq tribe in Alaska commented on the way climate change has had a detrimental effect on his traditional and cultural hunting rituals. He submitted a complaint to the Child Rights Committee alleging that climate change is violating his human rights. Alexus Lawrence (18) spoke of her childhood experience of homelessness and now advocates to change the face of homelessness, urging all to “understand your power, understand your privilege and use it.”

COMMEMORATION OF THE 40^TH ANNIVERSARY OF CEDAW: On December 18, the United Nations held a commemorative event for the 40^th anniversary of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). Since its adoption by the General Assembly in 1979, it has become a leading force for transformative change for women’s equality and empowerment. Assistant Secretary-General Andrew Gilmour (OHCHR) stated in his opening remarks that “one manifestation of all this is cases of intimidation and reprisals carried out against women who have cooperated with the UN and the human rights mechanisms.”

The President of the General Assembly, H.E. Mr. Tijani Muhammad-Bande, highlighted “it is a day to celebrate…this treaty has significantly improved the lives of women over the last 40 years.” Mr. Muhammad-Bande urged men and boys around the world to understand that a woman in power is not a threat and called on all Member States to uphold the rights of women.

In the following panel discussion, Ms. Bandana Rana (Vice-Chair of the CEDAW Committee) highlighted that CEDAW has “received hundreds of state parties reports on their obligations to promote and protect women’s rights”, and has seen an increase in the adoption of “legislative and administrative reforms to eliminate discrimination and prevent gender-based violence against women.” Ms. Rana stated “we must affirm the gains we have made in advancing human rights, build on the hope of women’s mobilization and transformative actions, and take collective action to forge solidarity with other movements demanding accountability of its states and the private sector.”

INTERNATIONAL MIGRANTS DAY CELEBRATION: The United Nations celebrated the resilience, human rights and dignity of Migrants worldwide on International Migration Day (December 18). The International Organization of Migration (IOM) hosted an event of music, documentary sharing and firsthand accounts of migration from the Democratic Republic of Congo to America. In his opening remarks, Mr. Ashraf El Nour, the IOM UN Office Director, highlighted that “we often forget the experiences, stories, sacrifices of individual migrants. Today we would like to celebrate the human face of migrants…Human mobility should not be prohibited or restricted, or even worse – criminalized.” Mr. Nour emphasized that migrants add value to the societies they are in and urged all to quell toxic migration narratives.

H.E. Ms. Gerladine Byrne Nason, the Permanent Representative of Ireland (pictured), commented from a global perspective that “migrants today are all too frequently treated as a threat to security”. She stated the need to engage with host countries to eradicate frequent toxic migration narratives. Ms. Nason shared 2019 migration statistics, stating in 2019 there were “25 million refugees, 3.5 million asylum seekers and 41 million internationally displaced peoples.”

A film screening of “One Way Ticket”, was showcased and the Director and two of the film’s protagonists, Mr Jean Pieere Ntegyeye and Mr. Isaiah Bahati, joined for a panel discussion around their journey from the same migrant camp in the Democratic Republic of Congo to America. Mr Gregoire Grosset, the director, commented on the interviews he conducted within migration camps and highlighted that “even when they [migrants] face[d] distress, they never complained” and that they maintained quiet dignity through their suffering.

Read International Migration Day UN News article here.

NEW LOWC FACEBOOK PAGE! The Lutheran Office for World Community has some exciting news. We now have our very own Facebook account that can be accessed here. We will share more of our work and engagement with the United Nations on this new media platform and welcome all to the page!

California

Regina Q. Banks, Lutheran Office of Public Policy- California (LOPP-CA) lutheranpublicpolicyca.org

The Lutheran Office of Public Policy begins the 2020 legislative year remaining committed to the principles of economic justice, human rights, accompaniment and responsible stewardship and sustainability in service of a more peaceful and compassionate California. Our legislative and executive priorities for the year are:

IMMIGRATION/MIGRATION POLICY: We are looking forward to living into the ELCA declaration of being a sanctuary denomination in California- a sanctuary state. Our foundation is to advocate for and accompany our siblings who are immigrating to and moving through California. Education, poverty and other healthcare and human services remain a challenge for this population and we are committed to walking with them to seek equity.

HOUSING RIGHTS AND HOMELESSNESS: California is in the midst of a housing crisis that is affecting every corner of the state and wide swaths of the economic scale. We here at LOPP-CA are committed to finding equitable funding streams to encourage sustainable building of housing throughout California. Additionally, we are seeking services for individuals and families experiencing homelessness.

FOOD AND FARMING: California’s role in agricultural leadership is unrivaled. This affords us great opportunity to be leaders in food and farming policies that ensure just stewardship of our state’s resources to feed ourselves and the nation. If we believe that food and water are human rights- and we do- care must be taken to see that food is grown, transported and distributed equitably and with maximal attention toward care of God’s creation. We here at LOPP-CA are committed to these goals.

We look forward to continuing fruitful partnerships with ministry partners and others in civil society toward these and other goals as they serve to help us live our gospel mandates to Love Our Neighbor.

Colorado

Peter Severson, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-Colorado www.lam-co.org

2020 Advocacy Agenda

ENDING HUNGER:

Improve access and usage rates for SNAP benefits for already-qualified individuals and support protection of the program on a federal level.
Encourage greater participation in food and nutrition programs, particularly for children age 0-18
Support and collaborate with allied faith-based entities in local and regional work, including ELCA World Hunger, the Rocky Mountain Synod World Hunger Team and Bread for the World

POVERTY REDUCTION:

Support the creation and implementation of a paid family and medical leave insurance program
Protect access to federal programs for people living in poverty
Support reform of the Taxpayer Bill of Rights to give elected representatives fiscal authority in taxation

ACCESS TO HOUSING:

Promote measures to expand and protect housing options for low-income individuals and families
Ensure that people experiencing homelessness have the right and responsibility to access robust services and support

CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM:

Abolish the use of capital punishment in Colorado
Work with reform advocates on automatic record sealing and sentence commutation

PUBLIC HEALTH:

Protect health care access as a public good and human right that should be available to everyone regardless of ability to pay
Support awareness of public safety in relation to firearms, and understanding firearm-involved deaths (homicides and suicides) as a major public health concern
Promote access to care and treatment for those suffering from opioid addiction

MIGRANTS AND REFUGEES:

Interpret and promote the sanctuary denomination decision of the ELCA Churchwide Assembly
Collaborate with Lutheran Immigration & Refugee Services and Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains

CARING FOR OUR ENVIRONMENT:

Engage proactively with Colorado legislators (state and federal) to encourage legislation to address the root causes of the climate crisis, including greenhouse gas emissions
Support incentive-building programs to reduce global warming and grants to local communities to build renewable infrastructure, in the model of Lutherans Restoring Creation

Delaware

Gordon Simmons, State Public Policy Officer, DE Lutheran Office for Public Policy delutheranpublicpolicy@gmail.com

The priorities for the Delaware Lutheran Office for Public Policy for 2020 will be (1) Education (especially additional funding for students from low income families and for those learning English and (2) the Environment (especially raising the state’s goal for renewable energy from 25% to a target of 40%).

Kansas

Rabbi Moti Rieber, Kansas Interfaith Action (KIFA) kansasinterfaithaction.org

Kansas Interfaith Action (KIFA) today released its agenda for the 2020 Kansas legislative session, including Medicaid expansion, a reform in the laws covering the payday lending industry, and for a comprehensive statewide climate plan, among other items.

KIFA is a statewide, faith-based issue advocacy organization that represents mainstream faith voices in the state legislature and organizes people and communities of faith to bring a moral voice to public policy in Kansas. KIFA’s legislative agenda focuses on the “four evils” of racism/discrimination, economic injustice, gun violence, and climate disruption. KIFA members are shaped by the values of our diverse faiths, which connect us to a timeless concern for justice, peace, and human dignity.

KIFA’s 2020 legislative priorities include:

EXPANDING MEDICAID: We strongly believe that healthcare is a human right and people should not be denied access to basic medical care due to inability to pay. Medicaid Expansion is a moral imperative. We call for a clean expansion bill, without unnecessary conditions or further delays.

PAYDAY LOAN REFORM: KIFA is part of a statewide coalition introducing bipartisan legislation to ease the conditions of short-term, high-interest loans to make them less onerous for borrowers.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM: KIFA supports passage of the Smart Justice Act, which includes the return of all private property seized under civil forfeiture by police upon acquittal, banning the felony question on state job applications, and probation reform. In addition, we call for decriminalizing drug offenses, and expunging the records of those who have been caught up in the disastrous “war on drugs.”

“GUNSENSE” LEGISLATION: A “red flag law” would develop a court process to temporarily remove firearms from a person who poses an imminent danger to others or themselves. Also, we oppose any legislation that would further loosen Kansas’ already too-lax gun laws.

EFFECTIVE CLIMATE ACTION: Kansas must begin to plan now for the worsening impact of climate change on Kansas residents and agriculture. Such a plan would include a robust commitment to energy efficiency and clean energy — making Kansas’ energy sector 100% carbon-neutral by 2030 — and building resilience to climate disruption into all our future planning.

KIFA’s advocacy priorities can be found at https://www.kansasinterfaithaction.org/updates/2020-advocacy-priorities.

Minnesota

Tammy Walhof, Lutheran Advocacy- Minnesota (LA-MN) lutheranadvocacymn.org

TWO YEAR PROCESS: In 2020, Minnesota is in year two of the legislative biennium. Legislation introduced last session is still active. It does not need to be re-introduced, can be picked up again by committees, or if passed through part of the two chamber process can continue in that process. This means that legislation we addressed last year could still be passed.

2020 STATE PRIORITIES: The LA-MN Policy Council decided early on that brand new issues should not be considered, but rather that work started on unfinished issues should continue.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING, HOMELESSNESS & RELATED SERVICES: Although 2019 was not a bonding year, bonding for affordable housing was passed and was really the only issue that got significant attention from both parties and both chambers. However, the legislature was and remains behind on what needs to be passed to catch up with the statewide housing crisis.

For that reason, as part of the Homes for All coalition, we are calling for $500 million in bonding for the creation of new housing and rehabilitation of existing stock. While that may sound (including to legislators) like a huge amount of money, it is really only a down-payment on what is actually needed. Other states in similar situations with similar sized budgets have passed $900 million to $1.4 billion in bonding for housing. We will also be working to continue to address aspects from last year’s Minnesota Housing and Human Services agenda, and to make policy improvements to help bring tenants more rights in a system significantly weighted toward landlords. While these changes won’t impact good landlords, they will help prevent abuses by slumlords.

CLEAN ENERGY, CLEAN AIR, CLIMATE, AND JOBS: Minnesota surpassed early the Renewable Energy Standard set in 2007 of 25 percent renewable energy by 2025 for electric energy and 30 percent for Xcel Energy. Last year, the House of Representatives passed significant legislation for 100% clean energy by 2050, but it went nowhere in the Senate. Both chambers debated “Clean Energy First” provisions, which we support, with the idea that if clean energy (renewables and efficiency savings) are less expensive than energy from fossil fuels, they should be considered first. The senate version has lots of loopholes.

Much of our work on clean energy in 2020 will be focused on the senate – a) educating regarding remaining misunderstandings about the climate crisis, b) calling generally for 100% Clean Carbon Neutral Energy by 2050 and Clean Energy First (without debating every detail within the various 100% bills), and c) calling for transition provisions to help communities where fossil fuel jobs will be lost (while supporting the rapidly growing clean energy economy & jobs), and d) working for adaptation and resilience for those most impacted already by the climate crisis, especially low-income communities and farmers.

FEDERAL PRIORITIES: LA-MN will continue to partner with ELCA Advocacy to aggressively protect programs important for vulnerable people and our vulnerable earth, with special focus on protecting and welcoming vulnerable immigrants.

Ohio

Deacon Nick Bates, Hunger Network in Ohio hungernetohio.com

2020 READY SET GO! The Hunger Network is ready for 2020 with a full list of priorities and agenda items that will build on our successes of 2019.

Assist legislative leaders in developing ideas to use the Ohio capital budget to address hunger in our communities.
Equip faith leaders to be actively anti-racist in our congregations and communities through dialogue and trainings around white privilege, power, and faith.
Stand in solidarity with migrant neighbors.
Stop bills that attack and blame the poor – such as SB 165 that HNO and others stopped in late 2019.
Work in coalition to foster more collaboration and a stronger faith voice in advocacy and justice work in Ohio.

As the year progresses, HNO will also work with voting rights advocates to equip congregational food pantries with resources and funding to register, educate, and mobilize their neighbors to participate in the election.

Pennsylvania

Tracey DePasquale, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry–Pennsylvania (LAMPa) lutheranadvocacypa.org

LAMPa’s broad agenda encourages disciples to act where they are called, lifting up their ministry context, lived experiences, vocations and gifts for public witness. Alleviating hunger, protecting all of creation, especially the most vulnerable, and poverty remain central to the work of LAMPa while addressing their root causes.

In 2020, in partnership with Pennsylvania synods, congregations, social ministry organizations and other Lutheran institutions, as well as ELCA Advocacy and World Hunger, LAMPa will equip disciples to act in the following areas:

HUNGER:

Improve Access to Healthy, Affordable Food
State Food Purchase Program and Pa. Agriculture Surplus System Funding
Promoting Fresh, Local, Sustainable Food Systems
Improving School Breakfast Participation and Expanding Summer Feeding

CREATION JUSTICE:

Protecting All of Creation, Especially the Most Vulnerable
Addressing Climate Change
Protecting Clean Air, Water and Land
Sustainable Development
Conservation of Public Lands

POVERTY:

Promote Household Financial Stability
2020 Census
Oppose Predatory Payday Lending
Safeguard Benefits and Access to Benefits/Safety Net Programs
Prevent and Alleviate Homelessness
Increase Minimum Wage

HUMAN TRAFFICKING:

Continue work to strengthen laws to prevent and protect victims of human trafficking.

EDUCATION:

Improve Educational Outcomes for Pennsylvania Students
Adequate and Equitable Basic Education Funding

EXPAND AND SAFEGUARD ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE HEALTHCARE:

Protect Medical Assistance
Ending Surprise Medical Billing
Mental Health Treatment Funding

CIVIL RIGHTS:

Racial Justice – Addressing disparities across policy areas
Prohibiting LGBTQIA+ Discrimination
Safeguarding the Right to Vote
Lifting the Ban on Religious Garb in Public Schools
Hate Crimes Legislation

CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM:

Solitary Confinement Reform
Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPO)

IMMIGRATION:

Help congregations create welcoming communities and oppose legislation that would target immigrants for unjust treatment or seek to deny refugee resettlement efforts.
Drivers’ licenses for all — Driving PA Forward

Washington

Paul Benz, Faith Action Network (FAN) fanwa.org

FAN 2020 Legislative Agenda

ADVOCATING FOR ECONOMIC JUSTICE AND REDUCING POVERTY:

Eliminate the tax break on Capital Gains (HB 1343 Tarleton/SB 5129 Rolfes).
Fund the Working Families Tax Credit (HB 1527 Entenman/SB 5810 Nguyen), and pass the Individual Tax Identification Number bill to ensure that those in the undocumented community who are ITIN filers are included in WFTC benefits (Thai).
Pass the GRADS bill to increase support for teenage mothers and their children (HB 1327 Kilduff/SB 5379 C. Wilson).
Support the Anti-Hunger and Nutrition priorities: $1.3M for Department of Health for fresh fruits and veggies; increase the WIC/Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program voucher amount (Rep. Leavitt)
Support the Tax on Extreme Wealth bill (SB 6017 Nguyen).
Reform the tax exemption structure by eliminating the pharmaceutical tax preference ($38M) (Davis). Pass the Tax Exemption and Transparency bill (HB 1703 Pollet).
Pass the creation of a State Bank bill (SB 5995 Hasegawa).

RESTORING JUSTICE IN OUR CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM:

Decriminalize the Driving While License Suspended 3 (DWLS-3) criminal code (HB 1282 Reeves/SB 5328 Salomon).
Pass the Death Penalty Repeal bill (HB 1488 Orwall/SB 5339 Carlyle).
Pass the Clean Slate Bill to create an automatic removal of certain misdemeanors and some felonies (Hansen).
Pass the Post-Conviction Review Board Bill to evaluate qualifying prisoners for early release (SB 5819 Darneille).
Pass the Justice Housing for All Bill that would remove discrimination for those exiting prison as they apply for housing (Pettigrew/Darneille).
Pass the Voting Rights Restoration bill for those exiting state prisons (SB 5076 Kuderer).
Pass the Corrections Education to Further Reentry Success bill (Leavitt).

CREATING HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES AND PREVENTING HOMELESSNESS:

Increase funding for the Housing Trust Fund ($10M).
Increase the length of housing vouchers for those exiting prison (SB 5441 Nguyen).
Curb landlord privilege by requiring a legitimate business reason to evict a tenant (HB 1656 Macri/SB 5733 Saldaña).
Pass the renters’ bill to require landlords to provide a move-in fee installment plan over three months’ time upon a tenant’s request (HB 1694 Morgan).
Eliminate the shelter penalty for Aged, Blind, & Disabled (ABD) recipients.
Pass the Homeless ID Card Bill (SB 5664 Cleveland).

ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE:

Support the Clean Fuel Standards bill, which cuts greenhouse gas emissions from transportation fuels (HB 1110 Fitzgibbon/SB 5412 Saldaña).
Pass the Plastic Bag Ban bill, which establishes minimum state standards for use of plastic bags at all retail businesses (HB 1205 Peterson/SB 5323 Das).
Pass the Sustainable Farms and Fields bill to reduce carbon emissions produced by agriculture (HB 2095 Walsh/SB 5947 McCoy).
Support the Electric Bike Bill (Shewmake).

PROTECTING IMMIGRANTS, CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS FOR ALL:

Give authority to Washington State Patrol to destroy firearms that they come into possession of.
Ban the purchase of semi-automatic weapons.
Support the high capacity magazine restriction bill, which restricts the sale, manufacture, transfer, and possession of gun magazines holding over 10 rounds (HB 1068 Valdez/SB 5062 Kuderer).
Pass State Racial Equity Bill (HB 1783 Gregerson/SB 5776 Dhingra).
Pass the bill to make our County Courthouses open to all (Thai/Wellman).
Pass the H-2A agricultural labor restriction bill (McCoy).
Create more checks and balances on nuclear weapons policy to reduce the possibility of nuclear war (HJM 4008 Tarleton/SJM 8006 Hasegawa).
Pass the Eliminate Private Detention to Ensure Public Safety bill (Ortiz-Self/Saldaña).
Pass the Swatting bill to further reduce hate crimes (Valdez/Salomon).

ENSURING HEALTHCARE AND MENTAL HEALTH ACCESS:

Expand Medicaid to age 26 for all, including for undocumented youth (HB 1697 Macri/SB 5814 Nguyen).
Centralize the mental health Ombuds Offices into one.
Pass the Dental Therapy bill to increase access to dental care in underserved areas (HB 1317 Cody/SB 5392 Frockt).

Wisconsin

Pastor Cindy Crane, Lutheran Office for Public Policy in Wisconsin (LOPPW) loppw.org

COP25: As LOPPW’s director, I was very fortunate to attend the 25th Conference of Parties (COP25). The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change holds the COPs annually. 197 countries were represented in voting. Most people are familiar with COP21 held in Paris, where the well known Paris Agreement was written in an effort to raise ambition in combatting climate change internationally.

COP25 was held in Madrid in December after Chile canceled hosting it in Santiago due to political unrest. Ruth Ivory-Moore was able to get observer status for six ELCA members during the two-week conference. Six of us attended the first week and six the second in order to include more of our members. We gathered regularly with two international groups, Act Alliance and Climate Action Network, that had a strong interfaith presence at COP and helped to give structure to our experience.

It was striking how at the first plenary session, developing countries seemed to be vying for attention as being the most vulnerable to climate change. Many thought it was better to move ahead without trying to change anything in the Paris agreement. This was an example of how our world is experiencing the impacts of climate change right now. We continually heard people speak about how to “raise our ambition” to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. How do we mitigate the problem, adapt to the changes, and address loss and damages?

I focused on loss and damages in many of my meeting and side event choices. Equity was discussed as not only getting everyone at the table, but also evaluating how those countries that have historically created the most greenhouse gas emissions, and have benefited economically as a result, should respond to those that have been least responsible for those emissions but have been impacted the most. There is disagreement on how to address this.

It was disappointing to learn at the end of the two weeks that no decision was made on how to monitor countries’ emission of greenhouse gases, especially in light of a massive peaceful march held in downtown Madrid during the first week. People of all ages marched but there was especially a large turnout of young adults asking us to care for creation. The interfaith presence was also strong. As people of faith we are hopeful, but real hope needs to include honesty. The truth is that we are in a climate emergency.

INTERN: We said good-bye to our intern, Amelia Gonzales, who did a lot of great work in her one semester at LOPPW. We wish her well as she continues her graduate studies at UW-Madison in social work. She gave a refreshing and very striking talk on her experience with the Wisconsin legislature that we taped: https://www.facebook.com/LOPPW/videos/579292785967289/

By Rebecca Anderson, Intern at the Lutheran Office for World Community*

According to the International Organization of Migration, today there are an estimated 271.6 million migrants globally. While migrants are not inherently vulnerable, they can be vulnerable to human rights violations, observes the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR). It is imperative to protect their human rights.**

Migrants are forced to move for various reasons: governmental oppression, war, famine, climate change and better employment or educational opportunities. The list goes on. Of the 272 million international migrants, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs 2019 data indicates one in seven migrants are below the age of 20, with Sub-Saharan Africa hosting the highest proportions followed by Latin America and the Caribbean, West Africa and North Africa. In these age groups, the dangers of human rights violations are exponentially increased due to vulnerability factors such as education disruptions, food insecurity and sexual violence.

Fatou “Toufah” Jallow, a 23-year-old activist from The Gambia, left her home country temporarily to retain her safety after experiencing sexual violence until she could return to seek justice. She spoke of her experience on a youth delegate panel I heard at “Celebrating Human Rights Day: Youth standing up for human rights” hosted on Dec. 10*** by OHCHR. In his introductory remarks at the event, Assistant Secretary-General Andrew Gilmour spoke to the “sustained and sometimes ferocious pushback against the entire global human rights agenda that we haven’t seen before.” He highlighted growing “hate speech and prejudice” towards migrants and minorities.

Migration also has gender dimensions that must be considered. In a 2019 report by the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants to the Human Rights Council, Felipe González Morales emphasized this and highlighted the need for migration to be understood as a “gendered phenomenon,” enabling member states to better protect the rights of migrant women and girls from gender-based discrimination, abuse and violations at each stage of their journey. Migrants need ensured access to basic services – education, health, water, sanitation and hygiene – and social protection.

As Christians, we all have a common identity as children of a loving God who calls us to reflect love outwards, acting in compassion for our fellow neighbor. The ELCA and Lutheran World Federation (LWF) have been welcoming migrants and refugees for decades. During the negotiations for the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants and the Global Compact for Migration (GCM), Lutheran Office for World Community championed migrant human rights. We are members of the NGO Committee on Migration and the Civil Society Action Committee that monitor UN events and meetings on migration and advocate for the full implementation of the GCM and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Migrants are our sisters and brothers in need of our compassion both as individuals and as a community. As Lutherans, we work with migrants from all around the world with aid, respect and inclusivity. We extend our embrace to those of us who must flee from dangerous situations or seek out a better life for themselves and their loved ones. Migrants deserve a life of dignity and freedom to enjoy their inalienable human rights as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

* The Lutheran Office for World Community is a joint ministry of the ELCA and LWF. Staff actively participate together with other Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in various UN meetings and consultations.

** Read more in the ELCA social message on “Human Rights” which notes that “staggering numbers of God’s children have not experienced [human rights] advancement” (page 1).

*** Human Rights Day is observed annually on December 10 to celebrate the anniversary of the General Assembly’s adoption in 1948 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This momentous document sets out fundamental universal human rights that are to be protected worldwide regardless of race, ethnicity or culture.

By guest blogger the Rev. Kaari Reierson, contractor for ELCA corporate social responsibility program

Many of us have money socked away in pension funds, saved for education or invested for retirement. We probably thought pretty hard while we were saving that money, but how much do we know about where it is now? What do these investments produce and by what means? Through pension funds or personal investments, we may be supporting corporations which act in good faith and employ best practices, and we may be supporting business activities which harm people and the environment.

Personal ownership of shares gives you economic power as an investor and opportunity for exercising stewardship.

“The biblical understanding of stewardship is that what we have does not ultimately belong to us. We are called to be stewards of what God has given for the sake of all. This stewardship includes holding economic, political, and social processes and institutions responsible for producing and distributing what is needed for sufficiency for all.” ELCA social statement on Sufficient, Sustainable Livelihood for All, page 11

Shareholder votes can encourage best practices by corporations, affirming good corporate citizenship and forward-thinking financial decisions. The next time your shareholder resolutions arrive, look closely. Are there requests for reports from the board that seem fair and reasonable? Are there requests that the governance of a corporation be inclusive and transparent?

The Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program of the ELCA encourages corporations through shareholder and other activity to act in socially and environmentally responsible ways.

CSR develops standards for individual and institutional investors that align with ELCA social teaching. There are some products and services the ELCA advises against investing in at all because of the harm they inflict on people and the environment. CSR maintains investment screens found from elca.org/csr regarding: alcohol, community development, the environment, gambling, military weapons, political and civil human rights, pornography, private prisons and tobacco. CSR issue papers explore social issues as they pertain to corporate behavior and illustrate the kinds of shareholder resolutions that ELCA social teaching could support, which can also be found from elca.org/csr.

Portico Benefit Services, which provides retirement, health and related benefits for those who serve through the ELCA, offers Social Purpose funds that are invested in line with the ELCA’s mission.* Through ownership of stocks, Portico signs on to shareholder resolutions, issues its own requests to the Boards of Directors and participates in corporate dialogues.

Stewardship means using all we have been given for the good of all. The CSR program does this on behalf of the ELCA. CSR tools, including the new CSR Overview resource, can help you do this for yourself as well.

* Before investing in any fund, you should carefully consider its target asset allocations, investment objectives, risks, charge and expenses. All funds, including ELCA funds, are subject to risk and uncertainty. Past performance cannot be used to predict future performance. ELCA funds are not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. Fund assets are invested in multiple sectors of the market. Some sectors may perform below expectations and lose money over short or extended periods. See the ELCA Investment Fund Descriptions for more information about our funds.

Neither Portico Benefit Services nor the funds it manages are subject to registration, regulation or reporting under the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 or state securities laws. Members, therefore, will not be afforded the protections of those laws and related regulations.

ELCA advocacy in time of COVID-19 pandemic

Social teaching

Policy points

Our life together

March Update: U.N. and State Edition

Lutheran Office for World Community, United Nations, New York, N.Y.

Dennis Frado, director elca.org/lowc

Arizona

Solveig Muus, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona (LAMA) director@lamaz.org

California

Regina Q. Banks, Lutheran Office of Public Policy- California (LOPP-CA) lutheranpublicpolicyca.org

Colorado

Peter Severson, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-Colorado www.lam-co.org

Delaware

Gordon Simmons, Delaware Lutheran Office for Public Policy delutheranpublicpolicy@gmail.com

Kansas

Rabbi Moti Riebe, Kansas Interfaith Action (KIFA) kansasinterfaithaction.org

Minnesota

Tammy Walhof, Lutheran Advocacy- Minnesota (LA-MN) lutheranadvocacymn.org

Ohio

Deacon Nick Bates, Hunger Network in Ohio hungernetohio.com

Pennsylvania

Tracey DePasquale, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry–Pennsylvania (LAMPa) lutheranadvocacypa.org

Southeastern Synod

Matt Steinhauer, Southeastern Synod Advocacy Team synod.office@elca-ses.org

Texas

Bee Moorhead, Texas Interfaith Center for Public Policy texasimpact.org

Washington

Paul Benz, Faith Action Network (FAN) fanwa.org

Wisconsin

Pastor Cindy Crane, Lutheran Office for Public Policy in Wisconsin (LOPPW) loppw.org

Virus fears and viral fears: Standing with, not targeting, people

Xenophobic outbreaks

Jesus’ life-changing message

Siding with emancipatory faith

Certainty in times of uncertainty

ELCA partners with census for neighbor and ourselves

February Update: Advocacy Connections

February Update: U.N. and State Edition

Lutheran Office for World Community, United Nations, New York, N.Y.

Dennis Frado, director

Colorado

Peter Severson, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-Colorado www.lam-co.org

Minnesota

Tammy Walhof, Lutheran Advocacy- Minnesota (LA-MN) lutheranadvocacymn.org

Pennsylvania

Tracey DePasquale, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry–Pennsylvania (LAMPa) lutheranadvocacypa.org

Washington

Paul Benz, Faith Action Network (FAN) fanwa.org

Wisconsin

Pastor Cindy Crane, Lutheran Office for Public Policy in Wisconsin (LOPPW) loppw.org

2020 ELCA Advocacy Federal Policy Priorities

2020 ELCA ADVOCACY FEDERAL POLICY PRIORITIES

Civic engagement

Domestic Policy

Domestic Policy: Housing

Environment Policy

International Policy

Migration Policy

How can you get involved?

January Update: U.N. and State Edition

Lutheran Office for World Community, United Nations, New York, N.Y.

Dennis Frado, director

California

Regina Q. Banks, Lutheran Office of Public Policy- California (LOPP-CA) lutheranpublicpolicyca.org

Colorado

Peter Severson, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-Colorado www.lam-co.org

Delaware

Gordon Simmons, State Public Policy Officer, DE Lutheran Office for Public Policy delutheranpublicpolicy@gmail.com

Kansas

Rabbi Moti Rieber, Kansas Interfaith Action (KIFA) kansasinterfaithaction.org

Minnesota

Tammy Walhof, Lutheran Advocacy- Minnesota (LA-MN) lutheranadvocacymn.org

Ohio

Deacon Nick Bates, Hunger Network in Ohio hungernetohio.com

Pennsylvania

Tracey DePasquale, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry–Pennsylvania (LAMPa) lutheranadvocacypa.org

Washington

Paul Benz, Faith Action Network (FAN) fanwa.org