ELCA Advocacy

-por la Rev. Amy E. Reumann, Directora de defensa de ELCA

Oh Dios, nuestra ayuda en épocas pasadas, nuestra esperanza en los años venideros,

Nuestro refugio en la ráfaga de tempestad, y nuestro hogar eterno.

ELW 632, stanza 1 [Adoración Evangélica Luterana 632, primera estrofa] 705pm

A mediados de 2018, el Grupo Defensor de la ELCA decidió enfocar la Convocatoria de Defensa, una reunión de defensa para los obispos y líderes clave de la comunidad y ELCA en la intensificación de los desastres como consecuencia del cambio climático. Sabíamos que este tema requería nuestra defensa urgente. Desde ese entonces, millones de personas más han sufrido a raíz del terremoto y el tsunami en Indonesia, los incendios forestales en California, el ciclón Idai en el sureste de África, y las inundaciones generalizadas en la zona central de los Estados Unidos. La tierra gime mientras el calentamiento del clima intensifica la sequía, las inundaciones, los incendios forestales, y aumentan los niveles del mar, y éstos, a su vez, aceleran el hambre, el conflicto, la migración, y afectan el bienestar de cada habitante de nuestro planeta.

Como respuesta a este sufrimiento masivo, nos volvemos a Dios, nuestra ayuda, pidiendo liberación para aquellos que están en peligro. Lamentamos que los impactos del clima golpean primero y en forma desproporcionada a los que menos han hecho para ocasionarlos. Confesamos que los esfuerzos de alivio y recuperación para los supervivientes de desastres naturales no son distribuidos justamente, lo cual refleja y agudiza las inigualdades raciales y de género que se encuentran entretejidas en nuestra sociedad.

Se requiere que el liderazgo de la comunidad de fe, en el corto lapso de tiempo que le queda a nuestro mundo, dé marcha atrás de los peores impactos climáticos. La solución de la crisis climática exige que reimaginemos nuestras relaciones con la creación y las de los unos con los otros. Esto incluye nuestras medidas de repudiar la doctrina del descubrimiento y denunciar la colonización de la creación, las cuales alimentan nuestro consumo interminable. También exige un despertar espiritual a formas nuevas y más vivificadoras de relacionarnos con el mundo creado y los unos con los otros.

Nuestro esta iglesia a la acción persistente y resuelta a favor de la creación y de nuestro prójimo está profundizando. Aprenderemos de la experiencia y del conocimiento experto en el clima y de la respuesta ante desastres de unos y otros, llevaremos importantes conversaciones sobre el clima y un discernimiento comunitario a lo largo de las fallas geológicas de nuestro país, y llamaremos a nuestros líderes a la acción. Estamos involucrados en un esfuerzo continuo por reducir las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero, asegurar la transición justa de combustibles fósiles en nuestras comunidades, y abordar las pérdidas, daños, y el bienestar de los supervivientes de desastres naturales. Se necesitan urgentemente su voz y su presencia. Mientras nos reunimos, ponemos nuestra confianza en el Dios que nos formó, sopló aliento de vida en nuestro mundo, y nos sostiene ahora y siempre.

Antes de que los montes fuesen ordenados o la tierra recibiera su marco,

Desde la eternidad eres Dios, el mismo por siempre y para siempre.

ELW 632, stanza 1 [Adoración Evangélica Luterana 632, tercera estrofa]

-by the Rev. Amy E. Reumann, ELCA Advocacy Director

O God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come,

Our shelter from the stormy blast, and our eternal home.

ELW 632, stanza 1

In mid-2018, the ELCA Advocacy team decided to focus the 2019 ELCA Advocacy Convening, an advocacy gathering for bishops and key community and ELCA leaders, on disasters intensified by climate change. We knew then that this topic required our urgent advocacy. Since then, millions more have suffered in the wake of an earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia, wildfires in California, Cyclone Idai in southeast Africa and widespread flooding in the U.S. heartland. The earth is groaning as our warming climate intensifies drought, floods, wildfires and sea level rise, each in turn accelerating hunger, conflict, migration and the well-being of every inhabitant of our planet.

In response to such massive suffering, we turn to God, our help, asking for deliverance for those in harm’s way. We lament that climate impacts are visited first and most disproportionately on those who have done the least to cause them. We confess that relief and recovery for survivors of natural disasters is not justly distributed, reflecting and reinforcing the gender and racial inequities woven into our social fabric.

Faith community leadership is required in the small window of time our world has to pull back from the worst climate impacts. Solving the climate crisis requires us to reimagine our relationships to creation and one another. This includes our actions to repudiate the doctrine of discovery and denounce the colonization of creation that feeds our endless consumption. It demands a spiritual awakening toward new and more lifegiving ways of relating to the created world and one another.

Our church’s commitment to persistent and resolute action on behalf of creation and our neighbor is deepening. We learn from one another’s experience and expertise in climate and disaster response, practice leading climate conversations and communal discernment across the fault lines in our nation, and call our leaders to act. We are engaged in a sustained effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, ensure a just transition from fossil fuels in our communities, and address loss, damage and the wellbeing of survivors of natural disasters.

Your voice and presence are urgently needed. We place our trust and confidence in the God who formed us, breathed life into our world and sustains us now and always.

Before the hills in order stood or earth received its frame,

From everlasting you are God, to endless years the same.

ELW 632, stanza 3

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

HUNGER TIME LIMITS | CENTRAL AMERICAN TPS | GLOBAL FRAGILITY ACT | FOREIGN ASSISTANCE FUNDING | CLIMATE ACTION NOW ACT

HUNGER TIME LIMITS RULE: To date, the ELCA Advocacy office has received nearly 500 comments from Lutherans to the Department of Agriculture (USDA) opposing efforts to add additional time-limits for receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits on women and men without dependents. USDA extended the comment period to April 10th, and the Administration will announce its next steps in the coming weeks. Advocates can share their opinions on adding time limits to food assistance and hunger issues at the ELCA Action Center.

CENTRAL AMERICA TPS: The Trump administration announced last year that it was ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nearly 57,000 Hondurans and almost 200,000 Salvadorans protected by the program. Earlier this month, an updated document on the effects of ending TPS for countries like El Salvador and Honduras was released. The resource, with contributions from ELCA Advocacy and other Latin America Working Group partners, highlights the repercussions of ending the program: from undermining U.S. foreign policy interests to reducing the efficacy of investments in Central America and more. If the practice announced last year is implemented by the administration, those affected will have until early 2020 to return to their native country or risk falling into undocumented status.

GLOBAL FRAGILITY ACT: A bipartisan group of representatives and senators have recently introduced the Global Fragility Act, a bill to address issues of conflict around the world. The bill seeks to improve the capacity of the United States government to identify and address threats to civilians in fragile, conflict-prone regions around the world. In the coming weeks and months, ELCA Advocacy will be working with our partners to build support of the Global Fragility Act in Congress, and we have great hope that the bill will pass if brought to the floor for a vote.

FOREIGN ASSISTANCE FUNDING: For Fiscal Year 2020, significant (at 24%) cuts have again been proposed by President Trump to the International Affairs budget compared to the Fiscal Year 2019 enacted levels. The budget proposal prioritizes defense spending while slashing funds for non-defense agencies such as the State Department, USAID, and other development-focused agencies. It proposes to cut humanitarian assistance funding by 34% despite today’s unprecedented humanitarian challenges.

On March 30th, President Trump directed the State Department to end foreign assistance to El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras as the administration indicated that these countries have failed to curb immigration to the United States. ELCA Advocacy is monitoring the situation and the impact it will have on the root causes of migration. This a big concern for us. Last year when the president proposed similar drastic cuts to the International Affairs budget, Congress did not go along with that plan. We will be working with Congressional offices to ensure that these proposed cuts do not end up in the final budget bill.

CLIMATE ACTION NOW ACT: Drawing upon the support from a broad constituency including local, state, national and tribal leaders, among them business leaders, consumers, labor and health organizations, House Democrats introduced H.R. 9, the Climate Action Now Act (Act), on Mar. 27. The Act would prevent federal funds from being used by the Administration to withdraw from the Paris Agreement. Additionally, the Act would call for the president to develop and to make public a plan for the United States to honor pollution reduction commitments made to the international community in 2015.

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 .

by Abbigail Hull, Hunger Advocacy Fellow-Washington, D.C.

Leave no one behind.

32 Lutheran delegates from 7 countries (Colombia, Liberia, Palestine, Peru, Switzerland, Tanzania, and the U.S.) took part in CSW63, including our author (pictured first row, 4th from left)

This was the ambitious commitment in the creation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs are a set of universal goals “unique in that they cover issues that affect us all. They reaffirm our international commitment to end poverty, permanently, everywhere. They are ambitious in making sure no one is left behind. These 17 goals, such as zero hunger, are for striving toward by developed and developing countries.

Leave no one behind.

This call is not just a United Nations commitment, but a biblical call for us as Christians. We leave no one behind not only because it is good for the economy, or the planet, or the “right thing to do,” but because Jesus Christ, our example, time and time again focused his love and attention on those who were forced into the margins. He cared for the people that the Pharisees and others in power had left behind, including the poor, the diseased, the widow and the prostitute.

I was a part of a Lutheran delegation during this year’s United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW63) held in March. The Lutheran delegation hosted worship on the event’s opening day. The Gospel chosen was Matthew 20:1-16, where Jesus reminds His disciplines in a parable: “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” Leave no one behind by making our most vulnerable siblings first.

For those in power, who have always been first, this can be uncomfortable. As Christians, we are called to be examples of this radical love of leaving no one behind. So, how do we do this?

The theme of this year’s CSW63 was: “Social protection systems, access to public services and sustainable infrastructure for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.” When Lopa Banerjee, Director of the Civil Society Division for UN Women, addressed the Ecumenical Women at the United Nations, which the Lutheran delegation was a part of, she simply put that social protection systems such as pensions and food programs are “leaving no one behind in manifestation.” Social protections systems can manifest the biblical call to leave no one behind by putting those who are normally last, first.

Leave no one behind.

Mikka McCracken, Director of Planning and Engagement for ELCA World Hunger, presented at CSW63. She put another powerful spin to the statement: “leave no one behind.” She reminded the audience that everyone, and every institution, has a role to play in de-marginalizing those in the margins, especially the Church. The ELCA and the wider Christian community need to continue to take their seat at places such as the United Nations. Not only do we have the theological tools available and necessary to inspire communities to tackle these lofty SDGs, but also the Church has been providing social protection services and caring for the marginalized from the very beginning.

And that is why as a church we not only say “leave no one behind,” but we continue to act on it.

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

Dennis Frado, director

63^RD SESSION OF THE COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN: The 63rd session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW63) took place at United Nations Headquarters in New York March 11-22. The priority theme was “Social protection systems, access to public services and sustainable infrastructure for gender and the empowerment of women and girls.” CSW meets annually to discuss progress and identify gaps and challenges in the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.

This year, LOWC welcomed 32 Lutheran delegates from seven countries (Palestine, Tanzania, Peru, Colombia, Liberia, Switzerland and the United States). This delegation consisted of representatives from the Lutheran World Federation’s (LWF) Women in Church and Society, the LWF Waking the Giant Initiative, the ELCA (including from Global Mission, International Leaders Program, Advocacy, ELCA World Hunger, Justice for Women and Women of the ELCA).

The delegation actively participated in the various events throughout CSW63, including Ecumenical Women’s orientation day, a Lutheran Day at St Peter’s Church, several mission visits to UN member states and a public witness event to end gender-based violence that was organized by Ecumenical Women. Lutheran delegates were panelists in two parallel events: “‘Waking the Giant: Global Churches together for the SDGs’“ led by the Waking the Giant Initiative and a panel on “Feminist and Faith actors working together for social protection and gender equality” hosted by the Faith and Feminism Working Group. The LWF and Church of Sweden organized a side event titled “‘Leading the Way- Innovative examples of government and faith-based actors for equal access to social protection””

CSW63 concluded with the adoption of the agreed conclusions.

California

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

LUTHERAN LOBBY DAY: LOPP-CA is pleased to announce our first Lutheran Lobby Day at the State Capitol on Wednesday, May 29. Plan to join our bishops, clergy, members, and Rev. Amy E. Reumann, ELCA Advocacy Director, as we build relationships with legislators and policy-makers and fellowship with one another. We will gather at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Sacramento at 8 a.m. and will progress to the Capitol together around 10 a.m. Our goal is to have every single Assembly district represented, so we need you there.

A block of rooms has been reserved at the Residence Inn Sacramento Downtown at Capitol Park (a block from St. John’s and two blocks from the Capitol building). Mention LOPP-CA when making your reservations to get our discount. We look forward to seeing you there.

Lobby Day Registration Link: https://community.elca.org/lutheran-lobby-day-at-the-capitol

SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGNS: Our social media relaunches are underway! Please visit us on Facebook at Lutheran Office of Public Policy- California. We are sharing updates, articles and time-sensitive action items. Like, share and repost our content. The policy council has a goal of getting 5000 by the end of the year. You can help us meet our goal and stay up-to-date with the activities. Plans are underway for Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. Watch this space!

Colorado

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

LEGISLATIVE SESSION: We are more than halfway through the Colorado legislative session, and several of our top advocacy priorities are awaiting key votes in committees and on the floor.

Death penalty abolition (SB 182): The bill is awaiting debate and consideration on the Senate floor. We have an active action alert for constituents to contact their senators about this critical issue.
Paid family leave (SB 188): The Senate Finance Committee is considering this bill and will vote during the first week of April. We are encouraging constituents to contact the five committee members.
Eviction notice extension (HB 1118): This bill will have key Senate hearings next week after passing the House floor.
Climate action (HB 1261): We have joined the Colorado’s Climate Future coalition to support this critical bill to reduce our state’s carbon footprint. It will have its first hearing in early April.

CONGREGATION VISITS: Thanks to the good people at King of Glory Lutheran church, Loveland, and Evergreen Lutheran church, Evergreen, for inviting LAM-CO to speak to your congregations! It is a blessing to equip the body of Christ to take up our common call to public witness and ministry.

FAITHFUL TUESDAYS: We continue to gather weekly as the faith community every Tuesday at noon inside our State Capitol rotunda. All are welcome! Learn more at www.faithfultuesdays.org.

Florida

Russel Meyer, Florida Council of Churches

WELCOME FLORIDA COUNCIL OF CHURCHES TO ELCA STATE POLICY NETWORK: The Florida Council of Churches began its public policy efforts in February with support from the Florida-Bahamas Synod and a climate grant from ELCA Advocacy. The synod has appointed an advocacy team to help setup and advise the policy office. The state legislative 60-day session opened the first week in March and concludes the first week in May. Its one constitutional task is to pass a budget. The largest portion of state revenue is spent on education, health care, and then criminal justice, respectively. The public policy office is collaborating with other established efforts following the Jemez principles. Collaboration with other groups include:

Faith in Public Life working on the Competitive Workforce Act,
Real Talk Coalition for Education Equity pushing for equity scoring of education bills (with deep concerns about privatizing education and arming teachers),
Pastors for Florida Children confronting vouchers for private education,
The Criminal Justice Campaign/No Place for a Child advocating criminal justice reforms, (ending direct file, raising felony limits for theft, ending confiscation of driver’s license for non-driving offenses, honoring Amendment 4 rights restoration)
Floridians Against the Death Penalty on ending the use of the death penalty
We Are Florida campaign trying to stop anti-family immigration bills, and
The Florida Interfaith Climate Actions Network pushing for a ban on fracking and relief for Hurricane Michael victims.

The legislature is completing its committee work and will be holding regularly sessions of the House and Senate going forward.

Plans are underway for advocacy training across the state and an advocates faith organizing retreat later in the year. The legislature will take up work again in September with committee weeks, where bills will be drafted for the 2020 session that begins in January.

This weekend (April 5-6), Rev. Dr. Russell Meyer, director, will be a co-host of the Rise Up: [Sea Level] Realities and Opportunities at a climate conference at St. Petersburg College (https://solutions.spcollege.edu/) that focuses on the impact in Tampa Bay projected by the National Climate Assessment and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Minnesota

Tammy Walhof, Lutheran Advocacy–Minnesota www.lutheranadvocacymn.org

URGENT ACTION ALERT: AFFORDABLE HOUSING: Call/email your state legislators and urge them to support the full Homes for All agenda as they weigh priorities in the omnibus finance and tax bills. (Link to that agenda).

Speak from your experience or that of your church to describe the housing crisis in your area. Committee leaders in the Minnesota House and Senate are putting together big omnibus (appropriations) bills in consultation with their leadership. We want to make sure that affordable housing is strongly positioned in this process, especially since the new committee fiscal targets are much lower than is needed.

GOVERNOR’S CLEAN ENERGY BILL: 100% CARBON-FREE ELECTRICITY GENERATION BY 2050: (HF 1956, Long). This bill includes a Clean Energy First provision (clean energy must be considered for its cost and merits, before looking to fossil fuels or other energy). It also establishes preference for local hiring and tools to guarantee a prevailing wage for those jobs. It would increase the Conservation Improvement Plan requirements from 1.5 percent to 1.75 percent year over year to improve energy efficiency, and doubles utilities’ efficiency investments ($16-20 million) in the homes of low-income Minnesotans. (Note: it is one of two 100% Clean Electricity bills. The other has benchmarks by specific dates. We support both bills. The Gov. Walz bill is more likely to have a chance of passing).

We have lots of new content on our website under Clean Energy. Soon we’ll have pictures and videos from the March events, too.

New Mexico

Ruth Hoffman, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry- New Mexico (LA-MN) lutheranadvocacynm.org

THE 2019 SESSION OF THE NEW MEXICO STATE LEGISLATURE HAS ENDED: LAM-NM advocated for legislation that reflected the issues included on our advocacy agenda. LAM-NM also represents the New Mexico Conference of Churches. A number of the bills we supported were passed by both chambers and made their way to the governor’s desk for consideration. Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has until April 5 to sign or veto legislation. Among the bills under consideration are increasing the state minimum wage to $12; protections for domestic workers under the state minimum-wage law; stricter requirements and reporting for small loans; creation of the middle-level dental profession of dental therapist which can expand access to dental care for low income New Mexicans; prohibiting trafficked minors from being charged with prostitution; prohibiting solitary confinement for children, pregnant women, and people with a serious mental illness; and increasing the state Working Families Tax Credit, which piggy-backs on the federal Earned Income Tax Credit, to 17 percent. We will let you know next month what bills the governor signed!

North Carolina

GeoRene Jones, North Carolina Synod Social Justice & Advocacy Ministries (SJAM) Advocacy@NCLutheran.org

LUTHERANS AT THE LEGISLATURE: On March 26, the North Carolina Synod hosted its first Advocacy Day at the North Carolina General Assembly. Bishop Tim Smith welcomed legislators to a prayer breakfast and shared our concerns about the state’s lack of affordable housing, the rising rate of homelessness, and the increase of both after Hurricanes Florence and Michael ravaged 28 Eastern counties last fall. While legislators attended to committee responsibilities during the morning, ELCA members and friends gathered to learn from Sam Gunter, executive director of the North Carolina Housing Coalition, and Bill Rowe, general counsel of the North Carolina Justice Center, and from Ryan Carter, member of Christ-Providence, Charlotte, who works in advocacy and outreach for Habitat for Humanity in Mecklenberg, and Jenny Simmons, member of St. Mark’s, Asheville, who works for Homeward Bound, a non-profit dedicated to ending homelessness in the Asheville area. The Rev. Marissa Krey of Lutheran Services Carolinas covered the mechanics of making an advocacy visit. The 45 attendees then spent the afternoon meeting with elected officials and legislative staffers. Attendees, SJAM Task Force leaders and synod staff are pursuing follow-up conversations with legislators to provide additional information and strengthen their newly-formed relationships with policy makers. Special thanks are due ELCA congregations Holy Trinity and Good Shepherd, Raleigh and St. Paul’s, Durham for hosting the educational forum, providing hospitality, meals, and transportation assistance between venues.

Ohio

Nick Bates, Hunger Network in Ohio www.hungernetohio.com

STATE BUDGET: The state budget in Ohio is in full swing! We are excited to be working in coalition with people and organizations concerned about the hungry, the widow, and the orphan throughout Ohio to guarantee that our budget reflects our values. Budgets are moral documents and set the direction for Ohioans moving forward.

ADVOCACY DAY: Our first statewide advocacy day was April with members of the House of Representatives. We will convene again on May 14 to talk with state senators.

Governor DeWine’s budget proposal lays out a priority of caring for children. His proposal joined by the “Cupp-Patterson” plan to improve school funding in Ohio will go a long way toward investing in Ohio’s future. However, without improvements to Ohio’s revenue system, we will lack the resources needed to make the important investments into affordable housing, clean water, ending hunger, and opioid treatment. Read our takeaways from the governor’s budget proposal here.

THE STATE OF OHIO: Our close partners recently wrote a report about the state of Ohio and the barriers we face.

Read the entire report here.

Pennsylvania

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

LAMPA SHARES ACTION ALERTS: Three advocacy alerts were shared with LAMPa constituents: public comment period (ended April 2) for SNAP time requirements; the 2020 Census Action Day, April 1; and General Assistance in Pennsylvania once again being threatened by HB 33.

ASHES TO GO SHARED AT CAPITOL: Staff offered prayers and imposition of ashes at the State Capitol on Ash Wednesday. Those receiving ashes expressed their sincere appreciation.

STAFF ACTIVITIES: Director Tracey DePasquale taught at Trinity Lutheran Church, in Lansdale, about the importance of the church’s voice in the public square in these divisive times. She also attended the Lower Susquehanna Synod Racial Justice Task Force meeting and participated in Civil Conversations Facilitators Training, sponsored by Interfaith Philadelphia.

DePasquale and program director Lynn Fry collected signatures from hunger ministries throughout the state for a letter to lawmakers in support of funding for the State Food Purchase Program and Pennsylvania Agricultural Surplus System. Staff recently attended the Keystone Research Center and Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center 2019 Budget Summit. Highlights included an overview of Governor Tom Wolf’s 2019-20 budget proposal and challenges facing Pennsylvania; a legislative panel discussion, and workshops on a variety of topics.

PLANNING CONTINUES FOR LUTHERAN DAYS IN THE CAPITAL: Sunday May 19 Come to the Welcome Table! Learn more.

Monday, May 20 — LAMPa’s traditional Lutheran Day of Advocacy — Set a Welcome Table! features keynote speaker Kathryn Lohre, assistant to the ELCA Presiding Bishop. Learn more and register.

Southeastern Synod

Hilton Austin, director www.elca-ses.org/advocacypolicycouncil

GEORGIA LEGISLATIVE SESSION ENDS APRIL 2:

These are a few bills we supported that have already passed.

HB 346 Healthy Housing: This bill prohibits retaliatory eviction of tenants who complain to code enforcement about unsafe and unhealthy rental housing conditions.
HR 164 Dedication of State Revenue: This resolution proposes an amendment to the Constitution to authorize the General Assembly to provide by general law for the dedication of revenues derived from fees or taxes to the public purpose for which were imposed.
HB 514 Georgia Mental Health Reform and Innovation Commission: This bill creates a Mental Health Reform Commission which will perform a comprehensive review of the behavioral health system in the state.
HB 281 Crimes and offenses; pimping and pandering; increase penalty provisions: This bill increases the penalty provisions relating to pimping and pandering.

We successfully opposed SB 221: Religious Freedom Restoration Act

MISSISSIPPI: HB 571 This bill clarifies that a minor under the age of 18 cannot be charged with the crime of prostitution

TENNESSEE: Our Tennessee advocates continue to support full Medicaid expansion.

Virginia

Kim Bobo, Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy (VICPP) virginiainterfaithcenter.org

VIRGINIA GENERAL ASSEMBLY WRAP-UP: Now that the Virginia General Assembly has wrapped up, VICPP is heading around the state to discuss the outcomes of the 2019 session. We will share our big wins, challenges, and what we hope to work on in 2020. We would love to see you there – all are welcome!

Warrenton – April 1st, 5-6:30pm at St. James’ Episcopal Church

Fredericksburg – April 2nd, 3-4:30pm at Fredericksburg Baptist Church

James River/Newport News – April 3rd, 12-1:30pm at St. John’s Church of God in Christ

Charlottesville – April 4th, 6-7pm at Charlottesville Friends Meeting

Northern Virginia – April 7th, 4-6pm at the Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia

Northern Virginia – April 8th, 8:30-10:00am at the Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia

Harrisonburg – April 24th, 2-3:30pm at Muhlenberg Lutheran Church

Washington

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

LEGISLATIVE SESSION: The Washington state legislative session is moving quickly. The final day of session

Standing with our Muslim neighbors

is April 28. In these final four weeks, we are still pushing for many of our bills have finally entered into budget territory: this week both the House of Representatives and Senate have released their state budget proposals. This budget will fund essential programs and services for the next two years. The success of many of the things we have been fighting for all session is contingent on how the budget is formed. Some of the bills on our legislative agenda that we continue to advocate for are:

Keep Washington Working (SB 5497) which has been worked on for many years. It would separate state agencies such as local law enforcement from coordinating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The final hurdle is a floor vote in the House.
Religious Zoning (HB 1377) which would give faith communities that seek to build affordable housing on their

Annual Interfaith Governor’s Meeting

property leverage with certain zoning laws. This bill needs a floor vote in the Senate.
FINI (HB 1587), or the Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive, which would increase access to fresh fruits and vegetables for those on SNAP. It has $2.5 million allocated in the House’s budget proposal and still needs to move through the Senate.
TANF Reform (HB 1603) which needs to move through Senate fiscal committees.
Eviction Reform (SB 5600) which would alleviate homelessness through less evictions. It is waiting for a floor vote in the House.

SOME BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS:

Hunger Advocacy Fellow Sarah Vatne speaking at the Southwestern Washington ELCA Youth Gathering

Closing the loophole on capital gains taxes and instituting a 9.7 percent tax is in the House-proposed budget. This would increase state revenue by $1 billion each year.
Progressive reform of our Real Estate Excise Tax is also in the House Budget proposal. This would generate $200 million each biennium to support affordable housing.

EVENTS, VIGRILS, RETREATS, AND RALLIES: We have also had a busy month of events, vigils, meetings, retreats, and rallies. We stood in solidarity with our Muslim neighbors at vigils after the horrific attacks in New Zealand. We attended the ELCA Domestic Mission staff in Chicago for a retreat. We have joined in support at labor union rallies and contract negotiations. Hunger Advocacy Fellow Sarah Vatne was the speaker at the Southwestern Washington Synod ELCA Youth Gathering, talking with the youth on the importance of advocacy and using your voice and privilege. FAN co-directors Paul Benz and Elise DeGooyer joined leaders from many of the faith communities in our network at our annual Interfaith Governor’s Meeting. They joined Governor Jay Inslee to discuss our priorities this session as people of faith.

Wisconsin

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

Women of the ELCA presidents from the East Central, Northwest, and South Central Wisconsin synods near the microphone.

ANTI-HUMAN TRAFFICKING, SAFE HARBOR: Nine Women of the ELCA members, a friend of Women of the ELCA, LOPPW staff, and a volunteer registered in favor of a Safe Harbor bill. A repeated request was to not only support the bill, but bring it to the floor. We are the closest as we have been to getting the bill passed.

EDUCATING COMMERCIAL DRIVERS: Women of the ELCA was also present with LOPPW staff at a hearing for another bill, that would require commercial driving schools to include curriculum on recognizing the signs of human trafficking.

STATE BUDGET: We have been involved with a coalition that shares strategies in responding to the budget throughout the budget process. As part of another coalition, People of Faith United for Justice, we are organizing an advocacy day for April 11. LOPPW will lead a workshop on water and the state budget.

CARE FOR GOD’S CREATION- WISCONSIN CLIMATE TABLE: LOPPW was part of a two-day workshop on equity and deep de-carbonization to explore how equitable we are when advocating for ways to address climate change caused by humans.

LOPPW attended two informational hearings organized by the Speaker’s Task Force on Water Quality in Wisconsin and one public hearing on a bill related to water.

SYNOD EVENTS: Walking Together combined with a youth event in the Northwest Wisconsin Synod.

National priorities reflected in the proposed budget by President Trump would impair many programs that reflect our shared values. The Fiscal Year 2020 budget proposed by President Trump would increase hunger and poverty in our nation and around the world, exacerbating root causes of poverty and heightening migration tensions.

If enacted, the budget would make deep cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Child Nutrition Programs (cut $220 billion from SNAP and $1.7 billion from Child Nutrition Programs), expand the ranks of the uninsured (cut $1.1 trillion from Medicaid), end or impair effective global health and antipoverty programs, and end programs that care for creation and combat climate change (make a 30% cut to the Environmental Protection Agency budget and eliminate essential global climate research funding). At a time when apprehensions at the southern border are at a historic low, maximized funding of a physical barrier at that border is not an effective solution to address border security.

The federal budget reflects our national priorities and promotes the collective common good. We urge Congress to reject this extreme vision for our nation and support a budget that reflects our shared values, as in the bipartisan budget enacted for 2019.

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

FOREIGN ASSISTANCE FUNDING OUTCOMES: Congress has passed a budget compromise that includes spending levels for international affairs programs. These programs address food insecurity, poverty and other top international ELCA Advocacy priorities. Some programs focusing on poverty reduction saw a slight increase, e.g. global health programs and international disaster assistance.

YEMEN RESOLUTION IN CONGRESS: Last month the House passed a joint resolution calling for an end to U.S. military assistance to the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen. The legislation now heads to the Senate, where 51 votes are required for passage. ELCA Advocacy staff are monitoring the progress of the resolution, which could affect peace outcomes in the region.

JUST TRANSITION AND CLIMATE: ELCA Advocacy and the Franciscan Action Network are working with members of the Edison Electric Institute, which represents U.S. investor-owned electric utilities, to find areas of commonality in addressing the impact of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Together, the partnership is exploring two aspects of the problem—energy efficiency and just transition—and is trying to establish common definitions and principles for just transition. Faith-based organizations can complement the just transition process by addressing the social impact on communities where coal-fired plants have been closed in a manner that utility companies may not be equipped to help, as communities make the transition to a carbon-neutral resilient society where no one is left behind.

INTERNATIONAL GENDER JUSTICE: At the State of the Union Address, President Donald Trump announced a new initiative called Women’s Global Development and Prosperity, with the goal of advancing women’s full and free participation in the global economy. The initiative aims at building on programs that are already in existence. The initiative sets up $50 million fund for USAID to invest in new programs that will help women start their own businesses, overcome barriers to doing business, and find jobs. With the goal of reaching 50 million women by 2025; and requires interagency coordination among different agencies.

FROM THE ACTION CENTER – HUNGER DOESN’T WATCH A CLOCK: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has proposed a rule that would put time limits on food benefits for unemployed and underemployed people who can’t document a designated number of weekly work hours or job training. People who cannot meet the documentation requirement would lose SNAP food assistance eligibility after three months, regardless of how hard they are trying to find work or acquire job skills. This would lead to increasing hunger in our communities. Shortly after the rule was posted last month, ELCA Advocacy responded with an Action Alert opposing it. Advocates have until April 2 to submit comments to the USDA through the Action Center at http://ELCA.org/advocacy/actioncenter .

ON THE CALENDAR – ECUMENICAL ADVOCACY DAYS: The annual Ecumenical Advocacy Days conference, gathering hundreds of faith-based advocates from across the country, will be held April 5-8 in Washington, D.C. Early-bird registration for the conference ends Friday, March 9, so interested attendees should apply soon! This year’s conference focuses on the theme “Trouble the Waters,” drawn from John 5:1-9, and calls on God to bring healing to our nation and world. Advocate meetings with Congress will focus on a range of issues, from expanding voter protections to increasing meaningful public participation to realizing social justice in our communities. ELCA Advocacy will host a reception during the conference for Lutheran attendees visiting the city. Additional information for Lutheran attendees will be shared before the conference begins.

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