The 118th U.S. Congress convened on January 3, 2023. Following finalization of House speakership, the official swearing in took place January 7, 2023. The following are some of the legislators with Lutheran affiliation who will serve the country in this new session. 

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In the U.S. Senate, ELCA member Sen. Sherrod Brown D-OH, Sen. Joni Ernst R-IA, Sen. Martin Heinrich D-NM, and Sen. Jeff Merkley D-OR are continuing their service. In the U.S. House of Representatives, incumbent ELCA members continuing their service includes Rep. John Carter R-TX, Rep. Zoe Lofgren D-CA, Rep. Scott Peters D-CA, Rep. Chellie Pingree D-ME, Rep. Stacey Plaskett D-U.S. Virgin Islands, and Rep. Lloyd Smucker R-PA.  

Additional Lutheran leaders in the Senate include Sen. Cynthia Lummis R-WY and re-elected Sen. Ron Johnson R-WI. In the House of Representatives, incumbent Lutheran leaders continuing their service include Rep. Kelly Armstrong R-ND, Rep. Jack Bergman R-MI, Rep. Larry Bucshon R-IN, Rep. Angie Craig D-MN, Rep. Ron Estes R-KS, Glenn Grothman R-WI, Rep. Tracey Mann R-KS, Rep. Donald Norcross D-NJ, and Rep. David Trone D-MD. Rep. Sydney Kamlager D-CA will be joining the House, and Rep. Ryan Zinke R-MT will be returning to the House after leaving his seat to serve as Secretary of the Interior in the Trump administration from 2017-2019.  

Prior to conclusion of his term, Rep. Jim Hagedorn R-MN, had died in office in February 2022. Retiring from Congress are Lutherans Rep. Ron Kind D-WI, Rep. Ed Perlmutter D-CO, and Sen. Ben Sasse R-NE. 

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“Taking the time to learn about your legislators is an invaluable asset to your advocacy efforts at any level of government,” notes Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona in the ELCA-affiliated state public policy office network. “Maybe you’d be surprised how effective a simple postcard congratulating them on their victories can be,” they add. 

Get a jump start on building relationships with your lawmakers this session! Start by making sure you know who represents you. Use govtrack.us to find federal officials, or openstates.org, among other lookup tools to find websites and social media for state and federal leaders, as well as www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member.

Following are updates shared from submissions of the state public policy offices (sppos) in the ELCA Advocacy Network this month. Full list and map of sppos available.

CALIFORNIA | COLORADO  | FLORIDA | MINNESOTA | OHIO | PENNSYLVANIA | WASHINGTON | WISCONSIN |

 

California

Lutheran Office of Public Policy – California (LOPP-CA) – lutheranpublicpolicyca.org

Regina Banks, Director

Happy New Year from the Lutheran Office of Public Policy-California! The California legislature reconvened for the start of the 2023 session on January 4th. We will start to know more about proposed legislation and goals for this year once the governor’s budget is released soon. 

Looking ahead: LOPP-CA’s weekly advocacy briefings are starting up again on February 8th and will continue throughout the legislative session on Wednesdays at 12 pm Pacific Time on Zoom. Feel free to join us! Find out more on our website: https://lutheranpublicpolicyca.org/advocacy-in-quarantine-2 

 

Colorado

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Colorado (LAM-CO) – lam-co.org

Peter Severson, Director

LEGISLATIVE SESSION KICKS OFF: The Colorado General Assembly returned to legislating action on Monday, January 9. Lutheran Advocacy joined partners in human needs and social services sectors for a kickoff luncheon at First Baptist Church of Denver to discuss the budget and fiscal forecast for the upcoming session, featuring the experts from the Colorado Fiscal Institute. The state of Colorado is expected to continue to experience historically high revenue for several years, and we look forward to advocating for equitable, human needs-centered legislation that makes the best use of the opportunities ahead. 

 

COLORADO LUTHERAN DAY AT THE CAPITOL: Mark your calendars! Colorado Lutheran Day at the Capitol will take place on Thursday, February 16, from 8:00am to 1:00pm. The event will kick off with breakfast at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 1600 Grant Street, in downtown Denver, just a few blocks from the Capitol, followed by a morning of advocating with legislators in person. Breakfast and lunch are included! Registration opens soon: check https://www.rmselca.org/co-lutheran-day-at-the-capitol for more information. 

 

Florida

Florida Council of Churches – floridachurches.org

The Rev. Russell L. Meyer, Executive Director

“I Desire Mercy” is the 2023 Florida Advocacy Days theme with Florida-Bahamas Synod Bishop Pedro Suarez for synod clergy and laity in Tallahassee on February 14-15. Participants are asked to arrive in the afternoon for training on February 14 followed by a dinner. Visits with legislators will be held the next morning. More information is forthcoming at floridachurches.org/idesiremercy. Please make this your date with the Florida you love!
 

Florida has become an expensive state to live in (read more). Many moved here for the good weather and low cost of living. The state coffers are flush with money, yet the burden are high on local taxes and fees. Wages don’t match increases in rent, food, and fuel costs for many. Our schools are pinched, creation is under great strain, and divisiveness is apparent.  

Jesus teaches that God desires mercy.  Faith communities have been feeding and clothing and counseling Floridians without question. We know human pain. We have stories to share. These stories are God’s tools for bringing new opportunities to life. Our legislators need to hear our voices speak of the calling for mercy. Your voice belongs in the legislature! 

 

Minnesota

Lutheran Advocacy – Minnesota (LA-MN) – lutheranadvocacymn.org

Tammy Walhof, Director

Affordable Housing: The Homes for All Coalition has a list of 35 issues. Lutheran Advocacy-MN will focus on… 

1. Sacred Communities (Communities of tiny homes on premises of places of worship with formerly homeless households and “missioner” households): Change zoning laws to allow houses under 400 square feet. 
2. Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing (NOAH): Provide significant annual funding for acquisition and rehab. 
3. Capital Requests for Production & Rehab Funding: 
   1. $500M for Housing Infrastructure Bonds; 
   2. $250M for General Obligation Bonds for publicly owned housing rehab; 
   3. $250M cash for homeownership, community land trusts, and manufactured home park infrastructure; 
   4. $200M for emergency shelter capital. 
4. Down Payment Assistance: Create a first-generation down payment assistance program targeted to BIPOC homebuyers.  
5. Housing Support Income Modifications: Reform calculations to ensure those receiving SSI, RSDI, veterans benefits, tribal payments and lived experience stipends can to retain more of their personal income.  
6. Pre-Eviction Notice & Eviction Expungement: Mandate a landlord-provided 14-day pre-eviction notice, and make reforms including a requirement that evictions 3 years or older be removed from a renter’s record.  
7. Source of Income Protection: Amend the Minnesota Human Rights Act to clarify that housing discrimination based on a person’s source of income is illegal. 
8. Lead-Free Homes: Create a fund for small grants to do lead-remediation in low-income rental homes. 

Creation Care:  

1. Infrastructure Funding Matches: Funding to take advantage of federal funds available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure legislation.  
2. Climate/Clean Energy: Reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase clean energy through stand-alone legislation or portions of other bills, including the 100% Bills.  
3. Energy Transition: Increase the role and funding of the Minnesota Energy Transition Office to support both community and worker transition from fossil fuels. 

 

Ohio

Hunger Network Ohio (HNO) – hungernetwork.org

Deacon Nick Bates, Director

The Hunger Network will focus the next six months on the Ohio Capital Budget. We are offering a budget training and conversation on Thursday, January 26th at both 12pm and 7pm to discuss priorities, historical context and hot issues for this year’s budget debate. REGISTER HERE FOR THIS EVENT!  

In the budget we plan to prioritize: 

1. Support for food pantries and affordable housing: We will work in partnership and coalition to make sure we continue to increase investments into housing and food security in Ohio.  
2. Hunger Free Schools Ohio: During the pandemic we saw that universal school meals worked. We encourage the Ohio General Assembly to expand free meals again to all of Ohio’s public schools.  
3. Inflation assistance through targeted tax credits: The federal child tax credit in 2021 reduced childhood hunger in Ohio. Ohio should adopt a refundable Earned Income Tax Credit EITC or a Child Tax Credit to help families respond to higher prices at the grocery store and gas pump.  
4. Guarantee equity and adequacy in our schools: Two years ago, the General Assembly agreed to a new school funding formula. It is time that we properly fund it so that all kids have the love and support they need to succeed.  
5. Make Ohio the best place to raise a family: There are many steps we can take in Ohio to build up our great state that will reduce hunger and infant mortality, invest in our parks and waterways, and help families to succeed. Through Ohio’s budget we can change lives and strengthen our state. 

 

Pennsylvania

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry – Pennsylvania (LAMPa) lutheranadvocacypa.org

Tracey DePasquale, Director

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pennsylvania (LAMPa) advocates helped draw attention to the needs of our unsheltered neighbors as 2022 drew to a close, spreading approximately 1,000 blankets on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol on the nation’s Homeless Persons Memorial Day, also the longest night of the year.  The art installation was also an act of charity – enabling people across the country to donate handmade blankets that were later distributed to those experiencing or escaping homelessness.  Advocacy with and on behalf of unsheltered neighbors continues through ELCA Witness in Society, as ministries invite lawmakers to visit and learn about the factors underlying homelessness in their communities. 

LAMPa’s policy council will meet later this month to establish priorities for its policy agenda, a task made more challenging by the uncertainty in the General Assembly, with leadership in flux and a vow by the surprise Pennsylvania House Speaker that nothing will move until the House adopts an amendment reopening a window in the statute of limitations for cases of child sexual abuse.  

LAMPa has begun a search for a full-time communications and advocacy engagement manager. Do you (or someone you know) have professional communications experience, a passion for justice and a call to serve God’s mission in the world — especially in the public square? Learn more here, including how to apply for this position within ELCA Witness in Society. 

 

Washington

Faith Action Network (FAN) – fanwa.org

Elise DeGooyer, Director

We have turned our attention toward the 2023 Washington State Legislative Session, which officially began Monday, January 9, 2023. We are proud to share our ambitious Legislative Agenda, shaped in collaboration with advocates who participate in Faith Action Network (FAN) meetings year-round, coalition partners, and FAN’s staff, Policy Committee, and Governing Board. There is momentum from the Governor’s office and legislators for making significant investments in affordable housing and preventing homelessness this session, and we are part of building momentum for universal school meals and an assault weapons ban. We will be adding fact sheets for the items on our legislative agenda and updating our bill tracker as legislation moves through the session.  

We recently hosted two virtual trainings sessions to prepare our network for the session, one previewing our legislative agenda and the other an Advocacy 101 refresher with tools for getting involved this session. You can view these recorded sessions on our YouTube Page. We are co-sponsoring and will be presenting at the annual Eastern Washington Legislative Conference in Spokane on Saturday, January 21. We especially look forward to gathering our statewide network in person in Olympia again for Interfaith Advocacy Day on Thursday, Feb 9. 

 

Wisconsin

Lutheran Office for Public Policy – Wisconsin (LOPPW) loppw.org

The Rev. Cindy Crane, Director

Wednesday Noon Live: We interviewed former Lutheran Office for Public Policy in Wisconsin (LOPPW) ELCA Hunger Advocacy Fellow, Vicar Kelsey Johnson. Johnson discussed faith-based advocacy, her year in the Holy Land as a YAGM, and her continued advocacy for Palestinians. 

 

 

We enter 2023 looking forward to following through with plans we began in 2022, some that were initiated earlier. 

• March 21 Advocacy Day: Hunger and our Environment. We are co-organizing this event with Faith in Place, an interfaith environmental organization, and accessing local experts to address specific line items in the Governor’s budget as the budget is analyzed by the joint finance committee. 
• April 14 – 15 Youth Advocacy Gathering: LOPPW has been meeting with representatives from six synods since early in 2021. Our first in-person event for youth from Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan will be held in Madison. We will address specific social justice issues and talk about faith-based advocacy. 

• Our Raise the Age Coalition, which was resurrected largely by our former Hunger Advocacy Fellow, Kyle Minden, is coming closer to influencing legislators to pass a bill to return 17-year-old youth to the youth justice system. We have key Republicans interested in championing the bill. 

LOPPW has a presence at the regular meetings of ELCA World Hunger leaders from around the state. We are discussing ways to educate people about the Farm Bill.  One of our members is involved with Bread for the World. We may organize one event in partnership with Bread while working with our D.C. office. 

By Savannah Jorgensen, Lutheran Office of Public Policy – California [about the author]

A specific song came to mind when I began reflecting on Micah 6:8. I often find that when I’m searching for the words to express my thoughts and feelings about something, music is my source of guidance. For me, music has always been a way of re-centering myself.

You can ask close friends and even teachers from my more creative days in school. They would attest that there have been numerous occasions where I would include a lyric or song reference in reflections or essays. If my friends read this, they will probably nod vigorously here since I have often used songs to guide serious conversations I’ve had with them, or to say goodbye before a move.

These words from the opening of the song Spark by The City Harmonic join breath and justice: When I breathe in hope, And breathe in grace, And breathe in God, Then I’ll breathe out peace, Breathe out justice, Breathe out love, Oh, this little light’s gonna shine With just a spark light a fire…

Keyword Justice

“Justice” is a keyword these days, with important social issues containing that word in their very name: environmental justice, racial justice, gender justice, etc. We are likely familiar with a definition people generally think of, which relates strongly to the criminal justice system. In that sense, justice is portrayed as being held to the standards of the law and society, especially in criminal cases when prosecutors may express concern with “getting justice.”

As a community of faith, we look to a different standard for measuring justice. The legal system and other institutions may not by that measure be just. In fact, these systems can be most plagued by distortions of systemic racism and classism in this country. So then, what does it mean when Micah 6:8 tells us to do justice, and what from a faith perspective does this justice mean?

We Fit Together

To me, the justice referenced in Micah 6:8 is about our duty as a community of faith to lift people up on an individual level all the way to a systemic level, to think about how we fit together as a whole not only as a particular part. It is about equity and accountability for our actions towards others. Justice is about compassion and that feeling of fervor that compels us to carry out that justice.

While it can be overwhelming at times, are we alone in this task? No! The end of verse 8 tells us to walk humbly with our God. God goes with us and before us in this journey towards justice on Earth. We also can find strength in a community of other justice-doers.

I am very grateful to be doing justice with a great team and community in the ELCA and beyond as a Hunger Advocacy Fellow this year, but I also humbly acknowledge that despite my great passion for wanting to do justice, I have fallen short of that calling. In that spirit, here are three things I’m committed to in 2023 in my efforts to do justice:

1. Pick a few non-profits or charities to donate to, no matter how small the donation.
2. Volunteer with an environmental justice organization.
3. Contact more of my elected representatives to advocate for change.

Taking a Moment to Breathe

The Spark song lyrics ring in my ears and are especially poignant during this season of Epiphany. May we reflect on this season in our lives by taking a moment to breathe. When we breathe out into the world, may we do so with peace, justice and love. Much like the star shown a light to the world announcing the birth of a new kind of Savior, may this new year and season of Epiphany light a spark in each one of us to do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with God in 2023.

 

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Savannah Jorgensen is currently serving with the Lutheran Office of Public Policy – California. Before her ELCA Hunger Advocacy Fellowship, Jorgensen received her master’s degree in Atmospheric Sciences from Texas A&M University. She has a passionate interest in environmental justice and climate change policy.

By Kayla Zopfi, 2022-23 Hunger Advocacy Fellow [about the author]

They were prodded by a desire to know. The magi who journeyed to baby Jesus were likely some of the only people who noticed this bright new star in the sky, and they took off with excitement and energy even still.

Story of the Magi

This past Sunday at my young adult and queer-led Synodically Authorized Worshiping Community (SAWC) in Northeast Minneapolis, Tree of Life Lutheran, we did Lectio Divina on the story of the magi. I couldn’t help but reflect on the virtue of curiosity. Curiosity about an anomaly in the established and expected patterns of astronomy led the magi to the Messiah. I like to image them packing their bags to head out on their journey, giddy to point people’s eyes towards the stars, rehearsing what their greeting line to God incarnate will be, and bickering about if they should pack their stylish shoes to change into once they get to Bethlehem or if they should just go with their sensible travel shoes to save space.

After worship we drew star words. A star word is a prayer practice connected to Epiphany, and it is a tool that can be used for periodical reflection throughout the coming year on how God is active in your life. As I flipped the exact star from the basket that seemed to be calling my name, I read the word: curiosity. I let out a laugh at the ironic humor of Holy Spirit giving me the idea I held during Lectio and read my word out loud. Immediately the friends around me started nodding, throwing out quips of, “Sounds about right!” and the like.

Curiosity Connections

Back home for the evening, I decided to pray about the word. For me, curiosity and justice have always gone hand in hand, they’re a package deal. Justice is communal and cannot happen without curiosity. Curiosity is often what ignites us to see and name injustice in the first place, and what nudges us to connect with others so that we might begin to imagine a more just future.

In Micah 6:8 we are asked, “…what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Well, maybe we’re being told rather than asked. The “O mortal” thrown in the start of verse 8 is working overtime to help us with the humility part.) For the magi, following their curiosity led to accomplishing all of these requirements.

Curiosity led them to be part of affirming the true divinity of this tiny baby, born in the hay amongst the animals, who would go on to exemplify what ultimate liberation looks like. Curiosity led them to generosity, as they brought precious gifts to this family who’d been cast out by much of society. Curiosity led them to open their hearts to the will of God, trusting the dreams sent to them along their way.

Finding Excitement and Energy

Maybe we can only begin to fully do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God when we first agree to sit with what we know and what we don’t, and lean into the invitation to notice the world and people around us. Be curious. Like the magi, find excitement and energy in the things around you that many don’t even realize they are missing. May we, too, let our curiosity lead us closer to each other and closer to God.

 

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Kayla Zopfi (she/they) is a Hunger Advocacy Fellow with the ELCA Witness in Society team, passionate about the intersection of faith and the policy. Zopfi is a 2021 graduate of Concordia College, Moorhead, where they studied Religion, Political Science, and Interfaith Studies.

By Kayla Zopfi, ELCA Hunger Advocacy Fellow[about the author]

“When we talk to someone who shares the same Christian faith, but has a different set of political beliefs or convictions, it can be uncomfortable, or frustrating, and sometimes even scary. As members of the ELCA, we believe that we can have different political opinions but be of the same faith,” asserts Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton in her November 2, 2022 video addressing Christian Nationalism. 

Bringing people together because of, rather than despite, political differences has been a successful value nurtured in many congregations and synods, as well as by us as individuals. “It feels like progress is being made, like seeds are being planted,” said Marilyn Berberich, a leader with the Interfaith Center of Greater Philadelphia, after trying Braver Angels tools that help facilitate depolarizing conversations. “It made me realize how much I assumed about others,” she reflected, which prompted her to volunteer as a “Red leader” in the parlance of the organization.  

As the United States continues to grapple with accelerating polarization, and the ELCA navigates being a multipartisan denomination, we can play a role in coming together to create spaces that center us in our common identity as followers of Christ, and build up our resistance to that which may divide us. 

Sharing stories based on important themes and experiences from within our faith communities, an ELCA Advocacy Cafe took on the question, “Can Talking Politics Be Healthy”. Silas Kulkarni, ELCA Director of Strategy and Advocacy and former Senior Fellow and Chief of Staff for the Braver Angels Debate and Public Discourse Program, brought together diverse presenters to help envision the role that every individual can play in the work of depolarization.  

“We need reconcilers,” stated the Rt. Rev. Mark Beckwith, Episcopal Diocese of Newark bishop, during Advocacy Cafe. Centered in Matthew 5, Bishop Beckwith said healthy conversations across divides are important “not to move people from one side to another, but to find common ground” and “honor the differences we have.

Local, faith-centered approaches to having healthy conversations across divides were described by participants. Some tools from Braver Angels include: 

• Engage in cross-partisan 1:1 conversations 
• Plug into your local Braver Angels Alliance 
• Register for an educational workshop

 

“Many congregations already face enough friction in their life together without looking for more, particularly in the fraught arenas of public policy and politics,” wrote the Rev. Amy Reumann, Senior Director, ELCA Witness in Society, in The Forgotten Luther: Reclaiming the Social-Economic Dimension of the Reformation. “As the essays in this volume show, Luther lived and taught a living and lively faith that inspires and enables us to respond to God’s grace by moving us from our private lives into the public square for the well-being of our neighbor.” 

I’m drawn to the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi: “Lord make me an instrument of your peace.” Depolarization is hard and holy work. Consider joining, or even creating, these conversation spaces in your community. 

 

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kayla Zopfi(she/they) is a Hunger Advocacy Fellow with the ELCA Witness in Society team, passionate about the intersection of faith and the policy. Zopfi is a 2021 graduate of Concordia College, Moorhead, where they studied Religion, Political Science, and Interfaith Studies.

Following are updates shared from submissions of the Lutheran Office for World Community and state public policy offices (sppos) in the ELCA Advocacy Network this month. Full list and map of sppos available.

 

U.N. | CALIFORNIA | COLORADO  | NEW MEXICO | OHIO | PENNSYLVANIA | WASHINGTON | WISCONSIN |

 

Lutheran Office for World Community (LOWC), United Nations, New York, N.Y. – ELCA.org/lowc

Christine Mangale, Director

World AIDS Day 2022

• This year, World AIDS Day 2022 was marked under the theme Equalize, a call on global leaders and all peoples of goodwill to recognize and address inequalities holding back progress in ending aids. It is critical to equalize access to essential HIV services particularly for children and key populations and their partners.
• On Thursday, Dec. 1, 2022, an interfaith World AIDS Day service was held under the theme: “The impact of HIV among the marginalized within the marginalized.” Planning partners of the service included leadership from the U.S. Faith & AIDS Coalition, Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, HIV Vaccine Trials Network, and the Lutheran Office for World Community.
• Ensuring that all people living with HIV have access to HIV treatment, testing and prevention services must continue to be the focus of our HIV and AIDS ministries both in the U.S. and abroad. We encourage Lutherans everywhere to support efforts by governments, churches and other partners to provide resources towards testing, treatment, care and prevention services.
• We call upon President Biden and Congress to increase funding to PEPFAR; the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; and domestic programs that provide preventive care and treatment in the United States. We also urge U.N. member states to reform laws, policies and practices to tackle the stigma and exclusion faced by people living with HIV and by key and marginalized populations, and to support the proposed target of ending the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria as articulated in the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

 

California

Lutheran Office of Public Policy – California (LOPP-CA) – lutheranpublicpolicyca.org

Regina Banks, Director

With the start of December, new and returning California legislators were in Sacramento on December 5th to be sworn in. This new legislature is the most diverse in California history, seeing record numbers of women and LGBTQIA+ people elected. Of note, a few races remain too close to call, and the deadline to certify results is not until December 16th.  

Additionally, a special session in the legislature was opened to discuss a proposal headed by Governor Newsom that would place a cap on the profit margin of oil companies and fine  companies that exceed the limit. The stated goal of this proposal is to prevent price-gouging by oil companies, as California has seen vastly higher gasoline prices for consumers than other states. More details have yet to be flushed out in this proposal, however, including whether any fines will be considered a tax and whether California residents will receive any compensation from such fines.  

For a look at the California ballot proposition results from the midterm elections, and to compare the results to what our Policy Council recommended, check out our updated voter guide here.

 

Colorado

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Colorado (LAM-CO) – lam-co.org

Peter Severson, Director

PREPARING FOR SESSION: The Colorado General Assembly will return on Monday, January 9, 2023. Policy advocates across the state are preparing for the beginning of session, which may feature significant bills to address housing supply, the cost of living, disaster preparedness, gun violence, and other critical issues facing Colorado. Lutheran Advocacy will be there from opening gavel to close, and we invite you to join us in lifting our voices for the sake of critical issues affecting our neighbors. Learn more at www.lam-co.org 

 

New Mexico

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry New Mexico (LAM-NM) – lutheranadvocacynm.org

Kurt Rager, Director

A long-standing annual event for Lutheran Advocacy Ministry – New Mexico(LAM-NM) has been its annual Fall Advocacy Conference. The event is highlighted by keynote speakers connected to key policy areas focused on by LAM-NM, and offers various workshops on topics such as how to advocate on priority issues with state legislators. The Covid pandemic caused a two-year pause for the conference. Naturally, there was much enthusiasm when the decision was made to hold a hybrid  event in November this year.    

Advocates from across New Mexico gathered in-person at All Saints Lutheran Church, Albuquerque, as well as online on November 19th. In attendance were not only ELCA congregations but also, in a reflection of historically strong ecumenical participation and support, participants included Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Catholics, Methodists, Mennonites and more. Alongside keynote speakers and workshops, the day-long event included small and large group discussions, and of course–the key to success at Lutheran events–coffee, snacks and a meal!  

As we continue to learn and adapt our advocacy ministry during a global pandemic, a primary focus of LAM-NM is to continue to nurture and grow its congregation-based advocacy network, as well as extend it to our on-going advocacy partnership with the New Mexico Conference of Churches. Lilly Irvin-Vitella, a highly respected advocate, organizer, and consultant, led participants through two interactive experiences focused on building grassroots advocacy groups in congregations and on how to successfully hold conversations on topics that often become divisive. Sherry Hooper, who leads the primary food bank covering northern NM, shared with participants a proposal to end hunger by addressing poverty in the city of Santa Fe that could be used as a state-wide model. Finally, Denali Wilson, an attorney with the ACLU, focused participant’s attention on juveniles convicted of murder and serving life sentences in NM and on the move to remove the mandatory life sentence without a parole hearing option from judges during sentencing. LAM-NM will lead the faith community’s advocacy during the upcoming legislative session that begins in January 2024.    

 

Ohio

Hunger Network Ohio (HNO) – hungernetwork.org

Deacon Nick Bates, Director

On November 29th, 30 faith leaders from across Ohio gathered at Trinity Episcopal Church in Columbus, across from the Ohio Statehouse, to begin Advocacy in Advent. During a season of hope and anticipation, we prepared and sent advocates to two dozen legislative meetings to discuss important issues including:.  

– Investments needed in affordable housing ($308 million) and Ohio’s foodbanks ($90 million) 

– Criminal Justice transformation (SB 288 passed the Senate with a 27-2 vote later that week!)  

– Protecting LGBTQIA+ youth’s access to mental and physical healthcare. (HB 454 was removed from the legislative agenda because of a strong push from community advocates! However, further discriminatory measures are still being considered against trans and non-binary youth. Our director wrote a letter to the editor of the Columbus Dispatch on this issue that can be found here.) 

                

 

We are also pleased to welcome Jillian Russell to the Hunger Network as our ELCA Hunger Advocacy Fellow!  Russell comes to us from the Northwest Ohio Synod and is a recent graduate of Capital University. We look forward to working closely with her over the next year to strengthen our advocacy here in Ohio! 

 

Pennsylvania

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry – Pennsylvania (LAMPa) lutheranadvocacypa.org

Tracey DePasquale, Director

LAMPa wrapped up 2022 with a focus on housing and homelessness as hundreds of thousands of Americans face winter without a  safe and reliable place to call home. 

Staff and Policy Council members continued outreach to fellow Lutherans across the country and the Commonwealth in support of the Homeless Remembrance Blanket Project on Dec. 21 in Washington, D.C. The project, which features blankets from every state spread on the lawn of the Capital in remembrance of those who died unsheltered in the United States in 2022, was inspired by a similar event in Carlisle, Lower Susquehanna Synod, led by the Rev. Matthew Best, LAMPa’s Policy Council Chair.   

Lutherans and others have been busy quilting, crocheting, and knitting blankets for the art installation and press event. Approximately 1,000 blankets are expected to arrive from each state in the country and be distributed afterward to those in need. LAMPa is assisting ministries with unsheltered neighbors to connect with ELCA Witness in Society to host a site visit with members of Congress as a follow up to the event. Email us to learn more. 

One of those sites will be The Welcome Church, whose founder, the Rev. Violet Little, was recognized with the Frontline Leader Award at the state’s Homes Within Reach Conference. More than 800 attended the conference, hosted by the Housing Alliance of PA, of which LAMPa is a member. The award recognizes those whose work inspires and uplifts and puts the needs of those they serve front and center. Learn more. 

 

 

Washington

Faith Action Network (FAN) – fanwa.org

Elise DeGooyer, Director

This past month, Faith Action Network(FAN) hosted its first Annual Hybrid Dinner celebrating together the theme, Pathways to Solidarity. We experienced so much solidarity as we helped keep FAN moving forward into a new year of advocacy and organizing for justice. The Northwest African American Museum Cultural Ensemble/ACE gospel choir added incredible harmonies and a joyful noise. FAN Board Member Aneelah Afzali of MAPS(Muslim Association of Puget Sound)-AMEN raised the energy in the room with her passion for solidarity as faith in action! You can still enjoy the program archived on our YouTube page (program begins at the 30 minute mark), and view  select photos from the evening on our Facebook page. 

FAN also recently welcomed in a new part-time Spokane organizer, Jeff Debray. Jeff played a major part in orchestrating our Spokane location for our annual dinner. Jeff brings his political organizing skills to the legislative session that will begin on January 10, 2023.  

We are now preparing for the 2023 legislative session. We will be finalizing our priorities this month. We also will be hosting two legislative training sessions in January, as well and two advocacy days, one in Spokane and one in Olympia, to put our Faith into Action. 

 

Wisconsin

Lutheran Office for Public Policy – Wisconsin (LOPPW) loppw.org

The Rev. Cindy Crane, Director

ANNUAL LOPPW POLICY COUNCIL MEETING: We explored the possibility of continuing our current priorities:  hunger, care for God’s creation, anti-sex trafficking, immigration, and youth justice, with the possibility of expanding one of our priorities. We also decided that the council will, in our education and resource-building, emphasize one priority at a time each year. We decided to focus on care for God’s creation in 2023. 

WEDNESDAY NOON LIVE: Our co-host, Rev. Andy Twiton, sought out connections with young adults who are doing faith-based social justice work as part of their career or as volunteers. He was directed to Rachel Wyffels, former hunger advocacy fellow for Lutheran Advocacy Minnesota. Rachel discussed her work with Abide and offered keen insight into what a number of young adults are passionate about in their advocacy and voting. We will invite former LOPPW hunger advocacy fellow, Kelsey Johnson, next month. 

RETURNING 17 YEAR-OLDS TO THE YOUTH JUSTICE SYSTEM: Our coalition received good news about two Republican legislators who were willing to champion this bill. We are strategizing how to build public support when the bill comes out. Recently, Lutheran Office for Public Policy in Wisconsin(LOPPW) director, the Rev. Cindy Crane, led a new workshop on this issue for the first time!

CARE FOR GOD’S CREATION & HUNGER:  LOPPW and Faith in Place have a location for our spring advocacy day and will soon make an announcement with details.  

YOUTH: Our team of representatives from six synods are almost settled on an exact location for our April youth advocacy gathering.   

from the ELCA advocacy office in Washington, D.C. – the Rev. Amy E. Reumann, Senior Director

Partial expanded content from Advocacy Connections: November/December 2022

HOMELESSNESS AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING AWARENESS  |  GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY ACTION  |  STATUS OF TITLE 42  |  WORLD AIDS DAY DEMANDS ATTENTION  |  RESPECT FOR MARRIAGE ACT

HOMELESSNESS AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING AWARENESS: In January, the ELCA Witness in Society office will be hand-delivering invitations to members of Congress to encourage lawmakers to visit Lutheran ministries actively addressing homelessness and poverty in their district.

Interested Lutheran ministries which would like to host a site visit with a lawmaker through the January outreach should contact washingtonoffice@elca.org. This distribution will come after the Homeless Remembrance Blanket Project art display and press event on the West Lawn of the Capitol in D.C. Dec. 21 in which several synods, congregations and Lutherans are taking part through blanket making, interviews, logistics and viewing, highlighting similar issues to invited lawmakers. At the time of writing, over 1,500 blankets have been committed to the event—which will cover a considerable amount of area along the West Lawn of the Capitol. This event will be shared via podcast through organizers and national press is anticipated. Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pennsylvania in our state public policy office network, which has been active in local events in prior years and this year’s national stage, shares more information here.

 

GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY ACTION:  As a major producer of grains and oil seeds, we are encouraged by the 120-day extension of an U.N. backed deal to facilitate Ukraine’s agricultural exports from its southern Black Sea ports.

The agreement creates a protected sea transit corridor and is designed to alleviate global food shortages by allowing exports from three ports in Ukraine. The agreement was initially reached in July between Russia and Ukraine was and was negotiated by the president of Turkey and the U.N. secretary general.

Our ELCA advocacy efforts are also working with advocacy partners to push for passage of the Global Food Security Reauthorization Act in the U.S. Senate. An Action Alert pertaining to this legislation is available to relay your messages. The House passed the bill in September. We anticipate Congress will pass the bill before the end of the year.

 

STATUS OF TITLE 42: The Department of Justice has announced they plan to appeal a prior court decision (Nov 15) blocking Title 42. Irrespective of this appeal, a block on Title 42 is still on track to become effective Dec. 21.

Title 42 is a section of U.S. code empowers federal health authorities to prohibit migrants from entering the country if it is determined that doing so could prevent the spread of contagious diseases. The Biden Administration is expected to pursue expulsions until the stated date. Reports have circulated claiming that the Biden Administration may revive a “Transit Ban” applicable to single adults (expansion of a process for other nationalities akin to the process for Venezuelans), revamped refugee resettlement and much more in the post-Title 42 landscape. For those seeking safety from persecution, some of these policy proposals would indubitably raise the risk of exposure to danger and raise the difficulty in accessing humanitarian protection. Advocacy efforts will continue to seek to uphold humane principles of border management and protection consistent with AMMPARO and wider ELCA guidance.

 

WORLD AIDS DAY DEMANDS ATTENTION:  The Church Center of the United Nations was site of an Interfaith Service planned with the Lutheran Office for World Community. Keeping the concerning realities of HIV/AIDS before lawmakers is the subject of an available Action Alert issued on World AIDS Day 2022.

This year, World AIDS Day 2022 was marked under the theme Equalize, a call on global leaders and all peoples of goodwill to recognize and address inequalities holding back progress in ending aids. It is critical to equalize access to essential HIV services particularly for children and key populations and their partners.

 

RESPECT FOR MARRIAGE ACT:  The Respect for Marriage Act, with broad bipartisan support, will codify same-sex and interracial marriage protections into law. It passed the U.S. Senate at the end of November, was passed by the House on Dec. 8, and now advances for President Biden’s signature.

The bill was amended to uphold religious protections. ELCA advocacy staff joined several interfaith coalition letters in support of the legislation following its amended markup in the Senate and additionally sent a separate ELCA letter to Capitol Hill highlighting Lutheran social teaching in support of the measure.

 

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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 .

 

WHAT IS A SIGN-ON LETTER  |  IMPACT OF SIGN-ONS  |  DECISION PROCESS  |  UPDATED LIST

Our advocacy takes many forms with long-term and immediate aims, and ELCA Witness in Society staff are active equipping members, building influential relationships with policy makers, networking strategically with other concerned partners, researching policy pieces and their impacts and inviting our ELCA Advocacy Network to action at impactful moments.

One timely way we can act as ELCA is to sign on with others to offer pointed comments to decision makers when developments demand.

 

WHAT IS A SIGN-ON LETTER

A “sign-on letter” is an advocacy tool that acts like a petition to members of Congress or other policy decision makers, often addressing an immediate issue or impending vote. Sign-on letters are drafted and circulated among organizations with similar policy goals to ask other organizations to join, showing support for a policy position or value by adding their name.

The Witness in Society team may recommend listing the ELCA as an organization on a sign-on letter. Some letters are tailored for individual sign-ons, usually by the head of an organization. In the ELCA, most individual sign-ons are done by the ELCA presiding bishop.

 

IMPACT OF SIGN-ONS

Sign-on letters are frequently used when swift and targeted action will have an impact on decision-makers. The aim is to provide education on an issue, articulate shared organizational values on a subject and urge the recipient to take a specific action or vote. Ecumenical and interfaith sign-on letters summarize broad consensus in the faith community. In addition to receipt by individual members of Congress or Executive Branch officials for example, they may be used in constituent meetings and shared as public statements as well.

 

DECISION PROCESS

The ELCA joins sign-on letters following careful analysis by the Witness in Society team, sometimes in consultation with other staff. The Senior Director for Witness in Society makes the final determination for a sign-on. Sign-on letters require a foundation in ELCA social teaching and relevance to ELCA public policy advocacy priorities. Sign-on letters are also evaluated for accuracy of facts and the tone of the statement, seeking language that will educate or persuade, avoiding hyper-partisan or inflammatory language. Witness in Society staff are strategic about the use of sign-on letters, asking if a joint letter is the right approach at this time; how the letter will be disseminated and used to create awareness among members of Congress, the Administration and throughout the ELCA; what the impact of not signing a letter might be; and discerning whether a standalone effort from the ELCA would have greater impact at the given point-in-time or may be preferable to state distinctly the ELCA’s position.

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LAST UPDATE: 5/14/25

Our ministry of advocacy is a witness to God’s love for our neighbor, ourselves and for all creation. Here are recent statements made with ELCA support. Use the link in the date to read a public posting* of the sign-on letter in full.

2025

• May 2 – “We, the undersigned 21 non-profit and faith-based organizations, representing Americans in all fifty states, write to express our concern regarding the reported proposal to close several U.S. embassies in Africa, including in the Central African Republic and South Sudan, as well as the Republic of Congo, Eritrea, the Gambia, and Lesotho. In particular, embassies in Bangui, Central African Republic, and Juba, South Sudan are critical to implementing programs and diplomatic efforts that promote our national security and have widespread bipartisan support.” Coalition letter to Secretary of State.
• May 2 – “We, the undersigned organizations –a diverse coalition of religious organizations, children’s advocates, agriculture partners, maternal and public health organizations, and retail and industry stakeholders – urge Congress to build on this success with continued, bipartisan investment in WIC. We specifically urge appropriators to work with the Department of Agriculture to provide sufficient funding for the projected caseload and program costs at the time of bill passage, and to protect the scientific integrity of WIC’s food packages.” Letter to House and Senate Appropriations Committee leaders.
• April 10 – “We, the undersigned 85 local and national faith-based organizations, urge you to consider the constitutional rights and inherent dignity of all immigrants as you draft the budget reconciliation bill.” Letter to leadership of Senate and House Committees on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and Committees on the Judiciary.
• Mar 20 – “The undersigned institutional investors recognize the urgent need for comprehensive immigration reform to ensure economic stability, workforce resilience, and sustainable growth. Sound and just immigration policy is not only a matter of human rights but also an economic imperative that strengthens our workforce, enhances innovation, and secures the competitiveness of U.S. businesses in the global economy… We call on Congress to reject piecemeal immigration-related orders and directives that only prolong uncertainty and create confusion and instead come together to enact comprehensive immigration reform that protects all stakeholders and fosters long-term economic growth.” Investor Statement through the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility to members of Congress.
• Mar 6 – “We, the over 1,800 national, state, and local organizations representing communities across the country, urge the House and Senate to reject proposals for any cuts or attempts to weaken SNAP and the child nutrition programs.” Letter to House & Senate leadership.
• Mar 3 – “We, the undersigned 124 civil society organizations, write to respectfully request your support for the restoration of United States funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) through cosponsorship of the forthcoming ‘UNRWA Funding Emergency Restoration Act of 2025.’” Letter to members of Congress.
• Feb 26 – “As faith leaders, we are deeply troubled at the impact this current debt crisis is having on the lives of the poorest and most vulnerable across the world… We must have a fair and functional global debt system. The Jubilee tradition calls for debts to be forgiven, land restored, and slaves freed. This Biblical practice embodied justice, mercy, and reconciliation, offering a renewed covenant with God and harmony within the community.” Letter to G20 finance leaders, signatories include Presiding Bishop Eaton.
• Feb 24 – “We, the undersigned organizations, members of the Alliance to End Hunger, urge you to protect, strengthen and fully fund federal food and nutrition programs in Fiscal Year 2025 and FY 2026 budget appropriations, reconciliation and continuing resolutions. U.S. domestic food assistance programs are critical to keeping people strong and secure in all corners of our nation – in rural, suburban, and urban areas. Federal nutrition programs support farmers and jobs all along the food chain and brace up local economies.” Letter to House and Senate leadership.
• Feb 14 – “We implore you to use your position to immediately restore foreign aid programs, reopen critical refugee resettlement programs, and fully reinstate USAID.” Letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
• Feb 12 – “On behalf of the millions of Americans represented by our faith, humanitarian, health, education, foreign policy, development, human rights, business, labor, peace, women’s advocacy, science, and environmental organizations, we strongly urge you to oppose efforts to shut down U.S. foreign assistance, including the critical work of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).” Coalition letter to House and Senate.
• Feb 12 – “As members and partners of the Interfaith Working Group on Foreign Assistance, a network of Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist organizations working in solidarity with the world’s most vulnerable people, we write to you to express our grave concerns over the sudden order to stop lifesaving foreign assistance work around the globe and the dismantling of USAID.” Letter to House & Senate leadership.

2024

• Dec. 20 – “We, the undersigned faith-based organizations, write to urge you to use the weeks remaining in your administration to commute all federal death sentences and prevent the likelihood that the incoming administration will resume executions.” Letter to President Biden.
• Dec. 2 – “As a network of faith-based organizations who care deeply for the most vulnerable, whom we believe are made in God’s image, we know the path forward to end HIV/AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. We hear from faith-based organizations and institutions across the globe that PEPFAR saves lives and they are grateful to the United States. A clean, five-year reauthorization of this life-saving program signals to the world that no matter the challenges – the U.S. is still leading and committed to saving lives and ending HIV/AIDS as a public health threat.” Letter to Chairman/Ranking Member of Senate and House committees on foreign affairs.
• Nov. 20 – “On behalf of the undersigned members of the Alliance to End Hunger, we respectfully request that you provide sufficient funding for critical programs that save lives, protect livelihoods, and build resiliency and self-sufficiency as you conference the FY25 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration bill.” Letter to leadership of House & Senate Subcommittees on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration.
• Nov. 20 – “On behalf of the undersigned members of the Alliance to End Hunger, we respectfully request that you provide sufficient funding for critical programs that save lives, protect livelihoods, and build resiliency and self-sufficiency as you conference the FY25 State, Foreign Operations bill.” Leadership of House Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs and the Senate Committee on Appropriations.
• Oct. 22 – “We, the undersigned organizations, urge you to cosponsor and vote in favor of the four joint resolutions of disapproval introduced by Senators Sanders, Welch, and Merkley regarding several specific major arms sales to the government of Israel.” Letter U.S. senators.
• Oct. 18 – “We write as U.S. Christian faith leaders deeply concerned by the continuing injustice, suppression of rights, and disregard for international law that has endured for decades in Israel/Palestine.” Churches for Middle East Peace letter to Trump and Harris campaigns.
• Aug. 21 – “The undersigned 103 state, national, and local faith-based organizations, write to call on your administration to urgently address backlogs in work permit processing and continue efforts to enhance, expand, and extend access to work authorization for immigrants and asylum seekers alike.” Coalition letter to DHS Secretary Mayorkas, Domestic Policy Council Director Tanden, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Jaddou.
• July 31 – “We represent a diverse coalition of church bodies and related organizations that include 100 million people. We are writing together as a demonstration of the breadth of support in the Christian community for the Child Tax Credit expansion that will come to the Senate floor this week.” Circle of Protection letter to members of the U.S. Senate.
• July 26 – “We the undersigned human rights, civil rights, and social justice organizations call on you to implement an immediate arms embargo on the Israeli government in order to save lives.” Letter to President Biden and members of Congress.
• July 23 – “As global Christian leaders committed to peace and justice and the recognition of the image of God in all humanity, we abhor the ongoing violence that has now continued for more than nine months between Hamas and the Israeli military… Against this catastrophic backdrop, we have called before and call again now, with heartfelt insistence, for a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire, for the return of hostages, and the release of Palestinian prisoners held without due process. Churches for Middle East Peace letter to President Biden.
• July 22 – “We, the 64 undersigned organizations, urge you to safeguard and invest in critical funding for peacebuilding, human rights, humanitarian aid, migration, international climate finance, poverty-focused development assistance and related accounts in the Fiscal Year 2025 Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs (SFOPs) appropriations bill. Letter to Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on SFOPs Chair Coons and Ranking Member Graham.
• July 9 – “We, the 1,422 national, state, and local organizations representing communities across the country, urge the House and Senate to develop a Farm Bill that ensures that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is protected and strengthened and that benefit adequacy, equitable access, and program administration remain core tenets of the program.” Letter to members of Congress.
• June 27 – “We write to you today on behalf of 26 faith-based organizations with heavy hearts, compelled by the harrowing tales of suffering and devastation unfolding in Sudan at this very moment… in the hope of inspiring decisive action to alleviate their suffering.” Letter to President Biden.
• June 18 – “We write to you as the Circle of Protection, leaders of diverse church bodies and Christian organizations… We hope this Congress will still be able to pass three important pending bills, with priority attention to their impact among people struggling with hunger and poverty… Regarding the Farm Bill… Regarding FY2025 appropriations… expansion of the Child Tax Credit…” Circle of Protection letter to President Biden and members of Congress.
• Jun. 10 – “As you determine priorities for the Fiscal Year 2025 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration Act, as members of the Alliance to End Hunger, we respectfully urge you to provide robust funding for global nutrition and food security programming. Specifically, $2 billion for Food for Peace Title II, $265 million for McGovern-Dole Food for Education and Child Nutrition, and $500 million for agricultural research.” Letter to House Appropriations Committee Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration Subcommittee Chairman and Ranking Member.
• May 22 – “On behalf of the organizations listed below, we ask that you fund global HIV/AIDS programs in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 no less than $6.79 billion for Global Health Programs at the Department of State, including $5.14 billion for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), $1.65 billion for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, as well as ensure that the programs are governed by policies that expand access to health care, uphold human rights, and help to put the world on track to end AIDS by 2030.” Coalition letter to House & Senate Committees for Appropriations leadership.
• May 9 – “We write to express our deep concern regarding the plight of the Cuban people. The combined effects of failed U.S. foreign policies and Cuban economic policies have created dire humanitarian conditions on the island. It is crucial for your administration to remove Cuba from the State Sponsors of Terrorism list and expedite the processing of assistance from humanitarian organizations.”. Letter to President Biden.
• May 6 – “On behalf of the 134 undersigned civil liberties, human rights, community, faith, and privacy organizations, we respectfully request that the United States Senate Committee on Finance refrain from advancing consideration of H.R. 6408, and its companion bill S. 4136, introduced by Senators John Cornyn and Angus King. This proposed legislation would unconstitutionally harm all Americans’ free speech and due process rights by creating new executive authorities that could be abused by any presidential administration seeking to terminate the tax-exempt status of nonprofit organizations arbitrarily.” Letter to Chairman Wyden and Ranking Member Crapo of the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance.
• Apr. 29 – “We, the undersigned 103 immigrant, refugee, human rights and humanitarian organizations, write to express our alarm and deep disappointment following Congress’s decision to reinforce and codify the Biden Administration’s suspension of U.S. funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), the principal aid provider for millions of Palestinian refugees in Gaza and in the surrounding region. Suspending funding during a humanitarian catastrophe, widespread starvation and looming famine is a moral and strategic failure that abandons nearly two million displaced Palestinians during a period of extreme need. We call on Congress to urgently introduce and pass legislation and for the President to support reinstating funding to UNRWA.” Coalition letter to President Biden, Speaker Johnson, and Majority Leader Schumer.
• Apr. 16 – “As members of the Alliance to End Hunger, the undersigned organizations urge you to pass supplemental appropriations for humanitarian assistance included in the security supplemental bill passed by the Senate with broad bipartisan support in February. Specifically, the final package should include the Senate-approved $9.15 billion for critically needed humanitarian, food security and resilience programs.” Letter to House and Senate leaders.
• Mar. 26 – “We, as global Christian leaders, stand with our brothers and sisters in Christ in Palestine and around the world and say the killing must stop, and the violence must be brought to an end. We ask world leaders to exercise strong moral courage to bring an immediate end to the violence and to open a pathway toward peace and an end to the conflict. We call for a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire where all combatants lay down their weapons and Israeli hostages and Palestinian political prisoners held without the due process of law are released.” Churches for Middle East Peace letter to President Biden and his team.
• Mar. 26 – “Haitian Bridge Alliance and the undersigned 481 immigration, human rights, faith-based, and civil rights organizations write to request an extension and redesignation of the Republic of Haiti for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and a moratorium on deportations to the Republic of Haiti.” – Letter to President Biden, Secretary Blinken, and Secretary Mayorkas.
• Mar. 13 – “The undersigned organizations advocate for the human rights of immigrant communities and for a fair, functioning and humane immigration system. We urge Members of Congress to ensure that the FY2024 spending bill for the Department of Homeland Security does not increase funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention beyond FY2023’s already high levels.” Statement to Congressional leadership.
• Mar. 12 – The Yes In God’s Back Yard (YIGBY) Act, legislation to support faith-based organizations and colleges wanting to build and preserve affordable housing on their land and reduce barriers to the development of this housing, was endorsed by a group of faith groups and coalitions including the ELCA when it was introduced by Sen. Sherrod Brown (OH). Endorsement.
• Feb. 29 – “The undersigned 194 organizations-–which include medical, academic, human rights, immigration, civil rights, and faith groups—write today with an urgent call to action: DHS must end the practice of solitary confinement in all immigration detention centers.” Letter to President Biden, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, and Deputy Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
• Feb. 14 – “We are non-governmental organizations supporting the protection of civilians in the conflict in the Occupied Gaza Strip and writing to urge you to restore funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).” Letter to President Biden.
• Feb. 7 – “We, the 662 undersigned faith leaders and 155 faith-based organizations and congregations, write to express our profound concern and opposition to measures proposed in the ‘Emergency National Security Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2024’ that will further restrict access to asylum, arbitrarily close the border, and turn away families and individuals seeking safety and refuge in the United States.” Letter to Members of Congress. 
• Jan. 11 – “We, the undersigned organizations, urge you to cosponsor and vote in favor of S.Res.504, Senator Bernie Sanders’ resolution under Section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act (22 U.S.C. § 2304) requiring a report on Israel’s human rights practices and U.S. military aid to Israel. After months of devastation in Gaza, there is urgent need for a meaningful debate on U.S. support for Israeli operations in Gaza and the West Bank, including the extent to which U.S. military aid may be supporting violations of international human rights and humanitarian law.” Letter to senators.
• Jan. 11 – “We are writing as the Circle of Protection, a coalition of churches and ministries with a combined membership of 100 million people. This letter is about pending issues that are especially important to people in poverty.” Circle of Protection letter to President Biden and Members of Congress naming priorities in FY2024 appropriations including WIC nutrition assistance, international humanitarian assistance, and the Child Tax Credit.

 

2023

• Dec. 21 – “With the winter getting colder, as religious denominations, faith-based service providers, and members of the Interreligious Working Group on Domestic Human Needs (DHN), we are compelled to reach out to urge you and your colleagues in Congress to provide the highest funding levels possible for affordable housing and homeless assistance programs in the fiscal year (FY) 24 federal budget to address the present homelessness crisis.” Letter to members of Congress. [Read this interfaith letter from domestichumanneeds.com, direct link not shared here.]
• Dec. 12 – “As 235 religious leaders and 143 national, state, and local faith-based organizations representing many faith traditions, we write to express deep concern over reports that your administration is considering agreeing to harsh and permanent asylum restrictions amid unrelated spending discussions.” Letter to President Biden and Secretary of Homeland Security Mayorkas.
• Nov. 29 – “…Instead, we call on governments worldwide to do everything possible to secure a bilateral ceasefire, one that will stop all violence from Hamas and Israel, allow for the safe release of civilian hostages held in Gaza, and give immediate and adequate access to desperately needed humanitarian aid to be delivered, including through crossings to Israel. Without an agreed upon end to violence from all parties – there is no path forward.” Churches for Middle East Peace Letter to President Biden.
• Nov. 17 – “On behalf of the undersigned… we strongly encourage the Department of State (DOS) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to extend the interview waiver authorities set to expire on December 31, 2023. These authorities allow consular officers to waive in-person interviews for certain, low-risk nonimmigrant visa applicants and have resulted in significantly decreased wait times for nearly all visa applicants.” Letter to Secretary Blinken and Secretary Mayorkas.
• Nov. 13 – “We, the undersigned humanitarian, national security, human rights, faith-based, civilian protection, and grassroots organizations, write to express our alarm regarding the possible transfer of 155mm artillery shells to support Israel’s ground operations in the Gaza Strip. We urge you to refrain from granting the government of Israel access to the U.S.-origin 155mm munitions currently stockpiled there.” Letter to Secretary of Defense.
• Nov. 9 – “As religious leaders we write to request action that enables Puerto Rico, our home, to promptly, fully and permanently support nutrition assistance benefits for all its people in need. Please include Puerto Rico in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).” Letter to members of Congress, endorses include Bishop Eaton.
• Oct. 16 – “We, the undersigned organizations, write to express our urgent concern regarding dire and escalating violence in Israel and Occupied Palestinian Territory, which continues to result in significant human suffering and loss of civilian life.” Open call for ceasefire.
• Oct. 12 – “…As Church-based denominations and organizations with deep ties to the Holy Land, we mourn with our Israeli and Palestinian siblings as they grieve the loss of loved ones and remain fearful of continued violence… At this critical time, it is incumbent upon Congress to act in ways that will help de-escalate the violence and stop further loss of life.” Letter to members of Congress.
• Sept. 26 – “As 53 faith organizations, representing people of faith across religious traditions and denominations… we urge Members of Congress to fund the government and to work in a bipartisan manner to pass a Continuing Resolution without harmful provisions.” Letter to members of Congress.
• Sept. 25 – “…the more than 600 undersigned national, state, and local organizations representing maternal and child health organizations, family support advocates, and research partners respectfully urge Congress to include sufficient resources in a short-term Continuing Resolution to ensure that WIC can continue providing all eligible women, infants, and children who seek to participate with the full, science-based nutrition benefit. We also call on Congress to fully fund WIC for fiscal year 2024 to sustain current benefits
• Sept. 12 – “On behalf of members of the Alliance to End Hunger, a coalition of humanitarian and development organizations, corporations, faith-based institutions, and others, we support the Administration’s supplemental request for international assistance that includes humanitarian, food security and resilience needs globally. As Congress develops its supplemental appropriations bill, we urge you to include this funding.” Letter to House and Senate Appropriations Committees leaders.
• Sept. 11 – “As leaders of Christian communions and agencies in the United States… Ahead of your upcoming meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu, we urgently appeal to you to address the escalating violence, incitement, and hate crimes against Palestinian Christians under the new Israeli government.” Letter to President Biden.
• Sept. 6 – “This letter is about poverty-important decisions that Congress and the President will be considering in FY2024 appropriations, the Farm Bill, and possible tax legislation.” Circle of Protection letter to President Biden and members of Congress.
• Sept. 6 – “We, the undersigned 23 civil society organizations, are writing to respectfully request the immediate obligation of the funds provided by Congress in the FY2023 State, Foreign Operations appropriations bill for food assistance to the West Bank and Gaza Strip, distributed through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). Letter to Secretary of State.
• July 18 – “Over a year ago, Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was shot and killed while reporting on the Israeli military’s invasion of a refugee camp in Jenin in the occupied West Bank… We, the undersigned organizations, call on Congress and the Biden administration to support Representative Andre Carson’s Justice for Shireen Act to require necessary reporting to Congress by the State Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in an effort to learn all the unanswered questions leading up to, during and after the fatal shot that killed Ms. Abu Akleh.” Letter to members of Congress.
• July 12 – “We, the undersigned 25 civil society organizations, are writing to respectfully request your assistance in releasing the funds provided in the FY23 State, Foreign Operations appropriations bill for food assistance to the West Bank and Gaza Strip, distributed through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).” Letter to House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman and Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member.
• June 1 – “We are writing to ask you to use your voice and influence as a public official to speak out publicly against a surge in legislative, regulatory, and legal threats seeking to undermine the practice of ESG investing.” Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility letter to members of Congress.
• May 18 – “On behalf of the 30 undersigned faith organizations representing people of faith across religious traditions and denominations, we write today to urge you to protect critical anti-poverty programs – food, healthcare, income supports, and housing – that help the most vulnerable to thrive in final negotiations related to the debt ceiling crisis.” Letter to the President and Speaker of the House.
• April 24 – “More than 50 organizations… committed to gender justice submit this comment in support of strengthening the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Proposed Rule on Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing… We commend HUD for advancing this important regulation, which is a critical tool for creating more equitable and inclusive communities in which all residents, including women and LGBTQI+ people, have access to the resources and opportunities they need to live with dignity and flourish.” Public comment submitted to HUD.
• April 11 – “On behalf of the 22 undersigned faith organizations representing people of faith across religious traditions and denominations, we write today to urge you to protect critical anti-poverty programs – food, healthcare, and housing – that help the most vulnerable to thrive in the upcoming negotiations related to the budget.” Letter to Speaker McCarthy, Minority Leader Jeffries, Majority Leader Schumer, and Minority Leader McConnell.
• April 3 – “As you determine priorities for the upcoming Farm Bill, we strongly urge you to further support and promote nutrition in International Food Aid Programs. Promoting both food and nutrition security is critical to ensuring populations around the globe can access the foods and nutrients needed to maintain health as well as prevent and treat malnutrition.” Letter to House and Senate Committees on Agriculture.
• March 31 – “The undersigned 39 national organizations urge you to support robust funding to meet the affordable housing needs of older adults.” Letter to Chairs and Ranking Members.
• March 29 – “As a multifaith group of 20 organizations committed to saving lives and advancing the dignity of vulnerable and marginalized people around the world, we urge your support for strong U.S. investments in international humanitarian, poverty-focused development assistance, and peacebuilding programs.” Letter to House and Senate Committees on Appropriations.
• March 28 – “As people of faith who recognize and uplift the inherent dignity of all individuals and the simple right to breathe without risk of harm, we urge the EPA to issue stricter standards and help correct environmental injustices, promote public health, and protect God’s Creation.” Coalition Letter to E.P.A. Administrator with Comments on Proposed Soot Standard.
• March 23 – “We, the 130 undersigned faith organizations, write to you to express our grave concern regarding the reports of your administration considering reinstating family detention, an immoral and inhumane practice that was discontinued by your administration at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities in 2021.” Letter to President Biden.
• March 15 – “Our nation must do more to address hunger and SNAP has a key part to play. The 2023 Farm Bill presents opportunities to make further progress. We ask you to work to strengthen SNAP and protect the program from cuts or other harmful changes.” Joint Statement in support of SNAP.
• March 13 – “As national religious denominations and faith-based organizations in the United States with ties to Cuban religious communities and the Cuban people… We urge you to remove Cuba from the State Sponsors of Terrorism list and seek a path toward normalization in our nation’s relationship with the Cuban people and government.” Letter to President Biden.
• March 13 – “From our church communions and partners, we are hearing unprecedented concern about the deteriorating human rights situation and rise in violence in both the occupied Palestinian territory and Israel. U.S. military funding to Israel in part sustains this violence, making the U.S. government complicit in ongoing abuses. As U.S churches and church-based organizations, we call for change to end this U.S. complicity and ask that the U.S. government hold Israel accountable for its abuses including by cutting military aid.” Letter to President Biden and Members of Congress.
• February 27 – “…We pray that members of Congress and the administration will work together to keep our government creditworthy without cutting poverty-focused programs.” Letter to President Biden and the 118th Congress, organized by Circle of Protection
• February 17 – National Faith Organizations urge the United States to lift sanctions on Syria and expedite humanitarian assistance to facilitate earthquake response. Faith letter to Biden administration and members of Congress.
• February 1 – “…We ask that you temporarily halt security assistance from the United States to Peru as a strong message of support for the basic human rights of Peruvian citizens.” Faith Letter to President Biden.
• February 1 – ““The NGO Committee on Migration and the undersigned endorsers call on world leaders to accelerate their efforts to end child labor by 2025.” A Call to Action by world leaders appeal organized by the NGO Committee on Migration.
• February 1 – “We, the 1,921 undersigned organizations, write to urge the Biden administration to use the fiscal year (FY) 2024 budget request to call for robust funding for affordable housing, homelessness, and community development programs that help low-income households and communities thrive.” Letter to President Biden and Secretary Fudge organized with the Campaign for Housing and Community Development Funding.
• January 23 – “As 165 faith-based organizations and congregations across traditions, we write with grave concern about the forthcoming Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that will set in motion an asylum ban in the form of a rule that bars people from asylum if they enter without inspection or do not seek protection in countries of transit.” Letter to President Biden, Vice President Harris, Secretary Mayorkas and Secretary Blinken.
• January 9 – “We, the 94 undersigned civil society organizations, are writing ahead of the North American Leaders’ Summit (NALS) to urge your administrations to center human rights, humanitarian protection, and access to asylum for individuals fleeing persecution in your discussions regarding regional migration.” Letter to the President of the United States, the President of Mexico, and the Prime Minister of Canada.”

 

2022

• November 28, 2022 – “The Respect for Marriage Act is a simple way to provide legal stability for all married couples and their families. Within our communities, we approach matters of marriage, family, and identity differently. This bill recognizes this diversity of belief while ensuring that same-sex and interracial couples are treated with equal respect by federal and state governments.” Letter to Senators Baldwin and Collins.
• November 22, 2022 – “We are writing to urge you to expand the Child Tax Credit, especially for the
  poorest families during the Lame Duck Session.” Letter to president and members of Congress through Circle of Protection.
• November 16, 2022 – “On behalf of the 45 undersigned faith-based organizations, we join together in support for the Respect for Marriage Act (S. 4556).” Letter to senators.
• November 15, 2022 – ““As faith leaders with a deep concern for the Holy Land, we call on our government to lead a thorough and transparent investigation into the killing of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.” Letter to Secretary of State signed by ELCA presiding bishop.
• September 27, 2022 – “As U.S.-based groups concerned with public health at home and abroad, we write to ask you to deliver urgently needed health funding for COVID-19 and the Monkeypox Virus (MPXV) response to protect domestic and global health.” Letter to Congressional Appropriators.
• September 23, 2022 – “We, the undersigned organizations, are writing to urge you to take immediate action to activate disaster recovery efforts in Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona.” Letter to Administrator Criswell and Secretary Fudge.
• September 21, 2022 – “On the one-year anniversary of the restart and expansion of the Central American Minors (CAM) Refugee and Parole Program, the undersigned immigrant and refugee rights organizations write to request that your administration immediately strengthen the program so that it can deliver on its promise as a pathway to safety and family reunification.” Letter to President Biden, Secretary Mayorkas and Secretary Blinken.
• September 16, 2022 – “As 111 religious leaders and 59 national, state, and local faith-based organizations across traditions, we urge you to support and pass the Afghan Adjustment Act (S.4787 / H.R.8685) as part of the upcoming FY 2023 Continuing Resolution.” Letter to Members of Congress.
• September 15, 2022 – “The undersigned organizations urge your administration to designate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Guatemala.” Letter to President Biden, Secretary Mayorkas and Secretary Blinken.”
• August 22, 2022 – Ending border officials’ religious-freedom violations and their practice of trashing migrants’ personal belongings. Letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary.
• August 1, 2022 – Righting the wrongs of family separation. Letter to House and Senate leaders.
• July 28, 2022 – Federal Financial Aid Access in FY 2022 Reconciliation for DACA, TPS, and DED Holders. Letter to Senate and House leaders from 96 groups.
• July 20, 2022 – “We are writing now with a very specific purpose—to urge that the budget reconciliation package include funding to close the Medicaid coverage gap and extend life-saving medical care to the two million Americans who are currently unprotected because their state did not expand Medicaid as provided under the Affordable Care Act.” Circle of Protection letter to senators.
• July 7, 2022 – “As the undersigned religious denominations, faith-based service providers, and houses of worship from across the country, we ask you to proactively support the Housing First model as a proven strategy to address homelessness and housing insecurity in our communities.” Letter to members of Congress.
• July 7, 2022 – “As Christian faith organizations with a deep concern for the Holy Land, we urge you allow floor consideration and support passage of Representative Andre Carson’s amendment to the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to require the State Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in consultation with the Director of National Intelligence, to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation into the killing of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.
• July 1, 2022 – “On Monday, the nation witnessed a tragedy as at least 53 individuals were found dead in a tractor-trailer in San Antonio, with reportedly 16 more individuals sent to local hospitals… We believe the surviving victims are at imminent risk of deportation or expulsion under Title 42 and want to ensure that your office is aware of this risk and takes action to prevent it from occurring.” Letter to DHS Secretary Mayorkas organized through American Immigration Council.
• June 29, 2022 – “As representatives of faith-based denominations and organizations, many of whom have a long history of relationships with Cuban faith partners…. We hope these initial positive steps will help increase support for the Cuban people and allow Cuban Americans to assist their families on the island.” Letter to President Biden.
• June 23, 2022 – “As people of faith, we are called to seek peace and imagine a world free from war and the threats of nuclear weapons. Today, we are calling on President Biden to move one step closer to that vision through a mutual return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) by the United States and Iran.” Faith leader statement.
• June 17, 2022 – “As the undersigned members of the Washington Interfaith Staff Community, our religious organizations would like to express support for a letter… that [supports] creating a federal reparations commission through an executive order by Sunday, June 19, the Juneteenth holiday.” Letter to PresidentBiden.
• June 14, 2022 – “The undersigned 21 organizations from the Washington Interreligious Staff Community (WISC) Health Care Working Group write to urge you to advance a budget reconciliation package that prioritizes health care for vulnerable communities.” Letter to Senators.
• May 18, 2022 – “Today we, bishops of the [ELCA], write you as lead congressional appropriators, to call your attention to the dire cash flow situation faced by the Augusta Victoria Hospital (AVH) in East Jerusalem. A.” Letter to congressional foreign affairs chairmen.
• May 9, 2022 – “The undersigned… write to express our deep concern with the text introduced in the TRIPS Council on May 3, 2022 that has been put forward as an alternative to the proposed waiver of World Trade Organization (WTO) intellectual property (IP) barriers for COVID-19 medical tools. We urge the U.S. and other WTO Member States to reject this text and negotiate a true TRIPS waiver instead.” Letter to U.S. Trade Rep. Katherine Tai.
• May 6, 2022 – “We call on Congress to appropriate $5 billion in emergency resources to address food insecurity and humanitarian crises exacerbated by the conflict in Ukraine…” Letter to congressional appropriations chairmen and Leadership.

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*These urls were selected for public availability of the signed document, not for the content of the website.

The year spent with ELCA Hunger Advocacy Fellows enhances our work and ministry at the D.C. and state public policy offices in the ELCA-affiliated network where they are located and enriches their future encounters with a year spent loaded with opportunity, networking, discernment and engagement.  

In the 2022-23 cycle, three leaders are placed through funding of ELCA World Hunger in California, Ohio and Washington, D.C. where they’ve expressed eagerness to connect, learn and grow as they help work for a world where all are fed. 

 

Savannah Jorgensen (she/her):

Savannah Jorgensen is currently serving with the Lutheran Office of Public Policy – California. Before joining the ELCA, Jorgensen received her master’s degree in Atmospheric Sciences from Texas A&M University. She also holds her bachelor’s degree in Meteorology from Valparaiso University.  

With these education foundations, this Fellow has a passionate interest in environmental justice and climate change policy, so she is very excited to work in advocacy in Sacramento. In her free time, Jorgensen enjoys singing, spending time outdoors, and relaxing with her cat. 

 

Jillian Russell (she/her):

Jillian Russell is currently serving with Hunger Network Ohio. Russell graduated from Capital University in Columbus, Ohio where she studied Youth Ministry and Christian Education and Psychology. While in her undergraduate program, she focused her education surrounding the intersection of religion and agriculture and on how religious groups can engage members in new and exciting ways and advocate for one another. This encouraged Russell to find a passion in outdoor ministry where she served two summers at both Agape Kure Beach Ministries and Rainbow Trail Lutheran Camp.  

Currently, Russell serves on the synod council of the ELCA Northwestern Ohio Synod. As an ELCA Hunger Advocacy Fellow, she hopes to continue her work in building connections between people of different faiths, traditions, and backgrounds while also advocating for state and local issues surrounding these topics.  

 

Kayla Zopfi (she/they): 

Since August, Kayla Zopfi has been serving with D.C.-based advocacy staff on the ELCA Witness in Society team. Zopfi graduated from Concordia College, Moorhead, where they studied Religion, Political Science and Interfaith Studies. Through her coursework and involvement, Zopfi became interested in understanding how people’s core values affect the way they see and interact with their communities and the world around them, and found her passions for institutional reform and storytelling.   

Zopfi recently concluded a Lutheran Volunteer Corps year of service with the ELCA Minneapolis Area Synod, where she was the Communications and Administrative Associate. Outside of work, Zopfi loves podcasts and audiobooks, talking about the Enneagram and astrology, and building new connections! 

 

Following are updates shared from submissions of the Lutheran Office for World Community and state public policy offices (sppos) in the ELCA Advocacy Network this month. Full list and map of sppos available.

 

U.N. | ARIZONA | CALIFORNIA | COLORADO  | MINNESOTA | NEW MEXICO | OHIO | PENNSYLVANIA | TEXAS | WASHINGTON | WISCONSIN |

 

U.N.

Lutheran Office for World Community (LOWC), United Nations, New York, N.Y. – ELCA.org/lowc

Christine Mangale, Director

Women’s Human Rights Advocacy Training

• The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in partnership with the World Council of Churches, Finn Church Aid, and Norwegian Church Aid held the Women’s Human Rights Advocacy Training in Geneva from 25-28 October 2022. The training reverted to its in-person format following the relaxation of COVID-19 travel restrictions. 
• Lutheran Office for World Community (LOWC) Director Christine Mangale joined LWF colleagues in the planning and facilitation of the training. Nearly 40 delegates from faith-based organizations participated in the training. ELCA participants included Witness in Society advocacy staff, Latin America and the Caribbean and Europe staff, and delegates from companion churches in Africa, Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean.
• The course enhanced participants’ advocacy effectiveness through U.N. mechanisms such as the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), Universal Periodic Reviews (UPR), Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), the Generation Equality Action Coalitions and other local and regional gender justice processes. The training also offered participants networking opportunities and a chance to meet with CEDAW commissioners and Geneva-based government representatives. 
• A resource, “Affirming Women’s Human Rights: Resources for Faith-Based Organizations”,  can be found here. 

Arizona

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona (LAMA) – lamaz.org

Solveig Muus, Director

LAMA Summit. The third annual LAMA Summit featuring Rev. Eugene Cho of Bread for the World was engaging, thought provoking, informative and fun for the nearly 40 clergy, LAMA liaisons and hunger leaders in attendance. The event consisted of opening devotions on 1 Kings 17; an introduction to LAMA and its policy priorities; the keynote address by Rev. Eugene Cho; small group conversations to process Rev. Cho’s address; a lengthy Q & A with Rev. Cho; an update on the new legislative districts; an update on current hunger legislation; a practical demonstration of advocacy; and advocacy practice speaking to legislators.

2023 Policy Priorities. The LAMA Policy Council met in November to review the year, discuss the social and political issues facing Arizona, and agree on what LAMA’s priorities would be for 2023. The council agreed LAMA’s primary focus will be to continue advocacy and education around Hunger in our most vulnerable communities, including partnering with hunger anti-hunger advocates around the state and launching the Arizona Anti-Hunger Alliance. In addition, LAMA will continue its work in Civic Engagement as it relates to our Lutheran heritage of being a publicly engaged church, encouraging participation in all areas of our government. Finally, LAMA will focus on Water, educating ourselves and our network on the complex issues related to water in Arizona.

Civic Engagement. LAMA’s work leading up to the election in support of its Civic Engagement policy priority involved efforts to register voters, encourage participation in the voting process, educating our network about ballot deadlines, ID requirements, polling locations, ballot measures, etc.

 

California

Lutheran Office of Public Policy – California (LOPP-CA) – lutheranpublicpolicyca.org

Regina Banks, Director

Meetings were held between the LOPP-CA office and California congregations during October to discuss the policy office’s positions on the upcoming ballot propositions. It was great to see a large turnout at those events! 

Election day has passed, but votes are still being counted in California and across the country –  and we expect mail-in ballots to continue coming in for a while yet. Currently, ballot propositions 1, 28, and 31 are passing with ‘yes’ votes. These propositions would enshrine the right to reproductive freedom in the California constitution, provide more funding for arts and music education, and uphold a law banning the sale of flavored tobacco products, respectively. The LOPP-CA policy council supported proposition 1 and 31 and took no position on 28, the arts and music education funding. Measures the policy council were against, including two on sports betting regulations, are currently receiving more ‘no’ votes and willould not pass if the results continue in this direction. 

The 27th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP27) is also taking place from November 6th-18th in Egypt, and Regina Banks is attending on behalf of the ELCA and LOPP-CA. You can find updates from her on our social pages throughout the conference. 

 

Colorado

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Colorado (LAM-CO) – lam-co.org

Peter Severson, Director

COLORADO ELECTION RESULTS: Coloradans voted on 11 statewide ballot measures this election season. We are excited to report that all three measures which we supported have passed! 

• Proposition FF, Healthy School Meals for All, won with 55% of voters saying Yes! This will ensure that kids in public schools have access to healthy meals regardless of ability to pay. The program takes the place of a federal initiative that provided free meals to all kids through the first two years of the pandemic.

• Proposition GG, Add Income Tax Table to Ballot Measures, also passed with over 70% of voters saying Yes. This will require ballot titles and fiscal summaries for future measures affecting income tax to include a table showing how people in different income brackets would be affected. 
• Proposition 123, Dedicate State Income Tax to Affordable Housing, passed very narrowly, on a margin of 51% to 49%. This will dedicate 0.1% of the state’s income tax revenue to specific affordable housing programs. 

 

Minnesota

Lutheran Advocacy – Minnesota (LA-MN) – lutheranadvocacymn.org

Tammy Walhof, Director

ELECTIONS: Narrow poll margin reports proved false as the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party took all state offices, held onto the House, and flipped the Senate with a one-seat majority. Margins in several races suggest much ticket-splitting. Secretary of State, Steve Simon, had the largest margin over challenger Kim Crockett (who questioned 2020 election validity). Attorney General Keith Ellison barely prevailed, with votes primarily from urban cores. Governor Walz won by eight points over challenger Dr. Scott Jensen (who questioned COVID mandates).  

NEW MEMBERS: Minnesota House and Senate both lost many veteran lawmakers through retirement, redistricting, and elections. About 35% of both chambers are new.  

NEW LEADERS: Representative Melissa Hortman will remain Speaker of the House, but Representative Lisa Demuth will replace Representative Kurt Daudt as Minority Leader (first time since 2014 someone other than Daudt leads House Republicans). Demuth is anticipated to have a less confrontational leadership style. Representative Jamie Long will be the new House Majority Leader, so we are watching to see who will take over Energy & Climate leadership from Long.  

Both parties will have new leadership in the Senate. Senator Kari Dziedzic will be new Majority Leader, Senator Bobby Joe Champion will be the first person of color to serve as Senate President, and Mark Johnson of East Grand Forks will be Minority Leader (replacing Senator Miller, who chose not to run again after just 1 year as the head of Senate Republicans). Much remains unknown about committee chairs, particularly Agriculture, since most senators from rural Minnesota are Republican. 

 

New Mexico

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry New Mexico (LAM-NM) – lutheranadvocacynm.org

Kurt Rager, Director

A decade of advocacy… 

According to the 2022 Annie E. Casey Foundation’s KIDS COUNT Data Book that measures 16 indicators of child well-being in the areas of economic well-being, education, health, and family and community, New Mexico once again ranked 50th in the nation. Though the data used does not consider several key state-level policy changes made recently, the challenge for improvement is immense. 

On Election Day, 70% of New Mexico voters approved an amendment to the state’s constitution that advocates, including LAM-NM, believe will truly transform the health and well-being of the state’s youngest and set a standard for the rest of the nation to follow. Driving the decade long battle was the belief that every family and individual should have access to an affordable, evidence-based, and high-quality prenatal and cradle-to-career system of care and education. 

Constitutional Amendment #1 will authorize an additional 1.25% to be withdrawn annually from the state’s unique Land Grant Permanent Fund, financed by state oil and gas revenue and interest on the fund’s investments, which is currently valued at $26 billion. If passed by the U.S. Congress, it is estimated that an initial $150 million would be available to early childhood education, and another $100 million for K-12. Among the many proposals being considered, this includes expanding early childhood services like state-wide prenatal care, home visiting, high-quality childcare and pre-kindergarten programs. Other priorities include moving childcare worker average pay to $18 an hour and making permanent the policy change last year that made childcare free for most NM families. 

Over several contentious sessions, LAM-NM worked alongside numerous partner organizations, which together, formed the Invest in Kids, NOW coalition. While joyous about our victory, the coalition will now join with the state on the hard work it will take to create transformational programs for the future. 

 

Ohio

Hunger Network Ohio (HNO) – hungernetwork.org

Deacon Nick Bates, Director

ADVOCACY IN ADVENT: NOV. 29TH 

The Hunger Network and the Ohio Council of Churches are joining together to host Advocacy in Advent: A Lame Duck Lobby Day! We will discuss the important efforts we can take as a state to end hunger in Ohio and transform our criminal justice system to support neighborhoods, families, and communities to regain stability. You can join us by registering here: https://actionnetwork.org/ticketed_events/advocacy-in-advent . 

HUNGER ADVOCACY FELLOW: We are grateful to ELCA World Hunger for supporting a new Hunger Advocacy Fellow position in Ohio who will begin on November 28th.  

ISSUE 1 and ISSUE 2: Sadly, both Issue 1 and Issue 2 passed on election day in Ohio. Issue 1 cements cash bail into Ohio’s constitution. Issue 2 bans non-citizens and, due to a drafting error by the State Legislature, may also end up preventing 17 year olds who will be 18 by the election from registering to vote. “As a person with an early November birthday, this could have disenfranchised me from voting in my first election,” said Deacon Nick Bates, Director of the Hunger Network in Ohio. 

 

Pennsylvania

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry – Pennsylvania (LAMPa) lutheranadvocacypa.org

Tracey DePasquale, Director

In the waning days of the 2022 session of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry – Pennsylvania (LAMPa)  and fellow housing advocates applauded the passage of legislation lifting the cap on the state’s housing trust fund by $20 million.  

The increase, which brought the cap on revenues for the Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement (PHARE) Fund to $60 million annually, came on the heels of more than $375 million in American Rescue Plan funding targeted to housing and homelessness in the FY 2022-23 budget. 

Although LAMPa advocates and coalition partners in the Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania had pushed for bipartisan legislation that would have raised the PHARE Funding cap to $100 million over three years, the progress is welcome. Read more. 

In addition to surveying our network and Pennsylvania ministries about needs, LAMPa began meetings with coalition partners to begin informing our priorities for the next legislative term. LAMPa’s policy council will consider that policy agenda in December.  Trinity Lutheran Church in Camp Hill graciously hosted leadership from the Pennsylvania Hunger Action Coalition as that group shared updates and discussed potential areas for collaboration in fighting hunger in the Commonwealth.

LAMPa participated in planning for a Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod event to honor the work of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., continued organizing for the Homeless Memorial Blanket Project in Washington, D.C., and attended a regional faith-based environmental summit co-hosted by the Lower Susquehanna Synod. 

 

 

 

Texas

Texas Impact – texasimpact.org

Scott Atnip, Outreach Director

In preparation for the general election, Texas Impact participated in presentations in congregations throughout the state, including our Faith in Democracy Series with events in Austin, Houston, Dallas, and Denton. Faith in Democracy events included a faith leader panel discussing why our faith calls for participation in democracy and advocacy efforts, training on Texas Impact’s Election Center tools, and breakout sessions on key public policy issues. Texas Impact also targeted social media ads to encourage voting and supporting the election infrastructure as election workers or poll monitors.
 

Texas Impact’s Weekly Witness podcast is in the midst of a series outlining legislative priorities for the next biennium, including our 200th episode featuring Bishop Michael Rinehart, Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod, discussing human migration.  

The popular Courts and Ports Program is re-launching with a new Immigration Education and Advocacy Manager, Fabiola (Fabi) Olvera Benitez coordinating trips to the Texas-Mexico border.  

Election results changed little in terms of state leadership, so Texans of faith are preparing for the Texas Legislature to convene in January 2023 in a session that could be very similar to 2021. 

 

Washington

Faith Action Network (FAN) – fanwa.org

Elise DeGooyer, Director

During Food Week of Action in October, the Faith Action Network (FAN)  hosted a Food Policy in WA webinar (linked on our YouTube page) with our coalition partners at Northwest Harvest. We also co-hosted two forums with indigenous writers Sarah Augustine and Mark Charles regarding the ways the Doctrine of Discovery continues to impact native peoples and lands. 

FAN helped organize faith leaders in a press conference in October with Governor Inslee and state legislators announcing protective legislation for reproductive choice and gender affirming care in our state. Here’s the recap of the legislation proposed.  

We are in full preparation mode for our hybrid Annual Dinner, Sunday evening, November 20, in Renton, Spokane, and online. Our biggest fundraiser of the year is also a time to come back together in-person after two years and renew our connections and solidarity for justice across the state. 

 

Wisconsin

Lutheran Office for Public Policy – Wisconsin (LOPPW) loppw.org

The Rev. Cindy Crane, Director

WEDNESDAY NOON LIVE: We interviewed outgoing Republican Senator Kathy Bernier about her views on elections in Wisconsin. Our conversation included the costly Gableman investigation and the Wisconsin Elections Commission. 

ELECTIONS: Governor Evers was re-elected. Michaels, his opponent, claimed he wanted to decertify the 2020 election. How elections are certified made our Secretary of State race unusually contested. At the time of writing this report, the election hasn’t been called. Earlier,  Lutheran Office for Public Policy – Wisconsin (LOPPW) interviewed Sec. of State La Follette (D) after extremists tried to prevent him from certifying the 2020 election. U.S. Senator Johnson was re-elected for a third term. The 3rd Congressional race was closer than expected. In the end, Derrick Van Orden, known for being present at the Trump rally just before the insurrection, won. After Wisconsin maps recently became more gerrymandered, the party that has the legislative majority won enough seats for a supermajority in the Senate but not the Assembly, which means the governor still has veto power. 

JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM: A few of us from our coalition’s steering committee recently met with staff from the Bucks Basketball Team to discuss their interest in supporting our efforts in returning 17 year-olds to the juvenile justice system 

CARE FOR GOD’S CREATION: LOPPW had its second meeting with staff from Faith in Place and confirmed plans to organize a spring advocacy day. 

YOUTH: Representatives from six synods are working with LOPPW to organize our first high school youth gathering with a focus on advocacy, scheduled for April 14 – 16, 2023.