ELCA Advocacy

Legislative policy development – Tammy continues to be deeply involved in the policy shaping process with the Homes for All Coalition. She is also active with A Minnesota Without Poverty, which has just started thinking about policy options and directions for the 2015 session. The Clean Energy and Jobs Campaign narrowed their focus to two policy objectives for 2015. Tammy is thinking about the materials needed for Lutheran churches to be ready for the key objective, focused on improving the Minnesota Clean Energy standard to 50 percent renewable energy by 2030.

Education and awareness raising – Tammy has been working closely with the Minneapolis Area Synod and the Alliance for Sustainability to find leaders to build a synod chapter of Lutherans Restoring Creation.and is beginning outreach for a similar St. Paul effort. On Sept. 30, Dr. David Rhoads came to the Twin Cities and met with potential leaders for LRC. Tammy has been in various churches talking about the key themes of hunger, poverty, care of creation and advocacy.

Communications/administration – We are deep into the process of rebranding, building our “new” website, and making lots of administrative processes work better. The new office is almost completely furnished now with cubicles and a welcoming area for partners to gather.

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​New Mexico

Poverty and Hunger Coalition – Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-New Mexico has been an active partner in the newly created Interfaith Hunger Coalition as a part of the advocacy committee by helping to organize several gatherings in the Albuquerque area with coalition members and candidates for election to the New Mexico House of Representatives. The gatherings were opportunities for coalition members to express their concern about the unacceptably high rates of hunger and poverty in New Mexico and to engage in conversation with the candidates about how to address the situation. Eight candidates attended the gatherings, which took place at Albuquerque congregations. Ruth Hoffman, LAM-NM director, also spoke about state public policies that would help address poverty and hunger at a recent education workshop sponsored by the Coalition at Holy Rosary Catholic Community.

Food stamps – In mid-September, Ruth traveled to southern New Mexico and testified before the interim Legislative Health and Human Services Committee in opposition to increased work requirements for SNAP recipients proposed by the state Human Services Department. She also spoke in opposition to the proposed rule changes at a public hearing that was attended by at least 100 people. At the hearing, Ruth also spoke on behalf of the New Mexico Conference of Churches. Ruth’s testimony was highlighted in a recent KUNM radio segment: http://kunm.org/post/faith-leaders-speak-against-new-snap-requirements.

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On Sept. 7, LAMPa helped Lutherans add “Our voices” to the theme of “God’s work. Our hands.” with letter-writing and speaking to media in locations around the state on behalf of our neighbors on housing, hunger and immigration.

At the capitol – LAMPa delivered a letter from Bishop Kusserow, Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod, urging lawmakers to act to end discrimination based on sexual orientation. LAMPa staff brought others engaged in ministry with the homeless to meet with legislative leaders to push for passage of bills to expand the state Housing Trust Fund. The visits were made powerful by the presence of one mother, accompanied by the Rev. Matthew Lenahan, who shared how a Lutheran congregation in Lancaster County is walking with her as she struggles with homelessness. Collaborating with the Lower Susquehanna Synod on a food drive/hunger advocacy project, LAMPa accompanied youth motivated by a synod retreat themed “Hungry” to participate in the “Can Hunger” event at the capitol, where they spoke with the leader of the legislative hunger caucus.

On the road – LAMPa staff participated in Bishops convocations in the Allegheny and Lower Susquehanna synods, the launch of a hunger team in the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod, a Lutherans Restoring Creation and training in the Northwestern Pennsylvania Synod and the People’s Climate March in New York City. We conducted our biennial survey to establish LAMPa’s agenda for the next legislative term. The results showed education and health care to be top priorities after hunger and were analyzed at our policy council retreat.

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Civic engagement – The fall continues to be a busy time for educational forums and advocacy training in Virginia. We are also encouraging in-district meetings with legislators in advance of the January legislative session. Most recently we have been offered programs in Charlottesville and Roanoke that allow the immigrant community to better understand their rights and engage decision-makers including local law enforcement in productive discussions about their community. We have also been part of a growing minimum-wage campaign for raising the wage both in Virginia and at the federal level.

Health – Our health care work continues even though there has been no agreement on Medicaid. Small numbers of local leaders join us each Monday for our Moral Monday call for Medicaid, and it continues to be a great way to muster solidarity. As we prepare for the next assembly, we will prepare to also work on legislation related to health equity and network adequacy that can help make sure that low-income and underserved communities, which may already be covered, get the health care that they need with reasonable access.

Our policy priorities have been revised for the year ahead, and we also have a new website so Virginians can better follow our efforts and download the resources they need. We have background papers and talking points on each of our top priorities as a way to jump start those campaigns. Visit us at www.virginiainterfaithcenter.org.

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