{"id":5685,"date":"2021-03-18T16:00:42","date_gmt":"2021-03-18T21:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/advocacy\/?p=5685"},"modified":"2021-03-18T16:00:42","modified_gmt":"2021-03-18T21:00:42","slug":"march-update-un-and-state-edition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/advocacy\/march-update-un-and-state-edition\/","title":{"rendered":"March Update: UN and State Edition"},"content":{"rendered":"

Following are updates shared from submissions of the Lutheran Office for World Community and state public policy offices.
\n<\/em>As the new year\u00a0<\/span>begins,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>these<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>state public policy offices (<\/span><\/span>SPPO<\/span><\/span>) share their annual policy priorities<\/span><\/span>. Find\u00a0<\/span><\/span>a map and<\/span><\/span>\u00a0full<\/span><\/span>\u00a0list of\u00a0<\/span><\/span>ELCA\u00a0<\/span><\/span>affiliated\u00a0<\/span><\/span>SPPO<\/span><\/span>s<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>using our<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/em>state office map<\/em>.<\/a>
\nLearn more about Lutheran advocacy using our new resource,\u00a0Advocacy 101 For Young Adults.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

U.N.<\/a> | Arizona <\/a> | Colorado <\/a> | New Mexico <\/a> | Ohio<\/a> | Pennsylvania<\/a> | Texas<\/a> |Washington<\/a> | Wisconsin<\/a><\/p>\n

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U.N.<\/h4>\n

Lutheran Office for World Community, United Nations, New York, N.Y.\u00a0<\/strong>https:\/\/www.elca.org\/lowc<\/a>\u00a0\u2013Dennis Frado, Director<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Promoting Gender Justice at UN CSW65<\/strong>: A total of 72 delegates from all the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) regions will participate in the sixty-fifth session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW65) that will take place from 15 to 26 March 2021. The larger number reflects the fact that the session will be virtual due to COVID-19. The delegates consist of LWF Gender Justice and Women\u2019s Empowerment regional coordinators, staff of LWF World Service country programs, and representatives of ELCA companion churches. Approximately two dozen of the attendees are from the ELCA.<\/p>\n

Together with ecumenical and interfaith partners, LOWC staff drafted and submitted three joint statements (E\/CN.6\/2021\/NGO\/91, E\/CN.6\/2021\/NGO\/117 and E\/CN.6\/2021\/NGO\/147) based on the theme, as well as considering the gendered impact of COVID-19.<\/p>\n

LWF has organized and co-sponsored five CSW related events. To influence the outcome document known as the agreed conclusions, LOWC staff have been engaging actively within the Faith in Beijing coalition convened by Side by Side.<\/p>\n

Humanitarian Assistance to Palestinians:<\/strong> In the coming weeks, ELCA staff, including LOWC, will be encouraging synod bishops and other ELCA members to intensify their messaging to Congress in support of U.S. bilateral humanitarian assistance to the Occupied Palestinian Territory (East Jerusalem, West Bank and Gaza). The assistance, though appropriated by Congress, was not disbursed by the previous Administration for several years. This funding had been an essential part of the annual operating budget of the LWF-owned Augusta Victoria Hospital in East Jerusalem and its absence has resulted in substantial debt. The Biden Administration told the UN Security Council in late January that it wishes to \u201crestore U.S. assistance programs that support economic development and humanitarian aid for the Palestinian people\u201d and renew \u201cU.S. relations with the Palestinian leadership and Palestinian people.\u201d Congressional leaders are being asked to contact the Administration to release those funds as soon as possible.
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Arizona<\/h4>\n

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona,\u00a0<\/strong>https:\/\/www.lamaz.org<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 Solveig Muus, Director<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona is currently tracking 37 bills of interest to people of faith in Arizona. In addition to the bills related to our specified policy priorities \u2013 Hunger and associated food security issues, Community-based Senior Support, and Fair and Equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines \u2013 we are watching movements on child and youth welfare, voting rights and redistricting, and education. We are encouraged to see that SB1176, a nutrition assistance bill to fund the Double Up Food Bucks Arizona program that essentially doubles the value of SNAP\/EBT benefits at farmers markets, has a good chance of passing. This provides excellent support for healthy eating and local farmers!<\/p>\n

LAMA also co-sponsored a second Advocacy 101 training workshop alongside Arizona Faith Network and Bread for the World to encourage people of faith to participate in their state government by expressing their views online using Arizona\u2019s Request to Speak (RTS) system about the bills they care about.<\/p>\n

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry Arizona celebrated its first birthday in February. The LAMA Policy Council recently met to review this inaugural year\u2019s successes and gains as well as its opportunities for improvement. The Council is deeply grateful for the support and mentoring of the ELCA\u2019s state public policy offices, for the partnership of Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest, and for the many ministry partners who do the work of advocacy both nationally and in Arizona. Each partner has generously shared their passion and their experience with LAMA. It has been a very positive and productive first year, thanks be to God.
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Colorado<\/h4>\n

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-Colorado\u00a0<\/strong>https:\/\/www.rmselca.org\/advocacy<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 Peter Severson, Director<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Legislature Resumes<\/strong>: The Colorado General Assembly returned to session on February 16 after an extended recess to allow legislators to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The session is scheduled to proceed for its usual 120 days, ending on June 11.<\/p>\n

Housing Bills<\/strong>: Lutheran Advocacy is joining the Renters\u2019 Roundtable to support several housing-related bills in this session. These include:<\/p>\n