2013-14 Legislative Priorities
- Immigration reform
- Death penalty repeal and criminal justice reform
- Coal train prohibition and environmental protection
- Revenue and taxation reform
_______________________________________________________________________
Report: Spokane UU Voices Legislative Conference
Nearly 30 UUs and friends gathered November 17 for WA UU Voices’ first Legislative Conference in Eastern Washington. Keynote Speaker Senator Lisa Brown, who represents the 3rd Legislative District and serves as Senate Majority Leader, focused on the budgetary realities facing the 2013-14 legislative sessions.
Other important social and economic issues that will be before the Washington Legislature in the coming biennium were addressed by speakers, including:
- Immigration: Dr. Martin Meraz-Garcia, Assistant Professor of Chicano Education at Eastern Washington University;
- Equality and inclusivity in Washington: Sandra Williams, Coordinator, Eastern Washington University Pride Center;
- Transgender rights: Sevan Bussell, TransPeople of Washington
- Economic reform: Liz Moore, Director, Peace and Justice Action League of Spokane
Following small group discussion, the following were selected by Spokane conference attendees as WA UU Voices 2013-14 legislative priorities:
- Death penalty repeal and criminal justice reform
- Revenue and taxation reform
- Immigrant rights
- Environment and coal trains in Washington
Other state issues named by conference attendees include education funding, health care reform, and protections for aging and vulnerable citizens. WA UU Voices will follow and report on these issues during the upcoming biennium.
Thank you, Spokane UUs!
__________________________________________________________________________
The Social Justice Council at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Spokane did a superb job of hosting the conference, suggesting speakers, and providing a wonderful soup and salad lunch.
The Reverend Todd Eklof, the congregation’s minister, greeted us warmly, reminding us that we have a religious imperative to live out our faith’s values through our actions. The Reverend Marian Stewart, Northlake UU Church and WA UU Voices’ board member, said why she believes legislative advocacy work is important religious work. The conference’s closing words were provided by the Reverend Tray Springberry, minister of North Idaho UUs.
WA UU Voices looks forward to having legislative conferences in both Eastern and Western Washington, fulfilling our mission as a statewide legislative network.
Conference Resources from the Spokane and Olympia conferences are at the WA UU Voices website, http://www.uuvoiceswa.org
Immigration as a Moral Issue The UUA study guide and other materials found at: http://www.uua.org/immigration/re/moral/guide/index.shtml
_______________________________________________________________________
January 17-18, 2013:
Michelle Alexander, civil rights activist, law professor, and best-selling author of The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Color Blindness, is the keynote speaker at a January conference in Bellingham,
“Tangled Webs: Race, Immigration, Poverty and Prisons: Mass Incarceration and Alternative Futures”
The conference will bring together students, teachers, researchers, activists, lawyers, and other concerned community members to examine the historical origins and social impacts of mass incarceration in the U.S., and to dialogue about existing and possible alternatives to this system. The conference is sponsored by the Center for Law, Diversity, and Justice at Western Washington University.
Cost: $35 until Dec. 15, with some complementary tickets for the keynote.
Information and registration are at the Center’s website, http://www.wwu.edu/tangledwebs
_________________________________________________________________________
Coal Trains and the Environment
Environmental Impact Hearings on proposed regional terminals are taking place now in various parts of the state. The next hearing is on the proposed Gateway Pacific Terminal.
When: Thursday, Dec. 13, 4-7 PM. (Arrive by 3 PM for a press conference, if possible)
Where: Washington State Convention Center, 800 Convention Place, Seattle, Ballroom 6F.
Information and talking points on coal train impacts are at:http://www.involveddemocracy.org