2013-14 Legislative Priorities
- Immigration reform
- Death penalty repeal and criminal justice reform
- Coal train prohibition and environmental protection
- Revenue and taxation reform
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End the Death Penalty in Washington
WA State UU Voices for Justice joins the campaign for Safe and Just Alternatives to support legislation that eliminates the death penalty in favor of life incarceration without the possibility of parole.
At a November 29th press conference, Senator Debbie Regala of Tacoma and others who lost family members to murder emphasized that the death penalty is a broken and costly system that fails to bring closure to victims’ families or to serve as a deterrent to future crimes. She and other murder victim family members urged the Legislature to enact legislation that would replace capital punishment with life in prison.
The Safe and Just Alternatives Lobby Day will be held in late January. The date for the Lobby Day will be either Monday, January 28 or Wednesday, January 30 to coincide with a public hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Because of the recent change of leadership in the Senate, that date will not be confirmed until early January. WA UU Voices will let you know as soon as the date is finalized.
Lobby Day Training:
Saturday, January 12, 2013
10:00 AM to Noon
Olympia Unitarian Universalist Congregation
2300 East End Street NW, Olympia 98502
Speakers will include advocates from the Safe and Just Alternatives campaign and WA UU Voices for Justice.
For More Information: Contact Mishi Faruquee, Campaign Manager, at mishi@sjawa.org
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Planning Ahead for the Legislative Session
2013 LEGISLATIVE SESSION EVENTS
WA State UU Voices for Justice will be an active participant in
these 2013 advocacy days in Olympia. Plan to join us as we
bring our Unitarian Universalist values to the Capitol!
Monday, January 14 The 2013 Washington Legislative Session opens at noon.
Monday, January 21 POVERTY ACTION DAY
The annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day event includes morning presentations and workshops, followed by a noon march to the steps of the capitol and visits to legislators. For updates, check www.povertyaction.org
Monday or Wednesday, January 28 or 30 SAFE & JUST ALTERNATIVES LOBBY DAY
Death penalty repeal is the focus of this day-long event that includes advocacy training and appointments with legislators.
Tuesday, February 5 IMMIGRANTS DAY AT THE CAPITOL
Workshops, advocacy training, and meetings with legislators will focus on immigrant rights in Washington.
Monday, February 11 HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS ADVOCACY DAY
Plan now to spend the day in Olympia speaking out for homelessness prevention programs and affordable housing.
Monday, February 18 REVENUE RALLY
Our Economic Future Coalition brings people to the Capitol to call for increased revenue to fund essential programs
Monday, February 18 INTERFAITH ADVOCACY DAY
Join with people of faith from across the state to advocate for the most vulnerable and the environment.
Tuesday, February 19 ENVIRONMENTAL LOBBY DAY
Join the state’s leading conservation groups and supporters to advocate for the Environmental Priorities Coalition’s 2013 legislative agenda.
Updates on advocacy days and other legislative session events will appear
Regularly in the WA UU Voices online newsletter and at
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Legislative Action Alerts
Deejah Sherman-Peterson, a member of University Unitarian active in justice advocacy, is organizing a statewide UU legislative database to provide action alerts directly to those who sign up to receive the alerts. All you have to do is download the form for your congregation, have congregants fill it in, and email it back to her. She’ll send action alerts directly to the people who signed up.
It is more important than ever that our voices be heard, and that we speak out as persons of faith! Deejah started this database in her work with other area UUs in the NW UU Justice Network Economic Justice Money Out of Politics issue group. She will send alerts on that topic as well as WA UU Voices for Justice legislative priorities.
More info, and to download a database form: http://www.nwuujn.org/news/view/208187/?topic=74724.