Author: Edie Lott

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AiQ Events Hunger Issues Poverty State UN/National Updates

Action for March 3rd from AIQ

Please consider attending Ecumenical Advocacy Days (EAD)! This is an annual national gathering of Christian advocates and activists. We worship, delve deeply into the pressing issues of the day, and lift our voices by speaking truth to power on Capitol Hill. The 2021 theme is ““Imagine! God’s Earth and People Restored.” EAD 2021 is an opportunity to support this global movement centered on and led by the people and communities most vulnerable to climate impacts due to historic racial and colonial inequities. Together, we will passionately advocate and reimagine a world that lives out the values of justice, equity and the beloved community. EAD 2021 will be a virtual gathering, to be held April 18-21, 2021. Register now!

Great news: LOPP-CA is now a part of First 5 California. We have a seat on their round table

Nicole Newell is back with LOPP-CA! She will be coordinating Lutheran Lobby Day. Lobby Day will be virtual and held on Wednesday, May 19th. The keynote speaker will be announced soon.

This legislative session LOPP-CA along with Bread for the World will be watching the movement and focusing on these three bills:

• SB 107 CalFresh: Simple for Seniors, which makes it easier for seniors to access healthy public food assistance
• SB 364 End Child Hunger, which establishes universal school meals for all kids in public schools and creates a stopgap nutrition program for school breaks and when campuses are closed
• AB 221 Emergency Food for All, which grants food assistance access to immigrants, regardless of status.

Others may be added later.

You can research the progress of any state bill by going to https://legiscan.com/CA/legislation and searching for the bill by bill number or key words.

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AiQ Children's Issues Hunger Issues Poverty State

Action for February 24th from AIQ

Consider signing up for Chase Tibb’s podcast Faith and Capital at: https://faithandcapital.buzzsprout.com/

Write a letter to your state senator and/or assemblyperson stating that as Christians we affirm the Right to Food for all people – access, nutrition, food security, and dignity. In 2021 Californians will be speaking up about the Right to Food. Please personalize your letter and use your own words when possible. Be sure to include the bill numbers and names. Urge them to support the following hunger related bills:

• SB 107 CalFresh: Simple for Seniors, which makes it easier for seniors to access healthy public food assistance
• SB 364 End Child Hunger, which establishes universal school meals for all kids in public schools and creates a stopgap nutrition program for school breaks and when campuses are closed
• AB 221 Emergency Food for All, which grants food assistance access to immigrants, regardless of status.

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AiQ Poverty State

Action for February 10th from AIQ

Let your pastor and congregation know by an announcement in church or a newsletter article that these are some important bills that Lutheran Office of Public Policy-CA will be working on this year.

SB 108, as introduced, Hurtado. State Healthy Food Access Policy. This bill would declare that it is the established policy of the state that every human being has the right to access sufficient healthy food.

AB 221, as introduced, Santiago. Emergency Food Assistance for all. The State Department of Social Services shall provide a food assistance benefit statewide to low-income California residents, regardless of their immigration status.

AB 614 (Eggman)—“Farm to Food Bank” Tax Credit
Overview: This bill would increase access to the food donation tax credit for agricultural growers by expanding the list of qualified donation items to food banks and other non-profit organizations by including other fresh food items not currently in statute, as well as various shelf-stable dietary staples. 

Emergency food and diapers bill. (no number yet)

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AiQ

Action for February 3rd From AIQ

On a Federal level: If your Congressperson is a Republican email or call them and urge them to support the full stimulus package!

California EDD: Let Regina know if you have contact with someone involved with EDD decision making.

California Earned Income Tax Credit: While EITC Awareness Day Has passed, the information in their social media toolkit is still valid.  Please use their resources on your social media posts. Go to https://www.caleitc4me.org/Resources/ for the tool kit and more resources.

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Events Uncategorized

Virtual Lutheran Lobby Day Is Coming May 19th, Save the Date!

Join with Lutheran Office of Public Policy for an exciting day! Meet our partners! Meet with your representatives! Do it all virtually! Watch our website for updates and details!

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AiQ

AIQ for Wednesday, January 27th

Be sure to read this excellent blog linked at the bottom of this post by the Rev. Amy E. Reumann, Director of ELCA Advocacy. Also consider these action steps from ELCA Advocacy.

https://blogs.elca.org/advocacy/actual-renewal-and-repair-after-capitol-breach/

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Uncategorized

Faith advocacy aids Newsom’s decision to sign executive order for conservation by 2030

California joins the global effort to fight climate change by taking on the goal to conserve 30% of state lands by 2030, making us the first in the nation

Faith based organizations, alongside numerous other non-profit, environmental advocacy, and legislative efforts paid off today in a innovative and far reaching executive order to protect California lands and waters.

2020’s Legislative session has been filled with many powerful moments for LOPP-CA, and our collective power as those moving in Christ has only become more and more apparent. The signing of this Executive Order N-82-20 (full version here) aligns with our priority of Environmental Stewardship set at the opening of this year, and is specifically important because of how much our advocacy mattered in this fight – faith organizations, and especially LOPP-CA, were notably instrumental in placing this issue as a moral priority in California.

LOPP-CA’s Director Regina Banks spoke to this victory by saying “California Lutherans have been closely tracking imminent dangers to safe, affordable drinking water, as well as the environmental racism at play in who does, and does not, have water security. As the climate crisis, pollution, and irresponsible corporate practices have made water stewardship increasingly difficult, we welcome the opportunity to leverage the Governor’s executive order, which sets clear guidelines for conservation, to protect and redeem California’s watersheds. The God-given life-sustaining gift of water requires our careful stewardship, so all people and creation can endure for generations to come.” 

This is a monumental achievement, and our church has a right to be proud of our work today. Here is a link to a statement from Creation Justice Ministries, a multi-denominational coalition – of which LOPP-CA is a member – dedicated to advocating for care of God’s creation. Faith leaders across the US have been pushing for this 30% by 2030 goal via a letter writing campaign, and California is the first to see these advocacy efforts pay off!

We can and often do make a difference; the spirit moved in this victory, and will continue to do so as we reach further to make our world a better place. Join with us in celebration today, and with us in further advocacy on issues in the upcoming year!

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Local Events Updates

September 2020 – Legislative Update (updated)

Many things have happened this year, and we have won almost all of our priority bills! LOPP-CA’s advocacy this session was important in making many bills into law. We take specific pride in the passing of AB 3070 and AB 3073, as we pushed and fought hard for these bills! Here is the list of our vitories:

  • A law providing guidelines for the pre-enrollment of recently incarcerated persons into the statewide food assistance Calfresh Program, a bill that our office co-sponsored alongside advocacy organization Bread of the World (AB 3073)
  • A law altering and strengthening anti-discrimination procedures within courts in the jury selection process. Discrimination within the jury selection process has been noticed by many, and this legislation is powerful in giving advocates the tools to address systemic racism within the justice system (AB 3070)
  • A law creating a funded campaign for protections and health awareness during COVID-19 for agricultural workers, which includes thousands of migrant workers (AB 2043)
  • A law establishing one of the nation’s first mandatory task forces to study the issue of Slavery’s legacy within the United States and the need for reparations for African Americans; the task force will create proposals of mechanisms that can be enacted to address the need of reparations (AB 3121)
  • A law barring criminal conviction of a person based on race, ethnicity, or national origin. This law will expand a persons ability to contest cases of unlawful imprisonment on the basis of discrimination, and thus open a doorway to pursue equity within the justice system (AB 2542)

Californians  also saw a monumental victory with the signing of AB 1876, expanding the state’s Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) to hundreds of thousands of vulnerable communities, specifically immigrant workers. ITIN tax filers were previously barred from receiving refunds from their state tax claims, despite paying more than 3 million in taxes annually. LOPP-CA has fought for over 4 years with 60 organizations, making this a milestone for Lutheran advocacy in California.

Other Legislative updates:

  • A bill pushing for a one-time cash-via-card food assistance stipend towards migrant workers, many of who have been left out of our government’s efforts to help during this COID-19 crisis, was vetoed by Governor Newsom. (AB 826). This bill was a priority for many of our coalition partnerships.
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Events Local Events Racial Justice Updates

Text Banking for Prop 16!

Our sustained action every other Monday at 6pm

This coming November is a chance to pursue our baptismal calling to advocacy in many ways. In moving in our churches firm commitment to fighting the sin that is racism and building a country that holds all of as children of God, we are having continued advocacy for voting YES on Proposition 16 until the election.

We will be meetings every other Monday at 6pm to Text bank California Voters, asking them to vote YES on Prop 16! We welcome all to come and join, even if you haven’t done so before (we will train you!). It is very easy, and all you have to do is follow the directions at the sign up below!

Click here to Register
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Uncategorized

Governor signs AB 1876, making Expansion of EITC into law!!

WE. HAVE. WON!

There are no words that can truly express how great a victory this is for all. The Expansion of the EITC to immigrant ITIN Tax Filers puts California on the right side of history, and is nothing short of God’s compassion and justice coming into the world.

Prior to this week, hundreds of thousands of people were locked out of one of California’s most influential and powerful poverty-fighting measures, the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). Over 600,000 ITIN number holders were suffering the unjust position of working hard, building economies, paying taxes, but receiving no tax refund. No longer. Vulnerable communities such as migrant workers in healthcare, farming, service work and so much more are now covered in the EITC.

 

This win means so much, and has been a long time coming. The Cal-EITC Coalition, of which LOPP-CA is a proud member, has fought hard and won a campaign spanning more than four years and involving more than 60 organizations. This in means care for the vulnerable. This win means California is the second in our nation to take this step in  protecting so many vulnerable non-citizen immigrant communities. This win means God’s love is extended to more of the body of Christ, and for that there cannot be enough celebration. 

Below we have linked the Cal-EITC Coalition’s official press release, which holds more information on this monumental victory:

https://mail-attachment.googleusercontent.com/attachment/u/1/?ui=2&ik=02197ef57f&attid=0.1&permmsgid=msg-…