This week is critical. Bills are moving quickly toward a March 9 house of origin cutoff, so our Church & Society/Social Justice Committee is providing information about opportunities for you to advocate now. Take 5 minutes to advocate for justice!
Follow links below to contact your legislator with a prewritten message or to add your own language. At the end of this article, see the good news about the HEAL Act along with steps on how you can advocate for environmental justice by supporting that bill.
Our advocacy is important. As stated in the United Methodist Book of Resolutions, #5012: “The attempt to influence the information and execution of public policy at all levels of government is often the most effective means available to churches to keep before humanity the ideal of a society in which power and order are made to serve the ends of justice and freedom for all people.”
WA Strong Act (SB 5373)
This climate recovery bill authorizes ‘Green Bonds’ to invest in infrastructure projects that create jobs and help transition to a clean economy. The bonds would be paid with a price on carbon. Using bonds will enable investments to begin soon. The Act ensures investments will be directed to rural areas and communities of color which have suffered the most from climate disasters and the pandemic. This bill is supported by the Faith Action Network (FAN), Earth Ministry, and The League of Women’s Voters.
Use this FAN email form to encourage your state senator to support this bill. Go HERE for more information about this bill.
Working Families Tax Credit (HB 1297)
This bill would remit payments to qualified families who are eligible for federal earned income tax credits. Combined with a new progressive tax, this would move Washington’s tax structure toward greater equity. This bill is supported by FAN and The League of Women’s Voters.
Use this FAN email form to ask your state senator to support this bill. Go HERE for more information about this bill.
Good news – and an opportunity to advocate in support of environmental justice:
The HEAL Act (Healthy Environment Act for All) — which aims to improve health disparities in our state through investments in areas suffering the most from pollution and which would implement the WA State Environmental Justice Task Force recommendations — passed out of the WA State Senate Ways & Means Committee and Senate Rules Committee in February. On March 1, the HEAL Act passed the WA State Senate by a 28-21 vote. In the WA State House, the bill has been read and referred to the Environment and Energy Committee. See the bill 5141 summary.
Here are three options for how YOU can voice your views on the HEAL Act.
- Call the legislative hotline (1-800-562-6000) to send your state legislator a message.
- Email your state legislators – using email address formula firstname.lastname@leg.wa.gov
OR
- Follow instructions below to register your support online. This takes 2 minutes!
- Go to https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=5141&Year=2021&Initiative=false
- Select “comment on this bill.”
- Enter your address to “verify” your legislative district number and state legislators, then select which legislators you would like to receive your comment.
- Select “Support” or “Oppose” or “Neutral”
- In the “Comments” box, add a comment which can be as brief as “Please support this bill.” It is not necessary for you to explain the substance of a bill, but you may explain why you support the bill, and, if you have a personal experience to share, please do that.
- Select “Submit comment.”