Tell Your State Senator
to Vote NO on Senate Bill 9
Senate Bill 9, which the Senate State
Government Committee has scheduled for a vote tomorrow,
would deny many US citizens the benefits for which they
are eligible, such as in-state tuition rates at
Pennsylvania’s public colleges and universities,
unemployment compensation and Medicaid, because they do
not have a government-issued ID.
Senate
Bill 9 would require that anyone receiving public
benefits have an “acceptable” form of government ID.
However, 11% of US citizens do not have this form of
“acceptable” ID. Of this 11%, the poor and minority
adults are over-represented. In addition, those fleeing
from domestic violence are often without
government-issued ID or other documentation, as they are
often forgotten in the immediacy and fear of their
flight.
What You Can Do:
Please call, e-mail
or fax your Pennsylvania State Senator urging them to
VOTE NO on Senate Bill 9. The deadline
for action is 12:00 Noon, Tuesday, February 12th.
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Access the LAMPa website at http://www.lamp.org.
On the homepage, look for the box, "Find
Your Elected Officals." Enter your zip code
and click "Find." Click on the "State"
tab. (In many locations, you will need the
Zip+4 code to access the information. If
you don’t know it, click on the button "Look
up Zip+4" at the bottom of the open window.) |
**Please file a post-advocacy action report with the
LAMPa office by e-mailing
lampa@lamp.org, calling
717-545-3500 or writing to LAMPa at 900 S. Arlington
Ave., Suite 117, Harrisburg, PA, 17109, including a
summary of any advocacy you do on this issue.**
Talking
Points:
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The bill would also create confusion
among legal immigrants and new citizens about the
benefits for which they, and their children, are
eligible, which would cause them to go without
needed and necessary aid.
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Senate Bill 9 unduly targets the poor
and African-American adults, rather
than undocumented immigrants, as they are more
likely not to have government-issued ID than
others.
-
Victims of domestic violence would also
be adversely affected as they are often
without government-issued IDs – they are often
left behind or lost during their flight. Senate
Bill 9 would create another barrier to these
victims seeking safety.
-
The
intended targets of Senate Bill 9,
undocumented immigrants, are already ineligible
for all major benefit programs as determined by
federal law. Further, no evidence has been
presented that shows a problem with ineligible
immigrants improperly receiving benefits.
None of the witnesses at the State Government
Committee’s hearing in October provided any
evidence, not even an anecdote, of undocumented
immigrants improperly receiving benefits in
Pennsylvania.
-
The
intended targets of Senate Bill 9,
undocumented immigrants, are already ineligible
for all major benefit programs as determined by
federal law. Further, no evidence has been
presented that shows a problem with ineligible
immigrants improperly receiving benefits.
None of the witnesses at the State Government
Committee’s hearing in October provided any
evidence, not even an anecdote, of undocumented
immigrants improperly receiving benefits in
Pennsylvania.
ELCA Policy
Base:
The ELCA commits itself as a church to “give
more to relieve conditions of poverty.” Therefore
it calls for policies that address “the barriers
individuals face in preparing for and sustaining a
livelihood (such as lack of education,
transportation, child care, and health care.)” and
for the “government to provide adequate income
assistance and related services for citizens,
documented immigrants, and refugees who are unable
to provide for their livelihood.”
—Sufficient, Sustainable Livelihood for All (1999)
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