Action Alert!

Budget Break Advocacy Challenge

These next few weeks are the perfect opportunity for you to schedule a meeting with your Senator in his/her district office to talk about LAMPa’s Advocacy Agenda priorities of poverty, hunger and health and health care.  In addition to our 2007-2008 Advocacy Agenda, other legislative issues need the attention of LAMPa advocates.

Over the past year, several bills have come before the PA Senate and House that target the immigrant population of Pennsylvania.  These bills serve to foster a hostile environment of fear and hate while at the same time adversely affecting not only undocumented immigrants, but poor and hungry legal immigrants and US citizens too!  For instance, Senate Bill 9 (see LAMPa’s October 2007 testimony), which is expected to come up for a floor vote in March, 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.  This bill requires 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. 

The Harrisburg newspaper, The Patriot-News, published an Op-Ed submitted by LAMPa’s Executive Director, the Rev. Neil Harrison, on Sunday, February 17.  In his article, he called on “all elected officials to change their course and provide leadership that builds consensus around a comprehensive, fair, and humane immigration reform plan enacted by Congress that is consistent with this nation's values and our belief that all men, women, and families are created equal in the eyes of God.”  We now call on you to bring this message to your State Senator personally and ask him/her to refrain from passing any “enforcement only” immigration legislation.  As Rev. Harrison stated, we need to “stand together ready to work with our Congress and the president to pass a new, fair and humane comprehensive immigration reform law that welcomes immigrants for the common good.”

In addition to protecting the Commonwealth from the negative effects of “enforcement only” immigration legislation, education is also a priority.  In November, the Costing-Out Study was released showing that an additional $4.6 billion was needed to provide adequate and equitable education to the Commonwealth’s youth.  We need to continue to urge the members of the General Assembly to support comprehensive education finance reform that will give all students in Pennsylvania schools the education they need and the education they deserve.  More information about this issue can be found in the Actionet Alert sent out last fall. 

One of LAMPa’s top priorities is hunger/poverty.  During the 2007 budget crisis that resulted in the furlough of state employees in July until the budget was resolved, the State Food Purchase Program (SFPP) was cut from $18,750,000 to $18,000,000 this year.  The SFPP enables Pennsylvania’s private charitable food distribution network to provide nutritionally balanced food packages to low-income families, children, seniors and others in need, hungry and threatened by hunger.  SFPP has been one of the Commonwealth’s most important contribution to the effort to feed the hungry children, seniors, people with disabilities and the working poor who rely upon the food banks, food pantries, and other providers for essential nutritional assistance.  As hunger is on the rise in PA, demand on food pantries is rising, and food prices have increased significantly, we need to urge legislators to maintain and increase, rather than cut, the allocation for the SFPP.

With all of these pressing issues before us, we ask that you make time in the next few weeks to visit your State Senator in your district’s home office.  If you have time, make an appointment to visit with your State Representative as well.  Basic advocacy is not difficult.  You do not have to be an expert, and you do not have to do it on your own.  LAMPa will provide resources for your meeting(s) in your legislators’ district offices, including guidance (i.e. an outline for the conversation) for the session.   Please call or email the LAMPa office to make plans for your 2008 Budget Break visits to your Senator’s district office.

Furthermore, you do not have to do it alone.  Advocacy is often easier, and frequently more fun, if you are part of a group.  (Being part of a group helps boost your courage and bolster morale.)  LAMPa will help you organize a group to visit your legislator(s).

If you do not have time to visit your legislator in your district, think about writing a letter to let him/her know what issues are important to you and to Lutherans in Pennsylvania.

As always, 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 these issues.

As members of the body of Christ, we are empowered to serve and walk with people who are hungry, forgotten, oppressed, and despised.  As Lutheran Christians, we have an opportunity every day to exercise our baptismal calling “to strive for justice and peace in all the earth” by being wise and active citizens.