​TENTH Annual Meeting
​Saturday, October 19, 9:30 AM - 4 PM 
Hosted by:  Unitarian Universalist Church in Eugene OR
ADVOCATING FOR JUSTICE AND EQUITY FOR ALL​
More than 50 people from across the state attended the TENTH Annual Meeting of OR UU Voices for Justice.
Our panel spoke on Human Rights, Immigration, Climate Justice, and Deepening Democracy.  Links to remarks below: 
  • Human Rights - Rev. Richard Davis - Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Salem
  • Immigration - Alaide Vilchis Ibarra - Exec. Dir, Interfaith Movement for Immigrant Justice (IMIrJ)
  • Climate Justice - Leonard Higgins - Climate Activist & UUMFE board member
  • Deepening Our Democracy - David Delk, Board Member of OR UU Voices for Justice; Co-founder, Oregon Honest Elections.  Among other asks, David asked that people contact OR Sen Merkley and Sen Wyden, asking that they sponsor or co-sponsor HJR48, the Move to Amend supported US Constitutional amendment that says money is not speech and corporations are not people.   See the language of his post card to both here.

2019 UUA GA Statement of Conscience

Our logo designer Jaimie Weeks-Seufert is featured third from the right in the front row. Thank you, Jaimie!
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2019 legislative action

Oregon UU Voices for Justice has four campaign areas -- Deepening Democracy, Human Rights, Economic Inequality, and Environmental Justice.  At our annual conference in October 2017, we identified specific action items within each of these campaigns and people who are taking the lead on each. 

​Some of these campaigns will stay in touch throughout the year and organize via Zoom to continue the work started during the Annual Conference. If you have an interest in these campaigns please contact the lead.


Deepening Democracy - 
          Lead:  David Delk (davidafd@ymail.com)

  • Reforms to the Political Process: The group will meet again to focus the group on a specific issue. Under consideration:  allow limits on campaign contributions, amend the US Constitution to end corporate personhood and money equals speech, limits on campaign contributions/expenditures, public funding of candidates, ranked choice voting, gerrymandering, full voting rights for felons, full disclosure of political ad funders. 
  • ​Support for Public Banking: The Portland Public Banking Alliance is active on this issue and meets at the First Unitarian Church in Portland, focused principally on creating a public bank in Portland.  That effort has the support of David Delk, Michael Wade and Harriet Cooke, all members of the Economic Justice Action Group of 1st Unitarian of Portland.  

Economic Inequality - 
          Lead:

  • Issues of Housing - such as home/houselessness, affordable housing.  This campaign will work with the Oregon Housing Alliance and Interfaith Alliance on Poverty. Lead: John Elizalde (john_elizalde@hotmail.com)
  • Worker Justice -- Lead: 
  • Living Wages -- John Raymonda (raymonda@zianet.com
  • Borrower protections, HB2588 - require loan servicers collecting on private and federal loans to be licensed by the state.  Creates office of Oregon Student Loan Ombudsman.  Read informative article in Salem Reporter on this issue here.

Environmental Justice - 
    Lead:  Rev. Katherine Jesch 

  • Clean Energy Jobs Bill, HB2020 - This carbon cap and invest bill is designed to reduce carbon emissions in Oregon.
  • Jordon Cove LNG Export Terminal - Track and support any action identified to oppose the project. Work with tribal leaders. Leads: Jean Townes and Sue Craig (sueacraig@gmail.com).
  • Single use straws - HB2800 - prohibits certain restaurants from offering single use straws
  • Prohibit fracking - HB2623 - prohibits use of fracking for oil, gas exploration and production
  • Single use checkout bags - HB2509/HB2653 - Prohibits use of single use checkout bags except in certain cases.
  • Polystyrene Containers - HB2883 - prohibits food vendors from using polystyrene containers in many cases
  • Small Nuclear Reactors - SB444 - Bill changes present approval requirements from vote by all Oregon voters to vote by voter of cities/counties in which Small Nuclear Reactors are being proposed for use in

Human RIghts -
           Lead: 

  • Corrections:  HB2631 - establishes pilot program to provide legal services for women who are incarcerated at Coffee Creet Correctional Facility
  • Immigrant Rights:
  • Health care:
    • Health Care for All: SB770 has been introduced to create a universal affordable health care system for all in Oregon
    • Importation of drugs: SB409/HB2682 - creates program to allow importation of prescription drugs from Canada
    • Funding of Medicaid: HB2010 - provides funding for Oregon's Medicaid program