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Call to Restore SSI/SSP Cost of Living Allowance and help lift people from poverty!

8/9/2016

Dear Friends:

This year's budget eliminated the cost of living allowance (COLA) for those living on SSI/SSP federal and state disability. These are people with no or virtually no other resources, so a modest increase in cost of living is critical to keep up with inflation. California has denied that increase.

However, Assembly Member Cheryl Brown (D-San Bernardino) has amended her bill, AB 1584 to reinstate the COLA for January 1 2018. We need to get this bill out of Appropriations so it can become law.

Please make 2 quick calls today, and please share this message with your networks to get as many calls in before Friday!

Senate Appropriations Chair Ricardo Lara: (916) 651-4033
Senate Pro Tempore Kevin de León: (916) 651-4024

Sample Script:

Hi, my name is ____ from [your organization and city]. I’m calling at the request of California Church IMPACT to ask Senator Lara/De León to please support AB 1584 to restore the SSI/SSP COLA and help lift 1.3 million Californians out of poverty!

This will take almost no time at all, and yet it can have a powerful impact. Reports are that the offices are flooded with calls so do be patient. That is good news - the calls are all in support! Please add your voice to this mix. The power of the faith community should never be underestimated!

Thank you!

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Fast and Pray for Farm Workers' Overtime Law August 16-17

8/9/2016

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Dear Friends:

We and the National Farmworkers Ministry invite you to join California state Legislators and Faith Leaders in a 24-hour fast and breaking of that fast on behalf of the farm workers in our midst.

We have been supporting AB 1066 to provide within California the right to overtime pay that agricultural workers are denied in federal law. Those who grow our food are deprived of the simple right of overtime, and they often live in dire poverty and want because of that. We can change this!

Please join us on the North Steps of the state Captol, 11th and L streets, as we begin the fast on Tuesday August 16. We will gather at 8:00 am to hear from these embattled workers why the simple justice of overtime is so needed.

Then on Wednesday August 17, again at 8:00 am, we will assemble at the Cathedral of Blessed Sacramento, 1017 11th Street (two blocks north of the Capitol) to break the fast and begin Capitol visits in support of AB 1066.

On both days there is parking in garages at 10th and L or 10th and I streets. There is very little street parking available.

We invite all who are interested in this witness, clergy or lay, to do whatever part of this you can. Please let us know by return of this email if you can attend both or part of these events.

AB 1066 can change lives dramatically for the better. Whatever and however you can, please hold all our state's agricultural workers in your hearts and prayers and participate with us as you are able.

Thank you!

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Interested in Government Reform? Two Opportunities for YOUR VOICE

8/9/2016

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Dear Friends:

California Church IMPACT has been working with Common Cause on several political reforms. We now have two things on the docket that may be of great interest to you.

The first is SB 1107 (Allen and Hancock-D) that would allow local governments to create and maintain a dedicated fund to provide public financing of elections. In the post-Citizens United Supreme Court ruling, the flood of money into elections has been awesome - and not in a good way. This bill will help underfunded and new candidates compete at the local levels. We think this is an opportunity that we cannot afford to pass up. It gives us a signficant alternative to fund raising as the primary function of elections.

Is it perfect? Of course not. What in elections ever is? But it is a critical step in a good direction, and we urge you to contact Assembly Appropriations and urge passing of SB 1107 out of that committee. We need your comments before August 11.

Please send your emails to Appropriations Chief Consultant Pedro Reyes at Pedro.Reyes@asm.ca.gov or FAX your letter to Assembly Appropriations Chair, Lorena Gonzales at 916-319-2181.

Then please start contacting your own Assembly Members to urge passage on the Assembly Floor. Go to our action link here to contact your Assembly Member.

The second action is more complex. The Fair Poltical Practices Commission (FPPC) is undertaking a sweeping "clean up" of the Political Reform Act. First introduced in 1974, it is one of the strongest in the nation, directing what is and is not lawful with respect to campaigns, money, political action committees, etc.

However, over the years as more and more issues have come up and the laws expanded and amended, the law itself has become unwieldy and overly complicated. This "clean up" is meant to organize related issues into sensible categories and to clarify language so everyone can understand the "rules of the game".

The work is now done, and the first draft is available for public comment until September 30. We invite you to make your comments if this is an area that interests you. It is 176 pages long, but not all of it needs to be your concern if there are specific issues you prefer to discuss.With the help of another ally, CA Forward, you can gain access to this document for review.

Please visit http://www.cafwd.org/pra You may also sign up for updates about the project.

Public comments may be made at www.cafwd.org/pracomment or directly to FPPC via email at:
pracomment@fppc.ca.gov.

While so much of our joint work is about specific justice issues, occasionally we have to take care of democracy itself. We hope you will take such steps as you can today.

Thank you!

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Call to Restore SSI/SSP Cost of Living Allowance and help lift people from poverty!

Fast and Pray for Farm Workers' Overtime Law August 16-17

Interested in Government Reform? Two Opportunities for YOUR VOICE

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