The Annual May Day March for Workers and Immigrant Rights
Inseparable Struggles, Inseparable Solutions
May 1st, 11 am, at Judkins Park, 2150 South Norman St, Seattle.
Marching to downtown Seattle.
Led by El Comite - 206-465-5511, info@elcomitewa.org

Support workers and immigrants, as we seek a just transition to a clean energy economy. We know that these struggles are inseparable, from our fight from climate action. The May Day march this year, in Seattle, will be a big, bold demonstration of Blue-Green resolve. This year’s theme: “Inseparable Struggles, Inseparable Solutions” led locally by El Comite and many local and national organizations.

ACLU members and supporters, nationwide, are taking to the streets in the spirit of May Day, an historic day of solidarity. A time where we step out of our workplaces to drive action and demand change to ensure every person is treated fairly and equally. Many immigrants around the country are going on strike to demonstrate that immigrants help make America run day in-and-day-out. Also, the ACLU is standing in solidarity by working with immigrant leaders and allies at the Center for Community Change Action, Reform Immigration for America, and FIRM to organize marches in support of immigrant rights nationwide. More information from ACLU’s People Power.

Earth Day Saturday with Black Power Epicenter Cooperative (BPEC)
April 22, on the Bethany United Church campus led by Nyema Clark, Senait Brown, and our young people.

The House of Representatives attempted to repeal the Affordable Care Act. If they had repealed the ACA – by passing the “American Health Care Act” – it would have taken away health insurance from 24 million Americans.

On the afternoon of March 24, 2017, House Speaker Paul Ryan pulled the Republican health care bill. While president Trump bullied hard to pass the bill that would replace the ACA, the Republicans didn’t have the votes to pass it. This was due to the unprecedented grassroots resistance, evidenced by the nonstop e-mails and calls to representatives and senators, attending town hall meetings, protests, and Tweets, all fiercely defending health care for millions of Americans. MoveOn reported that their members made more than 40,000 calls to Congress just today, on March 24. The Washington Post reported that calls ran 50-to-1 against the bill. [“Per House members, phone calls on the GOP health bill run 48-to-1 against” - The Washington Post, March 24, 2017]

Please send a message to your representatives, opposing repeal of the ACA, via ACLU:
        Hands off our healthcare: don’t repeal the ACA

Saturday, March 25, 8:30-9:30 pm - Earth Day Lights Out, in partnership with Worldwide Wildlife Fund, takes place across the country.

To show awareness of the effects we have on Mother Earth, you can join by shutting off all your lights from 8:30-9:30 pm. See what millions of participants can do to stop climate change with one hour.

Contact your State Legislator to voice your opposition to House Bill 1885, which would work against our Water for People, Farms, and Fish Priority (HB 1918) by overturning the Hirst V. Whatcom County decision and limiting the ability of the Department of Ecology to adopt meaningful mitigation programs.

For the 37th district, you can call:         Rep. Pettigrew (one of the bill’s co-sponsors) - 360-786-7838         Rep. Santos - 360-786-7944         Senator Saldana - 360-786-7688

On February 19, 2017, at the Seattle Center’s Fisher Pavilion, hundreds gathered to hear about the horrific United States American president’s Executive Order 9066. It was signed and issued, during World War II, by president Franklin D. Roosevelt, on February 19, 1942. Earlier in the day, a special service was given at the Bethany United Church of Christ, both in Seattle, Washington.

They recalled the horrible Executive Order which put 120,000 of our brothers and sisters of Japanese ancestry into “internment” (concentration) camps in the United States. The stated reason for this was because these citizens were considered to be “posing a threat to national security.” More than two-thirds of those imprisoned were American citizens. There businesses and home properties were often confiscated. No similar internment was ever launched against residents of German ancestry.

Now is the time to putting our faith into action, to make sure this never happens, today, to our brothers and sisters who are Muslims in the United States.

All Seattle City Council members voted for this ordinance, CB 118905 (Ordinance No: 125257), on February 10, 2017.

Please thank your Seattle City Council. The responsible banking ordinance was introduced by Councilmember Sawant, which allows Seattle to divest nearly $3 billion from Wells Fargo, one of the main banks financially supporting the Dakota Access pipeline.

Thousands marched in the streets of Seattle, and gathered at City Hall, to protest the installation of an oil pipeline in North Dakota which will run through Native American holy ground, and threatens their water table.

The Standing Rock Indian Reservation is located in North Dakota and South Dakota, and is occupied by ethnic Hunkpapa Lakota, Sihasapa Lakota and Yanktonai Dakota. Together with the Hunkpapa and Sihasapa bands, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe is part of what was known as the Great Sioux Nation.

“In honor of our future generations, we fight this pipeline to protect our water, our sacred places, and all living beings.” - Dave Archambault, Chair of Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Council

Even though Washington is a progressive state, we have done very little to reduce our carbon emissions, and we must drastically reduce our carbon emissions immediately or else climate tipping points will be breached. This bill updates Washington State’s greenhouse gas emission reduction targets to ensure that our children have a livable future.

Please call your state representatives and senator and let them know you support this bill.

For the 37th district, you can call:         Rep. Pettigrew (one of the bill’s co-sponsors) - 360-786-7838         Rep. Santos - 360-786-7944         Senator Saldana - 360-786-7688

Gateway Abandons Cherry Point Coal Plans

On February 8th, backers of the Gateway Pacific Terminal withdrew their applications to build a 48-million-ton-per-year coal export terminal at Cherry Point. This conclusive victory comes after the Army Corps of Engineers acknowledged that the coal terminal would violate the Lummi Nation’s treaty-protected fishing rights.

If the plan had gone unchallenged, the Gateway Pacific Terminal could have been fully operational last year, already bringing dirty coal through traditional fishing areas and our communities. However, it is critical to note we do need to stay vigilant, as proponents have indicated a desire to transport other fossil fuels from Cherry Point, and possibly challenge the Army Corps’ decision upholding the Lummi treaty rights.

SB 5171 Still Active, as of March 12, 2017

SB 5171 could rescind the Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) recent decision to protect Cherry Point and ultimately undermine DNR’s ability to manage our state’s aquatic lands. The bill could stop DNR’s ability to designate, establish, and/or enlarge any aquatic reserve. The bill also reduces the amount of state money available for protecting clean land and critical habitat.

To see current status, go to “SB 5171 - 2017-18” - Washington State Legislature

Please call your state representatives and senator to oppose SB 5171.

For the 37th district, you can call:         Rep. Pettigrew (one of the bill’s co-sponsors) - 360-786-7838         Rep. Santos - 360-786-7944         Senator Saldana - 360-786-7688

“More than 3,500 Religious Leaders Sign Letter Supporting Refugee Resettlement”

“Updated Faith Leader Letter: Welcome Refugees of all Nationalities & Religions”

“ACLU’s 7-Point Plan of Action to Take on the Trump Administration”

Bethany’s social justice ministry continues to partner with the ACLU, whose priorities are: human, civil and immigrants, first amendment, reproductive, LGBTQ rights and more. Our thanks to Bethany’s Lynn Heinisch for attending the “Power to the People” phone conference in early March 2017. Here are her notes from the speakers:

Anthony Romero, ACLU executive director:
We must never despair even when we lose. This is worth fighting for. We will not cede this ground. Even in darkest moments. In democracy, these are not just rights. In this era, these are obligations.

Faiz Shakir, ACLU national political director:
Towns and cities should be cities of resistance — “freedom cities” — they have constitutional rights of their own.

• ACLU/people power promoting 9 draft ordinances to make cities welcoming to all.
• Action items:
  1. Read Action Plan on peoplepower.org, to make freedom cities.
  2. Amidst a hate agenda, we continue to live our love – live our values. “Meet a hate agenda with real actions with an equal and opposite reaction.”

• Airport officials, etc., can’t stop you from exercising your right to free speech.
• Points to note:
  1. Record anything you can. You have the right to photograph anything in public view.
  2. If confronted by police: You have the right to remain silent, and refuse being searched. Ask them if you have the right to leave (note: ACLU site has great one-pager “know your rights” on what to do if stopped by police, ICE or FBI. Is available in multiple languages:
     
     “Know Your Rights”

• Be aware of the Freedom City Initiative.
• Be aware of raids as 10K more ICE agents have been ordered by the administration, twice as many as present.
• Know that there were 2,000 group meetings, like this one, around the country.”