SummaryBryan Stevenson: Public interest lawyer, founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, AlabamaHe is known for his work to help the poor, the incarcerated and the condemned. The Equal Justice Initiative has won legal challenges eliminating excessive and unfair sentencing, exonerating innocent death row prisoners, confronting abuse of the incarcerated and the mentally ill and aiding children prosecuted as adults.
Stevenson has successfully argued several cases in the United States Supreme Court and recently won a historic ruling that mandatory life-without-parole sentences for all children 17 or younger are unconstitutional. He and his staff have won reversals, relief or release for over 115 wrongly condemned prisoners on death row. Stevenson is also a professor at the New York University School of Law.
Stevenson is the recipient of numerous awards including a MacArthur Foundation “genius” grant, the National Medal of Liberty from the American Civil Liberties Union after he was nominated by United States Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, the Public Interest Lawyer of the Year by the National Association of Public Interest Lawyers and the Olaf Palme Prize in Stockholm, Sweden, for international human rights.
He has received 26 honorary degrees, including degrees from Yale University, the University of Pennsylvania, Georgetown University and Washington University.
Stevenson’s , “Just Mercy,” is a New York Times bestseller that was named by Time Magazine as one of the 10 Best Books of Nonfiction for 2014. The book has been awarded several honors including a 2015 NAACP Image Award. His presentation “We need to talk about an injustice” is also a popular TedTalk.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE GO TO:
http://www.montana.edu/convocation/

Dear MAC members, supporters and Council:

I have asked our staff to post this little video on our website and Facebook page because I think MAC should be very proud of our Coordinator, Amy Thomson for her successful advocacy for justice in the air ambulance industry.  What a thrill to know that Senator Jon Tester has launched an attempt to restore balance and justice to the system through federal legislation and asked Amy and Pat to allow him to use Isla Rose Thomson’s name for the proposed legislation. 

When I hear in the national news of the “Isla Rose” bill, I will think of that precious little life I held in my arms three years ago, after nearly losing her.  Full of feeding tubes and IV’s, she still managed a smile.  What a fierce, joyful spirit she is! From time to time she still crawls up in my lap to tell me her tales of adventure and to scribble all over my notebook – treasured art for me. 

Given some of the feedback I have received, however, a word of clarification appears to be required.  First of all, you should know that the air ambulance bills on the state and federal level have never been the primary MAC priority as some have alleged.  We did include state air ambulance legislation as part of our over-all list of legislation to follow but it has have never been the primary focus of our agenda. 
Confusion came, I think, from Amy’s position with MAC and the very public and enthusiastic support for Amy of Jesse Laslovich, former head counsel to the State Auditor’s office, and State Representative Ryan Lynch of Butte, who spoke at MAC Connect.

At MAC Connect last October, Republicans Vince Ricci, Kristen Stewart and Greg Gianforte; along with Democrats Governor, Steve Bullock, Lynch and Laslovich – were all asked to address Matthew 25 and politics.  We did not script or determine what they said.  Lynch and Laslovich chose to address air ambulance.  They were not asked or instructed to do so.  It was their passion that week and with the passion of young people with energy and focus, they said what they had to say. 

To be clear: Amy did the work on the air ambulance advocacy on her own time.  She did it long after she and Pat resolved their own financial issues.  She did it for those who do not have skills, resources or life circumstances to do what she accomplished with months of reading insurance and legal documents, making phone calls and writing letters.  Senator Tester noticed.  Amy, Pat, Adelaide and Isla Rose have helped to launch state and federal attempts to assist people whose financial issues have not been resolved and who still need help.  The Thomsons have continued this fight for others, not for themselves. Ryan and Jesse, young political activists, joined in.  No MAC resources were ever used in this fight except to instruct our lobbyist to follow the state bills on air ambulance and advocate for them along with a host of other bills.  That fight is still going on.

Now it has reached the national level.  I hope you will join me in congratulating Amy, Pat and their children.  MAC has everything to gain from our association with them and the struggle for justice in the air ambulance issue.  Please listen to her words in the accompanying video at Senator Tester’s news conference. Please join me in being grateful for this courageous young couple, our young politicians and for the role MAC continues to play in advocating for those whom Jesus loves.     
Blessings and prayers,

David Andersen, PhD
President
Montana Association of Christians
Please contact me at andersenhel@aol.com or 406-461-8321

For video click here - Senator Tester: Press  Conference Announcing Isla Rose Life Flight Act

inShare
February 13, 2017

 
Montana State Legislature:
Urge House Committee to Oppose Bill to Limit SNAP Eligibility
HB 361, sponsored by Rep. Tom Burnett, seeks to further restrict the already stringent eligibility requirements for SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Help us urge the House Human Services Committee to oppose this legislation.

As the cost of living continues to rise while incomes remain low, SNAP is helping 57,000 Montana households afford the food they need to feed their families. HB 361 would make it harder for struggling families to qualify for SNAP, cutting people off of the program and making the application process more burdensome for both applicants and caseworkers.

As allowed under federal law, Montana’s Gross Income Test for SNAP eligibility is set at 200% of poverty and there is no resource limit for most households*. All households must still meet the stringent Net Income Limit of 100% of poverty. HB 361 would reduce Montana’s Gross Income Test to just 130% of poverty (an income of $2630 per month for a family of four) and create a resource limit of $5,000.

• Reducing the gross income limit primarily harms working families with children and families with high housing expenses – households whose incomes may be slightly higher than 130% of poverty but are also struggling with child care and housing costs.
• Resource limits actually make it harder for families to regain self-sufficiency, and can be particularly harmful for seniors. Numerous studies have demonstrated that having savings and other resources is critical for families trying to get back on their feet. Building assets helps low-income families invest in their future and avert a financial crisis that can push them deeper into poverty.
• Resource limits discourage families from saving because of fear that having even a modest amount of money in a bank account could make them ineligible for SNAP.
• Resource limits create additional burden for both clients and caseworkers, increasing the risk of administrative error and increasing the risk of households failing to complete the application process or falling off the program at recertification – not because of ineligibility but because of the excessive and unnecessary administrative requirements.

*Households with a member previously disqualified from the program for an intentional program violation must meet a lower income limit and are subject to a resource test.

ACTION ALERT:

The House Human Services committee will be hearing HB 361 on Monday, February 20th at 3:00pm. Please urge the committee to oppose this bill.

• You can call the general switchboard at (406) 444-4800. Request to leave a message for the House Human Services Committee or for your individual legislator if he or she sits on the committee. Not sure who your legislators are? Search by address here.
• Or email using the online message form. You can direct the email to the entire committee (select the committee name from the drop down menu) or your individual legislator if if he or she is on the committee. 
• Would you like to testify at the hearing? We are happy to help you draft your message, or take written testimony on your behalf. Contact Lorianne at lburhop@mfbn.org.

Sample message: Hello, this message is for the House Human Services Committee. This is (your name), calling from (town). I am (add something about who you are and why you care - do you represent an organzation that serves SNAP families, are you a SNAP recipient, a concerned Montanan, a teacher, a business owner, a dietician, etc.) I urge you to oppose House Bill 361, restricting SNAP eligibility. SNAP income guidelines effectively target the program to those who need it most. Further restricting the limits will push families off of the program, worsening hunger in our state. In addition, the proposed resource limit would hurt families and seniors with modest resources. Having savings or other resources is critical for families trying to get back on their feet. Please oppose these cuts to SNAP by voting against HB 361.

Thank you for your support and involvement! Your calls and emails truly do make a difference!

Contact Lorianne for more information, lburhop@mfbn.org, (406) 215-1773.

inShare
February 6, 2017
 
Montana State Legislative Update
In the coming days and weeks, the Montana State Legislature will be considering at least three bills related to hunger in Montana. Please make a phone call or send an email - ESPECIALLY if your legislator sits on the relevant committee. Not sure who your legislators are? You can search by address on the Montana Legislature website. Click the legislator's name to find a list of committee assignments, or click the committee names below for a list of members.


1. Urge support for a State Level Earned Income Tax Credit (the Working Montana Families Credit). The Senate Taxation committee had a hearing for SB 156 to create a state level EITC last week. The House Taxation committee will likely be hearing HB 391, a second EITC bill, the week of February 13th.

• You can call the general switchboard at (406) 444-4800 or email using the online message form. Leave a message for a legislator or the whole committee.
• Sample message: Hello, this message is for (the House Taxation Committee or the Senate Taxation Committee). This is (your name), calling from (town). I urge you to support the state level Earned Income Tax Credit by passing (either SB 156 if you're contacting the Senate or HB 391 if you're contacting the House). The federal EITC has been one of our country's most successful anti-poverty measures and has had bipartisan support since its creation. A state EITC would build on the success of the federal credit by helping our working families keep more of the money they earn. The EITC encourages and supports work and helps families make ends meet. Please support a Montana EITC.

2. Urge support for Hunters Against Hunger. The Senate Fish and Game committee will be holding a hearing for SB 183, to permanently authorize our Hunters Against Hunger (HAH) program, THIS WEEK - Thursday, February 9th. HAH allows hunters to donate money when purchasing a hunting license. Their  donations go into a fund that MFBN uses to cover the costs of processing donated wild game. When the 2013 legislature passed the original HAH bill, it included a sunset date of 2019. SB 183 maintains the existing program and simply removes the sunset date.

• You can call the general switchboard at (406) 444-4800 or email using the online message form. Leave a message for a legislator or the whole committee.
• Sample message: Hello, this message is for the Senate Fish and Game Committee. This is (your name), calling from (town). I urge you to support Senate Bill 183 to repeal the sunset date on the Hunters Against Hunger program. Hunters Against Hunger has been an enormous success, providing nearly 100,000 lbs of wild game to families in need across our state. The program has helped add high-quality, local protein to the emergency food system, while also supporting local processors. Please pass Senate Bill 183 to allow this successful program to continue operating.

 3. Oppose restrictive eligibility changes to SNAP. The House Human Services committee will likely be hearing HB 361 in the coming weeks. HB 361 would further limit the already stringent income guidelines to qualify for SNAP, and would require applicants to meet a resource test of $5,000. 

• You can call the general switchboard at (406) 444-4800 or email using the online message form. Leave a message for a legislator or the whole committee.
• Sample message: Hello, this message is for the House Human Services Committee. This is (your name), calling from (town). I urge you to oppose House Bill 361, restricting SNAP eligibility. SNAP income guidelines effectively target the program to those who need it most. Further restricting the limits will push families off of the program, worsening hunger in our state. In addition, the proposed resource limit would hurt families or seniors with modest resources. Having savings or other resources is critical for families trying to get back on their feet. Please oppose these cuts to SNAP by voting against HB 361.

Thank you for your support and involvement! Your calls and emails truly do make a difference! Please let us know if you receive any feedback from your legislators on any of these bills.

Contact Lorianne for more information or for help with reaching your legislators, lburhop@mfbn.org, (406) 215-1773.
 
Montana Food Bank Network
5625 Expressway
Missoula, MT
www.mfbn.org
(406) 721-3825

If you are planning to attend MAC Connect this year, and would like to start connecting with other attendees, we created an event page on Facebook. 

www.facebook.com/events/1264032533616513/

We will also be updating with the latest information as this event gets closer. All of us at MAC are looking forward to this event and the opportunity to join together to help advocate for those in our state who need a voice.

From Episcopal Policy Network

Last summer, a bi-partisan bill titled the Zero Tolerance for Domestic Abusers Act was introduced in the House (H.R.3130) and the Senate (S.1520) in order to close loopholes that allow certain domestic abusers to legally acquire guns. This bill would close the so-called "boyfriend loophole" by expanding the restrictions on firearm purchasing to include dating partners in addition to spouses and cohabitants who are under restraining orders or who have been convicted of misdemeanors for domestic violence. Additionally, this bill would bar these partners, spouses, and cohabitants from legally acquiring firearms if they have been convicted of misdemeanors for stalking.


These revisions are crucial and urgent. Every single day more than 3women are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends. Nearly half of these homicides are committed by dating partners. 76% of these women were stalked, and 2 out of every 3 were killed by a firearm.


In our Baptismal Covenant, we promise to "respect the dignity of every human being," and as demonstrated by Episcopal policy, one key element of this is working for "the reduction of domestic violence and the protection of [its] victims." The Zero Tolerance for Domestic Abusers Act would be a critical step forward in enacting comprehensive gun safety legislation in accordance with the core values of our faith.

Go here to contact your members of Congress today to tell them to support H.R. 3130 and S. 1520!

Congress is out for the summer. Check out the EPPN blog to learn more about how you can engage your members of Congress during the August recess!
Please note: This will be the last EPPN policy alert until September 2016. Be sure to keep in touch with us on social media and keep up your advocacy efforts by visiting advocacy.episcopalchurch.org!