In this Washington CAN e-newsletter, you will find:
- Celebrate MLK Day in Olympia: Poverty Action Summit & March on the Capitol
- State Legislative Session Begins Today: Contact your Legislators to set the tone for comprehensive health care reform
- Save the Date: Grassroots Lobby Days in February
1. Celebrate MLK Day in Olympia: Poverty Action Summit & March on the Capitol
Join us on January 15, 2007, as we march on the state capitol in Olympia to call upon the state legislature and the Governor to make ending poverty a priority. As the number of people living in poverty increases in Washington State, we are urging our lawmakers to support policies that would allow access to opportunity, health and well-being, and work that pays!
- Learn about important 2007 policy initiatives!
- Attend skill-building workshops!
- Network with people from across the state!
- Share your story with lawmakers!
- Make ending poverty a priority this session!
Register online NOW: Visit http://action.washingtoncan.org or call 206-389-0050 x108.
Agenda:
- 7:00 AM- Bus from Seattle, (1501 N 45th St, contact us to reserve your spot!)
- 8:45 AM- Summit Registration, St. John's Episcopal Church (114 20th Ave SE, Olympia)
- 1:00 PM- March on the capitol
- 2:15 PM- Lobby Visits
Event Sponsors: Washington CAN!, Statewide Poverty Action Network, Jobs with Justice Pierce County Organizing Committee, Minority Executive Directors Coalition of King County, Real Change, Solid Ground (formerly Fremont Public Assoc.), Thurston County Tenant's Union, Unemployment Law Project, VOICES, Washington State Labor Council, Washington Low-Income Housing Alliance, Washington Unitarian Universalists Voices for Justice, Coalition for Low-Income Power, Bread and Roses, Olympia Movement for Peace and Justice
"The existence of
poverty in the US should not be accepted as a necessary evil or insoluble
problem, but should be considered a crisis requiring emergency measures. It is
a matter of will and priorities, not a matter of resources." - Martin Luther King, Jr.
2. State
Legislative Session Begins Today: Contact
your legislators to set the tone for comprehensive health care reform
The state legislative session begins today. For the next four months, state legislators
will be making decisions on critical priorities affecting residents of this
state.
Washington CAN members will be lobbying our legislators to
create a secure health care system that works for everyone, every time they
need it. It’s time for lawmakers to
commit to a five-year
plan to make quality health care affordable for everyone in Washington.
Now is the best time to contact your legislators to set the
tone for comprehensive health care reform this year.
- Email: Visit http://action.washingtoncan.org
to email your legislators calling for a commitment to secure health care
for all.
- Call: You can leave a message for your
legislators by calling the Toll-Free Legislative Hotline (1-800-562-6000
or TTY: 1-800-635-9993) from 8:00 am - 8:00 pm weekdays, and Saturdays
from 9:00 am - 1:00 pm.
- Write: Send your legislators a letter at (House) P.O. Box 40600 * Olympia, WA 98504-0600, or (Senate) P.O. Box 404[leg district] * Olympia, WA 98504-04[leg district]
- Visit: Join fellow Washington CAN! members at community lobby days in Olympia (see schedule below)
3. Save the
Date: Grassroots Lobby Days in
February
The most powerful way to have an impact on the critical
issues facing our community is to meet with your legislators.
Register NOW
for a Grassroots Lobby Day in Olympia. Visit http://action.washingtoncan.org or
call 206-389-0050 x108. Upcoming lobby
days include:
- Monday,
January 15th – MLK Day
- Wednesday,
February 21st
- Tuesday,
February 27th
At Washington CAN Lobby Days, you will
- Receive
timely issue briefings about priority legislation in Washington CAN’s Secure
Health Care Campaign
- Attend
trainings on effective grassroots lobbying
- Meet
with your lawmakers
- Participate
in rallies, marches and other group actions
Don’t wait! Register
Today!
Thanks for all you do. Your actions continue to be the most powerful tools in the fight for justice.
— Your friends at Washington CAN!
With over 30,000 members across the state, Washington CAN! is the
state’s largest grassroots community organization. Washington
CAN! fights for
progressive social change at the local, state, and national levels, with a
focus on issues that most directly affect the lives of Washington residents.
Our mission is to achieve economic fairness in order to establish a democratic
society characterized by racial and social justice, with respect for diversity,
and a decent quality of life for those who reside in Washington State. www.WashingtonCAN.org