VOTER GUIDE

Sister Joan Brown Quoted in NCR Article

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The Climate 21 Project produced a series of memos with input from more than 150 experts on how the next president can implement a whole-of-government response to climate change beginning on Day One.

Franciscan Sr. Joan Brown, head of New Mexico Interfaith Power & Light, said that course reflects the idea of integral ecology that Pope Francis described in Laudato Si’. She said it recognizes the interrelated problems that climate change involves and proposes a similarly integrated response.

“I really feel this is a good way to go,” Brown said.

The Climate 21 Project put forward recommendations for 11 federal departments and offices, including the Justice Department, State Department, the Office of Management and Budget and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Read full article, entitled “Biden to enter White House with Cabinet stocked with climate advocates,” published on Jan. 19, 2021

 

 

NM Interfaith Power & Light Identifies State Legislative Priorities

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As we move into the legislative session in New Mexico NM IPL will be following a handful of initiatives. In working with these concerns we offer the voice of faith from an ethical and justice perspective rooted in the basic foundation of all religious traditions—to Love and care for neighbor and sacred creation. This year growing concern for our climate, the pandemic, the urban rural divide and racial and economic justice have influenced some of the initiatives that will be followed. We invite your engagement in the 60 day session as you can and will try to keep you updated.

Because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, much of the session will be remote, which creates challenges for citizens to communicate with their elected officials. Still, we move forward with the environmental initiatives

Many important initiatives have been introduced or will be introduced in either the Senate or the State House of Representatives or both.

On the budget front, we support an increase in funding for environmental protection, inspection, enforcement and transparency via increased funding to he New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD) and Oil Conservation Division.

NM-IPL is also strongly behind the creation of a Green Amendment to the New Mexico State Constitution, which would give all residents of the state a right to clean air, water, and land.  In the Senate, the three main sponsors are Sens. Antoinette Sedillo Lopez, Bill Soules and Mimi Stewart. The House sponsor is Rep. Joanne Ferrary.

NM-IPL also supports a measure introduced by Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth to strengthen language in the Air Quality Act and the Hazardous Waste Act. Under the measure, the state would be allowed to enact regulations to create protections than those found in federal law.

We are strongly behind the most recent attempt to enact The Community Solar Act. The act authorizes cities, counties, pueblos, tribes, and solar developers, as well as NGOs supporting low and moderate income individuals, to develop community solar facilities using solar credits provided to individual community members. The measure, HB106, is sponsored by Rep. Patricia Roybal Caballero, Sen. Liz Stefanics and Sen. Linda Lopez.

NM-IPL also supports amendments to the Produced Water Act to ensure the safe handling and disposal of toxic waste, to protect public health, and to preserve scarce freshwater. The measure, filed by Sen. Antoinette Sedillo Lopez, would require oil and gas operators to use produced water instead of freshwater for fracking and provide penalties for spills, using fines to develop shared public information and data. Additionally, the measure requires two state agencies to take additional steps to protect the public. The New Mexico Environment Department would be required to regulate pollution from produced water and the Oil Conservation Division would need to regulate the safe management and disposal of oil and gas waste.

A couple of other initiatives are in the works in the House, including the Just Transition measure proposed by Rep. Angelica Rubio. The measure, which could merge with the Climate Resiliency Bill carried by Rep. Melanie Stansbury, calls for a study on how to transition from an economy and a state budget that is reliant  on gas and oil revenues to one that is sustainable.

Another proposed initiative would offer energy assistance to families affected in a significant manner by the COVID-19 crisis. The COVID-19 Crisis Energy Burden and Affordability Relief Act creates protections after the public health emergency is over. Disconnections would be prohibited on low-income and otherwise needed customers who are in utility arrears. Utilities would be directed to seek available federal funds, create payment plans and defer some payments.

Other measures worth watching are a proposal to restrict on the use of neonicotinoid class pesticides, which are highly toxic to bees, which are key to food production

Another important measure is the Food and Agriculture Omnibus bill, which has the goal of addressing food insecureity in our state in a comprehensive and long-term manner. The initiative brings together proposals 0put forth by broad range of participants, including nutrition, agriculture, nutrition,  anti-poverty advocates, government representatives and others working together to reduce hunger in our state while supporting the needs of small farmers and rural communities.

We will offer regular updates on important developments related to all of these initiatives. Stay tuned.

Presidential Inauguration 2021: Prayer and Action

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As people of faith and as citizens of the United States, we watched the violent incursion at the U.S. Capitol on the Feast of the Epiphany with horror, fear and sadness. Violence aimed at subverting the will of the people determined through a fair and free election is unconscionable.

As we approach the January 20 Inauguration of a new President and VIce President, we encourage all people of faith, to move intentionally with prayer, reflection and action.  Let this be the moment we unmistakably demonstrate that the Gospel has no tolerance for the hatred, racism and lies which led to the violence at the Capitol. Let this be the moment we, as a community of disciples of Jesus, motivated by redemptive love, claim our vocation as truth-tellers, healers, reconcilers, and peacemakers.

Please consider taking advantage of the following offerings developed by the DC Catholic Coalition and others with whom we work. In addition, we offer tools you can use to share a message of hope, justice and faith on social media.

Monday, January 18

Prayer Vigil

You  are invited to join the interfaith community for a 24-hour prayer vigil. Share your prayers online with the hashtag #PeaceWithJustice. Pax Christi USA has prepared a prayer service based on the words and prayers of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

MLK Moral Monday 

Join the National Interfaith Service of Love, Light and Leadership sponsored by the Poor People’s Campaign Monday, at 1:00 p.m. ET.

Tuesday, January 19 

Interfaith Prayer Service 

Sojourners will host a virtual prayer service from 7-8:30 p.m. ET. Ecumenical church leaders will offer their prayers for #PeaceWithJustice in our nation on the eve of the inauguration. RSVP HERE.

Wednesday, January 20

Social Media Messaging

We encourage you to publicly mark the inauguration beginning at 11 a.m. EST via tweetstorm, sharing comments, testimonies, and commitments on Twitter — all with the hashtag #PeaceWithJustice. Sojourners will be sharing details on their website.

 

DC Catholic Coalition has prepared a number of social media graphics and suggested tweets with faith-filled messages.

Thursday, January 21

Traditionally, the National Cathedral hosts the Inaugural Prayer Service on January 21 at 10:00 ET.  Check their website for a possible virtual event.  You might also find info on the Inaugural website.

 

Join NETWORK’s Post-Inauguration Day Community Conversation at 7:00 p.m. ET for an evening of celebration, reflection, and discussion! It will include reflection on Joe Biden’s Catholic identity and the implications for our nation. Register HERE.

Non-dated Resources
The National Council of the Churches of Christ (NCC), in partnership with the Washington Interfaith Staff Community (WISC), offered an Interfaith Prayer Service of Reflection, Lamentation and Hope (90 minutes) for members of Congress, their staffs, and all who work at and protect the U.S. Capitol on January 15. It can be viewed on YouTube.  The Prayer Service was organized to bear witness to the trauma and to bring comfort and hope to all who work at the Capitol complex.

 

On Tuesday, June 30, Faith in Public Life and Interfaith Power & Light released a voter reflection guide endorsed by prominent national faith groups and religious leaders. The guide, Democracy, Values & the 2020 Election, addresses urgent issues in the election, including voting rights, climate change, systemic racism in the criminal justice system, healthcare and immigration. The guide, which will be distributed across the country for discussion in diverse faith communities, includes topics for reflection and sample questions to ask candidates  Download Full Guide Here

Download Spanish-language version of the guide, Democracia, Valores y las Elecciones de 2020

Issues and Questions

Democracy and Voting Rights (Page 1)

This election is more than a choice between parties and ideologies. An even more fundamental question is at stake: Can we preserve democracy in the face of serious threats to fair elections and fundamental rights?

Questions for Reflection and Candidates

  1. How do you see democratic values at risk today?
  2. How do systemic barriers to voting undermine our most sacred democratic values?
  3. How can your faith community better advocate for stronger voter protections at the state and local level?
  4. As a candidate, what are your specific plans for protecting and strengthening voting rights?

Protecting God’s Creation Climate Justice for our Children and World (Page 2)

As people of faith, we believe that responding to the urgent threat of climate change is essential to caring for God’s creation and loving our neighbors. Human activity, primarily the burning of fossil fuels for energy, has thrown
nature out of balance, polluted the air, driven thousands of species of God’s creatures to extinction, intensified catastrophic events such as wildfires and hurricanes, and threatened the lives and livelihoods of our most vulnerable brothers, sisters and neighbors around the world. Scientists tell us we have less than a decade to avoid even more catastrophic consequences.

The United States has a unique responsibility to show moral and political leadership:

  • Transitioning our economy away from polluting fossil fuels toward 100% clean energy.
  • Honoring the emissions-reduction commitments our nation made at the UN Conference on Climate Change in Paris in 2015, and taking additional actions needed to avert catastrophic global warming.
  • Assisting developing nations— who are least responsible for climate change but most impacted by it — in coping with threats such as increased droughts, disease, and sea-level rise by sharing technology and financial support.

Questions for Reflection and Candidates

  1. What does your faith teach about our responsibilities for the Earth and to others? How are they interdependent?
  2. Has your faith community made an effort to cut emissions, save energy, or practice environmental stewardship?
  3. As a candidate, what specific policies do you support to protect God’s Creation and secure a safe climate for our children and future generations?

Loving Our Immigrant Neighbors (Page 4)

Scripture repeatedly makes clear that immigrants must be treated with dignity. Policies that rip children from their parents’ arms, lock people away in inhumane conditions, and ban desperate families from entering the country
should keep us awake at night. As people of faith, we believe that the way we treat our immigrant neighbors is a sign of how we treat God.

Questions for Reflection and Candidates

  1. How can we replace immoral immigration policies that tear families apart and cause trauma with an immigration system that values families and affirms the dignity of allv people?
  2. What can we do to heal the wounds inflicted on immigrant communities by political rhetoric that portrays them as a dangerous “other?”
  3. If there are immigrants in our community who are feeling isolated and under threat, how can we show support and build connections?
  4. As a candidate, what will you do to defend the dignity of all immigrants, and how will you further policies that keep families together?

The Last Shall Be First An Economy of Inclusion (Page 5)

Our economic systems should work for all Americans, not only the wealthiest few. This is a matter of justice and
human dignity. All religious traditions recognize that charity is essential to care for the most vulnerable, but helping our neighbors in poverty also compels us to address its root causes. “Charity is no substitute for justice withheld,” St. Augustine observed centuries ago.

Questions for Reflection and Candidates

  1. What can we do to ensure that all Americans are able to provide for their families and live with security and dignity?
  2. How do we create a just tax system that is fair to all Americans, including working families who are trapped in poverty?
  3. Why does the United States lag behind most developed countries when it comes to providing paid sick leave and paid family leave?
  4. As a candidate, what are your specific plans to ensure workers have living wages and economic security while the coronavirus pandemic continues, as well as for the long term?

More Health Policies in a Time of a Pandemic  (Page 7)

Despite our nation’s stated values of life and equality, the United States is the only industrialized country in the world that does not guarantee its residents universal access to health care. This is a failure of political and moral imagination – especially in a time of pandemic.

Questions for Reflection and Candidates

  1. How can people of faith be most effective in using our stories, congregations and power to advocate for health care reform?
  2. What do you struggle with the most when it comes to our healthcare system?
  3. How has the COVID-19 crisis impacted your community? What policy solutions can keep us all safe and remedy racial and economic inequalities in your community?
  4. As a candidate, what are your specific plans for making sure that quality,
    affordable health care is available for all?

Restorative Racial Justice (Page 9)

Justice and redemption are at the very heart of faith. Restorative justice begins with listening to and empowering communities that have been exploited, excluded and denied equal representation and freedom. The evil ideology of
white supremacy shaped our nation from its founding and continues to impact policies and communities today, especially in the criminal justice system. The killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and so many other Black people, Indigenous people, and other people of color, has provoked a growing, multi-racial moral movement for accountability and systemic reforms for racial justice.

Questions for Reflection and Candidates

  1. How can we dismantle the evil ideology of white supremacy in our culture and political systems?
  2. What can be done to end racial profiling and police violence against people of color?
  3. What steps can be taken to ensure formerly incarcerated people have voting rights and fair access to employment?
  4. As a candidate, what will you do to ensure racial justice is prioritized in the criminal justice system?
  5. How do we build safe communities for everyone, particularly people of color?

Made in the Image of God: Respecting the Dignity of LGBTQ People (Page 11)

All people have inherent dignity because everyone is created in the image of God. Our gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender family members, neighbors and co-workers deserve equal rights, and to live without fear or discrimination.

Questions for Reflection and Candidates

  1. How can your faith community more fully support the equal dignity of LGBTQ people in your state and local area?
  2. What are the greatest threats to LGBTQ people in your community and the nation?
  3. As a candidate, what are your specific plans to ensure that LGBTQ people have equal rights and are treated with dignity

The Global Common Good:  We’re All in This Together (Page 12)

What does it mean to love our neighbors as ourselves in a globalized world? The health and future of our country and
communities are interconnected to the health and security of other nations. Our  fates are bound up in what Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., called “an inescapable network of mutuality.”

Questions for Reflection and Candidates

  1. What policies do you think are most important for creating security for your family and community?
  2. What role should the United States play in the world to help build global peace and security?
  3. How can your faith community advocate for policies to create a more peaceful world?
  4. As a candidate, what programs and policies would you prioritize to help build secure communities and a peaceful world?