Bills are now headed to the floor for passage - take action before Sunday 4/11 at 5 PM. Let's keep up the momentum and push them all the way to the Governor's desk! Please add your own language to the email prompts:

• SB 5226 Driving While License Suspended - Email your Representatives to let them know that the Coalition to End Debt-Based License Suspensions is opposed to the current version because it does not fix this unjust system, and ask if they approve amending it or leaving it in the Rules Committee to work on during the interim to ensure that the bill will not allow license suspensions for failure to pay. See the ACLU letter FAN signed onto regarding this issue for more information.
• HB 1297 Working Families Tax Credit Email your Senator and ask them to vote no on Sen. L. Wilson's amendments and pass the bill as it appeared in the Ways & Means Committee.
• SB 5194 Community and Technical Colleges Email your Representatives and ask them to pass this bill with no weakening amendments.

You can also call the Legislative Hotline to advocate for these bills at 800-562-6000. To learn more about each bill, go to apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/ and enter the bill number or check out FAN's Issue Fact Sheets and Bill Tracker.

All week the House and Senate have been running bills on their respective floors. The final cut off is Sunday, April 11 at 5 PM. Bills that are still alive beyond that have been designated NTIB (necessary to implement the budget). We celebrate the following bills from FAN's legislative agenda or from our support list have passed:

• HB 1054 - Prohibiting certain police tactics (needs to be concurred between the two houses)
  
• HB 1078 - Restoring voting rights for those exiting of prison (signed into law on 4/7)
  
• HB 1091 - Clean Fuels Standards
• HB 1236 - Just cause eviction reform (needs to be concurred)
  
• HB 1342 - Eliminating school lunch co-pays for ALL kids who qualify
• HB 1372 - Billy Frank Jr. statue in D.C.
  
• SB 5051 - Decertification standards for law enforcement (needs to be concurred)
  
• SB 5141 - HEAL act (needs to be concurred)
  
• SB 5160 - Tenant landlord relations (needs to be concurred)
  
• SB 5164 - Three Strikes law reform for Robbery 2 convictions
  
• SB 5355 - Wage lien/wage theft
  
• SB 5399 - Establishes the Universal Health Care Commission

This week and week 15 will be used for committee interim planning, concurring (or not) on differences between the House and Senate, bill signing by the governor, and finalizing the 2021-23 biennial budgets that will begin on 7/01/21.

Join us for FAN's annual Spring Summits - Sundays, May 23 and June 6, from 2-4 PM! At the Summit you can gather virtually with advocates in your region and in your issue area of interest and begin to consider what steps we might take together in the year ahead. This event is open to advocates across the state, and the content and breakouts will be the same each Sunday. Please share the flyer, post it in your newsletter, and register for one of the dates below:

May 23: bit.ly/2021SummitMay
June 6: bit.ly/2021SummitJune

Calling all volunteers! If you would like to help facilitate a breakout session during one of these events, please let us know at fan@fanwa.org.

The Washington State legislature is recognizing and celebrating the world's largest protest on April 14th. Our state stands as a beacon of unity by being witness to the efforts of farmers and farm-workers of India to fight 3 pro-corporation laws. These laws will end small farming and turn landowners with less than 5 acres into indebted workers of land they've tilled for generations. Please join us on the 14th of April as the State legislature stands in support of the farmers' efforts in hopes of watching democracy prevail in moments of utmost strife. Whereas we at FAN work to create meaningful unity across our state, we also recognize that this work requires solidarity when our neighbors are in trouble. We request all faith communities to please share this event with their congregation and join us on April 14th to watch our electeds speak on the behalf of disenfranchised field tillers on TVW. See this infographic for more information, and email FAN Staff Jaspreet Singh to lend your support.

From Lauren Schubring, Eastern WA Regional Organizer:

On Thursday, April 15th at 4:00 PM, Faith Action Network is partnering with The Lands Council to plant trees in Spokane! This will be a safe way for us to connect in person and do something beneficial for the Earth in the week leading up to Earth Day.

It's been hard to find ways to connect with people in our network during a pandemic. I really am looking forward to having this time to meet some people and do something together. Whether you have already been connected with FAN or are interested in starting to learn more, you and anybody that may want to join are welcome!

Here's the link to register. 

See you then! Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions.

Seattle’s Congregation Beth Shalom Immigration and Sanctuary Committee and the Jewish Coalition for Immigrant Justice NW hosted a virtual Pesach Action Lunch last month. They presented the Roadmap to Freedom resolution sponsored by WA Rep. Pramila Jayapal and immigration reform bills.

Marla Zink created this resource document with background information, plus sample letters and social media posts, so you can reach out to your communities and encourage them to contact their representatives in support of immigration reform.

FAN has signed on in endorsement of the Roadmap to Freedom and we invite your organization to sign on as well here. For more information, contact Andrea Soroko Naar or Marla Zink.

In addition, we join the Jewish Coalition for Immigrant Justice NW in inviting you to their 3rd annual fundraiser on May 2 to benefit WAISN's Fair Fight Bond Fund. You can learn more about the program and register at bit.ly/ShareOurHarvest. There are options for individual and organizational co-sponsors as well.

How We Show Up: Anti-Oppression Deep Dive April 10, 10 AM - 3 PM Workshop by the Freedom Project, prerequisite: "How We See People".

From Mexican to Mexican-American: A Family Immigration Story April 14, 10:30 AM and 6:30 PM Register to receive the event link.

PCC - Get Back to Your Roots! April 14 UFCW-21 informational picket: Columbia City PCC 12-2 PM, Central District PCC 3-5 PM, Edmonds PCC 12-2 PM, Bellevue PCC 3-5 PM. RSVP requested. FAN has endorsed with UFCW 21 for PCC to include workers on their Board—if you’re a member, click here to vote for PCC workers Donna Rasmussen and Laurae McIntyre.

Eastern WA Tree Planting April 15, 4 PM Registration requested. 17530 S Short Rd, Cheney.

Anti-Racist Communities presents CAHOOTS Forum April 16, 7:30-8:30 PM Register to receive the event link.

Heating Up: The Ethics of Climate Change April 19. 11:15 AM Register to receive the event link.

Lecture: "World Balance vs. Personal Salvation: An American Indian Postcolonial Perspective" April 20, 7-8:30 PM Featuring Rev. Dr. George E. "Tink" Tinker. Register to receive the event link.

Lunch & Learn: State of Education in Eastern WA April 21, 12-1:30 PM Register to receive the Zoom link.

Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Principal's Office? April 21, 1-2 PM Register to receive the event link.

Vigil for the Healing of the Earth April 22, 6-7:30 PM Register to receive the Zoom link.

Let it Not Happen Again: Lessons of the Japanese American Exclusion April 22, 6:30-7:30 PM and April 28, 1-2 PM Register to receive the event link.

Community Conversation: Award-winning documentary “2040” & the Climate Crisis in King County April 25, 12-1:30 PM Register to receive the Zoom link.

Webinar Wednesday: Roles within the Social Justice Movement Workshop April 28, 7-8 PM Register to receive the Zoom link.

Virtual events and opportunities are listed on our web calendar and Facebook page. Be sure to check event links ahead of time for updates.

We always post the E-News to our website each week as well at fanwa.org/news/.

Stay connected with our emails! Please be sure to list fan@fanwa.org as a safe sender by adding us to your contacts.

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