Now the other myth that gets around is the idea that legislation cannot really solve the problem and that it has no great role to play in this period of social change because you’ve got to change the heart and you can’t change the heart through legislation. You can’t legislate morals. The job must be … Read more
Learn about the legislative process Work on issues important to Quakers:Criminal Justice / Environmental Stewardship / Economic Justice Earn a small stipend The Young Quaker Voices program will bring young adults into contact with issues in the state legislature and encourage their active engagement in the legislative process in ways that reflect Quaker values. Young … Read more
Quaker Voice Friends and Supporters, We urge you, as you are led, to send the Quaker Voice Statement on Racial Inequity (PDF format) to your state legislators, with a cover letter from you requesting action in the coming sessions. This statement was approved by the Quaker Voice Board for release on June 19, 2020, Juneteenth. It is based on contributions from the … Read more
Highlights: Washington State will enact new greenhouse gas emission benchmarks for state agencies and the state as a whole. Washington State banned private prisons for state facilities. This year saw a large increase in investment in the Housing and Essential Needs (HENS) fund, which targets the most vulnerable people in Washington state without immediate access … Read more
In the 2020 session, the Economic Justice group emphasized housing, food, and income in its priorities, with top priorities in housing. The legislature passed a remarkable wave of bills in this area, providing $174 million in resources for the state’s affordable housing and homelessness needs. Showing the importance of the issues, all of this spending … Read more
Two bills we supported this year are becoming law: (1) A bill to prohibit contracts by the WA Dept. of Corrections for privately-operated prisons (2) A “bail-jumping” bill, that will reduce penalties for not appearing in court, which tend to affect low-income people most. We are greatly pleased with the success in implementing the corrections … Read more
Dear Friends: We hope you are staying safe in these challenging times! We know that many of us will be receiving a stimulus check from the federal government and some of us do not urgently need the funds. If you are looking for ideas for donating some or part of your stimulus check, Quaker Voice … Read more
The bill to Abolish the Death Penalty (SB 5339) and the bill to prohibit contracts with privately-operated prisons (SB 6442) have both passed the Senate and must receive votes in the House by Friday, March 6, 2020. Unfortunately, the following efforts did not succeed this session: Restoration of voting rights for persons released from prison … Read more
The bill to Abolish the Death Penalty (SB 5339) and the bill to prohibit contracts with privately-operated prisons (SB 6442) have both passed the Senate and must receive votes in the House by Friday, March 6, 2020. Unfortunately, the following efforts did not succeed this session: Restoration of voting rights for persons released from prison … Read more
On May 7th. Gov. Jay Inslee signed an unprecedented suite of clean energy legislation into law, ushering in aggressive timelines for decarbonizing Washington’s economy and transforming the state’s energy. Together, these measures represent the greatest step Washington has ever taken toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Successful bills: SB 5116 Establishes the clean energy transformation act. … Read more