Justice Advocacy Corner

Welcome to the Justice Advocacy Corner! Here is a central hub for information sent to the UUCB Office about what steps can be taken to stand up for justice - on both local and federal levels.

For an even more detailed and extensive collection of action items, please visit the Side with Love Action Center, found at this link: https://sidewithlove.org/actioncenter

In their words, "Action Center is a place where we unite in work towards a world where we all thrive. Together we take action, Side With Love, and make deep impacts in this critical moment." Weekly actions can be found here, as well as many tools, resources, and gatherings to help ground folks in their work.

(Side with Love is, "The Organizing Strategy Team of the Unitarian Universalist Association.")

Useful Resources from Side with Love

"Grounded, Resilient, & Responsible. Responding and Organizing In Authoritarian Times" Webinar Slides (PDF)

"Grounded, Resilient, & Responsible. Responding and Organizing In Authoritarian Times" Toolkit (PDF)

Advocacy From Home

Find Your Legislators!

Use the link below to find your legislators.
https://iga.in.gov/information/find-legislators

• Also, consider using the "5-calls" app - Susan Swaney, our Director of Music, recently recommended this. It is an easy way to make 5-calls a day to your representatives and legislators covering the topics you would like to express. The team behind the app does research on policies and even writes scripts that are helpful to use when calling your legislators. Click this link to find out more: https://5calls.org/

• Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray recently mentioned a very helpful tool for getting in contact with her representatives - her phone! She saves all of their numbers in her phone with their names, affiliations, and job title. That way, when you have an issue you would like to discuss with their offices, their phone numbers are already saved to your phone. Taking the time to do this once makes the effort much easier later!

How to Support Renewable Energy

If you live in the 9th congressional district, let representative Erin Houchin, who serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, know how important federal support for renewable energy is to you. (https://houchin.house.gov/)From Hoosier Action

From Hoosier Action

House Bill 1662 'State and Local Policies on Homelessness' is dangerous legislation that, if passed, will devastate Hoosiers across the state and make our housing crisis even worse. We need to work together to stop the further criminalization of homelessness in Indiana. No-one should be locked up because they are struggling to find and keep stable housing.

Here's what you can do to stop this bill--contact two key legislators TODAY: Representative Michelle Davis (Greenwood), h58@iga.in.gov, (317) 232 - 9757
Representative Doug Miller (Elkhart), h48@iga.in.gov, (317) 234 - 9139

Advocacy in Bloomington

Town Hall meeting of the People Powered Democracy Coalition was held on February 22 in the UU Meeting Room - watch this link to view the recording from that event.

Information about Bills and Policies

This is a good overview of how federal cuts in workforce personnel harms our local communities: https://mailchi.mp/monroedems/action-alert-71022-call-houchin-no-doge?e=f94d1e7939

Here is a follow up on Indiana House Bill that is really important to Transgender rights. Even though Indiana has a ban Transgender Care for youth, we need to allow parents and caregivers to be able to consult and travel to places where transgender care IS available.  This ban is a violation of our freedom of speech. 
House Bill 1444

Gender transition procedures for minors.
Introduced House Bill (H)
Authored by: Rep. Chris Campbell. Co-Authored by: Rep. Sue Errington, Rep. Matt Pierce.
Digest
Removes the following from the statute prohibiting a physician or other practitioner from knowingly providing gender transition procedures to a minor: (1) Provisions prohibiting a physician or practitioner from aiding or abetting in the provision of gender transition procedures to a minor. (2) An expired provision relating to the continuation of an individual's gender transition hormone therapy until December 31, 2023.  

From the ACLU on Abortion Bills:

Support SB 191: Currently, a physician who provides abortion under one of the few exceptions to Indiana’s abortion ban must provide a detailed report to the department of health. This bill would specify that these reports are considered medical records and must be kept confidential. We support this bill because it protects the fundamental privacy rights of patients who receive abortion care. AUTHOR Sen. La Keisha Jackson

Oppose SB 245: This bill would criminalize the successful sending of the “abortion pill” (a common name for treatment via Mifepristone and Misoprostol) to someone in Indiana. The bill would also classify Mifepristone and Misoprostol as Schedule IV controlled substances. AUTHORS Sen. Tyler Johnson, Sen. Liz Brown

Support SB 275:  SB 275 would make common-sense reforms to Indiana’s near-total abortion ban, including relicensing abortion clinics, removing time limitations on the “abortion pill,” and providing safeguards for the health of minors in state care. AUTHORS  Sen. Shelli Yoder, Sen. Andrea Hunley, Sen. Rodney Pol

From PP Alliance Advocates (PPAA): 

Indiana has the opportunity to lead with transformative legislation in the form of the following bills.

MOMNIBUS SB 521: Protects pregnant workers, bans workplace discrimination, expands preeclampsia screening, creates trauma-informed care programs, and helps pregnant folks with substance use disorders.

SB 522: Enhances maternal and postpartum coverage, supports incarcerated pregnant individuals, expands reproductive services, cuts red tape for postpartum mental health treatments, and mandates coverage for tubal ligation and vasectomies.

HB 1303: Requires state-accredited schools to provide medically accurate sex education or instruction.

HB 1241 Safer Spaces for Trauma Survivors : Establishes a trauma-informed care task force across Indiana to develop best practices that support children, youth, and families affected by trauma. By adopting these practices, we can boost school performance, youth engagement, and overall wellness.

HB 1298 Extended Supply of Birth Control: Ensures insurance coverage for a full year’s supply of birth control at once and the entire range of contraceptive options — without out-of-pocket costs. This bill requires insurance companies to cover all FDA-approved birth controls, as well as PEP, PrEP, and HPV vaccines without copays or deductibles.