The St. Michael’s Advocacy Action Team has two important subjects to share this month.

First, the Treasury Transparency Bill (HB 4115), which is currently making its way through the legislature, would ensure the Oregon Treasury makes its investments and climate-risk analyses transparent to the public. This would make it possible for citizens to know where their money is being invested as well as how these investments put local communities at risk. Support for the bill is driven in part because Oregon is heavily invested in fossil fuels. Click here for more information on HB4115.

We suggest anyone interested in supporting this bill cut and paste the following letter in an email, type in their name as signator, and email it to their state senator and assembly representative. Michael Dembrow, (senMichaelDembrow@oregonlegislature.gov) is the senator for the St. Michael & All Angels district, while Barbara Smith Warner (barbarasmithwarner@oregonlegislature.gov) is the representative. If you need to look up the senator and representative for your district, click here.

Dear Senator Dembrow,

 As a person of faith, I am asking you to support the Treasury Transparency Bill (HB 4115). HB4115 would ensure the Oregon Treasury makes its investments and climate risk analyses transparent to the public. The citizens of Oregon deserve to know where their money is being invested and how these investments put local communities at risk. For example, the amount of money invested in fossil fuels and how these investments affect our community. Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, of which the Episcopal Diocese of Oregon is a member, is one of more than 80 organizations supporting the passage of this bill. 

I ask that you carefully consider HB 4115.

Sincerely,

There is another important bill currently waiting for action by the legislature during this short session. Please contact your state senator and representative and ask them to support House bill 4147, the Restore Voting Rights Bill. House Bill 4147 would restore voting rights to Oregonians who are currently incarcerated, ending over a century of disenfranchisement that disproportionately harms BIPOC and young adults. More than 95% of people in prison will return to the community one day. They have children and families outside prison and are concerned with their welfare and that of the wider community. Strengthening incarcerated citizens’ participation in our community supports successful reentry. Civic engagement, specifically voting, increases the ability for reintegration, reducing recidivism and making communities safer.

The right to vote is a cornerstone of our democracy that should be afforded to everyone, regardless of incarceration status.