March 9, 2007 Issue #6
Newsletter Topics CA Interfaith Legislative Day - March 27
Marriage Equality Amicus Brief
Step-it-Up for Global Warming - April 14-15
Clean Money Clean Cities - March 15 & 23
Dear Friends,
Described as the "rock star of Global Climate Change" by NPR's All Things Considered, former State Assemblymember Fran Pavley went from a 25 year career as a middle school history teacher to making history herself - authoring groundbreaking legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in California.
We are thrilled that Fran Pavley will be the UU Legislative Ministry's featured speaker at the UUA General Assembly in Portland on Saturday, June 23, at 1PM! Hope those of you coming to GA can join us.
Closer to home, I look forward to seeing some UUs at the annual California Interfaith Coalition Legislative Issues Day on March 27th. (registration is cheaper until March 19th - see below).
Gary Patton of the Planning and Conservation League will help us to see how we can take the next steps to stop climate change. The day also features excellent presenters on health care, prison reform, immigration, and economic justice.
Spring forward!
Rev. Lindi Ramsden
PS Was great to see so many UUs at the two Liberal Voices conferences that UULM sponsored this winter - at our Orange Coast and Fresno congregations - thanks to all who worked so hard to organize and host these events!
California Interfaith Legislative Day - March 27

Unitarian Universalists are invited to join in the California Interfaith Coalition's Annual Legislative Issues Briefing Day in Sacramento on March 27th, as well as the pre-briefing dinner and speaker the evening of March 26th.
Assembly Speaker pro Tempore Sally Lieber will offer the Keynote Address Tuesday morning. The pre-briefing dinner on Monday evening features Assemblymember Loni Hancock (daughter of UU minister) and Jim DeHarpport from Catholic Social Services.
Workshops include:
Caring for Creation
Gary Patton, Planning & Conservation League
California’s Health: What’s the Prescription?
Anthony Wright, Health Access; Elizabeth Landsberg, Western Center on Law and Poverty
Beyond Prisons: Interfaith Paradigm for Our Failed Prison System
Laura Magnani American Friends Service Committee, Criminal Justice Program
Earned Income Tax Credit: Impact on Working Families’ Lives
Jean Ross, California Budget Project
Care for the Stranger
Cary Sanders, California Immigrant Policy Center
Building Microenterprise in California
Karuna Jaggar, Women’s Initiative
In the afternoon participants will head over to the Capitol to speak with key legislators and/or their staff, and join back at the end of the day for a movie, reflection and closing worship.
Please postmark or fax your registration to the Council of Churches by March 19th (after which the price jumps from $35 to $50) You can register for the pre-briefing dinner, for the legislative briefing day, or for both .
Visit our website for more information and to download the registration form.
If you need home hospitality on Monday night, send us an email admin@uulmca.org and we will do our best to help you find lodging. The Sacramento International Hostel also has inexpensive accommodations in a lovely building within a few blocks of the Capitol.
Marriage Equality Amicus Brief 2007
The Marriage Equality case "Woo vs. Lockyer," has now been appealed to the California Supreme Court.
If you would like your congregation or clergy's name on the Interfaith Amicus Brief that supports civil marriage equality, please be sure to sign up by June 8th and help make history. Congregations who signed the previous Interfaith Amicus Brief before the Court of Appeal will have their name included in the Supreme Court Brief. Since some clergy have changed congregations, we would like to ask all individual clergy to renew their sign-on. New congregations and clergy are most welcome. Let's stand on the side of love! More information, and the 2007 Sign-on form.
Global Climate Change - Tell Congress to "Step It Up"
We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote: Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.
In this year, our planet calls to us like never before in the history of our memory. Scientists, leaders, and people of faith across the globe are working together to coordinate a response large enough to preserve a world for our children.

There are many personal and congregational actions we can take to help bring about this needed change. The UU Legislative Ministry will be unfolding several important actions as the year unfolds. April 14th and 15th, join other UU congregations and people of faith in supporting national Step-It-Up day. Help organize a signature gathering event at your church to express to congress that we need them to step-up to the challenge and enact immediate legislation on global warming.
Step-It-Up 2007
Related Information
Clean Money - Clean Cities : Two Conferences
California Common Cause is joining with CA Clean Money to sponsor two one-day conferences, about how to bring clean money and fair elections to local government. The first conference is Thursday, March 15th, in Pasadena. The second one will be on Friday, March 23rd, in San Jose.
Clean money is an issue that underlies the legislative effectiveness of all of our other efforts. Many UULM-CA members worked hard on the unsuccessful 2006 California Clean Money campaign. Lets see if starting with local cities can be a way to build understanding and further grass roots support.
Information and On-line Registration
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