December 2, 2019
The Pennsylvania Senate approved legislation to spur development of transportation infrastructure supporting the new generation of electric vehicles. SB 596 was sponsored by Sen. Bob Mensch (R-24). Mensch said Senate Bill 596, the Pennsylvania Clean Transportation Act, would help shift Pennsylvania’s transportation systems to a cleaner, more efficient resource, and offer a unique opportunity to...
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November 26, 2019
The Pennsylvania Senate passed a compromise bill that would gradually raise the state’s minimum wage to $9.50 per hour over the next two years. Under the terms of Senate Bill 79, Pennsylvania’s minimum wage would move from $7.25 to $8 per hour on July 1, 2020. It would rise to $8.50 on Jan. 1, 2021;...
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November 26, 2019
Pennsylvania Senate Bill 60, a bill designed to impose harsher penalties for traffickers and raise revenues to fund programs for child victims of sex trafficking, passed the Senate unanimously. LAMPa had advocated for both House and Senate versions of the bill as introduced, and is working to address concerns raised by amendments just prior to...
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November 26, 2019
A new Lutheran Advocacy video is available for everyone to access and share how we are church together for the sake of the world God loves. In addition to explaining how our faith-rooted advocacy happens, the video also gives disciples tips in how to be advocates, with guidance for conducting visits with policymakers. Underwritten and...
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November 13, 2019
Surprise medical bills are alarmingly common in Pennsylvania. A 2018 study found that 1 in 3 Pennsylvania adults has received a surprise medical bill over the past year, and most of them don’t know where to turn to get help. Not sure what a surprise medical bill is? See the graphic, prepared by the Pennsylvania...
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November 2, 2019
November 3, 2019, marks one year before the national elections. Many churches are demonstrating their concern about the polarization in our country by being part of Golden Rule 2020. The ELCA signed a joint statement of support available at https://www.revivecivility.org/golden-rule-2020-call-dignit. In part the statement says, “We believe that we can find guidance through this national...
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November 1, 2019
Legislation to update Pennsylvania’s election laws and pay for upgrades to voting machines includes up to $4 million to help ensure an accurate 2020 Census count in the Commonwealth. The law, signed by Gov. Tom Wolf on Oct. 31, is a significant change. It allows anyone to cast a mail-in ballot without giving a reason...
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October 30, 2019
The Pennsylvania Partnership for Children (PPC) has released its Annual State of Children’s Health Care Report. The opportunity to prosper begins with preventive health care when children are young. A healthy start includes immunizations, screenings, regular dental care, well-child visits and access to nutritious food. However, 124,000 Pennsylvania children do not have health insurance, and...
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October 21, 2019
LAMPa accompanied seven Pennsylvania Lutheran Disaster Response coordinators and synod representatives to the 2019 LDR Consultation in New Orleans in October to address climate change and its implications for our ministries. This year’s gathering focused on building relationships with synodical, congregational and advocacy partners to address not only disaster relief but climate change mitigation and...
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October 17, 2019
Climate for Health and Blessed Tomorrow, partnered with the Planetary Health Alliance, Harvard Divinity School, and the Center for the Study of World Religions to host a webinar, “The Moral Imperative to Improve Planetary Health Through Climate Solutions.” Cross-sector dialogue connected the available data on the direct health impacts of climate change and global environmental...
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