JRLC e-Xpress June 11

Tuesday June 30--Called to be a Faithful Minnesota
Minnesota people of faith are gathering for a witness of lament on Tuesday June 30 at 10:45 AM at the State Capitol to urge Gov. Tim Pawlenty not to abandon the health of Minnesota’s citizens, especially those most in need.

This event is JRLC's current action alert. We invite you and your congregation to join us in a spirit of lament: wear black, bring flowers and notes for the Governor. Bring your congregational banners as well.

The legislature has adjourned and the governor has vetoed the revenue bill which was approved by both houses, so now the governor alone has the power to block spending through a method called unallotment. The governor has already vetoed an appropriation which would have saved health insurance for 30,000 extremely vulnerable Minnesotans. There is indication he will continue down this road. Unallotments may begin the next day, July 1.

These measures may mean that some people will literally lose their lives in order to balance our budget.

As people of faith we want to send the message that this not the Minnesota we are called to be. Abandoning the poor is against the teachings of all our religious traditions. Minnesota has historically been a state that cared for all its citizens.  These actions move us away from those religious and civic traditions.   We want to remind Gov Tim Pawlenty that he is governor of all the people and plead for his care for all.

JRLC is consulting with the event sponsors: the Minnesota Council of Churches, the St. Paul Area Council of Churches and numerous congregations of many faiths. We will post more information on our website as logistics are arranged.

Please Donate Now--Save Fundraising Costs
JRLC will be mailing paper membership renewals and solicitations in a few weeks. You will help save paper and make our fundraising more efficient if you donate electronically on our website. Wouldn't you rather have more of your gift devoted to social justice programs rather than printing and postage? Gifts to JRLC and iCAN are managed through Paypal and you can use your Paypal account or a major credit card. Donate here and we thank you for keeping interfaith social justice work strong!

Day on the Hill 2010
JRLC's Day on the Hill will be Thursday March 25th in 2010. Mark your calendars now and spread the word. Add it to your congregation's or assembly's calendar.

Welcome Back Eva Mitchell
We are pleased to welcome back Eva Mitchell as our Summer Program Associate. Eva is a rising senior at Boston University, where she is studying History with minors in Art History and Earth Science.  She just completed a semester of study abroad in Quito, Ecuador.  As her areas of study suggest, she has interests in a wide range of fields.  Although still unsure of exactly what she wants to do when she graduates next spring, Eva hopes to work in the public or nonprofit sphere.   Eva was an intern last summer and did critical policy research on tax fairness and voting rights. Eva can be reached at 612-230-3234 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .