The Temple Beth Am June 5th Forum About Responsible Gun Ownership and Reducing Gun Violence has been postponed. The Forum will be rescheduled for later in the summer/early fall.
Gun Responsibility luncheon on May 30th
Please join us for a fundraising luncheon to build support for this movement.
Register for the Washington Alliance for Gun Responsibility luncheon on May 30th.
Temple Beth Am table captains include:
- Shelly Cohen
- Jessica Trupin
Thursday, May 30 – Noon
The Westin Hotel 1900 5th Ave, Seattle
Oppose Washington State Senate Bill 5905
Many TBA members work for the state of Washington. Many MORE TBA members depend on the work done by Washington state employees like teachers and nurses. Please read this information and make a phone call or email on behalf of our friends who work part time for the state.
Please call your State Senator to oppose Washington State Senate Bill 5905.
Provisions of SB 5095:
1) State employees’ health insurance coverage would be cut by eliminating coverage for state employees who work fewer than 30 hours per week. These employees would then need to purchase insurance on the state health care exchange.
2) State workers who must purchase on the exchange would see:
- monthly premium cost as much as TRIPLE
- elimination of dental and vision benefit
- more out of pocket expenses for deductibles, co-pays and co-insurance
The Senate passed this bill on the outrageous assumption that it would save $90 million by eliminating state health coverage for part time state employees. These savings would come directly out of the pockets of state employees.
Please contact your legislators and tell them that SB 5905 is unfair and immoral. Call your Senator or Representative at (800) 562 6000 or email to first name.last name@leg.wa.gov
Thank you from the TBA Health Care For All Committee!
Caring Across Generations Lobby Day March 28 in Olympia
Members of Temple Beth Am will join with others in Olympia on March 28 for Caring Across Generations Lobby Day, 10-3:30 in the Columbia Room in the Capital Building.
Caring Across Generations is a national movement to respond to the growing need for quality home care for aging baby boomers as well as increasing numbers of disabled persons opting to live at home. It supports programs and policies to better meet the financial needs of seniors and others through a long-term care benefit and other strategies and promotes quality home care through career training, immigration reform and fair pay and health benefits for home care workers.
Contact Tom Buchanan clrtom@earthlink.net or Dina Burstein dinaburstein@gmail.com for more information about registering for CAG Lobby Day.
Rabbi for Human Rights in Seattle March 8-10
Rabbi Arik Ascherman will be visiting Seattle this weekend to spread the message about the organization that he co-founded in Israel, Rabbi for Human Rights. Rabbi Ascherman has visited Temple Beth Am a number of times over the past 15 years. The NW Committee to Welcome Rabbi Arik invites you to a Fund Raiser Luncheon on March 8th, noon to 1:30 at Suite 6100 at the Columbia Tower. Rabbi Ascherman will update about the work of RHR to support human rights of Israelis and Palestinians in Israel. There will be time for questions. Contact Tom Buchanan if you are interested in attending at clrtom@earthlink.net.
Rabbi Ascherman will also speak at Rock the Shabbat service at Temple DeHirsch Sinai, 6pm, March 8 and will be co-leading Torah Study with Rabbi Jonathan at 9:15 AM at Temple Beth Am on Saturday, March 9.
Rabbi Arik has always been a voice with feet on the ground, encompassing many camps whether it be Israeli/Palestinian, Bedouin/Druze, Israelis in need of homes. His presentations are always hopeful and inspiring.
Legislative Passover Seder
Thursday, March 28
Temple Beth Hatfiloh
Olympia
RSVP by 3/20
Annie Jacobson, anniej@jewishinseattle.org
Legislative Update — HB 1588–Requiring Universal Background Check for Firearms Transfers
TWO WEEKS TO GET HB 1588 OUT OF RULES AND VOTED ON–REQUIRING UNIVERSAL BACKGROUND CHECK FOR FIREARMS TRANSFERSPlease make these calls, AND urge your networks to make these calls:
Call your state Senator and Representative today to make sure they know you want them to stand with the majority of Washington citizens and pass common-sense gun reforms.
You can reach them by calling the Legislative Hotline: 1.800.562.6000 and telling them you support HB 1588 and SB 5711.
When you are connected to your state legislator’s office, tell them 4 things:
• Your name and where you are from.
• That you are concerned about gun violence and you support common-sense gun reforms.
• That you believe this issue deserves a vote THIS legislative session.
• That you specifically support universal background checks for all gun sales.
If you know that your legislator(s) already supports universal background checks, please ask them if they can reach out to their undecided colleagues and help convince them that this is the right thing to do.
While it is important that we all contact our own legislators, we also need to focus on a few critical legislative districts. If you have friends, family, coworkers, who reside in these districts and support common-sense laws, urge them to contact their representatives
- LD 17 (Vancouver, Battle Ground): Senator Don Benton (R), Representative Monica Stonier (D), Representative Paul Harris (R) http://1.usa.gov/131OGXc (these links are maps of the districts)
- LD 24 (Port Angeles, Port Townsend): Senator James Hargrove (D), Representative Kevin Van De Wege (D), Representative Steve Tharinger (D) http://1.usa.gov/12I1SRe
- LD 25 (Puyallup): Senator James Hargrove (D), Representative Kevin Van De Wege (D), Representative Steve Tharinger (D)http://1.usa.gov/W1HQiz
- LD 26 (Gig Harbor, Port Orchard): Senator Nathan Schlicher (D), Representative Jan Angel (R), Representative Larry Seaquist (D) http://1.usa.gov/VtAQbK
- LD 28 (University Place, Lakewood, Dupont) Senator Mike Carrell (R), Representative Steve O’Ban (R), Representative Tami Green (D) http://1.usa.gov/15soLrh
- LD 41 (Mercer Island, Bellevue, Newcastle, Sammamish) Senator Steve Litzow (R), Representative Marcie Maxwell (D), Representative Judy Clibborn (D) http://1.usa.gov/Y9DT9I
NOTE: Senator Litzow is one of the sponsors of the Universal Background Check Bill. He needs to be thanked for his sponsorship and reminded that this issue deserves a vote and we are counting on him to deliver.
- LD 44 (Marysville, Lake Stevens, Snohomish, Mill Creek) Senator Steve Hobbs (D), Representative Hans Dunshee (D), Representative Mike Hope (R) http://1.usa.gov/Yx2of6
NOTE: Rep. Mike Hope is one of the prime sponsors of the Universal Background Check Bill. He voted for the bill in committee. He needs to be thanked for his leadership.
- LD 45 (Kirkland, Woodinville, Sammamish, Duvall) Senator Andy Hill (R), Representative Roger Goodman (D), Representative Larry Springer (D) http://1.usa.gov/XmQQda
- LD 47 (Auburn, Covington) Senator Joe Fain (R), Representative Mark Hargrove (R), Representative Pat Sullivan (D) http://1.usa.gov/UJzPwW
- LD 48 (Medina, Bellevue, Redmond) Senator Rodney Tom (D), Representative Ross Hunter (D), Representative Cyrus Habib (D)http://1.usa.gov/Y9DT9I
NOTE: Senator Tom is one of the sponsors of the Universal Background Check Bill. He is also the Senate Majority Leader. He needs to be thanked for his sponsorship and reminded that this issue deserves a vote and we are counting on him to deliver.
Here is a mapping tool that can help you find the districts and identify the members: http://app.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/
