If you haven’t done so already, please use our Action Alert links below to send a quick message to your legislators urging them to oppose the expansion of assisted suicide and the enshrining of abortion in the state constitution.  Your Catholic voice is also needed to sign in “pro” for a number of care for God’s creation bills and a bill to help students access special education.  Thank you for your faithful advocacy!

If you haven’t done so already, please click here to send a message to your legislators and urge them to oppose the expansion of assisted suicide, Senate Bill 5179 (SB 5179) and House Bill 1281 (HB 1281). More details about these bills can be found on the Action Alert page. On Thursday, the Senate Committee on Health and Long Term Care conducted a hearing on SB 5179. Bishop Joseph Tyson of the Diocese of Yakima testified against the bill.  In accordance with the bishops' legislative priority to respect life from conception to natural end, the WSCC opposes SB 5179 and HB 1281.

Last week the WSCC issued this Action Alert to send a message to the governor and your legislators to urge them to oppose Senate Joint Resolution 8202 (SJR 8202) and House Joint Resolution 4201 (HJR 4201), which would create a constitutional right to an abortion. It is still a good time to send your legislators a message. Last year, the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, giving states the ability to determine their own laws on abortion.  Abortion laws in our state did not change. Current law was determined by an initiative approved by the people, allowing for abortion up to the point of a fetus’s viability. SJR 8202 and HJR 4201 propose enshrining abortion in the state constitution. The proposed amendment would expand abortion, allowing babies to be aborted up to the point of their birth.   

Bishop Frank Schuster testified against SJR 8202 and his testimony may be viewed here. 

In light of increased pro-abortion legislation this session, the WSCC bishops released a statement, “Supporting Life and Justice for the Common Good in Washington State,” emphasizing the Church’s teaching to respect the dignity of every human person, from conception to natural death.

Sign in “pro” for the House Bill 1181 (HB 1181), which would update the Growth Management Act (GMA).  Please sign in by 3 PM on Monday, February 6.  A hearing in the House Committee on Appropriations is scheduled for one hour later. When signing in you may leave the "organization" box blank or write in "parishioner of --- Church." HB 1181 passed out of the House Committee on Local Government and is now in Appropriations. The GMA is a series of laws that was passed in 1990 and requires fast-growing cities and counties to develop a comprehensive plan to manage their population growth.  HB 1181 updates the GMA by adding a climate change and resiliency goal and requiring some counties and cities to address adverse impacts of climate change on people, property, and ecological systems and identify ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and vehicle miles traveled.  In line with the bishops’ legislative priority of caring for God’s creation, the WSCC supports HB 1181 and its companion bill, Senate Bill 5203.

Sign in “pro” for the Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act, House Bill 1047 (HB 1047).  Please sign in by 3 PM on Tuesday, February 6.  A hearing in the House Committee on Appropriations is scheduled for one hour later.  When signing in you may leave the "organization" box blank or write in "parishioner of --- Church."  The Toxic-Free Cosmetic Act passed out of the House Committee on Environment and Energy and is now in Appropriations. HB 1047 addresses the fact that many personal care items and cosmetics contain chemicals that are unregulated and linked to cancer and developmental and reproductive harm.  In addition to harming individuals, unregulated chemicals also pollute the environment during manufacturing and after disposal. The Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act would ban certain hazardous chemicals in cosmetics, include hazard assessments of substitute chemicals, and provide incentives for small businesses to make safer cosmetics.  In line with the bishops’ legislative priority of caring for God’s creation, the WSCC supports the Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act.

Sign in “pro” to support children in need of special education, House Bill 1109 (HB 1109). Please sign in by 3 PM on Thursday, February 9.  A hearing is scheduled for one hour later.  When signing in you may leave the "organization" box blank or write in "parishioner of --- Church."  Currently, special education initial evaluations and the subsequent development of individualized education programs do not occur when school is out of session for the summer.  HB 1109 provides funding for initial evaluations and the development of individualized education programs to take place during summer months.  HB 1109 passed out of the House Education Committee and is now in Appropriations.  In line with the bishops’ legislative priorities of caring for children/families and those with disabilities, the WSCC supports HB 1109.

Targeted Action Alert: If your state representatives are members of the House Committee on Education, please contact them and ask them to vote for free school meals for all, House Bill 1238 (HB 1238).  Identify your legislators and obtain their contact information here.  The House committee will vote on February 7.  HB 1238 would provide free school meals for all students. This would ensure that no student experiences hunger or food insecurity within a public school.  Both breakfast and lunch would be provided.  In line with the bishops’ legislative priorities of children and families, economic justice, and education, the WSCC supports HB 1238 and its companion bill, Senate Bill 5339.

Targeted Action Alert: If your state legislators are members of the House Appropriations Committee or the Senate Committee on Human Services, please contact them and ask them to vote for the Solitary Confinement Restriction Act, Senate Bill 5135 (SB 5135) and House Bill 1087 (HB 1087).  Identify your legislators and obtain their contact information here. Solitary confinement can have devastating and inhumane effects on incarcerated individuals. Those placed in prolonged solitary confinement have higher rates of medical conditions, shorter life expectancy, and higher recidivism rates. Solitary confinement is also disproportionately imposed on Black, Indigenous, and Hispanic individuals. The United Nations defines solitary confinement of 15 days or more as torture. In Washington, prisoners may be isolated for up to 30 days.  SB 5135 and HB 1087 limit the use of solitary confinement to 15 consecutive days or 45 cumulative days during a fiscal year. In accordance with the bishops’ restorative justice legislative priority, the WSCC supports the Solitary Confinement Restriction Act.

Targeted Action Alert: If your state legislators are members of the Senate Committee on Labor and Commerce or the House Committee on Labor and Workplace Standards, please ask them to support immigrant workers and pass Senate Bill 5109 (SB 5109) and House Bill 1095 (HB 1095) out of their committees.  Identify your legislators and obtain their contact information here.  SB 5109 and HB 1095 would establish a wage replacement program to help undocumented immigrant workers who are ineligible for unemployment insurance and meet certain qualifications. In line with the bishops’ economic justice, immigration, and dignity of work and rights of workers legislative priorities, the WSCC supports SB 5109 and HB 1095.

Targeted Action Alert: If your state legislators are members of the Senate Committee on Environment, Energy, and Technology or the House Committee on Environment and Energy, please ask them to vote in favor of Senate Bill 5366 (SB 5366) and House Bill 1329 (HB 1329), which would help individuals with low incomes by preventing utilities from shutting off their water or electricity due to nonpayment during periods of extreme heat. The House committee will vote on February 9, and the Senate committee will vote on February 10.  Identify your district and obtain your legislators’ contact information here. In line with the bishops’ economic justice legislative priority, the WSCC supports SB 5366 and its companion bill, HB 1329.

On Thursday, the House Committee on Education conducted a hearing for House Bill 1615, a school choice bill that creates Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) that parents may use to pay for tuition at private schools, including Catholic schools. Priority would be given to children with disabilities, children who are from low-income households, or children who are from public schools that are identified as challenged schools in need of improvement.  In line with the bishops’ education and Catholic schools legislative priority, the WSCC supports HB 1615.

The WSCC bishops’ statewide PREPARES Open Your Heart Appeal is occurring this month. PREPARES – Pregnancy and Parenting Support – is an initiative of the Washington state bishops to provide a nurturing response and promise to mothers and fathers who have chosen life - a promise of support and care from pregnancy to their child’s fifth birthday. Regardless of religious beliefs, this parish-based program offers low-income families vital life-affirming services. 

PREPARES has supported thousands of families with one-on-one companionship and child essentials. To learn more, volunteer, or donate to the bishops’ PREPARES Open Your Heart Appeal visit www.preparesforlife.org. 

100% of your donation will go directly to serve families in need thanks to the generous sponsorship of the Knights of Columbus Council #676.

Now is also the time to engage in respect life advocacy by urging your state senator to support pro-life bills that have not yet been scheduled for committee hearings. Unfortunately, every year many pro-life bills are not even assigned to hearings during the legislative session.  Identify your district, senator, and senator’s email here, and then write your senator and urge him or her to support the following pro-life bills:

SB 5098 Prohibiting abortion on the basis of down syndrome

SB 5172 Ensuring only physicians perform abortions and informing women of the inherent risks associated with abortion

SB 5227 Prohibiting sex-selection abortion

SB 5185 Applies various limits to abortion

Washington State Legislature - Information on bills, hearings, legislators, and more

Identify your district and legislators

Find bill information

WSCC website

WSCC Staff

  We invite you to contact us at any time.

  Mario Villanueva, Executive Director

  mario.villanueva@wacatholics.org

  Adrienne Corpuz Joyce, Director of Policy & Communications      

  adrienne.joyce@wacatholics.org

  Tracey Wilson Yackley, Operations Manager 

  tracey.yackley@wacatholics.org

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