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About the UU Legislative Ministry

Current Focus Issues
Civic Engagement
UULM Action Network
Board of Trustees
Clergy and Staff
Sacramento Office
Congregational Covenant of Collaboration
Calendar
Donations & Sponsors
Put a Link to Our Web Site
Financial Reports
Privacy Policy


Mission of the Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry, CA

The Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry, CA is a statewide justice ministry that cultivates and connects leaders and communities to empower the public voice of those who share UU values and Principles.

. Guided by Unitarian Universalist principles, the Ministry seeks to develop the skills of civic engagement that we may educate, organize, and advocate for public policies that:

  • uphold the worth and dignity of every person
  • further justice, equity, and compassion in human relations
  • ensure use of the democratic process
  • protect religious freedom
  • promote respect for the interdependent web of all existence

Charitable activity is a familiar and important part of a religious life. However, when poverty, environmental degradation, inequitable access to health care, and higher education are part of the structures of society, rather than unforeseen exceptions, then we know that charity is not enough. Our faith calls us to change policies and structures that inhibit human development, harm the environment, and destroy communities. We are called to educate and organize for justice.

UULMCA is building a statewide education and advocacy network that:

  • is anchored in our UU faith, and informed by its history and principles
  • shares information and policy expertise, particularly
    from member UUs
  • can inspire and mobilize coordinated action through a network of mutual support and accountability
  • trains new leadership, with special attention to involvement of youth and young adults
  • is celebratory, sustainable, and fun
  • raises the visibility of Unitarian Universalism and its values to policy makers and the larger community

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Current Programs

Leadership Development

  • Spiritual Activist Leadership Training (SALT Fellows) - a faith-based, justice centered leadership training for young adults in California. Our first class of SALT Fellows will graduate at General Assembly 2012 in Phoenix. Applications for the 2012-2013 cohort will be on-line in January 2012.
  • Annual Fall UULMCA Leadership Summit – training to strengthen UU justice ministries in CA, usually the weekend before Thanksgiving – 2011 Training was at Camp de Benneville Pines!
  • Regional Issue-based Trainings addressing immigration, climate and water justice
  • Justice Tours– in 2012, we will continue our young adult Water Justice Road Trip and will expand to offer one day Water Justice tours for all ages.

Education, Organizing and Advocacy Priorities:

Climate and Water Justice

Climate change has a profound impact on California's water supply and quality. In turn, how much energy we use to pump and treat water can have a profound impact on our carbon footprint. UULMCA is helping to build support for a climate and water justice ethic and partners with organizations that advance environmental justice in both the water and energy sectors.

  • Human Right to Water Campaign - Human Right to Water Campaign Millions of Californians lack access to safe, affordable water for drinking, cooking and cleaning. In an increasingly uncertain hydrological future we must recognize the human right to water in California. UULMCA is one of the founders of the Safe Water Alliance.

 

  • Sustainable Communities Campaign –We’re calling for bold action to reduce fossil fuel dependence, clean our air, and create green jobs that support clean and healthy communities for us all. California law (SB375, the Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Act) requires that 18 regions in California adopt a Sustainable Communities Strategy: a county or region-wide transportation and land-use plan that will allow us to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through planning for affordable housing, reliable public transit, walkable, bike-friendly communities, and preserving parks, natural habitats and agricultural lands.

Immigration Reform

UULMCA recently added a new area of focus – supporting the reform of a broken immigration system. We are organizing educational opportunities among California UUs, identifying key congregational volunteers, linking to statewide and regional partners and developing opportunities for UUs to engage with immigration reform in their own counties.

LBTQ Equality

UULMCA has been a leader in the movement to secure legal recognition for same sex couples who wish to marry. Unitarian Universalist clergy have been officiating at the religious weddings of same-sex couples in our congregations for over 40 years and see this as an issue of religious freedom. As the founding organization for CA Faith for Equality, UULMCA links UUs to interfaith organizing and contributes legal and organizing talent to multiple amicus briefs filed in the marriage equality cases in both CA and federal courts.

Healthcare Reform

Our UU Voices for Healthcare curriculum for congregational use addresses the health care crisis, proposed solutions, and the ethical questions we face. We support the implementation of the Affordable Care Act as well as those UUs who are championing a comprehensive single payer solution to the health care crisis.

 

Choosing Priorities

Priorities for education, action, and reflection are chosen every two years. The Board chooses priorities after consideration of the issue surveys from California Unitarian Universalists, interviews of clergy and lay leaders, and with consideration of both Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) and Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) priorities as well as opportunities for interfaith collaboration.

You are invited to fill out our issues survey.

UULM Action Network California

The UU Legislative Ministry has organized and incorporated a separate non-profit, the UU Legislative Ministry Action Network, California, 501 (c) 4 to which donations are not tax deductible. The UULM Action Network will focus on advocating for legislation that is consistent with Unitarian Universalist principles and values, and will coordinate UU action in Sacramento. 

UULM-CA Board of Trustees

The members of the UU Legislative Ministry Board are drawn from UU clergy and lay leaders from both northern and southern California. Board Roster.

Clergy & Staff

Rev. Lindi Ramsden
Senior Minister & Executive Director
lramsden@uulmca.org
(916)441-0018 ext 202

Biography


Beverly Boido
Office Assistant
admin@uulmca.org
(916)441-0018 ext 200


Rev. Sonya Sukalski
Consulting Minister for the Young Leaders Project
sonya@uulmca.org

Biography


Rev. Earl Koteen
Consulting Minister, Climate Justice
ekoteen@uulmca.org

Biography

Sacramento Office
UU Legislative Ministry, CA
717 K Street, #514
Sacramento, CA 95814
916-441-0018
admin@uulmca.org

Congregational Covenant of Collaboration

We welcome the formal affiliation of California UU congregations. A first step is to invite a speaker from the UU Legislative Ministry to lead a worship service, workshop, or meet with your Board of Trustees. Please read the congregational covenant information for further details about opportunities and expectations for collaboration.

Calendar

Please consult our calendar for information about upcoming activities and meetings.

Donations and Sponsors

Thanks to our Individual Donors!

Please sign up for a monthly donation, or make a one-time gift through our secure website, more than half of our annual support comes from individual donors!

Donate to the UU Legislative Ministry, CA (tax deductible as allowable by law)

Or, send a check to UULM California, 717 K St, #514. Sacramento, CA 95814.

Donate to the UULM Action Network

Thanks to our Contributing Congregations:
Include UULMCA in your congregational justice budget and/or take a special collection to support this ministry. Special thanks to the following congregations who have sent contributions since July 1, 2010

Thanks to our Institutional Supporters:

• Unitarian Universalist Veatch Program at Shelter Rock
• Unitarian Universalist Funding Program
• Unitarian Universalist Service Committee
• Pacific Central District of the UUA
• Pacific Southwest District of the UUA
• Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association, PCD and PSWD Chapters

Link Up!

If you would like to create a link from your congregation’s web site to ours, feel free to use one of the icons below, and link to our URL.

     

     

View UULM-CA's Financial Reporting (Form 990)

2009-10 UULM-CA Form 990

UULM-CA Privacy Policy

UULM Privacy Policy for Online Communications and Donations

Personal Information
We only collect personal information from our visitors on a voluntary basis. Personal information may include name, address, phone number, email address, and credit card numbers. We do not require this information to obtain access to any of the educational materials and information on our site, and we do not share this personal information with other organizations.

Credit Card Information UULM accepts donations through our website. We make every effort to protect the safety and security of your transaction. We use high-grade encryption and the https security protocol to communicate with your browser software. This method is the industry standard security protocol, which makes it extremely difficult for anyone else to intercept the credit card information you send to us.

Information is also provided on the website for those who wish to make contributions through the mail.

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