by Jonathan Tweet, University Unitarian, Seattle, WA

December 21, 2020

If your UU congregation is like mine, it’s full of people who want to do something to promote justice but who aren’t sure how to go about it. I’ve heard that as the co-chair of my congregation’s Climate Action Team, and I’ve heard that in Beloved Conversations. Many of the people in our congregations would love for someone to do the legwork for them and tell them how they can be not just concerned and not just compassionate but also effective. Luckily, we citizens of Washington state have access to a resource that lets us efficiently advocate for justice in our legislature. The state government’s “How to comment on a bill” web page lets Washingtonians find bills, track them through the law-making progress, and send comments on them to our state representatives and senators. These useful online tools let concerned UUs in your congregation make their voices heard. At University Unitarian in Seattle, we’ve been pushing these tools as part of our climate-action efforts, and these same tools are just as useful for UUs who want to advocate for racial justice, economic equality or any other issue that the state legislature affects through their legislation. People in your congregation will be grateful to you for showing them how to use these online tools, and they’ll be able to keep using them for issue after issue, year after year. 

UUs are notoriously varied in our opinions, and that’s a good thing. Some of us promote radical visions of revolution while others promote liberal approaches to reform. One thing we have in common is valuing electoral action. In 2020, our UU the Vote program enlisted radical and liberal UUs in a successful effort to drive up participation in our nation’s presidential election, with happy results. Ibram Kendi says that you’re not really an activist unless you have a track record of policy change. Promoting our state’s online bill-comment tool should appeal to a broad range of UUs. Even moderates can see the value in advocating for better laws. 

My co-congregant Bill McPherson is something of a powerhouse on climate issues. He has talked to the legislative aides who compile constituent views for state legislators, and they have told him that the bill-comment tools are powerful. They’re like an inside track to the attention of your legislators. Personal letters seem powerful, but they don’t usually reach the legislators.

You can coach other UUs on how to make the strongest impression with elected officials. Canned, rote, and copy/pasted comments carry less weight, so encourage your fellow congregants to speak personally. In “Justice on Earth“, Pamela Sparr advises UUs to present themselves to politicians as members of the UU faith tradition. This identity tells electeds that one is not just a lone voice but part of a community grounded in ultimate values and capable of organizing. 

JUUstice Washington tracks important bills in our state legislature, and the bill-comment tool lets any UU easily turn JUUstice Washington’s positions into action. Other Washington activist groups also provide guidance on state-level issues. As a climate-action activist, I follow Earth Ministry of Seattle, which alerts people to legislative actions. 

When you coach socially aware UUs to use the bill-comment tool, you know that other religious and secular activists are likewise pointing people to the same important legislative actions. While some religious traditions advise their believers to isolate themselves from secular society, UUism calls on us to engage on all levels with the larger society around us. The bill-comment process is an outstanding example of how we turn our values into action and how our UU values create connections with others rather than distancing us from our neighbors. Encourage your co-congregants to engage alongside faithful citizens from every faith tradition as well as secularists. Together we can make a real difference.

How to comment on a bill