Read on and be informed about the work of UUJusticePA. Our newsletter masthead photo is of the back of the Capitol in Harrisburg.  Our Capital is a beautiful, opulent building but also hides a lot of corruption.  We are working to change that reality.  Our newsletter will be published and e-mailed to all of our supporters each month.  If you want to include an article, please contact Rev. Joan at director@uujusticepa.org.

You will most likely not be assigned to your own polling location. Vote by mail before election day. Then be ready to serve wherever you are placed.

I am grateful to Jessica Meyers, Director of Policy, Department of State, for the information she shared with me. She also informed me that although her department doesn't have a guide for what the rules are for each county, the Brennan Center published a handy document that should answer all of your questions:

https://www.brennancenter.org/sites/default/files/2020-08/pennsylvania-poll-worker-guide-2020.06.16.pdf

Some counties, but not all, have good information on the county websites.  READ MORE:

Meet three PA UUs running in 2022

A longtime resident of Centre County, it has been a great honor for Paul to serve on the College Township Council. He also serves as the chair of both the Spring Creek Watershed Commission and the Centre Region Public Safety Committee. In his career, Paul has spent the last two decades working with educators across the Commonwealth to help transform educational technology in the classroom. 

As a representative, Paul will champion education and equity, environmental and economic leadership, and investments in infrastructure. Paul is also passionate about good governance, ensuring LGBTQ+ and reproductive rights, bolstering union protections and workers’ rights, advocating for gun safety, mitigating the opioid crisis, and securing a living wage and accessible healthcare for every resident in the Commonwealth. 

Paul and Team Takac are grateful for the opportunity to represent the values of UUJusticePA and for your support. This is an unprecedented opportunity for new representation in Centre County, as well as contribute to bringing the House a Democratic majority. Together, we can make a difference in 2022 and beyond. 

Armed with deep, front-lines elections expertise, David is running with the defense of voting rights and our democratic processes at the forefront of his platform. Other legislative priorities include economic justice–predominantly, a $15 minimum wage and strengthened labor laws; and protecting the environment by calling for an end to new fracking, and joining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).

David is committed to running the first comprehensive, modern legislative campaign in the history of the 166th District–not only to face a 30-year incumbent in the Primary, but to achieve record Democratic turnout for 2022’s critical up-ballot races.

Beyond politics, David is a classical violinist, composer, and concert producer who has performed as a soloist and guest concertmaster with, and composed for orchestras and institutions in Bulgaria, Italy, Romania, Russia, and the US. He has written two operas, two concertos, and myriad works for instrumental and vocal chamber groups and soloists.

Currently, David resides in Haverford Township with his wife, Kaitlyn Waterson–soprano for OperaDelaware–and two retired racing greyhounds, Cookie and Abby.

davidbrown4pa.org

Have you been on a public election ballot or know of a PA UU who has?
Being on a public election ballot is inspirational.
We want to know of these inspiring souls, whether they were successful or not.

We also want to honor PA Unitarian Universalists who have served
in an elected or appointed office in the past.
Click here
to tell us what you know.

When citizens stop paying attention, horrible things happen. We need to pay attention and speak up when our children are not learning our complete history (good and bad). We need to pay attention to school districts attempting to ban books. We need to make our schools and other public spaces safe from gun violence. Pay attention: Women's rights are on the brink of extinction. Families cannot survive on minimum wages.  The killing of young black men in our streets has to stop. And we need a criminal justice system that is fair and just. And let's not forget the environment. It was 68 degrees in Harrisburg yesterday.  Today it is 30 degrees and snowing. What a mess!

As a House of Representatives legislator said to me earlier this week, "there is so much work to do, and our General Assembly is just not governing."

I am proud of Unitarian Universalists' work regarding anti-racism and white supremacy. UUJusticePA encourages each of our PA congregations to pay attention to this work. Racism is a factor in each of our justice issues. Even in the face of a gridlocked PA General Assembly, our justice teams continue to make good noise and speak out for justice by advocating in our elected officials' local and Harrisburg offices, writing Letters to the Editor and stuffing their mailboxes with postcards. We will not be silenced!!

And the UUJusticePA staff and board continue to encourage UUs across PA to pay attention. Specifically, we have identified three Unitarian Universalists seeking state offices. If you know of others running for either elected or appointed local positions, please let us know to support them. We also want to know of other UUs who have run for office in the past decade; we want to salute them for their courage.

Also in this newsletter, you will find information about lobby days. We have shared information on the UUA UUtheVote opportunities to connect. And, don't forget to save the date of our Annual Meeting Friday, May 20, and Saturday, May 21. A hybrid event via Zoom and in-person at the Unitarian Church of Harrisburg.

My bottom-line message: Find your on-ramp and get involved before it it's too late.

Holding ground in our faith and moving justice forward in PA,

Rev. Joan