no FHE monday and more friends of MESJ

[Crystal Young-Otterstrom]

Dear MESJ of SLC:

We will NOT meet this Monday, January 14th for Progressive FHE because our featured speaker for January, Darron Smith author of Black and Mormon, has a scheduling conflict with that day.  Stay tuned for the new date!  This will be a very exciting progressive FHE.  Scroll down for a number of rockin' upcoming events.

IN THIS EMAIL:

1. Discussion and Free Viewing of Inconvenient Truth sponsored
   by Utah State Democrats (Mayor Ralph Speaker will speak)
2. Mormon Peace Project
3. Coalition of Religion Councils (CORC) legislative trainging session and faith dates
4. PDA conference calls / UDPC
5. Upcoming legislative bills on the environment
   

 ___________________________________________________________________

DISCUSSION AND FREE VIEWING OF INCONVENIENT TRUTH

The Utah State Democrats and Brewvies Cinema will sponsor a special event on
climate change on January 20th from 6:00 – 10:00pm. Attendees will be asked to
register to vote if they aren't already, or pledge to register others by the next general
election. Mayor Ralph Becker as well as members from the Healthy Environment Alliance
of Utah (HEAL Utah) and the Utah Clean Energy Alliance will give a brief introduction
as to how citizens can get involved to help combat climate change.   

MUST BE 21 YEARS OR OLDER TO ENTER

F R E E   M O V I E
and discussion with
MAYOR RALPH BECKER

Mingling: 6-7pm | showing 7-8:30pm | panel discussion 8:30-10pm

HEAL Utah, Utah Clean Energy Alliance
Brewvies, Sunday, Jan 20th 6:00 – 10:00 pm

Voter Registration and Pledge Drive
Free Admission, Civic Participation Strongly Encouraged

___________________________________________________________________

MORMON PEACE PROJECT

The Mormon Peace Project is is a website designed by Mormon peace
activists to promote any organization, movement, or idea that
encourages peace. Right now, the site is focusing on an open
letter to Mitt Romney about his stances on war and torture. The
letter includes important LDS scriptures that urge peace, and is
an opportunity for Mormons to show the media and others that they
support peace and abhor war.

Please show your support for this invaluable website by visiting
it, reading the letter, and signing a petition in support of peace.

You can find the website at http://www.mormonpeaceproject.org/index.php
___________________________________________________________________

CORC LEGISLATIVE SESSION ORIENTATION AND FAITH DAYS

**Tuesday, Feb. 12 is LDS faith day (sponsored by: Mormons for Equality and Social Justice)**

CORC's legislative orientation sessions will take place next Thursday, January 17th
at 11:30 and 3:30. Each session will last approximately 1.5 hours. As this is the first
year back in the Capitol Building, it will be important that anyone interested in coming
to one of the 2008 Faith-days on the Hill to attend one of these orientation sessions
if at all possible.

2008 Faith Days on the Hill
Below is a listing of this year's faith days at the Capitol. Please make a note of your
particular faith community's day and if you do not see your community listed or are
unable to attend your specified day, come on Multi-Faith Day - February 14.

Thursday, Jan. 31 - Presbyterians
Tuesday, Feb. 5 - United Methodists / United Church of Christ
Thursday, Feb. 7 - Catholic / Disciples of Christ / Metropolitan
Tuesday, Feb. 12 - LDS (Mormons for Equality and Social Justice) / Jewish / Muslim
Thursday, Feb. 14 - Multi-Faith Day
Tuesday, Feb. 19 - Unitarian Universalist / Episcopalian / Lutheran
Thursday, Feb. 21 - Mennonite / Quaker

All Faith Days will begin at 9 am in Room 140 of the West Building
(behind Capitol building, west side of Capitol complex).

Upcoming Emails
In the coming weeks CORC will be sending out regular emails updating you on
legislative actions and reminding you of faith days. If you would like to stay informed
and reminded about a specific faith community day, please email us at li...@crossroads-u-c.org
to be added to that list.

___________________________________________________________________

NOTE: Email la...@pdaamerica.org if you would like to receive emails
from the Utah Democratic Progressive Caucus/Progressive Democrats of
America - Utah

Want to get more active in progressive politics? Join Progressive Democrats of America
for conference calls on issues and projects. Each chapter has point people for these calls,
but any PDA member is welcome.  That's You!  

All calls start at 9pmET / 8pmCT / 7pmMT / 6pmPT.

Tuesday, January 15: Economic Justice Issue Organizing
Team Conference Call #: (605) 990-0400 Code: 968483#
Contact: di...@pdamerica.org or at 301-209-1899 x101 or (845) 661-3754

Thursday, January 17: PDA State Leadership Call
Conference Call #: (605) 772-3800 Code: 693278#
Contact: di...@pdamerica.org or at (301) 209-1899 x101 or (845) 661-3754

Tuesday, January 22: Healthcare for All/Single Payer Issue Organizing Team*
Conference Call #: (605) 772-3001 Code: 41591! 2#
Contact: di...@pdamerica.org or at (301) 209-1899 x101 or (845) 661-3754

Wednesday, January 23: PDA State Strategy: Focus on COLORADO
Conference Call #: (605) 772-3800 Code: 693278#
Contact: di...@pdamerica.org or at (301) 209-1899 x101 or (845) 661-3754

Thursday, January 24: Inside the Democratic Party Focus Group Call
Conference Call #: (605) 772-3800 Code: 693278#
Contact: la...@pdamerica.org at (435) 640-2252

Tuesday, January 29: Clean, Fair, Transparent, &
Accurate Elections Issue Organizing Team
Conference Call #: (712) 775-7100 Code: 936487#
Contact: di...@pdamerica.org or at (301) 209-1899 x101 or (845) 661-3754

For descriptions and discussion ! groups, see details at PDA.  
http://pdamerica.org/misc/Jan08CallSched.pdf

Check the PDA website for a new call schedule each month.  
Then, keep digging through all of their great alerts, tools,
and issue details.  http://www.pdamerica.org/
___________________________________________________________________

UPCOMING BILLS ON THE ENVIRONMENT

Latter-day Saints are commanded to be good stewards of the earth.
There are a number of good bills being introducted this session.
Keep track of them and encourage their proccess! Some of them are
not as good as others, so take time to investigate them all at
le.utah.gov

Energy Efficiency Policies
** Incentives for Highly Efficient New Homes and Retrofits
House. Sponsor: Rep Fred Hunsaker (R – 4)

Encourage high-efficiency residential new construction and retrofits
through State incentives.  The incentives are modeled to compliment
and leverage Federal incentives and local utility energy-efficiency
incentive programs.

** Clean Air and Efficient Vehicle Tax Incentives
House. Sponsor: Roz McGee (D – 28)

Provide tax credit for highly efficient clean vehicles and vehicle
conversions.  Provide performance-based fuel- and technology-neutral
incentives for efficient and clean vehicles.  Consumers would receive
a tax credit for the purchase of a new vehicle ($1,000) that meets air
quality and fuel economy guidelines set by the US EPA (including hybrids),
or conversion of a vehicle ($2,500) to run on clean fuel such as natural gas.

(Last year this bill passed the House on a 69-0-7 vote, but it never
made it out of the Senate Rules Committee.)

Renewable Energy Policies
** Renewable Energy Development Zones Task Force
Senate. Sponsor: Dennis E. Stowell (R – 28)

Establish task force to identify potential renewable-energy-generation
development areas and provide supporting analysis and policy options
to facilitate such development.
 
** Amendments to Net Metering
Senate. Sponsor Kevin VanTassell (R – 26)

Changes to Utah's current net metering policy to help remove barriers
to distributed renewable energy and combined heat and power and facilitate
the development of commercial-scale renewable energy projects, while
encouraging more residential customers to install renewable energy systems
across the state.  Extensive Democratic work on this bill
 
** Energy Resource and Carbon Emission Reduction Initiative
Senate.  Sponsor: Curt Bramble (R – 16)

Rocky Mountain Power Bill.  Changes needed to make this a genuine step
forward for clean air.  Utah Clean Energy has created a detailed outline
on the outstanding issues relating to the bill.  Sierra Club also has
commentary on their website.

Senator Scott McCoy (D) will introduce alternate legislation that
establishes an enforceable renewable energy standard of 25% by 2025.  
This will include circuit breaker to protect ratepayers, as well as
incentives and seed money to make renewable energy in Utah competitive
with nearby states.


** Budget
Gov Huntsman's budget includes $11.8 million for the Department of
Environmental Quality.  In this is $100,000 marked for public education on air pollution.

Thanks,

--
Crystal Young-Otterstrom
801.652.0737