Social and Environmental Justice Committee
Who We Are
The Social & Environmental Justice Committee is a group of UUs who believe the Seven Principles of our faith call us to be engaged in the struggle for social and environmental justice.
November 2022 Election
The Social & Environmental Justice Committee met on August 21 to discuss the upcoming election in November. There are seven statewide propositions that have qualified for the California ballot in November. We talked about and studied these propositions and voted on recommendations based on our UU values for most of them. (Click on the proposition number to see the Ballotpedia page with more info on that proposition)
Proposition 1
Description: Provides a state constitutional right to reproductive freedom, including the right to an abortion
Recommendation: Yes
Reasoning: The SEJ Committee fully supports a woman’s right to reproductive freedom.
Proposition 26
Description: Legalizes sports betting at American Indian gaming casinos and licensed racetracks in California
Recommendation: No Recommendation
Reasoning: The committee was split on this issue. Some members saw expanding what indigenous communities could profit off of as a way to help a community that has already had so much taken from them. Others were concerned about the addictive nature of gambling and were concerned that expanding legalized gambling in the state could destroy more lives as folks fall into that addiction
Proposition 27
Description: Legalizes mobile sports betting and dedicates revenue to the California Solutions to Homelessness and Mental Health Support Account and the Tribal Economic Development Account.
Recommendation: No
Reasoning: This proposition makes every computer, phone, and tablet a gambling device which would expose more folks, including children, to the threat of gambling addiction. This is mostly funded by 2 online sports betting companies who are attempting to take gambling business away from the casinos on reservations that are a major form of support for our indigenous siblings.
Proposition 28
Description: Requires funding for K-12 art and music education
Recommendation: Yes
Reasoning: Schools are extremely underfunded, especially art and music education. This proposition is necessary to make sure youth get a full and well rounded education
Proposition 29
Description: Enacts staffing requirements, reporting requirements, ownership disclosure, and closing requirements for chronic dialysis clinics
Recommendation: Yes
Reasoning: These requirements are necessary to protect the health and safety of dialysis patients. The opposition to this proposition is funded by large dialysis companies that are afraid of losing their extremely high profit margin on the care they provide.
Proposition 30
Description: Increases the tax on personal income above $2 million by 1.75% and dedicates revenue to zero-emission vehicle projects and wildfire prevention programs.
Recommendation: Yes
Reasoning: Inspired by our Seventh Principle’s “respect for the interdependent web of existence,” we understand the threat posed by climate change and see expanding the use of zero emission vehicles as an important step in combating this threat. We also understand the threat of bigger and more damaging wildfires as climate change gets worse. This proposition will create a slight increase in taxes for the very rich (folks making $2 million a year or more) in order to fund the much needed work of getting more zero emission vehicles on the road and protecting lives and property from the increasing threat of wildfires.
Proposition 31
Description: Upholds the ban on flavored tobacco sales
Recommendation: Yes
Reasoning: This upholds a disputed ban, passed by the state legislature, on nicotine products that are targeted towards children (hookah and cigar tobacco, smoked in age restricted lounges, are exempted from this ban). We believe this is necessary to protect the health of our younger generation.
Food Insecurity
During this COVID-19 pandemic, our committee has been working hard on addressing issues of food insecurity in Riverside, especially in our beloved Downtown Community.
We do this through our own CommUUnity Food Pantry and in partnership with Riverside Food Not Bombs.
Click here to learn more about this work.
CommUUnity Food Pantry
We collect hygiene items and non-perishable food items for distribution to the housing and food insecure. To contribute to this program, click here or scan this QR code with your mobile device
Our Partners
In addition to Riverside Food Not Bombs, we partner with other organizations in the area that also share our principles.
- Riverside All Of Us Or None
Part of a national organizing initiative addressing discrimination and human rights abuses faced by incarcerated/ formerly incarcerated people. - The 28ers
The 28ers stand for a 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution to create exclusive public financing for all federal elections.
- 350 Riverside
We believe that solutions to climate change are still possible, and that we all have a piece of the solution. - Inland Empire Democratic Socialists of America
We believe that working people should run both the economy and society democratically to meet human needs, not to make profits for a few.
Join Us!
The Social and Environmental Justice Committee meets in the Annex and by Zoom on the 3rd Sunday of every month at 12pm. Click here to join on Zoom.
Take Action
#BlackLivesMatter
Learn how to take action with Black Lives Matter IE by checking out their Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/blmie
End Slavery in California
The Riverside County Board of Supervisors is considering a resolution to support ACA 3, which would remove the “involuntary servitude” clause from the California State Constitution, Article 1 Section 6.
Click here to read our Social & Environmental Justice Committee’s letter to the Clerk of the Riverside County Board of Supervisors in support of this resolution.
#Justice4Ernie
On December 15th, 2020, Ernie Serrnao was killed by the Riverside Sherriff’s Department in the express checkout line of Stater Bros. on Rubidoux and Mission Blvds as he was attempting to buy cookies. (https://www.tmz.com/2021/01/05/ernie-serrano-mother-sues-wrongful-death-riverside-sheriffs-stater-bros/)
- For information on how to get involved, check out their Facebook Page
Contact the White House
Make your voice heard! Have a concern you think the new administration should know about? Click here to contact the White House!
End the Senate Filibuster
Click here to sign a petition to end the Senate filibuster.
Medicare for All
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