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Help Virginians Fraudulently Foreclosed Upon
Did you know that some Virginians are losing their homes to foreclosure, even though they are paying their mortgage? Foreclosure fraud is a real problem with terrible consequences for families. In Virginia, most people are protected against fraud by the Virginia Consumer Protection Act, but there are limitations. SB 163 gives individuals and families the ability to bring legal action against those who commit the fraud and to collect actual and punitive damages. Please contact your Delegate today and ask him or her to vote YES on SB 163 in the Court of Justice Civil Subcommittee!

Mortgage Settlement Agreement Funds Should Be Spent on Pressing Housing Needs
Virginia recently received a one-time payment of $69 million from the National Mortgage Settlement Agreement. On Sunday, the House and Senate money Committees released their budget plans. They had at least one thing in common, neither body saw the need to direct the $69 million in Mortgage Settlement Funds to housing. Only one thing can change the course now - General Assembly members and the Governor need to hear from you about this General Assembly Housing Rip Off!

Ask Your Senator to Protect Vulnerable Virginians with A Moral Budget
The plight of the poor, even those unable to meet basic financial security despite working full-time jobs, is the single greatest contributor to a range of problems of concern to members of the Virginia Interfaith Center. Virginia’s free clinics, Comprehensive Health Improvement Program (CHIP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Family Access to Medical Insurance Security (FAMIS) help hard-working Virginians provide for the basic needs of their families during times of economic distress like the ongoing aftershocks of the recent Great Recession. Please ask your Senator to ensure that the budget produced by the Senate Finance Committee is one that reflects concern for the Commonwealth's most vulnerable Virginians.

Ask Your Delegate to Protect Vulnerable Virginians with A Moral Budget
The plight of the poor, even those unable to meet basic financial security despite working full-time jobs, is the single greatest contributor to a range of problems of concern to members of the Virginia Interfaith Center. Virginia’s free clinics, Comprehensive Health Improvement Program (CHIP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Family Access to Medical Insurance Security (FAMIS) help hard-working Virginians provide for the basic needs of their families during times of economic distress like the ongoing aftershocks of the recent Great Recession. Please ask your Delegate to ensure that the budget produced by the House Appropriations Committee is one that reflects concern for the Commonwealth's most vulnerable Virginians.

Oppose Extending Wasteful Coal Tax Breaks
In this year of budget cuts and fiscal belt tightening, we cannot afford to extend tax breaks to any industry if those tax breaks are not meeting intended goals. This is exactly what SB 609 would continue to do if it passes the House. Currently, taxpayers give tens of millions of dollars to coal companies every year. The state’s Joint Legislative Audit and Research Committee (JLARC) found that in 2008 taxpayers subsidized the industry by $31 million dollars. Please contact your Delegate today and ask that they oppose SB 609!

Limit the Use of Restraints on Pregnant Prisoners
Did you know that each year female inmates in Virginia continue to be shackled during their pregnancy and in the delivery room while giving birth? The Department of Corrections has begun a regulatory process to change this practice, but they need to hear from you! Please submit your comments online here. Please feel free to use talking points below in your letter.

While much of our criminal justice system reflects appropriate concern for the safety and welfare of the Commonwealth’s residents, too often it falls short on appropriate displays of compassion and mercy. Reported cases in Virginia point to the practice of shackling female prisoners during childbirth. While seemingly barbaric, this is simply an example of a corrections system so focused on a one size-fits-all regulation structure that it puts the lives of mothers and children in danger by treating them as dangerous criminals.

But shackling presents a real threat to the life of the mother and her child. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Medical Association, and the United Nations have condemned the practice due to health risks.

This policy does not present a safety threat to the correctional officers or the public. Among the states that have restricted restraints on pregnant inmates, none have documented instances of women in labor or delivery escaping or causing harm to themselves, the public, security guards, or medical staff.

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