The road to a comprehensive bill – Part II

2010.04.15

This coming Monday, April 19, we convene for the first stuffing at the Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC) in Milwaukie (OR). We need 30 volunteers to be at 9079 SE McLoughlin Blvd. Portland, OR from 10 am until noon. A press conference with State Representative Bruce Barton is scheduled for 10:30 am. If you cannot attend, we ask you to lift up this time in prayer.

This event is one small, but critical step in raising awareness of our goal to end human trafficking in Oregon. How achievable that goal is we haven't stopped to ask. We simply work toward total abolition because not one human being, created by God, should be treated like property. Freeing these modern slaves will take all kinds of endeavors, including rescue and long-term recovery, and ending the economic, legal and social conditions that breed enslavement, trafficking, and slave marketing.

In regards to fighting human trafficking, our role in the Oregon Center for Christian Values (OCCV) is to advocate for changes in state law. These changes are needed in order to provide sentencing, prosecution and treatment of perpetrators; close legal loopholes; treat the slaves as victims instead of victimizing them all over again; provide needed funding to make all this happen; and make slavery in Oregon totally unprofitable and undesirable.

We achieved a significant step this past February when the state legislature passed HB3623, requiring "the Oregon Liquor Control Commission to include informational materials regarding human trafficking with certain license renewal notices, if materials are supplied by nonprofit organization." Funds have come in for the materials and the Polaris Project already sponsors the hotline (1-888-373-7888).

Four times a year, the OLCC sends out license renewal notices to a fourth of the 11,000 businesses in the state that sell alcohol. We will be stuffing an informative cover letter and a sticker with the national human trafficking hotline number in each of those envelopes, this time about 2,500.

By passing this highly symbolic bill unanimously, the 2010 legislative session has set the stage for a bipartisan and much more comprehensive bill in the 2011 session. Between now and next January, three important processes will be underway. One is the preparation of comprehensive legislation, a task which has already begun. Two is the distribution of these hotline stickers to 11,000 businesses throughout the state which starts with Monday's stuffing. And three is the education of the state's population to this crying need, the press conference on Monday being a key step in that direction.

So please pray with us for the following:

1. That we will have an abundance of volunteers (30+) at each of the four "stuffings" in the coming year.
   
2. That all 11,000 businesses will post these stickers in prominent places (the mailing is required, the posting is voluntary).
   
3. That the Christians of this state will galvanize behind this important cause and work with us to raise awareness of the plight of thousands of those among us trapped in human slavery and trafficking.
   
4. That starting with Monday's press conference, our efforts will capture of the attention of the media, officials, and the residents of this state so we can generate strong awareness of the plight of trafficked and enslaved victims.
   
5. That the OCCV's human trafficking advisory committee will find 10 point leaders from 10 different congregations and 10 point persons for each leader willing to be trained over the coming months for advocating for this legislation next year.
   
6. That we will see the needed groundswell develop between now and January 1 to make comprehensive human trafficking legislation and funding (what we call a "Cadillac" bill) top priority in the 2011 session.
   
7. That 100 people will commit to praying for these priorities from now until the legislation is passed into law next spring.
   

This last point, finding 100 people to commit to prayer, is my personal request. Regardless of where you live in this wide world, if you want to join that prayer effort and be notified of developments as they happen, write me at howard@hnkconnect.com. I'll make sure the OCCV office puts your name and email address on our human trafficking mailing list and I'll personally notify you whenever specific prayer is needed.