On April 1st, Hunger Advocacy Fellow Autumn Byars was interviewed by José Ángel Galavis, senior multimedia journalist for Telemundo Arizona. The news network broadcast a story about the recent passage of HB2502 & HB2503, both harmful bills that if passed, would cause additional barriers to accessing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP).
Autumn testified against these bills in a Senate Health and Human Services Committee hearing on March 12 (see article), along with colleagues from Arizona Food Bank Network and the William E. Morris Institute for Justice. Through multiple action alerts, the entire LAMA community has been advocating hard against these bills, but nonetheless, they passed on March 28th.
The excellent piece by Galavis (en Español) details the controversy around these bills and their potential consequences for folks participating in the SNAP program. (Autumn’s clips, in English, begin halfway through).
The interview lasted 15 minutes. In the two short clips below, you’ll hear Autumn’s clear, elegant approach to the problem, and her command of the details. It’s powerful testimony.
How did Galavis know to contact Autumn for a sound bite? Autumn’s testimony was featured in an article in the AZ Mirror by Caitlin Sievers on March 28.
Autumn’s Big Day of Advocacy
LAMA is very proud to claim Autumn Byars as one of our own! Autumn is a rock star of the Grand Canyon Synod, and if you haven’t seen our posts, she would love to visit your ministry site to learn, to work, and to tell your own stories of justice and advocacy to the world.
