ACTION ALERT: February 14, 2005

1) Urge Legislators to Keep Funding JFS Refugee Employment Program

When legislators respond to you, please let us know! It is extremely helpful for us to know if a legislator has a question, concerns, or supports the legislation.

HOW TO USE THIS ACTION ALERT: Each week, we highlight several key issues before the Washington State Legislature which have a direct impact on our community and community agencies. This Action Alert contains brief summaries of the key issues before the Legislature this week. It also provides you with direct e-mail links to your legislators and Legislative leaders. We provide you with a draft e-mail text which you can directly send or which you can modify to better represent your thoughts on an issue. When you send an e-mail, please be sure to fill out all of the information so that your legislator can directly respond to you.

In this alert:
1) Urge Legislators to Keep Funding JFS Refugee Employment Program

The Mood
The legislative session is now a little more than 1/3 over. Around two-thousand bills have been introduced, with a very small percentage destined to pass.

Here is an update on few bills that have been on our agenda:

The "Cal Anderson/Ed Murray" legislation (House Bill 1515) that would expand the state's human rights code to include sexual orientation passed the House last Friday with 61 votes. To see which legislators voted for it visit follow this link. Rabbi Mirel of Temple B'nai Torah gave very moving testimony on behalf of this legislation in committee.

Mental Health Parity legislation (HB 1154) passed the House at the end of January. 67 House members voted for passage, to find out which follow this link. The legislation will be heard next in the Senate Health and Long-term Care Committee.

Adults
Issue: Saving the Refugee Limited English Pathway Program

Update: Jewish Family Service (JFS) assists Jewish refugees from the Former Soviet Union and other countries in starting new lives in the Greater Seattle community. At the JFS Multi-Ethnic Service Center, refugees from diverse communities receive job development, English as a Second Language, and case management services. JFS recently moved into the Kent area under Washington State’s Department of Social and Health Service’s (DSHS) behest to begin serving individuals there. JFS serves approximately 400 individuals from myriad different ethnic and religious backgrounds. For example, the agency is sponsoring the resettlement of up to 100 additional Hmong to the Seattle area over the next year.

Due to poor budgeting by DSHS, this program has been cut over the past few years. Two years ago, JFS’ contract for helping refugees find necessary social services was cut by 50%. Last year, a $70,000 dollar cut was averted by the legislature appropriating $1.25 million in additional funds for the program. The program needs at least $4 million for the next two years to avoid additional cuts.

We are leading a coalition of other providers to seek additional funding in the 05-07 biennial budget. We are also discussing the problem with the new administration in hopes of having the Governor order DSHS to fund the program out of other funds.

Action: Contact your state legislators and ask them to make additional funding for LEP one of their priorities