Action Center Update: Legislature heads into final week with the budget on the mind

Senate releases two-year budget

Tuesday evening, after the second cut-off of the legislative calendar passed, Senate budget writers released their spending plan for the next two years. The budget is grim. People and communities will be harmed by the cuts to health and human services, the long-term care system, and our state's educational system. We are continuing to lobby the legislature to find a balanced solution to the state's budget woes.

Nevertheless, there are bright spots amidst the gloom.

• Jewish Family Service and the Building Communities Fund are included in the Senate's Capital Budget and will allow JFS to complete its expansion project.
• Washington's refugee employment services program and naturalization program were cut but not eliminated.
• The Senate keeps Disability Lifeline in principle, but makes dramatic benefit cuts and imposes new systems that will make it harder for people to overcome their temporary disability or transition to SSI.
• A new nursing home "bed tax" is imposed which, as the bill is written, would exempt nursing homes with more than 200 beds like the Kline Galland Home. The proposal would draw down millions in federal money but it isn't clear if all of the funding from this new "tax" would stay within the long-term care system or even be approved by the federal government.

With one more week before the end of the legislature's regular session and the very real possibility of a special session, there is plenty of time to have your voice heard. Please take a moment to call your senator. Let him or her know you appreciate the work they did to retain our health and human service infrastructure but a balanced approach, one that doesn't just include cuts to health and human services should be considered.

Legislative Hotline: 1-800-562-6000

Take Action: the fight for 4Culture funding

The final cutoff date for bills to pass out of either the Senate or House was April 12. The governor will sign bills that did pass, and those that did not are considered "dead" for this session. However, a bill that did not meet this deadline can still survive if it is part of the final budget bill. This is the case for HB 1997, which extends the King County lodging tax. Revenue from this tax funds the King County 4Culture program and provides grants to local arts, heritage and culture organizations such as the AJC Film Festival, Washington State Jewish Historical Society, and the Washington State Holocaust Education Resource Center. These Jewish agencies rely on 4Culture grants to provide a high quality level of programing and services for the greater community. Although HB 1997 did not pass out of the Senate Ways & Means committee, it is still alive for this session. This vital revenue stream can still be persevered if it is voted out of the Senate before the end of session.

Please take a moment to ask your Senator to vote to extend funding for 4Culture.

Legislative Seder 2011

Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson breaks a piece of matzo at the 2011 Legislative Seder on Tuesday night in Olympia. 100 people attended the event. Photo credit: Joel Magalnick, JTNews

One hundred senators, representatives, legislative staff and community members joined together for the 2011 Legislative Seder at Temple Beth Hatfiloh on Tuesday night in Olympia. The Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle in partnership with Temple Beth Hatfiloh hosted the Seder. Participants read the Passover story and also reflected upon the situation of modern day refugees and the importance of the services for refugees offered in Washington State. The story of Passover is, at its heart, a story of the refugee experience and the theme of this year's Seder was the refugee experience in Washington State.

Thousands of refugees settle right here in Washington State each year, where many struggle to overcome significant obstacles. Throughout the evening several people who work with refugee services or were once refugees themselves spoke about their experiences. Shane Rock, Director of Refugee and Immigrant Service Centers at Jewish Family Service, gave an overview of the work that Jewish Family Service does to help resettle and improve the quality of life of refugees, almost all of which are not Jewish. Many of the services for refugees that were eliminated in earlier budgets have been partially restored.

The goal of the evening was to help legislators understand the refugee experience in Washington State, but also to provide a Seder experience for members of the Olympia legislative community.

A Special Appeal

With summer approaching, the Jewish Federation is working hard to close its fundraising campaign. Your emails, phone calls, and commitment to tikkun olam and tzedakah make our advocacy work successful. It is the support you provide through donations, however, that makes this work possible. If you haven't made a donation yet to the Jewish Federation this year, I hope you consider making one now. If you have, please consider increasing your gift.