Action Center Update: Special Session to Begin in November

Governor Announces Special Session for November; More Cuts Loom

As state revenues continue to fall, Governor Gregoire has announced she will call the legislature to Olympia after Thanksgiving for a 30-day special session beginning on November 28. Legislators will address a multi-billion dollar hole in state revenue with up to $2 billion in cuts. While additional cuts will likely be part of any solution legislators adopt, the idea of enhancing revenue may be considered as well. In the days following Gregoire's announcement of a special session, Senator Ed Murray and Derrick Kilmer wrote an Op-Ed on the challenges facing legislators and just last week, The Seattle Times editorialized in support of some additional revenue, drawing on ideas from Representative Reuven Carlyle.

Jewish Federation Partners with Christ Our Hope Church for Candidate Forum on Poverty

With Seattle's municipal elections fast approaching, the Jewish Federation has joined forces with Christ Our Hope Church (1902 2nd Avenue) -- Seattle's downtown Catholic Church -- for a candidate forum on the topics of poverty, hunger, and homelessness. Since the Jewish Federation formed its advocacy division in the mid-90's, addressing the immediate and systemic challenges people in poverty face has been a top priority.

The forum will be held on Sunday, October 16, 2011 from 3 to 5pm. The forum is a rare opportunity to hear the candidates running for city council discuss at length their approaches and priorities for combating poverty in Seattle. Please consider attending this event. If you cannot attend, please submit a question for the moderators to use.

Jewish Community Moves to Support Marriage Equality in Washington State

Joining Jewish Community Relations Councils in Minnesota, Greater Washington, Boston, and the Dakotas, the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle recently adopted a resolution in support of marriage equality, which also respects the religious freedom of clergy. The Jewish Federation's longstanding support of religious freedom and our opposition to discrimination against minority communities compelled us to take a supportive stance on this issue. In the Seattle community we do not stand alone. Organizations like the Anti-Defamation League, Washington State Holocaust Education Resource Center, and the Kline Galland also support marriage equality. Civil marriage equality is supported by numerous community rabbis as well, including Rabbis Jill Borodin, Cindy Enger, Seth Goldstein, Oren Hayon, Jessica Marshall, Jim Mirel, Rachel Nussbaum, Beth Singer, Jonathan Singer, Danny Weiner and Zari Weiss.

Still Time to Take the Jewish Federation's Public Policy Survey

There is still time to take the Jewish Federation's public policy survey. It only takes 10 minutes, and your input is extremely valuable in helping the Federation shape its public policy and legislative agenda. You can find our public policy survey here.