Government Affairs

The Jewish Federation is committed to tzedekah, or justice, and sees our partnership with government as a necessary component of our work. As such, we work tirelessly to protect the partnership between government, our partner agencies and the clients they serve. This includes legislative advocacy work, grassroots organizing, community education and coalition building.

Our work is focused on four main areas: Children, Youth and Families, Adults, Seniors and Human and Civil Rights.

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Washington State Jewish Action Center

The Washington State Jewish Action Center is the Jewish community's hub for information related to public policy and the impact on local and statewide communal organizations. The Action Center is also the primary tool the Jewish Federation uses to communicate with our community about public policy matters.

You can sign up for the Action Center to receive periodic updates on legislation, policy and other items being considered in Washington DC, Olympia and elsewhere. Through the Action Center, the Jewish Federation will communicate important information and provide opportunities for engaging opinion makers at all levels of government. The Action Center is an important tool in our government relations toolbox.

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Recent Action Center updates

Action Center Update: Washington State Legislative Session Now Open

Posted on Tuesday Jan 17, 2012 9:46 AM

Autopsy Case Taken Up by Senate Judiciary Committee

Late last year, a Jewish man died while hiking on Mount Rainier. Because a precise cause of death couldn't be determined, the Pierce County Medical Examiner insisted on performing an autopsy -- against his family's wishes. The family successfully blocked the autopsy by pursuing the matter in court citing Jewish law and belief, which looks unfavorably at desecration of a body. Currently, Washington State doesn't allow a medical examiner to consider the opinion of the family and the deceased's religious background when making the decision to perform an autopsy.

SB 6068, introduced last week and sponsored by Senator Adam Kline, Senator Joe Zarelli and Senator David Frockt changes this omission. The bill will be heard in committee this week. A companion bill sponsored by Representatives Reuven Carlyle and Roger Goodman will be introduced in the State House soon. The Jewish Federation supports this legislation and will be working to see it passed in the current legislative session.

Please take a moment to email your State Senator and ask him or her to support SB 6068.

Action Center Update: Special Session to Begin in November

Posted on Monday Oct 10, 2011 8:11 AM

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.

Action Center Update: Seattle Jewish Organizations Awarded Nonprofit Homeland Security Grants

Posted on Friday Sep 2, 2011 11:50 AM

Jewish Community Succeeds Again in Latest Round of Security Funding

Jewish Federations React to Super Committee Failure

Posted on Tuesday Nov 22, 2011 9:20 AM

Last night at midnight the so-called Congressional Super Committee (the Congressional Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction) was required to send its recommendations to the Congressional Budget Office for formal scoring or cost analysis. This would have been in advance of the Committee's November 23 statutory deadline to vote on a final package of proposals that would significantly cut the budget. Governed by the provisions of the Budget Control Act which passed Congress last August, a majority of the 12 members of the Super Committee needed to agree to at least $1.2 trillion in federal budget reductions over the next nine years. Unfortunately, the Super Committee failed to meet its deadline!

Civil Marriage Equality Campaign Announced for Washington State

Posted on Monday Nov 14, 2011 3:44 PM

This fall, the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle's Board of Directors passed a resolution in support of civil marriage equality for Washington State. Today, the Federation joined in a coalition of civil rights and faith based organizations, labor unions and other supporters to announce the formation of a statewide grassroots coalition to make civil marriage for all Washingtonians a priority in 2012.

Congratulations to Zach Carstensen

Posted on Tuesday Aug 30, 2011 11:19 AM

It is with great pleasure that we announce that Zach Carstensen, the Federation's Director of Government Relations and Public Affairs, will be receiving special recognition at the Jewish Family Services Annual Meeting tomorrow evening. Zach's dedicated work with JFS and other Jewish organizations throughout the state has earned him respect and admiration among the many Jewish partners we serve.

Homeland Security Teams Up with Federations

Posted on Monday Aug 15, 2011 3:45 PM

In a recently published Op-Ed in the JTA, Jerry Silverman, President & CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America, our parent organization, reported that the Department of Homeland Security is partnering with the Jewish Federations and the Federation-funded Secure Community Network (SCN) to address the threat of terrorism in the Jewish community. This marks the first time that DHS has teamed up with a faith-based community.

Silverman reminds us that our security will require the whole community's involvement and that communication is our first line of defense.

2011 Non Profit Security Grants Available

Posted on Friday May 20, 2011 12:58 PM

Materials for the 2011 Non Profit Security Grant have been released. Eligible non-profits can apply for federal funding to install security infrastructure or train staff. If you are interested in applying, please contact Zach Carstensen, ZachC [at] JewishInSeattle [dot] org ASAP.

Application deadline is June 9, 2011.

Contact:
Zach Carstensen
Director of Government Relations and Public Affairs
Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle
ZachC [at] JewishInSeattle [dot] org
206-443-5400 (telephone)