Just before Memorial Day recess, the U.S. House passed H.R. 4213, which would, among other things, extend the emergency jobless benefits millions of long-term unemployed workers are relying upon.

However, in last minute negotiations a critical provision was left out of the bill.

As part of last year’s Recovery Act, states received federal assistance through an increase in federal matching dollars on state Medicaid spending through the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage, known as FMAP.  This aid has helped our state weather the impacts of the national recession by preventing damaging cuts to healthcare services and saving jobs in the public sector.  But the increased FMAP provision is set to expire at the end of 2010, a full six months before our state fiscal year ends in June of 2011.

If this FMAP provision is not extended in the final version of the bill, Washington would likely face deeper cuts to healthcare services to make up for the $435 million loss in funding at a time when more families are relying upon them.

Although it looks as if the FMAP provision will be extended in the Senate version of the bill, the legislation still needs to return to the House for final approval.

Please take a minute to click the take action button below to send an email to Senators Murray and Cantwell, along with your congressional representative and urge them to extend FMAP!

Background provided by Washington State Budget and Policy Center.

This alert comes from the Washington D.C. Office of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, a ministry partner of LPPO.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and our anti-hunger partners like Bread for the World and Feeding America are planning a “week of action” during June 9-11 to generate momentum for the passage of a strong Child Nutrition Reauthorization.

June 9-11: Call Congress!

In an effort to demonstrate grassroots support for Child Nutrition Reauthorization, we are asking as many people as possible to call their Representative this week. (For easy-to-use talking points to guide your call, click here).  In short, we are asking for a strong Child Nutrition Reauthorization THIS YEAR that includes at least $1 billion per year in new investments. We encourage you to target these calls to your Representative in the House since that is where action is happening at this time.

Use this toll-free number and give them your Representative’s name to be connected to their office: 1-800-815-3740. Don’t know your Representative? Just click on Take Action and we’ll look it up for you.

Just tell them who you are, where you’re from, and your brief message in support of a strong Child Nutrition Reauthorization with $1 billion per year in new investments.

Nearly 17 million American children struggle against hunger. While hunger affects people of all ages, it is particularly devastating for children. Even short-term episodes of hunger can cause lasting damage to a child’s development and put children at risk for a range of cognitive, behavioral, emotional, and physical problems.

As summer approaches, legislative activity is heating up on the Child Nutrition Act, the bill that authorizes all of the federal school meal and child nutrition programs.  Renewed about every 5 years, the Child Nutrition Act is one important tool in our fight against childhood hunger.

The programs in this Act – like the School Lunch Program and the Summer Food Service Program – serve tens of millions of children each day, ensuring that low-income and hungry children have access to healthy and nutritious foods.  This reauthorization is our chance to improve the quality and efficiency of these programs, as well as make sure they are reaching all those kids who need them.

To learn more about this important bill, check out the ELCA’s Child Nutrition Reauthorization webpage.

This is a critical time to weigh in on Child Nutrition Reauthorization.  We need your help to generate as many calls and meetings as possible to show Congress how important this bill is to hungry children!

Upcoming King County Issues and Events

All levels of government in Washington are facing significant budget shortfalls and King County is no exception.  King County Executive Dow Constantine and the County Council are currently working on ways to balance the 2011 county budget, which currently faces a $60 million shortfall.  In order to limit cuts to vital criminal justice, public-health, and select human service programs, Executive Constantine has proposed a two-tenths-of-a-percent sales tax increase to go before King County voters on August 17th.  This proposal needs approval by a supermajority of the Council to be placed on the ballot.  Currently only 5 members of the 9 members council have expressed support for the measure and 6 votes are needed.  The vote will likely take place next Monday, May 24th, following a 1:30 pm council hearing.  For more information on the sales tax proposal, including a detailed list of programs that would be preserved, visit the proposal’s page on the county executive’s website.

Take Action:

County Council needs to hear from you about putting the Public Safety Sales Tax on the ballot.  Calls of support are critical!

The message: Put the Public Safety Sales Tax on the August ballot and allow the voters to decide.

Members from districts 1, 2, 4, 5, and 8 have expressed support for the measure need to hear a thank-you for their support.  Districts 3, 6, 7, and 9 are opposed or undecided–please urge them to put the sales tax on the ballot.  Call your county councilmember before 1:00pm Monday May 24th to relay this message.

Find your King County Councilmember on theCouncil Website:
District 1 – Bob Ferguson – 206-296-1001
District 2 – Larry Gossett – 206-296-1002
District 3 – Kathy Lambert – 206-296-1003
District 4 – Larry Phillips – 206-296-1004
District 5 – Julia Patterson – 206-296-1005
District 6 – Jane Hague – 206-296-1006
District 7 – Pete von Reichbauer – 206-296-1007
District 8 – Jan Drago – 206-296-1008
District 9 – Reagan Dunn – 206-296-1009

The Council will take action on this next week. Turn out for the hearing on Monday May 24th at 1:30 in council chambers (King County Courthouse 516 Third Ave – Seattle, WA 98104) – stand up for human services!

Washington State has one of the most regressive tax systems in the United States, a system that increasingly shifts payment for state services onto low and middle income families.  Initiative 1098, endorsed by LPPO, will help make Washington’s tax structure  more progressive while helping to ensure funding for vital social services such as education and healthcare.  More information available at www.yeson1098.com.

With only a little over a month to gather the necessary signatures the campaign needs volunteers to gather signatures. To get involved contact the LPPO office for signature forms and/or attend one of the following trainings.

I-1098 Kick Off Training
Sat, May 22nd, 10am-1pm
SEIU Local 6 office, 3720 Airport Way S., Seattle
Join us for an issue briefing and signature gathering training. Following the training, we will deploy folks out to the field for a short signature gathering shift.
Contact Erik Magnuson to RSVP or for more info, erik@yeson1098.com

I-1098 Weekly Wednesday Trainings
Every Wednesday through June 16, 6-7:30pm
Campaign office, 1914 N 34th St., Seattle
Drop in for a quick dinner, short issue briefing, and signature gathering training.
Contact Erik Magnuson to RSVP or for more info, erik@yeson1098.com

The Church Council of Greater Seattle, Lutheran Public Policy Office, Community Christian Leaders Coalition (sponsored by the A. Philip Randolph Institute Seattle Chapter) and the Martin Luther King Jr. County Labor Council extend this special invitation to invite you to our quarterly Faith, Labor and Community Breakfast meeting on May 27, 2010 at 9:00 a.m. at Machinists 751 Hall, 9125 15th Place S., Seattle. This quarter’s breakfast is hosted by the Washington State Labor Council.

Great work is happening in this coalition! At this meeting we will debrief the 2010 legislative session and begin the work to prepare for the impact the budget cuts will have on our constituency. We hope you will join us and participate in this valuable work to support the working families in your local, church, union or community organization. For more information please contact the LPPO office at 206-464-4133 or lppooffice@lcsnw.org.

If you’ve been asking:

What does the new health care law do exactly?
How does this affect me and when?

Come learn about the law from a panel of nurses, doctors, small business owners, and others, including the Office of the Insurance Commissioner. There will be plenty of time for questions & answers.

June 3rd: 6-8 PM
Facilitated by Enrique Cerna of KCTS 9
Mt. Zion Baptist Church
1634 19th Ave
Seattle, WA

Sponsored by the Healthy Washington Coalition, a group of organizations including LPPO that share one common goal: “to achieve secure, quality, affordable healthcare for all Washingtonians.”

As mentioned in earlier alerts, 25,000 grocery store workers in the Puget Sound area are negotiating a new contract with their employers. These three big national grocery store chains, Safeway, Kroger (QFC and Fred Meyer) and Supervalu (Albertsons), are top Fortune 50 companies that pay their CEOs a combined $30 million last year. Now the companies are proposing to cut pay and crank up health care costs for workers.

The ELCA calls for the “right of workers to organize and bargain collectively” and for employers to “compensate all people we call or employ at an amount sufficient for them to live in dignity and provide adequate pension and health benefits, safe and healthy work conditions, sufficient periods of rest, vacation, and sabbatical, and family-friendly work schedules.”  This commitment has led LPPO to partner with United Food and Commercial Workers Local 21 to work for worker justice in the grocery industry.

Join thousands of grocery store workers, customers, and community members signing the Grocery Worker Bill of Rights.

Check out the Bill of Rights. And then add your name as a community member in support of the Grocery Store Workers Bill of Rights. Stand UP – for a future we can all depend on.

You are warmly invited to join in a celebration of Duwamish culture and Northwest art hosted by Duwamish Tribal Services. This event is on Saturday, June 5, 2010.

Enjoy a  wine reception, and a traditional feast and live auction of valuable art from Northwest artists such as Preston Singletary and Marvin Oliver.  Proceeds from the gala will benefit Duwamish Tribal Services (DTS), a nonprofit organization that provides critical support to nearly 600 tribal members.

The full event ticket price is $75. Full price ticket includes wine reception, silent auction, traditional buffet-style dinner and live auction. Tickets for the full event ticket can be purchased via Brown Paper Tickets only beginning the week of April 26, 2010, first come, first served for the first 150 people. No dinner tickets can or will be sold at the door or at the longhouseprior to the event due to limited seating capacity.

Individual sponsor (not attending the event): $150 or more

Table of eight: $600 (first come, first served due to limited seating capacity)

Wine Reception/Silent Auction tickets can be purchased
for $30 at the longhouse at (206) 431-1582 or by cash or
check to 4705 W. Marginal Way SW, Seattle, WA 98106.

Where: Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center  Map It
4705 W. Marginal Way SW
Seattle, WA 98106
Tickets are available thru Brown Paper Tickets at www.brownpapertickets.com

Free courtesy transportation at Seattle Parks Maintenance Facility at:

4209 W. Marginal Way SW, Seattle, WA  98106

If passed the revised two year budget would include more than $4 billion in cuts, but also raises $800 million in desperately-needed funding for services our communities rely on.  Unlike earlier proposals, the compromise does not include a general sales tax increase.

We have just a few days to pass this proposal. In the face of intense opposition, legislators need to hear from you that it’s time to move Washington forward.

Click on the link below to urge your legislators to support this critical compromise.

http://www.fusewashington.org/page/speakout/budgetspecial

This funding package is the minimum amount required to prevent ballooning class sizes, allow low-income students to afford college, and protect healthcare coverage for thousands of people in our communities.

This proposal would  close tax loopholes and raises some targeted taxes on non-essential goods like cigarettes and temporary increases on soda and beer. We think it makes more sense to pay a few cents more for a can of beer than deny thousands of people access to affordable health care.

Tell your legislators to stand up to last-minute pressure from corporate lobbyists and support this compromise legislation.  Click on the link to send a message.

http://www.fusewashington.org/page/speakout/budgetspecial

If you support raising the revenue needed to maintain vital social services, the message is the same as in past weeks, “I am a person of faith who supports closing the tax loopholes and raising the revenues necessary to protect the vital services that serve the most vulnerable of our state.”

As the sessions nears its conclusion, legislators also need to hear a word of thanks for their work.  In this time of economic difficulty, they have been forced to make tough choices regarding revenue and services.  Sending an email (legislator look-up) or a leaving a message through the hotline (1-800-562-6000) thanking legislators for their work, lets them know you care about their service and helps to build a relationship for future advocacy.

Finally, keep the legislature and the Governor in your prayers.  May they continue to do God’s work to ensure the common good.

If you live in the Seattle area, join LPPO and our community partners THIS SUNDAY in celebrating the passage of health care reform.  Senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray will be in attendance.  Bring a friend and come help us mark this historic occasion!

3:00PM – Sunday, March 28th
Machinists Seattle Union Hall
9125 15th Pl S
Seattle, WA 98108

An excerpt form the ELCA alert on the passage of health care reform:

“The ELCA is a church committed to equitable access to basic health care for all people. While questions about the best combination of public and private means for achieving this goal leave room for legitimate disagreement in this church and in society, there is reason to applaud the ways in which the recently passed health care reform legislation will help many Americans, especially those left out and left behind of our current health care system.

The health reform bill is not perfect, but it will expand coverage to millions of people and put into place important consumer protections and benefit guarantees that will help many people, including those currently without coverage, small business owners and employees, and those living with HIV and AIDS.”

During the its 2009 Churchwide Assembly, the ELCA adopted a resolution committing the church to advocate that “each person should have ready access to basic health care services that include preventative, acute and chronic physical and mental health care at affordable cost.” While the current legislation is a compromise, it will insure millions of Americans who are currently without health coverage, help reform a system of insurance that punishes the poor and the sick, and helps to contain exponentially increasing medical costs.

After months of legislative work, heated rhetoric, and too many twists and turns to count, we have reached the final stages of the health care debate.  It is anticipated that the House will take a final vote this Sunday on the bill already passed by the Senate.  The vote is expected to be extremely close and President Obama has delayed a trip abroad to work towards the bill’s passage.

This may be your last chance let your legislators know you support health care reform!

The ELCA is a member of Faithful Reform in Health Care, a national organization working to expand the depth and breadth of support for health care reform within the religious community and activate the prophetic voice to promote affordable health care for all in the United States as a moral value. They have prepared a letter to send to your legislators in these last days of the health care debate.  Take action and click the link below to send a message to your Representative, your two Senators, and President Obama that you support health care reform!

Contacting your representative is especially important if you life in the 3rd District (southwest Washington, including Vancouver and Olympia) or the 9th District (Tukwila, Des Moines, Federal Way, parts of Tacoma, Yelm, and Lacy).  Rep. Brian Baird and Rep. Adam Smith are considered two of the key votes that could make or break health reform in the House.

In addition to this basic message there are three specific programs that need your immediate advocacy to protect them from cuts.  Please call tomorrow, March 18th!

• The Housing Trust Fund (HTF) is not currently funded by the Senate Budget, and is in the House Budget. Basic message to all, especially your Senator, “Please fund the Housing Trust Fund at $50 million.”
• General Assistance-Unemployable (GA-U), now called “The Disability Lifeline.” All legislators need to hear that this is critical assistance that historically has provided $339/month, which allows those receiving it to be housed. Current compromises are reducing this benefit and/or substituting housing vouchers (which could be unusable depending on landlords). Message to all legislators, “Please keep the Disability Lifeline as intact and as funded as possible.”
• After undergoing significant cuts last session, the Basic Health Plan (BHP) is funded at its current level in both the House and Senate budgets.  We need to make sure it stays this way!  Message to all legislators, “Please maintain funding for the Basic Health Plan at the current level.”

At this stage, a phone message left via the legislative hotline 1-800-562-6000, or a direct call to your legislators and the Governor, is the most effective way to make your voice heard.  The hotline is a great resource if you don’t know who your legislators are.  The operators are very helpful and will make sure your message gets to the right place. The hotline hours for the extended session are 9-12 and 1-4 daily (weekend excluded).

Week Nine in Review

The final week of the regular session saw House and Senate leadership working to craft a final budget.  Although they were unsuccessful in meeting the deadline for the end of session, there were a few bright spots, including the Senate’s elimination of the $37 million cut to the Housing Trust Fund.  The Clean Water Act (HB 3181) also remained alive, albeit in a much more limited form.  Classified as necessary to implement the budget, the bill remains alive and hopefully will be passed during the special session.

SB 6343, the Food Policy Forum Bill and one of LPPO’s legislative priorities, passed the House and the Senate, it is currently awaiting the Governor’s signature.  While Governor has indicated that she may veto the bill, LPPO and our organizational partners are working with legislators to make the case for the Governor to sign the bill.  The forum created by the bill will coordinate action among the many stakeholders that can expand production, consumption and access to Washington-grown foods. The forum will facilitate job creation in local agriculture, keep food dollars and tax revenue in-state, and improve health based upon improved access to healthy food. SB 6343 was a focal point for LPPO’s advocacy work in Olympia this session with LPPO serving as its lead lobby organization.

Greetings,

Today begins the 9th and final week of the 2010 session of the Washington State legislature.  Barring extraordinary circumstances, Thursday will the 60th and final day of session.  The House and Senate passed their versions of the budget late last week and each version will be heard before the opposite chamber before the differences are reconciled and a final budget agreed to, hopefully by Thursday.  The Capitol and Transportation Budgets are also reaching their final stages and any bills deemed NTIB (necessary to implement the budget) were able to avoid the final bill cut off last Friday and may be heard on the floors of the House and Senate before Thursday deadline.

As the final budget is prepared during this last week of session, your legislators need to hear from you about two important programs.

• The House budget funds the Housing Trust Fund at a full $100 million while the Senate Budget proposes a $39.5 million cut.  Cutting the Housing Trust Fund would have a devastating impact on affordable housing.  The Senate’s cuts would come from developments that are already underway, including first-time homebuyer units and apartments for the elderly, disabled and homeless families with children.  The housing trust fund leverages 4 dollars for every 1 dollar invested by the state from federal and other sources.  The message:  “Washington State needs a fully funded Housing Trust Fund now more than ever.  Support funding for the Housing Trust Fund at the level proposed in the House budget.”
• Nearly 9,000 people with very low incomes in Washington rely on General Assistance – Unemployable (GAU) because they are temporarily unable to work due to a mental illness or physical disability. To help them meet their basic needs, they receive a meager $339 a month. Most use this money to pay for shelters or to contribute to subsidized housing. Without the help, many would become homeless.  GAU is facing massive cuts in the latest budgets, cuts that eliminate the last line of financial protection for our state’s most vulnerable.  The message: GAU is truly a lifeline for those who are unable to work due to physical or mental disability.  Protect GAU at the current level of funding.”

Call your legislators using the legislative hotline 1-800-562-6000 or send an email using the link below and urge them to protect funding for the Housing Trust Fund and GAU!

Budget Vigil

If you live the Olympia area please join LPPO and our partners from the Rebuilding Our Economic Future Coalition for a glow stick vigil to remind legislators that in these dark economic times they can “light the way for a brighter future.”  Held tomorrow, March 9th, from 6-8pm at Legislative Building at the state capitol, the vigil will be a final public witness in support of raising sufficient revenue to protect important services.  Free pizza will be provided.  If you plan on attending, please let us know at lppooffice@lcsnw.org.

Week Eight in Review

The deadline for non-budget related policy bills to pass the opposite house was Friday at 5:00 pm.  SB 6343, the Food Policy Forum Bill and one of LPPO’s legislative priorities, passed the House just an hour before the cutoff.  The forum created by the bill will coordinate action among the many stakeholders that can expand production, consumption and access to Washington-grown foods. The forum will facilitate job creation in local agriculture, keep food dollars and tax revenue in-state, and improve health based upon improved access to healthy food. SB 6343 was a focal point for LPPO’s advocacy work in Olympia this session with LPPO serving as its lead lobby organization.  The bill passed during the first session it was introduced, not an easy task!  It now awaits the Governor’s signature

Last week also saw the House and Senate pass their versions of the state budget, the House on Friday and the Senate on Sunday.  Last week both chambers passed budgets that included $758 (House) and $890 million (Senate) in new revenues, mostly from a temporary sales tax increase (Senate only) and the repeal of various tax exemptions (House and Senate) among other sources. On Monday, March 1st, LPPO organized a letter to lawmakers urging them to view their budgets as moral documents during final deliberations.  Signed by over two dozen faith leaders from around the state, the letter urged legislators not to shy aware from necessary revenue increases while recognizing the difficulty and magnitude of the budgetary situation.  The letter can be found here.

With a little over a week left in Washington state’s legislative session, it is crunch time in Olympia.

While this new revenue will protect vital education and human services programs, it is not enough to prevent significant cuts to health care, education, and services for kids, seniors, and those hit hardest by the recession. Taken in context with last session’s cuts only approach, the House revenue proposal of $758 million, amounts to only $1 in revenue for $4 in cuts for Washington’s current two year budget cycle.

However, even these relatively limited revenue proposals are under relentless attack from anti-tax advocates.  Your legislators need to hear from their constituents, including people of faith, that the current revenue proposals are a good start but more revenue is needed. We need to reassure our representatives that protecting essential services for our neighbors in need is important enough to the citizens of Washington to justify raising revenue.

Urge your legislators to support a stong revenue package to protect vital services!

HB 2782 takes the important step of renaming GAU to The Disability Lifeline Program, a more accurate name for a program that is the last recourse for persons who are unable to work to support themselves

HB 2782 also reforms and strengthens GAU by providing expert assistance  to GAU recipients who apply for Social Security  (SSI) benefits, limiting the time individuals will have to stay on GAU and ensuring they receive benefits for which they are eligible.  The legislation also creates an online application portal to make access to the program easier, expands the food stamp employment and training program in community colleges around the state, and transfers the initial medical evaluation required by the program to a managed care provider facilitating faster treatment.

GAU is a vital program providing aid to the most disadvantaged. As faithful advocates we are called to care for the neighbor, particularly those who are mentally and physically disabled.  Through supporting public policies such as the Security Lifeline program we help to “ensure adequate social security.” (Sufficient, Sustainable Livelihood for All).

Status and Action

HB 2782 has passed the House and is now before the Senate Human Services and Corrections Committee.  It had a public hearing on 2/23 and will go before an executive session of the committee today  (2/25) for a vote.  Urge your Senator to support the Disability Lifeline Act using the Take Action link below.  If your Senator serves on Human Services and Corrections give them a call too!

Senate Human Services and Corrections Committee

James Hargrove, D-24, Upper Olympic Peninsula, (360) 786-7646
Debbie Regala, D-27, Downtown Tacoma, (360) 786-7652
Val Stevens, R-39, East Whatcom, Skagit, and Snohomish Counties, (360) 786-7676
Dale Brandland, R-42 Bellingham and West Whatcom County, (360) 786-7682
Mike Carrell, R-28, University Place and Fort Lewis, (360) 786-7654
Claudia Kaufman, D-47, Auburn and Covington, (360) 786-7692
Rosemary McAuliffe, D-1, Bothell and South Snohomish County, (360) 786-7600