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.
