VOICES
Voices for Opportunities, Income, Child care, Education, and Support
2009 Washington State Legislative Agenda
Protect health and human services funding
Health and human services funding plays a critical role in keeping our families and communities safe, particularly in times of budget crises. VOICES members believe services that provide a safety net for people’s basic needs must be protected. We encourage protecting in particular the following programs that have been identified for reduction or elimination: GAU/GAX, the Basic Health Program, Adult Dental Care, Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse Treatment, and After-school and readiness-to-learn grants.
Repeal TANF Full Family Sanctions and protect children
Research has shown that families under full sanctions often have significant barriers, such as access to reliable transportation or reliable child care. Full family sanctions don’t work as incentives if people don’t have enough resources to overcome their disadvantages.
Restore Voting Rights for Felons Who Have Served Their Time
An estimated 151,000 Washingtonians – 3.7% of the state’s total voting population – are currently disenfranchised from voting because of their status as ex-felons who have served a sentence but are still completing financial responsibilities to the state. VOICES believes those who have served their time deserve to exercise their right to vote and not be discriminated against because of financial status. SB5534
Help Low-Income Families Build Assets and Move Out of Poverty
VOICES supports the Neighborhood Assets Program, THORS, IDA accounts, and housing assistance programs as ways for people of low-income to work toward self-sufficiency.
Protect Consumers by Regulating Predatory Lending
Access to credit is important for people of all classes in American society. VOICES supports offering equal access to credit for low-income people, without being charged criminally high interest rates that take millions of dollars out of our low-income communities.
passed 29? bills that VOICES that lobbied for and other groups lobbied for
SB5270 8 day voter registration
HB1517 restoration of the right to vote for ex felons
SB5882 trying to minimize racism in child welfare
SB5286 no programs for three months, no sanctions, in first year after birth
HB2071 help for parent to stay on the job
HB1270 electric signature on welfare form
HB1769 DSHS provide housing to prevent placing kids out of home
HB1938 post adoption sibling contact
HB1709 Small loan, installment plan to pay off
HB1395 workforce & economic development, clarify law
SB5735 greenhouse gas money to poor energy
HB1464 Affordable Housing Incentive for developers to promote density, fee waiver
HB1794 calculating child support new schedule ???
HB1596 right to breastfeed,
SB5180 transit stop where safe to get off the bus
HB1856 Tenants who are victim of sexual assault, harassment or stalking by landlord
HB1663 relocation rights for renters when housing taken for public use (like a freeway)
SB5531 Consumer protection
HB1790 Domestic violence court order notice to victim
SB5166 failure to pay child support Must make good effort or license suspended
SB5810 foreclosure protect renter
SB6033 foreclosure reduction
SB5164 restrict pay day loan communication not at job, not late at night, no false legal claims
HB2106 evidence based help for families
SB5850 Human trafficking violation information to foreign worker of law & contacts to protect rights
HB1579 tax exemption non profit legal
HB2075 download tax $3.9M
HB2331 Homeless services document fee
HB1782 dependency matters/ notice to parent
Federal e-mail congress S535 fee for collecting child support repealed if the state keeps money
HR676 single payer health care this would bring more money to other programs because it would have its own taxes to support health care The legislature and congress has passed health care programs without taxes other programs have cut to make room for health care
Write congress to say raise SSI rather than Mental health, give the money to client not agency basicincome.org
HR789 Domestic violence,stalking emergency leave, assistance Insurance and employment rights
S714 National Criminal Justice commission better for families
VOICES 314 S Spruce 3rd Thursday 5:30-7:30pm dlcaampbell@yahoo.com
the Governor did veto HB 5286 no sanctions first year after birth child