Update from Olympia #8
Monday, March 1
Welcome to the 7th week of session! There’s just over a week left in session and still many big issues to be worked out, including the budget package. Both the House and Senate released their proposed budgets last week and they need to agree on a single package to send to the Governor before the end of session. We’ve beat back some of the worst cuts to long-term care in the proposed budgets and will keep fighting as the process moves forward.
IN THIS ISSUECaregivers Testify on Budget Cuts and Need for Revenue * Advocacy Prompts Improvements in Senate Budget * Caregiver Portraits Get Attention at Purple Presence * Career Pathway Bill on Way to House Floor * Grassroots Legislative Organizer Blog
COMING UP THIS WEEK Monday: Petition Deliveries * Thursday: Purple Presence
REMINDER Legislative Conference Call
IN THIS ISSUE
Caregivers Testify on Budget Cuts and Need for Revenue Four caregivers – Linda Lee, Cathy Byrd, Chris Hardin, and Glenda Faatoafe – provided public testimony in the house and senate out about the budget cuts and the need to raise enough revenue to protect basic services.
Two other caregivers – Bessie Clark and Sheryl Woods – came to testify but weren’t able to do so since the committee ran out of time and so they sent their comments in writing. Bessie wrote, “If these cuts go into effect, some home care clients could lose up to 42 hours of care per month. If Robby’s hours are cut again, we could lose our home because we won’t be able to afford the bills. What will happen to Robby if I can’t take care of him at home? People like Robby deserve better. Please raise more revenue to protect our future.”
Advocacy Prompts Improvements in Senate Budget Advocacy from caregivers resulted in positive changes to the Senate budget in the Ways and Means committee. Senate Democrats amended the budget to:
- Protect 1400 home care clients from losing services entirely due to Medicaid Personal Care eligibility cuts;
- Reduce the cuts to home care hours for vulnerable clients; and
- Keep the doors to adult day health open for vulnerable seniors and people with disabilities.
The amendments put us in a much better place as the budgets move toward the conference process.
Click here for the press release and President David Rolf’s statement on these amendments.
Caregiver Portraits Get Attention at Purple Presence Members helped raise awareness about the impact of the budget cuts by displaying huge posters featuring nine different members (most with their clients) from around the state. Sheryl Wood, Eva Gantala, Flash Scaff, June Taputua, Bonnie Bushnell, Ursala Parshad, Susan Jaggers, Glenda Faatoafe and Judy Harris. We also distributed specific stories to legislators from King, Pierce and Snohomish Counties, profiling
June,
Sheryl, and
Eva.
Eight members from King and Clark Counties met with eight different legislators, including Sen. Craig Pridemore, Rep. Jim Moeller, Rep. Jim Jacks, Rep. Pat Sullivan, Rep. Mark Miloscia, Rep. Tim Probst, Rep. Deb Wallace, and Sen. Don Benton.
Click here for a slide show of pictures from Purple Presence.
See a slide show of the posters below: