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HomeMy WebLinkAbout021524 - Call to Action in Olympia!ALERT: BE CAUTIOUS This email originated outside the organization. Do not open attachments or click on links if you are not expecting them. View this email in your browser <https://mailchi.mp/6cd63903a22d/call-to-action-in-olympia?e=b98e774f91> <https://mcusercontent.com/e6a5ce9c533fce19d6336ca83/images/eb7799dc-f725-2465-41b0-d52a127246c5.jpg> Call to Action - Contact Your Legislators for Immigrant Justice <https://mcusercontent.com/e6a5ce9c533fce19d6336ca83/images/f3589550-7ac1-6015-2fad-8aa8aff15cea.jpg> An impressive gathering of over 300 participants at the Immigration and Refugee Advocacy Day (IRAD) took place on February 7 in Olympia. IRAD was sponsored by WAISN, the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network, and JCIRA was proud to send a delegation, including members of the JCIRA Women's Justice Circle, to talk to our legislative representatives in the 24th District. Here is an action we can do to make further gains for the immigrant community before this legislative session ends in early March. Please contact the 24th Legislative District representatives by calling or sending an email to these links and tell them to support the following three budget provisos. Their contact information follows: * Representative Mike Chapman (360-786-7916) Committees: Agriculture & Natural Resources and Transportation and Consumer Protection `````````email - https://app.leg.wa.gov/pbc/memberEmail/24/1 <https://jcira.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e6a5ce9c533fce19d6336ca83&id=ad9b9afc22&e=b98e774f91> * Representative Steve Tharinger (360-786-7904) Committees: Appropriations and Healthcare and Wellness `````````email - https://app.leg.wa.gov/pbc/memberEmail/24/2 <https://jcira.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e6a5ce9c533fce19d6336ca83&id=796851a152&e=b98e774f91> * Senator Kevin Van De Wege (360-786-7646) Committees: Senate Ways & Means Committee and Health & Long Term Care Committee. email - kevin.vandewege@leg.wa.gov <mailto:kevin.vandewege@leg.wa.gov> Here are the three budget provisos with information and talking points you can include. 1) Health Equity for Immigrants Budget Proviso The Health Equity for Immigrants Campaign is calling on the Washington State Legislature to ensure the proper implementation of the Medicaid-like program providing no-cost healthcare to undocumented Washingtonians. **Program Funding ($30 million) The legislature should allocate additional programmatic funding to ensure the Medicaid-like program can cover as many Washingtonians as possible, as the current funding levels are projected to cover only a fraction of those eligible. **Outreach Funding ($3 million) The legislature should allocate funding specifically for community-based organizations to serve as trusted messengers and assisters for community members eligible for the Medicaid-like program. **Study for Reaching Full Funding ($100,000) The legislature should allocate funding for a study by the Health Care Authority and Health Benefit Exchange that will detail a pathway for Washington to fully fund the Medicaid-like program and maximize utilization. **​Study for Exploring Affordability Gaps ($240,000) The legislature should allocate funding for a Health Benefit Exchange study exploring how to resolve remaining Exchange affordability gaps. Purchasing coverage on the Exchange is still out of reach for many individuals. The state must work to resolve these inequities. ​**Waitlist funding The legislature should allocate sufficient funding for the Health Care Authority (HCA) to develop and implement short-term and long-term waitlist systems for the Medicaid-like program. 2) Wage Replacement Program for Undocumented Workers Budget Proviso We are disappointed that the legislature did not take action on SB 5109 / HB 1095, the Unemployment Benefits for Undocumented Workers, in the fiscal committee to address the urgent needs of undocumented people in Washington. We hope that the legislature will still consider a budget request from the same coalition of advocates requesting $8 million to create a short-term stopgap unemployment benefits program to at least help address these urgent and ongoing needs of undocumented workers who do not have access to unemployment insurance. 3) Newly Arrived Immigrant Budget Proviso An estimated 14,000 migrants arrived in Washington State as asylum seekers in 2023, the highest in any year. They have fled violence and instability and deserve to be welcomed and supported. Community leaders, service providers and friendly neighbors have stepped up to support, however, a lack of dedicated resources by the state has led to hundreds of asylum seekers having to sleep in tents or on the streets. The budget proviso includes a commitment of $25 million to provide housing, food assistance, transportation, education, legal support, employment support, and social service navigation. Priority Bills that can still pass this session by contacting Olympia directly. See the links for each one. 1) HB 1889 Pathways to the Future: Professional Licenses for Washington's Immigrants (Passed House--in Senate) Clarify that all qualified applicants, regardless of citizenship status, can obtain any professional occupational licenses and allow applicants to use an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) instead of a Social Security number when applying for a professional or occupational license. Click here to support HB 1889. <https://jcira.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e6a5ce9c533fce19d6336ca83&id=4412517371&e=b98e774f91> 2) SB 5241/HB1263 Keep Our Care Act (Passed Senate) ​Scheduled for public hearing in the House Committee on Civil Rights & Judiciary at 8:00AM on Feb 14. This legislation helps ensure mergers do not result in loss of care – gender affirming, reproductive, end of life. The Keep Our Care Act would ensure health entity mergers, acquisitions, and contracting affiliations increase rather than reduce access to vital health services, including gender affirming, reproductive, and end of life care. Click here to support HB1262 <https://jcira.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e6a5ce9c533fce19d6336ca83&id=4ee820b3dd&e=b98e774f91> . 3) HB 1579: Independent Investigations for Police (Passed House) Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Law & Justice at 8:00 AM on Feb 15 This bill would create an independent process—separate from police departments—to investigate when officers commit crimes or use questionable force. Click here to support HB1579 <https://jcira.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e6a5ce9c533fce19d6336ca83&id=a9b2c62c2f&e=b98e774f91> . Please take action now! March 1st is last day to pass opposite house bills March 7 is last day of session <https://jcira.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e6a5ce9c533fce19d6336ca83&id=886e16de38&e=b98e774f91> <https://jcira.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e6a5ce9c533fce19d6336ca83&id=98783fe6de&e=b98e774f91> Copyright © 2021 JCIRA, All rights reserved. Thank you for joining the JCIRA Newsletter mailing list. Our mailing address is: JCIRA PO Box 647 Port Townsend, WA 98368-0647 Add us to your address book <https://jcira.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e6a5ce9c533fce19d6336ca83&id=9652befe88&e=b98e774f91> Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences <https://jcira.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e6a5ce9c533fce19d6336ca83&id=103d0bc561&e=b98e774f91> or unsubscribe from this list <https://jcira.us12.list-mana ge.com/track/click?u=e6a5ce9c533fce19d6336ca83&id=486c08b853&e=b98e774f91> . 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