Government Affairs

On June 25, Senator Joe McDermott and Representative Jamie Pedersen will be receiving the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle’s 2009 Tikkun Olam Legislative Tribute at our annual meeting.

This award recognizes legislators who embody the concept of tikkun olam, “repairing the world.” This year, we are recognizing these two legislators for their work to expand civil rights in Washington State by shaping and passing two pieces of legislation: comprehensive hate crimes legislation and expansion of legal protections for gay and lesbian couples.

When the 2009 legislative session was being defined by a crushing $9.0 billion deficit, intense lobbying and citizen advocacy efforts were the only way to prevent dire cuts to the safety net critical to our partner agencies and the community members.

Thanks to the government affairs and community relations efforts of the Jewish Federation, the social service programs and funding our partner agencies depend on to operate services to low-income people were mostly preserved.

On March 25, 20 representatives from Seattle’s Jewish communal organizations engaged in a table-top safety training exercise, the first in a series of four such safety trainings. Executive directors, clergy, security and technology specialists from a variety of Jewish organizations discussed what their response would be in the immediate aftermath of a 6.7 magnitude earthquake along the Seattle fault.

Washington State stands to benefit from the passage of the federal economic stimulus bill. Billions of dollars in funding will be coming to Washington to help with imminent transportation projects, education, and those most in need in the current economic downturn. An additional $2 billion in Medicaid funding is headed our way.

Tomorrow, a new revenue forecast will be released. All indicators point to a deepening state deficit, already at $6 billion. This revenue forecast will frame the debate and the budgets crafted by the House and Senate. In the face of our state's growing economic crisis, it is important to remind lawmakers that deep cuts in health, human service and education programs hurt people when they need these valuable supports the most.