This is an archive of old Quaker Voice posts.
Still no action has been taken last week on HB 1847 that generates more than $100 million/year to fund the Basic Health plan by closing tax loopholes. Action: Call House Ways & Means Committee Chair Ross Hunter and request he schedule a hearing for HB 1847. HB 1889, which requires review of all tax expenditures … Read more
Coal-free Future for Washington. SB 5769 would phase out Washington’s single largest source of dangerous & toxic pollution, the TransAlta, the state’s only coal-fired power plant. The proposed bill will address concerns about the health impacts of coal, climate change, and air and water pollution caused by the plant’s emissions. The bill (prime sponsored by Sen. Rockefeller) … Read more
Restorative Justice. Restorative justice brings together all the people affected by a particular offense to provide an opportunity for the offender to accept responsibility, acknowledge the harm done, and for all to come to agreement about how to best make right any wrongs. HB 1775/SB 5706: Encouraging juvenile restorative justice programs. The bill provides agencies … Read more
Economic Justice: Support funding for Basic Health Plan (BHP), Disability Lifeline, Apple Health for Kids, and Take Charge family planning. The House and Senate have approved the conference committee report for the supplementary budget (ESHB1086) that runs through of June of 2011. BHP and other programs will be kept, but enrollments are reduced. The crucial … Read more
Department of Ecology assertions the state is not doing enough to clean its air has potentially increased support for HB 1825 that would create a Coal Free Future for Washington by forcing TransAlta to quit burning coal by 2015, ten years earlier than currently required by an outstanding gubernatorial order. (For more details on the … Read more
Abolition of Death Penalty considered 5th District Senator Cheryl Pflug is reported to be considering whether to vote in favor of SB 5456, which replaces the death penalty with life without parole. The bill was heard Wednesday, February 9th and is believed to have sufficient support to get voted out of committee if Senator Pflug … Read more
The Budget and Policy Center documented the cost of tax loopholes and suggests a five-point strategy to reduce these costs and to generate additional revenue needed to fund vital services our state has historically provided to help keep everyone healthy. Click here for a summary of the paper. The League of Education Voters put together … Read more
HB 1825 would create a Coal Free Future for Washington by forcing the only coal-fired power plant in our state, TransAlta, to quit burning coal by 2015, ten years earlier than currently required by an outstanding gubernatorial order. Electricity is produced by TransAlta in Centralia. The TransAlta plant emits 10 million metric tons of gasses/year: … Read more
The Senate Ways & Means Committee amended the House 2011 Supplementary Operating Budget. ESHB 1086 cuts $254 million from the current biennial budget, which funds state services through June 30, 2011. While the Senate budget cuts more than did either the house or governor’s budget, Basic Health is retained, as is Disability Lifeline, and Apple Health … Read more
Representative Roger Goodman (District 45) submitted our Restorative Justice bill (HB 1775) and got House Early Learning & Human Services Chair, Ruth Kagi, to cosponsor. As HB 1775 must be heard and voted out of Early Learning and Human Services before February 21st, Chair Kagi’s support is very important. Senator Nick Harper (District 38)is the … Read more