Updated Side by Side Budget Comparison

Click HERE for the updated 2011-2013 Side by Side Governor, House, & Senate Biennial Budget Comparison

Governor/House side by side budget

HERE is the Governor-House budget side-by-side. The Senate should be releasing theirs this evening.

Arc of Washington State Action Alert

The House votes on their budget soon! Take Action!

Make your voice heard today!

The House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee has released their 2011-2013 biennial budget proposal. A public hearing was a held a few hours after the budget was released. The entire House will vote on the budget soon. You must act today!
We need to thank legislators for their hard work, as it has not been an easy task to keep critical programs funded, but many programs that serve people with developmental disabilities were reinstated. Also included in the budget is the transition of 149 clients from Residential Habilitation Centers (RHC). Five RHCs will be consolidated into three. There are issues around Employment/Day and Adult Day Health that you may want to address.
Please act now and thank your legislators for the good things they have done and share your concerns for areas that may not have fared as well. Remember to be courteous. You can respond to this Action Alert or call and leave your message for your legislators on the toll free hotline at 1-800-562-6000.

"In our Shoes" Olympia Rally

A huge thank you to Joy Caldwell, Executive Director of The Arc of Island Skagit for making the “In Our Shoes” event such a great success! (see KOMO 4 video coverage of the event)

Revenue forecast is down another $780 million State revenue forecaster Arun Raha said today that state revenues are lower through June 2013 than he predicted last November, in effect widening the state's $3.6 billion to $5.5 billion budget shortfall. Raha is releasing his latest quarterly report at noon that shows a $79.8 million drop in revenues expected by June and $698 million through June 2013. The report will be posted here. Raha's recent monthly tax-collections report is here. "The economic outlook remains cloudy with a great deal of uncertainty," Raha's presentation began. He mentioned oil price volatility tied to Mideast unrest and now the impact of the earthquakes and tsunami in Japan. Read more: http://www.theolympian.com/2011/03/17/1582624/revenue-forecast-is-down-another.html#ixzz1GtAD6DEN The House and Senate will likely publish their budget proposals next week. When they do they will hold public hearings right away. If at all possible, try to be prepared to come to Olympia and testify. With a bigger deficit and 70% of the budget untouchable human services are where they look to cut. Watch for an email letting you know the budgets have been released!

State revenue forecaster Arun Raha said today that state revenues are lower through June 2013 than he predicted last November, in effect widening the state's $3.6 billion to $5.5 billion budget shortfall.
Raha is releasing his latest quarterly report at noon that shows a $79.8 million drop in revenues expected by June and $698 million through June 2013. The report will be posted here. Raha's recent monthly tax-collections report is here. "The economic outlook remains cloudy with a great deal of uncertainty," Raha's presentation began. He mentioned oil price volatility tied to Mideast unrest and now the impact of the earthquakes and tsunami in Japan.
Read more: http://www.theolympian.com/2011/03/17/1582624/revenue-forecast-is-down-another.html#ixzz1GtAD6DEN

The House and Senate will likely publish their budget proposals next week. When they do they will hold public hearings right away. If at all possible, try to be prepared to come to Olympia and testify. With a bigger deficit and 70% of the budget untouchable human services are where they look to cut. Watch for an email letting you know the budgets have been released!

2011 Supplemental Budget Comparisons

Click Here to view the bills after the House cut-off and the budget after the Governor signed it.

Judge puts hold on DSHS trimming benefits

Forcing poor families with disabled children to count federal disability payments when determining their income would cause "irreparable...

By Carol M. Ostrom

Seattle Times health reporter

Related

Forcing poor families with disabled children to count federal disability payments when determining their income would cause "irreparable harm" to low-income disabled children, a U.S. District Court judge ruled Monday, putting a temporary hold on a state rule change.
The Department of Social and Health Services rule, which was to go into effect Tuesday, would have forced thousands of families to lose benefits from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and the State Family Assistance programs, argued lawyers for disabled children and their families.
U.S. District Judge James Robart said that if the new rule were allowed to go forward, those families would be "unable to provide appropriate ... medical care for their minor children with disabilities" and the children would suffer "significant, even life-threatening, adverse health impacts, including hospitalization."
When faced with a conflict between financial and budgetary concerns and "preventable human suffering," the judge wrote, "the balance of hardships tips in the favor of preventing human suffering."
A hearing on the temporary injunction will be held March 21.
Carol M. Ostrom: 206-464-2249 or costrom@seattletimes.com
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2014361030_dshs01m.html?syndication=rss