2015 Policy Agenda. Statewide Poverty Action Network

Transcription

1 2015 Policy Agenda Statewide Poverty Action Network

2 Dear Members & Friends, My heart sank last fall when I heard the news that Washington state is one of just three states in the US where poverty increased in the last year (the others are New Jersey and New Mexico). In Washington, one in seven people (14.1%) now live below the poverty line. This is up from 13.5% in While the numbers are disheartening, they also serve as a reminder of the work we must do together. We can and must fix this troubling trend. Our families, neighbors, and communities deserve better. As we kick off a new year, and a new legislative session, Poverty Action has again strengthened our resolve and renewed our hopes for expanding equity in Washington. We hope for thriving communities and for jobs that pay fair wages. We hope that all children and their families have enough to eat, a safe place to sleep, the ability to see a doctor or dentist, and the experience of a world-class education. In short, we hope that everyone in our state can meet their needs today, while building lasting prosperity. Poverty Action s public policy agenda for the 2015 Legislative Session reflects the values and priorities of our membership and board, and is framed using a racial equity lens. Through listening sessions, board meetings, and membership events, we gathered the collective values of our 12,000 members for the coming year. Throughout the year, Poverty Action and our members will act on these values in Olympia and every corner of the state. We can t do this work without you! Together we can lead the fight against poverty in our state, and ensure that all Washingtonians have the chance to live a life of prosperity and dignity. Sincerely, Marcy Bowers, Director 2

3 About Us Poverty Action is grounded in the understanding that poverty is a systemic issue, and that racism is one of the greatest perpetrators of poverty. To end poverty, we must eliminate racism. Many of the barriers people of color face in reaching economic security are a direct result of institutional racism, including housing discrimination, benefits denied to immigrants, and predatory lending. These barriers have resulted in people of color being more likely to live in poverty than their white counterparts. In our state, 25% of African Americans, 27.1% of Latinos, 26.4% of American Indians and Alaska Natives, 16.5% of Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, 12.1% of Asians, and 16.9% of mixed-race households live below the Federal Poverty Line (FPL), compared to 10.4% of white households. Poverty Action recognizes that these barriers and disparities are often created and maintained through public policies and practices and they can be addressed and eliminated through thoughtful public policy campaigns. To this end, we at Poverty Action infuse racial justice into every aspect of our work: in the questions we ask at listening sessions, in our policy analysis, and in all components of our campaigns. We support policies that build an equitable, multicultural community with access and power for all; we oppose any legislation that would discriminate against or disproportionately impact people unfairly based on race or ethnicity. In order to be included in Poverty Action s agenda, a public policy must: Create racial equity and address systemic problems that contribute to poverty Have broad support from people living on low incomes Strengthen our network and engage members in the civic process Contain enough political traction to pass within three-to-five years Provide Poverty Action the opportunity to play a leading role or have a unique voice on the issue At Poverty Action, we not only work to change policy, but also to change the myths about why people live in poverty in our state. We do this by working with community members to share their personal stories with lawmakers, and including the history of why a piece of proposed legislation would have a worsening or mitigating impact on communities of color and those living on low incomes. Just as public policy has had an incredible impact on low-income communities and communities of color, people with low incomes and people of color can have an incredible impact on public policy. Join us as we organize, share our stories, and ultimately create a more just, equitable Washington state! 3

4 Ensuring Dignity for All People Racial Equity Analysis: Our communities thrive when all people can meet their basic needs and have opportunities to prosper. Our state has invested in our shared future by providing avenues to access health care and education for our kids, and support for seniors and adults living with disabilities. However, years of declining state and federal government investments in safety net programs have heavily restricted access to basic services, and exacerbated long-standing racial inequities. Investment in our state s most valuable resource, our people, is the best strategy for a strong and vibrant economy, one that addresses the barriers to economic security that persist in many communities of color. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) When families can meet their basic needs and save for the future, they are more likely to be safe, stable, and healthy, the benefits of which ripple throughout communities and the economy. Our state s TANF system helps struggling families with children reach economic security by providing basic cash assistance and support in finding employment. People who qualify for and receive assistance from TANF and WorkFirst (TANF s associated employment program) engage in an immediate job search and participate in work-training activities. Position: 1) Protect and strengthen the TANF grant amount. 2) Eliminate the TANF asset test. 3) Ensure that the WorkFirst program provides real opportunities for families to move out of poverty and see a progression in their wages over time by improving career pathways for parents and reforming participation rate requirements. 4

5 Housing and Essential Needs (HEN), and Aged, Blind, and Disabled (ABD) We all hope that if something unexpected happens in our lives, we will have access to support and the opportunity for a decent quality of life. HEN ensures that people who are temporarily unable to work due to a physical or mental disability can meet their basic needs. Recipients are not eligible for federal assistance, so they receive housing assistance and resources to meet essential needs, such as toothpaste and toilet paper, from the state. ABD provides $197 per month in cash assistance to adults living with disabilities who are in the process of applying for federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI). The ABD grant ensures disabled adults who are unable to work have the resources to meet their basic needs while they are waiting for federal SSI approval. Once a participant transfers to SSI, the state is reimbursed for the funds spent on that person s ABD grant. Position: 1) Preserve funding for HEN. 2) Preserve and strengthen the ABD grant amount. Medicaid Adult Dental Lack of affordable dental care affects people s ability to eat, work, and go to school. Untreated dental problems can lead to serious medical conditions including heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and even death. Moreover, access to dental care for pregnant women and people with diabetes is especially important to their overall health. Medicaid, including the Adult Dental program, is a partnership between the state and federal governments. In 2014, approximately 700,000 Washingtonians became eligible for the Medicaid Adult Dental program when our state legislators chose to implement the federal Affordable Care Act. Even with this much-needed expansion, there are still many adults in Washington going without the care they need. Position: 1) Expand dental access to disabled, senior immigrants who do not meet the federal qualifications for Medicaid Adult Dental. 2) Increase reimbursement to dentists when they serve pregnant women and people with diabetes. 3) Increase the number of preventative visits allowed under Medicaid Adult Dental from one to four visits per year for pregnant women and people with diabetes. 5

6 Breaking Down Barriers to Reentry Racial Equity Analysis: Three decades ago, criminal and juvenile justice policies took a dramatic turn to a tough on crime approach. Incarceration shifted from a rehabilitation model to a punitive model, resulting in the disenfranchisement of people of color, predominantly African-American and Latino males. Sentences increased and post-incarceration life became more difficult because of limits on voting rights and denial of equal access to employment, housing, public benefits, and education. Poverty Action supports bills that provide opportunities for people to reclaim their lives, support their families, and participate in their communities after serving their criminal justice sentences. Legal Financial Obligations (LFOs) LFOs trap many people and their families into cycles of poverty and debt. LFOs are financial penalties assessed as part of a criminal sentence, only a small portion of which is used for restitution. These fines carry a 12% interest rate, one of the highest in the nation, which accrues throughout incarceration. Most people assigned LFOs have limited incomes and struggle to pay these fines after their incarceration. When this happens, people are often classified by the courts as failing to pay, and are then subject to sanctions that can include arrest, re-incarceration, driver s license suspension, and wage garnishment. All of these penalties are primary barriers to accessing employment, housing, and other services, which when denied or restricted, lead to increased rates of recidivism for Washingtonians already living on low incomes. Position: Pass legislation that reduces or eliminates non-restitution LFO debt. 6

7 Certificates of Restoration of Opportunity (CROP) Thousands of Washingtonians with prior criminal records are ineligible for employment opportunities, even after they have served their sentences and reestablished themselves in their communities. Currently, there are over 90 occupations, ranging from commercial fishing to personal training, that are closed to people with criminal records. This legislation would create a certificate, or CROP, that when signed by a judge would attest that a previously incarcerated person has demonstrated his or her rehabilitation and reintegration into society. A person with a CROP would then be eligible for employment in some of the 90 jobs currently closed, thus allowing them increased access to housing, and a better chance at building a more stable, economically secure life for themselves, their families, and their communities. Position: Pass legislation to create Certificates of Restoration of Opportunity. Washington Fair Chance Act ( Ban the Box ) On many job application forms, there is a checkbox that asks about criminal history. This checkbox often serves to screen out applicants without providing them the chance to explain the circumstances of a past arrest or conviction, or to discuss their commitment to gainful employment and to leaving their past behind them. These boxes also minimize the skills, qualifications, and expertise of applicants critical factors for employers to assess in the hiring process. The Washington Fair Chance Act would ban the box, prohibiting employers from asking about arrests or convictions before an applicant is determined otherwise qualified for a position. Position: Pass the Washington Fair Chance Act to ban the box. 7

8 Creating Opportunities to Prosper Racial Equity Analysis: Sustainability should be about more than just the air, water, and earth; it should be about the sustainability of people and communities. As our state rightly works to address climate change in order to protect our natural environment, we must also ensure that those hardest hit by the impacts of a changing climate communities of color, families with low incomes, and rural Washingtonians will not be asked to shoulder the majority of the burden. Carbon Pricing Putting a price on carbon emissions is an essential step in addressing our state s environmental future. However, for the third of Washingtonians who live on low incomes, the impact of rising energy costs will be difficult, if not impossible, to absorb. Any carbon pricing policy must take into account wealth inequity and keep the needs of people with low incomes central to the conversation. Position: 1) Offset or reduce the rising cost of energy for families living on low incomes. 2) Fund the Working Families Tax Rebate (WFTR) to offset rising transportation and energy expenses for over 450,000 low- and moderate-income households in Washington state. 8

9 Racial Equity Analysis: Sixty years after the Supreme Court ruled school segregation unconstitutional in Brown v. Board of Education, the legacy of separate, but equal can still be observed in a variety of measures, including lower standardized test scores, lower grade point averages, higher dropout rates, and lower college enrollment and completion rates for students of color. Washington state has the chance to ensure all kids will succeed by addressing the inequities in education experienced by children of color and children from families living on low incomes. Opportunity Gap All students, regardless of race, income, or ethnicity, should have equal access to the opportunity to learn. However, studies show that students living on low incomes and students of color have less access to educational opportunities than white or wealthier students, and have disproportionately lower scores on student achievement tests. Closing the opportunity gap for these students is critical to ensuring all students have an equal chance to receive a good education and access opportunities to learn. Position: 1) Provide expanded learning opportunities to address summer learning loss and afterschool educational opportunities. 2) Improve the State Transitional Bilingual Instruction Program by increasing dual-language learning services. 3) Expand dropout prevention and intervention programs that provide wraparound services for students at risk of dropping out. 4) Implement an equitable funding formula that takes into account the needs of students living on low incomes and students of color. Access to Higher Education and Training Everyone dreams of a better future for themselves and the ones they love earning a college degree, buying a home, opening a small business. Yet many people in our state are barred from their dreams. They struggle to make ends meet while working low wage jobs, unable to afford to go back to school. This severely limits their earning potential in the workforce and hinders their ability to save money. Position: 1) Continue to support funding and policies that increase access to higher education and training for people with lower incomes. 2) Maintain and expand funding for need-based financial aid such as the State Need Grant, College Bound Scholarships, and Opportunity Grants. 3) Maintain and expand funding for the I-BEST program. 4) Improve student completion rates in vocational and technical programs by reforming basic education and developmental education programs at community colleges. 9

10 Fair and Reasonable Consumer Protections Racial Equity Analysis: As longstanding racial disparities in wealth and income have continued, households of color are less likely to have the safety net of home equity or cash on hand to handle unexpected expenses or a loss or reduction of income. As a result, communities of color are aggressively targeted by abusive and predatory lenders, putting households of color at a much greater risk for overwhelming debt than white households. We advocate for both maintaining the consumer protections already put in place and enacting stronger protections that will help Washington families avoid debt or lower their amount owed. Predatory Lending Everyone, regardless of their income, should have fair and reasonable consumer protections when they borrow money. Across our state however, payday lenders prey on low- and moderate-income families, people of color, and seniors. Payday and installment loan products carry huge fees and interest rates ranging from 200% to 400% APR, and they are designed with terms that borrowers usually cannot meet, forcing people into high-cost, long-term debt. In 2009, Washington state passed its first law to rein in payday lenders, which provided a number of protections to payday loan borrowers. While this law has saved Washingtonians over $140 million in lending fees since it went into effect in 2010, the law is under the constant threat of being rolled back, and new predatory loan products are introduced every year. Consumers need strong protections that safeguard their crucial assets and their ability to meet their basic needs, especially in times of crisis. Position: 1) Maintain the payday lending protections already put in place by the legislature. 2) Oppose the creation of any new lending products that carry high interest rates, and threaten to trap families in cycles of debt. Debt and Debt Collection Practices Families fall into debt for a variety of reasons, including an illness, a medical event, or a job loss. Fringe financial services targeting people in debt have seen rapid growth over the last 10 years. From debt adjusters to debt settlement companies, there has been a rise in these financial entities who exploit struggling Washington families, often leaving families economically worse off than before. We need strong regulation of predatory debt services and practices that threaten to deprive Washingtonians of their hard-earned income. Position: Enact strong consumer protections to help Washington families avoid debt or lower their amount owed. 10

11 Budgeting to Protect Washington s Future Racial Equity Analysis: The racial wealth gap in our state is astounding. African-American household wealth is just 6% of white household wealth, and our state revenue system only worsens this inequity. Our system is upside down: as a share of their income, families living on low incomes and families of color pay up to eight times more in state and local taxes than their wealthier, white counterparts. Our system is also inadequate: we do not bring in enough revenue to meet the demands of our state. At the same time, communities struggling with the effects of the recession see diminishing support from the state, as seen in repeated cuts to safety net programs and to services that support immigrant families. All told, families living on low incomes and families of color face a double burden in our revenue system: they pay a higher portion of their incomes in taxes, only to see fewer resources come their way. We advocate for an updated revenue system and for a budget that protects everyone s future. Sufficient Revenue Our communities thrive when all people can meet their basic needs and have opportunities to prosper. Years of devastating budget cuts have caused thousands of Washingtonians to lose vital support services that they have relied on to make ends meet, get through hard times, and transform their lives. After the worst recession of our lifetime, rebuilding our state s economy must be a top priority. In order to build a strong state, we must build a more robust and stable revenue system that is able to meet the demands of our communities and economy. We need new, progressive sources of revenue to maintain important services, create jobs and opportunities, protect our most vulnerable, mitigate racial disparities, and ensure a secure economic future for our state. Position: 1) Create a progressive, steady revenue source that can support a healthy economy and meet the needs of our state, such as a capital gains tax. 2) Close corporate tax loopholes. 11

12 12 Our Mission: The Statewide Poverty Action Network builds grassroots power to end causes of poverty and create opportunities for everyone to prosper. Our Vision Poverty Action envisions a state where people of all income levels fully promote and participate in building the fabric of socially, politically, and economically just communities. Nonprofit Org US Postage PAID Seattle, WA Permit No Statewide Poverty Action Network C/O Solid Ground, Washington 1501 N 45th St Seattle, WA We are a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization. We do not support any candidate or political party.