Food LifeLine Advocacy Update: Start of State Legislative Session

ADVOCACY UPDATE

This is a busy time of year for the Public Policy team as we lobby our lawmakers in Olympia and D.C. During this time, we'll be leaning on you for some additional support to reach out to lawmakers to help move our legislative agenda forward. Be on the lookout over the next few months for easy ways to take action to help strengthen anti-hunger and nutrition programs at both the state and federal level.  Sincerely, Gina Clark and Katharine Ryan Food Lifeline Public Policy Team

WASHINGTON STATE LEGISLATIVE SESSION HAS BEGUN!   The state legislative session began January 13 and we hit the ground running. This year, our legislative agenda is focused on securing an additional $1 million for the Emergency Food Assistance Program (EFAP), which provides funding for food banks. Our team has been meeting regularly with state lawmakers about EFAP and providing testimony in support of the $1 million increase. Several of our agency partners including Robert Coit (Thurston County Food Bank), Carla Jones (Seattle Indian Center), and Kevin Glackin-Coley (St Leo Food Connection) provided powerful testimony for additional funding. A special thanks goes out to these amazing executive directors for taking time out of their busy schedules to speak up for food bank funding.      Additional support from you can help further this ask. If you or your organizations have not yet signed on to our community letter in support of EFAP, please sign uphere. It's a quick and easy way to let your legislator know how important this funding is as they make difficult funding choices this session. FARM BILL UPDATE Negotiations to reauthorize the Farm Bill are still ongoing. The Farm Bill sets U.S. agriculture and food and nutrition policy, and provides funding for programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, or food stamps), that helps feed over 1 million Washingtonians.   In order to help balance the budget, the Senate has proposed $4.5 billion in cuts to SNAP over the next 10 years. The House has proposed $40 billion in cuts over 10 years. Since the fall a selected group of lawmakers from both the Senate and House have been working to reach a compromise. A vote on the compromise bill is anticipated on January 29th, and early indications are that food stamps will be cut by approximately $8 billion over 10 years. If you oppose these cuts, please contact Senator Murray, Senator Cantwell and your Representative. You can simply call or email them with the message, "I oppose cuts to SNAP." Your voice will be heard and could help preserve benefits for nearly 40 million Americans who rely on food stamps to feed their families. ON THE HORIZON A quick snapshot of upcoming hunger relief issues! Farm Bill vote expected January 29   Hunger Action Day February 7, register here State revenue forecast February 20   Food Lifeline feeds hungry people. We stock the shelves and fill the tables of 275 food banks, meal programs and shelters throughout Western Washington.  Food Lifeline thanks MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, for supporting our advocacy program.