2010 Leg Session

Legislative Agenda 2010

siobhan — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 12:16:57 -0500

In 2010 our legislative agenda outlines strategies to protect kids and families through the economic recession.

Read the 2010 Legislative Agenda.

We're in the News: No on 1107

siobhan — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 16:37:35 -0400

The Columbian published an opinion - editorial by Executive Director Paola Maranan on September 26, 2010. The piece addresses some misinformation being spread by the soda company-backed Initiative 1107.

Tough times, tougher advocacy for kids

Tue, 18 May 2010 12:40:51 -0400

Many critical support systems for kids in our state faced potentially devastating cuts when the 2010 legislative session started. We knew that protecting vital services for children and families was not going to be easy.

But we’ve never been ones to shy away from a challenge.

Day in and day out, we worked to make sure that lawmakers did right by kids. In the end, the Children’s Alliance played a pivotal role in the successful push for:

Nearly $800 million in new state revenue.
Full protection of Apple Health for Kids.
A stronger commitment to early learning for infants and toddlers and a path toward preschool for all.
Meals for kids in child care, schools and during summertime.
Continued support for the work of a committee studying how to remedy racial disproportionality in the state’s child welfare system.

Read our 2010 Legislative Session Review for an in-depth look at all we accomplished for kids, setbacks we fought hard to prevent, and the next steps we’re taking to keep children and families at the top of our lawmakers’ priority lists.

– Liz Gillespie

Standing Strong For Kids: 2010 Legislative Session Review

siobhan — Thu, 13 May 2010 19:25:10 -0400

In good times and bad, we advocate for laws and policies that support our state’s most vulnerable children – especially those in low-income families and communities of color. Our key challenge during the 2010 legislative session was to protect vital services for children and families from budget cuts that could have erased decades of progress. We achieved remarkable success on many levels this year, preserving critical support systems for families weathering the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression.

Read our 2010 Legislative Session Review for an in-depth look at our victories for kids across Washington state and the challenges that lie ahead.

WE'RE IN THE NEWS: FOOD FORUM BILL DESERVES SUPPORT

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 14:11:51 -0400

Lawmakers in Olympia are considering establishing a Washington Food Policy Forum, currently sponsored by Sen. Ken Jacobson, Senate Bill 6343. Linda Stone, senior food policy coordinator of the Children's Alliance, and Jim Baird, a farmer in the Royal City area, discuss why the Forum would address food costs, access to healthy food and finding ways to support local farms. They write:

read more

WE'RE IN THE NEWS: ANALYSIS: HOW SOFT DRINK LOBBY'S VICTORY IN WA MATTERS TO NATIONAL SODA TAX DEBATE

Sat, 20 Mar 2010 12:56:44 -0400

The Olympia Newswire continues its coverage of a proposed Washington state soda tax with an analysis of how efforts in this state join initiatives in other states and cities around the country to tax sugar-sweetened beverages.

WE'RE IN THE NEWS: OFF THE TABLE? HOW THE SODA INDUSTRY MADE SURE IT WASN'T TAXED

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 12:30:31 -0400

A proposal enacting a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages to restore funding for health and dental services draws support from some advocates, including the Children's Alliance, and criticism from the soda industry. Olympia Newswire reviews the history of soda industry tax exemptions and how current lobbying efforts may remove the proposal from the table.

‘Please, tax my candy, tax my soda … whatever it takes’

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:34:55 -0500

In this minute-long audio slideshow aimed at our state’s lawmakers, Seattle high schooler Daniel Perlmutter makes a common-sense plea for taxing candy and soda to pay for kids' health care. It’s simple, he says.

“Candy … it’s fun, but it’s not food. Yet our tax laws treat candy like bananas, bread and milk. That’s preposterous!”

WE'RE IN THE NEWS: TAX PLAN PROGRESSES IN SPITE OF CRITICISM

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 10:54:28 -0500

The latest proposal to extend the sales tax to candy, now exempt as a food item, is drawing both opposition and support in Olympia. The Children's Alliance supports the proposal, which would use the revenue from taxed candy to restore medical and dental programs for children. Teresa Mosqueda, advocacy & legislative relations for the Children's Alliance, says:

“We can no longer afford to subsidize candy and sweets. These items are not food items.”

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Taxing sugary snacks, drinks would be good for children's health

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 18:29:28 -0500

Candy is not food. So Washington’s tax law shouldn’t treat it like it is. Soda is loaded with calories and has zero nutritional value. A penny-per-ounce tax could raise substantial revenues to protect vital medical and dental care programs for children and families across our state.