Stop Anti-Immigrant Amendments!

During last year's State Senate budget debate, a package of harmful amendments were passed that became the most severe blow to immigrant rights by the Massachusetts legislature in recent memory, the core effects of which eventually defused by the conference committee.

They are back.

Senators Tarr, Hedlund and Knapik filed a number of anti immigrant amendments in the FY2012 budget: from a 24 hour hotline to report suspected undocumented workers anonymously, to E-verify mandate and barring in-state tuition.

Please contact your Senators to let them know that you are against these amendments!

Sample call:

Hello, my name is _______ and I live in (city). I’m calling to strongly urge the Senator to vote NO on all anti-immigrant amendments to be debated in the Senate budget.

(If you would like you can list specific amendments by number, which are summarized below)

To find out who your Senator is please visit - www.wheredoivotema.com

Here is a summary of the amendments:

34	Basically bars US citizen children from state public housing if their parents do not have, do not yet have or cannot prove a lawful immigration status.
64	Allows police to seize your car if they suspect you are undocumented and to keep it and sell it if you are deportable
82	Increases penalties for using or creating false documents
122	· Requires any business providing any service to the state including subcontractors to use E-Verify · Requires the state to investigate any tip relating to a violation of immigration law · Increases the amount of times the state must verify immigration status · Fine for fraudulent driving learner’s permit · Most benefits programs would have to document legal status · Bars instate for undocumented · Limits the receipt of all medical benefits to lawfully present residents including emergency Medicaid, Healthy Start and the Health Safety Net
125	Poll workers may ask for state ID from anyone before voting
166	Requires all health services applications to be verified via federal database
353	· Creates 24 hr AG hotline to anonymously report suspected undocumented workers · Implement E-verify for all state contractors and vendors, and any subcontractors working with them
385	Requires a license or state ID to register a vehicle increases the penalties associated with using, creating, selling, or distributing an altered or false ID
407	Increases penalties for driving without a license
447	Requires a Social Security number for ALL medical applications

House Votes to Restore Health Care for Immigrants

Last night, the House voted to fund the Commonwealth Care Bridge program (see previous post for details) at $25 million for at least six months of FY2012, with further funding down the road.

MIRA is grateful for its allies at the ACT Coalition, MLRI and others, and thanks the Governor Patrick's commitment since 2009 when the legal immigrant population was excluded. We are also thankful for Rep. Antonio Cabral (D-New Bedford) for his leadership on the floor year after year, for Rep. Tim Toomey (D-Cambridge)'s amendment effort, and for the House leadership.

After the 150-4 vote at 10:00PM, which also included funding for Adult Day health services, Patrick said in a statement: "I am grateful that Speaker DeLeo and his colleagues in the House have recognized the vital importance of restoring funding that provides health care for legal, taxpaying immigrants here in Massachusetts. All of the Commonwealth's residents deserve access to quality and affordable health care, and by protecting this program we can continue to do just that.”

Protect Health Care Coverage!

On April 15, Massachusetts’ House Ways & Means Committee eliminated the Commonwealth Care Bridge Program, threatening health care coverage for thousands of immigrants.

CommCare Bridge is a temporary, affordable and basic health care program that covers approximately 25,000 low- to moderate- income legal permanent residents, still under the 5-year residency waiting period for federally-funded coverage, like MassHealth.

MIRA, MLRI, ACT Coalition, and other allies are working closely with the Governor's Office and several State Representatives to amend the current House Budget to continue to fund the program at $50 million for FY 2012.

Two amendments are filed to restore the program: #715 (submitted by Rep. Cabral) and #750 (submitted by Rep. Toomey).

Without this coverage, these individuals can only rely on the over-burdened Health Safety Net program, adding cost prohibitive expenses to underfunded hospitals and health centers.

Cost issues aside, MIRA feels it is fundamentally wrong to disadvantage a sub-section of society based on their immigrant status.

Background on the Bridge program:

The Commonwealth Care Bridge Program is a state-subsidized health insurance program for “special status” legal immigrants who lost their Commonwealth Care coverage on August 31, 2009 because of changes in state law. The Bridge Program was created by the Massachusetts State Legislature to provide coverage for the individuals left uninsured by these changes. Bridge offers most of the benefits of Commonwealth Care, but does not include dental, vision, hospice or skilled nursing care.

Call your Representatives now (617-722-2000), and ask them to:

Support budget amendments #715 and #750 to continue the Commonwealth Care Bridge program at $50 million for fiscal year 2012.

House votes to restore health care for immigrants

Last night, the House voted to fund the Commonwealth Care Bridge program (see previous post for details) at $25 for at least six months of FY2012, with further funding down the road.

MIRA is grateful for its allies at the ACT Coalition, MLRI and others, and thanks the Governor Patrick's commitment since 2009 when the legal immigrant population was excluded. We are also thankful for Rep. Antonio Cabral (D-New Bedford) for his leadership on the floor year after year, for Rep. Tim Toomey (D-Cambridge)'s amendment effort, and for the House leadership.

After the 150-4 vote last night, which also included funding for Adult Day health services, Patrick said in a statement: "I am grateful that Speaker DeLeo and his colleagues in the House have recognized the vital importance of restoring funding that provides health care for legal, taxpaying immigrants here in Massachusetts. All of the Commonwealth's residents deserve access to quality and affordable health care, and by protecting this program we can continue to do just that.”

Health care coverage for immigrants to be funded through June 2011 (FY2011)

MIRA welcomes the new year with great news — Just as it was about to run out at the end of January, the Commonwealth Care Bridge program has been funded until the end of this fiscal year, June 30, 2011!

Governor Patrick submitted and the legislature passed the supplemental budget approving these funds shortly after a productive late December meeting with Secretary of Administration and Finance Jay Gonzalez and Connector Executive Director Glen Shor. Hosted by Healthcare for All, the meeting was attended by MIRA, SEIU 1199, Mass Law Reform Institute, the American Cancer Society, Greater Boston Interfaith Organization and the MA Hospital Association.

Thanks to our members, partner advocates, and the administration for not forgetting the the group of over 20,000 tax-paying permanent residents, or AWSS (aliens with special status). The program (run by CeltiCare) was completely cut by the legislature last Spring during the FY2011 budget process, with the possibility of funding it via federal FMAP funding (Federal Medical Assistance Percentages). Although FMAP funding was appropriated for Massachusetts, the program eventually went unfunded, and was temporarily extended through the Commonwealth Trust Fund.

This latest decision to fully extend funding is significant relief for thousands of families, but comes with a caveat: it does not allow new enrollees. MIRA will continue to keep you posted on the program.

In addition, we are excited to share that the supplemental budget also included promised funding for the Department of Public Health line item which covers the RISE programs (Refugee Immigrant Safety & Empowerment), making good on the legislative promise that this line would not receive cuts if federal funding was granted.

Health care for immigrants extends to January 31

Thousands of families were bracing for the worst this holiday season in their health care coverage, but there is a bit more breathing room. The Patrick administration recently confirmed that the Commonwealth Care Bridge program (run by CeltiCare) will be extended until January 31. This temporary program is the only affordable health insurance plan that covers a group of 27,000 tax-paying permanent residents, or AWSS (aliens with special status). It was completely cut by the legislature last Spring during the FY2011 budget process, with the possibility of funding it via federal FMAP funding (Federal Medical Assistance Percentages). Although FMAP funding was appropriated for Massachusetts, the program eventually went unfunded.

Although a December 2010 report by the Commonwealth's Division of Health Care Finance and Policy boasts health insurance coverage rate of 98.1%, 120,000 Massachusetts residents are still uninsured. If the Commonwealth Care Bridge program goes unfunded after January 2011, it would increase the uninsured rates by almost 25%, leaving thousands of families vulnerable, disrupting critical medical procedures and relationships with providers, and further strain the state's Health Safety Net program.

The administration indicates a commitment to find other means to fund the program through the end of the fiscal year (June 2011) in the absence of legislative action. Health care and immigrant advocates hope that the FY2012 budget, which begins deliberation in January, will continue to fund this vital program.

MIRA's Analysis of FY10 Final House Budget

The House Committee on Ways & Means released the House Ways & Means version of the budget on April 15, 2009. Over the next two weeks, Representatives filed and debated amendments to the budget, before passing the final version of the House budget on Friday, May 1st.

Considering the current fiscal realities in Massachusetts and across the U.S., it is difficult to determine and define success this year. Furthermore, with revenue projections decreasing by the day and an estimated $456 million shortfall in April revenue, there will be more cuts ahead in the not too distant future, and the Senate will likely have fewer funds to work with than their counterparts in the House.

Nearly all programs and line items across the final House budget received cuts, including many of MIRA’s budget priorities. Some of MIRA’s priorities received minor cuts, others received larger cuts, and one program was completely eliminated from the final House budget. Of the five amendments filed on behalf of MIRA’s priorities, only two were added to the budget, and one of those was at half the desired level. Still, in this economic climate, every victory is important.

One important victory took place when an anti-immigrant amendment (Amendment #287 filed by Rep. Perry of Sandwich) that would have increased citizenship and immigration status verification requirements was voted down and replaced by a cost-benefit study that keeps the amendment out of the budget. The anti-immigrant amendment was defeated by a margin of 116-40. Numerous Representatives spoke up against the amendment on the floor and leadership assured its defeat. Please thank those who both supported our budget priorities and voted down the anti-immigrant amendment. We must be ready for similar anti-immigrant amendments in the Senate, where they have been successful in the past.

The following is an analysis of how MIRA’s budgetary priorities fared in the final House budget:

The Citizenship for New Americans Program (CNAP) (Line item 4003-0122) was funded at $500,000 in the final House budget, which represents a $80,000 cut from the Governor’s House 1 budget recommendation of $580,000 and a decrease of $110,000 from post-9C levels in FY09. MIRA thanks the House Ways & Means Committee for providing funding at levels equal to FY08, particularly considering the budget climate. Please thank Rep. Tony Cabral of New Bedford at 617-722-2017 for filing an amendment that would have increase citizenship funding.

The final House budget includes $28,085,646 for Adult Basic Education and English for Speakers of Other Languages (Line item 7035-0002), which represents a reduction of more than $3 million from FY09 levels of $31.1 million, a reduction of $1.9 million after this year’s 9-C cuts brought the value down to $29.9 million, and a cut of more than $1.1 million from the Governor’s recommendation of $29,223,195. MIRA and its allies are asking for funding at FY08 levels of $30.1 million. During times of economic crisis, MIRA and its allies feel that investing in the education and English language skills of the Commonwealth’s workforce and residents is a sound investment. The ABE/ESOL line item has been hit by a number of cuts in the last year, which total $3 million. Because everyone in the Commonwealth benefits from investments in our workforce, particularly in difficult economic times, we hope that the Senate budget recognizes this by funding ABE and ESOL at $30.1 million. Please thank Representative Frank Smizik of Brookline at 617-722-2676 and Representative Linda Dean Campbell of Methuen at 617-722-2877 for filing amendments that would have increased funding for ABE/ESOL.

The Workforce Training Fund (WTF) was funded at $21 million (line item 7003-0701) in the final House budget, after Representatives Coakley-Rivera and Rodrigues had their amendments added to the budget to increase the line item by $6 million. The Governor also proposed $21 million in the House 1 budget and MIRA was asking for full funding at $21 million to help facilitate the implementation of a Dedicated Fund for Workplace ABE/ESOL that combines funding from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s workplace education grants with funds from the WTF to create a single, streamlined fund that expands resources for workplace ABE/ESOL. The WTF is funded 100% through a tax on employers and, thus, does not impact funding of the General Fund. Please thank Representatives Coakley-Rivera of Springfield at 617-722-2014 and Representative Rodrigues of Westport at 617-722-2230 for filing amendments to fully fund the Workforce Training Fund at $21 million.

The line item containing the Refugee and Immigrant Safety and Empowerment (RISE) Program (4513-1130) was funded at $5,108,264 in the final House budget, down from nearly $6.4 million in FY09. The impact of the 20% cut on the RISE program will not be known until after the budget process, since the funds in the line item are disbursed through the Department of Public Health. As a result, it is currently unknown how the reduced funding will impact immigrants and refugees’ access to culturally and linguistically-appropriate domestic violence and sexual assault services, although language ensures the program will continue. The $300,000 set-aside for services for immigrants and refugees was eliminated, with the only positive coming in the language of the line item, which remains broad and inclusive of all immigrants. MIRA and its allies had been asking for level-funding of the line item at $6.4 million with $1,319,854 going to RISE. Please thank Representative Liz Malia of Boston at 617-722-2060 and Representative Driscoll of Braintree at 617-722-2396 for filing amendments to either increase funding for RISE and/or the line item.

The MassHealth Outreach and Enrollment Grants line item (4000-0352) was eliminated from the final House budget. The elimination of the line item reflects the Governor’s House 1 budget. MIRA and its allies are asking for level-funding at $3.5 million. Federal matching funds cover 60.2% (or $2.1 million) of the total in the line item, with the Commonwealth only responsible for $1.4 million. Unfortunately, the Governor and the House have failed to understand the importance of the grants to helping hard-to-reach populations, including immigrant communities and limited English proficient residents, retain coverage throughout the confusing enrollment reverification process. MIRA feels that the elimination of the line item will do nothing to reduce costs in the budget, as costly turnover in the system will increase, valuable time and energy will be lost navigating an incredibly complex system in which outreach and enrollment grantees have valuable expertise, and emergency room usage will increase. Please thank Representative Jim O’Day of Worcester at 617-722-2220 and Representative John Scibak of South Hadley at 617-722-2370 for filing amendments that would have reinstated the line item at $3.5 million.

Anti-immigrant Amendment #287, filed by Rep. Perry of Sandwich, that would have unnecessarily changed citizenship documentation and immigration status verification procedures at benefit-granting agencies for all federal and state benefits was defeated. Representative Alice Wolf of Cambridge offered a further amendment that called for a cost-benefit analysis of immigrants in the Commonwealth, a legislative maneuver that keeps the anti-immigrant amendment out of the budget. Aside from opposing the fundamental premise upon which Amendment #287 was filed—the assumption that benefit fraud from undocumented immigrants is widespread—MIRA and its allies fought anti-immigrant Amendment #287 because research has shown that increased citizenship documentation requirement disproportionately impact low-income U.S. citizens; require additional funding for outreach and education on new procedures and, as a result, represented an unfunded mandate; and our belief that current documentation and immigration status verification procedures already disenfranchise enough immigrant families who are eligible for federal and state benefits, among other reasons. Please review how your Representative voted and make sure they supported Rep. Wolf’s amendment by voting “Yea;” if they voted “Nay” please contact them to express your concerns and ask for their reasoning. Please also thank Representatives Wolf, Cabral, Swan, Bosley, Toomey, Sanchez, St. Fleur, and O’Flaherty who spoke on the floor against Amendment #287 and in favor of Rep. Wolf’s study.

Now, the budget process moves on to the Senate. The following is the projected timeline of the Senate budget:

May 13^th or 14^th: Senate Ways & Means releases its budget

May 15^th at 5pm: Deadline for filing amendments

May 19^th or 20^th: Begin budget debate

May 21^st: Finish budget debate

Please contact your Senator to urge them to support immigrant communities throughout the Commonwealth by co-sponsoring and supporting the line items and amendments for MIRA’s budgetary priorities. Below is the contact information for Senators as well as Senate leadership:

General Number: 617-722-2000

Senate Chairman of Ways & Means Panagiotakos: 617-722-1630

Senate President Murray: (617) 722-1500

If you do not know who your State Representative and/or Senator are, please visit: http://www.wheredoivotema.com.

For questions or more information, please contact Toby Guevin, MIRA’s State Policy Director, at tguevin@miracoalition.org or 617-350-5480 x216.

ACTION ALERT! MIRA's Budget Amendments

MIRA FY10 House Amendments

The following is a list of amendments that are being filed on MIRA’s budgetary priorities. Please contact your Representatives TODAY and ask them to co-sponsor the following amendments:

Citizenship for New Americans Program (CNAP) (Line item 4003-0122) was funded at $500,000 in the House Ways & Means budget, which represents a $80,000 cut from the Governor’s House 1 budget recommendation of $580,000 and a decrease of $150,000 from FY09. This represents a decrease of more than 25% from FY09

• Please contact Representative Cabral’s Office at 617-722-2017 to co-sponsor an amendment increasing the funding for citizenship to $580,000, equal to the Governor’s budget recommendation.

Adult Basic Education and English for Speakers of Other Languages (Line item 7035-0002) The House Ways & Means budget included $28,085,646 for, which represents a reduction of more than $3 million from FY09 levels of $31.1 million and $2 million from FY08.

• Please contact Representative Smizik at 617-722-2676 and Representative Campbell at 617-722-2877 to co-sponsor their amendments to fund the ABE/ESOL line item at FY08 levels of $30.1 million.

The line item (4513-1130) that includes the Refugee and Immigrant Safety and Empowerment (RISE) Program took a severe cut of over 40% down to $4,058,264 from nearly $6.4 million.

• Please contact the office of Representative Driscoll at 617-722-2396 to support an amendment increasing the 4513-1130 line item to the Governor’s recommended level of $6.4 million.
• Please contact the office of Representative Malia at 617-722-2060 to co-sponsor an amendment increasing RISE and line item 4513-1130 funding by $300,000.

The MassHealth Outreach and Enrollment Grants line item (4000-0352) was eliminated from the House Ways & Means budget.

• Please contact the office of Representatives O’Day at 617-722-2220 and Representative Scibak at 617-722-2370 to co-sponsor amendments to reinstate the line item at $3.5 million.

If you do not know who your State Representative and/or Senator are, please visit: http://www.wheredoivotema.com.

For questions, contact Toby Guevin, State Policy Director, at 617-350-5480 x216 or tguevin@miracoalition.org

ACTION ALERT: Advocacy Needed on CNAP Amendment Friday Morning!

As mentioned below, the Citizenship for New Americans Program (CNAP) received $500,000 in the House Ways & Means budget. We feel very fortunate to have received the funding, considering the elimination or severe cuts taken by other programs and services.

Still, the cut is $150,000 from FY09 and $110,000 after 9-C cuts and will impact programs and immigrants trying to naturalize, not to mention we do not know what the Senate will do yet with their budget. As a result, Representative Cabral of New Bedford will be filing an amendment to increase CNAP funding to the Governor's recommendation of $580,000. Amendments and co-sponsors are due by 5pm tomorrow! We need to call Reps Friday morning!

Here is what we need to do:

• Contact your Representatives and ask them to contact Rep. Cabral's office to co-sponsor the amendment to raise citizenship funding to the Governor's budget level of $580,000
  
• Follow-up to make sure they have signed on early in the day
• I will be at the State House for much of the day; e-mail to let me know who you have contacted so that we can make sure to follow up in person
  

What to say:

• We recognize the difficult nature of the budget, but the current level of funding represents a cut of nearly 25%, which will impact programs and their ability to serve clients
• Give examples of services that could be cut
  
• Our program relies on this funding to serve the needs of our district
• There are already people waiting for services, this will only increase the waitlist dramatically
  
• We don't know how much funding the Senate will include in their budget, so we need to be aggressive in the House
  

FYI...Budget Timeline

• Wednesday, April 15th: House releases FY10 budget proposal
• Friday, April 17th: Budget amendments that include co-sponsors due at 5pm
• Monday, April 20th-Friday April 24th: House Ways & Means staff consolidate amendments by topic
• Monday, April 27th: House budget debates begin
• Late April-early May:Contact your Senators!
• Mid-May: Senate releases FY10 budget proposal

If you have any questions, please let me know.

Thank you so much for all your work!

State Budget Update

The FY10 House Ways & Means Budget dropped yesterday with drastic cuts to most programs and services, including the elimination of many line items. To view MIRA's analysis of the HW&M budget on its budgetary priorities, click here. For a more comprehensive analysis of other important benefits, programs, and services, view the Mass Law Reform Budget analysis here or the MA Budget and Policy Center analysis here.

The drastic cuts highlight need for increased revenue. As part of the Stop the Cuts Coalition, MIRA will be pushing for new revenue from the state to reduce the cuts that imperil numerous essential services.

Please stay tuned to the blog for frequent updates and action alerts on amendments that are being filed. Below is the analysis in text format:

MIRA FY10 House Ways & Means Budget Analysis

On April 15, 2009, the House Committee on Ways & Means released the House Ways & Means version of the budget. Considering the current fiscal realities in Massachusetts and across the U.S., returns were mixed with all program receiving cuts of different degrees and one being completely eliminated. Many of the immigrant community’s friends and allies have been hit hard by the House Ways & Means budget. Local aid has been cut significantly and other essential programs and services have been slashed or eliminated. As a member of the Stop the Cuts Coalition, MIRA will work actively to reduce the cuts and support new revenues. The following is an analysis of how the House Ways & Means budget impacted each of MIRA’s budgetary priorities:

The Citizenship for New Americans Program (CNAP) (Line item 4003-0122) was funded at $500,000 in the House Ways & Means budget, which represents a $80,000 cut from the Governor’s House 1 budget recommendation of $580,000 and a decrease of $150,000 from FY09. CNAP was also impacted by this year’s 9C cuts, losing over $40,000. MIRA thanks the House Ways & Means Committee for providing funding at levels equal to FY08, particularly considering the budget climate, but we hope to increase funding through the amendment process and Senate budget. Next Steps: MIRA is working with leaders in the House on strategy around an amendment and will send out an alert as soon as possible.

The House Ways & Means budget included $28,085,646 for Adult Basic Education and English for Speakers of Other Languages (Line item 7035-0002), which represents a reduction of more than $3 million from FY09 levels of $31.1 million, a reduction of $1.9 million after this year’s 9-C cuts brought the value down to $29.9 million, and a cut of more than $1.1 million from the Governor’s recommendation of $29,223,195. MIRA and its allies are asking for funding at FY08 levels of $30.1 million. During times of economic crisis, MIRA and its allies feel that investing in the education and English language skills of the Commonwealth’s workforce and residents is a sound investment. The ABE/ESOL line item has been hit by a number of cuts in the last year, which total $3 million. Because everyone in the Commonwealth benefits from investments in our workforce, particularly in difficult economic times, we hope that the Senate budget recognizes this by funding ABE and ESOL at $30.1 million. Next Steps: MIRA, with support of allies like MA Coalition for Adult Education (MCAE), are discussing strategy and potential amendments. Please be on the lookout for further information in the coming days.

The Workforce Training Fund (WTF) was funded at $15 million (line item 7003-0701), a decrease of $6 million from FY09 but an increase of $3 million after the Governor’s FY09 9-C cuts. The Governor proposed $21 million in the House 1 budget and MIRA was asking for full funding at $21 million to help facilitate the implementation of a Dedicated Fund for Workplace Education that combines funding from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s workplace education grants with funds from the WTF to create a single, streamlined fund that expands resources for workplace education.

The line item containing the Refugee and Immigrant Safety and Empowerment (RISE) Program (4513-1130) took a severe cut of over 40% down to $4,058,264 from nearly $6.4 million. MIRA is investigating the impact of this figure on the RISE program, as it is currently unknown how the reduced funding will impact immigrants and refugees’ access to culturally and linguistically-appropriate domestic violence and sexual assault services. The earmark for services for immigrants and refugees was eliminated for a cut of at least $300,000, with the only positive coming in the language of the line item, which remains strong. MIRA and its allies had been asking for level-funding of the line item at $6.4 million with $1,319,854 going to RISE. Next Steps: Representative Liz Malia of Boston will be filing an amendment for RISE.

The MassHealth Outreach and Enrollment Grants line item (4000-0352) was eliminated from the House Ways & Means budget. The elimination of the line item reflects the Governor’s House 1 budget. MIRA and its allies are asking for level-funding of $3.5 million. Unfortunately, the Governor and now House Ways & Means have failed to understand the importance of the grants to helping hard-to-reach populations, including immigrant communities and limited English proficient residents, retain coverage throughout the confusing enrollment reverification process. MIRA feels that the elimination of the line item will do nothing to reduce costs in the budget, as costly turnover in the system will increase and valuable time and energy will be lost navigating an incredibly complex system in which outreach and enrollment grantees have valuable expertise. The grants are also matched at 50% by the federal government, so the cost to the Commonwealth would only be $1.75 million. Next Steps: Representative O’Day will be filing an amendment in the House to reinstate the line item at $3.5 million.

Please contact your Representative or Senator to urge them to support immigrant communities throughout the Commonwealth by co-sponsoring the amendments for MIRA’s budgetary priorities. Below is the contact information for Representatives and Senators as well as House and Senate leadership:

General Number: 617-722-2000

Speaker DeLeo: 617-722-2500

Senate Chairman of Ways & Means Panagiotakos: 617-722-1630

Senate President Murray: (617) 722-1500

If you do not know who your State Representative and/or Senator are, please visit: http://www.wheredoivotema.com. For more information or questions, please contact Toby Guevin at tguevin@miracoalition.org or 617-350-5480 x216.

Speaker DeLeo Discusses MA State Budget Crisis; Budget Advocacy Efforts Essentail

Speaker Robert DeLeo discussed the budget crisis today, as covered by the Boston Globe. With the dire budget situation, advocacy becomes increasingly important. The MIRA Coalition, through a variety of feedback mechanisms (survey, one-on-ones, conference calls, etc.), developed its state advocacy agenda for 2009. All legislators at the MA State House have received a copy of the agenda and a letter detailing MIRA's budget priorities.


In terms of the budget, MIRA continues its advocacy efforts on the following budge items:

• Maintain funding for the Citizenship for New Americans Program (line item: 4003-0122) at $650,000;

• Fund Adult Basic Education (ABE) and English for Speakers of Other Languages (line item7035-0002) at its FY’08 level of $30.1 million;

• Implement the Dedicated Fund for Workplace ABE and ESOL, as recommended by the MA Workforce Investment Board, including full funding for the Workplace Training Fund;

• Fund the Refugee and Immigrant Safety and Empowerment Program (within line item: 4513-1130) at $300,000 with no change to the FY09 line item language;

• Fund MassHealth Outreach and Enrollment Grants (line item 4000-0352) at $3.5 million; and

• Continue support for the New Americans Agenda.

If you are interested in getting involved in advocacy efforts with MIRA, please contact MIRA's State Legislative Director. If you would like to contact your legislator(s) to support MIRA's budget priorities, you can find there information by visiting here. For an analysis of the impact of the Governor's House 1 budget on immigrants and refugees, click here.

Stay tuned for action alerts in the coming weeks.