Grassroots Lobby Days by
Nicole GuyetteNEW NEWSVolume 3, Number 8 May 1999 |
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The Nevada Empowered Women's (NEW) Project is a grassroots, multicultural organization whose mission is to further the rights of low-income women and children by addressing relevant issues such as welfare, child care, child support, housing, and health care, and by changing negative public perceptions.
Last Chance for Change in Carson City
The Last Days of the 1999 Legislative Session
by Lisa Appelrouth Guzmбn
Many issues affecting low-income families have been discussed during this legislative session. With Nevada's Legislature meeting for only 120 days every two years, a lot happens in a short amount of time. The session will end on May 31, but before it does, the fate of many bills and budget issues will be decided. Following is an insight into some of the bills and issues that NEW Project has been following.
The budget for TANF (Cash Assistance) has been closed and includes some positive aspects that will help low-income families. For example, more funds will be put into child care, which will reduce the current waiting list by about 2,400 children. This is great news! Of course we know that there will never be enough money for child care for all of those in need of assistance, but this is at least a move in the right direction. There will also be a grant increase for non-needy caretakers, which will be phased in over the next two years. Next session, we need to go after an increase in the general TANF grant, which has not seen an increase in 10 years. The budget also includes a $350 job retention incentive for TANF recipients who complete six months of continuous employment. A Professional Development Center is in the works in Northern Nevada to provide training for welfare staff and clients. It will also be available for child care for those attending training. Southern Nevada's Center is already up and running, and we are looking forward to the Northern Center.
Initially there was some concern about the budget for Nevada Check-Up, the children's health insurance program. Since enrollment has been slow, Governor Guinn slashed the budget to serve only 10,000 children. The Legislative Joint Money Subcommittee has added funds to serve an additional 1,750 children, and the Governor has promised that no eligible child will be denied.
Bills, bills, and more bills. Assembly Bills (AB) 4, 5, and 6 deal with improvements to the Medicaid and Nevada Check-Up programs. These bills are currently in the Assembly Ways & Means Committee. SB (Senate Bill) 89 creates a fund to assist low-income people with their utility bills and is in the Senate Finance Committee. AB60, contraceptive equity, is in the Senate Commerce Committee. AB318 increases opportunities for affordable housing and is in the Senate Government Affairs Committee. AB562 gives a tax credit to businesses who provide on-site child care. These bills can make things better for low-income families in Nevada, but they could have a hard time passing since they will cost the state money. Please call and voice your support by calling the Legislative Hotline at 687-5545 or 384-2225. Just give your name and the bill number. It's fast and easy. Call today!
Grassroots Lobby Days by
Nicole Guyette
"Every woman should be able to obtain an abortion, regardless of age." "English is the official language of the United States and should be used in all government business." "Welfare benefits should only be available for a limited amount of time." Participants in the Nevada Women's Lobby's Grassroots Lobby Days, held at the Carson Nugget in March, were asked to strongly agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree with these and other controversial statements. In a workshop entitled "Strength in Unity", Jan Gilbert,
Bob Fulkerson, and Bree Carlson of PLAN led us through this exercise and had us move to different areas of the room depending on our views on these issues. It was interesting to see that although we all came together out of a shared interest in women's issues, people have different viewpoints that, if not dealt with, can create conflict and hinder progress. These differences are sometimes called "wedges", because they can drive wedges between people or groups who might share an overall agenda but have different perspectives on other issues. Three common wedge issues identified during the conference were race and racism, labor vs the environment, and sexual orientation When people set out to build coalitions, it is important that they recognize and talk about their differences since they can often be used as an advantage.
The conference continued with a presentation about Choice (a woman's right to choose an abortion), which included an excellent and emotional film about the history of abortion rights in the U.S. After lunch, a panel spoke about current issues related to Education, Healthcare, and Mental Health / Substance Abuse. The afternoon came to a close with a presentation by Pam Godchaux, a Representative from Michigan, and Kimberly Robson, a Utah lobbyist for Women's Action for New Directions (WAND). Their message really hit home for those of us working on making changes during this legislative session. The bottom line is that Legislators are people like all of us, and a lot can be accomplished by just being ourselves and sharing our viewpoints with them. Legislators don't often hear from their constituents and welcome any input on issues. The other two days of the conference included trips to the legislature, tips on lobbying, and meetings with representatives.
Thanks to the
Nevada Women's Lobby for sponsoring this wonderful event. If you missed it this time, keep
a look-out for Grassroots Lobby Days in
2001!
Back By
Popular Demand...
COLLEGE IS POSSIBLE
Have you dreamed about going to college but didn't know what to do or where to start? UNR has the answers and information to help you take the next step. A free "College is Possible" workshop will be held on Tuesday, May 25, 5:30-8:00pm at Traner Middle (1700 Carville). The session will include information on setting and achieving academic and career goals, how to get and manage money for college, and an overview of the services available at UNR. Snacks and child care will be provided, and participants will receive an application fee waiver certificate worth $40 upon completion. Register by May 21st by calling 784-4633.
| Message from the President Teresa Benitez Hello NEW Project Members! Well, after spending an intensive weekend with other low-income organizers from around the nation, I have emerged with new visions for NEW Project. Many advocates around the country are focusing on time limits and sanctions hitting their states. For example, the push to work in Milwaukee has left thousands of children in foster care after being removed from their homes. The majority of the problems states are facing deal with a lack of support in areas such as child care. Simply put, if you want people to work, you must ensure that barriers such as lack of jobs, child care, and transportation are addressed. Many of you are familiar with these problems and live with them every day. If you want to work with us to take action on these issues, please call us. Together we can make a difference! Thanks to the Public Welfare Foundation in Washington, DC for bringing their welfare rights grantees together for a fantastic weekend of networking, brainstorming, and learning.
We're Still Searching for a Las Vegas Staff Person!Position: Advocate / Organizer, full-time Responsibilities Include: Expand NEW Project's membership base and outreach efforts in Las Vegas; organize monthly meetings and other activities; provide direct advocacy services to women needing assistance in securing needed resources such as welfare benefits, housing, food, clothing, health care, etc.; educate low-income families and the community about important issues; insure that families receive needed services in an appropriate manner Qualifications: High School diploma or equivalent; experience working with poverty issues and issues affecting low-income women; excellent "people skills" and ability to work with people of diverse backgrounds; computer literate; good oral and written communication skills; ability to work independently and professionally, and a strong commitment to social and economic justice; bilingual a plus. Preference given to those having direct experience with the welfare system. Salary: Depending on Experience; health insurance and paid vacation provided. To Apply: Call (775) 348-9566 to request an application and job description. Submit application and resume, postmarked by June 1, to:
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A Lesson in Lobbying by Rocнo Lуpez
On April 13, I attended a legislative hearing in Carson City. The hearing was in the Ways & Means Committee to discuss AB5, presumptive eligibility for Medicaid. Although I had attended several hearings, this was the first time that I was going to testify. Needless to say, I was rather nervous about speaking in front of a group of people I don't even know. Before I left for Carson City, I prepared a short statement that I would read when it was my turn to speak. The Committee Chair called for people to testify. I slowly raised my hand, not wanting to be the first one. While other people were giving their testimonies, I was practicing mine in my head. After the third testimony, I realized that everyone was saying the same thing that I was going to say. When my turn came to testify, I took a deep breath and decided that I wouldn't read my statement. Instead, I would tell a story about my daughter and how she got sick and has no insurance. I let the committee know that if they approved AB5, my daughter and other children would be able to get immediate medical care instead of waiting 45 days for their Medicaid application to be approved. After I finished speaking, I felt good about what I had said. I thought, "Well, that wasn't too bad!" If I can go to Carson City and speak on a bill, then I believe that anyone can. I even spoke with a reporter afterwards, and my story ended up in the Reno Gazette Journal. I'm glad I had this opportunity to share my opinion and call attention to the issue of healthcare for children |
