This article is taken directly from the National Alliance on Ending Homelessness online newsletter from December 18, 2012

Fiscal Cliff Negotiations Continue

Last Tuesday, December 11, Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) revealed to the public that he had made a second counteroffer to avert the fiscal cliff to the White House, in response to a previously unreported second offer from President Obama. Following this announcement, last Friday, December 14, Speaker Boehner offered to allow a debt-ceiling increase as part of a deficit reduction…

On December 18, Governor Gregoire released one of her final documents while in office—the 2013-15 biennial budget for the state.  The Governor presented two budgets-one with existing revenue estimates (Book 1) and the other proposing new revenue sources (Book 2) that would make a $1 billion down payment on the McCleary decision (adequate funding of K-12).  See the governor’s budget letter here.

The revenue sources proposed in Book 2 include the following:

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Last week, Gov.-elect Jay Inslee appointed a three-person transition team and contacted individual legislators for their input on state issues. Yesterday, Gov.-elect Inslee made his first staff appointment: Mary Alice Heuschel, Renton Schools superintendent and a member of the transition team, will be his chief of staff. Education is one of the major issues facing the state in 2013, with state government under orders from the Supreme Court to improve public education so that it can meet its constitutional mandate. According to some estimates, that mandate could mean spending more than…

United Way of King County’s Free Tax Preparation Campaign helps families around King County file their taxes and get the refunds that they are eligible for.  With these refunds, families are able to meet basic needs that they might not otherwise be able to maintain.

Last tax season, volunteers completed more than 14,000 tax returns, getting more than $20 million in tax credits and refunds returned to members of our community.

Get involved! Sign up to be a tax return preparer at…

The House and Senate are expected to come back from recess on November 13 for the Lame Duck session (so named because elected officials who were not voted back into office still have six weeks to take action before leaving). Dozens of significant spending and tax laws are set to expire unless Congress takes action by December 31, including these highlighted by a Congressional Research Service report: extended emergency unemployment benefits, Bush era tax cuts, payroll tax cuts, Medicare “doc fix,” Alternative Minimum Tax…

The Affordable Care Act provides Washington state an opportunity to offer affordable health care coverage to 800,000 of the one million people in the state who are uninsured including vulnerable populations served by United Way funding: people experiencing homelessness, low income people, children, people with disabilities, and the elderly.  Expanding coverage will take public will as well as money.

The Affordable Care Act passed by Congress in 2010:

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Some recent improvements in the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) are set to expire at the end of the year which would negatively impact working families with three or more children and married couples. Your voice is needed to urge Members of Congress to make these improvements permanent and to protect the EITC in conversations regarding deficit reduction and tax reform. Take action today.

About the EITC

The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a refundable tax credit for working individuals who…

Under the new federal Affordable Care Act, expanding Medicaid coverage for low income people and creating the health care exchange by January 2014 is a major task for the Washington state legislature and electeds are sharply split over how far the state should go. Some want to slow down the state’s work until after November when the results of the election are known while others are going full speed ahead.

Washington state has been one of the first in the US to implement reforms and…

On Wednesday, April 11, the Washington state Legislature reached agreement on a supplemental budget plan. The final budget will preserve funding for many services crucial to building and supporting our thriving community. This means food on the table, places to call home and early education support for thousands of Washingtonians.

We’re proud that several programs relating to United Way of King County’s priorities (meeting basic needs, ending homelessness and giving every child an equal chance for success) will continue to receive funding. Thank…

This blog was prepared by the United Way lobbyist, Nick Federici

Last week, Governor Gregoire said that a budget deal must be reached immediately in order for the Legislature to act before the special session ends on April 10th.   Party leaders and budget writers have met extensively behind closed doors to negotiate, but Wednesday was the first time the full body has convened since special session began in early March.  Governor Gregoire said that lawmakers are wrapping up work on a “comprehensive” budget package that…