Did They Vote for Kids? a Scorecard for the 2007 Washington Legislature
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Did they vote for kids? A scorecard for the 2007 Washington Legislature September 2007 Introduction This legislative scorecard documents votes taken by state legislators on children’s issues during the 2007 session of the Washington State legislature. The purpose of the scorecard is to inform advocates for children and the general public about the voting record of state legislators on legislation a!ecting children and families. The Children’s Alliance intends to publish such a scorecard each year following the state legislative session. This scorecard reports the "oor votes by both House and Senate members on 13 bills, all of which passed and were signed into law by Governor Chris Gregoire. The votes occurred between February 16th and April 20th 2007. For the purposes of this scorecard, a vote in favor of the bill is a vote for children. The bills featured in this scorecard were chosen because each will have a signi#cant positive e!ect on children and families, particularly vulnerable children. The Children’s Alliance supported each of these bills through a combination of direct lobbying, grassroots mobilization, and media work. The bills included are not an exhaustive list of bills a!ecting children. For example, bills related to early childhood education are included. However, many bills a!ecting K-12 education are not; the Children’s Alliance does not focus on this policy area. Several of the bills in this scorecard were priorities of the Children’s Alliance in the 2007 session, such as the health coverage for all children bill (Senate Bill 5093). Other selected bills represent legislation supported by the Children’s Alliance that will improve the well-being of children in Washington. All of the bills chosen received Copyright Carina A. del Rosario signi#cant advocacy e!orts by the Children’s Alliance and our members. The operating budget bill (House Bill 1128) is included because many investments in children do not appear in bills but are incorporated into the operating budget. Scoring Each legislator received a score of 1 to 5 stars based on the The scorecard shows the numbers and percentages by percentage of votes cast for children. The scoring breaks which each bill passed the full House of Representatives out as follows: and the full Senate. For each legislator, the scorecard also shows the percentage of votes cast which were in 5 stars - Perfect score support of children. 4 stars - 80 - 99% 3 stars - 60 - 79% 2 stars - 40 - 59% This scorecard is for educational purposes only. It does not 1 star - 0 - 39% constitute an endorsement for or against any candidate for public o!ce. Page 1 Where are YOUR legislators on children’s issues? These ratings are on a 1-5 scale, with 5 stars being a perfect score. Legislators with perfect scores House of Representatives Senate Sherry Appleton Steve Kirby Jean Berkey Derek Kilmer Don Barlow John Lovick Lisa Brown Adam Kline Tom Campbell John McCoy Tracey Eide Jeanne Kohl-Welles Maralyn Chase Joe McDermott Darlene Fairley Rosemary McAuli!e Frank Chopp Jim McIntire Rosa Franklin Ed Murray Judy Clibborn Mark Miloscia Karen Fraser Eric Oemig Eileen Cody Jim Moeller James Hargrove Margarita Prentice Steve Conway Dawn Morrell Brian Hat#eld Craig Pridemore Jeannie Darnielle Je! Morris Steve Hobbs Debbie Regala Mary Lou Dickerson Al O’Brien Ken Jacobsen Paull Shin Hans Dunshee Timm Ormsby Jim Kastama Harriet Spanel William Eickmeyer Jamie Pedersen Claudia Kau!man Rodney Tom Mark Ericks Eric Pettigrew Karen Keiser Brian Weinstein Dennis Flannigan Dave Quall Roger Goodman Mary Helen Roberts Tami Green Christine Rolfes Kathy Haigh Sharon Tomiko Santos Bob Hasegawa Shay Schual-Berke Zack Hudgins Larry Seaquist Sam Hunt Mike Sells Ross Hunter Helen Sommers Christopher Hurst Larry Springer Ruth Kagi Brian Sullivan Troy Kelley Pat Sullivan Phyllis Kenney Dave Upthegrove Lynn Kessler Kevin Van De Wege Alex Wood Copyright Carina A. del Rosario Page 2 Legislators scoring 80-99% House of Representatives Brian Blake Kelli Linville Deborah Eddy Geo! Simpson Bill Fromhold Dean Takko Bill Grant Deb Wallace Patricia Lantz Brendan Williams Senate Mary Margaret Haugen Marilyn Rasmussen Chris Marr Pam Roach Copyright Tegra Stone Nuess Erik Poulsen Phil Rockefeller Legislators scoring 60-79% House of Representatives Doug Ericksen Skip Priest Fred Jarrett Chris Strow Joyce McDonald Maureen Walsh Senate Don Benton Mike Carrell Dale Brandland Jim Clements Tim Sheldon Copyright Carina A. del Rosario Page 3 Legislators scoring 40-59% House of Representatives John Ahern Joel Kretz Gary Alexander Dan Kristiansen Mike Armstrong Jim McCune Barbara Bailey Daniel Newhouse David Buri Ed Orcutt Cary Condotta Kirk Pearson Larry Crouse Dan Roach Richard Curtis Jay Rodne Richard DeBolt Charles Ross Steve Hailey Lynn Schindler Larry Haler Mary Skinner Shirley Hankins Bob Sump Bill Hinkle Judy Warnick Senate Copyright Carina A. del Rosario Jerome Delvin Linda Evans Parlette Mike Hewitt Cheryl P"ug Janea Holmquist Mark Schoesler Jim Honeyford Val Stevens Bob McCaslin Dan Swecker Bob Morton Joseph Zarelli Legislators scoring 0-39% House of Representatives Glenn Anderson Bruce Chandler Jim Dunn There are no Senators in this category. Copyright Carina A. del Rosario Page 4 The Bills HOUSING FOR FORMER Following are descriptions of the bills appearing in this FOSTER YOUTH year’s scorecard. There are thirteen separate bills. All bills passed the legislature and were signed into law by 5) HOUSE BILL 1922 Governor Chris Gregoire. assists former foster children, ages 18 through 23, by creating the Independent Youth Housing Program HEALTH COVERAGE FOR ALL CHILDREN (IYHP). The program will provide both housing stipends and case management to these youth. 1) SENATE BILL 5093 provides a!ordable, comprehensive health coverage FOSTER CHILDREN’S HEALTH COVERAGE options to all children in Washington State. Beyond coverage, this new law seeks to ensure that children will 6) HOUSE BILL 1201 be able to see a doctor, encourages high quality care allows foster children to retain state-sponsored through a medical home, invests in outreach to #nd and comprehensive health coverage until they reach enroll eligible families and declares goals for nutrition the age of 21. Continuing health coverage for foster and exercise in schools. All components are critical to children who age out of foster care will provide improving the health and wellbeing of Washington continuity of care for these young adults as well as children. an import support in their transition out of foster care. CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH CHILD CARE QUALITY 2) HOUSE BILL 1088 RATING & IMPROVEMENT enacts a major reform of the delivery of children’s mental health services in Washington. The law directs 7) SENATE BILL 5828 the development and implementation of a system that, establishes an early learning advisory council among other attributes, values early identi#cation, and directs the Washington Department of Early intervention, and prevention. Learning to establish a voluntary Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) for child care centers RACIAL DISPROPORTIONALITY and homes and early education programs. This system will provide information to parents as well as IN FOSTER CARE incentives for providers to improve child care quality. 3) HOUSE BILL 1472 EARLY CARE creates a new, multi-year focus on racial disproportionality in child welfare. African American and Native American children make up a much 8) SENATE BILL 6016 allows some parents of babies less than one year old to higher proportion of children in foster care than they be exempt from the work requirements of the state’s comprise of the total population of Washington. The law WorkFirst program. This will promote greater parent- establishes a six-year commission to study the reasons child attachment in the early years. for the disproportionality and propose remedies that will reduce or eliminate disparities by race. HOME VISITATION CHILD WELFARE PROTECTIONS 9) SENATE BILL 5830 4) HOUSE BILL 1333 directs that the Children’s Trust of Washington implements recommendations made by a task force shall fund voluntary home visitation programs created by the legislature to examine child safety. for improving parenting skills and outcomes for These recommendations concern services, training, children. Children’s Trust will also work with other and permanency for children involved in the state’s agencies to develop a plan to consolidate and child welfare system. coordinate home visitation services for children and families. Page 5 AFTERSCHOOL Resources Washington Legislative Information 10) SENATE BILL 5841 http://www1.leg.wa.gov/legislature/ authorizes state funding for afterschool programs as well as a phase in of all-day kindergarten funding. The o$cial website of the Legislature enables advocates The bill also creates four kindergarten – Grade 3 to track their bills’ location in the legislative process demonstration projects. and to check on amendments and House and Senate votes including lists of legislators voting for and against. PAID FAMILY LEAVE Information is also available on legislative agendas and schedules and on legislative committees and agencies. 11) SENATE BILL 5659 JOIN our Children’s Action Network allows eligible employees in Washington to take up http://www.childrenshub.org/calliance/home.html to #ve weeks of paid family leave within any twelve month period in order care for a newborn or newly READ our 2007 End of Legislative Session Report adopted child. The family leave bene#t is available http://childrensalliance.org/4Download/reports/SCREEN- starting October 1, 2009 and a joint legislative task 2007sessionreport.pdf force will determine the long-term #nancing of the program. TOXIC FLAME-RETARDENT PHASEOUT 12) HOUSE BILL 1024 requires that polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), which are toxic chemicals used as "ame retardants, be phased out and replaced with alternatives which are not harmful to human health. At the Children’s Alliance, we’re advocates for kids. We PBDEs are used in foam furniture padding, television ensure that laws, policies and programs work for kids.