VAWA ACTION ALERT

Please share widely!

From our colleagues at the National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence Against Women.

Urge Senator Reid to schedule a vote THIS WEEK! VAWA (S. 1925) has 61 sponsors –and Senate Majority Leader Reid has still not called the bill to the floor!  In the meantime, victims and survivors of violence are being ignored and those who oppose VAWA are developing alternative bills that would undercut VAWA.  Tell Senator Reid that victims and survivors do not have time to wait and he must call the bill to the floor this week.   Tell your Senators to support S. 1925, the real VAWA!

TAKE ACTION:
1. Urge Senator Reid to schedule VAWA for a vote THIS WEEK.
2. Write a letter to the editor to get the real VAWA to the Senate floor (sample below!).

Action 1: S. 1925 has enough sponsors to go to the Senate floor for a vote without a filibuster.  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has the power to schedule VAWA for a vote.  Ask him to schedule a vote THIS WEEK. 

Suggested message: “Senator Reid, you have 61 co-sponsors. You can get a vote for cloture now. In the meantime, those who oppose VAWA are developing a bill that will undercut everything VAWA stands for.Please schedule a date in April so that S.1925, the real VAWA, will be heard on the Senate floor.”

If you are not from Nevada, call 202-224-3542 (D.C. office).
If you are from Nevada, call 775-686-5750 (Reno office).

Action 2: Write a letter to the editor to get VAWA to the Senate Floor!  Find suggested language below which you should feel free to edit and personalize.  Find media contacts in your area:http://capwiz.com/fconl/dbq/media

To The Editor:
The Violence Against Women Act, S. 1925,  is a strong, bipartisan, filibuster-proof bill that will reauthorize essential laws and programs for another five years and build on effective, existing programs to meet the changing needs of victims of domestic and sexual violence.  This legislation, introduced by Senator Leahy (D-VT) and Senator Crapo (R-ID), currently has 61 co-sponsors, including eight Republicans.  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has yet to call the bill to the Senate floor for a vote that would demonstrate Congress’ commitment to end this violence.  Delaying this vote  threatens the progress our country has made toward ending domestic and sexual violence and building safer communities.

VAWA saves lives and money –  $12.6 billion in its first 6 years alone.  Approximately $400 million in annual funding supports local law enforcement, prosecution, courts, and victim services.  Since its passage in 1994, all states have strengthened rape laws and the number of individuals killed by an intimate partner has decreased by 34% for women and 57% for men.

Critics of the Leahy-Crapo bill fear that the bill will help “too many” victims.  Critics say S. 1925 gives immigrants a “new” way to enter the U.S., while in reality, provisions to protect abused immigrants have been in place since 1994.  They also claim S. 1925 would force all domestic violence and sexual assault programs to serve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) victims or be charged with discrimination.  In reality, S. 1925 has a provision that allows states to fund services specifically targeted to LGBT victims, who are often  turned away or denied services because of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity.  They say S. 1925 violates the Constitution by giving tribal courts the authority to punish non-Indians for committing domestic violence on tribal lands where 1 in 3 American Indian women will be raped in their lifetime.  In fact, S. 1925 requires  tribal courts  to provide the same  Constitutional protections afforded to defendants in state criminal courts.

Senate leadership must move quickly to bring S. 1925 to the floor.  A vote for the Leahy-Crapo bill says, unequivocally, to all victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking, “We will help you wherever and whenever you need help.” The time has come for Senator Reid to call this bill to the floor and once again reauthorize this critical legislation.

Sincerely,
[Name, Title, Organization, Contact Info]

***

Thank you for all your great work!!

From L-R: Dr. Richard McCleary, CALCASA Executive Director Sandra Henriquez, and Asm. Das Williams

Today, AB 2441 (Williams) was heard on the floor of the Assembly Revenue & Taxation Committee. During the hearing, CALCASA’s Executive Director Sandra Henriquez provided a testimony along with Assemblymember Williams. Williams provided an overview of the legislation and I gave information about sexual assault, and statistics for the state of California.

Two witnesses presented in support of AB 2441, including Dr. Richard McCleary who is a professor at the University of California, Irvine who studies the secondary impacts of sexually oriented businesses. His experience with adult entertainment businesses in California began in the late 1980s with a study that found neighborhood crime rates rose whenever an adult business opened. Furthermore, the study found that the effect was aggravated by proximity to a bar or tavern. He testified that AB 2441, which only affects live adult entertainment businesses that serve alcohol, assumes that the businesses’ activities play a causal role in the victimization risk and that the organizations’ activities can mitigate the risk.

Additionally, a survivor of sexual assault spoke during the committee hearing. She said that she will never forget the advocate who met her at the hospital and how valuable the services were that she received from her local rape crisis center.

In the legislation analysis of AB 2441 (available here), there are 116 listed supporters and three businesses in opposition.

The Committee did not vote on the issue today, moving to vote on the issue to Monday, April 23. We are hopeful that AB 2441 will pass through the Rev & Tax Committee, and continue to progress through the legislative process into the Appropriations Committee.

Again, thank you for your support thus far — we’ll continue to need letters, calls and efforts in the coming weeks! Please contact Alexis Marbach, Public Policy Advocate at alexis@calcasa.org to learn how to get more involved.

The National Alliance Against Sexual Violence has recently released updated fact sheets on key funding issues for sexual assault intervention and prevention work. These fact sheets include national facts and figures, including the FY 2012 appropriation made to the funding stream and the goal for the FY 2013 appropriation.

The fact sheets are an excellent resource when talking to your community and local media outlets about your funding needs during Sexual Assault Awareness Month. For more resources on how to connect with local media during SAAM, please visit the CALCASA SAAM Resources Page.

Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Fund

Sexual Asault Services Program (SASP)

Sex Offense Set Aside in the Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant

Rape Prevention Education Program (RPE)

This month, CALCASA is celebrating two state-level policy wins with SB 534 and AB 898, both of which will have a positive impact on the work of our members. In addition to these state-level issues, we are working to support several federal policy issues such as the Public Health Block Grant, Sexual Assault Service Program funding and the reauthorization of VAWA. Continue reading to get the complete CALCASA Public Policy Update.

Bills that CALCASA has sponsored:

SB 534 (Corbett D) Victims of sexual assault

SB 534 — Corbett was chaptered on Sept. 29, 2011, bringing California into compliance with the Violence Against Women (VAWA) Services*Training*Officers*Prosecution (STOP) State Formula Grant Program. Effective Jan. 1, 2012, SB 534 clarifies that all victims are entitled to a forensic exam regardless of whether or not they choose to cooperate with the criminal justice system. SB 534 stipulates that the forensic exam, colloquially referred to as a “Jane Doe Exam,” must be offered at no cost to the survivor. The cost will be incurred by local law enforcement and local law enforcement can seek reimbursement from Cal EMA for the cost of the examinations where a victim does not participate in the criminal justice system. The bill does not provide language about who will store the evidence and for how long the evidence will be stored. The VAWA Implementation Committee and Forensic Exam Workgroup, of which CALCASA participates, are working to create clarifying guidelines and language that will address the logistics of how SB 534 will be implemented. Rape crisis centers, SART teams and local law enforcement will need training and guidelines for how SB 534 will work in their communities. Once the Committee and Workgroup publish their FAQ sheets and guidelines, CALCASA will provide all of the information that it has available to members through emails and trainings.

AB 898 (Alejo D) Crime victims: restitution: fine

AB 898 — Alejo was chaptered on Sept. 29, 2011. This bill makes the minimum restitution fine not less than $300, if the person is convicted of a felony; and not less than $150, if the person is convicted of a misdemeanor; and make other conforming changes. This bill marks the first time that restitution fines have been increased in nearly two decades and will generate money for the California Victim Compensation Program (CalVCP).

AB 322  (Portantino D) Forensic evidence: rape kits

AB 322 — Portantio was vetoed by the Governor. AB 322 would have required the Department of Justice to establish a ten-county pilot project to open and test all rape kits collected in those counties during the period of the pilot project. In his veto message, the Governor wrote that the ten counties did not want to participate and that he didn’t understand why the state should mandate participation and spend the money on a program that the counties didn’t want, in light of all of the programs that the counties do want that are being cut. The Governor believes that local officials are in the best position to determine whether to participate in such a program.

Additional federal level policy issues that may impact members:

Public Health Block Grant: The Preventative Health and Health Services Block Grant (PHHSBG) allows states, tribes and territories to address public health needs and challenges with innovative and community driven methods. Out of FY 2010’s $100 million budget for PHHSBG, approximately $7.5 million was used to support sexual assault services and prevention efforts. The $7.5 million is referred to as the “rape set aside.” The rape set aside funding directly responds to the goal of the Centers for Disease Control to reduce chronic disease and its impact. In addition to the immediate trauma caused by sexual abuse, the violence contributes to a number of chronic health problems, including depression, chronic pain, alcohol and substance abuse, sexually transmitted diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, and often limits the ability of women to manage other chronic illnesses such as diabetes and hypertension. California receives $800,000 of the $7.5 million dollars. This portion of the $800,000 is essential to prevention programming such as technical assistance, capacity building, program development, and program implementation.

Currently, the House budget preserves funding for the PHHSBG and subsequently the $7 million set aside funding. The Senate has eliminated the PHHSBG funding and set aside mirroring the President’s FY 2012 budget, which proposes to eliminate PHHSBG and consolidate chronic disease block grant programs. The Senate Committee has included additional funding for this purpose in the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, although the specific amount of funding remains unclear. The elimination of the rape set aside funding would be extremely detrimental to the prevention against sexual assault and would put a multitude of prevention programs in California in jeopardy of discontinuing services. CALCASA is closely following this issue and is advocating for the government to keep the rape set aside funds. CALCASA will connect with members when new information develops or if there are any action steps that can be taken on a local level.

Sexual Assault Service Program Funding: Sexual Assault Services Program (SASP) is a program that was created through the 2005 reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). SASP creates a federal funding stream dedicated explicitly to the provision of direct services for sexual violence victims. The Senate is currently debating on increasing SASP funding to $25 million (a $10 million increase over 2011 and a $5 million increase from the budget proposed by the House). Money allocated to SASP is funneled through Cal EMA and then distributed to rape crisis centers throughout California. An increase in national SASP funding translates into an increase in the funding available through Cal EMA for the direct services you provide at your agency. CALCASA partnered with the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence by asking member agencies to sign a joint letter, along with agencies from across the country. CALCASA is deeply appreciative of the more than 45 member agencies that quickly responded to the email regarding SASP and signed on to this letter.

VAWA reauthorization:  CALCASA is working closely with the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence to support VAWA reauthorization. The NAESV is focused on looking to garner bi-partisan support for the bill. Terri Poore of the National Alliance summarized this focus by stating, “Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and the prime sponsor, has released a pre-introduction draft bill. We are now looking for Republican co-sponsors. As you know, VAWA has always enjoyed broad bipartisan support. Vice-President Joseph Biden (formerly a Senator from Delaware) and Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) were the original co-sponsors. This iteration of VAWA streamlines programs, reduces funding authorizations, and increases accountability so it meets the new fiscal requirements of Congress and includes provisions that everyone should be able to support.” CALCASA will connect with members when new information develops or if there are any action steps that can be taken on a local level.

David Lee presenting on opportunities to prevent teen dating violence

The Family Violence Prevention Fund, Peace Over Violence and Rainbow Services hosted a briefing late week titled “Linking Local Providers with Federal Funding.” The room was packed at Peace Over Violence’s offices as representatives of local service providers learned about opportunities for funding.
I was there to share about statewide and national efforts to address teen dating violence, including exciting national efforts such as CDC’s Rape Prevention and Education and DELTA programs, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Blue Shield Foundation’s Start Strong initiative. I was encouraged when one of the participants shared how successful prevention efforts have been in the schools where she  works.

Representative Lucile Roybal-Allard opened the session encouraging the audience to make sure their voices are heard in congress about the need for domestic violence and sexual assault services. Funding opportunities from the Family Violence Prevention and Services Program, Office of Women’s Health and Office on Violence Against Women were described followed by a detailed presentation on  how to apply for federal grants by Jewish Women International ’s Deborah Rosenbloom.

Along with updates about the status of efforts preparing to renew the Violence Against Women Act in 2011, a panel including representatives from Peace Over Violence, California Partnership to End Domestic Violence, Jewish Women International, CALCASA, and the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence addressed local, statewide and national efforts to address teen dating violence.

Click here to get materials from this session.

Recently, the Ms. Foundation for Women released a report, “Efforts to Address Gender-Based Violence: A Look at Foundation Funding”, addressing how funding currently looks for programs addressing gender based violence. The report is a compilation of information regarding how many U.S. Foundations provide funding for agencies addressing gender-based violence as well as how foundation funding has increased significantly throughout the years.

Earlier this month, CALCASA Director of Public Affairs Robert Coombs and I left to Washington D.C. for the 2010 Advocacy Day hosted by the National Network to End Domestic Violence and the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence.

This two day event included policy briefings by the following distinguished guests:

- Lynn Rosenthal, White House Advisor on Violence Against Women
- Marylouise Kelley, Family Violence Prevention and Services Program, Health and Human Services Agency
- Judge Susan Carbon, Office of Violence Against Women
- Karen Lang, Center for Disease Control Division of Violence Prevention
- and 10 Members of Congress.

NNEDV/NAESV Advocacy Day allowed advocates from all over the United States and the territories to conduct over 150 Congressional visits.  CALCASA joined forces with our sister organization, California Partnership to End Domestic Violence (CPEDV), to meet with our homestate elected officials. Both organizations stressed that our elected members of Congress support the following proposals:

• Increase funding to the Violence Against Women Act programs: Sexual Assault Services Program (SASP), Services, Training, Officers, Prosecutors (STOP), Legal Assistance for Victims, and Transitional Housing Grants, and other VAWA related programs
• Increase funds to Rape Prevention and Education Program grants administered by the Center for Disease Control
• Reauthorize the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act

CALCASA would like to thank Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senator Dianne Feinstien, Congresspersons John Campbell, Maxine Waters, Lucille Roybal-Allard, Judy Chu, Adam Schiff, and Barbara Lee and all of their staffs for taking the time out of their day to meet with their constituents.

Belinda Rolicheck-Executive Director, Haven Women's Center of Stanislaus

Below is a guest post from Belinda Rolicheck, Executive Director at Haven Women’s Center of Stanislaus in Modesto, CA. Haven Women’s Center is a non-profit, bilingual (Spanish/English) organization consisting of a group of dedicated staff and volunteers who share their time by helping victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. Haven’s services are designed to empower and support women in their personal decisions. Women are given the opportunity to safety plan and regain control of their lives.

My local newspaper periodically selects community members to write opinion columns on topics of their choice and publishes the columns one Sunday per month. One of these current ”Visiting Editors” happens to be a friend of mine and is the director of a local non-profit agency addressing the issue of literacy. Her most recent column encouraged government agencies to contract with non-profits because they can provide services at a far lower cost than government itself can. Unfortunately, while I can’t argue the premise; non-profits can and do provide services at a notoriously low cost, I can’t quite get behind the reasons why.

My friend’s piece makes two significant assertions: that non-profit salary and benefit packages are usually at or below market level and that employees of nonprofits will sacrifice pay and benefits for the opportunity to work for a cause they believe in. I would argue that while non-profit employees often do sacrifice pay and benefits, it certainly isn’t because they want to. The bigger question is why does working for the common good and performing a job that has value to you and the people you serve often mean not being able to make ends meet? Why should someone who is working for social justice and social good find it necessary to hold down a second job to pay the mortgage? More importantly, why does society assert that because people hold a passion for their work, a livable wage or health insurance are somehow unnecessary?

Just as is true in the for-profit world, part of it depends on where you’re working. State and national-level organizations have more attractive pay and benefit packages than local charities. Large foundations can afford to pay more because of their ability to raise funds from individuals and groups around the country where local agencies largely rely on the immediate community. Geography makes a difference as well; urban agencies will likely pay a little better than a small one in a rural community, again because they have more resources from which to draw. Another reality is the type of non-profit work you do and the cause you further. As I quickly learned, people are much more open to hearing about and supporting breast cancer research than women who have been assaulted by their partner. But aside from these differences that occur between non-profits, I think a significant factor is that the majority of employees of non-profit agencies are women. Whether you agree with feminist philosophy or not, the reality is that women are still paid less than men, are not as prone to try to negotiate a higher salary when they interview for a job and are more likely to consider their income as the ”second”. Historically, occupations in which the majority of employees are women have been grossly underpaid and under appreciated. It is only in recent history one will notice progress in fields such as teaching and nursing. Even that progress is limited because while the pay and benefits for a teacher in Modesto are fairly generous, the same cannot be said for a teacher in rural Florida.

I find it fascinating to look at what people are paid for the work they perform. The disparity between and within professions is mysterious to me. Why do plastic surgeons rank near the top of the pay scale among physicians? I realize they perform reconstructive surgery on patients who have been badly injured and disfigured and I applaud them for doing so. I would be curious, however, to know the ratio of these types of procedures to the cosmetic surgeries performed to enhance one’s ego. Is this service more important than that of the urban emergency room physician who treats gunshot wounds, rape victims and victims of car accidents on a regular basis? Does the computer software developer deserve to bring home a bigger paycheck than the police officer who puts her or his life on the line every time they put on the uniform? And would someone please explain to me in what universe is it rational that the President of the United States, the leader of the free world, only makes a little more than $200,000 a year? I understand the big white house comes with the job too, but seriously, folks.

I am here to debunk the myth that people who work in the non-profit world don’t care about money. While it is probably true we don’t need to become rich, a comfortable living wage is not the same. Perhaps the perception arose from the idea that if you choose to work with the needy, you won’t mind if you become needy. These are frequently people with post high-school education and degrees who work 40-plus hours a week, at jobs that can be very physically and emotionally draining. They are people with families and bills and illnesses and dreams. The work we do is important and if we have learned nothing from our recent collective economic spiral, it is that virtually any of us can stumble and find ourselves in a position of needing help. It is a shame that our society places so little value on our work that many non-profit agencies can’t even provide a retirement plan for their employees.

Finances remain a taboo topic of discussion in our society. Attempting to talk to people about their salaries, benefits, retirement and personal wealth makes them extremely uncomfortable. This is a critical conversation, however, to those currently working in the non-profit field and those considering such a career path. It is certainly worth the time of non-profit leaders, directors and board members, to advocate for change and pay equity for the employees who give so much of themselves to help others.

Belinda Rolicheck
Executive Director
Haven Women’s Center of Stanislaus

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger with Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, left, and Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg - Image from the Sacramento Bee

Earlier this morning, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger gave his final State of the State speech.

Some of the topics he discussed included, education, prisons, as well as budget and health care reform.

Specifically, the Governor said he will not cut funding for education in his budget. He proposed “a constitutional guarantee that California will never spend more money on prisons than on higher education.”

For more information read: State of the State – Arnold Schwarzenegger vows to protect schools, rein in prison spending

You can also read the full state of the state address, by clicking here.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is entering his last year in office and will give his final State of the State speech tomorrow morning, at 10am.

Schwarzenegger will be setting “the stage for one more fight with the Legislature over a budget that will total $89 billion this year.”

The financial strains facing California show how local governments are still dealing with the recession that began in 2007 even as the national economy recovers from the worst slump since the 1930s. The latest struggle comes after legislators already erased $60 billion in gaps in the past two years by raising taxes, slashing school spending and borrowing, in a political battle that pushed the state close to insolvency.

For more information read:

• Schwarzenegger Girds for Deficit Fight as Borrowing Costs Soar
• Letter May Telegraph State-of-the-State and Budget Themes

Via BayNet.com

Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Subcommittee Chairwoman, Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.) today announced a critical step forward in putting $418.5 million in funding for programs administered by the Department of Justice’s Violence Against Women Office in the federal checkbook.

These funds are included in the CJS Appropriations Bill, which was approved on Sunday, Dec. 13 by the Senate for a final time as part of Congress’ Fiscal Year 2010 Consolidated Appropriations Bill. It now goes to the President to be signed into law.

“When we fought for the Violence Against Women Act, it was not an unfunded mandate. I led the fight to put these programs in the federal law books, and I will continue to fight to put the funding they need in the federal checkbook,” Chairwoman Mikulski said. “I have absolutely no tolerance for domestic violence. That’s why I strongly support legislation and grant programs that help protect women and their families from continued violence and abuse, and gives them the tools they need to rebuild their lives.”

This funding will support programs authorized through the VAWA, which Senator Mikulski helped pass into law. Six additional VAWA programs are administered by the Office of Justice Programs and funded at the same level as fiscal year 2009.  This brings the total funding in fiscal year 2010 for VAWA programs to a record $444.5 million, a $29.5 million increase over last year.

Domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking are crimes of epidemic proportions, exacting terrible costs on individual lives and our communities. Twenty-five percent of U.S. women report that they have been physically assaulted by an intimate partner during their lifetimes, one in six have been the victims of attempted or completed rape. The cost of domestic violence exceeds $5.8 billion each year.

The CJS bill funds multiple competitive grant programs that support training for police officers and prosecutors; state domestic violence and sexual assault coalition grants; rape prevention programs; national domestic violence hotlines; grants for battered women’s shelters and transitional housing support services; victims of child abuse grants; and funding for counselors of rape victims during trials.

California needs $20.7 billion to balance the next budget, according to a forecast issued by the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office.

Kevin Yamamura reported said, “state leaders won’t be able to reap savings from some of the state’s largest spending categories.”

For instance, California lawmakers cannot touch K-12 school funding because “the state is spending close to a minimum amount required by the federal government. The state can’t cut Medi-Cal until January 2011 for the same reason. Those programs make up more than half the state’s $84.6 billion general fund budget. ”

Most likely leaders will pursue cuts in prisons, state parks and social service programs.

Click here to read the LAO report.

Earlier this week, Assemblyman Anthony Portantino reintroduced a bill that “would require police to document their progress in testing evidence from rapes, after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed similar legislation earlier this month.”

The bill “would require law enforcement agencies, starting in 2010, to report to the state Department of Justice the number of rape kits they received and tested.” CALCASA supported similar legislation earlier this year.

Portantino said “requiring police to accurately track their records on testing rape kits would provide more accountability to the public.”  The Assemblyman plans to present the bill to lawmakers when the regular legislative session begins in January.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today signed SBX3 13 by Senator Elaine Alquist (D-San Jose) to restore $16.3 million of state funding to support California domestic violence shelters.

“I want to congratulate the many groups that put victims first and came together to find this creative solution that will keep domestic violence shelters throughout the state open,” said Governor Schwarzenegger.

“I am proud to sign this bipartisan legislation that is good news for every Californian whose life is devastated by violence in the home and will help ensure domestic violence victims have a safe place to go. And, I encourage the legislature to continue looking for a permanent funding solution for this important program so domestic violence shelters aren’t faced with the same uncertainty next year.”

By failing to pass a balanced budget that fell $1 billion short of what legislative leaders had agreed to, the legislature forced the Governor to cut funding for programs he never had proposed cutting, including funding for domestic violence shelters. Since the budget was signed the Governor’s Administration has been working to restore funding to this important program and will continue to work for a permanent funding solution.

SBX3 13 provides for a one-time $16.3 million loan from the Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Fund to fund domestic violence shelters statewide for the 2009-10 fiscal year. The loan will be repaid with interest at the rate earned by the Pooled Money Investment Account by June 30, 2013.

Please click here to read the full press release.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have issued a $1.245M grant to the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault for its nationally recognized project Prevention Connection. The project utilizes innovative e-learning technologies to conduct interactive trainings and discussion forums on interpersonal violence and sexual violence, and is designed to strengthen the technical skills of participants using an online community of practice model (COP).

The $415K/year grant continues an effort that has been funded since 2005, and ensures that Prevention Connection will continue until at least 2012. “This is an investment in how we prevent sexual violence nationwide” says Executive Director, Suzanne Brown-McBride. “By bringing together prevention practitioners, we can strengthen existing efforts that states, campuses and communities have underway as well as building new pathways to successful, evidence based prevention models.”

The project has had more than 6,000 participants in over 35 web conferences, produces podcasts and online presentations, maintains email groups and has tapped into social media by way of Twitter and Facebook. Project Director, David Lee, says the ‘Community of Practice’ extends far and wide: “We have professionals in all 50 states, territories, and many countries like Australia, Canada, Scotland. We’re also working in partnership with National Sexual Violence Resource Center and VAWnet and we’ve been able to build a vibrant, dynamic community among professionals in our field. Our goal is to provide participants with an opportunity to exchange ideas, share resources and discuss emerging strategies and issues to primary prevention.”

October 11th marked the last day for Governor Schwarzenegger to sign or veto legislation that had made its way to his desk. After a long session fraught with protracted battles over the budget deficit, water and other divisive issues, many associations and institutions are counting themselves among the lucky few to have survived the process.

For CALCASA, this year has been challenging though we have had tremendous success in light of political and economic turmoil. Eleven pieces of legislation that CALCASA had sponsored or chosen to support were ultimately signed by the Governor.

• SB 588 (Committee on Public Safety) Sex Offender Management Board. SB 588 ensures the continued existence of the state’s SOMB –created to assess the practices in managing adult sex offenders under supervision, identify best practices and make recommendations on how to implement changes – past its January 1, 2010 sunset date.

• SB 325 (Alquist) Sex offenders: assessments. SB 325 expands the breadth of existing sex offender risk assessment practices – strengthening the process to help ensure these assessments are reliable enough to be held up in court challenges.

• SB 432 (Runner) Crime victims: restitution. SB 432 authorizes the court and the counties, whenever a person who has been ordered to pay restitution to a victim to provide the victims contact information to the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, along with the restitution order. This will enable the department to distribute restitution collected on the victim”s behalf.

• SB 447 (Yee) Criminal records: custodian. SB 447 requires the Department of Justice to establish, implement, and maintain a confirmation program to process fingerprint-based criminal record background clearances for such professionals designated as the custodian of record.

• SB 314 (Calderon) Crime victims. SB 314 works to ensure the solvency of the Victims Restitution Fund by giving higher priority to cases where penalties are owed in order to speed collection.

• SB 583 (Hollingsworth) Sex offenders. SB 583 requires the Department of Justice to record each address at which a registered sex offender resides with a unique identifier and the nature of the dwelling.

• SB 668 (Hollingsworth) Sex offenders. SB 668 requires that the registration, preregistration, or reregistration be signed under penalty of perjury.

• SB 669 (Hollingsworth) Sexually violent predators. SB 669 requires that, at the hearing on the issue of whether the committed person should be conditionally released or unconditionally discharged, where the person’s failure to participate in or complete the State Department of Mental Health Sex Offender Commitment Program may, if proved, be considered evidence that his or her condition has not changed.

• AB 17 (Swanson) Human trafficking. AB 17 increases fines on these crimes to $20,000 per count. Additionally, abduction or procurement of a minor would be categorized as a criminal profiteering activity, which could force those convicted of human trafficking to forfeit assets connected to those crimes.

• AB 73 (Hayashi) Marriage licenses: vital records: fees: domestic violence. AB 73 authorizes the Alameda Country Board of Supervisors to use a certain percentage of fees, from marriage licenses and vital records, for domestic violence programs.

• AB 595 (Adams) Placement of children: criminal background checks. AB 595 prohibits placement of foster children with individuals convicted of certain crimes, including sex crimes.

Any bill with an associated cost to the state was under significant scrutiny and most never made it out of committee for that reason. With that in mind, the inclusion of so many CALCASA sponsored and supported bills is a testament to the important work our members are doing and the support you’ve shown in the process. We are thankful to all of our members of the Grassroots Online Advocacy Center. If you haven’t signed up yet, please do so now so you can help make a difference in California and US policy.

For a complete list of legislation tracked by CALCASA this year, you can review the 2009 Bill Tracking page.

The Best Question from the Last Two Weeks

The tragedy of the Jaycee Dugard case has (rightly) resulted in quite a bit of media attention and interest.  At this early stage, reliable facts are just starting to emerge – despite the volume of coverage and conversation.  The paucity of new information, however, hasn’t stopped more than a few media outlets from asking a whole host of questions that I suspect no one knows the answer to, such as

Why would someone do this?

I don’t think that the media poses these questions out of malice, or ill intent. I think that journalists are trying to respond to the intense public interest (and outrage) that a crime like this one could happen in one of our California communities. I also think that some of the relentlessness of the coverage is also the product of the 24-hour news cycle that demands new information on a constant basis.

Continue reading the article here.

California to Submit Population Management Plan that Prioritizes Public Safety and Relieves overcrowding

Last week, The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) announced it will “file a comprehensive plan with the federal three judge panel that reforms the prison system over several years and eventually could exceed the panel’s order to bring the operational capacity to 137.5 percent of combined design capacity of the state’s 33 prisons.”

California’s domestic violence shelters prepare for funding fight

By Sean Maher

California’s domestic violence shelters, hit with a huge budget loss when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger cut all their state funding in July, pledged Tuesday to continue pressing for that money to be restored after a bill that would have done just that failed in the state Senate.

Six of the state’s 94 domestic violence shelters have closed since Schwarzenegger used a line-item veto July 28 to cut the $16.3 million California provided across the system, said Camille Hayes, a spokeswoman for The California Partnership to End Domestic Violence.

Opinion

What we can learn from the Dugard case

Sarah Tofte

…During the 18 years Jaycee was missing, in the aftermath of a series of horrendous crimes against children, California legislators and their counterparts across the nation addressed the problem of sexual violence primarily by establishing and expanding registration and community notification requirements for convicted sex offenders.

Courts, policymakers and the public operated on the assumption that sex-offender laws worked and were worth the money, even if they meant diverting resources from prevention efforts. Lawmakers have poured a tremendous amount of resources into these programs with strong public support.

by Michael Rushford

California has had no shortage of notorious criminals over the years. Often their crimes have exposed weaknesses in state and local law enforcement policy.

The Onion Field murder, which involved the 1963 kidnapping of two Los Angeles police officers and the killing of one, led to changes in police procedures during traffic stops. The slaughter of seven people in 1969 by followers of Charles Manson helped marshal public support for the death penalty and inspired reforms in legal procedures.

What is the financial condition of your agency? Is it more frightening to ponder the idea or not knowing what your current predicament is?  Many people talk about having diverse funding, creating a fund development plan, and doing financial forecasting.  All of these are excellent ideas that should be considered by your agency.

Before that bridge is crossed, you need to ask yourself, ” As of today, what is the financial condition of my agency?”

• How is my agency ‘s current cash flow?
• Do I have enough cash to cover this month’s payroll and operating expenses?
• What are my on-going monthly operating expenses?
• Are my billings to funders for reimbursements current?  What has been reimbursed and what is still outstanding?
• What checks have cleared versus what checks are still outstanding.
• What is my agency’s budget?  What are my revenues versus my expenses?

This is not an exhaustive list of questions but having these answers will give you baseline data to make informed decisions on financial matters.

An agency bank statement cannot be used by itself to get the information to the above mentioned questions.  Below are some action steps  that can help you know the financial condition of your agency. 

• Generate a document that shows monthly expenses, year to date expenditures and identifies  how grant are allocated.  This can be useful in helping you determine spending deficiencies and over spending in categories.
• Routinely reconcile your General Ledger with your bank statements and accounts payable.
• Generate Cash Flow projections documents to identify when you may need more cash for the agency and where you many need  to control or decrease spending.
• Set aside a specific time every month to dedicate to billing funders for reimbursements.

This article is in no way an exhaustive list of suggestions or scenarios for the financial condition of your agency.  Knowing the financial condition of one’s agency should be on the radar for all Executive Directors, accountants, bookkeepers and Board Members of nonprofit organizations.    

When getting physically fit, one needs to establish a fitness routine to help you achieve your desired goals;  why should it be any different when getting your agency financially fit to navigate the constantly changing economic climate.  If you have not established  a “Financial Fitness Routine” for your agency; why not make an concerted effort to start one today. 

For additional resources, please contact Kavin Black, Organizational Service Coordinator at (916)446-2520 ext 305,  kavin@calcasa.org.

Cindy and Kavin

Yesterday, CALCASA staff members participated in a policy day hosted by the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence (NAESV).

CALCASA staff went to Capitol Hill and met with many California delegates and staff including:

• Senator Barbara Boxer
• Congresswoman Judy Chu
• Congresswoman Dorris Matsui
• Conbressman Howard Berman
• Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren

CALCASA staff shared information with legislators about issues of importance to rape crisis centers and the victims they serve. Two key pieces of legislation CALCASA is currently highlighting include HR 3402 and S. 1340. Both bills would significantly increase funding for crime victims by raising an artificial cap placed on grants from the Victims Of Crime Act (VOCA).

CALCASA also talked to legislative staff about the importance of Sexual Assault Service Program (SASP) funding.

Background on VOCA

Enacted in 1984, VOCA created the Crime Victims Fund as a non-taxpayer funding resources for services that help crime victims cope with trauma and the aftermath of crime. More than 4,400 local agencies from all 50 states, and several US territories, depend on the VOCA Fund assistance grants to serve nearly 4 million crime victims each year.

In California, VOCA funds the California Victims Compensation Fund, which provides funding directly to victims of all types of crime including sexual violence.

Yesterday the “California Assembly narrowly passed a plan Monday to cut the state corrections budget by $1 billion, despite Republican lawmakers who assailed the measure as a threat to public safety.” Before legislative leaders adjourn next week they have to make more cuts to the prison budget to close the last piece of the state’s revised spending plan.

Last week, Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger accused Assembly members of “lacking ‘the guts’ to join the Senate in approving a comprehensive plan.”

Week of August 24th

Below is a summary of what happened this week with bills that CALCASA is tracking through the state legislature. The list includes bills that CALCASA is sponsoring, supporting and watching. We included links to each bill, so that you can read the text. All bills over $150,000 are sent to suspense and reconsidered later in the legislative session.

Assembly Appropriations

SB 588 (Committee on Public Safety) Sex Offender Management Board.

• CALCASA Position: Sponsor
• Status: Do Pass
• Current Location: A-APPR. SUSPENSE FILE

Senate Appropriations

AB 307 (Cook) Sex offenders: working with minors.

• CALCASA Position: Watch
• Status: Senate Rule 28.8
• Current Location: S-Second Reading

AB 1017 (Portantino) Sexual assault crimes.

• CALCASA Position: Support
• Status: Do Pass
• Current Location: S-APPR. SUSPENSE FILE

On Tuesday, a federal appeals court ruled that “a Federal Bureau of Prisons policy excluding murderers, rapists and others with violent crimes on their record from an early-release program is invalid because authorities have failed to explain why those inmates are ineligible.”

The L.A. Times reported that the 9th Circuit panel didn’t say the bureau “couldn’t make such exclusions, just that the bureau hadn’t adequately explained its rationale for doing so.”

Under the federal Administrative Procedures Act, “government agencies are required to justify their rules and procedures, then offer the public an opportunity to comment or make proposals.”

Capitol Weekly reported earlier this week that Assembly Speaker Karen Bass “dramatically altered a prison proposal passed by the state Senate.” Some of the most contentious provisions of the Senate bill were removed, “including a plan for a new commission to set sentencing guidelines.”

Suzanne Brown-McBride is the Executive Director of CALCASA as well as the chair of California’s Sex Offender Management Board. Brown-McBride was recently interviewed for a story about GPS monitoring devices as a strategy to reduce prison overcrowding. She said:

“GPS tells us where offenders are, but it doesn’t tell us what they are doing…A sex offender can invite a neighbor child into their home, so simply knowing where they are isn’t enough. You would also want to know what they were up to and what they were doing,” Brown-McBride said.

She added that GPS doesn’t tell officers who the subject is associating with or if there are weapons, drugs or alcohol present. And there are lingering technical concerns. A lost signal in certain buildings or dead spots can trigger a false alarm.

Brown-McBride says GPS can be a very help tool in an arsenal that includes traditional parole and probation techniques.

Click here to read the full article.

CALCASA ED Joins Council of State Governments Justice Center

A group of state and local leaders from across the nation?including respected state lawmakers and gubernatorial appointees who direct large state agencies, state supreme court chief justices and other court officials, and law enforcement executives and prosecutors met in Burlington, Vt., this week to discuss critical criminal justice policies.

Huffington Post: “Despite Promises, Some Rape Victims Stuck Paying Exam Bills”

Earlier this week, the Huffington Post, posted a story about rape victims who have been required to pay for evidence collection.

Editorial: Faces behind the numbers

Earlier this week, the Ventura Country Star posted an editorial about the recent domestic violence program funding cuts.

CA Prisons Must Cut Inmate Population

Earlier today, “a panel of federal judges ordered the California prison system on Tuesday to reduce its inmate population of 150,000 by 40,000 — roughly 27 percent — within two years. The judges said that reducing prison crowding in California was the only way to change what they called an unconstitutional prison health care system that causes one unnecessary death a week.”

Earlier today, “a panel of federal judges ordered the California prison system on Tuesday to reduce its inmate population of 150,000 by 40,000 — roughly 27 percent — within two years. The judges said that reducing prison crowding in California was the only way to change what they called an unconstitutional prison health care system that causes one unnecessary death a week.”

In a 184-page order, “the judges criticized state officials, saying they had failed to comply with previous orders to fix the health care system in the prisons and reduce crowding, and recommended remedies, including reform of the parole system.”

Click here to continue reading.

Earlier this week, the Huffington Post, posted a story about rape victims who have been required to pay for evidence collection.

When a woman is raped, police turn to scientific evidence-semen, blood and tissue samples-to identify her attacker. The evidence is collected through a medical exam of the victim, who is not supposed to pay for this crime-solving process.

But 15 years after Congress passed a law to ensure that rape victims would never see a bill, loopholes and bureaucratic tangles still leave some victims paying for hospital expenses and exams, which can cost up to $1,200.

Click here to read the full article.

From the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence

The Senate Appropriations Committee past its FY 2010 appropriations bill for the Departments of Commerce, Justice, NASA, the National Science Foundation and several independent agencies. Overall, the bill totals $64.9 billion in discretionary spending for FY 2010, an increase of about $7.3 billion over last year and $200 million above the President’s budget request.

The Committee provides $435 million for the Office on Violence Against Women INCLUDING $15 million for the Sexual Assault Services Program. This is $2 million more than in the house bill.

Highlights of the FY 2010 CJS Appropriations bill passed by Appropriations Committee include:

• $15 million for SASP
• $200 million for STOP Grants
• $9.5 million for Campus Grants
• $41 million for Rural Grants
• $60 million for Grants to Encourage Arrest
• $45 million for Civil Legal Assistance;
• $3 million for Services for Children who Witness Violence
• $3.5 million for STARY (Advocates for Youth)
• $3 million for Engaging Men and Boys
• $1 million for Tribal Sex Offender Registry
• $1 million for Research on Violence Against Women
• $500,000 for National Resource Center on Workplace Response
• $4.25 million for Elder Abuse
• $6.75 million for Education and Training for Disabled Female Victims

In addition, the VOCA cap is $705 million.

This is GREAT news specifically related to SASP and we must now forge ahead to ensure that the higher number for the program is eventually agreed to in the final appropriations bill signed by the President!

You can view the Committee’s full statement by clicking here.

On Thursday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger “followed up on his threat to block a high-interest loan that could be needed to keep California government running if he and state lawmakers fail to balance the budget soon.”

The Governor told the Times’ editorial board on Wednesday that, “What we need to do is just to basically cut off all the funding and just let them have a taste of what it is like when the state comes to a shutdown — grinding halt.”

Earlier this week, Controller John Chiang said “California government faces a ‘meltdown,’ with the treasury set to empty by late July unless the projected $24-billion budget shortfall is resolved quickly.”

Lawmakers must resolve the projected budget shortfall by July 1.

For more budget updates, read:

• Interactive: California budget balancer
• Governor revokes borrowing ability
• Speaker in hot seat as Democrats debate California budget

From NSVRC

WASHINGTON, DC – Award-winning actress and sexual assault survivor Gabrielle Union will testify in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee on the importance of the Violence Against Women Act. Union’s testimony will focus on her personal experiences as a sexual assault survivor and the need to provide funding to support services for victims. A rape crisis counselor played a critical role in her own recovery.

“Rape victims are not strangers. They are your mothers, sisters, daughters and your friends, said Union. “Justice shouldn’t be for a select few but for all. Sexual violence is a complex and traumatic experience for both the victim as well as their support system – family members, friends, and colleagues.”

Rape crisis services play a critical role in mitigating the trauma of sexual violence and helping survivors with the possible severe consequences on their well-being and stability. Around the country, however, rape crisis services are woefully underfunded at the state and federal levels.

The funding through the new Sexual Assault Services Program (SASP), which was authorized in the Violence Against Women Act of 2005, provides the first dedicated federal funding stream to local advocacy and direct service providers that are specifically designed to meet the individual needs of each survivor. The President’s FY 2010 budget includes $12 million the Sexual Assault Services Program.

“The National Alliance to End Sexual Violence applauds Gabrielle Union’s courage in testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee about her experience of sexual assault,” said Monika Johnson Hostler, President of NAESV. “As the Senate begins its work on the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, we are pleased that senators are taking time to think about the needs of the 1 in 6 women and 1 in 33 men in our country who have experienced sexual assault.”

The National Alliance to End Sexual Violence (NAESV) works to end sexual violence and ensure services for victims. The NAESV Board of Directors consists of leaders of state sexual assault coalitions and national law, policy, and tribal experts who promote the organization’s mission to advance and strengthen public policy on behalf of state coalitions, individuals, and other entities working to end sexual violence. Most importantly, the NAESV advocates on behalf of the victim/survivors—women, children and men—who have needlessly suffered the serious trauma of sexual violence and envisions a world free from sexual violence. For more information, visit www.naesv.org.

Below is a summary of what happened this week with bills that the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CALCASA) is tracking through the state legislature. We included links to each bill, so that you can read the text.  All bills over $150,000 are sent to suspense and reconsidered later in the legislative session.

Assembly Judiciary Committee

AB 1081 (Torrico) Electronic monitoring: domestic violence.
Status: Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on Appropriations.
CALCASA Position: Watch

Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee

SB 496 (Maldonado) Real estate: sex offenders.
Status: 4/28/2009 Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S. Set, first hearing. Failed passage in committee. (Ayes 2. Noes 3. Page 705.) Reconsideration granted.
CALCASA Position: Concerns

Assembly Public Safety Committee

AB 17 (Swanson) Human trafficking.
Status: 4/28/2009 Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on Appropriations.
CALCASA Position: Support

AB 768 (Torres) Elder abuse.
Status: 4/28/2009 From committee: Do pass, and re-refer to Com. on APPR. Re-referred. (Ayes 4. Noes 0.) (April 28).
CALCASA Position: Support

AB 988 (Brownley) Human trafficking: civil actions: training of caseworkers.
Status: 4/28/2009 From committee: Do pass, and re-refer to Com. on APPR. Re-referred. (Ayes 6. Noes 1.) (April 28).
CALCASA Position: Support

AB 1392 (Tran) Vandalism: Graffiti and Gang Technology Fund.
Status: 4/28/2009 From committee: Do pass, and re-refer to Com. on APPR. Re-referred. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (April 28).
CALCASA Position: Watch, Spot Bill

Senate Public Safety Committee

SB 110 (Liu) People with disabilities: victims of crime.
Status: 4/28/2009 Do pass as amended, and re-refer to the Committee on Appropriations.
CALCASA Position: Support

SB 174 (Strickland) Public safety and welfare.
Status: 4/28/2009 Do pass as amended, and re-refer to the Committee on Appropriations.
CALCASA Position: Watch, Spot Bill

SB 203 (Harman) Child pornography: separate offense per child: Internet distribution.
Status: 4/28/2009 Set, first hearing. Held in committee without recommendation.
CALCASA Position: Support

SB 265 (Runner) Parole: violators.
Status: 4/28/2009 Set, second hearing. Failed passage in committee. (Ayes 2. Noes 4. Page 704.) Reconsideration granted.
CALCASA Position: Watch

SB 314 (Calderon) Crime victims.
Status: 4/29/2009 From committee: Do pass, but first be re-referred to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 0. Page 704.) Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
CALCASA Position: Support

SB 432 (Runner) Crime victims: restitution.
Status: 4/28/2009 Do pass as amended, and re-refer to the Committee on Appropriations.
CALCASA Position: Support

SB 496 (Maldonado) Real estate: sex offenders.
Status: 4/28/2009 Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S. Set, first hearing. Failed passage in committee. (Ayes 2. Noes 3. Page 705.) Reconsideration granted.
CALCASA Position: Concerns

SB 504 (Runner) Sex offenders: monitoring by global positioning systems.
Status: 4/27/2009 Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.
CALCASA Position: Watch

SB 564 (Hollingsworth) Sexually violent predators.
Status: 4/28/2009 Do pass as amended, and re-refer to the Committee on Appropriations.
CALCASA Position: Questions

SB 566 (Hollingsworth) Monitoring devices: unauthorized removal, disabling, or tampering.
Status: 4/28/2009 Set, first hearing. Held in committee without recommendation.
CALCASA Position: Support

SB 583 (Hollingsworth) Sex offenders.
Status: 4/28/2009 Do pass as amended, and re-refer to the Committee on Appropriations.
CALCASA Position: Support

SB 584 (Hollingsworth) Sex offenders: Internet access.
Status: 4/28/2009 Set, second hearing. Held in committee without recommendation.
CALCASA Position: Watch

SB 668 (Hollingsworth) Sex offenders.
Status: 4/28/2009 Do pass as amended, and re-refer to the Committee on Appropriations.
CALCASA Position: Support

SB 669 (Hollingsworth) Sexually violent predators.
Status: 4/28/2009 Do pass as amended.
CALCASA Position: Support

SB 689 (Hollingsworth) Sex offenders: sexually violent predators: monitoring information.
Status: 4/28/2009 Set, first hearing. Failed passage in committee. (Ayes 2. Noes 4. Page 706.) Reconsideration granted.
CALCASA Position: Support

SB 733 (Leno) Crime victims: trauma center grants.
Status: 4/29/2009 From committee: Do pass, but first be re-referred to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 0. Page 707.) Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
CALCASA Position: Concerns

Assembly Appropriations Committee

AB 16 (Swanson) Human trafficking.
Status: 4/29/2009 In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.
CALCASA Position: Support

AB 168 (Nava) Juvenile case files: sexually violent predator proceedings.
Status: 4/29/2009 In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.
CALCASA Position: Support

AB 503 (Furutani) Battered women’s shelters: grant program.
Status: 4/30/2009 From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 16. Noes 0.) (April 29).
CALCASA Position: Support

AB 731 (Villines) Child abuse sentencing: child becoming comatose or suffering paralysis.
Status:4/29/2009 In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.
CALCASA Position: Support

AB 807 (Fuentes) Restitution centers.
Status: 4/29/2009 In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.
CALCASA Position: Questions

Senate Education Committee

SB 188 (Runner ) Temporary restraining orders: schools.
Status: 4/30/2009 From committee: Do pass, but first be re-referred to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) Re-referred to Com. on JUD.
CALCASA Position: Questions

Senate Health Committee

SB 273 (Corbett) Domestic violence.
Status: 4/29/2009 Do pass as amended, and re-refer to the Committee on Appropriations.
CALCASA Position: Watch

To read a complete list of bills being tracked by CALCASA, click here.

Robert Coombs, CALCASA’s Director of Public Affairs, had the opportunity to interview Michael Balaoing yesterday. Balaoing works for the Entertainment Industry Foundation and talked about what his organization is up to and what they are interested in seeing from grantees.

The nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) released a new report today about the impact of the federal stimulus plan on California.

The Sacramento Bee reported this morning, that “the state’s nonpartisan fiscal analyst said today that California likely will not receive enough federal stimulus money to avoid higher taxes and deeper spending cuts triggered by the new state budget deal.”

The LAO agreed with “Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Department of Finance in predicting California government will receive only $8 billion in stimulus funds over the 16 months.”

Click here to continue reading the article.

The Sacramento Bee reported earlier today that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Department of Finance “estimated Wednesday that California will not receive enough federal stimulus money to avoid higher personal income taxes and deeper cuts in social services.”

Jean Ross, executive director of the California Budget Project, said “some of the cuts that would occur are deeply troubling.” Ross emphasized that the cuts “would reduce the state share of pay for in-home supportive service workers. And I think there’s a long record of evidence regarding the need for optional (Medi-Cal) benefits. Particularly adult dental care, because dental health is integrally linked to physical health.”

The Finance Department has faced criticism from advocates for low-income residents, “who say the additional social service cuts will dramatically hurt millions of struggling Californians.”

Click here to continue reading the article.

Week of February 9, 2009

NYT’s: “California, Almost Broke, Nears Brink “

The New York Times reported earlier today that “the state of California — its deficits ballooning, its lawmakers intransigent and its governor apparently bereft of allies or influence — appears headed off the fiscal rails.”

Lawmakers have been trying to close the budget gap, since the fall and since then “the state has fallen into deeper financial straits, with more bad news coming daily from Sacramento. The state, nearly out of cash, has laid off scores of workers and put hundreds more on unpaid furloughs. It has stopped paying counties and issuing income tax refunds and halted thousands of infrastructure projects.”

LAPD Rape Kit Backlog Could Be Cleared by 2010

MSNBC reported last week that “the number of untested rape kits in Los Angeles Police Department’s evidence lockers is far fewer than previously calculated.” On Monday officials said that the backlog could be cleared by summer 2010 and that “the total of untested kits now stands at 4,423, opposed to the previous figure of nearly 7,000.”

Deputy Chief Charlie Beck said the pledge to eliminate the backlog is based on the assumption that staffing and funding levels remain unchanged.

Click here to continue reading.

State to cut back housing aid for paroled sex offenders
By John Simerman, Contra Costa Times

The state will stop paying long-term motel and apartment rents for thousands of sex offenders across California under an order Monday from a top corrections official, who acknowledged the move likely will add to the rolls of sex offenders who become homeless to avoid the living restrictions under Jessica’s Law.

Click here to continue reading.

TEMECULA: Council approves strict sex offender rules
Rules affect sex offenders moving into city, within city

Aaron Claverie reported last week that registered sex offenders “considering a move to Temecula soon will have a tougher time finding a place to live. The Temecula City Council unanimously approved an ordinance Tuesday that makes it a misdemeanor for a registered sex offender to live within 2,000 feet of a park, school or day care center.”

Judge finds sex offender law unconstitutional

SACRAMENTO — In only the third such ruling in the nation, a Sacramento judge has found to be unconstitutional a statute that makes it a federal crime for someone to fail to register as a sex offender and relocate from one state to another.

Editorial: Jessica’s Law doesn’t have it right

LIKE TOO MANY voter-approved initiatives that weren’t very well thought out, Proposition 83, also known as Jessica’s Law, has had costly, unforeseen consequences.

The ballot measure, backed by 70 percent of voters, prohibits paroled sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet of a school, park where children regularly gather.

A major flaw of Prop. 83 is that it makes no distinction between pedophiles and those convicted of committing crimes against adults. Though it makes little sense to ban sex offenders who prey on grown people from areas frequented by kids.

Click here to continue reading.

The Contra Costa Times reported earlier this week that “the state will stop paying long-term motel and apartment rents for thousands of sex offenders across California under an order Monday from a top corrections official, who acknowledged the move likely will add to the rolls of sex offenders who become homeless to avoid the living restrictions under Jessica’s Law.”

MSNBC reported earlier this week that “the number of untested rape kits in Los Angeles Police Department’s evidence lockers is far fewer than previously calculated.” On Monday officials said that the backlog could be cleared by summer 2010 and that “the total of untested kits now stands at 4,423, opposed to the previous figure of nearly 7,000.”

Deputy Chief Charlie Beck said the pledge to eliminate the backlog is based on the assumption that staffing and funding levels remain unchanged.

Click here to continue reading.

ABC News 10: “Paroled sex offenders say new cuts to housing assistance will likely force more of them into the streets at greater risk to public safety.”

Next week, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDRC) announces new policies, including a stricter 60-day limit on paying rent for parolees newly released from prison. The agency says in the past 12 months, the state has paid out almost $20 million in housing assistance for 7,897 parolees. Almost 5,000 of those parolees are convicted sex offenders.

“A lot of the guys are of the mentality that I’m not gonna do this, ya know, and they’re gonna just cut the (GPS) monitors off and go. I mean, I hear guys talking about it every day,” said a 57-year-old sex offender parolee named Russ. He was just booted from his room at a downtown Sacramento hotel because his parole agent said the state won’t pay his $485 rent anymore. Russ isn’t sure what his next move will be, but he said many he knows could likely turn to their old ways without a place to live.

Listen to the story here:

As economic conditions worsen, victims are left with fewer resources and the demand for lifesaving services increases. Recognizing the great need for additional funding for essential domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence and stalking programs, on Tuesday, January 27, 2009, the Senate Appropriations Committee passed an economic stimulus bill entitled the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan (S.1).

This bill provides the following funding for critical victim services: $300 million for the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), specifically for Services, Training, Officers, and Prosecution (STOP)  state formula grants; out of which, $50  million will be allocated to the VAWA Transitional Housing program; and $100 million for the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA).

As exciting as this news is, it is only the first step in the process. It is critical that these Senate provisions are protected as the bill moves toward becoming law.  Make sure that your Senators hear how important the Senate bill provisions are to victims of violence!

Urge your Senators to support $300 million for the VAWA STOP program, $50 million for the VAWA Transitional Housing program, and for $100 million for the Victims of Crime Act.

Click here and send your message.

Last week on Friday, the California District Attorneys Association (CDAA) sent letters “to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the members of the California Legislature expressing its firm opposition to the proposed elimination of prosecution grant programs.” The CDAA said some of the prosecution grant programs that may be cut include “child abuse, gang violence, the proliferation of methamphetamine, crimes against our vital agricultural industry, and the escalating use of the Internet and technology to exploit children and the elderly.”

In one of the letters to Schwarzenegger, prosecutors were highly critical of the “Governor’s plan to eliminate parole supervision for all non-serious, non-violent, and non-sex offenders.” A portion of the letter said:

“Parole is an essential law enforcement tool enabling peace officers to search the persons, vehicles, and residences of parolees. Parole searches have saved innocent lives and prevented countless violent crimes. To unilaterally eliminate parole for thousands of prison inmates would constitute a public safety disaster.”

Another letter to state legislators talked about the “magnitude of the unprecedented budget shortfall facing our state and the sacrifices necessary to put California’s fiscal house in order.” But the CDAA believes “that many of the proposals contained in the Governor’s budget disproportionately impact prosecutors, irrevocably damage public safety in California, and serve only to exacerbate our economic problems.”

Click here to continue reading the article.

The Feminist Daily News Wire reported this morning about a recently released report by the Department of Justice (DOJ). The report said that the “rates of rape, sexual assault, and domestic violence in the United States have soared over the past two years.”

The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), a “biannual report from the DOJ’s Office of Justice Programs, estimated at least 248,300 rapes and sexual assaults occurred in 2007, a 25 percent increase from 2005 levels. Estimates of domestic violence incidents rose by 42 percent between 2005 and 2007. Incidence of rape, sexual assault, and domestic violence increased the most of all violent crimes since 2005, while reported rates of most violent crimes, including robbery and aggravated assault, decreased.”
The Office of Justice Programs used revised methods to collect data for the 2007 report, which may account for some of the differences from the 2005 analysis. Sarah Toffe said in a Human Rights Watch statement, that:

“The new numbers indicate that previously, the government significantly underestimated the number of individuals affected by domestic and sexual violence in this country. Authorities should urgently adjust public policies, law enforcement, and provision of support services accordingly.”

Yesterday, Democrats put forth an $18 billion budget plan and today state lawmakers are expected to vote on the plan. The proposal contains more than “$9 billion in added revenue and requires only a simple majority vote of the Legislature to be approved.”

The move boxes in Republicans, who have just enough votes to block lawmakers from approving tax and budget bills that require a two-thirds majority in the Democratic-controlled Legislature. But Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger does not support the plan, which is designed to help close a $40 billion budget deficit expected through mid-2010, his spokesman said.

For more on the budget, see:

• Dems’ new budget plan adds $9 billion revenue
• California Democrats claim budget solution; governor unconvinced
• California Democrats devise plan to hike taxes
• State lawmakers poised to vote on Democrats’ bill to fix budget
• Dems try end-run around GOP to close budget hole

The San Francisco Chronicle reported this morning that Republican lawmakers released their plan to resolve the “state’s budget crisis – a $22 billion plan that would avoid raising taxes, cut deeply into education spending and dip into voter-approved funds intended to pay for mental health services and children’s health care.”

For more information, read:

• GOP budget plan: Slash $10 billion from schools
• GOP seeks deep cuts
• GOP offers budget plan that relies on deep cuts

The Feminist Daily News reported this morning that late Wednesday night, the Senate passed the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Act. The House passed the act earlier in the day.

The Act, H.R. 7311, authorizes appropriations for fiscal years 2008 through 2011 and enhances measures to combat trafficking in persons. The Act includes provisions making it easier for victims to remain in the U.S, provides $7.5 million for victim assistance and an increased focus on combating trafficking in children.

Eleanor Smeal, President of the Feminist Majority Foundation said,
“In addition to providing assistance to trafficking victims, this Act further puts the weight of the federal government behind efforts to combat trafficking for labor, sexual exploitation and child labor.”

Click here to read the full article.

During the next few weeks, key members of Congress and the Senate will be working on a series of appropriations bills for the 2009 fiscal year. Currently, the government is operating under a continuing resolution, commensurate with their current spending levels. Congressional leadership would like to increase spending and rework some of their priorities for the rest of 2009.

One area of particular interest to CALCASA and its members will be funding for Sexual Assault Service Programs (SASP). As you know, SASP supports vital services such as advocacy, prevention services and campus based services.

Please join us in telling Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Jerry Lewis about how important sexual assault victims services are for the State of California. Click “Take Action“ to visit CALCASA’s Grassroots Action Center to send your message to Speaker Pelosi and Rep. Lewis.

The LA Time reported this morning that the California Legislature voted “Friday to send Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger the final measures needed to resolve the budget deadlock that had dragged on a record 81 days past the start of the fiscal year.”

The budget provides funding to “education and social services than last year, but not enough to avoid cutbacks in schools, healthcare facilities and payments to the disabled, elderly and blind.”

But, the budget does not include any new taxes. The “Republicans rejected assertions from Democrats and Schwarzenegger that the state needs to raise more revenue to ensure long-term fiscal stability.”

Click here to continue reading LA Times article.

Other articles of interest include:

• Legislature approves record-late budget
• State budget’s done, but no one is thrilled about it
• Legislature approves new budget
• State budget battle over

On Thursday, California’s record budget standoff ended “when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders struck a deal, avoiding the governor’s promised veto of a spending plan the Legislature approved earlier in the week.”

Today, the $104 billion budget is expected to be approved by both the Assembly and Senate.

The budget “eliminates proposals for extra withholdings from workers’ paychecks and revenue from a tax amnesty program. It bridges a $17 billion budget gap in part by increasing penalties on corporations that underpay income taxes and reduces reserve funds, legislative leaders said.”

Other articles of interest include:

• Governor and lawmakers agree on spending plan
• Governor, lawmakers cut deal on budget
• Schwarzenegger, top legislators reach a budget deal

Fred Strebeigh wrote a statement on Senator Joseph Biden and the history of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), earlier this week.

Strebeigh piece provides an interesting perspective on the VAWA and Senator Biden’s role in authoring the legislation.

VAWA is a federal act that provides funding to rape crisis centers throughout the country for prevention and response to sexual violence and “Biden has proclaimed it the ‘most important legislative accomplishment’ of his Senate career.”

The piece appeared in The New Republic: A Journal of Politics and the Arts.

By Jordan Rau and Evan Halper, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers

SACRAMENTO — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced this afternoon that he will veto the state budget passed by the Legislature early this morning, setting the stage for an unprecedented confrontation in California’s Capitol.

“When they send me the budget, I will veto it,” Schwarzenegger said at a Capitol news conference. “If my veto is overriden,” he said, ” … hundreds of bills will be vetoed.”

Schwarzenegger had warned lawmakers in a letter last night that he would veto their spending plan — 78 days late today — if it did not include three provisions to ensure the state a reliable rainy day fund for times of fiscal trouble. This year, California has developed a $15.2-billion budget gap.

Click here to read the full article.

Jim Sanders a reporter with the Sacramento Bee, indicated California lawmakers approved a budget deal early this morning. The budget is likely to be vetoed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and it “borrows billions from taxpayers and fails to prevent future financial trouble.”

A key element of the deal would increase by 10 percent the amount of income taxes withheld from workers, and from taxpayers who earn income from investments.

Much of the $15.2 billion budget shortfall would be bridged by advancing revenues to be collected in future years, shifting or borrowing money from other state funds and employing accounting maneuvers. The plan would generate immediate revenue but leave gaping holes in future budgets.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger sent a letter to the four legislative leaders that he could support the spending plan — but only if his three “rainy day” fund demands were met.

For more information on the budget, read:

• Calif. lawmakers end record-setting budget impasse
• Despite governor’s threat, state lawmakers pass budget
• Budget approved despite governor’s threatened veto

On Sunday, California state legislative leaders announced a “breakthrough in California’s record budget impasse, potentially ending a stalemate that set a new standard for dysfunction in a Capitol with a long history of blown budget deadlines.”

The Associated Press reported that it is not clear “whether the tentative deal would be accepted by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has said he would not sign a budget that failed to include long-term reform.”

The tentative budget deal would include $9 billion in spending cuts, closing tax loopholes and collecting some “one-time revenues in this fiscal year rather than the next.”

Click here to continue reading the article.

On Wednesday Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said he will “veto any bill that comes to his desk until lawmakers pass a state budget.”

The Governor indicated there are 13 bills awaiting his signature. But, “he will allow the authors of those bills to pull them back, thus avoiding a veto.”

Click here to learn more about the bills.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported today that democrats “in the Legislature proposed billions of dollars in new taxes on corporations and wealthy individuals this week to help erase the state’s huge budget deficit, setting the stage for a contentious debate with Republicans and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.”

Gov. Schwarzenegger told reporters on Wednesday that he “opposes new taxes but is willing to talk about anything that comes up in budget discussions.” The California budget deficit is $17.2 billion.

Click here to continue reading the article.

Below are additional articles, relating to the California budget:

Budget standoff: That’s it for cuts, Dems say

The day after unveiling $8.2 billion in proposed tax increases mostly on high-income earners and corporations, legislative Democrats on Wednesday said they have done all they can to trim the state budget without harming education and health care.

Democrats present plan to tax California’s wealthy

SACRAMENTO — Democratic lawmakers presented a plan late Tuesday night to impose $9.7 billion in new taxes on the wealthy and corporations to avoid the cuts to government services in Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s budget plan.

Dan Walters: It’s time for budget cage-fight

If nothing else, the state’s budget imbroglio has brought the Capitol’s stark ideological conflict – very liberal Democrats vs. very conservative Republicans and no more than a handful of even semi-moderates – into razor-sharp focus.

Update: Sen. John Kerry introduces cruise ship safety bill

Cruise ships would be required to install peepholes in cabin doors, increase guardrail heights and maintain crime report logbooks under sweeping legislation introduced Thursday by Sen. John F. Kerry.

Below is a press release from Rep. Doris Matsui’s office:

Today, Rep. Doris Matsui (CA-05) introduced the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act of 2008 to keep Americans aware and protected while on cruise vacations. The bill is the culmination of months of fact-finding hearings and investigation into the matter. For Rep. Matsui, the call to action came when one of her constituents, Laurie Dishman, wrote to her for help.

Ms. Dishman was the victim of a sexual assault while on a cruise vacation, and was given no assistance by the cruise line in properly securing evidence of the assault, identifying her attacker who was an employee of the cruise ship, or prosecuting the crime once back on shore. Frustrated, Ms. Dishman reached out to her Congresswoman for help. “When Laurie reached out to me, I knew that I had to use my position to help her and investigate the issue further. What we have found is truly alarming: there is little to no regulation of the cruise industry, and far too many crimes go unprosecuted each year,” said Rep. Doris Matsui. Rep. Matsui called for multiple hearings that brought key executives in the cruise industry to testify before Congress.

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) took up the cause in the Senate, holding a hearing just last week on the issue. Despite these fact-finding missions, the cruise industry has not yet taken sufficient action to regulate itself, spawning the need for comprehensive legislation.

“It is absolutely appalling that the cruise industry still has not instituted basic reforms so that crimes can be prevented and if crimes do occur, victims have adequate access to justice. When a goliath like the cruise industry will not act in the best interest of the customers who are entrusting it with their personal well-being, then Congress has a responsibility to step in and shed some sunlight on the problem,” said Rep. Matsui. Rep.

Matsui is a leading advocate in Congress for cruise safety, and welcomed the unequivocal support of Reps. Doggett (TX-25), John Lewis (GA-05), Maloney (NY-14), and Shays (CT-04). Together, they presented the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act, while Sen. Kerry introduced companion legislation in the Senate. “12 million Americans will board cruise ships this year and they should know that they are safe,” said Sen. Kerry.

“The tragic loss of Ken Carver’s daughter reminds us we need to tighten security and crime reporting regulations. Changing legal jurisdictions in international waters are no longer an excuse for failing to report and prosecute serious crimes. It’s time to hold the industry accountable for the security and protection of their passengers. I’m grateful to Senator Kerry and Rep. Matsui for their support in this endeavor.”

The Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act of 2008 incorporates the recommendations and priorities of the international Cruise Victims Association (ICV), a nonprofit organization that represents victims of crimes on cruise ships. Kendall Carver, President of ICV indicated strong support for the bill that is being introduced in both the House and Senate.

In March of 2006, at a congressional hearing, ICV introduced a 10 point program to improve safety on cruise ships to protect the passengers and crewmembers. “Over the past year our organization and other victims of cruise crimes have met numerous times with cruise lines executives in an effort to have them voluntarily take the necessary steps as outlined in our proposals. The cruise line industry has failed to step up to the challenge and make any significant changes to improve safety.

That resistance to change is a clear signal to us that the only alternative left is for the United States Congress to move forward with legislation,” stated Carver.

The legislation would:

• Mandate guard rails to reach 54 inches in height; and entry doors of each passenger stateroom and crew cabin to have peep holes, security latches, and time sensitive key technology. Ship owners would be required to implement fire safety codes as well as technology to detect when a passenger falls overboard. Procedures would also be established to determine which crew members have access to staterooms and when.

• Provide Transparency in Reporting

The legislation would establish a reporting structure based on the current voluntary agreement in place between the cruise industry, the FBI, and the Coast Guard. Additionally, each ship would be required to maintain a log book, which would record all deaths, missing individuals, alleged crimes, and passenger/crewmember complaints regarding theft, sexual harassment, and assault. The log books would be available to FBI and Coast Guard electronically, as well as to any law enforcement officer upon request. Statistical information would be posted on a public website maintained by the Coast Guard.

• Improve Crime Scene Response

Each ship would be required to maintain anti-retroviral medications and medications used to prevent sexually transmitted diseases after assault, as well as equipment and materials for performing a medical examination to determine if a victim has been raped. A United States licensed medical practitioner would be on every ship to perform the necessary examinations and to administer treatment. Private medical information would be protected, and would require written authorization for release. Additionally, all passengers would be given free, immediate, and confidential access to a National Sexual Assault Hotline and the FBI.

• Improve Training Procedures

The legislation would establish a program designed by the Coast Guard and the FBI, and certified by the Administrator of the Maritime Administration, to train appropriate crewmembers in crime scene investigation. Each ship would be required to maintain one crewmember trained and certified under such a program.

• Enforce Safety and Environmental Standards

The Coast Guard is authorized to dispatch personnel to monitor discharge of waste, to verify logbook entries related to waste treatment and disposal, and to act as public safety officers by securing and collecting evidence of alleged crimes. Additionally, the Secretary of the Coast Guard shall conduct a study of passenger security needs and report findings/suggestions to Congress.

• Establish Equitable Remedies

The bill also establishes fair and equal remedies for persons injured in boating disasters.

As the June 27th deadline for bills to pass their final policy committee and be reported to the floor, a slew of CALCASA supported bills came through Assembly and Senate Public Safety and Judiciary Committes along with the Senate Human Services committees. A few highlights from the day:

SB 1649 (Steinberg) Human trafficking “would require retail sellers and manufacturers doing business in the state to develop, maintain, and implement policies related to their compliance with federal and state law regarding the eradication of slavery and human trafficking.” Among other provisions, the bill would establish the Commission to Combat Slavery and Human Trafficking. Passed 7-3

SB 1203 (Runner) Crime: sex offenders attempts to provide “that for any person being evaluated as a sexually violent predator, parole will toll from evaluation through the period of commitment, including conditional release under court monitoring.” Failed 2-2 Reconsideration Granted

AB 2038 (Lieber) Persons with disabilities: victims of crime attempts to create a comprehensive approach, upgrading law enforcement training, giving police and judges new tools to protect victims, assuring that relevant state agencies focus on the problem, and changing terminology to make it clear to all that the law protects all Californians with disabilities. Passed 3-0

from the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence (NAESV)

Earlier this week, the House Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Subcommittee marked up its FY 2009 spending bill. The Sexual Assault Services Program (SASP) was funded at $15 million (up from $9.4 million in FY 2008).

The bill also contained language which increases Congressional oversight in specialty mental health services and substance abuse programs, including a directive that the Department of Defense provides the best care to veterans who suffer from military sexual trauma.

WHAT’S NEXT???

While this news is very exciting, we must remind everyone that this is the very first step in a very, very long annual appropriations process. This year the process will be longer because the upcoming Presidential election will greatly impact the ability of Congress to get their work done.

Next week, the full House Appropriations Committee is scheduled to vote on this bill. There may be amendments added to fund additional programs and it will be passed out of full committee early next week. Then the bill must make its way to the House floor. However, the President has already threatened to veto any bill that exceeds his proposed budget funding levels.

STAY TUNED FOR MORE UPDATES AND REPORTS!

If you have any questions, feel free to consult NAESV’s advocacy guide for more information. You can also email Ana Ottman or Ellen Fern.

To view the Subcommittee’s press release, please click here.

Yesterday, Assemblyman Calderon introduced AB 2914 in the Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee. The bill “could raise as much as $665 million in tax revenue each year off the $4 billion-a-year porn industry.”

Shelley Lubben, an ex-porn star who now campaigns against the industry with the group Pink Cross, said a tax is justified because of the ill effects porn has on performers and consumers. Everything from addiction to drugs or sex itself, assault, disease, rape and prostitution can be counted as side effects of the industry, she said.

Galgiani and Calderon likened the tax to existing “sin taxes” on alcohol and tobacco. They say the cash raised from taxes on strip club fees, pornographic movies, pay-per-view films, sex toys and the like could be used for anything related to education, law enforcement, health care and social services – generally anything paid for from the state’s general fund.

“It essentially creates a slush fund,” said Matt Gray of the Free Speech Coalition.

AB 2914 was moved to the suspense file. If the bill is approved it could raise more than “$500 million every year to fight secondary effects supporters say porn has on drug abuse, rape, and domestic violence.”

Click here to learn more about the bill.

NAESV’s E-Lobby Week has arrived!

Over 325 letters have already been sent to Congresspeople from across the country. This is your last chance to join advocates Nationally and have your voice heard in Washington, DC!

The National Alliance to End Sexual Violence (NAESV) E-Lobby Week is going on now (4/21/08 – 4/25/08). April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and the NAESV E-Lobby week is a chance to spread the word all the way to Congress. To participate, there are two components:

1. Be virtually present in Washington, DC:

With a click of a button, participants will send a letter to their Members of Congress explaining how important funding for sexual assault services is in your state. After signup, this step takes as little as 45 seconds from start to finish!

2. District Visits:

It is what you do at home in your Congressional district that really brings this virtual lobby week together. Making a visit to your Member of Congress’ district office is an important means of getting your voice heard and in building relationships with staff.

How to participate:

Click here to register. Once you’ve registered, you will be “carried” through the process electronically during the E-Lobby Week.

Click here to log in and send your message:

Two days and counting until CA lawmakers join the CALCASA and the California Legislative Women’s Caucus, for Denim Day at the Capitol!

In conjunction with this exciting event, the Denim Day Senate Concurrent Resolution has been introduced by Senators Romero, Alquist, Ducheny, Kehoe, Kuehl, Migden, Negrete McLeod, Oropeza, and Wiggins. You can review the SCR 106 by clicking here.

SCR 106 was heard in the Senate last week (SEN. FLOOR Vote – Y:36 N:0 A:4) and will be taken up in the Assembly this week.

Members who have signed on include:

SENATE:

• Alquist
• Ducheny
• Kehoe
• Kuehl
• Migden
• Negrete McLeod
• Oropeza
• Romero
• Wiggins

ASSEMBLY:

• Bass
• Berg
• Brownley
• Carter
• Caballero
• Evans
• Fuller
• Garcia
• Hancock
• Karnette
• Parra
• Runner
• Saldaña
• Soto
• Strickland
• Wolk

Judge Scott Jenkins ruled last week that Texas may not collect a $5-per-patron strip club fee. The fee was expected to raise $40 million per year and pay for sexual assault prevention programs and health insurance for low-income Texans.

Judge Jenkins wrote in an option that, “while furthering laudable goals, violates the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and is therefore invalid.”

Karen Amacker, a spokeswoman for the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault, said her group is disappointed in the ruling and that the fee “is an appropriate long-term, sustainable funding source for programs addressing sexual violence…This is not the end of the adult entertainment fee or of our goal of providing comprehensive sexual assault-related services to Texans.”

Read more about the issue here.

Last week the Senate passed an amendment to the FY 2009 Budget Resolution. The amendment was introduced by U.S. Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (D-DE).

Senator Biden’s “amendment would add $100 million to the funding allocation for VAWA programs, which are administered by the Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services.”

In addition, the amendment will “provide a much-needed funding boost to programs that will train more police officers, judges, and prosecutors, expand transitional housing for victims, improve services for battered women in rural areas and Indian land, launch prevention programs aimed at boys and young men and much more.”

Click here to continue reading the press release.

A letter is being circulated in the House of Representatives by Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX) that supports full finding for the Sexual Assault Services Program (SASP) in FY 2009.

The National Alliance to End Sexual Violence needs your help!

Click here to send a message to your Representative TODAY and request that he/she sign-onto the SAAP Dear College letter. In FY 2007, we had close to 100 members sign on!

CBS of the Central Coast recently covered the potential impact of proposed spending cuts, by the state and federal government, on local sexual assault and domestic violence programs.

The story aired on Monday and a CBS correspondent noted that “the state is already cutting funding to these programs by 10 percent in order to balance the budget. Now, local agencies are facing even more cuts in their funding, this time, by the federal government.”

Jennifer Adams, Executive Director of the Sexual Assault Recovery and Prevention Center said:

“That’s 10 percent of our budget, on top of all of the other cuts, and as a nonprofit, we don’t have a lot of fluff in our budget.”

Congresswoman Lois Capps is an advocate of preventing these cuts and released a statement:

“I am appalled that the President would propose gutting these essential programs. These cuts would be devastating for domestic violence and sexual assaults services on the South and Central Coasts, and would harm countless women and children who are survivors of domestic violence.”

VAWA Programs Increased by $17.3 million

Sexual assault advocates have reason to celebrate the December 26th signing of the $555 billion Omnibus funding package for FY 2008. For the first time, the Sexual Assault Services Program (SASP) will be funded and federal resources for sexual assault victim services will be made available! The first time funding level for SASP is $9.4 million.

The bill debated by Congress and ultimately signed into law by the President combined all of the unfinished appropriations for FY 2008, including the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education (LHHS) and Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) appropriations bills. This means that funding for VAWA and VOCA programs (e.g., Rural Grants Program, RPE, SASP, STOP, etc.) and many other programs on which survivors and their children rely including, Head Start, child care, housing assistance, and home energy aid will be funded through one omnibus spending measure. Overall, VAWA programs administered by the Department of Justice have seen a $17.3 million increase!

While we are thrilled to report that SASP has received funding and VAWA as a whole has received an increase, unfortunately the news is not entirely positive. Many programs received cuts including the Victim of Crime Act Fund (VOCA), which has been cut by $35 million. Many Members of Congress supported increases to the VOCA cap, the pressure from the President to cut funding was just too strong.

Programs within the Labor Health and Human Services budget like the Rape Prevention and Education program and the Family Violence Prevention Services Act (FVPSA) received no funding increases or cuts, leaving them at the same funding level as last year. Each year, however, all programs have a small percent taken off their overall budget, called a rescission. This year the rescission for programs in the LHHS portion of the bill was a 1.747% across the board cut which essentially cuts funding to these programs.

We need your voice! NAESV will be focusing on these strategic activities this month:

• Document the impact: The National Center for Victims of Crime will be developing a user-friendly survey for advocates and program providers to tell us how the VOCA cut impacts your programs and victims in your area. NAESV and other organizations will help to distribute the survey nationwide, and the results will be used as evidence as we fight for VOCA increases in fiscal year 2009.
• Call-in: We will be organizing a call-in day for folks to discuss the impact of the VOCA cut and discuss how we can move forward in the future.
• Write a letter: We will draft a letter that you can modify and send to your Members of Congress about the importance of VOCA funding.
• Talks to candidates: We will supply you with talking points and questions for the presidential candidates. As they move through the primaries, they need to know that VOCA is a significant issue for the American public.
• Thank you for being ready to act in these strategic ways to ensure a stable future for VOCA!

The House and the Senate have completed the Omnibus Appropriations Bill and have sent it to the President, who is expected to sign it into law.

The Victim of Crime Act Fund (VOCA) has been cut by $35 million. California will see a cut of over $5 million.

The President’s budget called for the elimination of the VOCA Fund but a variety of organizations fought hard to maintain it and even to raise the VOCA cap throughout the appropriation’s process.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

The outcome of the VOCA cut cannot be changed but we can ensure that VOCA is restored next year.

Your voice is needed! Stay on the lookout for these strategic activities in January:

• Document the impact of VOCA cuts on your programs and victims in your area.
• Write a letter send it to your Members of Congress about the importance of VOCA funding.
• Talk to the presidential candidates. As they move through the primaries, they need to know that VOCA is a significant issue for the American public.

Thank you for being ready to act in these strategic ways to ensure a stable future for VOCA!

Congress spent the weekend drafting an Omnibus Appropriations bill. The House is likely to vote on the bill early this evening and the Senate will vote on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Overall, DOJ VAWA programs have seen a $17.7 million increase! Unfortunately, some programs that mean a great deal to sexual assault and domestic violence advocates have also received cuts due to the extreme pressure Congress faced to get the bill down to the President’s budget request and to stave off another veto by the President.

In addition to cuts made to programs throughout the Omnibus and throughout each federal agency, an across the board cut will also impact each and every federal program. This year the across the board cut is at 1.747%. Many advocates let out a sigh of relief as we had been hearing dire predictions of up to 5% percent across the board cuts.

THE GOOD NEWS:

Many programs have received increases including $9.4 million for the Sexual Assault Services Program (when you consider we started at $0); a $1.6 million increase for Services for Rural Victims, a $2.8 million increase for Services for Teens, and $2.8 million for Services for Children Exposed to Domestic Violence! Also please remember final numbers for these programs will include the across the board cut.

We know that Congress worked for these increases under extreme pressure to make cuts. This is a huge victory for us! Our grassroots calls about VOCA and VAWA funding are surely the reason behind these increases!

Many core social safety net programs, upon which victims rely won increases in this appropriations bill, including heat assistance, WIC, and Community Health Centers.

THE BAD NEWS:

The VOCA fund has been cut by $35million. This is a huge cut and will have serious consequences for programs. Working with our allied organizations here in DC, we are developing a strategy to bring the VOCA fund back to its original numbers to meet the growing needs of victims.

The President wanted to ax the fund completely, and Congress was under extreme pressure to get to his numbers.
The fact that we were able to save the VOCA fund from complete annihilation is a testament to our collective hard work.

We are all angry about this devastating cut but we need to channel our anger toward positive results next year!

The other bad news is a $2.1 million cut to Legal Assistance for Victims and a $3.2 million cut to Grants to Encourage Arrest.

NEXT STEPS

The House of Representatives is slated to vote on the Omnibus as early as this evening. Then it will be passed over to the Senate where more funding for the war in Iraq is expected to be added on to the measure.

It will then be sent back over to the House for a final vote before being sent to the President for his signature. At this time the President is expected to sign the bill. However, a lot can change after the House and Senate vote on the bill and pass it on to the President. We are waiting for more concrete information.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is faced with a projected $14 billion budget deficit and has “decided to seek across-the-board cuts to state operations.”

…as the fiscal outlook has worsened, the Republican governor has decided to go forward, according to advocates for social services and local government the governor has summoned in recent days for budget discussions…

Schwarzenegger is planning to ask the Legislature for a 10 percent across-the-board reduction in state spending next year, according to sources who have met with the governor this month.

The Governor told social service advocates this week that the 10 percent cut is expected to impact all of state government equally.

CALCASA will continue to urge the Governor and legislators to ensure that dollars designated for crime victims stay with victims and resist the temptation to borrow against the Crime Victims Compensation Fund as a way to address the budget shortfall.

California is gearing up for an extremely difficult budget year with the Legislative Analyst’s Office and Governor Schwarzenegger’s administration projecting an increasingly bleak budget outlook.

The Governor’s finance officials are projecting a California budget deficit of roughly $14 billion, significantly larger than the $9.8 billion gap previously forecast by a state budget analyst, according to two sources who spoke to the governor….Schwarzenegger last month ordered all departments to prepare spending plans 10 percent below than what they had anticipated, and GOP lawmakers are calling for immediate midyear cuts in spending.

CALCASA will continue to request that the Governor provide leadership to ensure that dollars designated for crime victims stay with victims. In particular, CALCASA will urge the Governor and legislators to resist the temptation to borrow against the Crime Victims Compensation Fund as a way to address the budget shortfall.

The House will take up a bill on Tuesday combining all unfinished appropriations for FY 2008, including the Labor-Health and Human Services and Education (LHHS) and Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) appropriations bills, which include VAWA and VOCA funding (e.g., SASP, Rural Grants Program, RPE) and many other programs on which survivors and their children rely.

The Senate is expected to take up the bill later in the week. In order to win over enough votes to increase buy-in from Members of Congress, the Democratic leadership is expected to cut $10.6 billion from its previously approved total.

The President has threatened to veto the compromise bill and has refused to negotiate. If Members of Congress vote for the original bill, they are more likely to vote to override the President’s veto.

You play a crucial role. Be a voice for sexual assault, domestic violence, stalking and dating violence victims and for VAWA and VOCA programs.

What can you do?

Call or write your Senators and Representative TODAY and tell them to vote YES on the Omnibus Appropriations bill!

Call 1-888-245-0215, which will connect you to the Capitol switchboard.

Below are some things you can tell your legislator:

• Thank you for working so hard to increase funding for Violence Against Women Act programs and to raise the cap on the Victims of Crime Act Fund in the Fiscal Year 2008 Appropriations bills.

• Please vote YES for the Omnibus Appropriations bill to ensure that victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, stalking and teen dating violence can receive the lifesaving, cost-effective services they need.

• Sexual assault is a devastating, life-threatening crime that faces our nation. It impacts men, women and children. Please protect the $10 million appropriated to the Sexual Assault Services Program.

• VAWA programs work – Rape crisis centers do wonderful work but they are under funded and must place victims on waiting lists for services.

This morning, Governor Schwarzenegger and senior members of his staff met with public safety leaders from across California to discuss the state budget. Stakeholders from a variety of organizations were were present, including sheriffs, police chiefs, probation, firefighters, and crime victim organizations.

The Governor explained the challenges related to the projected $10 billion budget shortfall as California enters in to the next budget year. The state’s revenue is projected to increase by only 1 percent in the next budget year, but a variety of state programs and public safety programs have projected an 8 percent increase in the cost of maintaining their programs and services.

The Governor expressed his continued support of public safety projects and initiatives and held todays dialog with officials to try and identify ways of maintaining current public safety programming funds.

The Governor and officials who were present acknowledged that current public safety resources at both the state and local level are already stretched – including those agencies and personnel who are dedicated to providing critical incidence response, disaster relief and general crime control services.

The group also discussed the potential impact of anticipated rulings of the three judge panel that is deliberating about prison overcrowding at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). Their decision is likely to have profound impacts on future state expenditures.

In addition to reinforcing the importance public safety programming and victim services, crime victim groups present requested that the Governor provide leadership to ensure that dollars designated for crime victims say with victims. In particular, victim’s groups urged the Governor, and legislators, to resist the temptation to borrow against the Crime Victims Compensation Fund as a way to address the budget shortfall.

The Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) has forecasted that the next three budget cycles are going to be challenging. As a result, the Governor requested that public safety officials continue to partner with his administration to balance the budget and promote community safety.

Below is an urgent action alert from the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence (NAESV) regarding VAWA and VOCA Funding decisions that impact California.

Last week Congress finished working out the differences between the House and the Senate on their Labor Health and Human Services (LHHS) Appropriations Bill that funds the Rape Prevention and Education (RPE) Program and other Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) programs administered by the US Department of Health and Human Services. This bill provided an increase in RPE funding for FY 2008 to $43.7 million! The bill must now be sent to the President, who has threatened to veto it (more on that below). Members of Congress must hear from you to vote to OVERRIDE President’s veto!

Your calls throughout the year made a difference and ensured that an increase was maintained when the House and Senate compromised on their LHHS bills. As you may recall, the House had level funded RPE while the Senate bill included an increase. Now we must keep our voices strong so Congress knows they must send a message to the President.

…And that’s exactly why we need you to KEEP MAKING CALLS about funding for VAWA programs administered by the US Department of Justice (DOJ)!

Let’s ensure another victory for VAWA Funding! Make calls this week before Congress Adjourns for Thanksgiving and a 2-Week “Harvest Recess”!

IF YOU HAVEN’T CALLED YET, CALL NOW TO MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD. IF YOU’VE ALREADY CALLED, FORWARD THIS E-MAIL ON TO A FRIEND!

To find out how to contact your Member of Congress go to www.senate.gov; or www.house.gov. Or call Capitol Hill switchboard at 202.224.3121 and they will connect you to your Member of Congress.

When you call your Senator or Representative, your call will be answered by a receptionist. Tell him or her that you want to leave a message for the Senator or Representative. The receptionist will take down your message. Tell them:

• “Thank you for working so hard to provide funding for the Sexual Assault Services Program (SASP) as well as funding increases for Violence Against Women Act programs and to raise the cap on the Victims of Crime Act Fund in the Fiscal Year 2008 Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations bill.”

• “Please protect the $10 million appropriated to SASP as well as the increases that the House and the Senate have provided for VAWA and VOCA.”

If you have time or the opportunity, tell them about why you need more funding:

• Sexual assault is a devastating, life-threatening crime that faces our nation. It impacts men, women and children.

• VAWA programs work: Tell them about successes in your local programs.

• Rape crisis centers do wonderful work but they are underfunded and must place victims, (e.g., children) on waiting lists for services.

• Some rape crisis centers are even closing their doors.

• Tell them about the unmet needs in your community.

THE DETAILS (AND THE VETO THREAT)

VAWA Programs at DOJ

Thanks to YOUR ADVOCACY THIS YEAR, the House of Representatives and the Senate both recognized the urgent need for services for victims of domestic and sexual violence and voted to increase VAWA funding and raise the VOCA cap in their Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) appropriations bills.

Now the House and Senate must resolve the differences in the two versions of their appropriations bills and create one final bill that is passed by Congress and signed by the President. To secure increases for VAWA and VOCA, we must make sure that victims’ voices are heard during this process.

Check out this link for more information on the budget and appropriations process:

As you will see, for some programs the House has allocated more funding while the Senate has allocated more funding for other programs. We are urging the Representatives and Senators to protect the larger increases in funding for each program.

The calls you made about VAWA and VOCA amendments made a tangible difference in the outcomes of those amendments. Amendments in the House passed by landslide margins!

We are on a roll but we haven’t won yet! We need the final CJS Appropriations Bills to include the larger of the House or Senate numbers for each grant program.

VAWA Programs at HHS

The President has made it clear that he will veto this bill, and it does not appear Congress has enough votes to override the veto. This means that Congress must eventually reach a compromise with the White House and pass a second bill with less spending. The more calls we make about VAWA and SASP, the more likely it is that increases in VAWA and SASP will be maintained no matter what compromise is eventually reached. So don’t feel defeated by the veto threat – the only thing that will help us increase funding is your grassroots support.

THANK YOU!!!

On Thursday, October 4th, the Senate passed the FY 2008 Commerce, Justice and Science (CJS) Appropriations bill and included an amendment that provides $10 million more to VAWA programs! The amendment provides:

· $5 million to partially restore the cut the Senate CJS Committee had previously proposed to Grants to Encourage Arrest and Enforcement of Protection Orders;
· $4 million for Engaging Men and Youth in Prevention Efforts; and
· $1 million for a National Resource Center on Workplace Responses to Assist Victims of Domestic and Sexual Violence.

This year the Senate bill includes $418 million for VAWA programs within the Department of Justice. The House passed a $459 million funding bill. In addition, the Senate and House CJS appropriations bill contain $10 million for the Sexual Assault Services Act (SASP).

Both the House and the Senate will “conference” the two different appropriations bills together and work out their differences, pass the new version in both the House and Senate and then send the bill to the President for his signature. However, earlier this week President Bush vetoed the State Children’s Health Insurance Plan (SCHIP) and has threatened to veto any spending bill that provides more money than he had requested for a specific agency in his FY 2008 budget plan.

You haven’t missed your chance to make your voice heard. PLEASE take a few moments to contact your Senators and Representatives. Urge them to override a Presidential Veto! Tell your legislator about the financial need for rape crisis centers in your State to provide both prevention programs and direct services for victims.

From, Legal Momentum

Washington DC (September 5, 2007)– Legal Momentum, the nation’s oldest legal advocacy organization dedicated to advancing the rights of women and girls, joins with immigrant rights advocates across the country to applaud the Department of Homeland Security’s release of interim regulations on the U visa, a remedy established by Congressional legislation enacted in 2000. The Department of Homeland Security today released the regulations thus making immigrant crime victims immediately eligible for the U visa. Legal Momentum, through its Immigrant Women Program in Washington DC, is committed to working with the Department of Homeland Security to ensure that the regulations are aligned with Congressional intent while providing immediate access to visas for immigrants crime victims. The Legal Momentum Web site is a portal for information and will provide critical resources for those who may be eligible to file for U visas: www.legalmomentum.org/iwp.

Through its Immigrant Women Program (IWP), and in partnership with the National Network to End Violence Against Immigrant Women, Legal Momentum has been advocating for release of these vital regulations to protect the rights of immigrant women who are victims of crime in the United States and who, without the protection of the U visa, are less likely to report the crimes against them. Legal Momentum commends Congressman David Pryce (D-NC) and Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) who were instrumental in encouraging the Department of Homeland Security to release the regulations.

What is the U Visa and why does it matter?

Created as part of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Prevention Act, the U visa is an immigration status available to crime victims who are helpful in the investigation or prosecution of a crime. In order to qualify, an undocumented immigrant must also prove that he or she suffered from physical or mental abuse as a result of the crime. U visas also create a path to lawful permanent residence, which is commonly known as a Green Card. This visa will allow undocumented immigrants to feel safer in coming forward to report and testify about crimes because they will no longer fear deportation, and they will be able to work lawfully. It will improve the effectiveness of law enforcement in investigating and prosecuting crimes, enhancing public safety throughout the country.

Although Congress passed a law in 2000 that recognizes the role immigrants can play in improving public safety, that law has not been enforceable, until now, in the absence of regulations to implement the visa. Leslye Orloff, director of Legal Momentum’s Immigrant Women Program, said, “These regulations make it possible for our most vulnerable immigrants to finally have the opportunity to apply for a status that should have been available years ago.” She added, “Without regulations, thousands of immigrants were at best allowed to apply for U visa interim relief, which granted them authorization to work legally, but still kept them undocumented.”

The Immigrant Women Program estimates that 8,000 immigrants and their children have applied for and received interim relief, but many more waited for the regulations. In addition to keeping thousands of crime victims from reporting the crimes, this seven-year delay imposed huge burdens on eligible immigrants who would have, by now, received their Green Cards. In addition, they were prevented from leaving the United States to see family and receiving critical benefits, they were required to pay annual filing fees to renew work authorization.

In an effort to reinforce Congressional intent in enacting this legislation, Legal Momentum’s Immigrant Women Program has been at the forefront of the battle to end the long delay by the Department of Homeland Security in issuing proposed regulations. Said Kavitha Sreeharsha, staff attorney for the Immigrant Women Program, “We wanted the Department of Homeland Security to understand that immigrant crime victims have been struggling while waiting for the regulations to be issued. Immigrant crime victims do not deserve to be victimized by such bureaucratic delays.” Members of the National Network to End Violence Against Immigrant Women were critical in providing the Department of Homeland Security and others with stories of immigrants who have been caught in the cycle of waiting for regulations.

About Legal Momentum

With offices in New York City and Washington DC, Legal Momentum is the nation’s oldest legal advocacy organization dedicated to advancing the rights of women and girls. Since its founding in 1970, Legal Momentum has been a leader in establishing legal, legislative and educational strategies to secure equality and justice for women across the country. Its public policy and litigation agenda focus on four areas that are of greatest concern to women in the United States: freedom from violence against women, equal work and equal pay; the health of women and girls; and strong families and strong communities.

About Immigrant Women Program

The Immigrant Women Program at Legal Momentum advocates for legal protections, social services and economic justice for immigrant women while reforming laws, policies and practices that may harm them.

Wednesday, the California Assembly Appropriations Committee moved SB 153 (Migden), to the “suspense file.”

Any bill with a price tag of $150,000 or more is placed on suspense, to be heard at a later date. This keeps the docket clear for low-cost legislation to move through while giving more time to analyze the benefits of legislation with high costs.

CALCASA Public Policy readers will remember that SB 153 simply redistributes the California State Penalty Fund, salvaging $15 million from a leak created by the closure of the Driver’s Training Fund. The bill would give each rape crisis center as much as $40,000 more per year as well as increasing the funding for Victim Witness programs, Child Advocacy Centers, and a trauma recovery center.

Instead, that money has been quietly piped into the general fund for years rather than residing with victim services programs where it was statutorily designed to go.

You haven’t missed your chance to make your voice heard. PLEASE take a moment to click here  and send a letter to members of Appropriations. Urge the members of Appropriations to move SB 153 off suspense. It only takes a moment and you will be included in the long list of supporters for this vital legislation.

Santa Barbara residents will be joining the SB 153 campaign for Victim Services Funding this weekend at the Great American Write-In.  

The annual event is hosted by Santa Barbara Pro-Choice Coalition and has generated nearly 2000 letters in past years.

When: Saturday, August 25th from 1-3 p.m.
Where: Faulkner Gallery in the Santa Barbara Main Library.

Last night, Congressional staff told key sources that they had received so many calls from victim advocates that they simply had to support ammendments related to victim service funding. On Wednesday night, the full U.S. House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly for 4 amendments to increase funding for VAWA by $29 million and for VOCA by $10 million in the Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) Appropriations bill. Overall, the House bill represents a $100.4 million increase in funding over last year’s budget for sexual assault, domestic violence and stalking. 

Passing multiple amendments by such large margins is a significant success for victim advocates across the country. The amendments included:

1. The Inslee-Burton Amendment, offered by Congressmen Jay Inslee (D-WA) and Dan Burton (R-IN), passed 412-18.
   * $6 million for services for children exposed to sexual assault and domestic violence;
   *$6 million for direct services for youth and teen victims of sexual and domestic violence;·     
   *$1 million for a Tribal sex offender and protection order registry to help stop serial perpetrators and $1 million for a study of violence committed against Native women. 
2. The Reichert-Murphy Amendment, offered by Congressmen Dave Reichert (R-WA) and Chris Murphy (D-CT), passed 405-25.  
   *$5 million to train judges and create court practices that improve victim safety. 
3. The Poe-Costa-Moore Amendment, offered by Congressmen Ted Poe (R-TX), Jim Costa (D-CA), and Dennis Moore (D-KS), passed 395-34.
   *$10 million increase for VOCA and prevents potentially devastating cuts to VOCA.
4. The Capito Amendment, offered by Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), passed 243-186.
   *$10 million increase for Rural Grants.  

What Happens Next?
 
While passing the CJS bill out of the full of House is a significant step, there is still much work to be done before funding will make its way to the field.
 
The different House and Senate bills must be conferenced into one final bill that is passed by Congress and signed by the President (who has threatened to veto bills that increase spending beyond his requested budget). 

For more information visit www.naesv.org.