12:36 p.m. - 2004-03-10
good news
Lots of entries today. Here is some exciting news. I helped get a bill passed through the state legislature that was a real long shot...on behalf of the mayor's board that I am a part of, I wrote letters to the legislatures, in support of this bill, and it actually passed! I share this, to encourage you to be active, in issues that are important to you.
Below is a description of the bill, if anyone's actually interested.
In 2002, 33.6 million people went hungry or were at risk for hunger in the U.S. Since the USDA began to collect data on hunger and food insecurity in 1995, Washington state has been ranked among the top five states with the highest levels of hunger. Hunger is a problem in Washington and political leaders must take immediate action to reduce it. Both the House and the Senate have passed the Act for Hungry Families, a broad-based bill that will have an immediate impact on our state's hunger problem, directly providing free/reduced school lunches for children of poor families, restoring food stamp eligibility to people who have served jail time, and continuing food stamp eligibility for five months for families transitioning from public assistance to self-sufficiency.
It is satisfying to know that a difference can be made. Rock on....and don't forget to register to vote and use your right...especially those of you in that crazy swing state of Ohio!
