House Gives Initial Approval to Pro-Equality Amendments
By William Henderson, New England Blade
May 01, 2008
Late Wednesday night, the Massachusetts House of Representatives gave initial approval to several amendments that, if passed, would increase funding for programs supporting GLBT youth, seniors and victims of domestic violence in fiscal year 2009.
Partnering with the LGBT Aging Project, ETHOS, the Massachusetts Commission on GLBT Youth, the Gay Men's Domestic Violence Project and The Network/La Red, MassEquality and the Gay and Lesbian Caucus led lobbying efforts over the past two weeks for the increased funding on these bills, lining up cosponsors, activating its grass-roots membership base, and meeting with legislators.
The lobbying comes after the House made recommendations on April 15 to level-fund for FY09 GLBT budget line items (while giving a slight bump to AIDS-related budget line items).
This follows the budget filed on January 23 by Mass. Gov. Deval Patrick, who left in place $860,000 in combined funding for the LGBT Aging Project, the Massachusetts Commission on LGBT Youth and the domestic violence community, which includes the Gay Men's Domestic Violence Project and the Network La/Red.
The House on Wednesday voted to increase funding for the LGBT Aging Project, which provides services and support for our seniors, by $20,000 to $80,000, a 33 percent increase over last year's funding. Department of Public health funding for school safety for LGBT youth was increased by $100,000 to $450,000, a 28.5 percent increase over last year's funding. Funding to support GLBT victims of domestic violence was increased by $100,000 to $350,000, a 40 percent increase over last year's funding. And an additional $500,000 was included to help reduce disparities in HIV/AIDS funding.
"To win these funding increases for several of our programs in this tight fiscal year is an incredible first budget victory for supporters of equality," said Marc Solomon, MassEquality campaign director. "MassEquality members are making their voice the voice of LGBT and allied people in Massachusetts - heard, and it's making a real difference."
Over the past few months said Solomon, MassEquality members have sent more that 1,000 e-mails, logged more than 500 phone calls, and held dozens of in-person meetings with key legislators. But the real champions to thank, he added, are Rep. Liz Malia, (D-Boston), and Rep. Carl Sciortino, (D-Medford), for sponsoring the amendments voted on by the House.
Amendment 1214, sponsored by Rep. Liz Malia, increased funding for the LGBT Aging Project. She also sponsored Amendment 1212, which increased DPH funding for GLBT victims of domestic violence. Sciortino sponsored Amendment 1411, which increased DPH funding for school safety for GLBT youth. The amendments also netted several more cosponsors than similar amendments filed in the past.
Amendment 1214 had 47 cosponsors (up from 9 cosponsors last year); Amendment 1212 had 64 cosponsors; Amendment 1412, which increases funding for GLBT youth in the Department of Education budget, had 52 cosponsors; Amendment 1411 had 52 cosponsors; and Amendment 1409, which increased funding to reduce disparities in HIV/AIDS funding in the DPH budget had 52 cosponsors.
"MassEquality helped us enlist the support of legislators who have never signed onto our amendments in the past," said Curt Rogers, director of the Gay Men's Domestic Violence Project. "They were integral to passing this amendment."
The Senate must still finalize its budget.
"There is still a ways to go," said Solomon. "We need everyone who cares about equality to continue to contact your legislators on these and all the other important funding priorities we're advocating for this year."