A RESOLUTION related to the response to the Covid-19 public health emergency; requesting that Governor Inslee create a "Washington Worker Relief Fund" to provide economic assistance to undocumented Washingtonians during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Agenda item for Resolution 319 46 relating to the response to the COVID 19 public health emergency, requesting that Governor Inslee create a Washington worker relief fund to provide economic assistance to undocumented Washingtonians during the. COVID 19 pandemic. Am I moved to adopt resolution 31946? Second, it's been moved and seconded to adopt Resolution 31946 and colleagues as the lead sponsor of this legislation. I'll just make some quick Internet, hopefully some quick remarks about this particular bill. So COVID 19 relief granted by the federal government has not been accessible for many in the immigrant community. As we have often heard, unemployment insurance as currently run by our state also requires a Social Security number, which means many are left without the benefits they have paid into. We are hearing many households from many households who have been left without income or any resources for months now. Immigrant workers were among the first wave to be laid off when this pandemic hit. Immigrant leaders and communities from across the state have been organizing and are calling for quick action by state leadership. There are two calls to action. First, on this list, calls on Governor Inslee to create a Washington worker relief fund. Leaders are calling for $100 million to be allocated to community based organizations to deliver emergency assistance to undocumented Washingtonians. Second, our immigrant community is asking for Governor Inslee to work with the four corners of our state legislature to address the systemic failure of unemployment, to provide wage replacement for undocumented workers who again pay taxes and pay into a system they cannot benefit from when they need it most. These are important state interventions that will help many households not fall into abject poverty or have to make decisions that exponentially increase their exposure to infection of the coronavirus. We are seeing massive racial disparities of how this virus is impacting different communities. It is heartbreaking to read in the Seattle Times disproportionality of population to coronavirus infection and COVID 19 mortality rates. Earlier this month, the Seattle Times reported that Washington State's Black Latinxs and Pacific Islander Native Hawaiian communities have been hit at significantly higher rates in King County. Lennox Communities are seeing infection hospitalization rates at four times the rate of white people for COVID 19, even though they are only 10% of King County's population. The trend is bearing out as well in Illinois, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, the Bay Area, as well as New York City, where it is black and Latinx communities who have been hit the hardest. Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander communities have also been severely impacted. They are also seeing infection rates at four times that of white populations in King County. These infection rates are impacting the same communities and zip codes that have many barriers to economic opportunity and stability. This resolution today is one way to stand with immigrant communities. This call to action by community for a statewide Washington worker relief fund must be part of our state's COVID 19 response and recovery. Earlier this month, I transmitted a letter to Governor Inslee asking for consideration of this fund. In addition to a number of other strategies to meet the needs of our immigrant friends, family and neighbors, including those that are undocumented. There is perhaps no more important time colleagues than now to really step up on behalf of immigrants and refugees, but in particular of those who are undocumented. These folks have been deemed pretty much by every single declaration and proclamation as being essential workers, yet they don't seem to be essential enough to access basic benefits when needed. And and now is the time for us to make sure that we are giving voice to these needs. Voice to many individuals who cannot use their own voice for fear of retaliation as a result of their undocumented status. So I hope that you all will support me today. I know that you will and that you have in the past. And I want to give a special thank you to One America, the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network, the Latino Community Fund, and Ramos and so many others who are leading this work and have always led on this work by centering the voices of those who are undocumented in the struggle for ongoing relief for this community. So with that being said, I am happy to advance this resolution and look forward to your support on it as well and will end my comments there and see if anyone else has any comments on the resolution before we collect Councilman Mosquito. Thank you, Council President. Thank you for your leadership on this. We're pleased to partner with you to advance this. Really want to underscore the importance of how the crisis is disproportionately impacting communities of color, especially the refugee and immigrant community. We know the consequences of the immigrant refugee community and people of color being left out historically from a national policy and state policy. And often that's where the city of Seattle has stepped in to provide immediate relief. Given the crisis and the magnitude of the COVID public health crisis and the economic consequences it's created for immigrants and refugees. I think that this is a critically important fund that's been. Requested, and we join with you and the community in demanding that there be solutions for the population. And that's yet again been left out from these federal assistance dollars. You heard the public comment today largely focused on both the relief fund and the need for sick and safely, especially for populations that may be working in sort of the gray economy or the gig economy, which is no longer a segment of the economy. It's just the economy as we think about relief that needs to be provided. I think the same is true for the emergency fund. These are workers that are in every sector of our economy who've been historically left out and have yet again been left out of these essential funds as we not just respond, but try to survive the initial impact of the crisis. So I think I think the community for the work that they have done and really appreciate the work that you've done to bring forward this resolution to council to show that we are a welcoming state, we are a welcoming city. We advocate to fill the gaps that have been created from the state and the federal level and and really appreciate the community's courageous efforts to call attention to the need for this fund and all of their public testimony today. Thank you so much. Any other comments from my colleagues? Okay. Seeing and hearing. And then we will go ahead and vote on the resolution. So actually, I have an amendment first. So I will move to amend resolution 31946 as presented on Amendment one that was recently distributed. Second. Hey, it's been moved in, seconded to amend the resolution. Colleagues, Amendment one is very simple. It just adds the words state legislature to make sure that we acknowledge that, that this should be a collaborative effort among our state legislature and the governor in establishing a worker relief fund. So very simple resolution and excuse me, very simple amendment that I see is highly technical in a lot of in a lot of ways. So I'm happy to answer any questions on that particular moment, but it's pretty straightforward. So are there any comments on Amendment One? He's seen in here. And then I'd ask that the clerk call the roll on Amendment one. Herbold. I. I. Suarez. All right. Lewis, I. Morale is high. Macheda. I. Peterson. I. So what I. Strauss. I. President Gonzalez, I. Nine in favoring unopposed. The motion carries and the amendment is adopted. Are there any further comments on the resolution as amended? Hearing on it. That's what the police call the role on the adoption of the resolution as amended. Herbal Juarez. I. Louis. I. Morales, I. Macheda I. Peterson. I. So what I. Strauss. I. President Gonzales I nine in favor none opposed. The resolution is adopted as amended, and the chair will sign it and it ends with the clerk. Please affix my signature to the legislation. Thank you, everyone, for your support of that resolution. It will mean a lot to the immigrant refugee population who are so desperately seeking assistance in this space. I just want to thank you all for your unanimous support in that regard. Their business there is, I believe, two letters for consideration for signature this afternoon. The first one is from Councilmember Juarez, who described her letter regarding the South Dakota restrictions on tribal lands.