Override Mayor’s Veto on JumpStart COVID Relief Bill

We need your help. Please join us now in calling on Seattle City Council to override Mayor Durkan’s veto of the JumpStart Seattle COVID relief bill and urge the Mayor to appropriate the money for emergency relief needed for our immigrant and refugee communities. Take a few minutes to take action in two ways by: 

• Signing onto this petition. If the Mayor vetoes a bill, it is sent back to the City Council for reconsideration, and the City Council may override the veto by a two-thirds vote.
• Emailing your Councilmembers and Mayor Durkan using the sample message below. 

Before you begin composing your email to your Councilmembers and Mayor Durkan,

1. Identify or verify which Councilmembers represent you based on your address: https://www.seattle.gov/council/meet-the-council/find-your-district-and-councilmembers.

District 1 – Lisa Herbold: lisa.herbold@seattle.gov

District 2 – Tammy Morales: tammy.morales@seattle.gov

District 3 – Kshama Sawant: kshama.sawant@seattle.gov

District 4 – Alex Pedersen: alex.pedersen@seattle.gov

District 5 – Debora Juarez: debora.juarez@seattle.gov

District 6 – Dan Strauss: dan.strauss@seattle.gov

District 7 – Andrew Lewis: andrew.lewis@seattle.gov

District 8 (city-wide) – Teresa Mosqueda: teresa.mosqueda@seattle.gov

District 9 (city-wide) – Lorena González: lorena.gonzalez@seattle.gov

2. Create a new email with the following components:

To: {Your district councilmember’s email address goes here; see above}, teresa.mosqueda@seattle.gov; lorena.gonzalez@seattle.gov; jenny.durkan@seattle.gov

Subject line: Override Mayor’s Veto of JumpStart Bill

Sample message (edit as you see fit):

Councilmembers and Mayor Durkan,

I urge you to reaffirm your unanimous vote on the JumpStart COVID relief bill as soon as possible.

Our communities need support now. Federal and state aid, though vital, continues to be inadequate, particularly for immigrants and refugees who are not eligible to receive emergency assistance. The longer the city waits to act, the more families accrue rental debt and risk eviction, children suffer from food insecurity, immigrant families have nowhere to turn, small businesses go under, and our neighbors experiencing homelessness risk illness or death from COVID-19.

To let this happen is irresponsible and will delay Seattle’s economic recovery. The fallout will be felt for years, perhaps even longer for immigrant and refugee households working in food services and domestic household services. Families are clinging to hope because JumpStart Seattle is the lifeline they need. It is irresponsible to leave families high and dry without emergency assistance and with no relief in sight. They have already been excluded from four bipartisan federal pandemic relief packages.

Please act swiftly to override Mayor Durkan’s veto and authorize $18 million this year for direct financial assistance for immigrant and refugee households and language access support for people who need help accessing and understanding assistance programs. 

The rainy day is here. It is happening right now.

Thank you,

{Your full name goes here}
{Your district number goes here}

3. Send your email.