Farm Bureau Will Testify Friday on Proposal to Increase Legal Services Funding

By Dan Fazio, Director of Employer Services

The Washington State Bar is considering proposals to increase funding to legal services programs for indigent people. The Bar intends to send funds to groups that engage in lobbying and political activities.

One group in particular, Columbia Legal Services, has concentrated its offices in Eastern Washington and has targeted farmers and farm worker issues. During the last legislative session, Columbia Legal Services lobbied against a pilot program that would assist farmers in obtaining a legal and stable workforce.

In addition, Columbia Legal Services has worked aggressively with state agencies to adopt cumbersome new labor and employment regulations. For example, CLS lobbied for the new L&I heat stress regulations and asked L&I to adopt a policy wherein the Agency would file crop liens on farmers if there is a wage payment issue.

A meeting that is open to the general public will be held on Friday, May 29, 2009 at 1:30 p.m. in the Yakima Convention Center to consider this issue. 

Washington Farm Bureau has been working on the Bar proposals and has been invited to testify. 

We are asking farmers to attend the meeting and testify. A lunch briefing will be held starting at 11:30 a.m. at the Oxford Inn in Yakima for farmers who are interested in testifying. 

The bar is considering a mandatory dues increase of $70 per year for every attorney in the state to raise $1.5 -- 2 million dollars more each year for these programs. The Farm Bureau opposes mandatory contributions from the state Bar to fund groups that engage in lobbying and political activity. 

Washington is one of the only states in the nation that has two statewide indigent legal services programs -- one that engages in lobbying and political activity, and one that does not.

Northwest Justice Project, the state sanctioned indigent legal services provider, receives in excess of $15 million each year from state and federal grants and is prohibited from lobbying and political activity. Farm Bureau does not oppose increased funding to this group.

Columbia Legal Services, on the other hand, receives its funding from the interest earned on lawyers' trust accounts, escrow accounts, and other sources related to real estate or the legal profession. Farm Bureau believes that these funding sources should also contain a prohibition from lobbying and political activity.

If you are interested in attending the hearing or testifying, please contact Dan Fazio at (360) 529-2917.  For a complete background of the state Bar info on this subject, please visit: http://www.wsba.org/info/bog/may09tab10.pdf.

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