Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger officially signed SBx3 13, the emergency legislation to reinstatedomestic violence shelter funding for the current fiscal year.*
Hooray! For now. This means many women who are faced with choosing between staying with their abuser or fleeing with their children will have safe refuge to turn to at these shelters.
Unfortunately, because of his line-item veto this past July, many shelters have already suffered, some have had to close.
From the New York Times:
In the face of the cuts, many shelters across the state had already cut services, including reducing the number of beds, eliminating legal counseling, and laying off staff members.
State Senator Leland Yee, a San Francisco Democrat who had fought for the restoration of funding, added to the chorus of bittersweet praise, saying in a statement that while he was pleased Mr. Schwarzenegger had signed the bill, “I am still dismayed that he would put women and children at risk in the first place.”
We at HAMO are personally glad to hear that some of our partners will not have to close their doors this year.
*Keep it up squeaky wheels! To keep current on this issue, you can join this Facebook page, SAVE Domestic Violence Shelters.