Wagner Urges Restoration of Funds to Combat Domestic Violence
UPDATE: Final state budget restores funds

HARRISBURG (October 14, 2003) – State Senator Jack Wagner (D-Allegheny) today called upon the General Assembly to restore the $2.6 million cut from this year’s budget for services provided to victims of domestic violence.

“We must make the restoration of this funding a priority,” Wagner said from the Senate floor.  He explained that lost funding means lost opportunities to protect victims and their children.

The budget enacted last spring resulted in the reduction of funding to 62 non-profit agencies by 5% and eliminated the Civil Legal Representation (CLR) Project.  The CLR Project provides free legal services to victims of domestic violence in thirteen counties around the state.  “These agencies are doing important, life-saving work that we need to support,” Wagner said. 

One of the CLR Project sites is in Wagner’s district.  The Women’s Center and Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh (WCS) provided legal and other services to over 10,000 victims of domestic violence last year.  However, due to lost funding for this fiscal year, WCS could not afford to replace one of its staff attorneys and had to lay off its paralegal.  It has had to turn away potential clients who sought help and may even have to withdraw from its current cases.  The agency as a whole had to lay off 11 full-time staff members due to lost funding.

The Rendell administration has identified $2 million in available federal welfare funds that could be used to save the CLR Project and has asked the General Assembly to restore the funding.  Wagner urged the General Assembly to grant that request and also address the cuts suffered by other agencies that provide counseling and other intervention services.  “Our work on the state budget is not yet complete,” he said, noting the need to restore budget cuts in other important areas such as drug and alcohol treatment and libraries.

Wagner noted that Domestic Violence Awareness Month was a time for the Commonwealth to redouble its efforts to put an end to the tragedy of domestic violence.  Earlier this year, he introduced Senate Bill 348, which would require the State Police to collect information from all local law enforcement agencies relating to crimes and incidents of domestic violence.  The bill is awaiting action by the Senate Law and Justice Committee.

Jack Wagner has represented Allegheny County in the State Senate since 1994.  He serves in the leadership of the Democratic caucus and has been a leading advocate for early childhood education, expanded prescription drug coverage for seniors, and a host of economic development and transportation projects.

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