WASHINGTON STATE

Washington State House Democrats

HOUSE DEMOCRATS

It’s budget week in Olympia

Last week the House Democrats laid out our plan for the 2015-17 operating budget. The proposal makes important investments in K-12 education, early learning, foster care programs, mental health funding, and our safety net. With this budget we support an economy that works for everyone, not just the wealthy few. Today we plan to vote the budget out of the House (tune in to TVW to watch the process).

Did you know that the state actually has three distinct budgets? For some of you, the three budget spiel will be old news, but every year we get questions asking why we are spending money on transportation projects when our schools are failing or why we are constructing new buildings when we need to be investing in our mental health system. These are great questions, and part of the answer is that we have three separate budgets—operating, capital and transportation—and all of them are important to strengthening our communities.

classroom, education, kids,schoolThe operating budget pays for everything from education to social services, from prisons to parks and natural-resource programs. Our proposed operating budget gives every child in the state access to full-day kindergarten and smaller class-sizes. In addition to investments in our local public schools, we ensure that our future generations have access to quality early learning and affordable higher education.

The operating budget funds more beds in community mental health facilities like Navos in Burien and Transitional Resources in West Seattle. These facilities provide treatment to our neighbors facing mental illness before it escalates into a crisis.

The transportation budget funds highways, ferries, transit, bike and pedestrian projects, as well as most of the Washington State Patrol. It’s financed primarily through the state gas tax that motorists pay at the pump. Washington’s constitution requires that gas taxes be used only for transportation. The transportation budget is how the state funds maintenance and improvements to ferry terminals, like the Vashon Terminal project slated to begin this summer. The budget also invests in walking and biking infrastructure, including Safe Routes to School.

The capital budget funds one-time projects like the construction and repair of public  schools and universities, as well as vital community-infrastructure such as water and sewer systems. Most of the money in this budget comes from the sale of bonds. Both the capital and transportation budgets ensure that our infrastructure is well-maintained and create thousands of jobs.

Our proposed capital budget invests in some great projects right here in the 34th district. At South Seattle Community College, a new facility will replace the aging Cascade Court building which does not have the space or technological capabilities to educate our students in high-demand fields.  The budget also provides funds for a new behavioral health center for children, youth and families in Burien. And we invest in the cleanup of the Lower Duwamish Waterway, which currently pours industrial and residential pollutants into Elliott Bay.

Here’s a great guide to better understand how our state’s three budgets work. You can also take a look at how the state has allocated funding over the last decade with this interactive tool.