WASHINGTON STATE

Washington State House Democrats

HOUSE DEMOCRATS

Statement from Rep. Carol Gregory on the operating budget

“I want to congratulate my colleagues in the Legislature, and Gov. Inslee, for producing a bipartisan, compromise budget that fulfills the state’s responsibilities in so many important areas without requiring a general tax increase.

“The good things that this budget does for healthcare, for foster children, for persons with mental illness – and their families – are tremendous.  As a former educator, of course, I’m pleased to have been able to vote for a budget that includes the largest increase in K-12 funding in the state’s history. And the investments in early learning are going to make a significant difference in young children.

“But I’m especially happy that we found a way to reduce tuition at our public colleges and universities, including our community colleges. Skyrocketing tuition costs have had a terrible impact on middle-class and working-class families.  Many students have simply had to give up their dreams of a higher education and a better job, and many others are graduating with debt loads that will weigh them down for decades.  The Legislature froze tuition last year, and this time around we were able to start chipping away at it.  I’m grateful that we were able to do so, and I challenge my fellow lawmakers to make this a continuing trend and not a one-time gesture.”