The state budget agreed to by the Legislature today delivers for 1 million kids in public schools, middle-class college students struggling to pay tuition bills, 300,000 Washingtonians now without health insurance, and hard-pressed families, seniors, and people with disabilities who rely on the badly stretched social safety net.
And that means it delivers on the key priorities of House Democrats, whose leaders negotiated tirelessly with Republicans and the Senate to forge a budget plan for the next two years.
It takes time to do a tough job right, but here are some of the right things
in this budget:
- Investing an additional $1 billion on K-12 education, a big first step toward complying with the state Supreme Court’s McCleary ruling that said the state was failing in its “paramount duty” to amply support schools. This is only a first step, however. More funding for schools will be needed in the next five years to fully meet our obligations.
- No tuition increases, which have been rising steadily for 25 years, for the next school year for college and university students.
- Extending health-insurance coverage to 300,000 residents now without it. Tied to the federal Affordable Care Act, this actually saves tens of millions of dollars for the state.
- Maintaining vital social services for our neighbors in need, and moving to repair the fraying of the safety net caused by plunging state revenues in the Great Recession.
Gov. Inslee is ready to sign the budget once it formally clears the Legislature, averting a potentially devastating state-government shutdown on July 1.
We’re proud to lead the way to a better-educated, healthier, and more prosperous future for all Washingtonians.