COVID-19 Updates and Election Year Activity Restrictions

Dear friends and neighbors,

Thank you for continuing to stay home to stay healthy during this pandemic.

Starting May 11, election year activity restrictions will prohibit me from sending email updates like these until the November election is certified. My legislative website will also be frozen during that time. If the Legislature is called into special session, I will be able to temporarily resume communications.

Below you will find a brief update and resources for those struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, I know that many community members will continue to have questions and concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic and what’s next for Washington. To help answer those, please continue to reach out to my office (360-786-7862 or Steve.Bergquist@leg.wa.gov) and we will assist you in whatever way we can.

COVID-19 resource pages

• Washington state’s official COVID-19 website
• Washington House Democrats’ COVID-19 resource page
• Washington State Department of Health
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The Safe Start Plan to Re-open Washington

With the Stay Home, Stay Healthy order extended until the end of May, Governor Inslee has outlined his Safe Start phased approach to safely reopen our state.

We are in Phase 1, which began on May 5^th. In this phase, we will continue to stay home and limit trips to only essential travel. Some outdoor recreation, including state parks and hiking, have been opened, in addition to drive-in religious services.

Every 3 weeks, the Governor’s office and Cabinet will evaluate public health data to determine if we are ready to advance to the next phase. This data includes health care system readiness, testing capacity, contact tracing ability, and risk to vulnerable populations. Over the course of the four phases, our goal is to balance our public health and economic needs.

The metrics and steps in this plan are crucial components to reopening Washington safely, slowly, and thoughtfully. Following the guidelines in the Safe Start plan will help prevent both another peak in COVID-19 infection rates and a further extension of the Stay Home, Stay Healthy order. Read more about what each phase includes.

The State of the Budget

The ongoing pandemic has had a devastating effect on our state. Families are suffering as the number of people facing unemployment climbs upward on a daily basis, many small businesses that have closed may never reopen, and our children face educational setbacks as their school year was upended. We know families are making difficult decisions to make ends meet, and we as legislators will need to make painful decisions in order to make sure our state meets its basic obligations with dramatically less funding.

As we adhere to the Stay Home, Stay Healthy order we’re traveling less which means gas tax, ferry, and tolling revenue has plummeted. Additionally, our regressive sales-based tax system is struggling to raise the critical revenue necessary to pay for the programs and projects that help families thrive. This has already amounted to billions of dollars in lost revenue.

My understanding is that another round of federal stimulus may be approved by Congress in late May or June. Please know that your legislators are working hard to help our Congressional delegation shape and influence the federal debate, hopefully ensuring all our communities needs are considered. We also remain prepared to meet either virtually or socially distanced in-person for a special legislative session to address state revenue shortfalls and the needs of our communities.

Learn more about the budget deficit projection in this recent Seattle Times article.

Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act

Congress has passed relief packages to help state and local programs in these difficult times. While they won’t fix every problem, they are positive steps to continue fighting this virus. Here’s the estimated breakdown of funding for our state:

• State Coronavirus Relief Fund—$2.953 billion for state and local public health systems.
• Child Care Development Block Grant—$58.2 million to help childcare providers.
• Community Services Block Grant—$11.8 million for local community-based organizations providing social services and emergency assistance to those with the highest need.
• Low-income heating assistance program—$11.1 million to help those who need assistance paying their utility bills.
• Education Stabilization Fund—$273.5 million to help schools support online learning, plan and coordinate school closures, and other emergency needs.

Help for workers and families

The state unemployment insurance system (esd.wa.gov/unemployment) has become more flexible during the COVID-19 pandemic. More people are eligible for assistance today, including the self-employed, part-time workers, and people in the gig economy. Visit esd.wa.gov/newsroom/covid-19-worker-information to learn more.

Help for families includes a $1,200 per person check for those making under $75,000 a year and $2,400 for a married couple who file jointly earning $150,000 or less. There’s an additional $500 per child.

Help for small businesses

The Small Business Administration (www.sba.gov/) offers small business guidance and loan assistance. There are also several programs and other relief options:

• The Paycheck Protection Program (www.sba.gov/ppp) provides loan forgiveness for retaining employees by temporarily expanding the traditional SBA 7(a) loan program.
• The Economic Injury Disaster Loan Emergency Advance (www.sba.gov/disaster/apply-for-disaster-loan/index.html) is a loan advance that provides up to $10,000 in economic relief to businesses that are currently experiencing temporary difficulties.

Construction and Transportation Projects

The global pandemic meant a halt to construction work. That includes transportation projects here in the 11th District and across the state.

Now, construction and transportation projects can restart, as long as they meet the safety requirements outlined by Gov. Inslee. The governor’s office has also created a list of Frequently Asked Questions on this topic.

This is great news because we were in danger of losing the critical summer construction season. It’s a lot easier for workers to get things done when it’s not raining.

The transportation projects funded in the new state budget are crucial for our economy. Restarting them means jobs today for construction workers and engineers–and it means jobs tomorrow, as we move forward to build a better, more sustainable transportation network that connects every corner of the great state of Washington.

Enjoying the Outdoors, Safely

On April 27^th, Governor Inslee announced a new order to re-open fishing, hiking, hunting, and golfing starting on May 5, as long as people maintain social distancing. Please remember to avoid crowds, bring a mask, wash your hands, and pack out what you pack in. It’s more important than ever that we all keep up these best practices so we can stay healthy and continue to open our economy back up safely. Read more about the specifics here and don’t forget to check state websites before you head out the door.

Remember, you can check Washington’s official response website anytime for a comprehensive list of resources. If you can’t find an answer to your question, please e-mail me and I’ll figure out what we can do.

Right now, I’m doing everything I can to help our community get answers and make sure decision makers know our concerns. Even during the legislative freeze, you can still reach out to me and I will do my best to respond to you directly.

Stay well and wash your hands!

Sincerely,

Rep. Steve Bergquist