House Democrats released a budget proposal earlier this week to help move our state past the pandemic, while prioritizing recovery for families. Inflation is rising and too many workers and small businesses are still dealing with the economic fallout of COVID-19. It’s time for smart, strategic investments in what families and workers need right now.
Here’s some highlights from our budget proposal:
–K-12 education: Kids deserve an education that’s safe, fully staffed and meets their needs. The budget makes sure schools can be open and ready for kids in September, with:
- $761 million for more counselors, nurses, psychologists and social workers in schools
- $331 million for enrollment stabilization and transportation funding, so teachers are in the classroom and buses are available to take students to class in the fall
- $60 million to expand outdoor school programs, to meet our goal of every Washington state student in fifth and sixth grade being able to explore outdoor learning
–Early learning and child care: Last year, we passed the Fair Start for Kids Act, an expansion of the state child care and early learning system. This proposal moves us closer to the goals of Fair Start, a chance at child care for every family that needs it, with:
- $386 million for Working Connections Child Care to pay for higher rates
- $75 million to expand Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) slots and increase rates to child care providers, as well as nine weeks of summer ECEAP. This funding would open up more than 2,000 slots as we work towards guaranteeing a slot for every child that qualifies for the program.
–Housing and homelessness: We have to address the homelessness crisis and expand state programs that help protect people from losing their housing, with:
- $500 million to the state capital budget for housing programs
- $319 million for utility assistance for those behind on payments
- $101 million for services for people living in public areas, a necessary step in helping address homelessness in unsafe areas on state land
- $55 million for expanded rental assistance funding
–College and workforce: Expanding our workforce and ensuring workers have the right skills for their next job is crucial to growing our economy, creating family-wage jobs and boosting economic stability. Our budget funds college and workforce investments, with:
- $300 million to create a state student loan program that would issue loans with an interest rate of just 1% to low-income undergraduate and graduate students
- $209 million to expand the Washington College Grant and offer bridge grants of $1,000 a year for students at or below 70% of the median family income to help cover costs
- $82 million for increased funding for health care workforce and training, with a specific focus on addressing the shortage of nurses that hospitals are facing
- $16 million to improve student FAFSA filing, so more students get access to state financial aid, including the Washington College Grant
*I also advocated for funding for a pilot program at Renton Technical College for an outreach coordinator to help grow our running start and basic adult education programs.
For more information about the budget proposal and to share your thoughts, please visit this link to fill out my latest survey. I also want to thank everyone who filled out the survey in my last newsletter on the pandemic. Those results are available here.
Bills for students, and deterring catalytic converter thefts
We’ve been busy passing bills off the House floor ahead of last week’s deadline, what’s called house of origin cutoff. Here’s some bills I’m proud to have voted for:
–HB 1815: Addresses skyrocketing catalytic converter thefts by requiring scrap metal businesses to record documentation showing that a catalytic converter came from a vehicle registered in the seller’s name. This bill also requires the Washington Association of Sheriffs & Police Chiefs to create a program that helps local law enforcement agencies crack down on catalytic converter theft and illegal sales. Check out this story for more.
*Funding for the three bills below was included in our budget proposal!
–HB 1835: Makes it easier for students to fill out the FAFSA, Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and WAFSA, Washington Application for State Financial Aid. Financial aid programs only work if people can access them, so this bill increases outreach and explores ways we can pre-qualify people who use other state-level benefit programs.
–HB 1659: Helps Washington College Grant recipients pay for housing, child care, food, transportation and other costs that can prevent students from achieving their degree or credential. The cost of higher education is much more than just tuition!
–HB 2078: Expands outdoor education. HB 2078 would create a program that awards grants to help schools offer outdoor learning, prioritizing schools that have been underserved in science education. This is a great bill to get more kids learning outdoors. Read more here.
The House also passed my bill, HB 1687, that would allow students who graduate from high school with a GPA below 2.0 to be eligible for the state’s College Bound Scholarship to community and technical colleges. Tune in at this link to hear more.
Thanks for reading! And thank you to everyone who joined the mini virtual town hall I hosted last week alongside Rep. David Hackney. We talked about mental health supports in schools, higher education, attracting, training and retaining police officers, and more.
As always, please feel free to reach out with comments, questions or ideas.
Sincerely,
Steve Bergquist