House Democrats unveil a ‘Families First’ budget

Families first.

That’s the driving principle behind the House Democratic budget. People across the state have asked us to improve education, make college more affordable, increase access to quality health care, and create thriving communities. We do that in this bold and progressive budget.

The House Democratic budget fully funds education by investing in our kids, in our teachers, and in our classrooms. We invest $7.1 billion in new funding over four years for our K-12 students. We put that money toward investments that will put high-quality teachers in every classroom, give students the education they deserve, and keep our promise to fully fund education. And we end the local school district reliance on levies to make up for funding shortfalls.

Education is our primary focus, but it’s certainly not our only focus. Our ‘families first’ budget makes key investments in early learning, higher education, vital human services, affordable housing, homelessness, civil legal aid, and quality care for our seniors and aging population and people with developmental disabilities.

Our progressive revenue plan cuts taxes for families and small businesses, while cleaning up our upside down tax code to ensure that everyone chips in their share. You can read more about our revenue package here and here.

Washington is a great place to live, work, and raise a family.  We’re investing in a future that builds on this, and expands access to excellent schools, health care, and gives everyone a chance to thrive.

Our budget stands in stark contrast with the Senate Republican budget, which:

• Slashes housing services for homeless youth & families.
• Rolls back progress to improve funding and quality of childcare.
• Raises college tuition and ignores the growing State Need Grant backlog.
• Rejects the $1 billion in federal Medicaid funding that was approved from the Medicaid Transformation Waiver.
• Cuts long-term care and developmental disabilities support services

Click here for a side-by-side comparison of the House and Senate operating budgets

We have known all along that there wasn’t enough revenue to create an exceptional education system without cutting some or all of the critical state services mentioned above. Even our Republican colleagues agree that more money is needed, and in addition to deep cuts to state services, they proposed a $5.5 billion middle class property tax increase to fund their budget.

Washington has the most upside down tax systems in the country.  Because we don’t have an income tax, middle class families pay up to four times as much in taxes as a percentage of personal income compared to the top earners.

So what happens next?

Now that both chambers have introduced budget and revenue plans, both sides will start negotiating a compromise solution to send to the Governor.

I remain committed to supporting your values and the values of Washington throughout the negotiation process.

Thank you,