Dear neighbors,
There’s great news as we reach the end of the 2024 legislative session!
We have a record-breaking supplemental construction budget, a transportation budget that passed the House 93-2, and have passed the operating budget off the House floor.
Those three state budgets are the heart of our work this session. Now, we’re busy negotiating final compromises on those three budgets with the Senate.
In this e-newsletter, I’ll quickly update you on what’s happening and what’s next.
Building a better Washington
It’s my pleasure to serve as vice chair of the House Capital Budget, where we work hand-in-glove with lawmakers from both parties to craft a budget.
Our work is bipartisan. We work hard to write a budget that is fair to all 49 legislative districts in Washington state.
When possible, we’ve implemented reforms to boost that fairness, such as having projects in some areas ranked objectively, and funding the top-ranked projects first.
This is a supplemental budget year, when we ordinarily make small adjustments to the three budgets, including the capital budget. It’s normal to see perhaps $80 million in new spending, or maybe $160 million.
Here are just some of the things we’ve funded in this year’s budget, based on priorities we’ve heard:
- $50 million in new early learning centers and childcare centers, since working moms and dads can’t work without a safe place for their infants and toddlers
- $84 million in mental health and addiction recovery centers
- $160 million to tackle the affordable housing and homeless crisis
- $287 million for public schools, including $162 million in K-12 investments for small school districts
- $670 million for clean energy, salmon recovery, grants to public schools for cleaner air, and other environmental projects.
The budget (House Bill 2089) passed our House committee unanimously. We’re now negotiating with the Senate for a final compromise budget.
Budgets that put people first
I spent the weekend voting on the two other state budgets: transportation and operating.
The House transportation budget passed out of committee unanimously and off the House floor 93-2.
The operating budget makes significant investments in our public schools, behavioral health, public safety, health care, and the environment.
It also invests in our public schools, with an increase of $260 million.
Finishing our work
This short, 60-day session is almost over.
When we’ve finished our work, I’ll update you—by a printed newsletter and e-newsletters—about the details of all three budgets along with major legislation headed to the governor’s desk to be signed into law.
That includes local projects funded by the capital and transportation budgets.
If you have a question about a specific issue or piece of legislation, please get in touch with my office.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. It’s an honor and privilege to serve as your representative, and I look forward to seeing you all soon back home in the 5th District!
