Dear friends and neighbors,
It’s budget week in Olympia! With only a few weeks left in the 2022 legislative session, my colleagues and I are hard at work finalizing the details of supplemental state budgets to best meet the needs of our communities. While some of the specifics may change as these budgets make their way through the legislative process, I wanted to give you an update on some of the proposed provisions that I’m most excited about.
Also, don’t forget to join me, Rep. Bill Ramos, and Sen. Mark Mullet for our virtual 5th legislative district town hall TOMORROW from 7-8 p.m. There’s still time to submit your questions in advance by clicking here. You’ll be able to watch us on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
Supplemental Capital Budget — Affordable Housing, Broadband, Early Learning & More
Washington’s capital budget generally provides funding support for buildings and physical infrastructure projects throughout the state. Those can include investments in affordable housing & shelter for families, broadband & water system upgrades, K-12 school improvements, and more. As Vice Chair of the House Capital Budget Committee, I worked closely with my colleagues to craft a proposed supplemental capital budget that prioritizes what you care about most, including:
Affordable Housing and Behavioral Health
- $300M in rapid acquisition of housing and shelter facilities
- $100M in permanent supportive housing through the Apple Health & Homes Account
- $15M for homeless youth facilities
- $100M for the Housing Trust Fund
- $100M in behavioral health grants, focused on crisis stabilization
Core Infrastructure and Economic Development
- $120M for public works projects
- $100M in new broadband internet infrastructure
- $7.5M for rural shovel-ready site development, to spur economic growth
- $33M for LCP infrastructure projects
- $15M for infrastructure projects at ports
- $109M in water system improvements
- $5.2 million to expand dental facilities
Early Learning and K-12
- $47.5M for early learning facility grants
- $45M for seismic refits in K-12 schools
- $18M in funding for distressed schools
- $6M for school modernization projects
Climate Resiliency and Energy Efficiency
- $30 million for weatherization
- $17.7 million in Clean Energy Fund projects
- $7.5 million for clean energy testbeds at the University of Washington
- $1.5 million for the removal of T-12 lighting at schools
Although we may not get everything we hope for in the final version of the budget, these are my priorities because I know they’re your priorities. We should see a House vote on this supplemental budget soon before we begin working with our colleagues in the Senate to finalize any remaining details.
Supplemental Operating Budget — Students, Small Businesses, Behavioral Health
Washington’s operating budget is our state’s largest source of funding for many of the programs and services families rely on every day. These funds are invested directly back into our communities to support all those who call our state home.
K-12 Education: $808M
Stabilizes school enrollment & transportation funding, provides additional school nurses & counselors, improves student nutrition, and increases the cap on WA’s Running Start program.
Children, Youth, and Families: $282M
Expands access to Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP), increases reimbursements for family child care providers, and provides additional resources to support young people in and out of foster care.
Homelessness & Housing: $364M
Provides additional resources for utility & rent assistance, homeless provider stipends, and landlord mitigation.
Economic Development & Human Services: $628M
Offers funding to support hospitality businesses hit hardest by the pandemic, allocates resources for small business disaster relief and recovery, creates a Labor Day Weekend sales tax holiday, provides additional food assistance, and expands Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) including diaper subsidies for new families.
Behavioral Health: $333M
Allocates additional funding to support behavioral health providers impacted by the pandemic; as well as increasing available resources for non-Medicaid behavioral health services; opioid response programs; housing & employment for those struggling with behavioral health challenges; and crisis, outreach, and diversion programs.
It’s impossible to list everything included in the proposed supplemental operating budget in this email newsletter; but if you’d like to learn more, you can read the entire summary by clicking here.
Transportation & Infrastructure — Move Ahead WA
The Legislature is also considering a 16-year transportation & infrastructure package to deliver historic investments that preserve our roads, reduce carbon emissions, and provide safe, accessible, and affordable options to get around. In case you missed it, Rep. Ramos covered all the details of this package in his most recent email newsletter, which you can check out by clicking here.
I would like to highlight that the package includes nearly $640M to finally finish the Highway 18 widening project. As you well know, it has been a multiyear, hard-fought battle to fully fund the completion of this project from Issaquah-Hobart Road to Raging River, and this package will finally deliver. We’ve all been waiting a long time for this moment, and I look forward to getting this plan in place so we can get to work!
It continues to be an honor to represent you in Olympia. Never hesitate to reach out to me or my staff if there’s anything we can do to assist you or your family.
With gratitude,
Rep. Lisa Callan