BUDGETS, BILLS, AND REMEMBERING SPEAKER CHOPP

Dear friends and neighbors,

This is the last stretch of session, only three weeks left! Most of our time from here on out will be spent passing bills on the floor and reaching consensus with the Senate on the three budgets.

I want to thank all the people who took time out of their evening on March 20 to participate in our 38^th district telephone town hall. We had a lot of people on the call and we took as many of your questions as the time allowed. If you missed it but are curious to hear what we discussed, click here or on the image below for the audio recording of the event.

IT’S BUDGETS TIME

Last week we passed the Operating and the Transportation Budgets.

The Operating Budget is focused on making meaningful investments in housing, education, behavioral health, and public safety. Our goal is to ensure Washington families have the resources they need to thrive.

This budget also considers progressive revenue options that bring more fairness to our tax system. It’s important to understand that fixing our tax code isn’t just about raising revenue, it’s about addressing the wealth gap and reflecting our values. These are our revenue proposals:

Financial Intangible Assets Tax (FIT) – Applies a tax on stocks and bonds over $50 million, which will help generate $2 billion per year for K-12 education. Click on the image below for a short video on this option.

School & Public Safety Funding Adjustments – Changes the cap on property tax from 1% to 3% to reflect inflation and population increases. This bill will bring in $50 million in 2026 and $150 million in 2027 for K-12 schools to ensure rural school districts receive fair funding. This option would NOT triple our property taxes; most homeowners in our state will see an increase of about $30 per year.
Surcharge on High-Grossing Corporations – Asks the largest corporations and financial institutions—those making over $250 million a year—to pay a modest surcharge that will generate nearly $2 billion by 2027 to help protect public services for working families.

The Transportation Budget focuses on the most critical, safety-related and economically important infrastructure in our state. Some of the larger projects in the 38th district that are funded in this budget include:

US 2 Trestle Capacity Improvements & Westbound Trestle Replacement
I-5/NB Marine View Dr to SR 529 – Corridor & Interchange Improvements
41st Street Rucker Avenue Freight Corridor Phase 2
SR 526 Corridor Improvements
SR 99 BAT Lanes: 148th St SW to Airport Rd – Everett

Prioritizing these important projects means having to postpone others. To balance the budget, some highway expansions and improvements that haven’t started construction yet will be delayed. This was a tough call, but it’s better to delay these projects than to neglect essential ones. We’re not canceling these projects outright – just pushing them to a later timeline when funding allows.

REMEMBERING SPEAKER EMERITUS FRANK CHOPP

You may have heard of the sudden and tragic passing of Speaker Frank Chopp a couple of weeks ago. I am fortunate to have worked with him through two sessions, though I wish we’d had more time.

Speaker Chopp made such a difference for people across Washington. The groundbreaking programs he worked on made it possible for kids of all ethnicities to see doctors regularly; helped low-income families find housing they could afford; allowed Latino students to pursue their academic dreams; the list goes on and on.

He was a legend in his own time, and he left us too soon.

UPDATE ON BILLS

Three of my bills made it to the Senate. I am happy to report that two of them are now in Rules and one is scheduled for a vote in the Ways & Means Committee tomorrow, April 8!

I’ve written about these bills several times, you can find summaries in my previous newsletter.

HB 1302 – Utility connection charge waivers (in Rules Committee).
HB 1821 – Expanding the definition of “interested party” for the purposes of prevailing wage laws (in Rules Committee).
HB 1391 – Improving developmentally appropriate alternatives for youth outside the formal court process (in Ways & Means Committee).

PROTECTING VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES

For too long, harmful narratives have fueled discrimination and exclusion. Misinformation and fear-mongering lead to policies that marginalize immigrant and refugee communities. But here, in Washington, we are committed to ensuring safety, dignity, and opportunity for all.

Last week, Rep. Lillian Ortiz-Self, Caucus Chair and Latino Democratic Caucus (LDC) Chair, and I, who serve as vice-chair of the LDC, issued statements in response to the recent ICE raids and detentions. Click here to read them (también disponibles en español en el mismo enlace).

Click here to open handout in browser as a PDF. Presione aquí para leer este folleto en español.