Report to the 33rd District: BUDGETS EDITION

Dear friends and neighbors,

With the session having ended recently and our telephone town hall coming up this Thursday, this is a great time to give you a rundown of the main investments in all three state budgets passed this year.

Before we get into the budgets, here is the information for the Telephone Town Hall:

Thursday, May 4, from 6-7 p.m.

You’ll likely receive a call right before we begin the event. To participate, just stay on the line. If you do not get the call and want to join, please dial: 877-229-8493 and when prompted, enter ID Code 116286

Send us your questions in advance: www.surveymonkey.com/r/HNMN8VT

To join online: https://vekeo.com/whdc33/

The investments in our three budgets were made with an intentional focus on equity, particularly when it comes to food, behavioral health, and poverty reduction supports.

For detailed information on the budgets, including project lists and interactive maps, please visit the state’s fiscal information website:

Washington is resilient in the face of adversity and these strategic and responsible budgets are geared toward leveling the playing field for those with the most need so we can all have the opportunity to thrive.

OPERATING BUDGET

Budgeting for a More Resilient Washington

Aptly dubbed “Resilient Washington Budget,” our 2023-25 operating budget funds critical state services including behavioral health, public education, affordable housing, and historic investments to address the climate crisis. We are investing in Washington’s people, lands, waters, working families, and communities, while also directing targeted equity investments to overburdened populations that face the greatest barriers to economic stability. These are some of the highlights:

K-12 EDUCATION: $2.2 billion for access to free meals for students; historic investments in special education; supporting educators with inflation adjustments; health care cost increases for educators; funding dual language efforts; and providing funding support for student transportation, teacher salaries, counselors, nurses, psychologists, and social workers. Having clinical social workers in the schools will mean partnerships between local school districts and behavioral health agencies. Special education will receive a significant new investment of $417 million.
LONG-TERM CARE AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES: $1.8 billion to increase home care worker rates for individual providers; improve adult family home collective bargaining agreements; support providers and workers with rate increases in nursing homes, assisted and supported living facilities; and patient transitions out of acute care hospitals.
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH: $1.1 billion for a 15% rate increase to providers; additional community bed capacity; opioid and other substance use disorder treatment; crisis, outreach, and diversion programs; continuing the implementation of the 988-crisis response hotline; and improving youth behavioral health outcomes.
PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTHCARE: $1 billion for foundational public health services; increase rates for health care workers, including primary care and pediatricians; provider rates and reimbursement; reproductive health services, and Cascade Care for individuals with lower incomes who are not Medicaid eligible.
NATURAL RESOURCES: $684 million for climate planning and response; forest health and wildfire protection; salmon production, habitat, and recovery; carbon reduction; biodiversity conservation programs; and invasive species management. This funding also includes almost $1.4 million for the Asthma and Airport Air Quality Intervention Project through grants provided to King County. The project will address the disproportionate rates of asthma among children who reside within 10 miles of SeaTac international airport.
CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES: $590 million to increase family childcare provider pay; expand Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program slots; increase family visitation provider rates; fund childcare for children with complex needs, and childcare facilities to offer non-standard hours.
HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS: $519 million for emergency housing and rental assistance; the covenant homeownership program; expanding child and youth homeless programs; and encampment response and outreach.
HUMAN SERVICES AND POVERTY REDUCTION: $397 million including funding for food assistance programs, refugee support and education; an 8% increase to TANF, ABD and other cash assistance programs; implementing the Working Families Tax Credit; and expanding the TANF diaper subsidy and time limit
COLLEGE AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT: $382 million for community and technical colleges; health care workforce and training; expanding the Washington College Grant; dual credit programs; a graduate student loan program; and post-secondary student basic needs.
PUBLIC SAFETY, LEGAL AID AND CORRECTIONS: $253 million to expand domestic violence services; fund the Office of Public Defense and Office of Civil Legal Aid; expand criminal justice training and certification; fund therapeutic courts; firearm violence prevention; increase wages for people who are incarcerated; and funding for the AMEND program at DOC for collaboration and training.

CAPITAL BUDGET

Creating Jobs and Building a Better Washington

This $9 billion Capital Budget will create jobs in every corner of our state, while addressing some of the more challenging needs in our communities around affordable housing, behavioral health, health care facilities and school construction. It also makes investments in ecosystem resiliency and restoration while working on carbon reduction, focusing on overburdened communities. We are proud of these investments that will build a brighter future and will serve the people of Washington for generations. Here are some of the highlights:

HOUSING

Housing Trust Fund: $400 million — Competitive grant program to build affordable housing, including Apple Health and Homes rapid permanent supportive housing.
Affordable housing and shelters: $170 million —Youth shelter and housing projects; transit-oriented development; and land acquisition funding for affordable housing developments.
Home upgrades: $124 million —Weatherization for low-income households; home efficiency energy rebates; and home rehabilitation for low-income households in rural areas.

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

Mental health state facilities: $660 million — Includes 350-bed forensic hospital at Western State Hospital; and renovations at Maple Lane to expand bed capacity by 136 beds.
Behavioral health: $224 million – Competitive grants for community behavioral services, including facilities that serve children; the Rising Strong project, which will provide family-centered drug treatment and supportive housing for at least 24 households in Western Washington; and local facilities including crisis diversion, secure detox, and adolescent services.

PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE

Public Works Assistance Account: $400 million — Infrastructure for local governments for projects involving drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater systems.
Broadband: $200 million — Competitive grants to expand broadband to unserved and underserved communities.
Military Department: $129.5 million — Funding for National Guard facilities around the state.

EDUCATION

Higher education: $1.5 billion
K-12 public school construction: $872 million
Early learning facility grants: $70.4 million

ENVIRONMENT

Water quality: $798 million
Clean energy and climate change: $423.8 million
Toxic cleanup and prevention: $184.3 million
Flood risk reduction and habitat restoration: $177.8 million
Water supply: $156 million
State Parks: $81.6 million
Air quality: $56.6 million

Some Important Capital Budget Projects for the 33^rd District

$4 million – African Diaspora Cultural Anchor Village in SeaTac: 145 residential units and a sustainable, culturally specific community facility, including an education center, a family and senior gathering space, micro retail spaces for small businesses, housing, and social services case management, and performing arts space.
$1.9 million – Recovery Innovations in Federal Way: Investing in a behavioral health crisis center for adults in South King County.
$1 million – Des Moines Marina Steps: Building the Marina Steps is essential for connectivity and economic development. Currently there is no easy pedestrian access between the marina and downtown, linking them with the steps will add much greater vibrancy and pedestrian traffic to the area.
$550K – Multicultural Village Design in Kent: A multi-generational, affordable, inclusive, and mixed-use housing project that will focus on meeting the housing and service needs of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families/caregivers from the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color and low-income communities.
$515K – Refugee Welcoming & Healing Center in SeaTac: A center for vital services, support, and community building activities for more than 2,000 Congolese immigrants and refugees throughout South King County, as well as hundreds of newly arrived immigrants and refugees from other nations. Refugees, immigrants, and other community residents will gain social and financial stability, while increasing their capacity to secure employment and generate income, which will result in less reliance on local and state resources.
$500K – Muslim American Youth Foundation Center in Burien: The center supports underserved and underrepresented Muslim and East African immigrant communities by providing programs to uplift youth and their families including athletic programs, an elementary school, family events, housing and healthcare navigation, food, childcare assistance, tax advising, and support for small businesses. This funding will help offset the remaining mortgage balance of this property purchased in 2021.
$480K – SeaMar Youth Crisis Center in South Seattle: Funding for projects that expand the SeaMar Youth Crisis Center, part of 988 and having a place to go when in crisis.
$450K – Saltwater–Green Vision project: Grant match for a King County initiative to improve habitat on the lower 450 feet of McSorley Creek and 1,000 feet of nearshore at Saltwater State Park in Des Moines, and to improve park day-use facilities.
$400K – Ultra-fine particle monitoring: Funding is provided for the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (PSCAA) to set up ultra-fine particle monitoring sites.
Highline College:
- $5.5 million – High-priority infrastructure repair projects.
- $1.9 million – High-priority building repairs.
- $1.5 million – Renovate and upgrade program areas to ensure college facilities remain suitable for student needs and provide an adequate educational environment.
- $818K – Emergency reserve fund for catastrophic failures and unforeseen capital issues, and hazardous material abatement fund for unanticipated abatement costs.

TRANSPORTATION BUDGET

Building a Modern & Environmentally Friendly Transit System

Over the next two years, $13.5 billion has been designated to fund the state’s transportation needs. The budget addresses legislative and gubernatorial priorities, as well as the continuation of projects in previous legislative budgets, notably 2022’s Move Ahead Washington package (almost $17 billion) and the 2015 Connecting Washington package ($16 billion investment). Both packages are funded over 16 years.

The 2023-2025 transportation budget honors our commitment to the people of Washington—a commitment to keeping key projects on schedule, investing in our vital ferry system, improving traffic safety, promises to combat climate change, and focuses on equity and overburdened communities.

Key Transportation Funding Includes:

$5.4 billion: Funds highway improvements and preservation, including many of our state’s most critical projects such as the Puget Sound Gateway program that extends SR 167 from Puyallup to the Port of Tacoma, the US 395 North Spokane Corridor, and the I-5 Bridge Replacement Program connecting Washington and Oregon.
$2.6 billion: Improving recruitment and retention efforts at the Washington State Patrol.
$1.3 billion: Keeping Washington State Ferries’ (WSF) existing fleet in good shape, while moving ahead with the construction of five new hybrid-electric vessels. Money in the ferries also invests in the workforce at WSF.
$1 billion: Fish passage barrier corrections as proposed by the Department of Transportation (DOT).
$970 million: Proceeds from Climate Commitment Act (CCA) auctions will fund decarbonization strategies across the transportation sector, such as active transportation, transit programs and projects, alt-fuel and electrification, commercial vehicle infrastructure, rail, freight and ports, and ferries.
$5.4 million: Funding for DOT’s Pre-Apprenticeship & Supportive Services (PASS) & COMPASS program to increase the number of individuals prepared to work in the transportation construction and maritime sector.
$4.7 million: Awarded to the office of Minority & Women’s Business Enterprises to increase the number of women and minority-owned contractors in the transportation sector statewide.
$3.9 million: Automated speed cameras in work zones.
$161 million: Boosting bicycle/pedestrian projects and programs through the CCA
$845K: Young driver safety implementation, with special funds devoted to create drivers education for students who are deaf/hard of hearing.

Major Transportation Projects in the 33rd Legislative District

$15 million: 228th and Union Pacific grade separation (Kent).
$13.4 million: Constructs an eastbound off ramp at the Des Moines Memorial Drive.
$8 million: Construct passenger facilities along upcoming RapidRide Renton-Kent-Auburn Line, along with connecting pedestrian/bike facilities.
$8 million: RapidRide expansion, Burien-Delridge – will leverage nearly completed speed and reliability enhancements to serve a rapidly growing ridership base of over 9,200 daily riders.
$4.9 million: Complete design, environmental analysis, and construction of three rapid charging stations at Metro’s Burien Transit Center.
$3.5 million: Design, right-of-way acquisition and construction of the Barnes Creek Trail South segment between S. 240th Street – 16th Ave S to 20th Ave S. installing a multi-use trail including roadway widening, curb, gutter, sidewalk, bike lane and a new traffic signal at 20th/240th (Des Moines).
$2.2 million: Implement transportation demand management strategies to help customers transition back to transit and other non-single occupancy vehicle modes as people transition back to worksites.
$1.6 million: Implement a transportation demand management youth mobility program by providing outreach and education for youth and their families to encourage greater transit ridership.

Thank you for taking the time to read this budgets report. If you have questions or concerns, please contact our offices.

We hope you’ll join us on Thursday evening!

Sincerely,

Rep. Mia Gregerson & Rep. Tina Orwall