Dear friends and neighbors,
Last week was a big week in the Legislature for budgets. The House announced our construction budget, which funds projects around the state, and the Washington Recovery Budget, the next step in our plan for community and economic recovery.
First, I want to talk about the construction budget, which would put tens of thousands of Washington state residents to work rebuilding our communities and economy. I’m happy to report that this proposal has some great projects for the 28th Legislative District, including:
-$8 million for repairs at local community and technical colleges
-$6 million for building new water treatment plants to remove PFAS chemicals from drinking water in DuPont and $6 million to remove PFAS from Lakewood drinking water
-$17 million for military facility upgrades, including expanding parking at Joint Base Lewis-McChord and replacing barracks and upgrading a roof at Camp Murray
-$2 million for extending the sewer main for University Place households on septic systems
-$814,000 for repairs at the Steilacoom Tribal Cultural Center and Museum
-$17 million for Western State Hospital’s Psychiatric Treatment and Recovery Center
-$500,000 for a new ADA ramp to the shoreline and boat launch and easier access to the restroom and picnic shelters at American Lake Park
…And much more!
There may be changes to these projects as the House and Senate negotiate a final construction budget. I’ll be closely tracking developments as the proposal moves through the legislative process to ensure that our community receives the investments we need.
Recovery budget to aid local communities
The House also announced the Washington Recovery Budget last week. This budget will ensure that all communities in our state have the support they need to recover together, especially those hit hardest by the pandemic. It’s been a rough year, but we can build a better, more inclusive Washington state that’s even stronger than before.
Everyone deserves a shot at opportunity. This budget is a vision for how our state serves Washingtonians: to be there when times are hard and assist families as they’re trying to get back on their feet. Not only is it a strong response to COVID-19, but it’s also a dramatic change to how we help families by doing more for communities who are struggling.
You can read more about the budget here. Here’s some highlights:
The Washington Recovery budget also includes funding for several things I worked with local groups to request, including:
-The Arlington Drive Youth Campus to provide young adults who are experiencing homelessness, transitioning from foster care or are on the threshold of homelessness with a stable place to live and supportive programs
–Dispute Resolution Centers that promote effective problem solving and guarantee residents have access to low-cost resolution as an alternative to litigation
-Rate increases for supported living providers who serve people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in their homes
Just like with the construction budget, there’s still much more work to be done before this proposal is finalized. I’m committed to ensuring that as much of this funding stays in the budget as possible, and I’ll be sure to keep you updated in the coming weeks.
Small business grant applications now open
The state Department of Commerce launched a new round of grants yesterday for small businesses affected by the pandemic. For more information about how to apply, visit this link. These Working Washington grants are possible because the Legislature approved $240 million for them last month as part of our COVID-19 response package.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out at 253-256-0302 or Mari.Leavitt@leg.wa.gov. You can also follow me on Facebook for the latest. It’s an honor to serve the beautiful 28th.
Rep. Mari Leavitt