Introducing Move Ahead Washington, a transportation package for a sustainable future
I’m excited to announce that House Democrats have unveiled Move Ahead Washington, our transportation package that creates a sustainable, achievable future for our transportation sector. It delivers historic investments to preserve our roads, reduce carbon emissions, and provide safe, accessible, and affordable options to get around.
House Democrats hosted over 90 listening sessions to hear the top transportation priorities from communities across the state. This proposal addresses the concerns we heard and reflects our focus on meeting the needs of every community in WA.
What our package does differently to serve Washingtonians
Preserving existing infrastructure
Move Ahead Washington invests an unprecedented $3 billion to fix our existing infrastructure. By honoring our responsibility to complete projects we’ve started, we’re also creating good, family-wage construction jobs to make repairs across the state.
Taking bold action to reduce carbon emissions
Our package takes decisive action against climate change by putting $5.4 billion toward electrification and the expansion of affordable, accessible options to get from point A to point B. Our community deserves diverse choices so we can use what works for us—whether walking, rolling, driving, or riding—while reducing our carbon footprint.
Addressing harm caused by past transportation decisions
Move Ahead Washington re-prioritizes disinvested neighborhoods and renews our moral obligation to do better for BIPOC, rural, and low-income communities. We’re funding projects that expand reliable transit service, create bike and pedestrian routes, and increase opportunities for good jobs in the transportation sector. Our package also directs 35% of funds from the Climate Commitment Act into projects serving disinvested neighborhoods and communities often left out of the policymaking process.
Funding our investments
This proposal does not include a gas tax. This is a people-oriented proposal that doesn’t pass costs onto working families. Especially after the economic hardships of the pandemic, it was important that we fund these investments without an immediate gas tax. Instead, we are meeting our state’s needs with a one-time transfer from the state’s general fund, federal dollars from the Infrastructure and Jobs Act, and investments from the Climate Commitment Act.
How Move Ahead WA serves the 40th District
The families of our district have been clear in their call for much-needed investments in the ferries many rely on each day. Move Ahead Washington invests $1.6B in our ferries, including:
- $1.3B for 4 new hybrid-electric vessels
- $193M for vessel and terminal electrification projects
- $350M in ferries operating account support
- $160M in ferries preservation support
- $32M to allow children 18 and under to ride free
Find a full list of investments and revenue sources.
Supporting Our Healthcare Heroes with Safe Staffing Standards
Our nurses and front line healthcare workers have moved mountains over the last two years, but they are burning out. A December poll found that 84 percent of healthcare workers said they were burned out and 49 percent said they are likely to quit healthcare. When asked the reasons for considering leaving the profession, 71 percent cited staffing shortages as a major issue. With all the pressures of the pandemic, hospitals should not be adding stress to nurses and healthcare workers with inadequate staffing. Hospital executives have been able to find millions of dollars to pay themselves bonuses during this pandemic. We must ensure that healthcare workers and patients are protected from unmanageable patient loads. The evidence is clear: safe staffing standards lower patient mortality, hospital-acquired pneumonia, respiratory failure and cardiac arrest. They also decrease the length of stay for our family and neighbors who need hospital care. These standards also reduce burnout, occupational harms and increase job satisfaction and retention. That is why I am supporting legislation to create new safe staffing standards for hospitals in Washington. House Bill 1868 will make Washington the second state in the nation to mandate safe staffing ratios at hospitals. By mandating manageable patient loads, we can protect healthcare workers and ensure that patients get the care they need. The bill also ends mandatory overtime policies and puts protections in place to ensure that rest and meal breaks are respected. Safe staffing standards will protect our healthcare workers and ensure that hospitals are prepared for emergencies. Washington should be a place where healthcare workers can have long and successful careers. Ultimately, by protecting them we are also protecting ourselves by ensuring patients can get the care they deserve. I’m so thankful for the healthcare workers in our district who took their precious time last weekend to meet with me. You are our communities’ front line and our backbone. We see you, and we hear you – unsafe staffing levels in our hospitals are a danger to us all. I’m proud to support Safe Staffing legislation and am with you in this fight! |
Serving Washington
This week on the House floor, we focused much of our work on how House Democrats are serving Washington and ensuring every family, worker and small business can count on Washington to educate our children, protect our communities from injustice, and be there for our neighbors in need.
Here are a few examples of legislation I was proud to support that will make a big difference for families across our state:
- HB 1955 supports our most vulnerable youth in their education
- HB 1703 modernizes the 911 system to keep it up to date with modern technology and public expectations, so it can meet the needs of the 988 crisis response system coming this summer
- HB 1881 makes doulas accessible for the 52 percent of Washington births covered by Medicaid, because everyone deserves access to a doula, not just those who can pay out of pocket
- HB 2051 provides much needed disaster assistance support for our farmers and ranchers
Shovel-Ready Jobs for Rural Economies
Rural economies have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Shovel-ready projects would go a long way toward helping these communities rebuild. That is why the legislature passed House Bill 1958 this week. This legislation will encourage and increase rural economic development and will help rural communities participate in the recovery on a more level playing field.
It gives the Community Economic Revitalization Board more flexibility to provide planning program grants to achieve shovel-ready status and removes the cap on program planning grants.
This additional flexibility means we are fast-tracking shovel-ready programs in our rural communities – helping them recover from the effects of the pandemic.
In The News: MMIWP Alert System
One of my top priorities this session is House Bill 1725, which creates a statewide alert for missing Indigenous people. It will operate similarly to the ‘silver alert’ established for missing vulnerable adults. Learn more about the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous people, as well as this alert system designed to bring our sisters and brothers home by watching my recent interview with Indian Country Today.
The bill was voted out of the House unanimously at the end of last month and had a hearing in the Senate Law & Justice Committee this week! I’ll keep you updated as it continues to move through the legislative process.
Click the image to watch my recent interview with Indian Country Today about creating an MMIWP alert system in WA.
Thank you all for taking to the time to read this week’s Fantastic Friday, and for taking an interest in our progress at the House of Representatives. I will be sending out a Fantastic Friday letter each week throughout the legislative session.
Please feel free to reach out to me using the information below, with any questions, inquiries, or concerns you may have.
I am here for you!
All best wishes,
Rep. Debra Lekanoff