House proposes Supplemental Operating, Capital, & Transportation Budgets

In even-numbered years, the legislature makes corrections and adjustments to the two-year state budget passed in odd-numbered years. Investments made in these supplemental budget years are generally more modest, but are important to ensuring the most critical needs across our state are addressed.

This week, the House rolled out its 2020 supplemental operating budget. It makes use of our state’s positive economic forecast to invest in affordable housing and reducing homelessness, affordability of child care, and health care access. These are priorities House Democrats identified at the beginning of the session, because families, businesses, and communities in Washington need help dealing with them right now.

One of the biggest investments is a $100 million transfer from the state’s General Fund to the Housing Trust Fund, which will go toward new affordable housing projects, homeless shelters, and programs that maintain affordable housing stock and provide housing stability for those most at risk of homelessness. In short, these investments will put and keep roofs over people’s heads.

Investments in child care include more funding to help families with low incomes pay for child care, and ensuring we maintain access to subsidized pre-school slots for three- and four-year-olds most at risk of not being kindergarten-ready.

Health care investments are targeted toward the people and families most in need, including increased Medicaid rates for primary care and nursing homes, more support for rural health clinics, and investments in public health, including more funding for the state’s response to coronavirus.

Construction budget

The House supplemental capital budget proposal focuses on our top legislative priorities, which include addressing affordable housing, homelessness, and childcare. We know these are priorities for the 40^th District, and I am proud to stand together with my legislative colleagues, Senator Liz Lovelett, Representative Alex Ramel and Representative Sharon Shewmake in making these investments.

Local projects funded in the House capital budget proposal include:

• The Skagit YMCA Oasis Teen shelter;
• Skagit Boys & Girls Club Anacortes Early Learning Center;
• Opportunity Council Early Learning Central Kitchen;
• Samish Longhouse Early Learning Center Expansion;
• Anacortes Family Center Housing and Childcare; and
• Northwest Youth Services Positive Adolescent Development Emergency Housing Program.

While they did not make it into this year’s budget, I am still dedicated to funding several important capital projects in future sessions, including the Western Washington University Coast Salish Long House, Skagit Court House seismic repairs and the Skagit irrigation water project. We also will need to address further investment in public safety in our region, and I join my Whatcom colleagues to seek support for Whatcom County Sheriffs to implement an integrated public safety radio system.

“Thank you for your great support for the funding for the Skagit Boys and Girls Club!  No matter what ultimately happens we really appreciate your work!” – Rob Martin, Skagit Boys & Girls Club board member

“Thank you for all of your hard work and dedication in helping us address the child care issue in Bellingham and Whatcom County. Additionally, thank you for being a reliable, trusted voice for the issues that matter to us in Bellingham. I look forward to continuing to work with you in the coming months and years.” – Seth Fleetwood, Mayor of Bellingham

Transportation budget

Finally, House Democrats unveiled a state transportation budget that would address the nearly half-billion shortfall in revenue caused by the passage of Initiative 976.

The budget would protect the most vulnerable, including seniors, the disabled and veterans who rely on special needs transportation. It would restart highway projects put on hold by Gov. Inslee last year after the passage of Initiative 976. The proposed budget would also invest $275 million for fish passage culverts, which will help restore critical salmon habitat and also allows the state to meet a court order involving tribal fishing rights.

While all of this is good news in the short-term, preventing major damage to our transportation system, we won’t be able to duplicate these fund shifts and cost-savings in the next two-year budget.

Public hearings on all three budget proposals took place this week, and the full House is slated to vote on them today! This won’t be the last step, however, as the Senate has its own budget proposals, and House and Senate budget negotiators will be working together to come up with final supplemental budgets to be voted on by both chambers before the session adjourns on March 12.

Click the image above to watch my latest video update on the budgets and other ongoing work.

Thank you for coming to my Town Halls!

Thank you to everyone who came out to my Mount Vernon and Bellingham town halls this past weekend! As your representative, it is so important for me to hear from you, and I appreciate your attendance and participation. I also want to express my deepest gratitude to Skagit County Commissioner Lisa Janicki and Mount Vernon Mayor Jill Boudreau, as well as past Bellingham Councilmember April Barker for participating as facilitators. We were able to share with community members the value of good relationships between local and state leaders, and how we work together to share policy and laws between the governing bodies.

Some of the top issues that were discussed include the lack of affordable housing and rising homelessness; the need for more providers and better access to behavioral health services; the importance of early learning opportunities and the lack of affordable childcare; and a potential ban on high-capacity magazines to help deter gun violence. Finally, we also talked about climate change and what’s being done to reduce emissions and pollution in Washington, as well as my net ecological gain standard and salmon recovery efforts.

Like and Follow me on Facebook!

I have a new, official Facebook page! Like and follow Representative Debra Lekanoff to stay updated on legislative news from Olympia.

How a Bill Becomes a Law

The process for a bill to become a law is complicated, as you might remember from that old classic Schoolhouse Rock I’m just a bill episode. It takes more than going through the motions; we have to work in partnership with stakeholders and colleagues in both chambers and across the aisle.

Back in January, KING5 put together a short animated video on the legislative process:

Learn more on the Washington State Legislature website.

Constituent Corner: Ferries

I’ve heard from many of you about your concerns about what retiring the Elwha Ferry might mean for our region and the Anacortes community in particular. Learn more about the impacts of potentially retiring the Elwha in this recent Seattle Times article. Sen. Lovelett, Rep. Ramel, and I, among other legislators and staff, recently attended the Bicameral Ferry Legislator Budget Briefing with Washington State Ferries where we discussed their 2019 milestones and their upcoming 2020 efforts. I brought up our concerns with retiring the Elwha and the impacts to our local communities and commerce. I’m pleased to say that the House transportation budget proposal includes some funding to preserve the Elwha, but more will be needed in future years to maintain the vessel. Ferries are vital to our economy and tourism in our state, and we need to make sure they are adequately funded – that we are not only maintaining our aging fleet but that we are also building new boats.

Notable Meetings

This week I met with:

Nichols Brothers and Dakota Creek Maritime Industry

• These two Washington-based businesses employ hundreds of local people and contribute to rural economies. We discussed the importance to the region of maintaining maritime industry and growing our Washington ferry fleet.

Building Industry Association of Whatcom County and Skagit Island County Building Association

• We discussed energy code delayed implementation, land use reforms, increased housing supply, concrete pumping, and the link between increased regulation and increased costs for housing, with families priced out of the market.

Environmental Advocates

• We talked about multiple environmental bills still moving through the legislative process, including:
  • Senate Bill 6278, which would limit future water bottling in Washington and had a public hearing this week in the Rural Development, Agriculture, & Natural Resources Committee;
  • Senate Bill 5323, which would help reduce plastic pollution by restricting single-use plastic bags and had a public hearing in the Environment & Energy Committee last week; and
  • Senate Bill 6213, which would ban the sale and distribution of styrofoam in Washington state and had a  public hearing in the Environment & Energy Committee earlier this week.

Students from Orcas Island

• It’s always a pleasure to see young people actively participating in government!

Skagit and Whatcom YMCA

• We discussed my effort to get the Skagit YMCA Oasis Teen Shelter funded in the  capital budget.

Western Washington University Students

• The students came to testify on Senate Bill 6561 in the College & Workforce Development Committee. The bill would create an undocumented student support loan program.

Thank you to our Legislative Pages!

Thank you to Meg Spidle, a young woman from the 22nd District who I sponsored to serve as a legislative page in the House this week! She attends Olympia High School. The Page Program is a great opportunity for 14-, 15-, and 16-year-olds to learn how our state government works, and gain hands-on experience with the ins and outs of the legislative process. If this is something your teen might be interested in for next session, go to the Page Program website to learn more, fill out an application, and get information on how to apply for the Gina Grant Bull Scholarship.

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