Dear Friends and Neighbors,
The dust is still settling on the 2025 legislative session, one of the most challenging sessions of many lawmakers’ careers. We entered session with the promise of federal chaos and the knowledge that we had significant budget shortfall to navigate. While navigating these challenges, we also had to cope with the sadness of the loss of former Speaker of the House Frank Chopp and Senator Bill Ramos.
Despite these challenges, we passed a budget that prioritizes spending that keeps people housed, fed, and safe.
Here are top-level highlights of the $7.5 billion, two-year budget, which passed with overwhelming bipartisan support:
Affordable Housing
The new two-year budget invests a historic total of $782 million in housing and homelessness programs. This includes a record-setting $605 million for the Housing Trust Fund, directly funding the construction of affordable housing.
K-12 and early learning
There is nearly $1 billion for K-12 school construction and early learning facilities. That total includes $202 million for small district and tribal compact schools, $151 million for school seismic safety, and $100 million for early learning facilities.
Fish, water, and natural resources
There are significant investments in salmon hatcheries, floodplain safety, and environmental protection, with $365 million in projects for salmon and steelhead recovery. The budget also invests $120 million in the Washington Wildlife & Recreation Program and $171 million for water infrastructure.
Behavioral Health
The budget includes $130 million in grants for projects expanding behavioral health care capacity in community settings and funds the completion of the new forensic hospital facility at Western State Hospital.
The budget that we passed also:
- Avoids furloughs for state employees
- Continues funding for the Apple Health for Immigrants program
- Protects funding for the Cascade Care Savings Program
- Maintains funding for school meals and summer EBT for kids
- Increases Special Education funding
- Funds Food Security & Assistance
- Maintains Immigrant, Refugee, and New Arrival Supports
- Funds Community Reinvestment Program
- Provides local Law Enforcement and Public Defense Grants
For more details about the capital budge, the state operating budget, and transportation budget–visit fiscal.wa.gov.
Millions of dollars in projects are coming to the 33rd!
With this budget, Rep. Gregerson, Sen. Orwall, and I worked hard to prioritize projects in our community. I am proud to say that our efforts resulted in the allocation of over $30 million for local projects across the 33rd district!
These projects span behavioral health, housing, new parks and play areas. You can see the full list here just make sure you view the report for the 33rd district. Here are a few projects that I am particularly excited about:
These are the kinds of investments that help our community thrive, create local jobs, and make everyday life better for our families.
Don’t forget about the interim freeze!
I know my last email said it would be my last email for a while – but I mean it for real this time! The communications freeze goes into effect on Monday, but I wanted to make sure that I got this information to you. Remember, you can still reach out to my office, and I’ll get back you.
Thank you for your support!
Sincerely,
Rep. Edwin Obras.