Dear friends and neighbors,
This e-newsletter is a quick look at what’s happening in Olympia and how it might affect all our communities in northwest Washington. In this issue, I’ll discuss service and schedule reliability in our ferry system, the Working Families Tax Credit, and one of my bills to address the housing crisis. Lastly, I encourage you stay engaged in our democratic process this year. Please consider clicking here or on the image below to view my video on staying engaged this session. I hope you will find it useful!
Ferry Service & Schedule Reliability
On January 19th, the Department of Transportation provided the House Transportation Committee with information on ongoing challenges with the greater ferry system, route reliability, and delayed sailings. What was clear is that WSDOT has been working to put recently allocated state funding to work on training staff and addressing workforce shortages. But we can’t take our eye off service reliability because sailing interruptions have more than one cause. I am working with my colleagues and WSDOT to acquire and implement funding to repair existing vessels and fund new vessels to provide service reliability into the future. You can view part of my recent conversation with the undersecretary of WSDOT on the issue or click the image below to view the video.
A new tax credit for Washington workers starts in 2023!
The Working Families Tax Credit is a new program that will provide payments of up to $1,200 to low-to-moderate income individuals and families. The amounts are based on income level and the number of qualifying children (if any). Help us spread the word and make sure everyone who qualifies can receive this tax credit.
This program will help us stimulate local economies, promote racial equity, and provide the financial stability Washington families need right now. To find more information in several available languages, visit WorkingFamiliesCredit.wa.gov.
Addressing the Housing Crisis
The housing affordability and security crisis is affecting every city and county in Washington. Residents in eastern and western Washington alike face a housing shortage, skyrocketing rents, and unstable living conditions. There isn’t one magic solution to these problems. It is critical that we tackle this issue comprehensively because the status quo isn’t working.
One of my bills, HB 1389, will limit rent increases, that are forcing people to leave our communities and forcing many more people into homelessness. I hear stories every day of how the destabilized rent market is leading to double digit rent increases. Every $100 increase in average rents increases homelessness in a community by 9% and the data could not be clearer about the racial disproportionality of these consequences. The bill was heard in the Housing Committee on Tuesday, and I’m eager to see it move forward soon.
Share Your Thoughts with Me
I’m so excited to welcome constituents back to Olympia! Our office has met with registered nurses, UCFW 3000, dental assistants, WSU grad students, some of our local realtors from Whatcom and Skagit counties, and the Boys and Girls club. I got to see staff and trustees from our local colleges and hear about the good work that’s happening at our dispute resolution centers.
If you come down to Olympia, please schedule a time for us to meet by emailing our office, so you can share your priorities with me. My staff and I are also happy to meet remotely if you are not quite comfortable in a public setting or simply don’t have time to make it to Olympia.
In service,
Rep. Alex Ramel