A Historic Moment for Washington State

 

Rep. Riccelli joins WSU President Elson Floyd and Dr. Ken Roberts on passage of his bill creating a medical school in Spokane.

Greetings from Olympia! Yesterday was a historic day for Washington, and for our community in particular. The Senate passed my legislation to establish a new WSU medical school in Spokane, sending it to the Governor’s desk for a signature.

A WSU Medical School will create jobs and improve access to care in underserved areas across the state, and especially in Spokane.

This is a proud moment for Washington state. I enjoyed working with Senator Baumgartner and so many others on this bipartisan effort. My heartfelt thanks goes out to President Floyd and the litany of stakeholders and community members whose hard work and dedication are the reason we are here today.

Town Hall Recap

 

Rep. Riccelli addresses a packed auditorium at a Town Hall at WSU Spokane.

It can be tough to make it across the mountains to the Capitol, so Town Hall meetings are an opportunity for people to ask questions and get answers from their representatives in the district.

I had the opportunity to listen to community members in a packed auditorium on the Riverpoint Campus. I heard questions about fixing our state’s unfair tax structure and ensuring that we have the resources needed to invest in core services like health care, early learning, and higher education.

I also met with over 700 educators to discuss issues affecting teachers and students in Washington state, including class sizes, rising health care costs, and a long-overdue Cost of Living increase for teachers. I’m grateful to everyone who turned out to these events.

Hundreds of educators gathered to share concerns at a Town Hall at Rogers High School last weekend.

Budget Preview

 

I’m proud of the positive changes I have been able to accomplish through legislation, but these Town Hall conversations highlight that many of our community’s priorities ultimately come down to the budget.

The House will release its budget tomorrow, and a lot of tough decisions are on the table. The Supreme Court requires us to invest more in education, a priority echoed by voters with the passage of the class-size initiative, I-1351.

But kids can’t thrive in school doing homework under the dome light of a car. And it’s not fair to pit education against other priorities that keep our community strong, like mental health, housing, senior services, and higher education.

As negotiations unfold, I will be supporting a budget that closes tax loopholes, because everyone should pay their fair share for the core services that keep our community strong.

I look forward to hearing from you as these discussions move forward. It is an honor to serve as your legislator.

Best Regards,

Representative Marcus Riccelli
3rd Legislative District – Spokane