A Message from Marcus: End of Session Update

July 14, 2015

Final Budgets Lay Foundation for Strong Communities

 
3rd District Legislators

Rep. Riccelli talks with his seatmates, Senator Billig and Rep. Ormsby, in the final days of negotiations.

Last Friday marked the end of the 2015 legislative session. Thanks to the hard work and determination of countless advocates in our community and across the state, we managed to stand strong for budgets that put people first.

The 2015-2017 operating budget makes crucial investments in K-12 education, early learning, mental health, and other core services. It also lays the foundation for expanded medical education in our community.

I want to highlight our work on education. We made $1.3 billion new investments in K-12 funding–the largest increase in state history–and $159 million new investments in early learning, to support working families and ensure every kid in Washington has a chance for a strong start. We also funded a long-overdue COLA for our teachers.

Importantly, we cut tuition at public colleges and universities next year and make additional cuts the second year in the budget.

I believe the investments we make in the education continuum are the most crucial actions we can take to close the opportunity gap and ensure kids succeed, so that we can grow our economy from the middle out.

Official Budget Documents

Highlights for Our Community

 
WSU Medical School

The budget provides nearly $12 million for a WSU medical school in Spokane. (Photo: WSU Spokane)

The operating budget brings major investments home to Spokane, including:

  • $400,000 for the Northwest Autism Center;
  • $310,000 for the Spokane River Regional Toxics Taskforce;
  • $188,000 for Partners With Families & Children’s medical program for victims of child abuse.

It also provides $11.8 million for accreditation and startup of the new WSU medical school, an investment we were able to make after passinglegislation I sponsored earlier this year allowing WSU to move forward. This is particularly significant for me in light of the recent passing of WSU President Elson Floyd.

Watch My Foor Remarks

Over $1 Billion for Spokane’s Transportation Future

 
North Spokane Corridor

The new transportation package will connect the North Spokane Corridor to I-90. (Photo: WSDOT)

I am extremely proud of our work in securing a multi-modal transportation revenue package that will bring over $1 billion to our community for new transportation investments. These investments will improve safety, reduce congestion, and create jobs while promoting transportation options for livable communities. Highlights include:

  • $878.9 million: North Spokane Corridor
  • $15 million: Central City Line high-performance transit system
  • $8.8 million: U-District Gateway Bridge
  • $26.6 million: Medical Lake Interchange

Each of these projects will have a tangible impact on mobility and economic development in our community, and I look forward to watching them take shape.

Read More Here

University District Gateway Bridge

The University District Gateway Bridge will connect Riverpoint with the South University District.

This session went on much longer than I imagined, but politics is the art of compromise in divided government. We did not sacrifice our shared values, but we certainly have a lot more work to get done.

Next week I will recap community wins in our Capital Budget and the policies and initiatives I helped move forward.

It is an honor to serve you.

Best Regards,

Marcus Riccelli

Representative Marcus Riccelli
3rd Legislative District – Spokane