Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Focusing on Equality
Happy Pride Month! June is always a month to celebrate how far the LGBTQ community has come and to remember how far we have to go to achieve true equality. We also celebrated Juneteenth for the first time as a national holiday. It will also become a Washington state holiday starting next year. Juneteenth is a time to remember and acknowledge the horrors of slavery and its impacts, which are still be felt today, but also to celebrate the strength and resilience of the Black community. By honoring this important milestone each year we can learn about the past and work toward a brighter and more equitable future.
Spokesman Review Op-Ed
In case you missed it, I joined my fellow 3rd District legislators in publishing an Op-Ed about the legislative session in the Spokesman Review.
“The virus was the biggest threat we had faced in generations, so we kept our focus on what was needed to help our state get through this challenging time. That’s something nearly everyone could get behind.
We each have deeply held principles and values, and are passionate about them. Yet our biggest passion is serving the people of this state, which means listening to each other, and working together.
That’s the only way we will beat this virus and rebuild our lives, our communities, and our economy: together.”
Read the whole Op-Ed here: Sen. Andy Billig, Rep. Timm Ormsby, and Rep. Marcus Riccelli: Focus on key priorities made historic 2021 session a success
Child Tax Credit
The American Rescue Plan provided the largest Child Tax Credit ever. The amount that a family can receive per child was raised and instead of the tax relief coming once a year when you file your taxes, the American Rescue Plan will begin sending families monthly payments staring in July. For every child 6-17 years old, families will get $250 and for children under 6, $300. This special pandemic relief will be sent automatically to families earning under $150,000 for a couple and $112,500 for a single parent if you filed your taxes in 2019 or 2020.
IF YOU DID NOT MAKE ENOUGH TO FILE TAXES, YOU ARE STILL ELIGIBLE.
You can sign up to receive the Child Tax Credit here with the IRS’ Non-filer Sign-up Tool and you can also find the sign up tool sign up tool en Español.
Do not delay in signing up. There is no deadline for signing up, but payments are not retroactive. For more information check out the White House post as well as finding it here en Español.
Ashley’s House
This month I was honored to be invited to the groudbreaking for a new group home for medically fragile children operated by Ashley House. Spokane has been without a group home for medically fragile children since 2019 and this home serves a critical need for Eastern Washington and Spokane families.
I am particularly grateful for the strong advocacy of parent Sam Grove and appreciated teaming up with my colleague Rep. Mike Volz to secure the funding for the project in the Capital Budget. Read more about the project in the Spokesman Review.
3rd District Mailer
In case you missed it, check out the mailer that Sen. Andy Billig, Rep. Timm Ormsby and I sent out this month.
You can view it as a PDF here:
It’s an honor to serve our community.
Best Regards,
Representative Marcus Riccelli