Dear friends and neighbors,
Over the last month I have had the pleasure of attending several ribbon cuttings for new facilities here in Spokane that I helped to secure significant state investment. Read more to learn about some of the new facilities and services available now in Spokane or coming soon.
New Alternatives for Spokane
Last month I had the pleasure of attending the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Spokane Regional Stabilization Unit. This new crisis center is meant to help end the cycle of people passing through our jail and emergency rooms who never truly get treatment. The new overnight recovery center will offer medical and mental health services as well as a kitchen and laundry units.
Relying on the jail to warehouse those with mental health conditions is ineffective, expensive and immoral. This new alternative recognizes that what we are currently doing isn’t working and provides our law enforcement with a new tool in their toolbox for dealing with people who are experiencing a behavioral health crisis. I was proud to help secure over $2 million in the state Capital Budget to fund jail diversion efforts and I am thrilled that Spokane is taking the lead in implementing them. You can read more about the new unit in The Spokesman-Review.
New Early Learning and Child Development Centers
Last month, I was honored to attend the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Liberty Park Early Learning Center.
This new center will provide low-income children and their families with nationally researched programs that promote development in literacy, math, social-emotional development, cognitive development, physical development, and language development.
I was proud to work with Sen. Andy Billig and Rep. Timm Ormsby to secure $1 million dollars in funding for this new center in the state Capital Budget and look forward to this center serving Spokane families for decades to come.
I was also able to attend a progress update for the Joya Child & Family Development‘s (formerly Spokane Guilds’ School & Neuromuscular Center) new building, currently under construction in the University District.
Joya has served our community with birth-to-three services for almost 40 years. This new building will give Joya a permanent home and will allow it to expand its services to more families.
I worked hard with the organization to get a $1 million dollar appropriation for the new University District facility in 2019 in our state Capital Budget. Working with Sen. Billig and Rep. Ormsby, we were able to follow that up with an additional $1.2 million dollar appropriation in this year’s Capital Budget.
Redistricting
With the completion of the Census last year, every state is now completing its redistricting process. Every ten years, we change the boundaries of our legislative and congressional districts to ensure that they represent a roughly equal number of voters. Each member of the redistricting commission (one per Caucus per legislative body) has introduced their own map. Now is our chance to give our feedback and help shape the legislative and congressional districts for the next ten years.
You can view the maps and provide feedback here: https://www.redistricting.wa.gov/
Check out my interview with the House Democrats’ Redistricting Commission appointee April Sims.
As always, it’s an honor to serve our community.
Best Regards,
Representative Marcus Riccelli