Dear friends and neighbors,

Time flies and we are just three weeks away from the end of the 2023 legislative session. As we approach the final stretch, I want to take a moment to express how grateful I am to be back in-person with my colleagues and have had face-to-face conversations with so many of you.

As we gear up for floor action to pass bills in the coming weeks, I would like to provide you with an update on some important developments. First, I would like to share the State Supreme Court’s recent decision on the capital gains tax and some highlights in our proposed House budgets that will benefit residents and communities across our state!

A Milestone in Tax Reform: the Supreme Court upholds capital gains tax

I am thrilled to share that the Washington State Supreme Court confirmed in a recent decision that the capital gains tax is an excise tax—officially keeping this critical tax reform in place! As the sponsor of the House legislation introducing a capital gains tax, I have long believed that it’s time for the wealthiest among us to share in the responsibility of funding the needs of our communities.

This decision marks a major milestone in our efforts to build a more equitable and sustainable tax system. In addition, the revenues from this tax are dedicated to childcare, early learning, and the state’s paramount duty to provide a public education for all of Washington’s children.

I look forward to working with my colleagues in the legislature to ensure that this vital revenue stream is put to good use for the benefit of all Washingtonians.

A Look into our House Budget: Expanding resiliency in Washington

I am excited to share a few funding highlights in the Resilient Washington 2023-2025 operating budget proposed in the House. These investments demonstrate our commitment to improving the quality of life for all residents, particularly those who need it most.

• High-quality childcare remains a critical need, both to ensure our children are ready for kindergarten and to help parents stay in the workforce. We are increasing investments in Working Connections Child Care and the state’s pre-school program, Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP), for low-income children.
• We are making significant investments in special education, as part of our $1.9 billion in new K-12 funding.
• As part of our commitment to addressing the behavioral health crisis in our state, we’re increasing rates for behavioral health providers by 15%, which will help to ensure that all Washingtonians have access to the mental health services they need.
• My push for zero emission school buses has been funded with Climate Commitment Act dollars at $15 million in the budget, in addition to $150 million for medium- and heavy-duty trucks, to promote environmentally friendly transportation.
• We are increasing investments in Holocaust education, recognizing the importance of educating future generations about this dark chapter in history. We believe that education is key to preventing hate crimes, discrimination, antisemitism, and repeated atrocities like the Holocaust.
• Diaper need is growing across our state. We fund a new diaper benefit for low-income families with kids under 3 and provide resources to diaper banks across the state.

These are just a few of the proposed investments in the House operating budget. These investments will help us build a brighter, healthier, more resilient state for generations to come. Next stop: negotiations with the Senate.

The Capital Budget: Investing in our communities’ infrastructure  

Each legislative session, we have the opportunity to submit requests to the state’s capital budget in support of local community projects in-district, from parks to the arts to community and childcare facilities. After working with advocates from around the district, here are some of the projects that I’m strongly advocating for in the House budget:

• To establish the Eastside Early Childhood Center (EECC) at Temple B’nai Torah in Bellevue that will provide over 80 slots of desperately needed childcare on the Eastside.
• For the Lake Hills Teen Center renovations at the Lake Hills Clubhouse. This investment will significantly enhance services to local teens through evidence-informed after-school and summer programs, providing young people with the resources and support they need to thrive.
• For Community Homes Renovations to assist with building repairs and upgrades to adult-family homes serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in our district.
• For Luther Burbank Park on Mercer Island to increase habitat restoration and outdoor recreation at this regional gem of a park!

Visits to Olympia

During a recent visit with my constituent Boeing Vice President of Environmental Sustainability Sheila Reemes and Susan Champlain, we talked about the dramatic increase in the use of sustainable aviation fuel and how ongoing public-private partnerships will keep Washington as a leader in environmentally sustainable air travel. 

Thank you for your continued engagement and support. You can also receive more regular updates on my official Facebook page. Let’s make these final three weeks count! It’s an honor to serve as your representative.

Sincerely,

Rep. Tana Senn