Dear Friends and Neighbors,
The budgets have finally been released! Serving on the House Appropriations Committee this year has given me a new perspective and opportunity to impact our state and community in a different way. A budget is a moral document, and I am proud of the work that the House has done in producing the Resilient Washington Budget. This budget invests in Washington’s people, lands and waters, workers and workplaces, and communities. With this budget, we ensure there are providers to care for individuals with developmental disabilities. We invest in our long-term care and the home care workforce. We expand our commitment to public health and health care, including behavioral health, reproductive care, and gender-affirming care. Rather than exclude, we include more of our neighbors, by providing new access to care for our undocumented neighbors who are uninsured, and we expand care to families just above the Medicaid line. This budget supports educators, students with specialized needs, and families who need early learning and childcare.
While several of my bills did not make it over the finish line this year, I was able to work with our budget team to make real progress in those areas in the budget. Perhaps most exciting is that the budget contains a raise for incarcerated workers. While it is not state minimum wage, as envisioned by the Real Labor, Real Wages Act, it is over a 100% raise in wages. I am happy to be able to make a material difference in the lives of our incarcerated brothers and sisters. The monthly salary for most incarcerated workers will more than double, allowing more money for calls home, for healthcare, and for basic hygiene products.
The budget also contains over $100 million for refunds of Legal Financial Obligations (LFOs) for people convicted under Washington’s unconstitutional possession statute that the Washington State Supreme Court threw out in 2021. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I will be working to make sure that the budget includes language that streamlines the conviction vacation process and guarantees that LFO refunds are uniform in counties across the state.
Read on to learn more about some of the projects in the 23rd District that have been funded in the House Capital Budget as well as investments in the Washington State Ferry system.
Budget Investments in the 23rd District
Bremerton Pediatric Dental
Good dental care as a child can help set a person up for a lifetime of good oral health which is important for overall health. Peninsula Community Services has been serving the Kitsap community with excellent pediatric dental care at a number of locations including in Bremerton, Port Orchard, Belfair, Poulsbo, Silverdale, and through their mobile clinic. This year’s budget contains funding to help Peninsula expand and update its Bremerton Pediatric Dental practice. Access to good dental care is vital for helping children thrive.
Rotary Morrow Community Park
Located in the City of Poulsbo, Rotary Morrow Park is a new park on the city’s east side that will include playground equipment, trails, and natural play structures. I was able to secure funding in last year’s budget to help get the project off the ground and this year’s budget will help finish the park and provide a wonderful new amenity for the community.
Rejuvenation Community Day Center
For homeless neighbors, the simplest tasks, like doing laundry or taking a shower are taxing and difficult. One of the hardest parts of living on the street is not having anywhere to go and simply relax. The Rejuvenation Community Day Center would supplement existing shelters in Bremerton by providing a one-stop-shop for basic services. It will include lockers, a kitchen shower area, laundry, computer room, TV area, child-care, barbershop, counseling, and social workers to assist with applying for services. It will be a place for our homeless neighbors to get help, but also a place where they can take a shower, get a haircut, or simply watch some TV. This year’s budget includes funding to help build new showers and laundry for the Day Center.
You can read more about the center in this Kitsap Sun article.
Kitsap Humane Society Veterinary Lifesaving Center
The percentage of pets admitted to the Kitsap Humane Society’s shelter requiring critical medical treatment has grown from 33% to 50% over the last few years. This updated Veterinary Lifesaving Center will give the pets in our community a facility to match the excellent work that the Kitsap Humane Society does. The inclusion of a community clinic will allow low-income pet owners the chance to get their pets veterinary care without having to surrender their animals.
Investments in Washington State Ferries
As a district that relies on the maritime highways our Washington State Ferries (WSF) create, having a reliable ferry system is immensely important. Unfortunately, over the last few years we have seen too many delays and too many canceled sailing. This can have major impacts on our community, especially those that work, go to school, or have doctors appointments on the other side of the Sound. I am pleased that this year’s budgets include over $1.25 Billion in investments in our state’s ferry system. This includes funding for better employment initiatives to ensure that the ferries are properly staffed (something that has been an issue) as well as over $720 million in capital funding to build new vessels. Over the next ten years, WSF will convert two older ferries into hybrid-electric vessels while building five new hybrid-electric ferries.
Some of the employment initiatives include funding an able-bodied sailor to mate pathway program that will support unlicensed deckhands in gaining their Mate’s license. There is also funding for new employee training, assistance in paying for Transportation Workers’ Identification Credential (a barrier to working for WSF), workforce housing, a partnership between the Seattle Maritime Academy and WSF to develop a joint training and recruitment plan as well as a pre-apprenticeship support program to provide technical education, sea time, employment readiness skills, and supportive services to underrepresented individuals to gain a meaningful family wage job with WSF. Finally, we are making a significant investment in Eagle Harbor Maintenance Facility on Bainbridge Island to ensure we can keep the ferries we have now on the water.
Thank you for reading my legislative newsletter. I will continue updating you periodically throughout the legislative session.
Sincerely,
Rep. Tarra Simmons