Dear neighbors,
Last year at this time, Washington state was reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic, which his our state first. Local small businesses were shutting down, workers were getting laid off, and our state was staring at $9 billion in estimated cuts. And those cuts to services like education and health care would be devastating.
So it may have seemed ambitious that before the 2021 legislation session, House Democrats made it a goal to work on four big issues:
- COVID-19 response
- Economic recovery
- Equity and police reform
- Climate change
Others thought it would be a victory simply to keep the state going, to survive the pandemic. Some politicians asked us to make deep cuts before the session even began.
But we dreamed of what should be–and despite the challenges of our state’s first remote session, we didn’t simply tread water or survive. I am happy to say that we kept our word and tackled each of those four issues with new laws that made history, and with budgets that will help families, small businesses, and local schools recover from this pandemic.
I also want to note that more than 90 percent of the votes this session had bipartisan support. When we listen to each other with respect, and work together, there’s nothing we can’t accomplish.
Taking bold action to fight COVID and help working families
Because it was clear that people were hurting and needed help. One of the first votes I took this session was for an early action bill, Step One for Washington’s Community and Economic Recovery. This legislation sent $2.2 billion in federal funding to stop schools from laying off thousands of good teachers, strengthen our health care system in the fight against COVID, and helped keep the open sign on for beloved small businesses.
When our state also received $4.2 billion as part of President Joe Biden’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, those funds were crucial in helping us write and pass a budget that put people first: the Washington Recovery Budget.
We also passed the Working Families Tax Rebate to put money back into the pockets of Washingtonians who need it the most. More than 400,000 taxpayers will be eligible for a tax credit ranging from $500 to $950 per year. One in every four children in our state will benefit from this policy, which will work hand-in-glove with the new federal child tax credit to lift working families out of poverty.
On climate change and the environment, we passed landmark reforms, such as a low-carbon fuel standard (House Bill 1091) and a number of reforms to move toward zero-emission transportation options like electric vehicles.
Building a better Washington
U.S. News & World Report has named Washington as the No. 1 state for two years straight, and you can see it with your eyes. Our booming economy brought a million new residents, and that means more people buying houses, driving on our highways, and sending kids to local schools.
All of that growth put tremendous stress on our infrastructure.
To handle the growth, we passed a new construction budget (House Bill 1080) that invests a record amount–$6.3 billion—toward improving public infrastructure. That includes $1.55 billion in early childhood education, public schools, and higher education, as well as $350 million for affordable housing and emergency shelters, $724 million for critical public infrastructure, and $81 million for clean energy projects.
It also makes a record-breaking $411 million to increase access to broadband internet throughout Washington state. Fast, reliable internet isn’t a luxury today, but a basic utility like power and running water.
Finally, there is a total of $101.208 million in specific local projects in the 49th District. Here are a few highlights
- $37.7 million for a 48-bed behavioral health facility
- $49.439 million for the Academic and Physical Education Building for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Youth
- $7.636 million for the Independent Living Skills Center at the Washington State School for the Blind
- $1.236 million for the Fourth Plan Community Commons in Vancouver
- $1 million for the Port of Vancouver Waterfront T1 demolition and deconstruction
- $1.36 million for toxic cleanup work at the Time Oil Handy Andy 8 site
Keeping you informed–and hearing directly from you
In future e-newsletters, you’ll hear more from me about those four major issues that I mentioned at the beginning: COVID-19 response, economic recovery, equity and police reform, and climate change.
Thank you to everyone who’s taken the time to read these e-mail updates, and to all of you who wrote, called, or emailed during the legislative session. Your comments and ideas mean a lot to me. Thank you–and I hope to hear from you soon!
