|
Your advocacy and support throughout the 2019 session made significant, tangible changes for our neighbors in Washington state – with the most bills and budget items in decades to affect social change in a positive and equitable way. Thank you! To share these successes with your communities, download the pdf here.
You advocated for those facing poverty and homelessness:
Real Estate Excise Tax Reform (REET) (EHB 1219 Walen) replaced the static real estate excise tax with a graduated one which helps balance our upside-down tax code. The new REET rates are: 1.1% for property sales up to $500,000; 1.28% for property sales from $500,000 - $1.5 million; 2.75% for property sales from $1.5-3 million; and 3% for property sales over $3 million. This will create $400M/biennium in additional revenue.
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) (2SHB 1603 Senn) expands the amount of time cash assistance for families can be provided and prevents families experiencing homelessness from being permanently removed.
Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive (FINI) program (SHB 1587 Riccelli) provides families with access to fresh fruits and vegetables, funded at $2.5M.
Farm to School & Small Farm Direct Marketing received a one-time $630M.
Emergency Assistance Grant Program (2SHB 1893 Entenman) creates grants for postsecondary students for food and other emergency situations.
Wage Theft (ESSB 5035 Saldaña) closes a loophole in workplace wage accountability.
Your advocacy helped restore justice in the criminal justice system:
New Hope Act (SHB 1041 Hansen) allows certain records to be expunged, allowing people exiting prison to more successfully reenter society.
Postsecondary Prison Education (2SSB 5433 C. Wilson) expands education opportunities for those in prison.
3 Strikes Reform (ESSB 5288 Darneille) removes Robbery 2 from strikeable offenses.
Juvenile Detention Reform (E2SSB 5290 Darneille) eliminates the use of detention for juveniles committing minor offenses.
You created paths to more housing:
Housing Trust Fund was funded at $175M, including $5M for farmworker housing and $24M for mental health-related housing
Housing & Essential Needs (HEN) was funded at $73.7M, an increase of $14.5M.
Sales Tax Bonding (SHB 1406 Robinson) allows local government to reserve a portion of sales tax to use toward affordable housing without raising sales tax.
Religious Zoning (SHB 1377 Walen) helps faith communities build affordable housing on their properties through a zoning density bonus.
Eviction Reform (ESSB 5600 Kuderer) reduces homelessness by extending the notice to evict from 3 to 14 days.
Your action moves us toward environmental sustainability:
100% Clean Electricity (E2SSB 5116 Carlyle) will rid Washington State’s electric grid of fossil fuels by 2045.
Orca Emergency Response: Oil Spill Prevention (ESHB 1578 Lekanoff) prevents oil spills by extending tug escorts for vessels transporting crude materials in the waters around the San Juan islands.
Orca Emergency Response: Toxic Pollution (SSB 5135 Rolfes) will identify and reduce top pollutant chemicals, making our communities and waterways safer.
Orca Emergency Response: Stakeholder process for Lower Snake River dams – this was fully-funded in the budget so that communities can have a say in the future of dams on the Lower Snake River, and it increases spill-over for salmon.
Healthy Environment for All (HEAL) Act (2SSB 5489 Saldaña) did not pass but was included as a budget proviso. This establishes the definition of environmental justice and guides communities in addressing environmental health disparities.
You protected immigrant families and promoted civil rights in our state:
Keep Washington Working (E2SSB 5497 Wellman) separates local law enforcement from ICE so that immigrants in Washington can safely attend work and other places they frequent without fear of local law enforcement.
H-2A Temporary Agricultural Program (E2SSB 5438 McCoy) establishes a new office in the Employment Security Department for H-2A temporary agriculture workers.
Initiative 1000: Restoring Affirmative Action restores affirmative action in Washington State – in employment, jobs, contracts, and education.
Use of Deadly Force (SHB 1064 Goodman) based on Initiative 940 which was approved by the people in late 2018, this governs the use of deadly force by law enforcement.
Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women (2SHB 1713 Mosbrucker) improves law enforcement response to indigenous women’s safety by funding positions for two indigenous women to work with the Washington State Police on this issue.
Hate Crimes (ESHB 1732 Valdez) improves the justice system response to bias-based offenses.
Seattle Vocational Institute (HB 1918 Santos) creates a Community Preservation and Development Authority to preserve this historical building for the African American community in Seattle. Funded at $250K in the capital budget.
Religious Accommodations for Students (SSB 5166 Hasegawa) mandates that colleges allow students to adjust their schedules based on religious needs.
Gun Responsibility (SB 5205 Dhingra) limits access to guns for people with a history of violence.
Gun Responsibility (SSB 5181 Kuderer) temporarily restricts access to guns for people who have received recent involuntary treatment for a mental health crisis.
Workplace Sexual Harassment (ESSB 5258 Keiser) prevents sexual assault and discrimination in the workplace by mandating employer education.
Census 2020 outreach was funded at $15M.
You worked to expand healthcare:
Cascade Care (ESSB 5526 Frockt) moves Washington State closer to a single-payer healthcare system by establishing standard plans in the individual market, lowering costs for premiums and deductibles.
Pathway Bill (2SSB 5822 Randall) was not passed but was included as a budget proviso to establish a workgroup which will begin devising a single-payer health system.
WA Health Security Trust (2SHB 1087 Jinkins) makes affordable, long-term healthcare accessible to Washington residents, financed with a payroll tax.
COFA Dental (ESB 5274 Hasegawa) adds dental insurance to the health care coverage for people of the Compact of Free Association (COFA) nations living in Washington State (Marshall Islands, Micronesia, and Palau).
Mental Health System Funding – $280M in the operating budget for new facilities and $174M in the capital budget, including $150M for the University of Washington's mental health hospital.
Trueblood Litigation was funded at $74M to provide timely competency evaluations and restoration services for those with mental health issues facing trial.
Go to the state legislative website for more information on any bill of interest and to see how your legislators voted. Please thank your legislator for their votes on bills of importance to you!
|
