BUDGET Last Monday, the House Democrats revealed their operating, capital, and transportation budgets. The “Resilient Washington” House Operating Budget (HB 1140) is $69.5 billion for the 2023-2025 biennium; it makes investments in housing, education, and behavioral health. The biggest difference between the House and Senate operating budgets is that the House assumes: 1) funding from the capital gains tax which was declared constitutional by the State Supreme Court last week, and 2) passage of Gov. Inslee’s proposed statewide voter referendum for a $4-billion housing construction program bond. This referendum would allow the state to issue bonds outside Washington’s debt limit. The additional money would pay for approximately 5,300 housing units in the upcoming biennium and 19,000 more in the following six years. The House Operating budget prioritized equity with investments of: - $200 million for the Community Reinvestment Account.
- $73 million for refugee support and education.
- $99 million to provide health care for undocumented adults (children are already covered).
- $25 million to fund Cascade Care for low-income Medicaid-ineligible individuals.
FAN Policy Engagement Director Kristin Ang testified, thanking the House for funding HB 1260, which would end the requirement that extremely low-income disabled people pay back Aged, Blind, & Disabled (ABD) cash assistance when they qualify for SSI federal assistance, for which they are required to apply. She informed the committee that DSHS had increased the fiscal note to $51 million from $39.5 million, and asked the committee to increase funding to cover the current full cost. She also thanked the committee for providing funding in the budget for a Medicaid-like program for immigrant communities (HEIC) and urged the House’s approach to be in the final budget. The House budget allocates $95 million, while the Senate allocates $0 to a Medicaid-comparable program for undocumented Washingtonians. She also encouraged the House to match the Senate’s budget of $8 million for immigrant legal defense fund.
The $8.3 billion House Capital Budget (HB 1147) set a new state record for construction. It includes $4.62 billion in new state bonds, $3.16 billion in other funding (federal, local, and dedicated state funds), and $525 million in Climate Commitment Act Revenue, plus $160 million reserved for the supplemental budget in 2024. Major expenditures include $704 million for affordable housing and home upgrades, including $400 million for the Housing Trust Fund. The budget also sets aside $893 million for behavioral health, including $613 million for construction of a new 350-bed forensic hospital at Western State, and $211 million for competitive grants to community behavioral health providers. Other significant investments include $198 million for electric heat pumps for low-income households and small businesses, and $821 million in natural resource investments including drinking water, forest management, toxic cleanup, recreation and conservation, and state parks.
The House Transportation Budget (HB 1125) includes $5 million to conduct an analysis of highway, road, and freight rail transportation needs, options, and impacts from shifting the movement of freight and goods that currently move by barge through the Lower Snake River dams.
BILLS Following Monday’s tragic school shooting in Nashville, the Senate Committee on Law & Justice passed both HB 1240 Ban on the Sale of Assault Weapons and HB 1143 Requiring a Permit to Purchase Firearms, which includes requirements for safety training, a 10-day waiting period, and an enhanced background check. On Thursday, SB 5078 Firearm Industry Responsibility & Gun Violence Victims' Access to Justice Act had a hearing in the House Appropriations Committee and was scheduled for executive session today (Friday). This bill would require the firearms industry to establish, implement, and enforce reasonable controls, ensuring that firearms manufacturers and sellers would face liability if they fail to establish, implement, and enforce reasonable controls in the manufacture, sale, distribution, and marketing of firearms, to keep them out of the hands of dangerous individuals.
The Senate Committee on Environment, Energy, & Technology also passed HB 1329 Extreme Heat Utility Shutoff Moratorium, which would save lives and preserve dignity by guaranteeing continued access to clean water and electricity during times of extreme heat.
On Wednesday, there was great news for anti-hunger advocates! HB 1784 Hunger Relief passed unanimously out of the Senate and the bill is headed to the governor’s desk. This bill will provide funding to food banks, support senior meals, and invest in a fruit and vegetables incentive, to replace federal pandemic food benefits that have ended.
SB 5236 Safe Healthcare Staffing, which would establish minimum staffing standards to improve worker safety and patient care, also had a hearing in the House Appropriations Committee and is scheduled for executive session today (Friday).
The Senate Committee on Ways & Means had a busy week, starting with passing the Senate Operating Budget (SB 5187) on Monday and holding hearings the rest of week, including hearing HB 1238 Free School Meals on Tuesday. The committee also held public hearings on: HB 1469 Shield Law, which would protect healthcare providers and patients who access reproductive health care services and gender-affirming treatment in Washington state from out-of-state legal action; HB 1177 MMIWP Investigations, which would create a missing and murdered indigenous women and people (MMIWP) cold case investigations unit; and HB 1579 Independent Prosecutor, which would create a state office to ensure fair and transparent prosecutions of police misconduct.
Today (Friday), both the Senate Ways & Means and House Appropriations Committees are busy holding public hearings and executive sessions on bills. Let your legislators know what you think their budget priorities should be. Here is a list of all legislators, including links to contact them. If you are not sure who your legislators are, here is a form to help you find out.
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