FAN Operations Coordinator Blake Alford and FAN Economic Justice Working Group leader Steve Clagett (Pictured on the right) stand in solidarity with union workers at the Starbucks headquarters in Seattle.
We are seeking the next FAN Eastern Washington part-time regional organizer and hope you will help us get the word out for this opportunity! Send your questions and applications to apply@fanwa.org.
Take Action
There is one month left in the legislative session and committees have been hearing bills from the opposite chamber. In order to have a vote before the full opposite chamber, bills must move out of policy committees by March 29 and then out of fiscal committees by April 4. The floor cutoff is April 12, and the last day of the session is April 24. Now is the time to contact your legislators to support our bills that are still moving forward.
HB 1238 Free School Meals will be heard in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means on March 28 at 4:00pm.
For bills being heard in executive sessions, please contact legislators in the respective committees. Here is a list of Senate committee members with links to each member’s contact information.
There will be an executive session for HB 1329 Extreme Heat Utility Shutoff Moratorium in the Senate Committee on Environment, Energy, & Technology on March 28 at 1:30pm.
There will be an executive session for HB 1143 Firearm Permits and HB 1240 Ban on the Sale of Assault Weapons in the Senate Committee on Law & Justice on March 28 at 10:30am.
WEEK 11 Legislative Session Recap
Budget
Breaking News: Today (Friday), the Washington State Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the state’s capital gains tax. The court ruled 7‑2 that the tax is constitutional because it is an excise tax, not a property tax. Our coalition partner, the Budget and Policy Center, noted, “The capital gains tax is a thoughtful, well-designed policy. Signed into law by Governor Inslee in 2021, the modest 7% excise tax on annual capital gains above $250,000 is exclusively paid by the wealthiest 0.2% of Washingtonians, whose incomes average $2.6 million per year. The tax generates over $500 million per year in new revenue that is dedicated to providing resources for K-12 schools, building new schools across the state, and significantly expanding child care and early learning supports for young children.”
On Monday afternoon, the Washington State Economic and Revenue Forecast Council released its newest forecast. Its current forecast for the 2023-2025 budget cycle is $483 million less than its forecast last November, a .7% decrease. Economic factors reducing the forecast included inflation, tech layoffs, conflict in Ukraine, and uncertainty with banks. Based on Monday’s forecast, projected revenue is $65.7 billion for the next budget cycle, which begins July 1. This does not include federal funds or revenue generated through the new cap-and-trade program in the Climate Commitment Act. The forecast for the 2025-27 budget cycle is also revised down from November’s forecast, with $541 million less income expected.
The Senate’s $7.9 billion capital budget, also released on Monday, outlines state infrastructure spending for the next two years. It includes investments in affordable housing, school construction, land preservation and environmental protection, and education, but does not include Governor Inslee’s plan to issue $4 billion in housing bonds to address the state’s housing crisis. Senate capital budget highlights include:
- $625 million for housing, including a record $400 million for the Housing Trust Fund. The additional funding would go toward supporting land acquisition, transit-oriented development legislation, and grants for the Connecting Housing to Infrastructure Program. Michele Thomas, Director of Policy and Advocacy with the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance, testified as follows in support of this inclusion in the Senate’s budget: “Thank you for investing $400 million directly into affordable housing through the Housing Trust Fund, and thank you for the emphasis on projects by and for BIPOC community-based organizations to ensure more equitable access to capital budget dollars.”
- $650 million for a new forensic hospital to be constructed on the Western State Hospital campus in Lakewood, plus $141 million to increase capacity for behavioral health care in the community, funding projects like Compass Health in Everett, the Jamestown S’Klallam Behavioral Health Center in Sequim, and the Nisqually Tribe Healing Village in Olympia.
- $319 million from the Climate Commitment Act’s new cap-and-trade program for retrofitting public buildings to improve efficiency, improving air quality, and increasing electrification of ports, as well as $100 million for large salmon recovery projects.
The Senate’s $69.2 billion operating budget was released on Thursday. This two-year operating budget adds roughly $5.1 billion in new spending and does not rely on any new general taxes or fees. The budget increases funding for many vital state services, including targeted support for behavioral health, public schools, housing and homelessness, and a historic investment to address the climate crisis. Senate operating budget highlights include:
- Continued funding for Washington’s new Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC), which is currently accepting its first applications for up to $1,200 a year for low-income families.
- $20 million for the Health Equity for Immigrants Campaign (HEIC) Fund to support immigrants who lack health insurance.
- $30.7 billion for public schools, including $353 million in new spending over the next two years to support special education services and $106 million to help expand access to affordable, high-quality early learning. This is a 10.5% increase from the last budget. There is also $5.7 billion for universities and other post-secondary schools.
- $424 million in new spending to improve the state’s behavioral health care system, including funding for new behavioral health crisis facilities, more community-based housing, and new programs to support people with special needs, such as those who are developmentally disabled or chronically mentally ill.
- $298 million for housing and temporary shelter for the state’s homeless population, including the Right of Way Safety Initiative. Combined with investments from the proposed capital budget, the Senate is proposing a total of almost $1 billion in new housing-related investments.
- $679 million from the new cap-and-trade program for fighting climate change. This includes carbon sequestration, clean energy projects, energy efficiency in homes and buildings, salmon recovery, and support for overburdened communities.
- $4 million for the office of independent investigations.
- $2.5 million to help hold negligent gun dealers accountable.
- $650,000 to reduce the disproportionate number of missing and murdered indigenous women and people (MMIWP).
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/map search to help you find out.
Bills
With one month left in the legislative session, committees were back in action this week hearing bills from the opposite chamber. Bills must now move through policy committees to fiscal committees by March 29, on their way to a floor vote.
There was great news on Tuesday as the House Committee on Labor & Workplace Standards passed SB 5235 Safe Health Care Staffing, which would establish minimum staffing standards. The House Committee on State Government & Tribal Relations passed SB 5082 Repeal Statewide Advisory Votes, which would end nonbinding advisory votes on the ballot and add fiscal information to voters’ pamphlets.
Also on Tuesday, the Senate Committee on Ways & Means heard HB 1559 Hunger Free Campus, which would establish a Benefits Navigator Grant Program at institutions of higher education and tribal institutions. The Senate Committee on Environment, Energy, & Technology heard HB 1329 Extreme Heat Utility Shutoff Moratorium, which would ensure access to clean water and electricity during extreme heat emergencies.
On Wednesday, the Senate Committee on Law & Justice passed both HB 1579 Independent Prosecutor, which would create a state office to ensure fair and transparent prosecutions of police misconduct, and HB 1177 Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & People (MMIWP) Cold Case Unit.
On Thursday, the Senate Committee on Law & Justice heard HB 1240 Ban on the Sale of Assault Weapons and HB 1143 Requiring a Permit to Purchase Firearms, which would require safety training, a 10-day waiting period, and an enhanced background check to buy a firearm.
Also on Thursday, the Senate Committee on Ways & Means heard HB 1447 Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) Improvements and HB 1260 Aging, Blind, & Disabled (ABD) Fix, which would end the requirement that extremely low-income disabled people pay back ABD cash assistance when they qualify for federal assistance.
Opportunities
Puget Sound Sage is now accepting applications for their Community Leadership Institute Fellowship Program, a six-month fellowship program for emerging BIPOC leaders to receive training and serve on strategic boards and commissions in King, Pierce, and Clark Counties in Washington State. Learn more and apply here.
Events
Sunday, April 2, 11:00am, in person and online, Rainier Arts Center, 3515 S Alaska Street, Seattle. Table Turning: The Prophetic Tradition in the Time of Neofascism, with Dr. Cornel West and Valley and Mountain Fellowship. Immediately following the service with Dr. West, there will be a protest-sign-making party as a part of our annual Table Turning event.
Sunday, April 2, 6:30-8:30pm, in person, University of Puget Sound, Tacoma. Ramadan Interfaith Iftar Dinner. Hosted by the Pacifica Foundation, join an evening of unity as we gather to learn about and support our Muslim neighbors with an interfaith iftar dinner during Ramadan.
Saturday, April 8, 1:00pm, Northwest Detention Center, 1623 E J Street, Tacoma. Valley and Mountain joins La Resistencia for their solidarity days to protest outside the detention center.
iversity Unitarian Church, 6556 35th Avenue NE, Seattle. Seattle Convergence: PRAXIS. A workshop for religious/spiritual leaders led by Ayoka Turner and Chris Crass to generate lessons, culture, and power for collective liberation.
Saturday, April 15, 10:00am-2:00pm, in person, Khalsa Gurmat Center, 2835 S 344th Street, Federal Way. Vaisakhi Festival. Celebrations will include a traditional form of religious procession known as Nagar Kirtan, which can involve hymn singing, martial arts display, and distribution of food representing the concept of langar. Guests may stop by at any time during the celebrations.
Sunday, April 16, 4:30-7:00pm, in-person, University Unitarian Church, 6556 35th Avenue NE, Seattle. Seattle Convergence: Anti-Racist Parenting for Collective Liberation. This participatory workshop for parents, grandparents and caregivers will focus on sharing stories and insights with an understanding that there are many ways that we do this/can do this in our families, and that sharing and being in community together can help us feel more connected, grounded and capable.
Saturday, April 22, 1:00-4:00pm, in-person, University Congregational UCC, 4515 16th Ave NE Seattle. Seattle Convergence: Heart and Soul Nourishment for Anti-Racism and Collective Liberation. This gathering featuring Rev. Osagyefo Sekou and Chris Crass is open to all and is designed to encourage and uplift us. It will include music, sharing, learning, and connecting.
April 22, 4:30-5:30pm, in-person, Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, 127 E 12th Ave, Spokane. A Vigil for the Healing of Earth’s Waters. Faith Leaders and Leaders of Conscience of Eastern Washington and North Idaho invites us to listen to those affected, as well as connect with those actively healing our rivers and lakes.
Legislative Town Halls: Check your legislators’ websites for scheduled town halls as another way to raise your voice on issues you care about this session. Follow these links to find out about town halls for Republicans and Democrats in your district.
Saturday, March 25, 11:00am, in person, Carco Theatre, Renton. 9th Congressional District Townhall with Rep. Adam Smith.
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