FAN staff collaborated in Olympia this week with our partners to get important bills and budget items across the finish line. Elizabeth Dickinson and Kristin Ang joined the NAMI advocacy day. Trevor Sandison worked with the Sikh community who brought youth down for two days of advocacy. And Tomo Duke joined the WAISN rally to call for immigrant justice in the budget. Join FAN this week for a progressive revenue rally on Tuesday—info below.

Week 7 Budget Summary and Recap

This week the Washington state House and Senate lawmakers presented their supplemental operating, capital, and transportation budget proposals. Here’s a summary of the key allocations:

Overall Budget Proposals: The Senate is proposing a $71.7 billion supplemental operating budget, incorporating around $1.9 billion in new spending. The House proposes a slightly lower budget of $71 billion.

Funding Sources: No new taxes are proposed in either chamber’s budget. Funding will come from the Climate Commitment Act, federal COVID-19 relief funds, and state opioid lawsuit settlements.

Legislative Process: Lawmakers are expected to vote on the operating and transportation budgets this Saturday, Feb. 24. Proposals must be negotiated between the House and Senate before a final version of the budget is adopted, with a constitutional requirement to pass the final version before the legislative session ends on March 7.

  • Education: The Senate plans include $242 million for K-12 schools, covering free student meals and special education, and a pay increase for paraeducators costing $49.6 million. The House proposes $260 million for K-12 education, emphasizing special education and free meals for two-thirds of state students.
  • Behavioral Health: The Senate allocates nearly $252 million for the behavioral health system, including significant funding for the operation of mental health treatment facilities and a teaching hospital. The House proposal includes $275 million for behavioral health, with substantial investments in inpatient treatment and youth behavioral health programs.
  • Substance Abuse Treatment: Both chambers propose significant funding for addressing substance abuse and the fentanyl crisis. The Senate includes $36 million from opioid settlements for treatment and crisis mitigation. The House proposes $200 million for fentanyl and opioid treatment, including public health awareness and specific support for Washington Tribes.
  • Housing and Human Services: The House proposal includes $40 million for homelessness services, $73 million for food services, and $25 million in support for asylum seekers and refugees.
  • Housing Trust Fund: The Senate’s supplemental Capital Budget included an additional $111.6 million for the Housing Trust Fund to build affordable homes, while the House allocated an additional $153 million. Housing Trust Fund builds homes for the lowest income households in Washington, including people exiting homelessness, people with disabilities, seniors living on fixed incomes, and more. This would bring the total investment in the Housing Trust Fund for the two-year budget to more than $511-$553 million.
  • Transportation: Both House and Senate versions are around $14 billion with $150 million for fish passage barrier correction, funding for Columbia River Interstate Bridge Replacement and Washington State Ferries Including hybrid-electric vessels.

In hearings this week, FAN testified in strong support of HB 2368 Assisting Refugees and Immigrants which would provide emergency and legal services for people who do not qualify for federal refugee programs, including a $25M budget ask for the state Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance. FAN also urged the House Appropriations Committee to prioritize and fund SB 5427 Biased Incident Hotline. The bill would establish a hotline for individuals targeted by hate crimes and bias incidents, providing a much-needed support system and resource for victims. Other significant fiscal hearings this week were on HB 2114 Improving Housing Stability for Tenants and HB 1579 Independent Prosecutor in Senate Ways & Means, and SB 5241 Keep Our Care Act in House Appropriations.

Great news to celebrate this week is that SB 6007 Grocery Worker Standards has passed both the Senate and House!

Please check our Bill Tracker for policy committee hearings and actions taken on other bills on our agenda prior to the 2/21 Opposite Committee Cutoff this week.


Resources for You and Your Communities

During these quickly moving weeks of session, we want to gather these resources for your easy reference as you advocate:


Lobby Days with our Coalition Partners

Saturday, February 24, 9:00am-3:00pm, in-person. Yakima Advocacy Day,

Tuesday, February 27, Noon-1:00pm, in-person. Balance Our Tax Code Coalition Rally,

Wednesday, February 28, Noon, in-person. Labor Rally to Protect Strikers,

Wednesday, March 6, 11:00am-1:00pm, in-person. Rally for Universal Health Care. E-mail Consuelo Echeverria consuelo@hcfawa.org for more details.


Opportunities

Look for opportunities to meet with your state legislators during their Town Halls–either by phone, online or in-person. This is an effective way to keep pushing for the bills that have successfully crossed over into the other chamber. Find your legislator here and look on their website for town hall opportunities. You can also use this Housing Alliance link for townhalls that have been announced.


Upcoming Events

Tuesday, February 27, 7:00pm, Meaningful Movies Presents: Ever Green, online. Learn what is happening through the Whidbey Environmental Action Network (WEAN). E-mail Dave Isaak disaak1@gmail.com for more details.

Saturday, March 2, 9:00am-4:00pm, Decolonization for Transformation, in-person, Sunnyslope Church, Wenatchee. Save the Date for a Cultivating Justice featuring Sarah Augustine, Executive Director, Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery. Email Jess Ingman for more details.

Saturday, March 2, 9:00am-5:00pm, Why Race Matters Workshop, in-person. This workshop with Peace and Justice Action League of Spokane, addresses how racial inequities have been built into institutions and structures throughout our country. Participants will learn key steps we can take to advance racial equity in our organizations and in our community.

Saturday, March 2, Noon, WA Poor People’s Campaign March, in-person, WA State Capitol, Olympia. Join in the Mass Poor People’s Assembly in Olympia in conjunction with 30 states nationwide! Challenge poverty being the 4th leading cause of death in this country! See more at washingtonPPC.org

Saturday, March 9, 3:00pm, Interreligious Dialogue Initiative Film Screening and Discussion: Carving the Divine, in-person, Seattle University, Seattle. An event in solidarity and support for the Seattle Betsuin Buddhist Temple which recently experienced arson.

Saturday, March 10, 1:30-3:30pm, American Democracy in Peril: What History Tells Us and How We Take Action Today, in-person and online, University Unitarian Church, Seattle. Learn from lecturer David Domke about how the civic choices that we make today will determine the future of American democracy and justice.

Sunday, March 17, 5:00-8:30pm, Muslim Association of Puget Sound (MAPS) Interfaith Iftar: United in Humanity – Fostering Peace, Compassion, and Understanding, MAPS Redmond. Unite in our common humanity and explore the significance of Ramadan together. Break fast together at sunset, partake in a shared meal, and forge meaningful connections

August 5-9, Holden Village Summer 2024 Lecture Series, in-person, Holden Village, Chelan. Learn from FAN Staff members Kristin Ang and Tomo Duke as well as Board Member Rev. Dr. Edward Donalson III on their work with FAN and beyond.