Faith Action Network staff Dr. Joyce del Rosario, Blake Alford and Kristin Ang observed a community Seder together with FAN Board Member Rabbi Jason Levine, lobbyist Trevor Sandison and JCRC table host Linda Clifton.

This Saturday evening marks the beginning of Passover/Pesach for our Jewish advocates. We remember the liberating moments of our lives and we recommit to the many journeys from oppression to liberation in which we can play a part. May this week be one of deep meaning.

Please take time this week in honor of Passover to read the words of Temple Beth Am Rabbi Laura Rumpf in the Jewish Coalition for Immigrant Justice NW April newsletter, and to consider joining in JCIJ’s actions of immigrant solidarity.

Take Action!

⏰ Legislative Deadline Alert

We’re entering the final weeks of the 2025 session! With just two weeks left until Sine Die (April 27), the time to act is NOW. Your voice can make the difference on rent stabilization, progressive revenue, environment care, mental health and the state budget.

  • Monday, April 8 marked the Fiscal Committee Cutoff – the deadline for budget-related bills to advance (unless deemed “Necessary to Implement the Budget” or NTIB).
  • The next major deadline is Tuesday, April 16 – Opposite House Cutoff, when bills must pass from their opposite chamber to stay alive.

✅ TAKE ACTION: Support Progressive Revenue

House and Senate budget proposals ensure that food and nutrition programs, climate investments and more are funded…but this will hold in final budgets only if we have new progressive revenue. Please take action this week by sending a comment on each of the bills below (linked), calling the legislative hotline (1-800-562-6000) to express your strong support, and/or by personalizing and sending the FAN Revenue Letter linked below. We also invite you to also sign up for a revenue rally in your area! Find information about rallies in Bellevue/Kirkland, Bremerton, the Hood Canal Bridge, Snohomish County and Spokane here.

SB 5797 – Financial Intangibles Tax (Senate Version)
Would establish a $10 tax on every $1,000 of assessed value of financial assets (stocks, bonds, ETFs, mutual funds) held by individuals with over $50 million in such assets. This bold proposal would generate billions to fund public education and reduce wealth inequality.

HB 2046 – Financial Intangibles Tax (House Version)
A similar bill with an $8 per $1,000 assessed value tax on high-value financial assets over $50 million, also aimed at closing tax loopholes and funding schools. 

SB 5796 – High Earners Payroll Tax on Employers
This bill closes a payroll tax loophole by applying employer-side payroll taxes to wages over $168,600, ensuring businesses with high-income earners contribute fairly to funding social programs like healthcare and housing. 

HB 2045 – Restructuring the B&O Tax for Corporate Fairness. Amends the B&O Tax to increase shares paid by the biggest corporations and banks in Washington State.

TAKE ACTION: Rent Stabilization Weakened – House Must Hold the Line

HB 1217, a key FAN-supported rent stabilization bill, was significantly weakened in the Senate. The bill passed 29-20 on partisan lines in the Senate with the following amendments.

  • The Shewmake amendment raised the rent cap to 10% + CPI (consumer price index), undermining the original 7% protection. For context, this amendment would have allowed an increase of 13.4% in 2024, 14.6% in 2023, and 18.9% in 2022.
  • The Liias amendment exempted all single-family home rentals, removing protections for many families.

The bill now returns to the House for concurrence, where legislators must choose to accept the amendments—or demand stronger protections for renters.

Urge your House representatives to reject the Senate’s harmful changes to HB 1217. Submit a comment, call the legislative hotline, or sign onto the letter from our partner Washington Low Income Housing Alliance.

♻️ TAKE ACTION: Environmental Bills and Budget

  • The Recycling Reform Bill (SB 5284) needs to get passed out of the full House by Wednesday, April 16. Please submit a comment or call the legislative hotline to urge your Representatives’ support for this bill which would boost our stagnant residential recycling rate from 40% to 66% and ensure access to recycling options across the state. A simple “this is important to me” with a sentence about why is all you really need, but if you want more specifics, take a look at the fact sheet on FAN’s website.
  • Send a THANK YOU to Senate and House budget writers and your legislators for ensuring that draft budget proposals affirmed investments of Climate Commitment Act dollars in climate programs such as 100% clean school bus grants, energy-efficiency appliance rebates, improving air quality in overburdened communities, and providing vouchers to help truckers purchase zero-emissions medium- and heavy-duty trucks. Ask that final budgets hold this line and do not funnel CCA funds into the General Fund for other purposes. 

TAKE ACTION: Mental Health

  • HB 1432, Improving Access to Appropriate Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Services needs to pass the Senate by Wednesday. If you have a story about trying to get mental health or substance use disorder care covered under your insurance, or if you seek much-needed better behavioral health care access in our state, this is the moment to urge your Senator to pass this bill. 

Many of our legislators have boldly proposed new progressive revenue sources to avert devastating cuts to vital state services and programs. These proposals also require wealthy individuals, banks and corporations that have benefited from Washington’s strong infrastructure, labor force and prosperity to contribute their share. Our legislators and Governor need our bold support to do the right thing and pass these bills. Please sign our new Progressive Revenue Letter this weekend!

Sign our Updated Progressive Revenue Letter

FAN Showed Up Strong to say HANDS OFF across our state!

Join our upcoming Faith and Labor Roundtable Event!

Do you want tax fairness in Washington, but aren’t sure how to talk about it or you are looking for more allies as we continue this work? Come out to our FAN Seattle Office for this messaging training and skill up to demand a Washington that works for all of us. The Faith + Labor Coalition welcomes everyone —labor allies, people of faith, and community members to join together on 4/19 for this workshop. Sign up for the event or learn more on our Facebook event page and watch the promo reel to see the success of our first meeting together between unions and faith communities!

FAN Advocates, Blake Alford, Steve Clagett, Kristin Ang will be presenting/present as well as pastors Joe Sheeran and Phil Lewis. Come join us!

Watch Our Faith and Labor Group in Action!

Join the Seattle Social Justice Film Festival This Week

The Seattle Social Justice Film Festival will take place in Seattle next week, April 9-13, with most films available virtually April 14-20. Featuring 61 impactful films both local and global, the festival will lift up issues from climate to free speech, homelessness to innovative activism. Some highlights FAN folks may especially appreciate include:

  • The King County Reparations Project is a documentary that explores the history and current life of the Central District and South End, followed by a panel discussion (April 11, 7:00 pm, University Heights Center).
  • The film Rites of Passage witnesses a group of African-American high school students from Seattle on a 2024 trip to Dakar, Senegal. A panel discussion with students will follow. (April 12, 7:00 pm, University Heights Center).

For information and a schedule of all film screenings visit the Film Festival’s website.

More Events in Your Communities!

Saturday, April 19, 2:00pm, Table Turning, in-person. Northwest Detention Center, Tacoma. Hosted by Valley and Mountain Church and La Resistencia. Join this longstanding movement to turn tables to interrupt the oppression of people and to take action to call for the shutdown of the NWDC. 

Saturday, April 19, 2:00pm, Your Tax Your Impact: Money for People, Not for War, in-person, Spokane. Join Peace and Justice Action League of Spokane to call on congress to protect funding for food support, Social Security, education, protecting the earth and other lifeline programs. Meet at the corner of Garland and Division in Spokane.

Tuesday, April 22, 6-7pm, Vigil for the Healing of the Earth: Moving from Lament to Community Resilience, in-person. Tribal Gathering Place (next to City Hall), 353-367 N. Post St., Spokane, WA 99201. Faith Leaders and Leaders of Conscience (FLLC) invite you to the annual Vigil for the Healing of the Earth. Come share in music, stories, and ways to be resilient and hear from Tracy Simmons the editor of Faith and Values Spokane.

Sunday, April 27, Climate Action Forum, East Shore Unitarian Church, Bellevue, in-person. Regional agencies and governments are developing local climate action and engagement plans. We invite you to learn how to support their implementation and connect with local climate groups. Where: East Shore Unitarian Church, 127—SE 32nd St, Bellevue, WA 98005

Week 13 Legislative Recap

Legislative Wins Worth Celebrating

✅ HB 1747 – Strengthening Fair Chance Employment Protections

This bill strengthens the Washington Fair Chance Act by prohibiting employers from seeking criminal history information until after a conditional job offer is made, preventing adverse actions based solely on arrest records or juvenile convictions, requiring a legitimate business reason to consider adult convictions, and increasing penalties for violations. These changes reduce employment barriers for people with criminal records and promote equitable hiring practices and reentry success.

✅ SB 5714 – Protecting Immigrant Communities from Unlawful Detention

This bill prohibits bail bond agents and bounty hunters from engaging in immigration enforcement, such as arresting or transporting individuals solely based on immigration status. It draws a clear boundary between private agents and federal immigration authority, helping protect immigrant communities from unauthorized and unlawful detentions.

✅ WA Becomes First State to Recognize Eid Holidays

Governor Bob Ferguson signed legislation recognizing Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha as official state holidays, making Washington the first in the nation to do so. This milestone celebrates Muslim communities across our state and affirms our shared commitment to cultural inclusion and religious equity. The law takes effect January 1, 2026.

And a Loss to Mourn

❌ SB 5123 – Student Protection Bill Stalls

Unfortunately, SB 5123, which would have expanded nondiscrimination protections in public schools—specifically for students experiencing homelessness, those with neurodivergence, various citizenship statuses, or belonging to the LGBTQ+ community—failed to pass the House Appropriations Committee. It would have updated school policies to affirm all students’ identities and protect them from bias or exclusion.

Public Workers Rally for a Moral Budget

On Wednesday, April 10, FAN stood in solidarity with hundreds of public workers and justice advocates at the Capitol to protest Governor Ferguson’s proposal to impose furloughs in response to projected revenue shortfalls.

From public health staff to case managers, workers spoke out about the damage cuts would cause, especially while the wealthiest Washingtonians remain shielded from fair taxation. The message was clear: Don’t balance the budget on the backs of workers and low-income families.

A Night of Connection and Liberation: FAN at the Legislative Seder

The FAN team was honored to attend the Legislative Passover Seder, hosted by the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) in collaboration with Temple Beth Hatfiloh in Olympia. This annual gathering brought together faith leaders, legislators, and advocates to reflect on themes of liberation, justice, and community in the spirit of Passover.

We were grateful to share this sacred evening alongside our very own FAN Board Member Rabbi Jason Levine, as well as Rabbi Seth Goldstein, who together guided us through a meaningful and inclusive Seder that connected ancient struggles with today’s calls for equity and dignity for all.

The evening was a reminder that our advocacy is rooted not only in policy, but in shared values and spiritual tradition. Over a delicious kosher meal and powerful reflections, we renewed our commitment to justice with our partners across faith and civic communities.

Thank you to everyone who joined us, and to JCRC and Temple Beth Hatfiloh for your hospitality and leadership.