As we move into the third week of the legislative session, decisionmakers grapple with how to sustain the many great things the state budget supports in the face of a looming $4 billion potential shortfall going into the next two-year budget cycle.(Latest state revenue update offered no good news) Here's what we're doing and focusing on this week.
We Are Taking to the Halls of the Capitol
Today, United Way leaders from across Washington are gathering in Olympia on February 4th with staff, supporters and clients to meet with legislators and discuss the importance of funding the Community Reinvestment Project, the Imagination Library of Washington program, Guaranteed Income programs such as GRIT, and other initiatives that foster our goals. You can help in these efforts by informing your legislators of your support through the action buttons below.
Online Action Form Makes It Easy to Indicate Support for United Way's CRP Efforts
The Community Reinvestment Project (CRP) is a grassroots designed plan to uplift communities disproportionately harmed by the war on drugs. United Ways in Washington are part of this project helping people in Clark, King, Pierce, Snohomish, Spokane and Yakima Counties with asset building, financial coaching, tax assistance and saving for education and training. You can easily let your legislators know your support for the Community Reinvestment Project with our online form.
House Appropriation to Take Up Rent Stabilization Bill
The House Committee on Appropriation will hold a public hearing on H.B. 1217 which would limit rent increases to 7 percent annually. The bill moved out of the House Committee on Housing on a party line vote. The full House has approved a rent stabilization bill in previous sessions only to see it stalled in the Senate.
Momentum Building for Improving Child Care Worker Pay
While it seems clear that full implementation of the Fair Start For Kids Act which expands access to child care and early education will be delayed because of funding concerns, there is growing support for increasing the pay for child care workers. First, former Governor Inslee's last proposed budget included over $500 million to fund rate increases for Working Connections providers. Second, there is S.B. 5500 which would set child care reimbursement levels "sufficient to compensate licensed or certified child care providers for the costs of providing high quality child care." The Senate Committee on Early Learning and K-12 Education will hold a public hearing (online testify options) Tuesday, February 4 at 8 a.m.
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Angela French published this page in Legislative Updates 2025-02-03 07:53:36 -0800