We are in the final weeks of the session, unless the Legislature needs an extra session due to their difficult revenue and budget decisions.  Given the Governor’s position not supporting a wealth tax and requesting more budget cuts, both the House and Senate budget and revenue leaders are working behind the scenes to sort out options.  Additionally, the House and Senate appear to be on slightly different pages as to how to proceed and what path to take in the mix of new taxes and budget cuts. 

We continue to face uncertainty about the our priority funding requests for the Imagination Library of Washington and the Community Reinvestment Project in the upcoming budget.  We encourage you to continue to reach out to your legislators regarding your support for these investments through the action buttons below. 

Rent Stabilization Passes Senate
This hard fought bill HB 1217 passed the Senate last Thursday, having passed the House last month.  However, the bill was weakened significantly compared to its House version, so reconciliation will be necessary between the bodies.  The House bill called for annual rent hike ceiling of 7%, while the Senate version raised the cap to 10% plus the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

Bill to Modify Fair Start for Kids Act Advances
The House Appropriations Committee took executive action on ESSB 5752 on its final day of committee work, April 8.  This bill looks to modify aspects of the Fair Start for Kids Act to achieve cost savings given the state’s budget constraints.

Senate and House Capital Budget Negotiations Commence
On April 4, the House Capital Budget Committee passed its Capital Budget, SHB 1216.  On April 5, the Senate passed its Capital Budget, SSB 5195 with all Senators present voting in favor.  In contrast to the Operating Budget, the Capital Budget is definitely a more bi-partisan affair with budget leads in the Senate touting how the budget serves “One Washington” and giving public nods of appreciation to their counterparts from the other sides of the aisle.