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Hi John,

The Supplemental Budget proposals are here!

The state's operating budget is a big deal. It's how lawmakers fund the critical programs, social services, and departments that our communities rely on. The budget also appropriates funding to many of the bills that are passed during session, giving them the investments necessary to actually be realized. During even-numbered years (like 2020), lawmakers release a supplemental budget, which adds to the larger operating budget that they created the previous year.

Both the House and the Senate released their proposals for the 2020 Supplemental Budget on Monday, February 24. They will now take the remaining weeks of the 2020 Legislative Session to meet and discuss their separate proposals before releasing a final 2020 Supplemental Budget before session ends on March 12. This means that the time is NOW to let our lawmakers know [[link removed]] what parts of their proposals must make it to the final budget, and what they still need to add in!

Both House & Senate Budget included strong investments in social services

We were happy to see that both the House & Senate budget proposals addressed some of the most urgent issues facing Washington's low-income communities. In particular, both budgets prioritized key investments in combating homelessness and housing insecurity: both House and Senate lawmakers boosted funding for Housing & Essential Needs and the Housing Trust Fund and eliminated the state's Shelter Penalty (which provides lower state assistance grants to people with safe, reliable shelter). The House also included a critical $5 million investment towards launching a Homelessness Prevention Pilot Program which would provide a shallow rent subsidy to people who rely on low, fixed federal disability payments in high cost of living parts of the state.

Both budgets also made meaningful investments in programs and services specifically dedicated to the economic security and opportunity of low-income families . Lawmakers made investments in early learning, affordable childcare services, and each included the necessary funding to reinvest in TANF/WorkFirst and make common-sense fixes to the program (on this note, the House's proposal is the more comprehesive of the two). In their budget, Senate lawmakers included an investment that would restore the Child Support Pass-Through, allowing TANF parents to receive a portion of their child support along with their grant. They also created a statewide Child Savings Account program.

Neither budget includes structural fixes to the state tax code

While investments in anti-poverty measures and services are absolutely essential, eliminating poverty also requires structural change. We are disappointed that neither the House nor Senate proposals included fixes to Washington's regressive state tax code, such as new revenue proposals or the funding of a Working Families Tax Credit . Fixing our state tax code and creating new, more equitable methods of revenue is the number one way that economic equity and opportunity can be fostered in our state.

Overall, these budget proposals are a strong start-- particularly the House's proposal. Your lawmakers need to hear from you about what you liked in their proposal-- and where you thought they could go farther. Send them an email urging them to invest in and prioritize their communities!

Take action on the Supplemental Budget! [[link removed]]

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