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 Gov. Inslee shakes hands with U.K. Minister for Industry and Economic Security Nusrat Ghani after signing a Memorandum of Understanding between the State of Washington and the United Kingdom.
Washington state has been in the lead on aerospace since Bill Boeing first started building wooden biplanes more than a century ago. And since the 1950s, Washington state has also helped equip the Space Race and adventure beyond our atmosphere. Now in 2023, Washington supports more than 1,400 aerospace companies, and hundreds more in the business of rocketry and advanced materials for satellites and spacecraft.
On Monday, Nusrat Ghani, the United Kingdom?s minister for industry and economic security, visited Washington state to sign a Memorandum of Understanding to boost trade between her nation and Washington state.
?Our pact with the state of Washington is a win for the U.K., opening a door for our businesses to trade more openly and unlock new opportunities in key sectors,? said Ghani. ?This particular deal will be fantastic for our aerospace industry through investor intros, trade missions, and increasing access to procurement markets. I?m delighted to join Boeing and our handpicked group of innovative U.K. companies to discuss how Government and industry can work together to create jobs and grow the economy.??
?We're pioneering the next generation of technology in everything from rocketry and commercial space travel to electric and hydrogen-powered aircraft,? said Inslee. ?We look forward to strengthening our ties with U.K. to push the envelope even further."
 Gov. Jay Inslee chats with state park ranger Mehgan Alexandr, stationed at Lopez Island?s Spencer Spit State Park. Rents are expensive on the island, but Alexandr?s had help ? a local state-supported affordable housing project has given her a place to live for a reasonable price.
Destination communities across the country are challenged by soaring housing costs, especially since the pandemic. Regional housing providers in Anacortes and Lopez Island are working to ensure that locals can afford to live where they work, or live where they always have.
Gov. Jay Inslee visited both communities on Tuesday to hear from tenants and housing providers about contemporary challenges. In the most recent legislative session, Inslee encouraged lawmakers to ?go big so people could go home.? The Legislature did allocate historic investments in housing, but only for the short term. The state?s Housing Trust Fund was allocated $400 million to build 13,200 new, affordable housing units all over the state and preserve 1,000 more over the next six years.
Both builders and tenants were happy to see the state take action, but there is work to be done. Building, to be more specific.
?Renting has become a luxury that some families can no longer afford,? said Kerri Burnside, an organizer for the Bellingham Tenants Union.
According to census data, more than 73,000 locals reported rent increases of $500 or more in the last year.
Inslee invited solutions from tenants, landlords, developers, builders, and local planning officials over the course of several meetings in Anacortes and Lopez Island. On the island, Inslee toured properties run by the Community Land Trust, which has helped affordably house local seniors and workers dating back decades.
?Communities across the state are feeling the pressure of a lack of housing and we?re moving as fast as humanly possible to fix that,? said Inslee.
 Gov. Jay Inslee snaps a photo with WSF workers in the engine room fo the Kaleetan Tuesday.
Washington State Ferries? three Jumbo Mark II-class boats are all due to be converted to hybrid-electric powertrains. The Wenatchee, Tacoma, and Puyallup are among six WSF ferries to be retrofitted, while 16 new hybrid ferries will be constructed to help America?s largest ferry fleet to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
This week, WSF shared a sign of good progress: the first boat should be in service by this time next year.
If that holds true, Washington state would be the very first in the nation to operate a hybrid ferry. The first all-electric vessel should be on the Seattle to Bainbridge Island route in 2027. Matt von Ruden, WSF?s electrification program administrator, briefed the governor on the status of ferry conversion and electrification during a Wednesday public performance review.
?We love our ferries, we love clean air, and we love reduced costs,? said Gov. Jay Inslee.
Gov. Jay Inslee boarded the Kaleetan this week to chat with Washington State Ferries workers. He toured the engine room and captain?s deck, and he chatted with WSF workers about the conversion to hybrid-electric vessels.
?The folks working 12-hour shifts in the engine room told me how excited they are about the prospect of being able to work on hybrid-electric ferries because they?re quieter, more comfortable and more reliable. We will all be able to breathe easier while we ride across the Puget Sound without a big smokestack pumping out exhaust fumes,? said Inslee.
Two Washington schools named 2023 National Blue Ribbon Schools
Seattle?s Thurgood Marshall Elementary School and Yakima?s Apple Valley Elementary School were among 353 schools nationwide honored as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2023. The recognition is based on a school?s assessment of overall academic performance or progress closing achievement gaps.
9-8-8 suicide prevention and crisis support lifeline available in 240 languages
In Washington state, the three-digit dialing code 9-8-8 connects callers to suicide prevention and crisis support specialists. Interpretation is available in 240 languages, and specific hotlines are available for veterans, Spanish-speakers, LGBTQ+ youth, and American Indians and Alaska Natives.
State and city commit funding to assist Wing Luke Museum
Today, the?Washington State Department of Commerce?and the City of Seattle announced $100,000 in funding to assist with repairs at the Wing Luke Museum caused by vandalism earlier this month. The combined support will help address damages to the iconic Chinatown International District educational and cultural hub of the community. A man has been charged with a hate crime in the incident.
?I?m proud our state could step in alongside the City of Seattle to help the Wing Luke Museum recover from the violence of hate,? said Gov. Jay Inslee. ?The museum is a local treasure honoring Washington?s global diversity. I encourage folks to visit and learn more about the history and culture of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders.?
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