Tax credit, election threats, Veterans Day, Diwali



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Working Families Tax Credit sends $112 million back to working families
The Working Families Tax Credit returned an average of $713 to low-income families.

Washington?s Working Families Tax Credit launched in January [ [link removed] ] to provide a return of up to $1,200 to approximately 400,000 eligible working-class households. In the program?s first year, more than 158,200 families have received an average credit of $713.

One in six Washington households is eligible for the tax credit. Fewer than half of eligible households have applied, and the application window is still open. For more information, visit workingfamiliescredit.wa.gov [ [link removed] ]. ?

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State leaders affirm security of Washington elections

Election offices in King, Pierce, Skagit, and Spokane counties were threatened Thursday. Election workers at several offices opened envelopes to discover unidentified white powder [ [link removed] ], forcing evacuations and temporarily halting further processing of the vote. Gov. Jay Inslee and Secretary of State Steve Hobbs issued statements emphasizing the need for heightened security for election offices. They assured that all votes would still be counted fairly and accurately.

?Our elections are sacred and the guardianship of democracy begins at the local level in county offices across our state. Any threat to election workers is a threat to the vote itself,? said Inslee [ [link removed] ]. ?This is unfortunately just the latest attack on democracy as our county offices have had to pay for increased security in recent years. Every elected official should take this as an opportunity to reaffirm the integrity of our system, the will of the people, and the public servants from our communities who make it work. We are confident our vote counting process will maintain the integrity it has always demonstrated. We will count the votes and declare the winner. We all need to recommit to that principle.

?Thank you to all of Washington?s election workers who are dedicated to ensuring every vote is counted fairly and accurately.?

The Secretary of State office provides information about how votes are kept safe [ [link removed] ] before, during and after an election.

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News you might have missed:

Saturday is Veterans Day

This Saturday, Nov. 11 is Veterans Day. The federal holiday honors the generations of military servicemembers who have served the United States. According to recent Census data, Washington state is home to more than 55,100 military personnel, 11,300 reservists, and 520,200 veterans.

?If the story of the United States is written through the service of its citizens, then those individual stories are the script itself,? said Solomon Gilbert [ [link removed] ], deputy director of the state Department of Veterans Affairs.

Sunday is Diwali

Many Washingtonians will celebrate Diwali, the ?festival of lights,? this Sunday, Nov. 12. The occasion is celebrated by Hindus in India and throughout the world by lighting lamps to symbolize the triumph of good over evil and knowledge over ignorance, among other traditions.

Climate funds support largest state purchase of forestland in a decade

Using Climate Commitment Act funds, the state Department of Natural Resources will purchase a 9,000 acre expanse [ [link removed] ] of forestland in Southwest Washington. The state will generate revenue from logging some of the land, and some parcels may allow construction to increase housing supply in Wahkiakum County. DNR says it?s the largest state land purchase in more than a decade.

Three irrigation systems funded to support farm communities

Aquifers in the Odessa Subarea of Washington state are dwindling, and groundwater is now being pumped to the surface from 2,400 feet below ground [ [link removed]. ]. The federal Natural Resources Conservation Service recently announced $40 million in grants towards three irrigation projects [ [link removed] ] that will water 18,426 acres of Washington farmland to be matched by $39.8 million in state funds.

November proclaimed month of recognition for unpaid caregivers

Many Washingtonians rely on caregivers to live a full and happy life. More than 820,000 family caregivers in Washington state offer more than 770 million hours of their time every year as they tend to friends and neighbors and loved ones with chronic illnesses, disabilities, or other special needs. Gov. Jay Inslee recently proclaimed November as a month of recognition for these caregivers [ [link removed] ]. The proclamation also honored grandparent-led households that are the primary home for 42,000 children statewide.

?These kin work to ensure children have a healthy, safe and happy childhood, recognizing that family is the cornerstone of our Tribes, state, and nation, and that children are the future of society,? reads the proclamation [ [link removed] ].

Speak up about air quality in your community

The state Department of Ecology is soliciting comments about its deployment of air monitoring technology statewide. Under the Climate Commitment Act, the department is improving air quality monitoring in communities overburdened historically by pollution. Those communities may be adjacent to highways and airports, for example. Several community open house meetings [ [link removed] ] are scheduled and comments are also invited online [ [link removed] ].

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A military band plays during the City of Tacoma Veteran's Day event last year at War Memorial Park.

A military band plays during the City of Tacoma Veterans Day event last year at War Memorial Park.

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