Paid Leave, utility bill rebates, affordable EVs, Georgette Valle, Puyallup Tribe canoe event



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Five years in, Paid Leave has changed 500,000 lives



Gov. Jay Inslee and state Employment Security Department Commissioner Cami Feek high-five to celebrate the millionth application for the state?s Paid Family and Medical Leave program.

Wednesday was a big milestone for our Paid Family and Medical Leave program. Over five years, Washingtonians have filed 1 million claims [ [link removed] ] to help them grow families, recover from illness, care for loved ones, and enjoy family time around military deployments. As of June, the State of Washington has supported 200 million hours of paid leave to more than 500,000 Washingtonians who received $5 billion to avoid lost wages.

Every hour and every dollar has been well-spent on Washington families, giving them priceless time off in a time of need.

?I would give it a 10 out of 10 ? I?m literally a spokesperson for Washington state leave now,? said Alysia from Thurston County. ?It gave some flexibility to new parents who are juggling a million things.?

?It made me feel like there was more assistance available to me on a kind of a societal level that is kind of not really a thing in America. So, it?s nice to have that and to see tax dollars go to supporting people,? said Alex from Island County.

The United States is one of the last large countries in the world without a paid leave program. Federal law affords just about four short weeks of leave to new mothers ? unpaid. Here in Washington, we now offer up to eighteen weeks of leave ? paid.

Washington is among the best states in the nation for workers, and the proof is in the nation?s highest minimum wage, nation-leading worker protections, and one of the few paid leave programs in America. Washingtonians can read about and apply for Paid Family and Medical Leave at paidleave.wa.gov. [ [link removed] ]

*Read more:*


* *Five years in, Paid Leave has changed 500,000 lives (Gov. Jay Inslee's Medium) [ [link removed] ]*
* *Find out how Paid Leave works (Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave website) [ [link removed] ]* [ [link removed] ]

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Commerce kicks off program to lower utility bills for eligible households

A woman smiles and poses by a sign advertising a new $200 utility bill credit program.

Washingtonians like Moxie (pictured) will save $200 on their utilities in the form of a bill credit through a new Commerce program announced Monday. Visit [link removed] to apply.

The state Department of Commerce announced its new ?Clean Energy Credit? program [ [link removed] ] on Monday, where low- and moderate-income households may apply for a one-time $200 bill credit to lower utility costs.

The application [ [link removed] ] takes less than a minute to complete. The program is open until Sept. 15.

The program qualifies more than 675,000 low- to moderate-income households [ [link removed] ], or about 20% of the state. For a family of four in an area with a lower cost of living, households with incomes up to $72,000 are eligible. In higher-cost areas, the same family may earn up to $110,950 to qualify. If funding allows, these caps may increase.

?It?s a great day in Washington ? the Mariners are back in first, Jordan Chiles is up for a medal, and now 675,000 Washington families will get a $200 credit toward their utility bills,? said Gov. Jay Inslee. ?We?re happy to do it, and there?s one reason and one reason only we?ve been able to do it: the Climate Commitment Act.?

The Climate Commitment Act is helping Washingtonians insulate their homes, hop onto public transit, afford electric vehicles, protect precious salmon, and more. This week, it?s helping families lower their bills. These great things are now paid for by corporate polluters, all while emissions dive statewide.

*Apply for a $200 utility bill credit through Commerce?s Clean Energy Credits program here. [ [link removed] ]*

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Electric cars just got a whole lot cheaper for Washingtonians
A collage showing Gov. Jay Inslee speaking at a podium, a woman smiling while driving an electric car, and two new electric car models parked.

Gov. Jay Inslee helped the state Department of Commerce announce a new instant rebate program to help more Washingtonians afford popular electric vehicles on Thursday.

Here?s how consumers can lower the cost of gas to zero.

Step 1: Head to a car dealership. Step 2: Point to any one of 44 eligible electric vehicle models [ [link removed] ]. Step 3: save up to $9,000 on lease costs [ [link removed] ] for a new EV, or $5,000 in purchase costs.

A new state Department of Commerce program is slashing prices on electric vehicles for eligible households. The discount is instant ? no waiting and no paperwork to mail in. Single Washingtonians earning up to $45,180 and families of four earning up to $93,600 qualify [ [link removed] ]. The program was funded with a $50 million general fund allocation by the Legislature.

During Thursday?s announcement in Seattle, the U.S. Navy Blue Angels roared overhead as they practiced for the upcoming Seafair air show.

?Here they come, celebrating EVs,? joked Gov. Jay Inslee. ?That is the sound of freedom, freedom from gasoline.?

*Learn more about the new EV rebate program here. [ [link removed] ]*

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News you might have missed:

Washington?s Capitol Campus gets a new website

Washington?s gorgeous Capitol Campus attracts thousands of visitors a year. Those visitors are now treated to a new website [ [link removed] ] to guide their visit to the campus and all its beauty and history. Visitors may use the site to book guided tours [ [link removed] ], view campus maps [ [link removed] ], find parking and directions [ [link removed] ], and learn about the fascinating history [ [link removed] ] of our state and its proud Capitol.

Flags fly at half-staff to honor Georgette Valle

Former state Rep. Georgette Valle died this week [ [link removed] ], and flags flew at half-staff in her honor [ [link removed] ]. She served 12 terms from 1965 to 1997 in the state House of Representatives. She helped lead the effort to ban indoor smoking in the state in 1985, among other accomplishments.

Biden-Harris Administration announces sweeping new student debt relief measures

Roughly 25 million Americans with student debt received a welcome email this week from the U.S. Department of Education detailing plans to forgive many borrowers? debts [ [link removed] ]. Most borrowers eligible for the new debt cancelation measures have runaway interest or have made steady payments for decades.

Commerce announces new violence prevention investments

The Washington State Department of Commerce this week announced $7.6 million in grants [ [link removed] ] to 21 organizations disrupting firearm violence in communities disproportionately harmed by so-called ?war on drugs? policies that began in the 1970s. The grants were funded by the Washington State Community Reinvestment Account (CRP). Funded organizations will develop and offer trauma-informed, culturally competent programming led by and for their communities.

Federal government promises new funds to improve fish hatcheries

Northwestern salmon hatcheries will benefit from $240 million in newly-promised federal funds [ [link removed] ]. The U.S. departments of Commerce and Interior announced the grants this week, and said they?d made available an additional sum of $54 million to support Tribal hatcheries in the region. Fish populations are declining and states have a duty to respond. These federal awards will contribute to the vital mission of salmon recovery.

Annual Tribal Canoe Journeys held in Tacoma

The Puyallup Tribe of Indians hosted a beautiful and longstanding tradition this week [ [link removed] ] in Tacoma?s Commencement Bay. Each year since 1989, a different Northwestern Tribe [ [link removed] ] has hosted a long-distance paddle across various Washington waterways by canoe families.

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A canoe comes ashore in Tacoma to a large crowd gathered on a beach.

A canoe family comes ashore after a long paddle from Tacoma?s Owen Beach as part of the Tribal Canoe Journey, a longstanding tradition this year hosted by the Puyallup Tribe of Indians.






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