Washingtonians should be able to maintain their items and fix them when they break, at the lowest possible cost.

For Washingtonians living on a low income, a phone or computer is a lifeline to earnings, state benefits, healthcare, and more. When devices break, Washingtonians can face astronomical repair costs due to the monopoly manufacturers have on authorized repair of devices. Sometimes, the only option for manufacturer repair is far away and only open during work hours, forcing Washingtonians to miss out on income and navigate long and confusing transit to access already prohibitively expensive repairs. HB 1483/SB 5423 would allow Washingtonians to access local and affordable repair of their devices, making repair accessible for Washingtonians at all income levels.

Washingtonians who rely on powered wheelchairs to get around face the same problem. When their chair has a mechanical problem, they are totally immobilized until they are able to access repairs. Unfortunately, repairs are expensive and hard to access through the manufacturer. For Washingtonians accessing wheelchairs through Medicaid, the wait times can be astronomically long, leaving wheelchair users without options. HB 1826/SB 5680 would ensure that powered wheelchairs can be repaired quickly and economically. 

These two common-sense bills would ensure that Washingtonians have a right to repair their devices and wheelchairs without prohibitive costs and wait times. Right to repair would lift a financial burden from Washingtonians with disabilities and living on a low income, allowing folks to pay for essentials instead of simple technology repairs.

Tell your lawmakers: Pull HB 1483/SB 5423 and HB 1826/SB 5680 to the floor and vote yes to ensure the right to repair!

Our state is facing a revenue shortfall over the next four years. Governor Ferguson has committed to exhausting options for budget cuts instead of pursuing options for progressive revenue, but we must urge lawmakers to take the opposite approach.
 
Even a 6% cut to vital resources like the Department of Social and Health Services would take over $702 million away from programs that serve low income families in Washington. During hard times, families rely on TANF, SNAP, and other services to get by, and these cuts would strand people who need support. Our state is still recovering from the harm that cutting vital programs and services caused during the Great Recession, and it would be a mistake to repeat this approach.
 
Instead of balancing the budget on the backs of Washingtonians living on a low income again, we should ask those who can afford it to pay their fair share. When families face difficult times financially, they don't just tighten their belts, they look for new opportunities for income. Washington has a clear opportunity - with progressive revenue, we can afford to meet this budget shortfall and maintain funding for vital programs that support our state's most vulnerable residents.
 
Tell your lawmakers: Pass progressive revenue, not budget cuts!

Statewide Poverty Action Network
1501 N 45th Street
Seattle, WA 98103
United States

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