STATE GOVERNMENT
Senate Democrats: State budget proposal puts people first
The following is from the Washington State Senate Democrats:
OLYMPIA (April 1, 2019) — Senate Democrats on Friday introduced a $52.2 billion state operating budget proposal to fund vital state services, including targeted support for the state’s behavioral health system, K-12 special education, higher education, and the environment.
More than 50 percent of the state budget pays for K-12 education, honoring commitments made in 2017 to increase basic education funding. A new investment of $283 million is dedicated to improving behavioral health services over the next two years.
The budget represents a $4.5 billion increase in K-12 education spending above the last biennial budget, including a $937 million increase for special education.
Other budget highlights include the funding of Gov. Inslee’s climate initiatives and orca whale protection, investments in housing and homelessness, expansion of college scholarship programs, improving the foster care system, police de-escalation training, expanding access to early learning, and funding the sexual assault kit backlog at the Washington State Patrol.
Click here for Senate Operating Budget details.
“Where more revenue is needed to address our state’s growing needs, the budget strategy is careful not to increase the burden on middle-class households,” Rolfes said.
“Democrats in the House and Senate have now released budgets based on the values all Washingtonians share. Both proposals focus on creating safe, healthy communities where people have access to quality education, affordable housing, and economic opportunity,” Rolfes said. “I look forward to working with the House to finish our work and pass a final 2019-21 budget before the session ends on April 28.”
A public hearing on the Senate budget proposal in the Senate Ways & Means Committee is scheduled for today (Monday, April 1) at 1:30 p.m.