Sign petition to avoid drastic budget cuts in Washington

Urge state lawmakers to keep money flowing to support critical services, jobs

OLYMPIA (Oct. 13, 2020) — This week, Washington voters will receive their ballots to decide not only who should be president, but also who should govern and legislate in Washington state as it struggles with the public health and economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Whoever wins the races for governor and state legislature, their decisions in the coming year will reflect a fundamental choice: Will we hurt people more through drastic cuts in social services? Or will we raise taxes on those at the top to invest in jobs, communities, and small businesses?

The Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO is part of a broad coalition called Invest in Washington Now that chooses the latter. This grassroots movement of educators, working families, and everyday Washingtonians advocating for progressive revenue solutions believes we can’t wait until the 2021 legislative session to answer this question. We can’t even wait until the election. We need to start telling Washington lawmakers NOW that starving our communities of necessary resources is a choice we don’t have to keep making.

TAKE A STAND — Please sign this petition to Gov. Jay Inslee and all Washington state legislators that reads, “We call on our elected leaders to speed economic recovery by avoiding reckless cuts to services, keeping money flowing in our communities, and building an economy for everyone. Now, more than ever, Washingtonians are relying on health, nutrition, transportation and other government-funded services to stay healthy, make ends meet, and get back on their feet. This is the time to invest in our safety net, not unravel it.”

When we cut essential state services, we put more people out of work, slow down spending, and set the economy back even further. But there’s another way. We can build an economy where all of us, no matter what we look like or where we live, can thrive. We can invest in Washington. We can invest in us.

Washington’s working families who shop in local businesses and spend money in their neighborhoods are the heart of our state’s economy. By focusing on solutions that keep money flowing in our communities, we can keep businesses open, people employed, and families healthy.

We must all do our part. That includes asking profitable corporations and the wealthiest Washingtonians to do right by our state.

You can be part of the solution. Please sign this petition and add your voice to thousands of others. Thank you.