The Washington State House put up an aggressive budget proposal. The two-year $69.2 billion operating budget includes $5.1 billion in new spending on education, housing, behavioral health, public safety and climate change. The $5.1 billion is broken out to includes $2.9 billion toward the state’s public schools, $298 million toward housing and shelter for the state’s homeless and $424 million for the state’s behavioral health system. Climate Commitment got $679 million of the proceeds with $7 million to open new regional law enforcement training centers
A big focus is education in the budget. The proposal has $353 million for special education services and $106 million for affordable early learning. Educator salaries were not forgotten with $525 million for salaries and health care costs. The proposal put $215 million in to support the childcare workforce and $59 million to expand food access in schools.
Housing and homelessness is big. Roughly $298 million will go toward housing and shelter for the state’s homeless population. This includes $85 million for emergency housing and rental assistance, $56 million to support operations in permanent supportive housing and $32 million for local government grants to support affordable housing. The soft spot is the $8 million that will help children experiencing homelessness.
Menral illnes is connected to homelessness in many cases. A whopping $424 million in new spending will go toward transforming the state’s behavioral health system. This will include $116 million to expand treatment at state-operating facilities, $84 million to increase behavioral health provider rates, $23 million for behavioral crisis outreach, and diversion, and funding for community-based housing.
The proposal has new spending to the tune of $7 million to open new regional law enforcement training centers. In addition, $5.5 million will go for work release programs with $4.5 million for enhanced training for corrections officers. Missing and murdered indigenous women and people will get $650,000 in new spending.
Finally, this proposal looks to invest $679 million of proceeds from the Climate Commitment Act, passed in 2021, in clean energy projects, energy-efficient homes and and more. No new taxes are created under the proposed budget, but House members said that could change as the legislative session progresses. The House will negotiate with the Senate on a final budget. Legislators from both chambers have until April 23 to pass a balanced, two-year budget.
