Dear friends and neighbors –
My first session as your state senator officially came to a close Sunday, and we achieved many important things for all Washingtonians, despite facing a significant budget shortfall. These 105 days were not easy, and we had to make difficult decisions no one wanted to make in order to balance our budget. However, we were able to close the budget deficit through a measured approach that balanced strategic cuts with new revenue and included critical investments in K-12 education and core services.
Operating budget: We passed a responsible budget that protects core services such as public safety and behavioral health, while expanding housing and supporting vulnerable communities. As a teacher, I fought hard to ensure we passed a budget that also prioritized education. We increased funding for special education, boosted school operating costs, and provided additional help for students in low-income districts.
Operating budget:
Protecting core services
- $93 million for emergency food assistance organizations
- $117 million for local housing programs
- $20 million to expand resources for crime victims
- $25 million to improve support for refugee and immigrant communities
K-12 education investments over four years
- $750 million for special education services
- $213 million for materials, supplies and operating costs
- $200 million for local effort assistance funding to help low-income school districts
Capital budget: I fought hard to ensure the 18th district received our fair share this session. In total, over $6 million will go toward funding local projects.
- $515,000 to revitalize downtown Battle Ground.
- $278,000 for culinary upgrades for Battle Ground public schools.
- $1.5 million toward Remy Park.
- $3 million to update Washington State University Vancouver’s central chiller plant, which provides cooling to buildings on campus.
Transportation budget: We passed a bipartisan transportation budget that keeps our promises, preserves our system, and makes our roads safer for everyone. I worked hard to ensure this budget invests in projects in our community.
- Ridgefield South I-5 access planning.
- Track and bridge improvement for the Chelatchie Prairie Railroad.
- Support for the Cowlitz Tribal Service.
- Design and permitting of the Washougal 32nd St. underpass.
- Relocation and upgrade to the Vancouver Mall Transit Center.
- Procurement of hydrogen fueling station infrastructure and four electric buses.
- Congestion relief for SR 502, SR 503 and SR 14.
- Construction of a transit line that connects the Vancouver waterfront, downtown Vancouver, Hazel Dell, and Salmon Creek along Highway 99.
- Construction of transit connection between the Vancouver Mall Transit Center and the Fisher’s Landing Transit Center.
I’m proud in my first session I was able to push five bills across the finish line! Here is a snapshot of those.
SB 5149: Expands the Early Childhood Courts program by broadening the service age and allowing courts to engage families earlier in the dependency process. This expansion is designed to allow courts to reach a greater number of families and improve outcomes, particularly by increasing reunification rates, at no added cost. Early Childhood Courts programs promote lasting, positive outcomes for parents, infants, and toddlers.
SB 5141: Eliminates unnecessary hurdles for insurers and reduces administrative expenses for insurers and employers, helping control premiums and keeping benefits affordable. Right now, disability income insurers must submit a single case filing to the Office of Insurance Commissioner (OIC) for each individual employer’s insurance policy before it can take effect. This adds delays and costs for employers and insurers, making it harder to provide employees with affordable high-quality disability income insurance. This bill allows an insurer to file once a year with OIC, rather than multiple times a year on a case-by-case basis.
SB 5677: Increases assistance to Associate Development Organizations (ADOs) in rural and urban counties and permits the matched portion of the allocation to be provided through cash, in-kind, or a combination. ADOs help create jobs through private, public, rural, and urban partnerships. I’m from part of the state that’s made up of many diverse communities: large, medium, small cities in urban and rural areas. Our businesses and companies experience unique challenges, and ADOs have been an important resource. Now, more than ever, we need to foster economic development in our state.
SB 5253: Aligns state law with the federal requirements under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) by extending special education services for students with disabilities until the end of the school year in which they turn 22 years old. As a special education teacher, I know how critical specialized and inclusive learning environments are to students’ lives. This bill will help us ensure we create a smooth transition from school to post-school life for students with disabilities.
SB 5444: Authorizes potentially up to 13 new special license plates and puts into place a more meaningful process by which special license plates can be authorized in the future. These new license plates range from a Smokey Bear license plate to raise funds for wildfire prevention programs to a LeMay Car Museum plate to help fund education and job training related to automobiles.
Thank you to everyone who engaged with our office these past four months! The legislative session might be over, but the work doesn’t stop. Your input is critical and helps me better represent you. That’s why I hope you will join me for a post session telephone town hall on Wednesday, May 7! Here are the details:
Wednesday, May 7
5:30-6:30 p.m.
DIAL: 855-756-7520
CODE: 122450#
A call will go out to constituents across the 18th Legislative District at 5:30 p.m. If you do not receive one, you can still participate by dialing 855-756-7520 and using extension 122450#. Not able to join us but have a question? Please share it with us by filling out this survey.
I hope to chat with you on the phone on Wednesday, May 7!
I’m thankful for the opportunity to serve you, and it’s a privilege to bring our southwest Washington values to Olympia.
Sincerely,
Sen. Adrian Cortes
