State lawmakers promise quick passage of COVID-19 rescue package

Green Lake Strength and Conditioning can offer small classes under the current Phase One of Governor Inslee’s COVID-19 safety orders -- but like most small businesses, it’s been a tough year.

“We were basically shut down in April and May. We ran some online classes, but we weren’t collecting any, any membership payments at that time,” said co-owner Nate Mueller.

That’s why both Republican and Democrats in the Legislature want to deliver COVID-19 relief quickly. Democrats have the majority and today laid out their $2.2 billion Fast Start package for pandemic relief.

“We are in a position to start getting money out, uh, out the door to people who really need it. Individuals, small businesses,” said Senate Deputy Majority Leader Manka Dhingra.

The package includes $365 million to help tenants pay the rent.

“What landlords need more than anything else is for tenants to be able to pay the rent,” said Seattle Senator Nicole Macri.

There’s $240 million in grants, enough to help 12,000 small businesses.

Lynnwood Senator Marko Liias said, “This is the next step, but we have a lot more work to do before we get to full recovery.”

There’s $688 million for equipment and staff to help schools reopen safely and to help students catch up after time lost to remote instruction.

There’s $50 million in childcare business grants because so many workers depend on it.

And there’s 26 million in food assistance.

Another $618 million will go to vaccines and testing to get the coronavirus under control.

Asked when the relief will be in the hands of people and businesses, Democratic leaders say by the end of next month.

House Appropriations Chair Tim Ormsby said, “That is our expectation. This is immediate relief and we’re very serious about that.”

Cox Media Group