Hello friends and neighbors,
We are just one day away from the 32nd District telephone town hall! Please join us tomorrow, Tuesday, March 21, at 6:30 p.m. to talk about what is happening this year in Olympia. Together with Reps. Cindy Ryu and Lauren Davis, we will share our legislative priorities, provide an update on where legislation stands and answer your questions on the issues that matter to you, your family and our community.
Click HERE to register for the live event.
Then, click on the 32nd LD Telephone Town Hall on March 21, 2023, @ 6:30 PM PDT.
You will be asked to enter your first and last name, phone number and email address to sign up.
Once signed up, you will be set to receive a call at the number you entered at the time of the event. (Please note that you must sign up a minimum of one hour before the event’s start time to be included.)
You can also call in by dialing 877-229-8493. When prompted, enter PIN 116285.
Budget News
Over the next few weeks, we will see Senate and House proposals introduced for new biennium state budgets. These budgets will fund everything from transportation and public health to environmental protection and public schools. Budget leaders from both chambers will then negotiate final operating, capital and transportation budgets before the Legislature adjourns on April 23. The governor will then review the passed budgets, make decisions on any vetoes and sign them into law. The new two-year budgets take effect on July 1.
The state capital budget funds billions of dollars in affordable housing, school construction, land preservation, infrastructure and much more. The capital budget is an essential component of the legislature’s work to address Washington’s affordable housing crisis, and this year’s budget is expected to set a record for the largest ever investment in the state’s Housing Trust Fund.
One of my requests for this year’s capital budget is $2 million for the construction of affordable housing to meet the housing needs of families in our community. We know it takes a combination of affordable housing and support services to give struggling families the opportunity to succeed and become self-sufficient. We want to do the right thing, which is to support our students and families while keeping them in the community and providing them an opportunity to have a safe and stable home.
My operating budget this year includes requests that reflect additional priorities of our community and state. These requests include funding to increase the help for Ukrainian refugees, funding to restore the salmon and orca population in our waters, and studies to help us identify and mitigate the possible breaching of the lower Snake River dams.
Stay tuned for more updates in the coming weeks as we receive more information on what requests are being negotiated.
Contact Me
Thank you to everyone who has reached out! I appreciate your feedback and enjoy hearing from you and about your interests and concerns for the session. Send me an email at jesse.salomon@leg.wa.gov or give me a call at 360-786-7662. You can also follow me on Facebook for regular updates throughout the coming months.
We’ll “see” you tomorrow at our telephone town hall to talk about how we can better serve our community!
Sincerely yours,
Jesse Salomon
