Dear friends and neighbors, 

Time has flown by! We’re over two-thirds of the way through session, and we still have lots to do in these final weeks. Last week, we hit a crucial deadline called the house of origin cutoff. This means bills that didn’t pass in their respective chambers are done for the year. And today is the last day to pass bills from the opposite chamber out of committee and read them into the record on the floor. I’m thrilled to share that several of my bills have passed the Senate and continue to move forward in the House. 

Budget Season  

It’s budget season at the Legislature! The Senate has announced its 2024 capital, operating, and transportation budget proposals. I’m eager to share some of the investments these include. 

Capital Budget 

The capital budget proposal lays the groundwork for critical investments in our state’s physical infrastructure. Here are some highlights from the Senate’s capital budget proposal: 

  • K-12 school construction — The Senate proposal allocates $121.5 million toward K-12 school construction, with a focus on supporting underserved districts, including rural and tribal communities.  
  • Behavioral health — Recognizing the urgent need for comprehensive behavioral health services, the proposal allocates substantial funding for tribal behavioral health facilities and community-based treatment programs. 
  • Affordable housing — Our proposal also allocates $111 million to the Housing Trust Fund, targeting diverse housing needs such as accommodations for people with developmental disabilities, mobile homes, and tiny home villages. 

Some of the investments are specific to our communities here in the 46th: 

  • Northaven green space restoration — A project to rejuvenate green areas disrupted by housing construction, incorporating an outdoor play area for childcare and a cross-block walkway connecting vital amenities. This initiative fosters community engagement, with spaces for intergenerational activities like gardening and volunteering. It also provides areas for music, picnics, and neighborhood gatherings.  
  • UWMC – NW Campus central utility plant planning — UWMC Northwest, opened in 1960 as Northwest Hospital. This project at the University of Washington involves the strategic development and planning of a central utility plant on the Northwest Campus to enhance energy efficiency, reliability, and sustainability to support the university’s operational needs and environmental goals. 

Operating Budget 

The Senate also recently unveiled a $71.7 billion supplemental operating budget plan aimed at bolstering support for crucial areas such as behavioral health and public schools. This supplemental budget, which builds upon the two-year budget passed in April of last year, incorporates approximately $1.9 billion in new spending. Key allocations within the operating budget include: 

  • K-12 education — The proposal dedicates over $242 million in new spending to K-12 schools, with provisions for various essentials such as student meals, special education, and crucial staffing requirements like paraeducators. 

(Meeting with members of the Seattle Education Association) 

  • Behavioral health services — The proposed budget injects nearly $252 million in new spending toward initiatives aimed at transforming the behavioral health system. This includes funding for facilities, staffing, and an additional $36 million sourced from opioid settlement agreements to improve treatment for substance use disorder. 
  • Energy efficiency and climate preparedness — Leveraging funds from the state’s new cap-and-invest program, the budget prioritizes investments in energy efficiency, carbon pollution reduction, and assistance programs to aid low-income families in paying their utility bills. Additionally, it allocates resources to prepare communities for the impacts of climate change, aligning with the Climate Commitment Act. 

Transportation Budget  

Yesterday, the Senate unveiled the 2024 supplemental transportation budget, a $14.6 billion proposal which prioritizes public safety, preservation and maintenance of existing infrastructure, and investments in the ferry system. Here are some of the investments specific to our District: 

  • North Aurora safety improvements — Design and construction of priority improvements along the corridor. Improvements would include new sidewalks, medians/access management, lighting, one or more new signalized crossings, and potential roadway channelization changes. 
  • City of Seattle N 130th St. Roosevelt Way NE — Establishment of a new multimodal corridor by implementing transit speed and reliability, safety, access, and bus stop amenity improvements along NE 130th St., Roosevelt Way NE, and NE 125th.  
  • City of Seattle – Route 40 transit plus multimodal corridor — Transit improvements and multimodal corridor enhancements along King County Metro Route 40. Improvements would include bus priority lanes at various locations, traffic signal optimization and bicycle and pedestrian upgrades 

With both the House and Senate unveiling their proposals for the capital, operating, and transportation budgets, our immediate focus will shift towards negotiation and collaboration. Together with the House, we will strive to reconcile any disparities and craft a final agreement that best serves the needs of Washingtonians. With the session ending on March 7, the coming weeks are bound to be extra busy with activity as we work diligently to ensure a successful outcome. 

Stay in Touch 

Thank you for your continued support and involvement in shaping our state’s policies. We’re almost done with the session, but I hope you’ll continue to stay in touch and let me know about the issues most important to you.  

Follow my official legislative Facebook page and Twitter account.  

As always, please feel free to reach out to my office directly with any questions or concerns. 

Sincerely yours, 

Javier Valdez