Both the House and Senate of the Washington State Legislature have introduced their respective budget proposals and will be deliberating and negotiating potential cuts and new revenue sources over the coming weeks in order to pass a biennial budget.
The following is a statement from Guillermo Rogel Jr., Legislative and Government Relations Advocate at Front and Centered:
“When financial challenges arise, social programs—especially those serving overburdened communities—are often the first to face devastating cuts. We’ve seen this pattern time and again, from the 2008 recession to the COVID-19 pandemic, and now, once again, in this current legislative session. At stake are vital protections and services for communities across Washington state disproportionately impacted by climate change, environmental hazards, and systemic inequities.
“Over the past three years, Front and Centered has urged the state legislature to uphold its commitment to the Healthy Environment for All (HEAL) Act and the environmental justice provisions in the Climate Commitment Act by ensuring direct funding for overburdened communities. While progress has been made, this year presents a troubling shift. Instead of explicitly prioritizing these communities in the budget, we see language and funding designations removed—putting at risk the state’s obligation to allocate 35% of funds, with a 40% goal, to those who need it most. Without these investments, the communities most vulnerable to climate change will be left without the resources to prepare for and respond to its growing impacts.
“Over the next 30 days of the legislative session, we will work alongside our coalition partners in an effort to restore funding for key programs like the HEAL Capacity Grant, Participatory Budgeting, statewide community assemblies, and ClimeTime, a program to ensure educators receive essential climate science training and empower students to tackle real-world climate challenges.
“The state cannot afford to delay these investments. The legislature has both a responsibility and a mandate to uphold its commitment to overburdened communities—and we will hold them accountable. The legislature and Governor Ferguson also have an opportunity to stand up for climate and environmental justice at a moment when science and communities are under attack from the federal administration.”
