Rep. Ramel | Keeping Washington strong. Proposed budgets are live

||| FROM THE OFFICE OF REP. ALEX RAMEL |||

Thank you to everyone who joined our telephone town hall and our community town hall earlier this month! I appreciate you taking the time to attend, call in, listen, and engage in a meaningful discussion on the issues that matter most to our communities.

If you didn’t get a chance to ask your question or have additional thoughts, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our office. You can also listen to our telephone town hall on YouTube. En caso de que se lo haya perdido: Este es el archivo de audio de la reunión comunitaria telefónica del Distrito Legislativo 40 celebrada el miércoles 26 de marzo con la Senadora Estatal Liz Lovelett, la Representante Estatal Debra Lekanoff y el Representante Estatal Alex Ramel.

Protecting Essential Services Amid Economic Challenges

Earlier this week, we released our 2025-2027 operating budget, a responsible and balanced plan that protects vital services while addressing the economic challenges facing Washington families. We know that people rely on essential programs like education, healthcare, childcare, and food assistance, and we are committed to maintaining those investments even as we navigate a slowing economy and federal policy changes.

Despite revenue shortfalls, our budget ensures that teacher salaries remain untouched, childcare providers continue to receive critical support, and food assistance programs stay in place for seniors, families, and students. Housing and homelessness services remain a priority, with $117 million dedicated to keeping shelter beds open and $93 million allocated to maintain emergency food programs at current levels. We are also continuing to fund behavioral health services, tribal healthcare, and programs to combat substance use disorder, recognizing that these investments are essential to the well-being of our communities.

To maintain funding for these essential services, we are proposing a fairer tax system that asks the wealthiest Washingtonians and biggest corporations to contribute their fair share. Our revenue proposal includes a Financial Intangible Assets Tax, which would apply to stocks, bonds, and other financial assets, with the first $50 million in assessed value exempt; everyone with less than $50 million in assets would be fully exempt. We are also seeking adjustments to property tax growth limits and a revised Business & Occupation tax structure to ensure stable funding for schools, public safety, and other critical services.

We remember the lessons of the Great Recession and refuse to balance the budget on the backs of working families and the most vulnerable people in our communtiy. Instead of harmful, across-the-board cuts, we are taking a responsible approach that preserves Washington’s safety net and upholds our values. You can watch the public hearing on our budget proposal here.

Investing in WA’s Transportation Future

As a member of the House Transportation Committee, I am proud of the responsible and forward-thinking budget we’ve put forward earlier this week. Our transportation system is the backbone of Washington’s economy and daily life, and this proposal prioritizes safety, preservation, and key investments while acknowledging the funding challenges we face.  With $4 billion in additional revenue, we are making critical investments to maintain our roads, improve ferry reliability, and remove fish passage barriers to protect salmon. We’re also advancing safety projects that will make our streets safer for all users. However, balancing this budget required tough choices. Some highway construction projects and multimodal investments will see delays, but our commitment to a strong and sustainable transportation system remains unwavering. In particular, the House transportation budget maintains all of our prior commitments to ferry service restoration, including workforce development, funding for the additional watch for the winter schedule on the San Juans Interisland route, and includes an additional $300 million to ensure that we can meet our commitment to building new vessels despite rising costs. We know that transportation funding is an ongoing challenge, but we are committed to finding long-term solutions that ensure Washingtonians have safe, reliable, and accessible infrastructure.

With only twenty-nine days remaining in the 2025 legislative session, I encourage you to stay engaged and share your thoughts. Together, we can continue to build on our historic achievements towards a state that works for everyone.