— from Governor Inslee’s Office —
The state’s economy continues to grow and the Office of Financial Management released new projections this week that tell legislators how much revenue the state will be receiving. The state’s revenue forecast for the 2017–2019 budget increased by $307 million since the governor released his budget in December. Following the updated forecast, House and Senate budget writers are expected to release their budget proposals next week.
Legislators also held two hearings this week on broadband bills, which would expand affordable and more resilient broadband service. The Everett Herald wrote an editorial saying broadband is a utility that needs to be available to everyone. You can read more about the governor’s initiative to offer broadband access across the state on the governor’s Medium site.
The bill that would create Washington College Promise, which would guarantee financial aid to eligible students, had a hearing Tuesday in the House. You can hear from a University of Washington student about how receiving financial aid changed her life on the College Promise Coalition’s YouTube channel.
Washington State Archives tweeted what the House Chamber desks looked like in 1965 before computers stepped in. In honor of Women’s History Month, Archives also tweeted a photo of the first two women elected to the state Legislature – see if you can find them seated in the sea of male legislators.
