— from Governor Inslee’s Office —
With just one month left of the legislative session, legislators will begin negotiations on a new two-year state budget. The House released their budget proposal on Monday and the Senate released their proposal on Friday.
College students turned out in force Monday at the Capitol for the Student Engagement Day and told compelling stories about why the legislators should support the governor’s priority education bills. They wore green scarvesto show support for Washington College Promise (currently called Washington State Need Grant), which would guarantee financial aid to eligible students.
The Senate and House passed a bill that raises the legal minimum purchasing age for tobacco and vape products from 18 to 21 years old. Gov. Jay Inslee plans to sign the bill soon, which will make Washington the ninth state to enact a tobacco purchasing age restriction. Attorney General Bob Ferguson and the Department of Health have worked on this proposal for several years saying it will prevent more young people from being exposed to the risks of tobacco and nicotine products.
The Legislature also quickly passed Affordable Care Act protections this week. The bill action came in response to the Trump administration’s decision to support full repeal of healthcare for millions of Americans. The bill will requires the law to honor existing consumer protections and essential patient coverage in Washington.
Finally, legislators took action on all the governor’s requested behavioral health bills this week and kept them moving to the next step. The four key bills aim to transform Washington’s mental health system. You can read more about them on the governor’s Medium page.
And for a throwback to end the week, Washington State Archives tweeted a photo of Capitol Building construction in 1925 (below).
