Lawmakers announce agreement on state’s next two-year spending plan

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Lawmakers announced an agreement on Washington state’s next two-year spending plan on Saturday.

The final price tag is $69.3 billion. That’s up almost $5 billion in spending but still leaves $3 billion in total reserves. The largest chunk will be $3 billion toward kindergarten through 12th-grade education.

But this year, lawmakers added more than $500,000 of new money to address the state behavioral health challenges.

In a news release, the Washington State Legislature said the budget will fund “critical state services, including behavioral health, public schools, affordable housing, and a historic investment to address the climate crisis.”

“Our new budget investments reflect the needs we see in communities across the state,” said Senator Christine Rolfes, chair of the Senate Ways & Means Committee. “People want strong schools, safe communities, affordable housing, climate action, and an innovative economy. This is a responsible spending plan that will improve lives and move our state forward.”

A total of $519 million will go toward housing and the needs of people experiencing homelessness across the state.

Governor Inslee put up a brief reaction on Twitter saying:

“This year we needed to go big on housing, and that’s exactly what legislators did. In the next two years, we’ll invest more than $1 billion for housing and emergency shelter all across WA.”

For the full spending plan go here.

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