The Washington State Budget & Policy Center invites you to attend the Budget Matters 2019 Policy Summit on October 2 at the Northwest African American Museum. The annual event will be an opportunity to gather with community members, elected officials, advocates, and more to discuss how the tax code should be a tool to advance racial equity.
Sameth Mell, policy/advocacy manager of the Coalition of Immigrants, Refugees & Communities of Color and an advocate for the Khmer community, will speak on one of the panels, “Getting a seat at the table: What needs to change so that communities of color have a decision-making role in how state revenue is spent.” Brenda Rodriquez Lopez of Central Washington Justice For Our Neighbors and Ramon Torres of Familias Unidas por La Justicia will join Sameth on the panel. All of the speakers on this panel are members of All In For Washington, an organization that centers people of color in Washington’s fight for economic justice.
The other featured panel is called “The illusion of race-neutral tax policy and tax reform movements: Creating a new vision to advance equity within tax policies and tax reform movements.” It features national tax policy and racial justice experts Misha Hill from the Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy and Michael Mitchell from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. In addition, Andy Nicholas from the Washington State Budget & Policy Center will be part of the panel to share findings from a new Budget & Policy Center report on race and taxes.
Artist and facilitator Maketa Wilborn will do graphic recording throughout the summit – and will lead a session that puts together everything learned from the panels.
Logistics and Cost:
Wednesday, October 2, 2019
9:00 AM to 12:30 PM
Northwest African American Museum
Attendees will receive free admission to the Northwest African American Museum galleries.
Individual tickets are $75. For groups of three or more, the rate is $60 per person. The self-select scholarship rate is $25. Registration fees apply.
A light breakfast will be served and catered by Golas Kitchen.
Visit budgetmatters.org for more details and to sign up.