On Monday morning, the State House Democratic Caucus released their proposed Biennial Budget for 2017-2019. It raises revenue to fully fund K-12 public education, and doesn’t make big cuts to human service programs. Here are a few highlights:

  • Revenue sources in this budget come from closing the capital gains loophole and increasing the business and occupation tax.
  • Aged, Blind, & Disabled (ABD) cash grant increased from $197 to $227/month, a $30/month increase.
  • Housing & Essential Needs (HEN) program is preserved and a small HEN transportation stipend is created at $10/month.
  • Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) grant for a family of four is increased from $613 to $662/month, a $49/month increase. Asset limit level is increased for value of a vehicle.
  • This budget restores $500k to the Washington State Department of Agriculture’s regional markets (SFDM/F2S).
  • Provides the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction with $26M to help targeted high poverty schools expand access to school breakfast.

Below is a list of important community events for the next half a year:

For more announcements, click here

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