Senate budgets good for Spokane

The Senate unveiled its two-year operating, capital and transportation budgets, and there is great news for Spokane and surrounding communities in all three of them.

Operating

• WWAMI/RIDE: $11.2 million to establish extensions of the University of Washington schools of medicine and dentistry in Spokane. The medical school extension will educate 20 first-year medical students each year in cooperation with Washington State University and will result in an 80-student expansion of the medical school in the next four years. The dental school expansion will educate eight first-year dental students each year in cooperation with Eastern Washington University and will result in a 24-student expansion during the next four years.
• WSU applied science laboratory: $3.5 million to promote the development of the Spokane-based lab into a strong, self-sustaining research organization.
• Eastern Washington State Veterans Cemetery: $206,000 (plus $7.8 million in the capital budget) for a total of about $8 million.
• Child advocacy centers: $1 million, some of which will go to Spokane’s Partners with Families and Children.
• Spokane area water rights: $795,000 to clarify water rights by mapping and documenting rights, assessing information system needs, enhancing water source metering and reporting, and consulting with local interests to determine whether to proceed with water right adjudication.
• Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute: $3.3 million.
• Community colleges job skills programs: $5.45 million.

Capital

• Spokane East Central Community Center: $150,000 for a new garage for the center’s vans.
• Spokane Emmanuel Center: $470,000 for this center, which will provide day care, classes, computers and a food bank in southeast Spokane.
• Spokane Northeast Community Center: $1 million for design work to expand medical, youth and child care services.
• Fox Theater: $2 million for continued renovations to this historic art deco landmark.
• Fish Lake Trail: $2 million this scenic biking and hiking trail near downtown Spokane.
• Spokane Valley Community Center and Food Bank: $260,000.
• Spokane YWCA/YMCA Joint Project: $2.5 million for this new downtown facility.
• YMCA of the Inland Northwest: $800,000 for this planned facility.
• Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture: $1 million for work, including a security system update.
• NATIVE Project, community wellness center: $375,000 to renovate and expand this west-central area facility, which provides alcohol and drug treatment and counseling for adolescents.
• The Salvation Army: $275,000 for a Family Services Resource Center.
• Spokane Whitewater Park: $530,000 for water access.
• Eastern Washington State Historical Society: $1.26 million for various improvements and maintenance projects.
• Spokane Community College: $6.21 million for various maintenance projects.

Transportation

• North Spokane Corridor: $99 million for the continuation of the vital project.
• Rail car transloader facility: $4.2 million.
• Downtown streetcars: about $300,000.
• Regional rail, air and road transportation hub study: $250,000.

All three budgets passed the Senate on Saturday, March 30. We will now negotiate with the House of Representatives on a compromise, which we plan to adopt before we leave town April 22.

Moms Rising: Paid family leave

On Thursday, I attended a rally in support of the Senate’s paid family leave measure organized by MomsRising.org.

Surrounded by an impressive display of more than 300 baby onesies and some adorable children, I was reminded of when I came to the Senate 15 years ago, when my son was the age of one of the rally attendees.

Five times $250 might not seem like much, but it can mean the critical difference to those struggling to put food on the table for the rest of their family. And studies show that paid parental leave results in better pre- and postnatal care and lower accident rates the first year of life.

While the bill, which would also apply to those needing to care for an ailing family member, made it through the full Senate, I am sorry to report it is on life support in the House.

But we are not giving up, and I encourage you to contact your representatives in the House to tell them how important it is to you that this family-friendly bill continues to move through the process.

Stay tuned for next week’s edition.

Sincerely,
Lisa

Return to Sen. Brown's home page