MYNORTHWEST NEWS

House Democrats release $58 billion two-year budget proposal

Mar 26, 2021, 5:18 PM | Updated: 5:55 pm

capitol...

Washington state capitol. (Photo by David Ryder/Getty Images)

(Photo by David Ryder/Getty Images)

House Democrats release a $58 billion two-year budget proposal that focuses on those hit hardest by the pandemic.

The two-year spending plan comes in just shy of the $59 billion Senate version released a day earlier, and largely hits the same priorities with major investments in public health, education, and early learning. It also includes a whopping $1.4 billion to address homelessness and much-needed relief for renters and landlords, according to lead budget writer Rep. Timm Ormsby.

“It is our estimation that we would be able to wipe clean the slate of rental arear going back to the beginning of the pandemic to make everyone whole,” Ormsby said.

Like the Senate, the House budget assumes revenue from a capital gains tax that is used for education, the general fund, and to cover the working families tax credit.

A hearing on the proposed budget is set for Saturday at 9 a.m.

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