Organization Sign-On Letter

The Honorable Governor Jay Inslee

The Honorable Speaker of the House Laurie Jinkins

The Honorable Senate Majority Leader Andy Billig

The Honorable Senator Christine Rolfes, Chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee

The Honorable Representative Timm Ormbsy, Chair of the House Appropriations Committee

The Honorable Representative Noel Frame, Chair of the House Finance Committee

Dear Governor Inslee, Speaker Jinkins, Majority Leader Billig, Senator Rolfes, Representatives Ormsby and Frame: 

As you know, the people of Washington are struggling.

Businesses are trying to stay afloat, over one million people have filed for unemployment, and thousands more are relying on state assistance. Every day, people are making difficult choices: going to work and putting their health at risk, finding a new job in a recession, or juggling online learning for children while working from home.

Moreover, Black, Indigenous, and people of color are feeling both the health and economic effects of the pandemic most acutely. They are becoming ill and dying at higher rates than whites while also losing health care and jobs.

As legislative leaders, you have a choice in how to help all Washingtonians and our economy recover.

We, the undersigned, have come together to ask that you keep resources flowing to our communities so we can recover stronger and faster. 

• Use federal aid as a bridge to avoid deep cuts to the state budget in the short term. 
• Find long-term solutions to make sure that our economic recovery is equitable, takes care of all Washingtonians, and continues services that people depend on. 
• Avoid regressive taxes. Low- and middle-income families already pay more than their fair share in taxes. We need permanent solutions that build a more equitable tax structure.
• Ask the wealthy few and profitable corporations to pay more in taxes. Those that have done well in Washington should do right by Washington.

There are lessons you can apply from the last recession. States that avoided deep cuts to their state budgets — like Oregon and California — and kept money flowing to communities recovered faster. At the same time, Washington slashed programs, laid off employees, and set families – especially people of color – back. Consequently, it took our economy much longer to recover. 

Economists believe the best response to this recession is to increase long-term investments in education, health care, infrastructure, and economic security. 

Washingtonians agree. Over 55% of those polled in April said they support either new taxes or increasing existing taxes to fund services, and 63% favor raising taxes on the wealthiest households that can most afford it to kick start the economy and support workers and families. 

We call on you to rebuild an economy where all of us, no matter what we look like or where we live, can thrive.

Signed: