Legislative Update: Week 8

What has the Northwest Harvest Advocacy team been up to in Olympia this week?  

A few quick updates:

• All of our priority bills made it past the fiscal cutoff last Friday, February 24!
• HB 1784 (emergency hunger relief bill) was unanimously voted on by the House this week! Next step for this bill is to be referred to a Senate committee.
• HB 1238 (school meals) was passed out of the House with a strongly bipartisan vote of 93-3! Next step for this bill is to be referred to a Senate committee.
• One of our support agenda bills, HB 1447 (TANF omnibus bill) was also passed out of the House! Next step for this bill is to be referred to a Senate committee.
• On March 1 the Washington state Department of Revenue issued the first direct cash payments – totaling $22.7 million so far – to qualified recipients of the Working Families Tax Credit! As of last week, nearly 100,000 Washington households had applied for the WFTC and more continue to come in daily.
• Lots of media coverage in the last week:
  • This Seattle Times article from February 28 describes the impact of the end of the COVID-era boosts to SNAP benefits that began on March 1. Christina Wong, Director of Public Policy and Advocacy at Northwest Harvest, is quoted and some of the WAFOOD Survey results are also included.
  • This Crosscut article from February 28 also features Christina Wong saying “that sustainably tackling hunger would require a significant and permanent expansion of direct benefits to low-income people.” She cited increasing cash benefits through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), as well as expanding the state’s Working Families Tax Credit.
  • KSTW, local CW news station, featured Northwest Harvest staff on March 1, discussing the end of increased SNAP benefits and low inventory throughout Washington’s food banks.
  • This Seattle Times article from March 2 describes how HB 1238 (school meals) has been amended since its original introduction. Bill sponsor Rep. Marcus Riccelli, D-Spokane, gave a one-word answer when asked why free meals for all students was no longer on the table: “Money.”

Take Action Now!

• If you are authorized to sign in support of bills on behalf of your organization, please take moment to sign a letter encouraging House representatives to pass HB 1678 (dental therapy).
• Sign in PRO for SB 5486 (property tax on extreme wealth) by Thursday, March 9 at 3:00pm: https://bit.ly/pro-wealth-tax-03-23