WA Senate pitches new spending for school construction, housing and 2026 World Cup
Elementary schoolchildren, unhoused residents, electric vehicle owners and soccer fans are all covered in the Washington Senate’s capital budget proposal.
Budget writers on Thursday released their $1.3 billion plan, which funds construction and infrastructure projects across the state. It includes new money for affordable housing, K-12 schools and behavioral health facilities, with increases of more than $100 million in each of those areas.
Nearly half the money in the plan comes from the state’s new auction of air pollution allowances to businesses with carbon emissions. A looming Republican-backed initiative to repeal the Climate Commitment Act threatens to jeopardize these funds in the future.
Lawmakers proposed pushing back the start of some new climate projects until January 2025, in case voters approve the initiative in November.
https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2024/02/15/wa-senate-pitches-new-spending-for-school-construction-housing-and-2026-world-cup/