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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
We're at the end of Week 2 of the legislative session. Here are some of the big issues of interest to the 44th District:
TRANSPORTATION: Getting congestion relief dollars for Snohomish County is a top priority. The governor included very little in his transportation budget; Snohomish County lawmakers will fight for more. I'm also working on several reforms to the state Transportation Department. And I'm working to stop an increase on HOV lanes from two riders per-vehicle to three — this proposal could seriously disrupt your commutes and carpool arrangements.
EDUCATION: Fully funding K-12 education is a top priority. For the past three decades, Olympia has shortchanged our schools at the expense of other government growth. Now we need to prioritize funding for K-12, and also improve the quality of our education system with meaningful reforms that support our teachers and our students.
BUDGET: State government is taking in nearly $3 billion in additional revenue going into this budget cycle — that's an 8.6 percent increase. We have enough to fund current obligations. Yet the governor wants a $1.4 billion tax hike on top of all that. I consider that excessive and unnecessary. Let's try to make do with what we have first.
Do you have questions, comments or concerns about these topics or anything else? Let me know! My contact information is at the bottom of this update. I welcome your feedback.
Sincerely,
Mark Harmsworth
