By Aaron Allen, The Seattle Medium
As we turn the page on another year, Black legislators in Washington state are ready to begin a legislative session that has a host of issues they are ready to address. Black leaders in the state legislature represent diverse districts as they set their priorities for the 2024 session.
“We have the greatest number of Black legislators in the Washington state legislature in the history of the state at one time,” says Rep. Debra Entenman (47th District). “And there are things that we want to do that will improve the lives of Black people.”
According to Entenman and other Black legislators, issues such as police accountability, homeownership, education, and providing daycare providers pay increases are at the top of the agenda. More importantly, Black legislators say that they are going to work diligently to ensure that all Washingtonians will benefit from the work being done in Congress.
“The Black members caucus is really working hard at doing the work that would benefit everyone and keeping an eye on the prize,” says Entenman. “Key things that would benefit African Americans and African American families across Washington state. We talk about police accountability, talked about access to early childhood education, paying daycare providers more money, that is something Rep. Reeves worked on. I’ve worked on bills around food insecurities.”
Representative Jamila Taylor also believes that the work of the people should include “affordable housing” opportunities that truly reflect the term “affordability” and provide the region with stable and affordable rents and homeownership. Taylor also believes in the notion that childcare is a workforce issue that impacts many families.
“Generally speaking, we have to address our lack of housing,” says Taylor. “Increasing the housing supply, making sure we have stable and affordable rents for folks so they can live near where they work. This may require us to provide more options in the entire housing ecosystem. Everything from very low-income housing all the way to permanent supporting housing and to market rate housing and opportunities.
“Another key issue that we are continually addressing is access to affordable childcare that is a workforce issue that impacts many families. While our economy has been pretty strong even post-pandemic, folks are still struggling day to day,” added Taylor.
In addition, homeownership is considered a key issue that will impact people’s ability to build generational wealth.
“There will be a number of bills that will be coming our way in this short session that are critical for long-term success,” says Taylor.
“We need to discuss homeownership separate for rent and rental housing in terms of affordability,” she added. “What landlords can charge or what they will charge and having a rent stabilization bill that would limit the amount of rental increases every year is going to be important for communities.”
“We talk about people that have to move often because the rent goes up 15, 20, sometimes 30 percent from one lease year to the next that is pushing people out further and further,” says Taylor.
Organizations such as the Washington Budget and Policy Center (WBPC) are pushing an agenda to urge lawmakers to consider issues ranging from taxing the wealthy and corporations, to working families tax credits, to promoting a Guaranteed Basic Income policy and a Baby Bonds Programs as priorities.
According to WBPC, “With revenue projections for the next four years higher than previously estimated, lawmakers can invest more state resources in these building blocks of thriving communities. In doing so, they must prioritize resources for people with low incomes; Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC); undocumented immigrants; and others who have been historically denied economic justice.”
WBPC believes that lawmakers must also increase the impact of the Working Families Tax Credit by ensuring that seniors and young adults without qualifying children can receive the credit. Advance tax reform that promotes economic justice through taxes on Washington’s wealthiest residents and large corporations. This includes passing a wealth tax and increasing the Real Estate Transfer Tax on high-value properties. Revenue generated from these reforms should fund community priorities and address the inequities in Washington’s tax code.
Advance cash assistance policies rooted in trust and autonomy. Lawmakers should pass a Guaranteed Basic Income policy to reduce poverty and improve people’s well-being. They should create a Baby Bonds program (Washington Future Fund), which would help level the playing field for children from families with lower incomes by making a down payment on their future.
“These discretions have been debated by a number of people,” says Entenman. “Guaranteed Basic Income, Baby Bonds program. We collectively need more information on issues like, for example, the baby bond program and how this would work. We need more grassroots works and I am hoping that this would come back when we take the time to inform communities on why we want these bonds.”
WBPC also believes that changes are needed to the recently passed legal financial obligations law to ensure that courts have the ability to eliminate fines and fees debt for juvenile cases. This aligns with Rep. Taylor’s role as the chair of the Civil Rights Judiciary, which oversees the court systems.
A very important commitment that the Washington State legislature is enacting is climate change. Rep. Entenman is a firm backer and promotes the impact and benefits the people of the state can look forward to when it comes to the Climate Commitment Act that will reduce carbon emissions and other pollutants as well as provide a reparative solution to communities that have been negatively affected by climate change.
“The Climate Commitment Act to reduce carbons and other pollutants, and it is supposed to have a reparative component,” Entenman explains. “Where communities that have been impacted will somehow have a remedy which will include things like better air conditioning, heat pumps, and affordable ways to heat your home, also including green jobs all these things that we are trying to do in our state legislature and if you look at the national level some of these things are being worked on as well.”
“So, we are trying to ensure that everyone has those opportunities. Underrepresented people, people of color, people who have been left behind will see a benefit from this bill,” Entenman concluded.