Inslee speaks to state’s status in annual address
January 15, 2016
Washington State Governor Jay Inslee took to the podium Tuesday night to give his annual State of the State address, touting Washington as a “State of Confidence,” citing growth in the economy, education and public transportation.
Inslee laid out his four-step plan to solve issues facing the state after the eventful past year; promising to take action by March 10 on what he called a teacher shortage, as well as reparations of damage caused by the summer’s wildfires. Investments in mental health services and early education were also included in the governor’s 60-day plan.
To recruit more teachers, Inslee said he plans on proposing a raise of beginning salary and a minimum one percent rise for existing teachers’ salaries to retain current educators.
“It also increases funding for our teacher mentoring program, so teachers in their first or second year on the job have the support they need and don’t end up leaving the profession, which half are doing,” said Inslee, during his speech.
To address the $180 million in damage done by one million acres of burned land in Eastern Washington – including more than 300 homes destroyed – Inslee has proposed using the state’s Budget Stabilization Account, which he said was a perfect use of the reserve funding.
Inslee said budget cuts made during the Recession made services unavailable to the state’s most vulnerable citizens. His 2016 proposal, he said, would fund four new 16-bed crisis facilities along with three new mobile teams to assist people in need across the state.
“It is not acceptable to let people with severe mental illness languish in our emergency rooms and jails,” said Inslee.
Inslee also plans on establishing a framework in 2016 for a fully-funded basic education package in 2017. A bipartisan group of legislators met to help Inslee with what he calls the most complex part of the K-12 financing plan, he said.
Following his 60-day plan explanation, Inslee laid out more goals to be addressed in the non-immediate future. Included was an initiative to raise the minimum wage to $13.50 over four years, starting in 2017.
He also discussed a planned executive order to expand on the background check system approved by voters in 2014 using data-driven solutions. A statewide Suicide Prevention Plan will also be implemented, and Inslee stressed the need for leaders in technology to help devise innovative solutions to the issue of gun violence.
According to the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, Washington State ranked No. 11 of states with the lowest number of gun deaths per capita.
Reporting by Shane Michard