Braun: Senate budget proposals include $70 million for Lewis County area

The Washington state Senate unanimously passed its proposed supplemental transportation budget on Friday afternoon. 

The budget includes some of the more than $70 million in funding for transportation and capital improvements in Lewis County and the surrounding region proposed by the Washington state Senate.

Funding totals are not final. After passage of both budget bills in both houses, the state Senate and House of Representatives will begin negotiations to reconcile their proposals. 

According to a news release from Senate Minority Leader Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia, the Senate's budget proposals for the capital and transportation budgets would help Lewis County priorities in flood response, public school updates and improvements to Interstate 5 through Lewis County. 

“These investments reflect the priorities I hear about every day across the 20th District, centered around improving our local infrastructure and quality of life,” Braun stated in a news release. “When we work together and focus on practical needs, we can deliver results.”

Braun added that the capital budget bill includes roughly $1.54 million in funding for the Carlisle Lake Dam in Onalaska. Members of that community, including Onalaska High School aquaculture program director Kevin Hoffman and the Onalaska Alliance, requested funding for repairs to the dam during a pre-session meeting late last year. 

Of the $70 million across the two proposed budgets, just under $14 million comes from the Senate’s proposed supplemental capital budget. The funding is split between more than seven capital projects within the county. 

Here is a list of the proposed project funding

• $30,000 for Southwest Washington Fairgrounds surface and drainage improvement 
• $270,000 for the Yacolt Community Center
• $1.545 million for flood response
• $6 million for Green Mountain School construction 
• $40,000 for Napavine school planning
• $4.2 million for the Family Forest Fish Passage Program
• $5,000 for the Port of Woodland

Of the $70 million total across the two budgets, approximately $56.5 million will go to transportation projects and maintenance costs. The funding contributes to six individual projects. 

Here is a list of the proposed funding:

• $2.393 million for improvements to the I-5 corridor through Lewis County
• $25.63 million for improvements to the I-5 corridor through Southwest Washington
• $4.023 million for regional transit grants
• $1.205 million for the public transportation ride share program
• $580,000 for the Twin Transit e-transit station
• $14.188 million for North Lewis County Industrial Access through “Connecting Washington”

“Our communities send tax dollars to Olympia with the expectation that we’ll invest them wisely,” Braun stated in the release. “These projects address public safety, transportation and economic development needs that matter to families and employers in our district. I’m hopeful that they will remain in the final versions.”