Legislative leadership unveils $1.3 billion supplemental capital budget

House and Senate leadership unveiled a $1.3 billion supplemental capital budget Tuesday they say will fund construction projects and infrastructure and make investments in school construction, behavioral health facilities and affordable housing.

In an announcement, Sen. Mark Mullet, D-Issaquah, vice chair of the Senate Ways & Means Committee for the capital budget, said he was “proud” of the budget’s efforts to address schools, behavioral health, and housing issues in the state.

“For me, the highlight is the school construction. While the state won the lawsuit with the Wahkiakum School District, that doesn’t diminish our responsibility to do more to help every kid in every school district have a safe, modern building where they can learn and succeed,” Mullet said. “This is a critical issue to me and I’m proud of what our budget does for students, teachers, and schools.”

If passed, the proposal will increase the support provided by the School Construction Assistance Program from $271 to $375 per square foot, which will provide an additional $79 million for school construction.

The budget includes $68 million for skills centers and other career and technical education facilities and $114 million for the Small District & Tribal Compact School Modernization program.

House Capital Budget Chair Steve Tharinger, D-Port Townsend, said the budget “works with local partners to build projects and create jobs in every corner of the state.”

“It also puts serious funding toward solving two of our biggest challenges: affordable housing and the need for behavioral health facilities,” Tharinger said in a statement.

The budget includes $127.5 million for the Housing Trust Fund and $82.7 million in behavioral health community capacity grants, to build behavioral health care facilities in communities across Washington.

The proposal includes nearly $2 million for the Boys & Girls Club of Lewis County's United Learning Center in Centralia.

The final budget agreement is expected to pass both legislative chambers before the session ends Thursday.