Madeleine Hagen reports.
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OLYMPIA, Wash. — “I can proudly report to you, this, the state of our state, is strong,” Washington Governor Jay Inslee said on Tuesday afternoon.
For the first time since the start of the pandemic, Governor Inslee hosted the State of the State in person in Olympia, where he announced ambitious goals to tackle issues throughout Washington.
Inslee spent the opening of his speech discussing improvements to behavioral health access and treatment across the state and then dove into the homelessness crisis affecting many parts of Washington.
Inslee cited behavioral health and drug addiction as a small part of the problem, adding it’s mostly caused by a lack of affordable housing.
“This is why I’m proposing a $4 billion referendum that will significantly speed up the construction of thousands of new units that will include shelters, supportive housing and affordable housing,” he said.
Inslee said the state is $81,000 units to keep a roof over residents heads.
“Let’s go big, let’s get this done this session,” Inslee said as applause erupted.
He also touched on climate change and clean energy efforts throughout Washington.
“We’ve passed several landmark policies that are transitioning us to clean transportation to clean electricity to clean buildings,” he said.
We’ve heard Inslee discuss electric ferries and even school buses as a solution.
He even gave the Tri-Cities a shoutout for the planned research facility in conjunction with WSU Tri-Cities.
“And it was just fantastic to go over to the Tri-Cities to talk about the potential for a new institute for Northwest Energy futures and Washington State University,” he said.
Last year, Inslee and Attorney General Bob Ferguson introduced proposed gun control laws.
One would require buyers to go through safety training. Another would hold gun manufacturers accountable for wrongdoing.
Inslee also discussed the need for more law enforcement officers across the state.
“These new facilities will allow us to train hundreds more recruits and help law enforcement agencies recruit people from within their diverse communities,” a regional training center is planned for Pasco.
It’s going to be a busy year in Olympia, with a lot to accomplish, but Governor Inslee is sure of one thing.
“That democracy is today intact in Washington state.”
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COPYRIGHT 2023 BY YAKTRINEWS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.
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