As an elected official I will represent my constituents wishes on any and all issues and above those of special interests. Tragically I believe the impacts of COVID will exceed those of the 08' recession as we look at evictions and foreclosures from US Congressional failures. Money and from where will bring big issues.

However the recipients must be WA State residents who have grown up in WA only that include the constituents of mine and other districts equally represented. I am concerned about limited time residents coming here to scarf up resources I believe should assist our residents children only.

I believe we should be treated all equally and fix any part of our government that fails to recognize that fact that has made our nation great. I do believe there has been a divide of less middle class families pushed towards poverty but that is occurring irrespective of race in my region where minimum wage is the often a guide to general pay rather than abilities determining higher pay and a business able and willing to pay higher wages. Simply discrimination is not something I will advocate and regardless of claimed justifications.

Clearly with the UW Higher Education medical training facility in my District we should make it a win-win for residents and students alike in attaining the education and assisting others throughout the process. Further we need to make the desire to practice medicine more desirable and limiting liability of trained professionals to practice there developing expertise with oversight should help with that goal in the long term. Our State offers various medical coverage and perhaps should offer even more to our residents and to save far more in the long run.

Yes last time there was too large of cuts.

Students and parents may have a much harder time paying the existing tuition and costs. Unfortunately, the higher education system will be subject to cost cutting to the tune of at least 25%.

The increased business and operating tax damages small businesses and results in more small businesses failing especially in this covid environment where many of them have been closed for 5 months. Maybe we should raise taxes on some essential services like Marijuana, alcohol and cigarettes to pay for this program.

Your chart shows that 34% of blacks who make $129000 per year default on their student loans. I question the validity of your question as we have a unique and quality education system in this state. Those who find it difficult to pay for college usually go to a Community College for their first two years and then with student loans and grants go to one of our Universities for their third and fourth year. Any person may choose to educate through the system and yes, we can help them out.

They need the support. Unfortunately, the governor decided in flattening the curve, the curve that never happened. If real science was involved we would have made adjustments when we realized the panicked response to Covid was over doing it. The medical center should have reopened with precautions. Knowing that UW was part of the panic forecasting I find it difficult to come up with a financial solution that the university helped cause.

We are dealing with multiple crisis: COVID, inequities and racism. But austerity now will exacerbate the impacts for low and middle-income students and lead to longer recovery time.

Previous comments

Would need more information to form an opinion

"Fair share" will be difficult to determine, and no one will be happy with the budget.

Given that the funding is based, in part, on business tax revenue, the intended recipients should plan accordingly, and not expect a further increase in tax rates.

All state supported organizations need to be cognizant that the revenue picture of February 202 no longer exists, and expectations need to be realistic.

Yes, I will. We learned in the last recession these kinds of cuts do not work, and with that knowledge in mind we will have to look elsewhere to make up for the deficit. I have been a long-time believer in the value of quality education, and that we need to make obtaining that education easier, not more difficult. If we are to ever work for equity and social justice, education is the key element that is needed. Rising tuition has made the promise of a good education impossible for many Washington residents, and I will work to make education more accessible.

Yes, we will still be committed to WEIA. While it is true the financial crisis has impacted businesses, and therefore revenue sources for this program, we will work to keep it funded as intended.

Yes I do. Education is the long term solution for equity and social justice.

Yes, I will work with my colleagues to find a solution for UW Medicine, because their role as an education center and medical center, are both high priorities at this time.

I commit to seeking progressive revenue avenues to pay for investments in essential programs, services, and housing. We are facing an $8+ billion budget shortfall due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and this will be the biggest issue that we must address in order to move our progressive values forward. Most groups are going to be working hard to ensure their priorities and efforts don't get defunded as we work to shore up resources. Working to prevent cuts to critical services starts with closing tax loopholes, and I am committed to being vigilant in doing that more so than I've seen happen in years passed. This session should be bad news for well-funded lobby groups, and not those working to provide basic needs and support our most vulnerable. We need to prioritize our people, families, workers and the vulnerable so they are healthy, housed, safe, and have the necessary financial resources to be active partners in helping our small businesses, regional industries, and overall economic recovery. As we continue to face budget shortfalls and a regressive tax system, finding new sources of funding will be one of our biggest issues and challenges going forward. While an income tax would be more equitable, I am in favor of revenue sources like a Capital Gains Tax, a Carbon Tax, anti-speculation taxes, or a state tax similar to the Tax Excessive CEO Pay Act. The ability to purchase stocks, bonds, commercial real estate properties, or start a business takes an investment that is often only available for those with existing wealth. Those individuals’ ability to take their gains and continue building assets simply continues to consolidate individual wealth, taking from communities as a whole and giving very little back. A capital gains tax helps put all our people back into the economic system and gives everyone the opportunity to climb the economic ladder and find the American Dream. To me, these things are common sense, but the Carbon Tax failed and the Capital Gains Tax continues to face barriers. I am committed to strategically moving these items forward in the years to come and I hope you can help me identify the best methods for shifting opposing opinions and helping communicate the overall benefits to our regional and statewide voter populations.

100 percent, yes!

Until the full impact of the budget is known, it would not be realistic to commit to this, although not our of the question

And yet, if we were to move to a state based single payer, universal healthcare plan like SB 5222 that would save our state 9 billion dollars a year over what we all already pay every year for healthcare, we would not have to worry about any budget shortfalls.

See comment from the previous question.

Again, see comment from question #1.

If we want to come out of this COVID-19 recession stronger than we went into it, we will need the graduates our institutions of higher learning produce. Covid-19 is not a problem we can cut our way out of.

The WEIA helps to ensure that students, who need a helping hand, are able to access higher education. It is paramount that we maintain low income and middle income family’s ability to access higher education.

Yes! The only way we will be able to encourage economic mobility, is if we address equity gaps in our education system. When elected I will be strong advocate to make sure programs addressing equity gaps are funded.

UW Medicine every day is working to help our nation overcome this pandemic. As a former nurse I understand how important institutions like UW Medicine are to the health of our state. When I am elected I will work to find financial solutions, so UW Medicine can up the work it is doing.

The need for budget cuts will require management with a scalpel, not a sledge-hammer. Higher education is a path to training and jobs that will help emerge us from this pandemic, and it should receive proportionate funding.

While cuts may be unavoidable across our economic spectrum, programs that prepare students for STEM fields should be prioritized for funding, as they facilitate the jobs and training that allow us to manage our evolving health, tech, and environmental crises.

As a physician, I see the disparate effects of Covid-19 throughout our state as directly related to a community's ability to access providers and to the resources providers have to care for families. Medical training has never been more crucial, and it now encompasses care provision, public health, and community leadership. UW as our state's academic medical center depends on policies that allow it to optimally train both providers and scientists in an evolving healthcare landscape.

Having high-quality public universities is a point of pride for our state and for good reason. I will not let that suffer as a result of COVID-19. While we will certainly have tough choices to make in the state budget, we should not let those decisions disproportionately impact higher education

I will make every attempt to ensure that the funding commitments from the WEIA remain in place and fully-funded.

Equal access to education is a necessity to correct for centuries of racial oppression and help our neighbors of color achieve the economic justice they deserve. So-called “color blind” policies in education have failed to deliver sufficient positive results, and we know from experience that people of color suffer the most during economic downturns. We owe it to our state and to our neighbors to make intentional efforts to correct these gaps once and for all.

At a time when we need all hands on deck to fight the COVID-19 crisis, we cannot afford to let budget shortfalls hit our state’s premier medical institution

I told them this would happen, I will not vote for any B&O increase.

Have to see the proposed solution.

This is a more complex issue than just money. How many of the disadvantaged children are from single parent homes? We need to be tackling the root issue.

UW Medicine along with all of the healthcare in Washington State is suffering due to the restrictions placed upon them by Jay Inslee. We need to be looking at relief for all sectors of healthcare, not just UW Medicine.

In the face of our budget shortfall, I am committed to reviewing the decisions made during the Great Recession and their long term impacts, so that we can learn from our mistakes. We must rebuild our economy to work for everyone- young students, working families, students who have decided to return to higher education.

I will look at all budget decisions from the standpoint of how we can rebuild our economy to work for everyone. Maintaining access to aid and programs that prepare students for jobs right here in Washington are critical for our families, and I will work to maintain those programs.

Education is a fundamental tool to address equity and economic gaps in our communities. When considering all budget decisions, I am committed to using a racial equity lens by engaging community in the decision-making process, identifying who will benefit or be burdened from a decision, and examining unintended consequences. From there I will work to ensure vulnerable populations are not overburdened by our decisions and mitigate for unintended consequences. Work at our public universities to address inequitable higher education policies are important for our BIPOC communities. As a first generation college graduate and an alumni of University of Washington’s American Ethnic Studies Department, it will be a great honor to use that education to give back to Washington State’s next generation in a meaningful way.

“Each legislator or candidate for office has their specific issues. I am no exception…. higher education is not on [my] list. I feel there are many legislators who know this subject much better than I, and through listening and learning, I will educate myself on this very important topic. If you are wondering whether or not I believe the state should provide free higher education opportunities for everyone – I do not. I believe the state has a responsibility to provide an excellent public school K-12 education. After graduation, the individual should decide whether to further their education and where – but not at the taxpayer’s expense. The pandemic has brought the state to its knees and its senses. There just is not enough money through taxation of individuals and businesses to pay for the hundreds of millions, if not billions, it will take for a free higher education and still do all the other things government does for everyone, not just a very select group of people.”

WEIA is likely to face significant reduction in funding due to this economic downturn. Now is the time to work with local businesses to invest in our students either through state aid, corporate internships, business apprenticeships or corporate aid programs that help prepare students for jobs.

The wealth gap will not decrease until we make access to opportunities in higher education equitable and have strong outcomes that improve our economy.

As Senator, I will work to support financial solutions for UW Medicine. Please visit my website: helenpricejohnson.org for more information about my experience as an elected official, campaign issues and legislative priorities.

Yes, absolutely. I am against austerity cuts to the budget. Washington state's higher education system is one of the most important of our public institutions. I will pursue progressive mechanisms for creating new funding sources.

Higher education is instrumental to closing the equity gap and also economic disparities experienced by BIPOC and low income individuals.

Funding higher education is a matter of equity. Our state’s constitution holds a promise to prioritize funding education foremost, and yet, Washington consistently fails on this promise-- both in k-12 as well as in higher education. I will work to ensure that higher education does not bear budget cuts, because instead of navigating where to cut education based on proposed austerity budgets, I will be working to overhaul our state’s tax system to bring in the revenue that we need to robustly fund education. To do this, I will legislate in support of a WA state income tax as well as a state-earned income tax credit. Equitable access to higher education will be paramount to realizing economic equity, as part of the path towards racial equity, both of which must reside on the pathway towards environmental justice. We need innovation, and we need the folks who will be most impacted by our nation’s looming health, environmental, science, and technological crises to be centered in the spaces of higher education, so that they/we can lead the way forward.

Absolutely, and then some. The Washington Education Investment Act is the gateway to higher education for so many who have been systematically left out of this deeply gate-kept life experience, and the privileges that higher education offers. Further, Washington’s WEIA is a more open version than seen in other states which meets students where they’re at. I support this. Further, Microsoft is one tech company who has gone on the books stating that they should pay more into this fund as they benefit disproportionately from this program, adding value to their corporation when they onboard these advanced hires. Thus, I propose we not only maintain, but tap outrageously wealthy tech companies to significantly expand their contributions.

Yes. This is the work I do every day of my life. See above. We will leverage the wealth of this state to center those who have been systematically marginalized generationally since the Duwamish and other indigenous folks were removed from their respective lands throughout Washington. We will fund this. The funding must be there; it is the way towards a more equitable future.

Yes. And my vision for funding universal healthcare at the state level is a large part of why the University of Washington Housestaff Association (UWHA), the labor union representing resident and fellow physicians at UW Medicine and affiliated hospitals-- Harborview, Seattle Children’s, the VA, UW Northwest, among other clinics has given me their sole endorsement. This epidemic has been a light that illuminates all the cracks in the foundation of our state’s collective health. Now that so many know just how vulnerable the state is-- as it has been built, we can move forward in solidarity to rebuild the foundation of health. This is the reason why, instead of just repairing our current models, we need to put a lot more money into bringing up new healthcare workers, and funding state of the art healthcare solutions. No human is expendable. Healthcare is a human right. To put that idea in praxis, we need to be heavily investing in healthcare workers to ensure the wellbeing and livelihood of all people, especially the wellbeing of our healthcare workers. Universal healthcare for all. Public housing. Universal childcare for all. We must rebuild this state with universal care so that all people of our district and state can access the potential of our University of Washington Healthcare Providers. Your physicians know me to be the best candidate for the wellness of their patients and their practice. Yes, I will be working for them in Olympia.

Don't hold this against me, I'm a WSU alumna but I was attending WSU in 2008 when higher ed budgets were gutted so I know how painful those cuts are and will fight to minimize them.

First of all, I am absolutely opposed to austerity focused recovery from the COVID-19 Crisis. We saw during the great recession that budget cuts are not the way out of these crises. Second, I am opposed to any cuts to higher education funding, along with the K-12 budget, as it is our strongest long term public policy tool. I intend to ensure that our student’s futures are not used to fill a short-term budget hole. I believe that defunding our bloated and racist prison system is a much more effective policy goal, as it will not only help close the shortfall but also advance equity.

The failure to fully fund higher education has been a persistent problem, even before the COVID-19 crisis. The critical underfunding of the state's need grant for years was a disgrace. This is why I was excited to see WEIA passed in 2019. Education is the best public policy tool we have to assure lifelong success and solve our social ills. However, we cannot make short term cuts knowing that our students will pay the price down the road. As the elected representative to Olympia, I will work to defend the funding commitments made in the WEIA from any attempted budget cuts, and work to fund this commitment past the end of the crisis.

The intersection of racial justice and education has been a lifelong focus for me. I attended an HBCU, and have founded the 100 Black Parents Initiative, in the hopes of giving disadvantaged black youth an even footing. I support any effort to close the grotesque racial wealth gap. In the Seattle Metro, the average wealth of a white family is $456,000 while a black family is just $23,000. I absolutely support funding our public institution to address this equity gap. However, I want to go beyond just the economic solutions. I believe we need to repeal I-200, which bans affirmative action and implement steps to further hire more black faculty at our public universities. I believe that we should also increase the diversity course requirements, create grants for BIPOC student organizations and ethnic studies departments, and support universities in disarming and divesting from police forces. I also am proud to be endorsed by Emile Pitre and Larry Gossett, two of the founders of the UW BSU, and would be excited to work with the next generation of BIPOC leaders at our universities.

We should not be furloughing and reducing medical staff during a pandemic. We need to defend UW medicine as a leading academic medical center and find financial solutions to any budget shortfalls. These staff reduction and furloughs have real-world implications on the economy and the individuals affected. I look forward to working with my future colleagues to find a solution that has a meaningful impact that matches our intent.

Yes, I will be a strong advocate for our institutions of higher education. Investing in higher education is critical for developing and maintaining a strong workforce, something we will need in order to ensure economic recovery. I am especially committed to fighting for the services, programs, and resources that ensure tuition affordability – especially for low-income students.

Absolutely. The WEIA is a groundbreaking program that supports the students most in need. We have to make sure all Washington students continue to have access to our institutions of higher learning, and the WEIA is an integral part of growing equity and opportunity for students who face economic barriers to attending college. This program is also to the significant advantage of employers all over Washington who are looking for a strong, local workforce. It is a mutually beneficial deal, and I will work hard to make sure it is maintained as we face an upcoming budget crisis.

Yes – prioritizing these efforts and expanding equity goals to better support underserved students and communities should be a top priority. Increasing accessibility to higher education – and the economic opportunity it can drive – is very important to me. We know that BIPOC communities often lack the same opportunities as other students. I will gladly work with community leaders and higher education stakeholders to address equity gaps and demand fairness in higher education.

As a nurse, the issue of accessible, quality healthcare couldn’t be more important to me. UW Medicine is crucial for preparing the next generation of healthcare professionals and ensuring a healthy, thriving region – especially during this pandemic. As a Senator, I will be highly engaged in these efforts and a committed advocate for protecting needed funding for UW Medicine.

I believe that education is an essential part of any successful economy and society. Education has always been my top priority, and I will continue to work towards an educational system that allows our institutions and students to flourish. This year, our state will feel the impact of COVID-19 throughout our economy, but I am committed to ensuring that educational funding is not unduly impacted by upcoming budget decisions. We also enacted limits on tuition increases that was not in effect during the last recession.

The investments we made in higher education and workforce development that we enacted through the Workforce Education Investment Act are especially critical during an economic recession. I was proud to have worked on the passage of this legislation and will work on finding ways to plug the holes caused by the current economic crisis.

I believe in increased funding for our state's educational system, and I am always looking for ways to lessen the financial hardship for students attending college. Many of our young people—and particularly those from marginalized groups—struggle to find their economic footing after college due to crushing student loan debt. This is why I have introduced a bill to provide a 1% interest rate on student loans. I believe this would help to increase racial equity in our public institutions. Finally, I am always open to new ideas for improving equity in higher education, and I look forward to working with groups like One America and UW Impact to identify other legislative avenues for increasing equity.

Healthcare funding is an extremely important component of our state’s recovery from COVID-19. UW Medicine is an integral part of our state’s healthcare system, and I am committed to ensuring it remains a preeminent, high-quality academic medical center. . I will work hard with colleagues in the State Legislature to find pragmatic financial solutions for UW Medicine and our state's healthcare systems that ensure adequate staffing and exceptional quality for patients.

Zero budget cuts to our historically under funded education system period.

Definitely. I have vested interest to defend your efforts. I have 4 school age children and 1 of them is will be eligible to start college next year. As a working parent I know my children will not have the educational support they need without WEIA.

Addressing Equity gap of our student is national security issue.

As an Alumni of University of Washington, I am in favor of supporting.

We need to raise revenue instead of forcing budget cuts.

Again, we need to look at increasing revenue instead of forcing budget cuts.

The state should make public education at least through the community college level free.

As someone born in Pullman to two WSU student parent's, I am well known for supporting the Cougs and sounding off on our PAC-12 rivalry. However, I have never made any unsupportive statements regarding the UW academic and medical programs, as I have the utmost respect for your institution. As I understand it, the UW teaching hospital is the finest GP teaching hospital IN THE WORLD. That costs money. The UW has made no attempt to hide that, and has always been completely above board with the state legislature and the general public. I will staunchly defend all your academic and medical programs.

We have a spending problem if controlled would mean few cuts if any would be needed.

We have a spending problem if controlled would mean few cuts if any would be needed.

I believe a person motivated to achieve will always find a way to succeed. I think racial quotas are wrong headed and will not support them.

I think we should also consider removing the preferential treatment that certain companies have been granted, allowing them to avoid paying their fair share. This could alleviate the potential shortfall.