SPOKANE, Wash.- Spokane is mentioned over 20 times in the Washington State Senate’s supplemental operating budget, which was released on Feb. 19. Here is a brief overview of how the Lilac City fared in this year’s funding proposal.
Policing and Public Safety
1.) $300,000 from the state general fund allocated to a task force on vehicular pursuits in Washington State which would operate from 2024 to 2025.
Under current state law, police are not allowed to engage in vehicular pursuits if the driver of the offending vehicle did not pose an immediate harm to another individual.
The task force would include a combination of representatives from law enforcement and community organizations including the Peace and Justice Action League of Spokane and Spokane Community Against Racism.
2.) Spokane would share with other cities and counties across the state in a $5 million fund for law enforcement training related to sex offenders. Three trainings will be required to take place in Spokane every year under the current language.
3.) The cities of Spokane and Vancouver splits $40,000 designated for crime victims.
Public and Behavioral Health
1.) Approximately $2.4 million provided to Spokane and Pierce counties to cover the cost of state psychiatric commitments.
2.) Approximately $2.2 million provided for behavioral health services to find ways of providing service which reduces the strain upon Eastern State Hospital, including a high intensity treatment team and a crisis outreach program.
3.) $6 million provided to Spokane and Clark counties to fund youth behavioral health programs which serve low-income communities.
4.) $2.5 million for addiction treatment and housing granted to a city non-profit.
5.) Another $1 million to address opioid addiction in the city amidst increasing numbers of fentanyl-related deaths.
6.) $5.5 million for the county to create a pilot program which addresses prenatal substance exposure.
Education
1.) $35.8 million in funding for the Washington State University Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, with an additional $2.5 million for the development of undergraduate public health degrees on the Pullman, Spokane and Vancouver campuses.
2.) $170,000 of general funding for the Spokane School District.
3.) $100,000 split between the Spokane and Chehalis school districts to improve math outcomes in their respective districts.
Climate emergency response and water quality issues
1.) $2 million to address toxic materials in the Spokane river. This project would receive input from the Spokane Tribe of Indians and other interested sovereign nations. Nearly $7 million for Columbia River rehabilitation efforts is allocated to the Spokane Tribe of Indians.
2.) $200,000 to conduct an emissions assessment of the Spokane Waste to Energy Facility, with another $650,000 designated to studying ways to reduce carbon emissions from the facility.
There seems to be an error in the language of the budget proposal, because it requires the assessment to be submitted to the legislature by Dec. 31, 2023. Presumably the assessment would be due in Dec. 2024 in a final version of the policy.
Additional policy challenges
1.) Just under $200,000 for an organization which advocates for abused or neglected children.
2.) $1 million allocated for a Spokane agency which provides transitional housing for refugees and immigrants. A specific organization is not named in the proposed budget.
3.) Another proposed grant would designate $225,000 for a nonprofit in the county. No additional information is provided in the budget.
In addition to funding specifically marked for the city and county, general state funding will also land in Spokane, though it is more difficult to determine exact dollar amounts based upon a proposed operating budget. It should also be noted that some funding allocated in the 2024 budget extends into 2025.
