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A new Western State Hospital breaks ground, and a promise is kept
Gov. Jay Inslee and leaders from the state Department of Social and Health Services break ground on the new Forensic Center of Excellence on the Western State Hospital campus.
On Thursday morning, state leaders gathered in Lakewood to break ground on a new hospital to be built on the Western State Hospital campus. The hospital will be a secure facility with 350 beds to serve forensic patients (those accused of a crime and ordered by a court to receive treatment before trial).
Construction of the new Forensic Center of Excellence will complete by 2029.
This project turns a page in state history. Washington state is a different place than it used to be. Western State Hospital is a different place than it used to be. And under the direction of Gov. Jay Inslee, the state’s approach to behavioral health care is different than it used to be.
New programs ease access to clean energy and climate funding
Efficient heat pumps like this one are springing up across Washington with help from state programs. New resources are available to help individual Washingtonians, as well as businesses and organizations, find clean energy and climate funding they might be eligible for.
The state Department of Commerce launched two programs this week to support Tribes, nonprofits, local governments and other organizations access historic federal climate funding. The Federal Clean Energy Tax Credit Assistance Program provides personalized support to organizations wanting to apply for clean energy tax incentives through the Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The Federal Funds Grant Writing Assistance Program provides grant-writing support to Tribes, organizations, and governments.
The two new programs follow the recent launch of FundHubWA, an online directory for clean energy funding opportunities. Individuals can use FundHubWa to find EV purchase incentives or heat pump tax credits. Businesses can find tax credits to help them electrify. And Tribes and local governments can find funding to support their environmental justice programming, for example.
The assistance programs and FundHubWA are supported with funding from the state’s Climate Commitment Act.
November 14 deadline approaching for small businesses to apply for disaster loans related to excessive summer heat and agricultural shortfalls
Small businesses in 22 of Washington’s 39 counties may apply for disaster loans to help compensate for lost revenues attributable to excessive summer heat’s effects on farming and ranching. The Secretary of Agriculture this summer declared an agricultural disaster, and now small businesses that support farm and ranch businesses may apply for low-interest loans to help compensate for lost business during the disaster period of March 15 through July 21, 2023. The deadline to apply is Nov. 13, 2024.
Election and voting deadlines approaching for Washington voters
Nov. 5 is Election Day, and ballots must be delivered to an official drop box or returned by mail and postmarked before 8 p.m. on this date.
Not yet registered to vote? Online and mail registrations must be received by Oct. 28. You can find online registration tools, drop box locations, and track your ballot at VoteWA.gov.
Open enrollment begins Nov. 1 for Washington’s low-cost, public-option health plan
Washington’s public-option health plan is now available in every Washington county. In 2019, Washington became the first state in the nation to launch a public-option health plan: Cascade Select. Those plans were the most affordable plan on the market in 31 of the 37 counties they were offered last year. Health insurance costs are rising, but monthly premiums for Cascade Select plans increase by just 3% per year on average – 66% less than comparable plans. Open enrollment will begin November 1. Visit Washington Healthplanfinder for information.
Most Washington students enjoy access to free meals
Nearly 70% of Washington students – 800,000 in total – eat free at school thanks to the Legislature’s recent efforts to expand access. HB 1238, passed last year, required schools to offer free meals to all students if 40% or more of the student body qualified for federal free and reduced meal programs. Following the bill’s passage, the number of lunches served under the free meal program rose 32%.
New flu, RSV vaccines available as cold and flu season begins
A new nasal spray flu vaccine that you can administer yourself was approved by the FDA last month and is now available at pharmacies. And new RSV shots hit the market last year that prevent up to 80% of RSV-related hospitalizations. Cold and flu season traditionally begins in mid-October, so it’s the right time of year to renew your vaccinations.
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Bonneville Power Administration unveils plans for $3B in grid upgrades
The federal Bonneville Power Administration, the largest supplier of electricity in the Pacific Northwest, announced plans to invest $3 billion in transmission infrastructure throughout the region. The plans detail 13 new transmission line and substation projects. Regional electricity demand is expected to grow by 30% over the next decade, and significant new infrastructure will be necessary to pace that growth. BPA Administrator John Hairston credited the Biden-Harris Administration’s 2021 infrastructure package for granting BPA the borrowing authority required to expand its infrastructure.
