There are many reasons to celebrate after Tuesday's momentous election. Across the nation we saw historic firsts for representation in positions of power including the first female Native American governor (New Mexico), the first female Native American U.S. senator (Minnesota), the first Black female governor (Georgia), the first Muslim U.S. senator (Michigan), the first openly gay male U.S. senator (New Hampshire), and here in Washington state Representative-elect Jaelynn Scott (37th Legislative District) will be the first Black openly trans state lawmaker elected in the country. Many of these newly elected officials come from communities that are historically underrepresented in Congress and state government. We hope that they will uplift the voices and experiences of their communities and inspire the next generation of leaders.
Here in Washington, voters denied multi-millionaire Brian Heywood’s attempt to repeal the Millionaires Tax and chose to protect funding for education and health care. The defeat of Initiative 645 is a win for kids and families. By keeping the Millionaire's Tax in place, our state will be able to:
Provide tax relief for working families by reducing the sales tax on essential household items and expanding the Working Families Tax Credit
Keep funding in place for K-12 education and ensure 5% of the Millionaires Tax revenue is invested in early learning
Move forward with the intent to expand the free school meals program statewide.
Children's Alliance is proud to have worked alongside a broad coalition of labor unions, educators, health care providers, nonprofits, and community organizations to defeat this initiative!
As part of the No Hate in WA State campaign, we also opposed Initiatives 001 and 638. I-001, which would have forced schools to release sensitive information about students - including private social work and school counseling records, was defeated. As our state continues to navigate a youth behavioral health crisis, it is vital that young people feel safe seeking help from school counselors and trusted adults. By rejecting this Initiative, voters chose to maintain a level of confidentiality that will keep students safe and supported.
Yet, amid all the positive news, we are devastated that Initiative 638 is likely to pass. This discriminatory, anti-trans, MAGA-backed initiative puts all girls at risk in order to exclude trans girls from playing sports with their peers. Participating in sports helps kids stay active, gain confidence, and develop teamwork and leadership skills. If enacted, this initiative will discourage many girls from playing sports by requiring all girls to provide medical sex certification to participate. Boys will be completely exempt from this requirement. This overt attack on trans kids is unacceptable. Children's Alliance will continue to stand with the trans community and fight against this and all such discriminatory measures.