Today Governor Inslee addressed a joint session of the Legislature and Washingtonians in his first State of the State Address.

The Governor focused on a call to action to invest in education, finish work on a transportation package, and increase the minimum wage.

Inslee, on the heels of the Supreme Court order that the State did not meet the constitutional obligation in the biennial budget to adequately fund education, stated that he will release a proposal this week to make an additional investment of at least $200 million in K-12 funding, including school operations and voter-approved teacher COLAs. The Governor indicated his proposal would be offset by closing tax breaks.

In addition the Governor continued his push for a transportation package and committed to working with legislators, business, and stakeholders to increase the minimum wage.

Finally the Governor signaled forthcoming proposals to provide B&O tax relief to small businesses; health care initiatives focused on children’s health, the quality and cost of health care services, and improving mental health services; and continue efforts around climate change.