SUGGESTED LEAD: Calling it “a needed lifeline for families and small businesses,” the budget leader for the House Republicans in Olympia has introduced an enormous and comprehensive state COVID stimulus package.
The four-billion-dollar REAL Recovery for Washington Act would provide immediate financial support to struggling families and businesses, accelerate the safe opening of schools, and expand COVID testing and vaccine administration.
House Republican Budget Leader Representative Drew Stokesbary, who introduced the bill, says it would use a combination of federal funds and over two billion dollars from the state’s “rainy-day” fund:
“I think it’s appropriate to spend a significant amount of our rainy-day fund right now. We guard that fund quite jealously and judiciously. And for good reason because it is money that is only available once. But I struggle to imagine a time in which it is pouring more than it is right now for many people in Washington.”
Stokesbary says the stimulus package will help families pay rent and put food on the table, prioritize getting kids safely back in school, and help businesses survive the shutdowns and get back to creating jobs.