 Gov. Jay Inlsee joined other state leaders in a groundbreaking ceremony earlier this month that celebrated Lynnwood Link, the first extension of light rail from King County into Snohomish County.
"When we invest in a bridge – or a light rail extension – it’s because we believe in ourselves and in the future," Inslee said. "It’s because we have confidence in ourselves and our communities. A bridge or a train is a monument to optimism."
Expanding light rail will significantly reduce the state’s transportation carbon footprint by allowing more people to commute without cars. The 8 1/2 mile Lynnwood Link Extension is scheduled to open in 2024 and will extend light rail from Northgate to Lynnwood, with stops in Shoreline and Mountlake Terrace. By 2026, it will serve as many as 55,000 daily riders, with service every four to six minutes.
Read: The Seattle Times – It took 11 years, but Sound Transit officially breaks ground for Lynnwood light-rail line
 Gov. Jay Inslee met with education leaders and students from higher education, workforce development and K -12 Sept. 3 in Everett. The conversation focused on how to best support student transitions between high school, community college, apprenticeships and training, as well as higher education institutions.
Leaders also talked about how educators can help students overcome the opportunity gap. Data analyzed from a recent Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction report card states that students of color face inequities in public education, regardless of their family's income level.
"We're here to help students be their best selves," Inslee said. "And that means working with them every step of their educational journey so that their future remains bright."
 Charged with a mission to serve the public, Washington state agencies consistently strive to find new ways to deliver a more effective customer experience.
Here are some highlights of how agencies recently restructured and changed the way they deliver services, offer information to taxpayers and provide a more user-friendly digital experience.
Read the rest of the story on the governor's Medium site.
 First lady Trudi Inslee joined community leaders, elected officials and hunger activists to kick off Food Lifeline's food security campaign event that highlighted child hunger issues. Children and teenagers make up about one-third of the people Food Lifeline feeds.
"No one in America should go hungry, especially children," Trudi said. "We must do whatever we can to ensure everyone in our state has access to healthy, affordable food."
Gov. Jay Inslee recently joined 17 other governors across the country to condemn the Trump administration’s actions to kick immigrant families off food assistance.
 Gov. Jay Inslee helped launch the first hybrid-electric ferry program in the Western Hemisphere on Monday at Vigor’s Harbor Island Shipyard in Seattle. He said this new technology will revolutionize the maritime industry, serving as a transition to a cleaner transportation grid.
"We are always inventing the future," Inslee said. "And every time we do that, we lead the world forward. It's an exciting day."
Washington's ferry system is the largest consumer of diesel fuel in state transportation, with more than 18 million gallons of diesel every year. Experts estimate that once charging stations are installed, there could be a 95 percent reduction of carbon emissions from each vessel.
Read: Kitsap Sun – Work underway for new hybrid-electric state ferry
 Gov. Jay Inslee joined former Governors Gary Locke and Christine Gregoire to kick off the College Success Foundation Governor's Cup Golf Tournament in Snoqualmie Monday.
The tournament, launched by Locke almost two decades ago, raises funds for foster youth to attend college. This event, like others, supports the CSF's goal to increase college graduation rates for low-income students.
"We can all agree that we must make degree attainment possible for any student who is willing to put in the effort to graduate," Inslee said. "This is why the financial support and commitment from business and community partners here today is so critical."
CSF supports underserved students who may not otherwise get to college without financial help. The award recipients have included youth from low-income families, foster youth, students of color and first-generation college students.
 Washington met the goal of 50,000 electric vehicles on the road by 2020, months before the deadline.
Gov. Jay Inslee set this goal through his Results Washington initiative when he first took office in 2013. At that time, the state had about 8,000 EVs on the road and only six EVs in the state's car fleet. Today, that's been increased thirty-fold.
"Our roads are one of the biggest sources of carbon emissions in Washington state, but it is also one of the biggest opportunities for improvement," Inslee said. "Electric vehicles are about cleaner air, lower emissions, saving consumers money, and reducing storm water damage and runoff into our rivers and the Puget Sound."
 Gov. Jay Inslee met with the Chi Dung Nguyen, minister of strategy and investment of Vietnam to discuss opportunities for Washington and Vietnam to collaborate on trade, investment and economic development.
Vietnam is a rapidly growing export market for Washington products and services, and the emerging Vietnamese airline industry has become a major customer for the state's aerospace companies.
"Exports of agricultural products have grown significantly and our global retail and technology companies have established a major presence in the country," Inslee said. "And we are very proud of how much our local Vietnamese communities contribute to our state's vibrant culture."
Washington has the third largest Vietnamese community in the United States.
 Pictured from left to right: Quinton Harrington (Rep. John Lovick's legislative aide), Erika Oden (Rep. Eric Pettigrew's legislative aide), Rep. Melanie Morgan, Gov. Jay Inslee, Rep. Debra Entenman and Rep. Kristine Reeves.
During House Assembly Days this week, Gov. Jay Inslee met with legislative leaders on a range of issues. On Friday, he met with members of the Black Caucus and talked about minority contracting, increasing access to child care and early learning, and criminal justice reform.
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