The Governor also prioritized in his budget proposal support for two initiatives from the WA State LGBTQ Commission. A total of $982,000 are being requested on behalf of the LGBTQ Commission to conduct a comprehensive survey of the LGBTQ community in Washington, and for the establishing and staffing of an LGBTQ Youth Advisory Council. “Engaging the LGBTQ community is paramount to understanding people’s health and economic disparities, as well as the demographic and geographic distribution of Washington’s LGBTQ community,” states the document regarding the comprehensive survey. The LGBTQ Youth Advisory Council “came from a recent LGBTQ Roundtable discussion with the governor, various 13-18-year-olds, and their parents,” which was hosted this past summer by the LGBTQ Commission and the Office of the Governor.

The WA State LGBTQ Commission is delighted to receive this support from Governor Inslee in prioritizing our work with the community. It is important for the LGBTQ Commission to have good, reliable, and up to date data on our community. This data, along with intentional, continued interaction with grassroots movements, local leaders, and community members at large, is crucial to the work of the LGBTQ Commission. The comprehensive survey of the LGBTQ community in Washington will help identify areas in which we need to strengthen policies and regulations to better protect our LGBTQ Washingtonians. The survey will also provide information on areas that will help other state agencies make informed decisions related to services to the LGBTQ community. The funding requested by the Governor and the LGBTQ Commission goes beyond a one-time survey. The funding request also provides for sustained, annual data collection work on specific areas as identified by the initial study. This will support the efforts of the LGBTQ Commission in keeping up to date with data collection and identification of issues that are important to address at the policymaking level.

The LGBTQ Commission is also grateful to have funds requested for the establishing of a LGBTQ Youth Advisory Council. It is evident that anti-LGBTQ and anti-family groups have targeted LGBTQ youth and their families throughout the USA, including our state. From the recent LGBTQ Youth Summit with Governor Inslee, youth and parents shared both their challenges and their ideas on how to best support LGBTQ youth in the state. It is important for the Governor and the LGBTQ Commission to continue building on these ideas, and to engage our LGBTQ youth in a more intentional way, centering their voices, needs, and strategies when policies that affect them directly are being drafted.

As the legislative session is scheduled to start on January 9^th, we invite the LGBTQ community and our allies to stay engaged and advocate for the Governor’s budget priorities, including the funding requested for the LGBTQ Commission to launch these two projects. It is important that our community reaches out to their local legislators to express their support for these funding requests. You can find your district and contact information for your local legislator using this virtual tool on the Washington Legislature website. The LGBTQ Commission will be sharing updated information on this and other initiatives and bills that are of interest to the community through our weekly newsletter and social media platforms. Thus, we encourage our audience to stay in touch with us and to invite others to sign up for our weekly newsletter, which you can do through this link on our website.

Dear Thurston County Stakeholder,

The BIPOC Business Task Force was started this spring as part of an effort by Thurston Strong and the Thurston Economic Development Council to help identify structural and socio-cultural deficiencies and barriers that may hinder equitable access to market opportunities. And, to identify proactive solutions that work to stimulate economic equity and advancement.

Since our inception, we have been integral in the work of awarding one million dollars in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grants to BIPOC startup businesses in Thurston County.

We are now looking to better understand the challenges BIPOC business owners face in starting and growing their business, why they decided to become entrepreneurs, how they achieved success, and opportunities to support BIPOC-owned businesses throughout Thurston County.

It is our goal to use the information gathered along with an understanding of local and regional resources already available or in progress, to make recommendations on solutions for what is needed and how best to get resources out to BIPOC entrepreneurs and communities.

As part of this work, we have been meeting with and engaging community racial and ethnic groups and entrepreneurs. One of the tools we have used is a questionnaire, created to capture challenges, successes, and resources used.

As community stakeholders and partners, you are in a distinct position to connect with specific BIPOC entrepreneurs in the community. As such, we are requesting that you take a moment to send the following link of our questionnaire to those whom it is intended for.

BIPOC Entrepreneur Questionnaire:

https://wcwb.typeform.com/to/uqggoDtv

We thank you for your participation and collaboration.

Respectfully,

Thurston Strong BIPOC Business Task Force

Did you know a 529 plan can cover more expenses than just tuition and support a variety of academic pathways across the country and even abroad?

Learn how the Washington 529 Education Savings Plans help families save for a variety of college and career training expenses. This 30-minute webinar will guide you through the details of the Guaranteed Education Tuition (GET) Program and DreamAhead College Investment Plan. Q&A is provided to help you get your savings started today.

Online-ZOOM https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_f9rdWtg1RvW1uqF6GILnMA

2^nd Tuesday of every month from Noon to 12:30 PM:

• January 10, 2023
• February 14, 2023
• March 14, 2023

Contact Information:

Please contact the WA529 Community Relations Team at 360.485.1198 or WA529Outreach@wsac.wa.gov with questions or comments. To learn more visit 529.wa.gov.

Starting in 2023, the Working Families Tax Credit is a new tax refund that helps Washington workers and their families get more money back at tax time. The refund returns a portion of sales tax paid each year and is modeled after the federal Earned Income Tax Credit program.

The purpose of the Working Families Tax Credit is to stimulate the local economy, promote racial equity, and support the financial stability and well-being of low-to-moderate income Washington residents and their families.

This credit program is managed by the Washington State Department of Revenue (DOR), the state’s tax administration agency.

Find out more information about this program by visiting the Working Families Tax Credit page through this link.

Washington is home to vibrant communities and diverse Washingtonians who all have unique talents, skills and experiences. Governor Inslee places a high priority on boards, commissions, and agencies that are reflective of the diverse make-up of Washington and that utilize the impressive talent of Washingtonians. We are always seeking skilled and experienced individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds to participate in boards and commissions ensuring an effective and representative government.

We are excited to share the highlighted Current and Upcoming Gubernatorial Appointment Opportunities.

As someone with deep roots in your respective communities and organizations, we hope that you will share these opportunities.  Anyone interested in being appointed will need to fill out this Application.  Please explore the Boards and Commissions Profiles if you are interested in learning more about the many opportunities to get involved!

Thank you for your assistance in helping Governor Inslee find well-rounded candidates with significant talent and diverse experiences. Please feel free to reach out to Boards and Commissions staff with any questions you might have.  Thank you for your time.