Rep. Steele Sees Threat to Future Capital Project Funding in NCW

With the opening of the Washington state legislature, State Rep. Mike Steele says he is encouraged by remarks from Gov. Bob Ferguson in his inaugural address to lawmakers calling for efficiencies and spending cuts.

The state is facing a projected $12 billion revenue shortfall in the next four years.  Ferguson urged lawmakers to end their push for unprecedented and unrealistic revenue growth.

Steele says he is anxious to see if Ferguson follws through on that promise and will work with other Republicans to hold him to that pledge.  Steele siad "Washington does'nt have a revenue problem, it has a spending problem" and revenues must be used wisely.

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The Senior 12th Distrcit lawmaker cited as just one example, the increasing dollars spent on the state's homeless crisis.

"I want to get to the bottom of and continue to work on is figure out why the homeless issue in this state continues to grow when we invest hundreds of millions of dollars every biennium into this issue.  It's not necessarily just about more money.  We need to get people the help they need to get out of this cycle."

Rep. Steele Steele is the lead negotiator for Republicans on the Capital budget which secures funding for local projects like school construction assistance.

Steele fears a possible funding threat to local government projects may be on the horizon to address the looming budget crisis.

Steele will meet with the State Treasurer about the state's bonding model over fears some lawmakers want to plug some of the budget shortfall by moving public. works dollars out of the Capital Budget into the General fund.

"It gives us these small, low interest revolving loan funds that allows these jurisdictions to utilze these low cost dollars to finance these big projects that they otherwise would'nt be able to afford.  So we want to be able to protect those funds, that's a huge issue for us."

During the 2025 Legislature, Steele is also serving on the K-12 Education committee and a new role overseeing consumer protection and business related policy in Olympia including cannabis and liquor issues.

While Gov. Ferguson is calling for austerity and government, some in his administration are calling for increasing spending.

Washington State Schools Superintendent Chris Reykdal is asking the Legislature to increase funding by a billion dollars a year. He is urging lawmakers to cover costs for students with disabilities along with maintenance and supplies because local school districts don't have funding to cover those expenses and many districts face a financial crisis as a result.

Ferguson's successor as Attorney General, Nick Brown is speaking out against the tens of millions in cuts Ferguson has proposed to his office's budget.  The Seattle Times reports Brown opposes the cuts, saying it would have a "devastating impact" on the attorney general office's ability to take on civil rights cases, antitrust and other cases that protect Washingtonians.