State Legislative Session Update March 2025 – Budget Woes Threaten Safety Net
One of our top priorities this session has unfortunately stalled. Senator Marcus Riccelli’s bill to expand access to free school meals failed to make the policy cutoff due to funding concerns. This is particularly disappointing given the record numbers of Washington families currently facing food insecurity. It’s disheartening to see lawmakers unable to prioritize such a crucial measure. Despite this setback, school nutrition programs remain a top priority for Food Lifeline, and we will continue to collaborate with lawmakers to expand access to them.
More concerning news: Governor Bob Ferguson recently announced his budget cut recommendations to the legislature, which unfortunately include reductions in food bank funding. Specifically, he proposed an $11 million cut to the Washington State Department of Agriculture’s Emergency Food Assistance Program. This program provides grant funding to approximately 500 food banks and pantries across the state, supporting their efforts to purchase food, equipment, make repairs, and staff their operations for hunger relief. Food Lifeline met with his policy staff to ask for his reconsideration.
With six weeks left, the Legislature is entering its most intense phase as budget negotiations and Food Lifeline will be there to advocate for protecting funding for our top budget priorities and funding levels. Please see our letter (read here) to budget leaders that was signed by over 200 local hunger relief organizations.
Balance Our State’s Tax Code to Avoid Harsh Cuts to Safety Net Funding
A projected $12-$15 billion four-year budget shortfall has put state spending and revenue under intense scrutiny. In this environment, spending cuts are inevitable, but a thorough review of revenue is long overdue. Washington’s tax code, the second most regressive in the country, forces low-income working families to pay six times their share in state and local taxes compared to the wealthy. This inequity doesn’t keep up with our growing state’s needs, and exacerbates food insecurity, which is why we championed the recent Working Families Tax Credit law. Food Lifeline’s public policy statement on tax policy underscores our commitment to promoting equity and fairness in Washington’s tax code and creating more opportunities for community investment. As lawmakers introduce new revenue proposals, we’ll evaluate each one and advocate for the best interests of Washingtonians facing food insecurity. See more from Balance Our Tax Code Coalition.
Federal Update – Newly Controlled Congress and New Administration Acting Quickly
The new administration and the newly controlled Congress are moving swiftly to cut and propose further reductions in federal nutrition assistance funding. Recently, the USDA announced a $1 billion cut nationally in funding that schools use to purchase local produce from farms, ranchers, and producers for their nutrition programs. This is in addition to $500 million in cuts to another USDA program, resulting in a loss of over $16 million in food commodities Washington state would have received in 2025. Furthermore, the recent House Republican budget proposal aims to reduce SNAP funding by over $230 billion through 2034.