Chopp Announces Plan to Fund Needed Pandemic Response and Community Investments with Progressive Revenue

Proposal would help prevent cuts and fund community health, early childhood education, and support for working families through a “Fair Share Contribution” from large corporations, highest earners, and more

Seattle – Today, State Rep. Frank Chopp announced his ‘Public Priorities and Progressive Revenues Plan’ – a set of proposals to respond to COVID-19 and invest in community, public health, and working families, funded through new progressive revenue sources.

Chopp’s proposal would fund new housing, expanded early childhood education and child care access, a working families tax credit, workforce education, and an improved healthcare system, including pandemic response, behavioral health treatment, and community healthcare.

READ: Rep. Frank Chopp’s Public Priorities and Progressive Revenues Plan

“The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on our community has been absolutely tragic – taking lives and livelihoods, slowing our economy, devastating our state budget, and further revealing and worsening long standing inequities,” said Chopp. “As we continue to navigate these uncertain times, many are questioning what comes next, fearing the loss of trusted services and essential programs.

“Not only must we avoid austerity cuts, we need to save our existing critical services and make new investments that will benefit the communities most hurt by this pandemic. My Public Priorities and Progressive Revenues Plan demonstrates how Washington state can set a standard for the nation – protecting working families and preventing cuts by requiring large profitable corporations and the wealthiest among us to pay their fair share.”

The plan is developed around three key pieces:

– Health Equity and Recovery Trust (HEART) – Chopp’s proposal would support the ongoing pandemic response, investing in foundational public health, PPE produced in Washington state to reduce supply chain uncertainty, and expanded virus testing and tracing. The plan would also fund new investments in community health and behavioral and mental health treatment, including health clinics and thousands of new units of supportive housing with treatment services.

The plan would raise $500 million by establishing a Fair Share Contribution on large corporations, assessing corporations for per employee compensation above $500,000.

– Social Security for Child Care and Early Learning – In his plan, Chopp calls for expansion of child care and early learning services, improving the Early Childhood Education Assistance Program and Working Connections Child Care and supporting teachers and staff. Modeled on the state’s Paid Family and Medical Leave program and the concept of Social Security, the proposal could raise $1 billion per year.

– Working Capital for Working Families – The third plank of Chopp’s plan would put working family priorities front and center. Chopp proposes strengthening workforce education and career-connected learning, growing workforce housing by providing capital for new affordable housing development, and implementing a working families tax credit to give money back to low-income families in need. This portion of the plan would be paid for through a capital gains sales tax on extraordinary profits, raising $500 million in new revenue.

Read the full plan and learn more at FrankChopp.com.