Overview

Washington is heading into a new biennium for 2025-26, and also experiencing notable changes in leadership positions, including a new gubernatorial administration with incoming Governor Ferguson. The state’s economic and revenue forecast projects a $10-12B deficit, and many programs are at risk of cuts, especially if they are only a line item in the budget bill rather than being in statute.

Despite the challenges ahead, APIC believes that the following policy priorities will be integral to improving the lives of Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities in Washington State:

Legislative and Budget Priorities:

Health Equity for Immigrants

The Health Equity for Immigrants Campaign is calling on the Washington State Legislature to codify the Apple Health Expansion in statute through legislation. This will ensure that the roughly 12,000 people who are now accessing health insurance through the expansion will not lose access, and will allocate sufficient funds to allow 35,000 low-income undocumented Washingtonians to use the Medicaid-like program.

Unemployment Insurance for Undocumented Workers

Advocates are calling on the Washington State Legislature to address the exclusion of undocumented workers from unemployment benefits by creating a separate, equivalent system to provide benefits to nearly 150,000 Washington residents and their families. The coalition is recommending that the state contract a trusted third party to administer the program and fund it with a diversion mechanism, ensuring that workers can access funds which employers are already paying into as part of a vital social safety net system.

Naturalization Services and LEP Pathways Funding

Naturalization services help refugees and immigrants, predominantly those who are disabled and elderly, attain citizenship through assistance in completing the USCIS N-400 naturalization application and fee waiver requests, classes in American history and civics, and interview preparation. By maintaining funding for Naturalization services at $3,545,000 in fiscal year 2025 and 2026, we can continue to serve immigrants and refugees in our state.

The Limited English Proficient (LEP) Pathways’ primary goal is to promote economic self-sufficiency for refugees and immigrants through job training, English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, work support, and social services. By maintaining funding for the LEP Pathways program at $1,774,000, we can better support low-income and limited English speaking immigrants.

These program funding sources were cut during the 2008 financial crisis, causing immigrant communities to suffer disproportionately during that time of economic downturn. It is critical that we not repeat this mistake, especially during times of deep anxiety and uncertainty for immigrant communities.

Legal Defense Funding

Increase funding for Legal Defense Fund to $10 million per fiscal year to help ensure immigrants have access to an attorney regardless of immigration status or income level. This funding is of paramount importance during a time that we may see increased attempts at using federal immigration agencies to deport residents and split up families, even in Washington state. 

In addition to our legislative priorities, APIC has always uplifted the need for investment in our community through capital projects. This year, we are asking for support on the following capital projects:

Buddhist Temple Arson Restoration: Seattle Betsuin Buddhist Temple, the victim of arson on December 31, 2023, seeks $225,000 of capital funding to help pay for reconstruction of the 38,000 sq ft city-landmarked building. Since 1901, the Betsuin has served the Japanese American, Asian, and Buddhist communities throughout Washington state with religious and secular activities. It is one of few large neighborhood community spaces in the historic Chinatown-International District, and has held the longest running SeaFair event since 1945, Seattle Bon Odori. 

Cham Community Center: Cham Refugees Community is seeking $2 million for the Cham Community Center project. The project is a cultural preservation and an anti-displacement effort to keep an important cultural anchor in southeast Seattle by redeveloping its properties into a multi-purpose facility that will be a cultural and community center, while also serving as a community resilience hub to support the underserved youth, families, elderly and disabled members of the community and live to their full potential.

Indian American Community Services Center: Indian American Community Services is seeking $2.2 million to build a community center. IACS serves the Indian American community through programs, services, and advocacy for people of all ages and life stages. We help seniors, youth, women, and families with the often difficult and complex circumstances that affect their daily lives. In addition to helping them manage logistics and details, we help them build connections with others in a safe and welcoming environment so that everyone feels they’ve found a place where they truly belong.

Safe Place for Refugees and Immigrants in Snohomish County: Refugee & Immigrant Services Northwest is seeking $5 million for 2025-26 and $2 million for 2026-27 to provide comprehensive services such as legal, employment, education, elderly services, advocacy, citizenship programs, community outreach, Youth program for our APIC, refugees and immigrants in Snohomish County.

One Heart, One Home: Asia Pacific Cultural Center is seeking $3 million to build a larger up-to-date facility on our South Tacoma Park site.  This building will be a focal point and a source of pride for all the AANHPI communities statewide. We have raised $16 million out of the $19 million to date.  Our project is well in construction and is ahead of schedule as we speak.  It will be a beautiful valuable community arts and cultural center.  A special unique safe space for the community to gather.  Please help us complete its funding.  APCC brings great value to the State of Washington. 

Ron Chew Healthy Aging and Wellness Center (HAWC): International Community Health Services (ICHS) is seeking $3,000,000 in funding for completion of the Ron Chew Healthy Aging and Wellness Center (HAWC), an innovative aging-in-place senior center located within the Beacon Pacific Village in Seattle’s Beacon Hill neighborhood. This 25,000-square-foot facility will be part of a transformative community development that also features affordable housing, operated by the Seattle Chinatown International District Public Development Authority (SCIDPDA), and an early childhood center run by El Centro de la Raza.

 

Solidarity Agenda: Additional Policies We Support

A&NH/PI History Including in Washington K-12 Schools

This bill would require the adoption of Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (A&NH/PI) history in Washington state social studies learning standards by September 2028 and require school districts to provide instruction in grades K-12 on A&NH/PI history beginning in the 2029 school year. The contributions of the A&NH/PI community in Washington and throughout the country have largely been invisible. Instead, there has been a rise of hate toward A&NH/PIs. We believe that by educating our youth about the history of the A&NH/PI community, we will build understanding and connection that can prevent future incidents of bullying, hate, and violence. This legislation will ensure that the history and contributions of A&NH/PIs will be included in United States history and Washington state history. With 12 percent of our state’s population being A&NH/PI, the 280,000 A&NH/PI students should see themselves accurately represented in the school context.

International Family Justice Coalition (IFJC) funding

Increasing funding for IFJC from $150k/year to $200k/year to support staffing and operations.

Expanding the Working Families Tax Credit

Washington State continues to have one of the most regressive tax systems in the entire United States. The Working Families Tax Credit helps to address this by providing up to $1200 to low income households. The credit is currently limited to people between the ages of 25 and 65, which is because of it being based on the federal Earned Income Tax Credit. This credit should be expanded to include anyone 18 and older. The proposed legislation will expand the credit to low income youth 18 to 24 and is a step in the right direction.   

Jail Voting 

This request comes from the Free the Vote Coalition, and is also a top priority for the Washington Voting Justice Coalition, of which APIC is a member. This will require that jails maintain voting plans meeting standards for providing information, access to the ballot, and reporting among other things.

Progressive Revenue – Wealth Tax

The Washington Legislature should enact a 1% tax on excessive wealth above $250 million as a step to address our state’s highly regressive tax code and ensure that our state can maintain and expand programs critical to the well-being of our communities. This is vital in a year when our state’s economic and revenue forecast predicts a $10-12 billion shortfall, threatening the funding of many important programs.