Matt Boehnke 8th LD Legislative Newsletter – March 17, 2025

OLYMPIA… Sen. Matt Boehnke, Rep. April Connors, and Rep. Stephanie Barnard have secured critical investments for the 8th District and broader Tri-Cities region in the 2025–27 capital budget. Working collaboratively, they not only delivered millions in direct funding for the 8th District, but also partnered with fellow Tri-Cities legislators to advance key regional priorities.

In a joint statement, the lawmakers said:

“For the 8th District and the Tri-Cities region, the 2025–27 capital budget is a major win. In one of the most contentious legislative sessions we’ve experienced, the capital budget stood out as a bipartisan success story — a reminder of the good we can achieve when we work together.

“We’re proud to have helped secure funding that expands behavioral health and recovery services, strengthens local schools, invests in health care facilities, supports early learning, builds critical infrastructure, and improves access to parks, housing, and community services.

“These investments will create opportunity, strengthen our workforce, support families, and enhance quality of life across the region. That’s the kind of progress everyone should be excited about.”

Investments specific to the 8th District include:

• $3.8 million – Three Rivers Recovery Housing
• $750,000 – Columbia Park East Boat Launch replacement
• $515,000 – Road 80 Neighborhood Park
• $341,000 – Food distribution and storage improvements at Tri-Cities Food Bank
• $309,000 – Municipal Services Facility backup power generator
• $280,000 – Tri-Tech Skills Center HVAC RTU replacement
• $88,000 – Tri-Cities Community Health

Additional regional projects benefiting the 8th District and the Tri-Cities area include:

• $55 million – Columbia Basin College performing arts center replacement (16th LD)
• $18 million – Columbia Basin College student housing construction (16th LD)
• $4 million – Pacific Northwest National Laboratory test bed (16th LD)
• $2.1 million – Boys & Girls Club, Prosser (15th LD)
• $1.4 million – Boys & Girls Club, Pasco (14th LD)
• $1.1 million – Early learning grant for ECEAP expansion for Prosser School District (15th LD)
• $1 million – Columbia Basin Health Association (16th LD)
• $1 million – Benton REA wildfire resilience project (15th LD)
• $1 million – Mid-Columbia Children’s Museum (16th LD)
• $927,000 – Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center renovation and expansion (14th LD)
• $773,000 – Increasing storage capacity at the Port of Walla Walla (16th LD)
• $700,000 – Grid-scale coordination (16th LD)

The state’s capital budget differs from the operating and transportation budgets in both purpose and funding. It supports physical infrastructure projects — such as public schools, behavioral health facilities, parks, housing, and water systems — using long-term financing tools like general obligation bonds. The final 2025–27 capital budget invests $7.6 billion statewide, including $4.5 billion in newly authorized bonds, with additional funding from dedicated accounts and federal sources. A list of all funded 2025-27 capital budget projects can be found here.

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News Release (web)

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