Washington
State Government
Governor
Jay Inslee (D)
State Senate
20
Democrats,
29
Republicans
State House
58
Democrats,
40
Republicans
Economic well-being - Washington
Extreme poverty rate
0.05
Food insecurity
0.132
Minimum wage
16.66
Percent of working families under 200% of the poverty line
0.227
Poverty rate
9.9%
Unemployment rate
4.5
Number of Black or African American children living in families where no parent has full-time, year-round employment
Number of Hispanic or Latino children living in families where no parent has full-time, year-round employment
Percent of individuals who are uninsured
6.5
Poverty by demographic - Washington
Child poverty rate
0.11
Number of Asian and Pacific Islander children below 200% poverty
29000
Number of Black or African American children below 200% poverty
N/A
Number of Hispanic or Latino children below 200% poverty
169000
Senior poverty rate
9.6 %
Women in poverty
3,896,514
The News Tribune, April 15, 2013: Off-to-College Campaign helps homeless students with school
"The Off-to-College Campaign for homeless students begun in Tacoma last year is expanding this year to include students in four other Pierce County school districts: Puyallup, Bethel, Clover Park and Franklin Pierce. The goal is to help equip 100 local homeless youth with items they'll need at college: laptops, software, flash drives, sticky notes, highlighter pens, toiletries and more."
The Seattle Times, March 25, 2013: (Op-Ed) Expand early learning by fixing the state's Working Connections Child Care program
"The Working Connections program offers a way to make 3-to-23 education a reality while providing affordable care to low-income children so their parents can work or look for a job. It allows us to provide critical early-learning services and helps keep Washington citizens employed at the same time."
Tri-City Herald, March 23, 2013: Cuts could reduce money for low-income seniors in Benton, Franklin counties
"Aging & Long Term Care of Southeast Washington, the agency providing services to seniors and people with disabilities in eight counties including Benton and Franklin, expects to lose $160,000 to sequestration if an alternative isn't adopted by Congress."
The Seattle Times, March 19, 2013: College Bound program appears to motivate more students to finish high school
"Washington's College Bound Scholarship Program appears to be helping more students finish high school, according to new data from the Education Research & Data Center. The center reports that more than 78 percent of low-income students enrolled in the scholarship program graduated on time in 2012."
The News Tribune, March 05, 2013: (Op-Ed) State needs to stop and take a hard look at education system
"I think it is time we stop the line in education and create an environment that provides all kids with a foundation for success. The gaps in both opportunity to learn and achievement between middle-class white students and students of color or poverty have existed in this state far too long."
Spokesman Review, February 05, 2013: (Editorial) Investment in preschool, kindergarten is paying off
"The Cheney results show the potential of a high-quality preschool education for low-income students, if it were available. Long-range studies in Chicago and Minnesota have already shown the value, revealing that students with preschool experience are more apt to attend college, make a decent living and stay out of jails and prisons. The estimated return on investment for taxpayers in educating rather than incarcerating is anywhere from $3 to $9 for every dollar spent."