Evergreen Reporter

The 2021 Washington legislative session will include an equity policy package proposal that directs agencies' budgets and bills to account for the regulation if approved.

The forthcoming proposal has Gov. Jay Inslee's support and would include $365 million for equity-related packages and budget items.

"I firmly believe Washington will be an anti-racist state, and I will be taking actions that hold our state to that commitment," Inslee said in a release posted to his Medium website in December. "We need our policies and budget to reflect our dedication toward disrupting the harmful systemic cycle of racism and inequity."

Another goal of Gov. Inslee's proposals is to make Juneteenth a legal state holiday.

"Juneteenth is an important part of American history and deserves its place as a paid state holiday," bill sponsor Melanie Morgan (D-Parkland) said in the governor's Medium post. "So that all Washington residents can appropriately reflect and celebrate the day in which chattel enslaved Africans were finally informed of their freedom."

The proposals will also mandate independent investigations of police use-of-force, ban making insurance decisions based on credit scores, and invest directly into communities of color.