Seattle’s Child: Why we’re voting NO on I-2109

By Liz Trautman and Kia C. Franklin

As working moms, advocates, and leaders of Stand for Children Washington, we believe every child in Washington deserves the chance to succeed as they move along the full development continuum. This starts with giving children access to safe, reliable childcare and enriching early learning experiences and continues with providing them with a relevant, high-quality education through our K-12 public school system. 

Initiative 2109 threatens to remove crucial funding for these programs by repealing the capital gains tax, which generated nearly $900 million in revenue in its first year. Funding from the tax has been a game changer for Washington’s education system, with $500 million going directly into the Education Legacy Trust Account, which funds early learning, child care, and K-12 public schools. Funds exceeding that amount are used for critical school construction projects. 

Read the full article in Seattle’s Child.

Liz Trautman, of Seattle, is the Executive Director of Stand for Children WA. She has worked with youth advocates to advance more than a dozen statewide policies to support students and families in Washington.

Kia C. Franklin, of Sea-Tac, is the former Executive Director of Stand for Children WA and an education equity advocate dedicated to working alongside communities to create transformative change for students.