Webinar: Dollars & Sense: Washington State's Budget by Bellevue Chamber

About This Webinar

On the last day of Session, legislators approved $200 million to fight the effects of Covid-19 in Washington. Will that be enough to fight the virus in all 39 counties and help businesses keep their doors open?

Join Senator Christine Rolfes, Senator Mark Mullet, and Representative Amy Walen, as we find out just how much we’ll have to spend on emergency response and the basics of government.

East King Chambers Coalition

More than twenty years ago, Eastside business leaders came together and formed the East King Chambers Coalition to advocate for businesses in Olympia. The Coalition brings together ten chambers of commerce-enabling them to speak with a unified voice on legislative issues. The Coalition develops a variety of annual publications and brings lawmakers and business leaders together through events and webcasts.

Christine Rolfes

Chair, Senate Ways & Means

Sen. Christine Rolfes represents the 23rd Legislative District, which includes including the Kitsap County communities of Poulsbo, Bainbridge Island, Bremerton. She is a leading voice in the Senate on education policy, environmental protection, and a strong advocate for military families and the Washington State ferry system.

She chairs the Senate Ways and Means Committee, responsible for leading the development of the state’s $52 billion biennial budget. Under her leadership the legislature has, for the past two legislative sessions, delivered a four-year balanced budget on-time, with billions set aside in strategic reserves and historic investments in environmental restoration and public education. In August of 2019, the state’s bond ratings were upgraded by Moody’s Investor Services to Aaa for the first time, due primarily to sound fiscal practices and a diversified and strong economy.

Mark Mullet

Chair, Senate Financial Institutions

Mark Mullet is proud to represent the 5th Legislative District communities of Black Diamond, Maple Valley, Issaquah, North Bend, Carnation, Snoqualmie, and parts of Enumclaw and Renton.

Mark worked for more than 12 years in international finance at Bank of America – where he served as the Global Head of Foreign Currency Options Trading, which made him responsible for doing business across three different continents – before returning to his home state. From 2009 to 2012, he served on the Issaquah City Council. Mark currently owns several small businesses, including a Zeeks Pizza restaurant and three Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream shops.

Amy Walen

Vice Chair, House Finance

Amy represents the 48th Legislative District, which includes parts of Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland and all of Clyde Hill, Medina, Yarrow Point and Hunts Point. Prior to coming to the Legislature in 2019, Amy served on the Kirkland City Council from 2009 – 2014, until she was selected by her colleagues to serve as Mayor of Kirkland from 2014 – 2019.

As mayor, Amy raised Kirkland’s profile in local, regional and statewide initiatives. Her leadership includes transportation infrastructure and strategic economic development projects which resulted in the revitalization of the Totem Lake Business District. She championed mandatory inclusion of affordable housing in residential developments and enacted an ordinance against source of income-based discrimination for families in Section 8 housing programs.