News & Stories
Policy is personal. So, we want to share more than just data.
Stay up to date with our legislative updates, organizational news, media mentions, and more.
As an Asian kid who rides a bike to work, some people may assume I moved into Seattle for a six-figure paying tech job. In reality, I ride my bike because it’s free. That way I can spend my bus money on things like rice and lentils. Though the young, white (or in my case, East […]
Our state leaders have said they understand the importance of higher education for Washington’s citizens, yet disinvest in public education at the same time. When the state decreases funding for schools, tuition rises, making higher education increasingly out of reach for many, unless they take out gargantuan student loans. We could afford to fully fund […]
At EOI, we are now six weeks into our health policy work through the Pacific Hospital Preservation and Development Authority grant to develop policies for the preservation and expansion of health coverage at the county and state levels. But we are not doing it alone. We are taking a community-based approach, inviting participation from local […]
Watching the nation’s white nationalist-in-chief Donald Trump yesterday was a wrenching experience. Trump defended white supremacists, saying that people who associate with them aren’t all “bad guys” and blamed the “Alt-Left” for standing up to neo-Nazis in Charlottesville. Although all of his lieutenants looked uncomfortable, Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao looked like she was trying […]
As ballots are counted across King County, it looks like Prop 1 has failed. It had a worthy purpose – making art more accessible to low-income residents – but it was paid for with yet another sales tax in a city that feels that it’s been taxed enough. But it feels that way because some […]
The Economic Opportunity Institute has received a $300,000 grant from the Satterberg Foundation, which will be distributed as three annual $100,000 disbursements for general operating funds. The grant comes at a critical time – EOI has made significant progress on multiple policy fronts in spite of a national political context that antagonizes communities of color, […]
Today we observe Black Women’s Equal Pay Day. But it’s not a celebration. It’s a sobering reminder of the miles to go for racial and gender equity. July 31st symbolizes the extra seven months into 2017 a black woman would have to work to make the same amount of money a white man did in […]
This summer, we’re joined by Louis Lin, a new graduate of UCLA. Here’s why he came to EOI: As an undergraduate, I studied economics and international development, but consistently found that the most interesting and important classes for me were in departments outside of my majors. It started with a seminar my freshman year that […]
The Pacific Hospital Preservation and Development Authority this month awarded the Economic Opportunity Institute a renewable $100,000 grant to develop policies for the preservation and expansion of health coverage at the county and state levels, and prevent losses from the possible repeal of the Affordable Care Act. Through June 2018, EOI will use the money […]
Just six months after the Trump-Proof Seattle Coalition began our campaign for tax justice, the Seattle City Council unanimously approved a 2.25% tax on income in excess of $250,000 ($500K for joint filers), to protect against Trump budget cuts and fund vital public services. Our grassroots campaign has made waves around the country. The right-wing […]
Last week, the Social Security Trustees published their 269-page annual report on the health of the Social Security Trust Funds, which hold the assets that will help fund future retirement benefits for Social Security recipients. In sum, the future of Social Security is bright, as long as some adjustments are made. Once again, Social Security […]
A healthy city cannot depend on largesse. Only tax justice can create a fair and sustainable system.
Just a few months after the Economic Opportunity Institute and Trump Proof Seattle proposed a tax on the wealthy, the Seattle City Council has come through. Just this afternoon, the council unanimously voted to create a city income tax to help finance priorities like the homelessness crisis, providing transit, offsetting federal budget cuts, and reducing […]
Nancy Altman — the D.C.-based President of Social Security Works and one of the foremost experts on Social Security in the U.S. — will share the challenges to Social Security and Medicare we face under the Trump administration and the Republican-controlled Congress. She will also discuss strategies and tactics at the national level to meet […]
This past month, researchers at the Evans School of Public Policy at the University to Washington released a study funded by the Arnold Foundation[1] of the minimum wage increases in the city of Seattle.[2] They asserted that the minimum wage increases resulted in losses of hourly work and total income for workers making less than […]
Washington’s New Paid Family and Medical Leave Program How it will work: Washington’s paid family and medical leave program will work like insurance. Workers and their employers will both pay a small premium with each paycheck, and then workers will receive a benefit from the state when they need family leave or extended medical leave. […]