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.
Originally published in the South Seattle Emerald COVID-19 has hit the hardest smack at the intersection of racial, gender, and economic disparities, disproportionately impacting the most vulnerable amongst us. Black and Brown communities have been much more likely than whites to suffer illness and financial hardship due to COVID-19. The closure of schools and childcare […]
There’s no better way to celebrate the end of black history month and the beginning of women’s history month, than by honoring the remarkable career and contributions of Rosa Franklin, the first Black woman to serve in the Washington State Senate. Rosa Franklin served in the Legislature from 1993 to 2010, where she worked tirelessly […]
The Postpartum Medicaid Expansion Bill (SB 5068) was voted off the Senate floor Thursday with strong bipartisan support – again! This bill also passed with nearly unanimous support last year, but was vetoed by Governor Inslee due to the budget crisis sparked by COVID-19. The pandemic has made ensuring coverage to new moms and birthing parents […]
The best gift we can give to a child is making sure their mother can be there to celebrate their first birthday. But under our current Apple Health for Pregnant Women program, low income mothers lose health coverage just two months after giving birth. This is a dangerous time for women to lose health care […]
Update – we reached our goal! EOI has been advocating for the policies we need right now more than ever for the last 22 years, including accessible and affordable health care, progressive revenue, affordable and well-funded child care, and paid time off from work to care for one’s health or that of a loved one. […]
The state budget affects every aspect of our lives – from the quality of our schools to the cost of basic services and the prevalence of jobs in our communities. This year, as Washingtonians face staggering economic, health, and social hardship due to the pandemic, state budget choices will make an even greater impact on […]
Visit our 2021 Legislative Agenda page to stay up-to-date on the bills we are supporting this session. Washington State’s legislators face enormous challenges in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and recession. They also have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to address persistent economic, racial, gender, and regional inequality by investing in healthy communities and opportunity for all […]
The President-Elect and Vice President–Elect promise to restore civility and hope to the federal government. However, we should not expect miracles, especially with the likelihood of divided federal decision-making, between the President, the Senate, and the House, not to mention the Supreme Court. The political climate and the results of this week’s historic election underscore […]
Ballots went out this week, and this year your ballot includes an important measure that we at EOI support. We encourage you to vote to approve ESJR 8212 in order to secure The Long-term Care Act for all Washington seniors. Seventy percent of adults over the age of 65 will need some level of long-term […]
When I founded the Economic Opportunity Institute in 1998, I had a vision of a brighter future for our state – one of shared prosperity, economic security, and a good quality of life for every Washingtonian. We’ve made substantial progress towards that vision in the past 23 years, from implementing the country’s most progressive state […]
This week we lost a humble public citizen, Bill Gates Sr. Bill understood his responsibility to use his power for the benefit of the greater good, to work for a state and a world in which all people have a good quality of life. A child of the great depression, a graduate of Bremerton High […]
Join Puget Sound Advocates for Retirement Action (PSARA) for an engaging webinar featuring Rep. Pramila Jayapal Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, U.S. Representative for Washington’s 7th Congressional District and co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, will speak about the issues she looks forward to taking up in 2021 with a new Congress and under a new Administration. […]
Tonight, during a taped segment broadcast to guests at our 2020 Virtual Changemakers Dinner, Executive Director John Burbank announced his intention to retire at the end of June 2021. Since founding the Economic Opportunity Institute in 1998, John has helped lead the organization through many challenges — and to many successes — with the support […]
It’s easy to see why the vast majority of American voters say health care is one of their top priorities. Our system is plagued with exorbitant out of pocket costs, skyrocketing profits for pharmaceutical and insurance companies, a rising uninsurance rate, unequal access, and inadequate funding for mental health and substance abuse disorder services. Now […]
Welcome, Changemakers! Event Details: Tuesday, September 15th 6:00pm – 7:30pm Online Event Materials: Event Program Bingo Card Need help with Remo? Send us an email at event@opportunityinstitute.org and we’ll help you out! With appreciation to the following elected officials and candidates joining us at the Changemakers Dinner: Congresswoman Kim Schrier Congressman Denny Heck Congresswoman Suzan […]
Until now, cuts to Social Security payroll taxes seemed like mostly a Trump thing, with GOP leaders themselves rather…skittish…about a proposal that would cut funding for Social Security, one of America’s most beloved and beneficial government programs. Now it looks like a party-line proposal, as Bloomberg news reporter Erik Watson tweets that according to GOP […]
We can rebuild public services for health care, mental health, and education, and begin to adequately fund early learning and care by putting in place an excise tax on employer for their decisions to provide surplus compensation to executive employees.
Policymakers must make forward‐looking choices to raise new progressive revenues for investment that will promote widespread and equitable recovery.
The 2020 Social Security Trustees 2020 report is out — and while the COVID-19 pandemic has generated some uncertainty about short-term funding, the long-term picture is still strong for “America’s pension plan”: With $2.9 trillion in Trust Fund reserves, plus ongoing contributions from payroll taxes, Social Security has projected funds sufficient to pay full benefits […]
EOI will be taking Thursday, June 4 off to participate in the National Day of Mourning for Black Lives. The Economic Opportunity Institute stands in solidarity with Black, Indigenous and people of color who suffer murder and repression at the hands of law enforcement agencies. The state violence directed at people of color is the […]
Click here to view or download the report. We release this report with deep gratitude to our supporters and coalition partners, without whom these policy strides would not be possible. Thank you for standing with us, and we look forward to continuing to work together to build an economy that works for everyone.