On April 4, the Washington State legislature will reach $60 million in court ordered fines for not fully funding public education. $60 million is a lot of money. $60 million would cover three months of the Northshore School District’s annual budget.

As a parent in the Northshore School District, I am deeply concerned that the legislature still hasn’t acted to fund our schools. Great public schools are not only the key to providing Washington’s kids with an opportunity for a bright future; they are also the foundations of a prosperous state.

I am encouraged to see that budget proposed by the state’s House Democrats (HB 2186). This budget proposal fully funds K-12 education and moves to clean our regressive tax code. I am happy that this budget is not balanced on the backs of low-income people and prioritizes investing in Washington’s children now to strengthen our state’s communities and economy in the future.

Implementing a tax on capital gains would bring us in parity with 42 other states and would only be applied to investment profits over $50,000 per year for a couple. It’s the right thing to do.

House Democrats are doing what politicians too rarely do: leading boldly and with courage to build and maintain strong communities for all of us. I hope to see their proposal become law.

I’d like to encourage anyone who reads this letter to get in touch with our state legislators (http://app.leg.wa.gov/MemberEmail/) and tell them to support HB 2186.

Aaron Moreau-Cook, Bothell