Economic Prosperity FOr all of us
Washington state is at its best when families across all communities are thriving, which includes access to jobs with living wages and good benefits, a commitment to equal pay for equal work, and equitable support for small businesses. Stronger supports for our people, including increasing family wage jobs, providing access to affordable housing and childcare, and robust training programs will help our state prosper.
EConomic Development & Small Business
Small businesses are the core of our neighborhoods and the backbone of our economy. While some corporate tax breaks have attracted large companies and created jobs, they lack a long-term, sustainable strategy to grow our local economies from within, supporting small business, and strengthening local communities. It’s time for a new strategy.
As our 36th LD State Representative, Noel championed:
SB 5693 (2022) – Small Business assistance ($264M) (PASSED)
SB 5651 (2022) – Economic Development infrastructure ($408M) (PASSED)
HB 1258 (2021) – Microenterprise home kitchens for entrepreneurs (PRIME SPONSOR)
HB 1015 (2021) – Equitable Access to Credit for underserved communities (PASSED)
HB 1958 (2022) – Shovel-ready site certification, supporting economic development
HB 1336 (2021) – Expanding rural access to broadband internet (PASSED)
SB 5873 (2022) – Unemployment insurance, family leave, and medical leave premium reductions in response to pandemic-era unemployment (PASSED)
HB 1279 (2021) – Main Street program expansion (PASSED)
HB 1183 (2017) – Creative Districts (PASSED)
Worker PRotections
Noel fully supports collective bargaining because when our workers can organize, they advocate for better, safer working conditions for everyone. We also must foster a diverse workforce that pays all people, including women, people of color and people with disabilities, equal pay for equal work.
As our 36th LD State Representative, Noel championed:
HB 2124 (2022) – Pathway for legislative workers to collectively bargain (PASSED)
HB 1795 (2022) – Washington Silenced No More Act (PASSED)
SB 5761 (2022) – Salary transparency in job postings (PASSED)
HB 2017 (2019) – Extending collective bargaining rights to administrative law judges (PRIME SPONSOR, PASSED)
HB 1868 (2022) – Safe staffing for nurses and healthcare workers
HB 1672 (2017) – Tolling prevailing wage determinations. (PRIME SPONSOR, PASSED)
SB 5835 (2017) – Pregnant workers accommodations (PASSED)
HB 1506 (2017) – Pay equity (PASSED)
Worker & Family Supports
The people of Washington State have not benefited uniformly from our great economic prosperity. While the Puget Sound has boomed, rural Washington still has high unemployment. Women often immediately return to work upon the birth of a child to make ends meet or leave the workforce entirely to raise children because the cost of childcare exceeds that which she can make working full-time. Additionally, we must support training outside of a traditional four-year college path to prepare our youth and mid-career adults for a variety of careers.
As our 36th LD State Representative, Noel championed:
HB 1947 (2022) – End Diaper Need Act (PRIME SPONSOR, PASSED as SB 5838)
SB 5237 (2021) – Fair Starts for Kids Act (PASSED)
HB 1723 (2022) – Digital Equity Act (PASSED)
SB 5975 (2017) – Paid family and medical leave insurance (PASSED)