Inslee may call legislature for a special session

OLYMPIA — Gov. Jay Inslee said Tuesday that it is probable he may call state legislators back to the Capitol for a special session before January to work toward providing additional relief and assistance funding in the wake of the coronavirus.

Inslee made the remark during a briefing focusing on assistance for small businesses in Washington. He spoke about $5 million in grants that will be available for small businesses struggling under the economic repercussions of the “stay home, stay healthy” order. Inslee said the funding will be allocated from the governor’s strategic reserve fund and will be granted to applicants through the Department of Commerce.

“This is a huge challenge to us all, and there is a lot more we will need to do,” Inslee said about the economic impact following the viral outbreak.

Inslee spoke of the need to expand unemployment compensation as hundreds of thousands have filed for unemployment insurance. The state had hired around 100 new employees just to help process the high volume of unemployment claims.

Of the $200 million allocated by the legislature for economic relief and assistance through the coronavirus pandemic, $120 million has been used, according to Inslee.

The governor encouraged small-business owners to apply for federal relief assistance in addition to the resources being offered in the state.

“We need Washington businesses to continue applying,” Inslee urged. “So we aren’t leaving federal dollars on the table.”

Inslee said this is just the start of what will be a long economic recovery process.