As Assistant Ranking Member on the House Capital Budget Committee and one of the budget writers, I am honored to have helped deliver meaningful investments to Southwest Washington—focusing on projects that strengthen communities, improve infrastructure, and support local families.

The Washington State capital budget—often called the construction budget—funds projects people can see and use every day: schools, public safety facilities, water systems, housing, and community spaces. Through his leadership role, Abbarno has helped ensure that these investments reflect the real needs of local communities rather than top-down priorities.

In the most recent capital budgets, Abbarno helped secure more than $81 million in investments for the 20th Legislative District, supporting a wide range of projects across Lewis, Cowlitz, Clark, and Thurston counties. These investments include funding for school construction and modernization, public health infrastructure, flood response, and community facilities—projects designed to improve quality of life and create long-term economic opportunity.

Recent supplemental capital budget efforts alone delivered over $16 million in additional proposed investments for local priorities, including school construction, public health upgrades, and community-based services. Final investments included projects such as improvements to public health buildings, school modernization planning, community centers, and infrastructure that supports families and local economies.

I have consistently emphasized a “community-up” approach—working directly with local leaders, cities, and organizations to identify and prioritize projects that matter most. His work has helped fund critical infrastructure like drinking water improvements, flood mitigation in the Chehalis Basin, behavioral health facilities, and investments in parks and youth programs.

I was honored to be recently recognized as an “Infrastructure Champion” for my work supporting public works and community investment across Washington state.

From schools and public safety to economic development and infrastructure, these projects are helping build stronger families, stronger communities, and a stronger Washington for years to come.

2023- 2025 Capital Budget Press Release

2024 Supplemental Capital Budget Press Release

2025-2027 Capital Budge Press Release

2026 Supplemental Capital Budget Press Release

List of Capital Budget investments over the past two (2) biennium!

Lewis County

• Morton School District — $5,000,000
• City of Centralia Nitrates Project — $5,000,000
• Green Hill School Building Upgrades — $4,500,000
• Green Hill School Visitor Screening & Security Improvements — $4,500,000
• Lewis County Homeless Shelter (Chehalis) — $2,500,000
• Centralia Quad Infield Turf Project — $2,480,000
• Port of Chehalis Hydrogen Fueling Station and Production Facility — $2,000,000
• Boys & Girls Club of Lewis County — $1,950,000
• Onalaska School District — $1,827,000
• Green Hill School Security Doors/Locks Sleeping Rooms — $1,800,000
• Chehalis River Raw Water Main Replacement Project — $1,750,000
• Lewis County Public Health Building Building Upgrade — $1,552,000
• Carlisle Lake Dam Safety and Water Improvement — $1,545,000
• Minor Works Program 2025-27 Biennium — $1,441,000
• Berwick Creek at Bishop Fish Passage Construction — $1,306,000
• Berwick Creek at Logan Fish Passage Construction — $1,245,000
• Lucas Creek Tributary Fish Passage — $1,140,000
• Borst Park Ball Field Lights — $1,092,000
• Mossyrock School District — $1,075,000
• Kruger Creek Fish Passage — $1,068,000
• Lucas Creek Tributary Fish Passage — $1,046,000
• Greenwood Water Main Replacement Project — $976,000
• Chehalis Infrastructure Improvements — $849,000
• Southwest Washington Fairgrounds 4-H Barn — $767,000
• Cascade Community Healthcare — $541,000
• Dig-Once Pilot Project and Enhanced Program Development — $500,000
• Lewis County Senior Centers (Chehalis) — $500,000
• Centralia Historic Fox Theatre Restoration — $482,000
• Napavine School District — $424,000
• Centralia College Minor Works Projects— $2,724,000
• Fire Mountain Arts Council (Morton) — $217,000
• SW Washington Fair Equestrian Facility — $206,000
• Masonic Building Roof Renovation (Centralia) — $170,000
• Southwest Washington Dance Center Facility Improvements (Chehalis) — $152,000
• Lewis County Historic Museum Restoration & Preservation Project (Chehalis) — $150,000
• Lewis County Courthouse (Chehalis) — $150,000
• Detox/Inpatient SUD Building (Chehalis) — $150,000
• Lewis County Courthouse — $120,000
• Porter No. 5 Steam Engine Restoration — $145,000
• United Learning Center (Centralia) — $100,000
• Southwest Washington Fairgrounds 4-H Barn Roof Replacement (Centralia)— $100,000
• Mossyrock Grange — $80,000
• City Hall Structural Assessment (Toledo) — $53,000
• Chehalis Recreation Park — $50,000
• Bob Oke Game Farm Relocation and Remediation — $50,000
• Napavine School District Planning Grant — $48,000
• Forest Grange Renovation Project — $45,000
• Temple Energy Efficiency Improvements — $40,000
• SW WA Fairgrounds Drainage and Water Improvements — $30,000

Cowlitz County

• Toutle River Fish Collection Facility – Match — $6,504,000
• Cowlitz County PUD Landfill Methane Capture — $4,900,000
• CH Hoffstadt Hills — $2,009,000
• Double Culvert Replacement (Castle Rock) — $2,000,000
• Seaquest Mount St. Helens Visitor Center Renovations — $1,191,000
• Cascadia Tech Outdoor Learning Collaboration — $1,154,000
• Rose Way Industrial Infrastructure — $752,000
• Toutle River Riparian Restoration — $533,000
• Austin Point Water Recreation Park — $521,000
• North Fork Goble Creek Fish Passage Design — $383,000
• Scott Hill Park & Sports Complex (Woodland) — $350,000
• Holcomb – Little Kalama River Tributary — $318,000
• Merrill Lake NRCA Renovation — $315,000
• Scott Hill Park Artificial Turf — $309,000
• Toutle River Fish Collection Facility — $300,000
• Kalama Community Building Architectural Survey — $62,000
• Scott Hill Park & Sports Complex — $45,000
• Merrill Lake NRCA Access Road Improvements — $40,000
• Rose Valley Grange Capital Improvements — $40,000
• Port of Woodland — $5,000

Clark County

• Lower East Fork Floodplain Reclamation Project (LaCenter/Battle Ground/Ridgefield) — $5,581,000
• Construction – Green Mountain School District — $6,000,000
• Pacific Wood Treating — $2,000,000
• Pioneer Street Slope Stabilization and Slide Alleviation (Ridgefield) — $1,545,000
• La Center Breezee Creek Culvert Replacement — $1,000,000
• Battle Ground Lake Equestrian Parking Lot — $803,000
• Yacolt Community Center — $772,000
• Park Laundry Site Toxic Remediation (Ridgefield) — $770,000
• Ridgefield Outdoor Recreational Complex — $450,000
• La Center Downtown 2.0 — $400,000
• Athletic Field Lights for Ridgefield Outdoor Complex (Ridgefield) — $250,000
• La Center Wheel Club Community Center Remodel — $250,000
• Cambodian Cultural Hall / Sala Thormaksaphea — $217,000
• Port of Ridgefield Waterfront Park — $100,000
• Green Mountain School District Planning Grant — $27,000

Thurston County

• South Sound Prairies Conservation — $3,345,000
• South Thurston Fire & EMS New Fire Station (Tenino) — $3,050,000
• Southwest Washington Agricultural Business Project — $1,250,000
• Thompson Creek Fish Passage — $500,000
• Rainier School District — $343,000
• Tenino Stone Carvers Guild Workshop and Classroom — $160,000
• Rainier School District Planning Grant — $45,000
• Communications Devices for Officials — $15,000