We, the residents of the state of Washington, petition Governor Jay Inslee and the Washington State Legislature to implement a true universal healthcare system. Currently 522,000 Washington residents have no healthcare coverage, 64% of Washington voters want a government funded universal health care system, and single payer/universal healthcare is in the Washington State Democratic Party platform.

We are happy that the Governor and our representatives have started promoting the idea of universal healthcare, but a “public option” bill that contracts with private insurance will not cover everyone, nor will it reduce the overall costs of healthcare and pharmaceutical prices in our state. We want our tax dollars to go to a public, government run health agency, not a for-profit entity.

We demand that you introduce a bill like the Whole Washington Health Trust which has been vetted by the Department of Revenue and the Employment Security Department, is backed by a funding study done by world renowned economist Dr. Gerald Friedman, a study that demonstrates that Washington residents can save $9 billion using a universal healthcare system annually, and has a transition plan that will allow it to begin covering our residents without federal waivers.