WASHINGTON STATE

Washington State House Democrats

HOUSE DEMOCRATS

McCleary, DREAM Act, health care

In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we wanted to share with you this video tribute in which House Democrats celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

 

First week of the legislative session is complete

We completed the first week of the 2014 Legislative Session and it included a rare first-day vote, Governor Inslee’s first State of the State address, and several public rallies. Looks like it’s going to be a jam-packed 60 days!

Here are a few of the issues we will be focusing on for our district

  • Continuing to address the need for adequate funding of our K-12 system as mandated by the Supreme Court’s McCleary decision.
  • Working to resume cost-of-living increases for public school teachers. They have gone five years without one.
  • Protecting pensions and benefits for public employees.

First bill of the year passes on first day of session

The House of Representatives made history in 2014 by passing legislation on the first day of session – a day usually reserved for ceremony.

The legislation we passed on a strong bipartisan vote (71-23) wasn’t inconsequential, either.  It wasn’t what people in Olympia call “a good little bill.” In fact, it was a great big bill: the DREAM Act, which will help open the doors of our universities to all students – even those who were brought to this country by their undocumented parents.

If you talk to these students, you hear the same thing, over and over: America is the only home they’ve ever known. They graduated from our high schools and received high grades and test scores and earned their way into our colleges and universities.

If you talk to these students, you keep hearing the same thing: “I want to give back to my community and country.” We were proud to vote for a bill that will help them achieve that goal. It’s the right thing to do for those kids and the right thing to do for our economy.

We are a nation of immigrants, and we support the notion that every child in Washington state, regardless of race, religion or circumstance, should have a great education and a fair shot at the American Dream.

This legislation, though, only has a fair shot that the Senate Republic leadership will allow it to come to the floor.  We’ll see what happens in the next few weeks.

Federal Affordable Care Act Update – Washington’s Health Care Exchange is working well

It’s been just over three months since our state’s online health insurance marketplace officially got up-and-running. While hiccups at the national level have grabbed the majority of headlines, Washington Healthplanfinder is quietly helping thousands of Washingtonians access affordable, quality health care for the very first time.

Earlier last week, the Washington Health Benefit Exchange (WHBE) released new enrollment figures that show 248,270 Washington residents have signed up for coverage – through either private providers or Washington Apple Health – since October 1.

From the launch date of October 1st – January 2nd, the Healthplanfinder website has had 1,079,663 individual hits and the call center has serviced 16,953 calls. The average wait time at those call centers is down to five minutes.

From the beginning, Washington state has led the nation in the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. We created our own online marketplace, Healthplanfinder, rather than depending on the federal exchange. We also led efforts to expand the Medicaid program – closing the gap for Washington families that could not otherwise afford private insurance.  Recently, PBS News Hour ranked us the fifth best state in the country for Affordable Care Act enrollment.

To learn more about your health care options or to see if you are eligible for a subsidy, visit www.wahealthplanfinder.org or call 1-877-WAFINDER. The call center is open Monday-Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Washington State House of Representative Pages, January 13-17, 2014 Aaron Barna
Washington State House of Representative Pages, January 13-17, 2014

Great opportunity for young people to see their government in action

What is a “page?”

a) In feudal times, a boy attending to a knight

b) A leaf or sheet or paper in a book

c) A young teen getting a close-up look at government in action, having fun and earning money while spending a week delivering documents and helping out House members in the Washington state Legislature.

The answer, of course, is “all of the above” – but the one most relevant here is (c). With the Legislature in session, it’s page season once again, which means a great opportunity for 14-, 15- and 16-year-olds from across the state to have a hands-on experience in government, working in the House of Representatives or Senate for a week.

If you know a boy or girl who is a good candidate for the role, click here to learn more and to download an application. Don’t delay – spots fill up quickly!