Dear Neighbors,
Here is a quick update on what’s happening in the House. Last week was a busy week. We moved a lot of bills off the House floor and sent them over to the Senate. Below are some updates on some of the legislation we have passed.
Oil Transportation Safety Act passes House with bipartisan support
There’s been an increased volume of coal and oil trains coming through our state. This greatly impacts our community because we have a large volume of trains going through the Kent area. The series of recent oil train accidents, including one in Quebec last July that killed 47 people and another in Illinois just last week, are concerning. So I’m especially please we passed the Oil Transportation Safety Act.
House Bill 1449addresses the increased risks of oil train derailments and possible disasters from the increase in oil trains moving through Washington. The bill will give emergency responders advance notice when oil trains are moving through our communities. The bill also funds more planning and spill response programs. I was pleased to vote for this important measure! You can read more about the bill here.
Click here and here for additional information and maps identifying what communities are at risk (in a “blast zone”). Look in this interactive map to see that oil trains would run right through the heart of the 33rd district in Kent, putting our local community at risk.
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Update on my bills
I’m so pleased that 6 of my bills have cleared the House!
Youth Advocacy Day to advocate for issues of importance to foster youth.
I’m very excited that HB 1735 passed the House on March 5th! As I mentioned in my last e-newsletter, this important bill expands eligibility for extended foster care services to foster youth between the ages of 18 and 21 who have significant medical conditions. The bill requires cooperation among the different state agencies that may serve this vulnerable population, helping to ensure that they have the support and stability they need.
Below are my other bills that passed the House and are now in the Senate:
- HB 1068 – Testing of sexual assault examination kits
- HB 1069 – Preservation of DNA evidence
- HB 1138 – Suicide prevention in higher education
- HB 1139 – Human trafficking of youth
- HB 1424 – Suicide prevention
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A few other great bills that we passed in the House
I was honored to work collaboratively with a team of legislators to move forward legislation to protect people whose intimate images are shared without their permission. I’m very proud that two very important bills on this issue were moved out of the House this week.
My bill on this issue, HB 1624, was folded into HB 2160, which passed on March 2nd. HB 2160 provides for civil liability against any person who intentionally and without consent distributes an intimate image of another person. You’ll find more information on this bill at this link.
HB 1272, which provides a criminal sentence to those who wrongfully distribute intimate images passed the House unanimously on March 5th.
It is has been a privilege to work on such important legislation to protect victims – mostly women – from these horrific actions.
On March 5th we also passed House Bill 1571, a paint stewardship bill to make sure that the leftover paint you have in your garage doesn’t end up in a landfill, or worse yet, down the drain and in to our waterways. You can read more about this bill here.
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Washington Voting Rights Act clears the House
This week the House of Representatives approved HB 1745, the Washington Voting Rights Act. This legislation will help ensure fair and equitable elections in local jurisdictions – because too many communities across our state are denied the opportunity to participate fully in the decision making process.
50 years after Martin Luther King’s march from Selma to Montgomery, there are still communities in Washington that struggle to make their voices heard in local elections. When our electoral system disenfranchises any individual or group, it undermines the very core of our democracy. We can do better for the people of Washington state, and it starts with the Washington Voting Rights Act.
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Closing the Opportunity Gap
Every child deserves an opportunity to learn. But unfortunately, too many students are left behind. This is especially true for students of color. This is commonly referred to as the “opportunity gap.”
Students of color as a whole are testing 20% – 30% below Caucasian students. This is a major problem. The opportunity gap in Washington state is persistent, pervasive, and unacceptable.
Closing the opportunity gap is a critical part of providing educational opportunities and improving academic outcomes for ALL students. I’m pleased to report the House approved a measure, HB 1541, that will make great strides in closing the gap and ensuring all students have a chance to reach their full potential.
You’ll hear a lot about McCleary and our efforts to fully fund education. At the heart of McCleary is the concept that the state’s paramount duty is to ensure every child has an opportunity to learn. Closing the opportunity gap and fully funding education are critical to ensuring all kids have a chance to be successful.
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Thank you for reading my updates. I appreciate your feedback.
Sincerely,
