Dear Neighbor,
I’m happy to report that the 41st Legislative District voted overwhelmingly to send me back to Olympia as their State Representative. It has been an honor to serve these past three years and I look forward to another term working for residents of our district and the state.
With the elections behind us, election year restrictions have been lifted and I will once again be sending you e-newsletters as we prepare for, and work through, the upcoming legislative session starting on January 9, 2017.
I look forward to continuing to work on issues important to families such as fully funding education, promoting equal pay and improving mental health. In addition, I will continue to stand up to sexist, racist, homophobic and xenophobic acts, rhetoric and policy proposals, which have no place in our state or nation. Instead, we must promote constructive dialogue and respectful expression of differing opinions while we work to improve the economic, social and physical infrastructure of our diverse communities.
Children’s Mental Health
During the interim, I had the honor to co-chair the Children’s Mental Health Workgroup created by legislative action last year. The group, composed of advocates with a wide array of expertise, met several times focused on workforce, early learning & k-12 education, and assessment, eligibility & billing. We discussed the issues facing mental health care for children and passed recommendations to help address barriers to access, mental health provider shortages and other important concerns.
I will be sure to provide details on legislation I plan to introduce in 2017 built around the discussions and recommendations of this dedicated group. In the meantime, the Workgroup’s official report can be read in its entirety by clicking HERE.
Recognitions
With the quick transition from legislative session to summer/fall recess, we often forget to reflect on the great work we have accomplished. I am extremely honored that a number of groups chose to recognize some of the important work we achieved together during the 2016 legislative session with the following awards:
- City Champion Award from the Association of Washington Cities;
- Champion for Change Award from the Arc of King County (on disability issues); and
- Crayon Award from the Early Learning Action Alliance.
Thank you so much for these significant recognitions.
Welcome To our New Senator & Keep in Touch
Lastly, I wanted to take a moment to congratulate and welcome Senator-elect Lisa Wellman to the Legislature as our incoming Senator for the 41st District. I look forward to working with her on the important issues facing our district and State. She’s currently in the process of getting her e-mail and office setup, but once she does, I encourage you to subscribe to her e-newsletters to be kept up to date on her work in Olympia.
Thanks again for sending me back to Olympia to represent you and your family.