Dear friends and neighbors,
With a little over a week to go in this legislative session, we’re getting into some of the busiest days of the year. This week marks another pivotal cutoff, where bills have to pass the opposite chamber to still have the chance of becoming law. Next week, we’ll be working out any differences between bills passed by the House & Senate and voting on a final state budget.
But before session comes to a close, I just wanted to share a few exciting updates!
Middle housing passed!
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Watching the votes come in with Rep. Barkis and Sen. Trudeau
HB 1110 passed the Senate this week! It looks quite a bit different from when we started this journey a few months ago, but I believe it puts us on a path to rapidly building up our housing supply to meet the needs of WA’s families. Legalizing modest middle housing options is one of the only ways we can truly address our growing housing shortage. Everyone needs a home, and we couldn’t have gotten this far without your support.
I also want to give special thanks to my fellow middle housing champions, State Sen. Yasmin Trudeau and Rep. Andrew Barkis. Both of them have been instrumental in working closely with our colleagues, stakeholders and communities to find the right balance to get this bill passed. I could not have done this without them.
But there’s still more work to be done. With some changes made by the Senate, we’ll need to hammer out some of the differences before passing the final version before we adjourn for the year. We’re so close to finally getting this bill over the finish line. Let’s get it done!
Reducing barriers to maternal health
Washington residents deserve the opportunity to exercise the full spectrum of their reproductive health choices, and that includes access to maternal health services. The U.S. has one of the highest maternal mortality and adverse outcome rates among industrialized nations. This disparity is especially acute for individuals of color.
We must do more to ensure those looking to begin or grow their families have access to the services and supports they need, and that starts with lowering costs. I was proud to champion SB 5581 in the House to direct the Office of the Insurance Commissioner to work with our health insurance carriers to find ways to reduce or eliminate deductibles and other cost-sharing requirements for maternity care services—including prenatal care, delivery and post-partum care.
I’m thrilled that the bill passed both the House & Senate unanimously and I expect it to be sent to the governor soon!
Preserving access to mifepristone
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Of course, the full spectrum of reproductive care also includes terminating a pregnancy if an individual chooses to do so. But ever since the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, states throughout the nation have moved swiftly to criminalize or eliminate access to abortion. Not just for residents in their own states, but for all of us—and we’re seeing the consequences every day.
But Washington has not stood idly by. This session we’ve worked to protect those seeking reproductive care from legal action by other states, eliminate co-pays & deductible requirements for abortions, and secure your private health care data.
And most recently, I was proud to stand alongside Gov. Inslee, Attorney General Bob Ferguson, and Sen. Karen Keiser to announce that our state was purchasing a 3-year supply of mifepristone to ensure Washingtonians can continue to access medication for abortions.
Abortion is health care. Every person has the right to their own bodily autonomy. And we will never stop fighting to keep it that way.
You can read more about this by clicking here.
It is an honor to represent you at the Capital. Please don’t hesitate to reach out anytime. For the latest updates, follow my legislative Facebook page.
Best wishes,
State Representative Jessica Bateman
22nd Legislative District