Dear friends and neighbors,
Getting a bill through the legislative process from the seed of an idea to the Governor’s desk is not easy. Even if the sponsor is lucky enough to have their bill pass through policy and fiscal committees and get voted out of the house of origin the first time around, there’s still a whole other chamber that bill has to move through before it gets to the governor’s desk for signing.
Bills on the Move
I’m happy to report out of the eight bills I sponsored this session, four were passed on the House floor and will now move to the Senate for committee hearings. Two more of my bills had companion bills that passed the Senate and have moved to the House.
You can find out more about any of these bills by going to https://app.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/.
How we’re tackling the housing crisis in 2024
Last year we passed some big bills aimed at increasing housing supply by changing the status quo of zoning and development. I’m proud of the bipartisan support that pushed HB 1110 across the finish line in 2023 to make it easier to build homes of all shapes and sizes in more of our communities.
This session we’re continuing to look for innovative ways to address the housing crisis from all angles. Here’s some of the great bills we’ve passed out of the House so far.
- Rep. Mia Gregerson’s (D-SeaTac) co-living housing bill will allow co-living developments in urban growth areas. This type of housing was frequently found in cities up until the end of the 20th century when zoning laws and regulations changed to favor single-family homes. Bringing it back would fill a much-needed gap of low-cost single living spaces.
- As density increases in urban neighborhoods, so does the need for amenities that improve walkability and convenience for residents. That’s why Rep. Mark Klicker’s (R-Walla Walla) bill to allow neighborhood café’s in residential areas is a great addition to the lineup of housing bills.
- According to a 2022 study, half of all US renters were cost burdened. Skyrocketing rents mean more families facing the possibility of losing their home and not having the means to relocate. Rep. Emily Alvarado’s rent stabilization bill would cap rent annual increases to a reasonable amount, allowing landlords to continue making a profit and income to maintain their properties while protecting vulnerable Washingtonians from becoming unhoused.
These are just a few of the bills that were introduced this session in response to the housing crisis, and there’s so much more we can do. I’m going to keep fighting because every Washingtonian deserves an affordable place to call home.
We need your help!
Share your stories by emailing my office Jessica.Bateman@leg.wa.gov.
Testify on these bills when they go to the Senate for committee hearings starting later this week
Let your other district lawmakers know that you support these and other bills to help fix Washington’s housing crisis.
50 years of the Boldt Decision
Washington state is rich with the history of its indigenous people, yet tribes in the Northwest have often had to fight for rights that should have been recognized, including fishing rights. On February 12, 1974 a landmark decision affirmed Native American fishing rights in what came to be known as the Boldt decision. Check out this video from two of my House Democratic colleagues that commemorates the affirmation of tribal treaty rights and civil justice for Washington’s indigenous people.
Thanks for reading! If you have any questions you can always email me at Jessica.Bateman@leg.wa.gov or follow my Facebook page for more up-to-date information.
