Dear neighbors,
A huge part of my job is keeping an open dialogue with you.
It’s a two-way street: informing you of what’s happening in Olympia that matters here in the 44th, and listening to your comments, questions, and ideas.
Now that the 2021 session of the Legislature has begun, here are two quick updates.
Thank you for taking the time read this.
The first week of the 2021 session
It was my honor to give the opening prayer on the first day of the 2021 legislative session.
Thankfully, opening day was peaceful. I appreciate the National Guard members and State Troopers who kept everyone safe.
The events in our nation’s capital were an attack on democracy and hit close to home. My brother is a member of the Washington D.C. Metro Police Department, and he patrolled the streets long into the night after what happened on Jan. 6.
COVID
While this is a highly unusual session—the first remote session in our state’s history—the circumstances behind why we’re working remotely reinforce how important that work is this year.
The virus is not yet beaten. Infections are rising throughout America.
While Snohomish County had the first positive case of COVID-19 in the nation, and we worked quickly and efficiently to put safety measures in place, this is little comfort to families who are still struggling, small businesses still fighting to stay open, and working parents still trying to juggle remote work and kids learning remotely.
I will work hard, with lawmakers from both parties, on ways we can help people get through this until the virus is vanquished.
Many of you have questions about the vaccines.
Things are changing rapidly when it comes to the vaccination schedule, and I’ll keep you updated as that ramps up. I expect more supplies and better support from the federal government soon.
If you have questions about the COVID-19 vaccines, please check out these videos from the state Department of Health about how they’re made and how they work.
You can also visit CovidVaccineWA.org for more information about the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, which are more than 90 percent effective against the virus and have been authorized by the FDA for emergency use.
There’s also a new statewide plan for vaccination, which you can read about below.
Four key ways to participate in your democracy during the 2021 session
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s not safe to hold a normal session of the Legislature, so the House of Representatives will be holding most meetings and events remotely.
You can still watch all of those meetings, contact your lawmakers, and participate. For years, the House has added new methods of letting people from around the state get informed and involved.
Here are four major pathways:
Learn—The whole legislative process, from start to finish, is explained at leg.wa.gov/legislature/Pages/Overview.aspx
Watch—Go to TVW.org for broadcasts of debates, votes, committee meetings, and other events in the House and Senate. There’s also an extensive archive of past events, if you couldn’t watch it live.
Research—To look up legislation by lawmaker or topic, visit app.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/
Testify—Holding a remote session does not mean you don’t get to have your say. We have a brand new system for you to submit remote testimony on any bill.
Keep in touch
Thank you for taking the time to read this, and don’t hesitate to get in touch with my office.
I hope to hear from you soon!
