Dear neighbors,
Monday, January 9th marked the start of the 2023 Legislative Session, and I am honored to return as your 44th Legislative District representative. This year, I have been appointed by colleagues to chair the House Finance Committee. Historically, revenue policy has been unfair to marginalized communities—this year, I am proud to lead the committee that can build an inclusive, progressive, stable, and transparent tax structure that serves our state.
I will additionally serve on the House Appropriations and Local Government committees. This year, my colleagues and I are in Olympia, working in-person. I look forward to seeing many of you virtually and face-to-face, and hearing your stories, ideas, feedback, and legislative priorities for our community, district, and state.
Supporting a better state
I am incredibly proud of the impactful work the State Legislature has accomplished over the last few years, especially in the face of great challenge. Last year, I championed eight bills that were signed into law, prioritizing the needs of working families, tax policy changes, and job creation.
This year, we need to focus on housing for Washingtonians. Across the state, Washingtonians need housing—and especially low or extremely low-income housing, which the private sector has never been able to accommodate. Workforce is another key challenge, across all sectors. The COVID-19 pandemic altered the workforce environment, and my colleagues and I are working on innovative solutions to address gaps. We can’t adequately address public safety in our community when our law enforcement agencies are struggling to fill positions. This year, we’re working on expanding and establishing local law enforcement training centers to help tackle this workforce shortage.
This session, I’ve already introduced HB 1231 to accelerate rural job growth and promote economic recover across Washington through site readiness grants—if it passes, CERB (Community Economic Revitalization Board) will be able to create additional high wage jobs and increase local tax revenues by developing specific “site readiness” criteria. Including the economic development minimum requirements to include site readiness activities, and will provide state, local, and tribal governments a trusted and reliable tool for marketing and recruitment.
Additionally, I will continue leading the House Food Fighters Caucus, which focuses on supporting hunger relief organizations, investing in infrastructure to connect farmers to markets, and making it easier for low-income families to put healthy food on the table. I will also continue working with the Fur Fighters Caucus to strengthen coalitions of animal welfare organizations to improve the lives of animals across our state.
Getting in touch
One of my greatest legislative priorities is to better serve our community. Here are some ways to continue to stay involved in the legislative process this year: 
- Watch — TVW.org broadcasts all the debates and votes that happen in the House and Senate, along with committee meetings and other events you may be interested in.
- Research — Look up legislation by lawmaker or by topic.
- Learn — Learn about the legislative process, from start to finish.
- Testify — Committee testimony will continue to have a virtual option, so instead of driving to Olympia to weigh in on legislation during the committee process, you can continue to do so from home. Written testimony is also an option, and you can always share your story with me. Learn more about how to testify.
- Get in touch — You can reach my office by emailing me here or are welcome to call the legislative hotline number (toll free 800-562-6000). This year, I will be accommodating in-person and virtual meetings. To schedule a meeting, please contact my Legislative Assistant, Katharine Gillen, at Katharine.Gillen@leg.wa.gov.
Serve as a Legislative Page!
The Washington State Legislature has one of the best Legislative Page programs in the country. Because we are operating in-person again, and many youth did not have an opportunity to participate during COVID, our page program is back and for this year, open to youth ages 14-18. I invite you to apply.
Pages contribute to the efficient operation of the legislature, receive daily civics instruction, draft their own bills, and participate in mock committee hearings. They’re sponsored by members of the Legislature, usually from the district in which they live. Pages earn daily stipends of $50, and can also earn up to 20 hours of community service.
To help lower-income families participate in the program, the House of Representatives created the Gina Grant Bull Scholarship; check out the FAQ page to see if you can apply.
Taking part in the page program is a great opportunity for young people to gain a unique perspective of the legislative process. If you have a teen who could benefit from this experience, I encourage you to consider sending them to Olympia for a week.
This year, the legislature is making a one-time exception for students who are 17-18 years old and were unable to previously participate due to the COVID-19 pandemic—I encourage anyone interested to apply!
For more information, please visit the House Page Program website.
It is an honor to continue to represent the 44th Legislative District. I look forward to hearing your stories, priorities, advocacy, and feedback throughout the 2023 Legislative Session—please don’t hesitate to send me an email or give me a call at 425-939-8423.
I’ll also continue to offer coffee chats around the district—stay tuned for more details. Hope to chat with you over a cup of coffee soon!
Sincerely,
Rep. April Berg