Save the Date for Upcoming Town Halls

UPDATE: The Telephone Town Hall that was previously announced for Tuesday, February 16 has been switched to a Mini Town Hall. The Appropriations Committee, on which I serve, had to schedule a meeting for the evening of February 16. Therefore, Rep. Hackney and I plan to host a Mini Town Hall on Sunday, February 21 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Rather than in-person chats, each participant will sign up for a 15-minute time slot in which they’ll have a personal call with me via Zoom or over the phone. How to sign up: Please email my legislative aide, Syd Locke, at syd.locke@leg.wa.gov or call the office at 253-214-3275.

The 11th District delegation will still be holding a Telephone Town Hall on Wednesday, March 17 from 6 to 7 p.m. You should receive a phone call on your landline at 6 p.m. that day. If you only have a cell phone, or otherwise want to join, watch for more details coming soon, as we’ll be sending out additional sign-up information. We hope you can take the time to join us!

If you have things to say but can’t participate in the Telephone Town Hall or Mini Town Hall, please feel free to email me at steve.bergquist@leg.wa.gov. I try to respond to every call, email and letter from a citizen in the 11^th District.

It’s an honor and a privilege to serve as your representative, and I hope to hear from you soon!

Bills of Public Discussion Survey

Every session there are bills and issues that generate a great deal of calls and emails from the public, and this year is no different. While I have already heard from some constituents on these issues, I want to get a broader picture of where our district stands. Click here or the button to take the survey, which should take less than five minutes of your time. Thank you and I look forward to your responses.

COVID-19 Survey Results and Vaccine Assistance

Thank you to those who participated in the survey I sent out in my last newsletter. I asked you to share about your experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Your responses told me that most of you plan to get the COVID-19 vaccine when it is available. For those that are currently eligible, many of you have had issues getting an appointment or finding a provider. Below, you’ll find information on how to get assistance booking an appointment to get the vaccine.

For more information, check out the 2021 COVID-19 Survey results.

The COVID-19 assistance hotline is here to help

If you or someone you know is having trouble booking an appointment to get a COVID-19 vaccine, there’s a number you can call for help. To reach the state COVID-19 assistance hotline, dial 1-800-525-0127 and enter #. You can also call the state’s alternate number at 888-856-5816 (a Spanish option is available) if you can’t reach the hotline with the 1-800 number. The COVID-19 hotline is open Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., and weekends from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Black History Month

This Black History Month, I’m reflecting on the words of Ms. Amanda Gorman.

The Legislature is working to create a Washington that is inclusive, fair, and representative for Black Americans. We’re considering bills to ensure safer police tactics, to restore voting rights to people who have served their time in prison, and to provide law enforcement with stronger tools to address hate crimes. And we are finally considering a bill to give Juneteenth the recognition it deserves as a state holiday. I am proud of the work we’ve done to write laws that are racially just. But we can’t move forward in progress unless we honor the untold history of Black America. Our work here as lawmakers is only possible because of the tireless labor and courageous activism of our predecessors. And while that work is unfinished, Ms. Gorman’s words bring me hope for our future with each step forward. Because a future that is fair and inclusive for Black Washingtonians is a future that is fair and inclusive for everyone.

Unemployment Insurance relief for businesses and workers

My office receives emails and calls on many different issues daily but this year, of course, the coronavirus and its consequences have taken center stage. We have heard from many business-owners who are facing unprecedented hikes (up to 500 percent in some cases) in their Unemployment Insurance premium tax bills, and from struggling workers whose unemployment benefits are just not enough to support their families.

The urgency of this matter could not be overstated. We had to do something, and we had to do it right away. So the first week of session, the chairs of the labor committees in both chambers introduced bipartisan identical bills (SB 5061 / HB 1098) to bring relief for both businesses and workers.

After the House and Senate passed Senate Bill 5061 last week, Governor Inslee signed it into law on Monday.

Business-owners will breathe more easily seeing the reductions in their UI tax bills due in April, and the state’s hardest-hit lowest-wage workers will see a 5 percent raise in their unemployment benefits. This means people who make between $21,000 and $27,800 annually will receive a larger share of their weekly wages in benefits.

Learn more about how the bill will better prepare our state for the next health emergency, as well as rebuild Washington’s Unemployment Insurance trust fund.

Step One for Washington’s Community and Economic Recovery

The first step in the House and Senate plan for Washington’s community and economic recovery was announced at the end of last month, starting with the allocation of $2.2 billion in federal funds to provide assistance to Washington families and businesses who have been most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The proposal will ease the financial hardship of struggling renters and landlords, small restaurants and other neighborhood businesses, school districts, uninsured and underinsured individuals, and Black and Brown communities, which have been disproportionately hurt during the pandemic.

• BOOSTING PUBLIC HEALTH: $618 million for a state Department of Health fund for vaccine administration, contact tracing and testing.
• KEEPING PEOPLE IN THEIR HOMES AND FED: $365 million for rental assistance and foreclosure assistance, and for small landlords to stay on top of their mortgages. The plan also includes $52 million for food and cash assistance, and TANF extension.
• INVESTING IN SMALL BUSINESSES: $240 million for grants for small businesses and non-profits to maintain operations and help with reopening.
• GETTING STUDENTS CAUGHT UP: $714 million for schools to address learning loss, keep teachers on the payroll and get ready to bring kids back to the classroom when it’s safe to do so. The plan also includes $50 million for grants for childcare providers.
• SUPPORTING ALL WASHINGTONIANS: $70 million for long-term care and developmental disabilities programs and $6 million for health care for those who are underinsured and uninsured. The plan also includes $65 million for immigrant relief assistance and $5 million for grants to provide emergency financial aid for undocumented college students.

This is just the first step in making sure we support those most impacted by the pandemic so that we can recover, together. In the coming months, legislators will have bills, a supplemental budget, and an operating budget for the next biennium that continue to invest in public health, equitably address needs across the state in struggling communities, and help families and small businesses.

The Step One proposal was passed out of the House on a vote of 61-36 last week and passed out of the Senate yesterday on a vote of 47-2. The bills will now head to the governor’s desk to be signed into law!

The early action COVID-19 relief bills are HB 1367 and HB 1368.

Sincerely,

Rep. Steve Bergquist