Transportation Survey
This session has seen multiple proposals for funding much-needed investments in Washington’s transportation systems. Each plan has unique proposals for how to pay for these investments and which areas of transportation are prioritized (multimodal, road improvements, electrification, etc.). Understanding your transportation priorities is a very important piece of the puzzle, so I’m asking for your input on which proposals you support. Click 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. |
Bills of Public Discussion Survey Results
Thank you to those who participated in the survey I sent out in my last newsletter. I asked you to share your opinions on several bills and issues that have generated a great deal of calls and emails from the public. our responses told me a lot about where our district stands on issues such as progressive revenue, the death penalty, and police accountability.
For more information, check out the 2021 Bills of Public Discussion Survey results.
Save the Date for the Upcoming Telephone Town Hall
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, sign up to receive a call or dial in to 877-229-8493 (PIN: 116277). 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, 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 11th District.
It’s an honor and a privilege to serve as your representative, and I hope to hear from you soon!
Removing Barriers to Teacher Certification
This week, the House passed my first bill of the session, House Bill 1028, on a unanimous vote! The bill repeals the state requirement to pass the evidence-based assessment of teaching effectiveness, also known as the edTPA.
The edTPA is as a standardized, national performance test used to determine if teacher candidates move on to be full-time educators in our state. After a few years of relying on this test for teacher candidate evaluation, it has become evident that the edTPA serves more as a barrier to highly-qualified teachers entering the educator workforce than it does as an accurate assessment of a teacher’s ability. The edTPA is a high-stakes, time intensive and expensive endeavor. The assessment costs teacher candidates $300, which in itself is a barrier to many. However, in addition to the time and expense, research on the edTPA has shown us that it does not promote quality teacher education, maintains racial bias in its construction and scoring, and does not target areas of teaching and learning that impact student outcomes. The COVID-19 pandemic has also exacerbated the problems around the edTPA. Completing the edTPA requires teaching in person and because most schools in Washington are just now reopening to hybrid learning, many people have been unable to complete the assessment during the pandemic. Eliminating the edTPA requirement does not mean our state’s teacher candidates won’t have to meet rigorous requirements in order to teach Washington students. Candidates still have to complete teacher preparations programs, however, with the passage of this bill, we can remove an unnecessary barrier that has kept many, including many teacher candidates of color, out of our state’s classrooms. The bill is now under consideration in the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee. |
11th LD Youth Advisory Council
This year, I have once again helped lead the 11th LD Youth Advisory Council. The council consists of multiple students from around the 11th District, who advise me and my fellow 11th District legislators on issues of public policy that affect our state’s youth. This year, the students have advised me on policy issues relating to higher education, K-12 education, environmental protections, voter participation, and more. but who also actively engage with the legislative process.
I am most proud, however, of their active engagement with the legislative process. From giving speeches to the full House of Representatives to testifying in committee on bills that matter to them, these young people are doing inspiring work. Our youth are the future of our state, and by including them in policy conversations we can not only encourage civic participation in our next generation of leaders, but also consider fresh perspectives on public policy.
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Left: 11th LD YAC virtual meeting. Top right: Sang Nu, YAC member, gives a speech to the House of Representatives on MLK Jr. Day. Bottom right: Jadon Crawford testifies on HB 1426 in the House Education Committee.
Public Broadband in Washington
This session, my colleague, Rep. Drew Hansen, has introduced the Public Broadband Act, which removes the statewide restrictions that currently exist on some public utilities that stops them from offering public broadband directly to consumers. This is a big deal because many Public Utility Districts, ports, and municipalities want to offer broadband services to their residents. When you only have one internet service provider in your region, reliability and quality suffer, you’re left without a service that everyone needs in the 21st century. The bill passed the House this week and is now under consideration in the Senate!
Improving healthcare with lessons learned from the pandemic
The pandemic made it clear that there are urgent changes needed to the improve the healthcare system. There are several bills the House has taken up to make adjustments so it works better for people now and into the future. This week, there are two bills in particular that I would like to highlight.
The first is House Bill 1196, which will require insurance to provide reimbursement for audio only telehealth. Telehealth is a safe and easy way for people to get medical advice without risking the spread of COVID-19 or traveling. However those without access to broadband internet or a computer are not able to take advantage of telehealth. Amendments on the floor ensured that doctors offices and hospitals do not use this expansion of access to overbill people. They included guaranteeing that hospitals cannot charge facilities fees for appointments and that routine parts of a doctor’s job like calling with test results are not suddenly billed as appointments.
The second is a bill concerning respiratory therapists – practitioners who provide a variety of services related to respiratory care, including ventilator management. House Bill 1383 codifies the crucial role that respiratory therapists have played in the pandemic and expands respiratory therapy to allow delivery through telemedicine. With COVID-19, the need for qualified practitioners has increased, and Washington state needs to update state laws to match recent guidance and scope of practice in the field. HB 1383 codifies guidance and updates supervision and examination requirements. The bill also allows respiratory care to be delivered via telemedicine.
These are just two bills that show how we are taking lessons learned from the pandemic and turning them into positive changes to the healthcare system to make it work better for the people of our state. Both of these bills now advance to the Senate for further consideration.
Special health care enrollment period
The Washington Health Benefit Exchange opened a special enrollment period on Feb. 15 for Washingtonians. This aligns with President Biden’s executive order to re-open the federal health insurance marketplace, giving additional time to Americans still seeking health coverage during the pandemic.
The special enrollment will run for 90 days, ending May 15, 2021. During this time, those currently uninsured, seeking coverage, or enrolled in off-Exchange health insurance (such as health sharing ministries, short-term limited duration plans, or COBRA) can enroll. Current Exchange enrollees will not be eligible for this special enrollment. Visit the Washington Healthplanfinder for more information.
Utilities moratorium extended to July 31
The state Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) announced it is extending protections for electric and natural gas customers who are unable to pay their bills due to the pandemic. An Inslee order to keep utilities connected was set to expire after one year, on April 30, but the pandemic is still going and working families who are still struggling to make ends meet will not have to worry about being left without power and heat for another five months. Another welcome news is that Utilities will also continue to waive late fees and deposits through Jan. 27, 2022. However, customers may begin receiving disconnection reminders in June, along with information about payment options and customer assistance programs. For more information please read the notice at the UTC website. |
Sincerely,
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Rep. Steve Bergquist