We just hit a big milestone, what’s called fiscal cutoff. House bills that were not passed out of fiscal committees by Monday that don’t have budget ramifications need to be reintroduced next year for further consideration. Because this is a short, 60-day session, more deadlines will be coming up fast. You can visit this link to take a look at the 2022 session cutoff calendar.
Join us for our second mini virtual town hall of this session!
Rep. David Hackney and I are hosting another mini virtual town hall next Tuesday, Feb. 15 from 5:30-7 p.m. If you’d like to sign up for a 15-minute time slot, email syd.locke@leg.wa.gov or call 253-214-3275 to schedule a call with us on Zoom or over the phone.
My bills for students, teachers, firefighters and others
I’m happy to report that bills I introduced were voted out of committee prior to cutoff and are still moving through the legislative process, including:
–HB 1687: This legislation expands eligibility for the College Bound Scholarship by giving thousands more students an opportunity to qualify for the program.
–HB 1699: As the Everett Herald reported, “amid a labor shortage and the recent surge in COVID-19 cases, school districts are desperate for classroom support.” This bill would help address the substitute teacher shortage by allowing retired teachers to continue receiving retirement benefits while working for a school district.
–HB 1701: The retirement system for police officers and firefighters includes a fund that’s used for increasing benefits, which currently has more than $500,000 available. Essential workers like police and firefighters have been working hard during the pandemic, and now is the time to support them with this bill that provides a modest increase in their retirement benefits.
Great news! Just yesterday, the House passed HB 1699 in a 93-3 vote and HB 1701 in a 95-0 vote, sending my bills along to the Senate for further consideration.
I also reintroduced a bill this session, HB 1453, that directs the Secretary of State’s Office to develop standards for local voters’ pamphlets that closely mirror state pamphlet standards.
The information available in voters’ pamphlets should be honest, transparent and communicative. Now that all cities and counties are required to produce a voters’ pamphlet, there needs to be more consistency between state and local pamphlets so voters get information that’s truthful and focused. My bill, which passed the House last month, would ensure the language included in voter pamphlets is accurate and appropriate.
Survey: Testing, child care and more during the pandemic
Thank you to everyone who participated in the survey I sent out in my last newsletter on a number of bills introduced this year. Check out this link for the results.
I also want to know more about what you and your family are experiencing during the pandemic. If you have a few minutes, please respond to this survey. Thanks for your time!
Available resources for small businesses and nonprofits
Many small businesses are still struggling because of the pandemic. They need help keeping their doors open and employees on the payroll, and repairing damage or renovating. That’s why the state Department of Commerce set up the Small Business Flex Fund.
With this fund, small businesses and nonprofits can borrow up to $150,000 to spend on payroll, rent, utilities, repairs, improvements, supplies and other expenses. More than 100 small businesses have already received loans through this program.
This fund is a forward-thinking, public-private partnership to help our smallest businesses and nonprofits recover, and this session, we’ll be pushing for it to continue. Neighborhood businesses need a partner in government to help them stay open, be resilient and create opportunities. We hope the Small Business Flex Fund is one part of that partnership.
Thanks for reading! Before I sign off, I want to share this Seattle Times story: “Mini Mart City Park, a converted gas station in Georgetown, opens as cultural center after 15 years.” I’m proud to have advocated for funding in the state budget for this community project.
As always, please feel free to reach out with comments, questions or ideas.
Sincerely,
Steve Bergquist