Thank you very much to the respondents of the survey I sent out in the last E-Newsletter—I really appreciate your input, feedback, and advocacy. I asked for your legislative priorities and heard back that the 11st Legislative District is most concerned about public safety, housing affordability, climate change mitigation, and gun safety.
Thanks to your feedback I have cosponsored to HB 1363, providing a common ground suspicion threshold for police to pursue drivers that they believe have committed crimes. This bill provides a common ground to correct current statute: it allows troopers, deputies, and officers engage in a vehicular pursuit if there is reasonable suspicion that the person in the vehicle has committed a crime. I have also signed on as a cosponsor to HB 1398 and HB 1388, which will stabilize rent and limit price gouging across the state.
My colleagues and I have hit the ground running this legislative session in our policy development, as we prepare to develop the state budget for the next biennium. I want to know more about your opinions on some of state’s most important and controversial bills. Please take a few minutes to fill out this survey on current legislation. Read on to learn about what we’re working on this session—and for information about our upcoming Mini Town Hall.
An overview of the 11th LD’s legislative priorities
Every year, I start the legislative session by asking you what your priorities are for our community, district and state. Over the last five years, affordable housing has consistently ranked as one of the most important issues to the 11th LD.
During the pandemic period, the 11th LD requested legislative support for economic recovery, vaccine distribution, public health, and small business assistance. This year and last, climate change mitigation, public safety, and gun safety drew more focus. This year, many of the respondents who answered “other” wrote in public safety as a legislative priority, specifically mentioning crime reduction, substance abuse, and vehicular pursuit.
I also ask you what challenges you, your family, and your household are facing, and what kind of legislative support would make the biggest difference. Over the last few years, I’ve heard from you that K-12 funding, public safety, racial equity, LGBTQIA+ protections, rent relief, tax reform, affordable health care, and climate change mitigation would make the biggest difference to your household.
Thanks again to everyone who has taken the time to respond over the last few years. My greatest priority is to continue serving you better—and I appreciate your advocacy. Please continue to keep in touch throughout this legislative session to share your input on the Legislature’s work.
Healthy kids and a healthy community
K-12 and early learning play a vital role in the health of our community. Investment in the behavioral health of children in their early years has an exponentiated positive impact as they age. Seattle Children’s Hospital is building a new facility in Renton to deliver pediatric care to the district. This development aims to increase flexibility, enhance collaboration, and provide a more modern experience. This new facility is one of several across the state that falls in line with the Governor’s behavioral health transformation plan. This comprehensive work to develop our behavioral health system emphasizes the necessity of mental healthcare for a healthy community. While we have made significant investments in behavioral health, it continues to be one of our greatest priorities: mental healthcare is essential to give our children and youth a chance to succeed.
Our community has shown an incredible amount of resilience over the last few years. At the same time, statewide challenges have revealed shortfalls and gaps in our behavioral health system. My colleagues and I passed legislation to coordinate 911 calls with the new 988 behavioral health emergency system. This system was implemented last year, allowing folks to call 988 to connect to crisis services, suicide prevention resources, and mental health professionals as needed. We also passed legislation to improve access to community-based treatment for people with serious behavioral health issues, and to connect patients with possible housing prior to being discharged from behavioral health facilities, breaking the cycle of homelessness many patients face.
Here are some free resources recommended by local health experts if you or someone that you know needs some support:
- The Crisis Text Line provides confidential and secure text access from anywhere in the U.S. to a trained crisis counselor. Text HOME to 741741.
A new tax credit for Washington workers starts in 2023!
 
The Working Families Tax Credit is a new program, launching this February, that will provide payments of up to $1,200 to low-to-moderate income individuals and families. The amounts are based on income level and the number of qualifying children (if any).
This program will help us stimulate local economies, promote racial equity, and provide the financial stability Washington families need right now. To find more information in several available languages, and see if you qualify, visit WorkingFamililesCredit.wa.gov.
11th LD Mini Town Hall
Join my 11th LD seatmate, Representative David Hackney, and I for a Mini Town Hall on Saturday, February 4th, at Common Ground Coffee (900 S 3rd St # A, Renton, WA 98057). Each participant will have the opportunity to sign up for a 15-minute time slot to chat with us between 1pm & 4pm.
If you’d like to get in touch but can’t participate in the Mini Town Hall, please feel free to email me at steve.bergquist@leg.wa.gov, or come stop by my office in Olympia. I hope to hear from you soon.
Visit me in Olympia!
This year, we’re operating in-person in Olympia, while continuing to accommodate virtual meetings and testimony. Because of continued concern for public and staff health and safety, entry into legislative offices is by appointment only this session. Please email my legislative assistant, Syd Locke, to make an appointment. If you’re already at capitol, and want to drop in to say hi, give him a call at (360) 786-7862.
When you visit my office, you’ll meet Syd Locke and Sebastian Sanders. Syd runs my work calendars and tells me where to be and when. When you visit my office for a meeting, Syd will greet you and check you in—if you arrive early and have some time to wait before a meeting, ask him if you can see his trophy collection. Syd is a proud graduate of The Evergreen State College. Go Geoducks!
Sebastian is interning with my office this session. He is a senior at WSU Pullman finishing up Bachelor’s degrees in History and Political science. He plans on completing his Master’s in Teaching and pursuing a life teaching government and history to Washington students! He originally hails from a small town in Montana, but finished high school on the East side of the state in Spokane. He is so excited to be here in Olympia and learn about the policies he’s most intrigued in and serve constituents of the 11th, all while braving the lovely Puget Sound rain.
Thanks so much for reading!
Sincerely,
Rep. Steve Bergquist
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