Dear Friends & Neighbors,
On Monday, we celebrate Juneteenth in remembrance of the last Black Americans who were emancipated on June 19, 1865, in Galveston, Texas. In 2021, I was proud to vote to officially recognize Juneteenth as a state holiday, and I am excited to share the work the Washington State Legislature did this session to continue our focus on addressing the wrongs of a painful and exclusionary history.
Covenant homeownership: HB 1474
HB 1474 will help remedy the well-documented history of discrimination and systematic racism in the real estate industry in Washington state. This bill establishes a covenant homeownership account and program to provide down payment and closing cost assistance to groups of people identified in a covenant homeownership program study.
Enhancing the Voting Rights Act: HB 1048
Disenfranchised communities should not have to bear the costly burden of changing an unjust system for their local jurisdiction to comply with the law. The WVRA ensured that every vote matters; the WVRA 2.0 ensures that every Washington voter can unlock its promise.
Legal Financial Obligation reform: HB 1169
Reforming the legal financial obligations (LFOs) system ensures that people who cannot pay are not trapped in a cycle of debt. This also requires that crime victim restitution and witness services are funded through a dedicated account.
Establishing the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Persons Cold Case Unit: HB 1177 Indigenous women experience violence at much higher rates than the national average and are murdered at rates greater than 10 times the national average. Many of these cases are unsolved or even unreported. HB 1177 creates a Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Persons Cold Case Unit within the Office of the Attorney General to assist local law enforcement in investigating these cases.
Additionally, we made historic targeted equity investments in the 2023-2025 Operating Budget:
- $200 million for the Community Reinvestment Account
- $150 million for the Covenant Homeownership Program
- $88 million for equity initiatives across state agencies
- $81 million for refugee support and education
- $53 million to provide health care for undocumented adults (children are already covered)
- $39 million for overburdened community-led environmental justice projects
- $10 million for community outreach
While many priorities remain, I’m proud of what we accomplished this session and look forward to the work ahead.
As always, never hesitate to reach out to me by phone (360) 786-7860 or online. I hope to see you around the district!
Best wishes,
