Supporting Washington’s Children & Upcoming Town Hall

Dear friends and neighbors, 

After some long days, and a few late nights, we finally made it to cutoff! March 8 was the last day for bills to pass out of their chamber of origin, otherwise they’re put on hold until next session.  

I’m especially proud of our focus on bipartisan legislation so far this year. Nearly 80 percent of bills received 80 votes or more, and 60 percent of all the bills the House passed did so unanimously! The other Washington may struggle with partisanship and gridlock, but we’re showing the rest of the country what we can accomplish when we work together! 

Sen. Mark Mullet, Rep. Bill Ramos, and I will be hosting an in-person town hall on Sunday, March 19, from 2-3 p.m. and we want you to be there! Come share your thoughts & questions about this year’s legislative session as we talk about what comes next. See you soon! 

When: Sunday, March 19, 2-3 p.m.
Where: Gibson Hall, 105 Newport Way SW in Issaquah 

I may serve as Co-Chair of the Children & Youth Behavioral Health Work Group, but I’m also a mom. I want every child in Washington to have their best chance to thrive in the state we all call home—just like I want for my own child. Much of the work I’ve done so far this session has been about putting our children’s well-being first. I’m so proud that many of my bills are now headed to the Senate for consideration: 

HB 1580 Children shouldn’t be left to live in our hospitals for days, months, or even a year while they wait for the care they need. This bill will put us on a path to pulling together a multiagency response to provide these children in crisis & their families individualized support needed to thrive. I’m thrilled to report that this bill passed unanimously! Hear my floor speech by clicking here.

HB 1204 I helped create the Family Connections pilot program to promote better communication & collaboration between our children in foster care, their parents, and their caregivers. This program has allowed us to build a team around these children to help them thrive. Now it’s time to make the program permanent and this bill will do just that. HB 1204 also passed the House unanimously! See my floor speech by clicking here. 

HB 1701 The graduation rate for our children in juvenile justice is between 13-17%. That’s unacceptable. Providing these young people with the tools they need is the best chance they’ll have to thrive when they rejoin our communities. This bill directs OSPI to ensure our youth in juvenile justice receive the education they deserve & are owed. HB 1701 was my third bill to pass unanimously! Watch my floor speech by clicking here. 

HB 1479 Research shows that the use of isolation and restraint has no therapeutic value for our students. It puts a strain on their mental health and causes trauma. It’s not helping our students learn. We must do better. This bill will help move us toward a future where every child has their best chance to thrive in our schools by phasing out the use of isolation and ending chemical and mechanical restraint in our K-12 schools. You can watch my floor speech by clicking here. 

HB 1230 We’ve seen an over 83% increase in drug overdoses or drug related poisonings in recent years, and gun violence has become the #1 cause of death for our young people. One of the simplest ways to keep our youth safe, is to provide our families with the information they need to keep medications & firearms safely stored. That’s exactly what this bill will do. View my floor speech by clicking here. 

Earlier this year, Rep. Ramos shared some of the work we’re doing this year to protect & preserve access to reproductive care in Washington state. Voters have consistently upheld the right for individuals to make their own reproductive health choices and we won’t allow other states or private companies to take that away. 

In the last few weeks, the House passed bills to protect patients and providers here in Washington from hostile actions by other states (HB 1469); ensure Washington providers cannot be disciplined for providing reproductive care to their patients, regardless of where their patients reside (HB 1340); and block websites and apps from collecting and sharing health data (HB 1155). The Senate also passed SB 5242 to prohibit co-pays and deductible requirements for anyone seeking reproductive care.