Dear friends and neighbors,
Today is the 90th day of the 2021 Legislative Session, and with our adjournment scheduled for just over two weeks from now, my colleagues and I are working hard to make the most of the time we have left. On both sides of the rotunda, your Legislature is spending every available minute it can discussing the most pressing issues of today and tomorrow – our response to the pandemic, equity, the economy and our local businesses, schools, emergent behavioral health needs, the justice system and law enforcement, climate change, and more.
Today’s newsletter is a potpourri of things. What we’ve done, what we still need to do, and how our priorities have fared so far. I’d also like to share some good news for the district!
Community vaccination site opening! I’ll go ahead and lead with the good news I just hinted at — a brand-new mass vaccination site is opening at Lake Sammamish State Park this coming Monday, April 12. This is the product of a wonderful partnership among the Snoqualmie Tribe, the cities of Issaquah and Sammamish, and Eastside Fire & Rescue. The Snoqualmie Tribe, which is a sovereign nation, has been operating a vaccination center for a couple of months, and is now making the COVID-19 vaccine available to the general public at their new site, the state park. I’m grateful for their generosity in sharing this life-saving medicine with those of us who live on the ancestral lands of the Snoqualmie People. Appointments will be required for all eligible individuals, which will include everyone age 16 and up starting April 15, thanks to Gov. Inslee’s recent decision (see item below). Click here to learn more about the partnership or schedule an appointment. |
Children & Youth In response to the worsening youth behavioral health crisis in Washington State, Gov. Inslee declared a state of emergency earlier this month. Part of this emergency proclamation was a statewide call to arms. He directed the Health Care Authority and the Department of Health to immediately begin work on recommendations that support the behavioral health needs of our children and youth over the next 6 to 12 months. Recently, the Children & Youth Behavioral Health Work Group, which I co-chair, convened an emergency meeting to do just that. The work group brings together a diverse group of statewide stakeholders, including individuals representing state and county agencies, hospitals, healthcare providers, schools, and other behavioral health advocacy groups, as well as parents and youth with lived experience. This work group is made up of some of the most committed, passionate, talented minds in the state. You can watch that meeting here. Recommendations will be sent to the governor and legislative budget writers, the Department of Health, the Health Care Authority, and the state Superintendent on ways to get our youth the support and services they need. |
Busy times in virtual Olympia
The Legislature is currently nearing a major deadline, with this Sunday at 5 p.m. being the last opportunity to vote on policy bills that originated in the opposite chamber. In the House, we’ve been debating Senate bills that will, in one way or another, improve life for Washingtonians throughout the state.
I’m happy to report that most of the bills we’ve passed off the House floor, though not all, have been approved with bipartisan votes, many of them unanimous. We have our disagreements, but the bitter partisanship and deep animosity that we’ve grown accustomed to seeing in the other Washington are largely absent. To me, that’s a victory for the constituents we serve. By putting people first, we’ve dramatically increased services to Washington families, by expanding access to healthcare and behavioral health assistance. We’re investing billions of dollars in economic recovery efforts to help small businesses who have been hit hard by the pandemic. We’re setting aside funds to help tenants pay their rent and help landlords struggling to keep up. I’ve had the privilege of voting “yes” on legislation to combat climate change, to build a transportation system to take us into the future, to help workers, and to chip away at systemic inequities that have harmed generations of our fellow Washingtonians. In just a few weeks we’ll have a complete picture of what this Legislature has done, and I look forward to giving you a final report. Please stay tuned! |
My own report card
As I mentioned earlier, we’re expanding our commitment to children and young people, and their families, to help them deal with the unique challenges of the ongoing pandemic and beyond. If you know me, you know that the well-being of our youth is a driving force in my life, and this has been a productive session.
I’ve worked on scores of bills and issues this session, but gave special attention to my four prime-sponsored bills. I’m very happy to tell you that all four are in good shape to become law. I’ve written about each of them in detail in earlier newsletters, but here’s a quick recap:
HB 1295 will offer youth involved with the juvenile justice system the opportunity to receive the education they deserve, the education our constitution says every child deserves. This bill has been OK’d in the House and Senate, and after both chambers agree on a final version it will head for the governor’s desk.
2SHB 1325 likewise has been approved in both chambers and will await the governor’s signature after concurrence. This is a multifaceted bill intended to help connect youth and their families with the behavioral health services they need.
SHB 1373 also is in line for concurrence after House and Senate victories. This is a special bill that was developed and brought to me by the Legislative Youth Advisory Council, an outstanding group of future leaders. Once signed into law, it will require public schools to post contact information for behavioral health organizations on the home page of the school’s website and social media platforms used by the district.
ESHB 1370 is a much-needed update and expansion of a state-administered grant and low-cost loan program that helps eligible non-profit organizations plan, renovate, purchase, and build early learning and child care facilities. It was approved in the House with a 90-7 vote and is now in the Senate Rules Committee, with a floor vote expected.
Expanding eligibility for COVID vaccinations As I alluded to earlier, the governor recently announced that all adults over 16 will be eligible to receive the vaccine starting April 15. So far, the phased approach has helped to ensure that the most vulnerable among us were the first to receive doses. Now, thanks to the heroic work of healthcare professionals and the expanded supply from the federal government, eligibility can expand even more quickly than expected. The accelerated timeline comes, in part, as a response to a recent increase in COVID cases. New variants are highly transmissible, and regardless of our vaccination status, we must continue to wear masks, keep our distance, and wash our hands to avoid overwhelming our healthcare system’s capacity to care for people who become sick. I know it’s hard. We’ve all been living under these restrictions for so long. But now is not the time to give up. Let’s remember — This time last year, we didn’t even know much about the virus. Since then, we’ve come together, protected each other, developed multiple vaccines, and given doses to millions of people. I strongly encourage everyone who has not been vaccinated to take advantage of our new Snoqualmie Tribe Vaccine Partnership, or to use the state Health Department’s Vaccine Locator, now available in multiple languages, to find a vaccination appointment. And don’t forget, you can also call the state COVID-19 Assistance Hotline at 1-800-525-0127. |
Thank you.
Thank you for reading this far, for caring about your state government, and for allowing me the honor of working for you. Please stay in touch as this legislative session heads for the final gavel of the year.
Be well.
