Dear neighbors,
I hope you had a great Fourth of July weekend and had an opportunity to reflect on what being an American means to you and your family. As the son of Mexican immigrants who came to United States, I am very grateful for the opportunity to work with my neighbors to help our community prosper. In my first legislative session, I focused on empowering all individuals and families to succeed in achieving their full potential. As I review some of the work accomplished from my first legislative session in Olympia, I hope you see that we were thoughtful in putting people first, uplifting all communities, passed big and bold solutions to our toughest issues, and are building a state that works for everyone.
Meeting With You
Since the adjournment of the 2023 legislative session, I have been out in our community discussing the legislatures work with our counties, cities, and local non-profits, and businesses. I’m particularly grateful to the dedicated members and staff of the Mockingbird Society, Marysville School District, Everett Faith in Action, México en el Corazón, Evergreen Recovery Services, and Economic Alliance of Snohomish County for letting me attend their events.
One trip that left a large imprint on me was the 2023 Paris Air Show. I had the pleasure of attending with Governor Inslee and other leaders from our state in France, where we witnessed the importance of Washington’s contribution to the aerospace industry. From sustainable flight and fuels to new electric jet start-ups, our neighbors are helping these companies succeed and giving “built in Washington” a new meaning!
Legislative Review
The Washington State Legislature recently concluded a historic session. We all worked together to tackle the issues facing our state head on — like housing, workforce issues, community safety, behavioral health, and reproductive freedom — and I have never been prouder to represent the 38th Legislative District.
This year, we invested more than $1.2 billion for behavioral health needs statewide, including substance use treatment, crisis facilities, pretrial diversion programs, and more. We passed landmark reproductive health care legislation, such as the My Health My Data Act (HB 1155) to protect your private health data from being shared without your consent, the Shield Law (HB 1469) to safeguard people from anti-abortion laws in other states and added $21 million of funding necessary to ensure continued access to reproductive health care.
We heard from you that gun violence was an increasing safety concern for you and even children in our schools, so we took action to prevent mass shootings and deadly gun violence by becoming the 10th state to ban the manufacture, sale, importation, and distribution of assault weapons (HB 1240), and requiring a 10-day waiting period and safety training for most firearm purchases (HB 1143).
Lastly, housing unaffordability in our district and across Washington demanded progress be made to address this crisis. The $1.2 billion for housing in the coming biennium shows that moving unsheltered people into real housing with supportive behavioral health services is a top priority. We increased housing supply (HB 1110), eased barriers to accessory dwelling units (HB 1337), streamlined conversions of unused or underused buildings into new housing (HB 1042), and supported those living in manufactured home communities (HB 1129/SB 5198 and HB 1771). We also focused on creating paths to homeownership, especially for low-income families and communities who have historically been prevented from owning their own home due to racially restrictive real estate policies (HB 1474) and keeping vulnerable populations, such as disabled veterans and seniors, in their homes with a targeted property tax exemption (HB 1355).
Additionally, this session saw the formation of the first-ever Latino Democratic Caucus to ensure that the experiences, needs, and solutions of Latino people throughout Washington state are represented, prioritized, and realized in the legislative process.
Investing In Our Future
The 2023-25 state budgets prepare Washington for continued prosperity with record investments in public services our communities depend on. Below are investments I’d like you to be aware of:
- Compass Health Broadway Behavioral Health Services in Everett
- Port of Everett Electrification
- Ebey Waterfront Trail Phase 4 in Marysville
- Tulalip Creek Hatchery for salmon recovery
- AquaSox ballpark facility maintenance in Everett
- Replacement of Baker Hall at Everett Community College
- Funding for cleaning up contaminated soils and sites
- Forest Park pickleball court installation in Everett
Connecting Our Communities
- I-5/NB Marine View Dr. to SR 529 corridor and interchange
- I-5/116th St. NE, 88th St. NE and SR 528/Marine Dr. Interchange.
- Future rebuild of the US 2 trestle
What to know about the end of pandemic-era Medicaid coverage
During the pandemic, the Health Care Authority (HCA) extended coverage for all Apple Health (Medicaid) clients but due to federal action, that extension is ending. If you use Apple Health for health care, you should log on to Washington Healthplanfinder at wahealthplanfinder.org to ensure your contact and income information is up to date.
If you are still eligible, you will be re-enrolled in Apple Health. If you no longer qualify, you can select a new health plan on the Healthplanfinder within 60 days to prevent a gap in your coverage. Most people who will lose Apple Health coverage can get a Cascade Care plan for less than $10 a month. Find out if you qualify or switch to a Cascade Care Silver or Gold plan at wahealthplanfinder.org.
For enrollment assistance, there are experts in many areas across the state. Find one near you at wahealthplanfinder.org or the WAPlanfinder app. You can also call customer support at 1-855-923-4633.
Looking Ahead
While we made a lot of progress this year, much work remains to ensure our state policies are equitable, uplift all communities and put people first. I am looking forward to working on three main issues this interim: affordable housing to address homelessness and the increasing cost of living, directing targeted resources to communities lacking access to behavioral healthcare, and supporting community organizations in completing local infrastructure projects that provide critical services in our district.
As always, I want to hear from you! Please continue to stay engaged and actively participate in the public process by following my facebook page, checking my website for upcoming events, and sending me an email. You can contact my office year-round Thank you for all you do!
In Service,
State Representative Julio Cortes