Dear neighbors,
November is Native American Heritage Month. Washington State is home to the reservations of 29 federally recognized Tribes and many more with retained rights in Washington, with tens of thousands of peoples of Indigenous descent.
This is a time to celebrate the rich and diverse cultures of the Native American peoples, but it is also a time to reflect on the many challenges that Native Americans have faced throughout history. I hope that, together, we can work to keep Washington’s commitment to upholding treaties and the case law of the country.
Community Support Teams
My top legislative priority this past session was to pass House Bill 1406 which concerns youth seeking housing assistance and other related services. I’ve shared updates about this bill passing the legislature and being signed into law. Now, this legislation is being put into action!
The Washington State Department of Commerce is making $1.4 million available to convene community support teams to identify supports for youth focused on resolving family conflicts and obtaining or maintaining long-term stable housing as noted in my bill! They are seeking requests for proposals by Monday November 20, 2023, at 4:00pm.
More information can be found here. Please share with anyone who may be interested!
Behavioral Health Facilities
This session I worked with my colleagues to secure $18,700,000 in capital funding for the Compass Health Broadway campus redevelopment project in Everett. Yesterday was a full circle moment for me as I was able to attend the groundbreaking event with Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin, Senator Wagoner, Compass Health CEO Tom Sebastian, Board Chair Alex de Soto and Representative Brandy Donaghy. Behavioral health centers like these are a beacon of hope for our community. Read more about this project in an Everett-Herald article here.
Latino Democratic Caucus Virtual Town Hall
As you know, I’m part of the new Washington State Latino Democratic Caucus (LDC). I am collaborating with Latino elected officials around the nation to see what ideas we can bring to Washington to support ALL our communities. I recently attended the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) conference and will be going to the Board of Latino Legislative Leaders next month.
The eight state representatives and three senators who form the LDC want to hear from our constituents, so we will be hosting a Facebook town hall event the first week of December.
Keep an eye out for all the details so you can join us and let us know what you think about our caucus and the work we’re doing at the state level.
Share Your Priorities with Me
From now, until we start session, I will be focused on developing and finalizing legislation. The feedback you provide in my 2024 legislative priorities survey will help inform my legislative priorities next year. If you haven’t already done so, please share your thoughts. He incluido un enlace a una encuesta sobre sus prioridades legislativas para la próxima sesión legislativa.
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.
In Service,
State Representative Julio Cortes