Dear friends and neighbors,
Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day! We here at the Legislature are working on your behalf, but we are honoring the beloved late minister and activist in a variety of ways today.
We are now one week into the 2024 Legislative Session and I’m excited to be back in Olympia with my legislative colleagues. This is a short session lasting just 60 days, with our work here scheduled to wrap up on March 7.
In this first of my regular newsletters to you during session, I’m excited to share news with you pertaining to the state’s transportation budget, updates on two bills of mine that are already making their way through committee hearings and getting attention from the press, as well as information on how you can get involved in the lawmaking process this year.
Top Priorities with the State’s Transportation Budget
The state of our ferries and highways have been in the news quite a bit during the interim. As Vice Chair of the House Transportation Committee, my fellow lawmakers and I have our work cut out for us once again as we address increasing construction costs for our ferries, roads, and vital transportation projects. Washington is unfortunately experiencing unexpected cost overruns on many transportation projects—including new vessels for our state’s iconic ferry system, new highway projects and maintenance of our roadways, and corrections to barriers that impede fish passage, a federal mandate for the state. In addition to the challenges with our ferries and roads, we are also still working on finding an appropriate vendor to build our new ferries, as well as dealing with worker shortages to build and fix our roadways.
A Proposed Smokey Bear License Plate
Do you love Smokey Bear? I do. And soon his iconic face and message could be on a specialty license plate. Hilary Franz, our state’s Commissioner of Public Lands, proposed the idea in November, yet her idea does require both public support and approval from lawmakers. I agreed to be the sponsor of House Bill 2108, which would create this special license plate, with Sen. T’wina Nobles (D-Fircrest) having the companion bill in the Senate.
Wildfires are becoming more frequent, and our district is certainly far from immune from them. Sadly, most wildfires are caused by people, and I believe a license plate with Smokey’s face and message is one way to help. Proceeds from sales of the plates would go towards public education programs focused on wildfire prevention. Yet, I need your help in making this plate become a reality. The Department of Natural Resources has a petition that must have at least 3,500 signatures on it before it’s then given to the Department of Licensing for that agency to even consider a new specialty plate. Of course, either the House or the Senate bill also must pass both chambers, too. Care to sign the petition? Go here to sign up: dnr.wa.gov/smokeybear
Making Our Buildings More Seismically Sound
Our state has the second-highest earthquake risk in the country. Whenever the next Big One hits, I want us to be prepared. That’s why I introduced House Bill 2273, which is a functional resilience bill. If passed, it will begin with a study for lawmakers to best understand how and where to focus our efforts. It will toughen current standards to ensure that public buildings are seismically sound enough to serve as a relief center to folks displaced in the aftermath of a major earthquake. This bill has also garnered media attention already; click here to learn more. HB 2272 is scheduled for a public hearing in the House Committee on Innovation, Community & Economic Development, & Veterans at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow and can be viewed here on TVW in real time or in replay.
How to Participate in the 2024 Session
- Watch — TVW.org broadcasts all debates and votes that happen in the House or Senate, as well as all committee meetings in both chambers.
- Testify — Go here for an overview of the process, here for instructions on how to testify remotely, and here to sign in for hearings in the House or Senate.
- Research —Look up any bill by number, lawmaker, or topic here. To learn about the entire legislative process, click here.
- Stay Informed — Visit our websites and official social media pages.
- Get in Touch — You can always reach our offices by email or phone; all our contact information is listed at the bottom of this newsletter.
In Service,
Rep. Brandy Donaghy