Dear neighbors,
We passed a key milestone here in the Legislature—the deadline for policy bills to pass committees in the House and Senate.
This week, I’d like to tell you about local government legislation, the workforce shortage, and our First District town hall meeting.
Local government is where our democracy starts
What happens here in the state capitol or in D.C. may seem far away.
But you definitely notice the potholes on your route to work, or an otherwise good neighborhood with one vacant house that’s falling apart.
I got my start in local government as a member of the Bothell Landmark Board.and later as a city council member. So I understand these issues and why people feel so passionately about them.
It’s your neighborhood, your community, and your family who are affected by everything from streets and sidewalks to zoning and local taxes.
As Chair of the House Local Government Committee, I’ve worked hard to listen to everyone, respect their thoughts, and work with both sides to pass reforms.
Most of the legislation we’ve considered has passed our committee on strong bipartisan votes, and our committee has voted out a good mix of bills from both Democrats in the majority (24 bills) and Republicans in the minority (10 bills).
Of the 34 bills we passed out of committee, seven have already passed the House and are being considered in the Senate.
Listening to each other and working together won’t make headlines or get you on television. I find it rewarding because these bills and reforms will help people in neighborhoods and communities in every corner of our state.
Solutions for the workforce shortage
Low unemployment rates are great—but that also comes with a worker shortage in critical industries, along with services like health care.
Here in the House, we are working on reforms to address the workforce shortage:
- Expanding dual-credit options to give more high school students access to higher education. We are a highly educated state with a lot of college degrees. Yet our worker shortages often involve fields where workers need two-year degrees or certificates in fields like IT, health care, and the trades. Dual credit is a great way for more students to enter those high-paying careers.
- Improving the Pathways to Graduation program to make sure every student in our K-12 system can chart a course to success in school and in life.
- Boosting collaboration between public schools, apprenticeship programs, community colleges and employers will also help match up students with careers in high-demand fields.
- Finally, we are considering a number of bills to bring down barriers to entering certain jobs and professions, and for experienced professionals from other states to bring their skills to WA.
Town hall meeting!
Hearing your ideas and stories is important to me. I hope you can attend our First District town hall meeting, scheduled for 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on March 19.
It will be in the Mobius Hall at the Cascadia Campus, and for those who are unable to make it, please share your thoughts by email (davina.duerr@leg.wa.gov) or the toll-free Hotline (800-562-6000).
I hope to see you there!
