Save the Date: Post Session Virtual Town Hall
Join me next Wednesday, April 6th for a 47th District Virtual Town Hall. The town hall will be streamed live on my legislative Facebook page at 6:30 PM.
What: Rep. Debra Entenman Virtual Town Hall for the 47th Legislative District
When: Wednesday, April 6th at 6:30 PM
Where: Streaming live on my legislative Facebook page or on the following options:
House Democrats Facebook page
House Democrats YouTube channel
House Democrats Twitter feed
You can submit questions live during the town hall in the comment section or in advance at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/47thVirtualTownHall.
Projects Funded in the 47th District This Year
Resource Center of Auburn- $1,500,000
The City of Auburn runs a weekly resource center for low-income and homeless residents. This center brings together service providers from a broad spectrum to provide a one-stop shop for services. Services include healthcare, legal assistance, education, food, public health, and the Department of Health and Human Services.
Pipe Lake Water Quality Improvement Project in Covington- $319,000
Pipe Lake is located between Covington and Maple Valley. Working in conjunction with the King County Department of Natural Resources, those cities are continuing a multi-year effort to eradicate the Hydrilla weed from Pipe Lake.
Green River College Infrastructure- $133,000
Community colleges are the backbone of our higher education system. Green River College is our local two-year institution. This year’s capital budget includes money for maintenance and infrastructure upkeep at the college. Our students deserve to learn in facilities that are well maintained.
Bill Passed: Helping Victims of Human Trafficking
Human trafficking is a shameful crime that robs victims of their dignity and rights. Across the state and around the globe, women, men, and children are exploited by traffickers every day.
This session, I sponsored and passed HB 1748 to help victims of human trafficking get back on their feet. Under this legislation, victims of human trafficking will be eligible for the Housing and Essential Needs (HEN) program and the Aged, Blind, or Disabled (ABD) program. The Housing and Essential Needs program provides assistance to low-income individuals with disabilities who are unable to work for an extended period of time due to physical or mental disabilities. The Aged, Blind, or Disabled (ABD) program allows eligible, low-income individuals to obtain financial assistance.
This bill builds on previous legislation that qualified victims of human trafficking and their family members for state assistance programs including the Food Assistance Program, the State Family Assistance Program, and Medical Care Services. By aligning the HEN and ABD programs with other state programs we are providing a hand up to some of the most vulnerable in our society, victims of human trafficking.
Pat Sullivan: Honoring an Incredible Legacy (again)
After 18 years representing the 47th District in the House of Representatives, my seatmate and friend, Representative Pat Sullivan, has announced his (second) retirement at the end of his term. After originally announcing his retirement in 2020, Pat was asked to run again to help manage what was expected to be a very difficult budget situation resulting from the economic fallout of the pandemic. After helping to guide the House through two very eventful years, he has once again announced his retirement.
As a colleague, mentor, and friend, Pat will be deeply missed in Olympia. His dedication to decency and problem solving personified his tenor in the Legislature.
Pat has served as Majority Leader of the House since 2010. He also serves on the Appropriations Committee and has been a budget negotiator since 2009. Starting during the Great Recession, he has worked to craft budgets year after year that address state needs, invest in our workforce development, and protect our vulnerable populations.
His final bill and the final bill of the 2022 legislative session set in motion the creation of a state student loan program with 1% interest. Open to Washington high school graduates, this program will help people across our state gain an education and find a good family-wage job. It will also benefit our state by ensuring we have a well-educated and talented workforce.
Pat’s service has been felt throughout our community, even prior to being elected in 2004. He was the first mayor of Covington and before that worked at the King County Council and the Legislature.
While he may be leaving the Legislature, his legacy will be felt here in the 47th District and across the State of Washington for years to come.
Practicing What We Preach: Legislative Staff Gain Right to Unionize
As a Democrat, I am a staunch supporter of labor unions and workers’ right to organize. When workers join together and speak with a collective voice, we all benefit. Washington is a labor-friendly state and almost all of our state employees are represented by a union. When SB 5297 passed in 2019, employees of the Office of the Attorney General were allowed to unionize, leaving employees of the Legislature as the only state employees without the ability to organize. We truly could not do our jobs without our staff, but one of the major rules of being a legislative employee is not to lobby or give their opinion on legislation.
I am proud that this year, we finally put our values into action for our own employees with the passage of HB 2124. This bill removes the prohibition on legislative employees collectively bargaining and lays out a process for legislative employees to become unionized. This is not a given, employees will still need to vote to join the union, but I know that when employees have the ability to join together and speak with one voice, it empowers a workplace.