Dear Friends and Neighbors,

To effectively represent your interests and be your voice in Olympia, a big part of my job is getting to know you and learning about your struggles and challenges.

I will be hosting several “Coffee with Representative Debra Entenman” events over the next few months to hear directly from you.

Join me for the next one on Saturday, November 16th from 1:00 to 2:00 P.M. for coffee and conversation at Café on Fourth, formerly Kona Kai Coffee, located at 124 4th Ave S, Kent, WA 98032. For public transit information, please click here.

I look forward to hearing your perspectives, concerns and suggestions on how to ensure the 47th Legislative District is a great place to live, work and raise a family. I am particularly interested in your help identifying issues that we can address with legislation in the upcoming 2020 session.

I hope you’ll join me, but if you are unable to, please keep in mind that you can always email my Legislative Assistant, Simrun Chhabra, or call our office, 253-395-0868.

Sincerely ,

Recap of Interim Work

My first legislative session ended in April and I have had a busy interim — the period between legislative sessions. I met with many constituents, attended committee tours, and met with stakeholders to work on important legislation that will support our district.

National Conference of State Legislatures Nashville

I was honored to represent Washington as a new legislator at my first National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) in Nashville in August. I met elected leaders from all over the United States and explored best practices of legislators to better serve our constituents.

Northwest Harvest SODO Community Market

On June 24^th, I was invited to speak at the opening of the Northwest Harvest’s SODO Community Market, which redefines what it means to be a food bank. The space layout is similar to that of a grocery store, which restores a sense of dignity and can destigmatize the use of a food bank. This is a model I would like to see replicated in our community.

In this photo I am joined by Bettina Stix, Amazon’s Disaster Relief Senior Manager; Lovella Blackbear, SODO Market Shopper; Guy Palumbo, Amazon’s Director of Public Policy; and Northwest Harvest CEO, Thomas Reynolds.

Summer Meals Site

In August, I toured the Lake Meridian Summer Meals site where Kent students received free meals. I believe that nutrition is a crucial element to the development of growing minds.

Food Lifeline Panel

I was honored to receive a 2019 Legislative Freshman award from Food Lifeline presented by its Advocacy & Policy Director, Aaron Czyzewski. I joined my colleges, State Reps. Mia Gregerson and Sharon Shewmake in a panel discussion on what we can do at the state level to address child hunger.

This past session, the governor signed my bill, HB 1893, to allow community and technical college students’ access to emergency grants for unexpected financial burdens, including purchasing food and the ability to use EBT on college campus. Access to nutritious food should not be a barrier for students of any age in completing school.

Joint Transportation Committee meetings and Bus Tour

Since I sit on the House Transportation Committee, I am also a member of the Joint Transportation Committee, which includes legislators from the House and the Senate. This Committee reviews and researches transportation issues so that we, as policymakers, can be better informed when creating and discussing legislation.

We met in Spokane in June and Olympia in July and September to discuss crucial transportation concerns impacting constituents from every district across the state.

And a couple of weeks ago, we went on a Bus Tour of Kitsap, the Olympic Peninsula, Victoria B.C. to learn about fish passage barrier removal and preclearance.

In this photo I am on the bus with Rep. Tom Dent of the 13th Legislative District. The Legislature appropriated $25 million in this year’s transportation budget for the Brian Abbott Fish Barrier Removal Board, created in 2014 by the State Legislature, to continue work in removing fish passage barriers. These projects focus on passages that block salmon and steelhead access to prime spawning and rearing habitats. They will build on the previous fish passages and work to remove barriers like culverts that are too high or steep for fish to reach, and too small for high water flows. Click here for more information. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) staffs a Pre-inspection facility for passenger/vehicle ferry traffic to the U.S. in Victoria, Canada. The facility administers customs inspections of international travels before arrival to the U.S. We attended this location to learn about how Vancouver B.C. is working on preclearance as this agreement was signed recently in August. More information can be found on the U.S. Custom and Border Protection’s Website.

Veterans Transitional Housing Program

As a member of the Housing, Community Development, & Veterans Affairs Committee, I joined Reps. Cindy Ryu and Mari Leavitt earlier this month on a visit to the Veterans Transitional Housing Program in Port Orchard. This program provides assistance to those in need of stable housing and vocational rehabilitation and is designed to return Veterans to the community. The services include case management, on-site mental health services, on-site chemical dependency services, and an on-site job center. For more information, please visit the program website.

Muckleshoot Groundbreaking

Last month, the Muckleshoot community invited me to attend the groundbreaking for a new luxury hotel at the Muckleshoot Casino. The 18-floor, 400-room hotel will open in 2021. This event was a celebration and a sharing of culture, as well as an example of self-determination and building strength within the community.

This photo below is of the members of the executive leadership of the Muckleshoot Casino breaking ground.

Soos Creek

In July, I attended a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife legislative tour for an update on the Soos Creek Hatchery Project’s progress. The original facility, built in 1901, was damaged by flooding over time. This project aims to renovate old hatchery facilities and build new ones.

We toured both the old facility and the construction area of the new facility where we learned about the process of rearing juvenile fish. The project is reported to produce 6.5 million Chinook and 1.2 million Coho salmon annually. The facility is also updating to meet federal and state criteria for fish passage, fish screening, and water quality.

This session, the legislature appropriated $1.7 million in addition to the previous funds for the project.

Congressman Adam Smith is hosting Academy Nominations

Within the state legislature, we often receive federal level questions and comments and I believe it is important to have strong relationships working with our federal partners. Thus, I am passing along an opportunity for the Military Service Academy. Please direct any questions to Jena Yang in Congressman Adam Smith’s office at (425) 793-5180.

Below is some information on this opportunity:

Members of Congress are authorized by law to nominate candidates every year for appointment to four U.S. service academies: the U.S. Military Academy, the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy, and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. The service academies are federal institutions that provide an undergraduate education and train future commissioned officers for service in the United States Armed Forces. The Vice President and the President can nominate candidates as well. But the most common sources for a nomination are the members of congressional delegation.

Applying to a Military Service Academy is a rigorous, highly-competitive, and lengthy process only for the most determined and qualified candidates. Service academies routinely rank amongst the top universities in the nation. Students pay no tuition while at a service academy, but they are required to serve in the military upon graduation. Cadets and midshipmen will receive a small stipend as well as free room and board. A student interested in attending one of the academies must go through an application process which includes a nomination from their congressional representatives (the two Senators or member of the House of Representatives).

Application packets for Congressman Smith can be found on his website at https://adamsmith.house.gov/military-academy-nominations. The application is due on November 2, 2019.