WE’RE IN THE FINAL STRETCH!

Dear friends and neighbors,

We’re just days away from the final gavel of this year’s legislative session. As you can imagine, we are spending long hours on the House floor passing bills and handling concurrences. A concurrence happens when a bill is amended in the opposite chamber and must return to the original chamber for approval before it can be sent to the governor for enactment.

Before we go any further, I want to let you know that I will be holding a post-session, in-district town hall. I will also host a couple of coffee chats before we enter election-year activity restrictions in May. I look forward to seeing you and hearing your thoughts about the work we’ve done this session. You’ll get all the details for both events as soon as they are finalized.

I also want to thank everyone who joined our telephone town hall on February 24. We got through many of your questions, and it was great to know so many people were on the line with us. If you missed it, we do have a recording of the audio that you can listen to here.

UPDATE ON MY BILLS

I am happy to report that these three bills have been sent to the governor’s desk. I recorded a video update discussing these bills a couple of weeks ago, but the information is still relevant. And you can read more about my bills below.

Helping DOC workers retire with dignity

Department of Corrections employees perform incredibly demanding work to keep our communities safe. Yet many stay on the job longer than they should because they worry about losing access to health coverage when they retire. HB 1069 will allow DOC employees and their unions to collectively bargain over contributions toward certain supplemental retirement benefits, including health plans. It’s a practical step toward ensuring that the people who do this difficult work can retire with the dignity and security they’ve earned, and the respect they deserve. For more on this legislation, read my press release here.

Valuing child care providers

Washington’s child care system is at a breaking point, a crisis driven by low pay, high turnover, and unstable staffing that makes affordable quality care harder to find and afford for families across the state. HB 1128 takes a meaningful step toward fixing that by creating a Washington State Child Care Workforce Standards Board bringing together providers, employers, parents and state agencies to collectively identify workforce-related issues and make recommendations about solutions. Read my press release here.

The Wage Recovery Act

Workers deserve to be paid for the work they perform. Unfortunately, Washington ranks as the 9th worst for wage theft nationwide, and many workers face long delays and limited support when trying to recover what they are owed. HB 2479 creates a program that strengthens Washington’s wage recovery system, modernizes enforcement, and creates a Wage Recovery Fund to protect vulnerable workers, ensuring they don’t have to choose between paying rent or putting food on the table while waiting for justice. Read my press release here to learn more about this bill.

PODCAST!

Three years ago, I was a guest on the Capitol Ideas podcast. They invited me back last week and we talked a bit about my background, the experiences that led me to public service, and the priorities that guide my work in Olympia.

I hope you’ll take a few minutes to listen.

THE MILLIONAIRES’ TAX

There’s been a lot of talk about this proposal, and much of the opposition I’ve heard about the actual policy appears to stem from information that is false or misleading. I’d like to take this opportunity to give you some of the facts on SB 6346.

First, the bill is still evolving. The striking amendment by House Finance Chair Rep. April Berg, has been well received. Even Governor Ferguson, who’d initially expressed reservations, is now on board (read his statement here).

Why does Washington need this reform?

Because our state’s regressive and archaic tax system hits working families the hardest. Take a look at the chart below: folks who make the least money (the bottom 20 percent) are paying nearly 14 percent of their income in taxes. Meanwhile, the highest earners (the top one-percenters) are just paying 4.1 percent of their income!

That imbalance is real—and it’s fundamentally unfair.

For years Washington ranked 50th in the nation for tax fairness. Thanks to the capital gains tax, we have moved up slightly — to 49th. But clearly, more work remains. We place too much of a tax burden on poor residents and working-class families as compared to the rich and those with the ability to pay. Moving towards a fairer taxation system will help ease the financial stress that many residents and families are experiencing.

WE CAN DO BETTER

In the midst of misinformation, here are the key facts:

The only people who will pay this tax are those whose annual paycheck is more than $1 million. The first million is exempt. So,if you make one million and one dollars a year, this tax will only apply to $1.
This is NOT a tax on assets. Not a tax on your home, your pension, your retirement account, or anything else. Only on income in excess of one million dollars per year.
There is no plan or intention in the near or far future to lower the threshold, this bill is specifically designed to apply ONLY to the highest earners. The point is to have a more equitable distribution of the tax burden Washingtonians.

Revenue from this proposal would help those buying diapers, invest in child care, ensure students have access to free school meals, help expand the Working Families Tax Credit, and support small businesses. The goal is simple: make Washington more affordable and expand opportunities for working families.

STANDING UP TO FEAR AND DIVISION

Washington’s greatest asset is its people. Our state is home to individuals and families from many cultures whose experiences and perspectives shape our communities and our shared future. Continuing to build a strong and welcoming state requires listening to one another, learning from one another, and respecting our differences.

Over the past couple of years, we have seen troubling increases in hostility and intimidation directed at people simply because of how they look, where they come from, how they speak, or their economic or immigration status. This behavior does not reflect our values in this state, nor is it the future we want to create.

This session, to address these concerns, democrats in both chambers have passed a package of bills aimed at protecting all Washingtonians from harassment, intimidation, and discrimination:

HB 2105 – Immigrant Workers Protection Act: Strengthens protections for immigrant workers against retaliation and coercion.
HB 2165  – Impersonation of Law Enforcement: Makes impersonating a peace officer a misdemeanor to protect public trust and safety.
HB 2411 – Allows use of shared leave for victims of hate crimes and for those whose absence from work is due to ICE actions.
SB 5855 – Law Enforcement Face Coverings: Prohibits the use of face coverings by law enforcement officers to promote transparency and accountability.
SB 6002– License Plate Reader (“Flock”) Camera Regulation: Prevents local surveillance tools from being used for immigration enforcement.

These bills will help ensure our Evergreen State remains a place where everyone can live, work, and participate in their communities with dignity and safety.

If you or someone you know needs assistance, the following resources may be helpful:

Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance (ORIA)

Attorney General

Know Your Rights: civil immigration enforcement
Immigration and Keep Washington Working guidance
Immigration Services
Hate Crimes & Bias Incidents Hotline: 855-225-1010
Keep Washington Working Act FAQ for Law Enforcement

Washington Commission on Hispanic Affairs

Washington State Office of Equity

Refugee and Immigrant Resources

Snohomish County Community and Legal Resources for Immigrants and Refugees

KEEP IN TOUCH!

I truly appreciate the time you’re taking to read my newsletter and your interest in what we are doing in Olympia.

The session is almost over, but I am your representative year-round, so please continue calling and emailing with your feedback and concerns; your input helps me represent you better.

In solidarity,