AN UPDATE JUST DAYS BEFORE ADJOURNMENT

Dear friends and neighbors,

Today is day 101 of this session, just four more days to go until we adjourn! We are having long floor sessions to pass bills and concurrences, and we need to finalize the budgets before we can all head back to our districts.

This is the first year of my second term and if you were to ask me what’s the best part about this job, I would wholeheartedly say the best part is YOU. I have learned so much from your emails, calls, and visits to my office during session. But I miss meeting with you in person back home, so this interim I am planning a series of casual coffee chats, and I hope some of you will join me: 

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SAD NEWS: WE LOST A GREAT MAN THIS PAST WEEKEND

We spend so much time together here that we get to know each other rather well. Some of us get to make lifelong friends among our colleagues.  You may have heard that Senator Bill Ramos (5th District, Issaquah) went on his daily evening run on Saturday and did not make it back. It was shocking and, in many of our minds, inconceivable. Bill was a young, healthy, and effective legislator but, above all, he was a kind, generous man.  Recently he and I partnered on HB 1105/SB 5433 to streamline collective bargaining for Dept. of Corrections Employees, which the Governor signed earlier this week. My heart aches for Bill’s wife, children, and everyone who loved him. He will be deeply missed.  While he was in the House he was the vice chair of the Latino Democratic Caucus and I’d like to share this statement that they issued this week, along with a beautiful one-minute video tribute.  Speaker Jinkins also sent out a statement on Sunday.

BALANCING THE BUDGET

Many of you have asked how we are going to deal with the budget deficit. You are worried that essential programs and services that your family relies on may be cut, and you are also concerned with the need for new revenue. I can assure you that an “all cuts budget” is not on the table. We will not jeopardize essential things like healthcare services for our seniors and support programs for our children. Our priority is to pursue sustainable policies that address our current fiscal situation and ensure our budget minimizes harm by putting the people of Washington first. A few weeks ago, I shot a video update on the budgets: 

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IMPORTANT LEGISLATION PUSHING THROUGH

Both chambers are passing a few groundbreaking bills that could significantly improve the lives of many Washingtonians. Here’s three of them:

Consumer Protection: RIGHT TO REPAIR

The right to repair is about fairness, affordability, and putting power back into the hands of everyday Washingtonians. I cosponsored HB 1483 to fix a broken system full of restrictions making it harder and more expensive for people to maintain the devices they rely on every day. In the Senate, SB 5680 establishes a right to repair for people with physical disabilities to repair their electric mobility devices. Both bills passed both chambers almost unanimously! I discuss both measures in my latest video update: 

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U.I. BENEFITS FOR STRIKING WORKERS

This bill will equalize the playing field for workers, who live paycheck to paycheck, against large corporations who practice stall and starve tactics. When workers go on strike, it really is the last resort they have to get fairer wages or safer conditions in the workplace. Nobody wants to go on strike. The loss of paychecks and healthcare, and the uncertainty is stressful and overwhelming especially for those who have a family to support. Earlier this week I spoke on final passage of SB 5041 to grant unemployment insurance benefits for striking or employer-initiated lockout workers. Watch my floor remarks: 

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RENT STABILIZATION

The rent stabilization bill has passed both chambers, which is great, but the changes made in the Senate severely weaken this policy. The original bill passed in the House established a 7 percent cap increase in rent per year. The Senate amended it to 10 percent AND added the consumer price index rate (see graphic below). This is not what Washington families need, so we’re working on reaching an agreement. The Everett Herald ran a very good editorial on this issue recently, you can read it here. 

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BILLS’ UPDATE

You can read summaries of my bills in my previous newsletter; this time I just want to give you a quick update on their status:

LAWMAKER TO LAWMAKER March was Women’s History Month and several of the women legislators who serve in the House Democratic Caucus participated in a video series to honor and celebrate how far we’ve come and how much more there is still ahead. I hope that our conversations, which were always honest and sometimes funny, will inspire women of all ages and all walks of life to take hold of their strength and reach for their goals. I was honored to sit with Rep. Sharon Wylie (49th District, Vancouver) for a few minutes to learn a bit about each other. Click here or on the image to watch the video. For other videos in the series, go to the House Democrats YouTube channel and, in the search box, type lawmaker to lawmaker.

HAVE YOU GOTTEN YOUR REAL ID YET?

Starting May 7, 2025, REAL ID compliant identification will be required for domestic flights and accessing certain federal facilities. A REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or ID card is marked with a star or the words “Enhanced”. If you don’t have a REAL ID, you can use other acceptable forms of identification like a passport. Watch this video and visit the REAL ID site for more information.

Thank you so much for reading this newsletter, I hope it was informative. Please call or email me with your feedback, questions or concerns.

In solidarity,