Dear Friends and Neighbors,
This week marks the beginning of the 2020 legislative session, and I am honored to be back at the Capitol as your 45th Legislative District representative.
This year is the Legislature’s shorter session lasting only 60 days. Since the Legislature passed two-year budgets last year, we will only be passing smaller supplemental budgets in this session. I continue to serve as the Chair of the House Public Safety Committee as I did last year. I also continue to serve on the Civil Rights & Judiciary and Human Services & Early Learning committees.
I’m excited to get back to work!
The Washington House of Representatives has a new speaker!
History was made last week when Representative Laurie Jinkins was sworn in as the first ever woman to be Speaker of the House. Speaker Jinkins is our first new speaker in 21 years and is also the first out lesbian to serve as speaker.
I have worked with Speaker Jinkins for many years on the Civil Rights & Judiciary Committee, which she used to chair. She is smart, tenacious and a bridge builder. Upon learning she was elected speaker in September, she set off on a road trip to visit every legislative district and meet with lawmakers from both sides of the aisle. I am confident Speaker Jinkins will lead the House into this new decade with wisdom, fairness and vision.
I-976 and the transportation budget
In the most recent general election the public voted to approve Initiative 976 and $30 car tabs. After the election, Governor Inslee asked the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to postpone any projects not already underway. It is anticipated that the transportation budget will shrink by 11.6% this year. Delaying projects not yet underway will allow the Legislature to work with the Governor to prioritize projects and implement I-976. Tough decisions will have to be made and while many delayed projects will be re-started, some will not.
When we passed the transportation budget last year, we included a Statewide Transportation Needs Assessment that will study our state’s transportation needs from 2022-2031 and explore new options for funding those projects. This assessment will be important in re-calibrating our transportation priorities.
Legislative page program now accepting applications
Every year, students ages 14 to 16 come from all over the state to serve as legislative pages in the House of Representatives. The Page Program is a great opportunity for youth to learn how our state government works and to gain hands-on experience with the ins and outs of the legislative process.
The Page Program is free, and students do receive a small stipend for their work each day, but requirements like transportation to the Capitol and the costs of living in Olympia for a week can keep students from participating. Fortunately, the Legislature created a scholarship program in 2016 to help offset those costs.
If this is something your teen might be interested in, go to the Page Program website to learn more, fill out an application, and get information on how to apply for the Gina Grant Bull Scholarship.
How to stay involved
Now that we are back in Olympia, feel free to stop by my office (LEG 436B) while you are on the Capitol campus. Even if you can’t make it down during the session, don’t hesitate to reach out to my office by calling 360-786-7878 or sending an email to roger.goodman@leg.wa.gov.
Want to track what’s happening in Olympia? I can’t recommend enough TVW’s “Legislative Review” – a 15-minute overview (30-minute on Fridays) of what happened each day here in Olympia. It’s a quick and easy way to learn how the Legislature works and you can stream or download it on your mobile device.
Throughout the session you can also stay up to date on my legislative work with my video series Goodman’s Good Minute. In these short videos I go into some detail to describe legislation that I am working on and why it is needed.
Look for more updates coming soon and please reach out if you have questions, comments, or ideas.
All best wishes,
Roger Goodman
Representative, 45th District
Washington State Legislature