Dear Friends and Neighbors,
First, thank you for joining our Telephone Town Hall last month. You had such great and important questions. It’s clear you care deeply about your neighbors and communities across the state.
Before I get into the latest on what’s happening at the legislature, I want to invite you to the 45th Legislative District Town Hall happening on March 15th at the Lake Washington Institute of Technology from 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM.
I’ll be there with the rest of the 45th Legislative District delegation including Rep. Larry Springer and Sen. Manka Dhingra. This will be live and in-person so it’s a great opportunity to connect. We’ll share more about what’s happening down at the Capitol, and we’d love to hear directly from you about what concerns you have. I hope to see you there!
This week in the Legislature, we’ve been on the House floor non-stop debating bills and passing legislation out of the House. Our Senate colleagues are going through a similar process. Any bill that passes out of the House goes over to the Senate for consideration and the Senate will send us their bills. Then we’ll start the process of committee review and debate all over again. We have about 50 days left in the session not only to pass bills, but we also have to pass the state’s budgets. Things will move quickly – you can stay informed by tracking bills and by tuning in to TVW to watch the action live.
Supporting working families and children
One of the bills that passed off the House floor recently was House Bill 1291. This bill exempts delivery services from medical deductibles. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the average cost of childbirth is between $14,000 and $26,000.
House Bill 1291 ensures families will no longer have to pay thousands of dollars out-of-pocket before their insurance coverage kicks in. Instead, any cost sharing for in-network delivery services will be applied toward the enrollee’s overall deductible obligation, reducing immediate financial strain and making it easier for families to plan for a new baby.
There are several other bills this session aimed at supporting families and protecting children in Washington:
House Bill 1028, a bill that I have sponsored, will allow for the development of protocols when police show up at a scene where violence has occurred, and children are present, that a child intervention specialist will be available to support children who have witnessed violence.
House Bill 1209, named Tyler’s Law, regulates the sale of sodium nitrate online to stop children from using it to take their own lives.
House Bill 1177 strengthens the Child Welfare Housing Assistance Program by allowing families to continue receiving assistance after the state’s involvement in child welfare or protective services ends, ensuring families in the process of healing can continue to stay together and stay housed.
House Bill 1644, dubbed the “Child Labor Safety Bill,” would increase protections for juvenile workers and strengthen enforcement mechanisms against businesses that repeatedly violate youth labor laws.
House Bill 1391 creates a grant program to support community-based programs that divert youth from entering or re-entering the juvenile justice system, supporting rehabilitation rather than incarceration for our kids.
The Working Families Tax Credit could add more than $1,000 to your refund
In 2023, fewer than half of Washington residents who were eligible for the Working Families Tax Credit claimed it. There’s no downside to checking to see if you’re eligible and the upside could be great! You could receive a refund up to $1,290 depending on income level and the number of qualifying children your household.
Here’s how:
- Do you have a valid Social Security Number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number?
- Did you live in Washington for at least 183 days in 2024?
- Are you between 25 and 65 years old or do you have a qualifying child?
- Did you file a federal tax return for 2024?
If your answers are YES, you may qualify to receive the Washington Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC)!
Since it was first launched, in 2023, the WFTC has provided over 359,000 refunds totaling more than $263.4 million. This is real money that can make a real difference for many working families across our state. Check your eligibility now!
That’s all for now. Please keep an eye out for my next legislative update. And, don’t forget, I hope to see you at our upcoming town hall!
All best wishes,
Rep. Roger Goodman