Dear Neighbors,
We have finally reached the week of fiscal cutoff, which means any bills moving forward must have a public hearing by Friday.
Here is a quick update.
What is ‘ranked choice voting’?
Last week I had the opportunity to speak with the League of Women Voters on creating more equitable political systems and increasing Access to Democracy. Right now, the Legislature is currently considering, HB 1722, which would allow local governments to choose to adopt ranked choice voting. While gaining popularity in a number of cities across the country, last week I hosted a ranked choice voting work session in the House Committee on State Government and Tribal Relations to introduce this to Washington. |
Constituent Corner: Doctors come to Olympia
Throughout each legislative session, I have incredible meetings with constituents from across the 33rd Legislative District. This week I met with a group local doctors who came to talk to me about legislation which would establish an International Medical Graduate Assistance Program for immigrant medical students.
Where does the state budget come from?
One of the most important duties of the Legislature is to pass the state’s three budgets:
- Operating
- Capital
- Transportation.
Because negotiations on the budget typically last until the very end of the session, it can seem like legislators procrastinate working on the budget all session and try to cram it in at the end. In reality, work begins before session and the team of legislators that write our budgets spend up to six hours each day throughout session going through the budget line by line to make the best decisions for the people of Washington.
In December, the Governor puts forth a balanced proposal for each of the budgets. Then during session, the House and Senate majority parties-along with their colleagues across the aisle-each propose their own budgets. Because any legislation, including the budget, needs to pass out of the House and Senate and be signed by the Governor, there is a need to find common ground between all three budget proposals.
For a more in depth look at the state budget process, check out the Office of Financial Management’s Guide to the Washington State Budget Process.
Thanks for reading this week’s e-newsletter, and please keep sending your questions and comments.
All the best wishes,
Rep. Mia Gregerson