Dear friends and neighbors,
It’s been two and a half weeks since my last newsletter, and there’s so much to share with you! Just yesterday, I testified with co-sponsor Sen. Derek Stanford (D-Bothell) on the right to repair legislation we introduced a few weeks back. Under HB 1392 (SB 5464), Washingtonians will have the right to repair their own electronic devices, rather than relying only on manufacturers and their authorized technicians.
This is not the first time I have introduced a right to repair bill in the Legislature. Last year, it passed out of committee for the first time. However, this year’s focus is different as we’re concentrating solely on electronic devices. Why is that? It really boils down to what I witnessed during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. So many kiddos couldn’t get the devices they needed to get online for school, and it was gut-wrenching to see so many schoolchildren being left behind.
If this legislation passes, it will pave the way for more items to be covered in the future, such as medical and farm equipment. Click here or on the image to the right to hear my testimony. We’ll be sure to keep you updated as this bill progresses!
Elected Chair of the Members of Color
I’m honored to have the confidence of my colleagues to have been elected chair of the House Members of Color Caucus (MOCC) in the Legislature. Comprised of 26 members, the MOCC makes up 45 percent of the House Democratic Caucus. As chair, I lead the MOCC as we seek to support our most vulnerable communities and work towards a more racially-just Washington.
My colleagues and I know our communities of color are facing significant challenges. My goal is to continue to work with MOCC to deliver a clear set of priorities that target policy and investments that will move the needle towards a more just and fair system.
Addressing Housing and Food Insecurity
The housing affordability and security crisis is affecting every city and county in Washington. That’s why I am sponsoring two housing-related bills (HB 1129 and HB 1337). I also am in support of my colleagues who have introduced other bills to address our state’s housing crisis. In this video, I give a brief oversight of HB 1337, a bipartisan measure that would require most Washington cities and towns to allow the construction of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) as one way to address the state’s supply of affordable housing.
Residents in eastern and western Washington alike face a housing shortage, skyrocketing rents, and unstable living conditions. There isn’t one magic solution to these problems. It is critical that we tackle this issue in three ways:
Supply
Washington’s housing supply is short over 170,000 units. We need more homes of all types, so everyone has an affordable place to live. Without more units, we will never fix the housing crisis.
Stabilize
Escalating rental rates and other factors put tenant housing at risk. We need to keep people housed so they don’t become homeless, displaced, or forced out of their communities. It is more efficient and less costly to keep people housed than it is to try to help them get out of homelessness.
Support
Even if we address housing supply and stability, some people will still be unable to afford rent. We need to increase our investment in deeply affordable housing so that every single Washingtonian has a roof over their head. Everyone deserves the dignity of a safe place to call home.
To review all bills pertaining to housing this session, click here.
Food insecurity is also sadly an issue in our state. I sat down earlier this week to talk with Christina Wong, Northwest Harvest Public Policy Director, about the need for early action in the state budget to address this issue. Click here or on the image to the left to watch our conversation, where we discuss legislation introduced earlier this year to make free school meals available to all students across the state.
Protecting Reproductive Rights in Washington
As other states ban or restrict access to abortion and gender-affirming care, my colleagues and I are protecting and expanding access to reproductive freedom by keeping reproductive care available, accessible, and affordable for every resident in the state with a package of bills that will stand up against extremists and states looking to take away our rights. Here are some of the items we’re working on:
HB 1155 (My Health, My Data Act) blocks websites and apps from collecting and sharing health data. It also prohibits the sale of Washingtonian’s health data, the use of “geofences” to send unsolicited messages to persons at health facilities and requires companies that collect personal health data to create, maintain, and publish a privacy policy for consumer health data.
HB 1340 ensures that Washington’s providers cannot be disciplined in our state because they provide reproductive or gender affirming care in accordance with Washington state law, regardless of where their patients reside.
HB 1469 (Shield Law) protects patients and providers of reproductive and gender-affirming care in Washington from retribution by other states.
HB 1286 protects employers who provide support for reproductive care by allowing them to recover damages here in Washington if targeted by hostile lawsuits or judgments from other states.
HB 1263 (Keep Our Care Act) prohibits hospitals from merging if the consolidation diminishes patients’ access to services — including reproductive, end-of-life and gender-affirming care — by creating a system of public oversight that ensures people’s needs are prioritized over corporate growth.
Happy Lunar New Year!
In Chinese culture, 2023 is the year of the rabbit (or year of the cat if you’re Vietnamese). Rabbits are said to represent kindness, vigilance and virtue and rabbit years are said to be a time of relaxation, quietness, and contemplation. However, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my extreme sorrow for the mass shooting tragedy where 10 people were killed and 10 more were injured on the eve of the lunar new year in Monterey Park, California.
Many bipartisan bills have been introduced this year in the House and Senate aimed at preventing gun violence. My colleagues and I are working hard to make Washington a safer place to call home. I urge you to inform yourselves on all that is being done to enforce firearms in our state by clicking here.
A New Tax Credit for Working Families
The Working Families Tax Credit is a new program that will provide payments of up to $1,200 to low-to-moderate income individuals and families. The amounts are based on income level and the number of qualifying children (if any).
This program will help us stimulate local economies, promote racial equity, and provide the financial stability Washington families need right now. To find more information in several available languages, visit the Working Families Credit website.
Best wishes,
