Dear friends and neighbors,
From now until March 8, bills are being heard on the House floor. Many of the bills that have been mentioned in previous issues of my newsletter will be heard and voted on, so for the latest news, I encourage you to keep your eyes peeled on the main website of the House Democratic Caucus, as well as my legislative Facebook page for the latest updates. TVW is also a great place to get the latest updates. Best of all—if you miss the action live, you can always watch the action on the House floor on replay (this is especially true if watching on your computer).
This is week eight of this year’s 105-day Legislative Session and Wednesday, March 1, marks the halfway point! It’s been going by incredibly quickly!
In this week’s newsletter, highlighting the bills of my fellow members, as well as providing updates on some of my own bills, is the focus.
Everyone Needs a Home
Washington’s housing crisis is creating increasingly expensive homes and driving up the cost of rent in every corner of our state. We are currently 140,000 homes short of where we need to be, and projections from Washington’s Department of Commerce show we’ll need to build 1,000,000 homes over the next 20 years. To close the gap, we must triple the pace of construction.
And while there may not be a single magic solution to this crisis, it’s clear that we must act with a concerted effort now to ensure we create a future where all Washingtonians have access to an affordable home. One step we can take to help get us there is legalizing middle housing options statewide.
Fellow House Democratic Caucus member Rep. Jessica Bateman of the 22nd Legislative District is the prime sponsor of bipartisan HB 1110, which will create a new statewide zoning floor by making it legal to build up to four-plexes on residential lots in cities with 6,000 residents or greater—or up to six-plexes if at least two units are made affordable. It would also allow building up to six-plexes near public transit. Importantly, the bill requires cities to comply with anti-displacement provisions so that families don’t have to move unnecessarily. This bill will soon be heard on the House floor.
Another bipartisan bill, HB 1337, will expand housing options by easing barriers to the construction and use of accessory dwelling units. It is a bill I introduced with Rep. Andrew Barkis (R-Chehalis). Recently, the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) was on the Capitol campus with a model ADU to bring attention to this legislative effort to support flexible housing options for people of all ages, which you can see in the photo above.
ADUs can fill several roles, like providing a place for an aging parent to live instead of a nursing home. They can also be used as living quarters for a caregiver or a relative who requires care, or for an adult child who may need to return home after college, has lost a job, or for one of many life-changing moments. ADUs can also be used for additional finances for someone on a fixed income.
HB 1337 now heads to the House floor!
Fair Repair Act
For the third year in a row, the Legislature has seen one form or the other of HB 1392. For the second year running, it has passed out of committee each time. We’ve been working hard to get this bill passed this year, and many former opponents of the bill are now showing encouraging signs of support.
Last week, we had a public testimony on this bill and one testifier, Mitch Kramer, who owns and operates Fixco in Bellingham, provided some compelling testimony on why passing HB 1393 is good for everyone. Click here to see it.
This bill will soon be heard on the House floor.
Washington May Soon Have a State Dinosaur!
Last Monday was Children’s Day at the Legislature and one bill got kids particularly excited—HB 1020, which will designate the Suciasaurus rex as the official dinosaur of the state. It passed off the House floor last week with a vote of 88-5.
Designating the Suciasaurus rex as the official state dinosaur was an idea brought to Rep. Melanie Morgan of the 29th Legislative District by fourth-grade students in Ms. Cole’s class at Elmhurst Elementary in the Franklin Pierce School District. Ms. Cole’s students researched the dinosaur and how a bill becomes a law. They brought the idea to Rep. Morgan, and it has been a priority ever since.
Introduced in late 2019, the bill passed the House floor and committees in 2020 and 2021 but failed to get a hearing in the Senate. Rep. Morgan has introduced the bill every year since in hopes of it becoming law. Along with the District of Columbia, 14 states have official dinosaurs.
HB 1020 is now headed to the Senate for consideration.
Children’s Day at the Legislature
As mentioned above, last Monday was indeed a time for legislators to bring children to the Legislature. Malino, pictured above, is my second cousin, and I was delighted he could spend part of the day with me and see my peers and me in action. It’s always a delight to see all the kiddos here during this day of recognition in their honor.
Join Us for an In-Person Town Hall
In my previous newsletter I asked you to save the date for our town hall event and now here is the follow-up information for you! I hope you will be able to join Sen. Karen Keiser, Rep. Tina Orwall, and me from 1:30-3 p.m. on Saturday, March 18, at the LiUNA Labor Hall in Des Moines.
Click here to send us your questions in advance and see you soon!
Best wishes,
