Dear Friends and Neighbors,
I hope this email finds you well and enjoying the return of spring in our beautiful community. With the conclusion of the 2024 Legislative Session, I am thrilled to be back home, visiting with you, and preparing my legislative priorities for the 2025 legislative session. Before we leave the 2024 legislative session behind, I’d like to share additional highlights of the sixty-day session.
First and foremost, I’m proud to report that we ended the session on time, with balanced supplemental operating, capital, and transportation budgets that reflect our democratic values. Working together, we sent 373 bills to Governor Inslee, with 297 of them passing with strong bipartisan support. A few pieces of legislation that I introduced and supported include:
- House Bill 1932 bolsters local democracy, enhances voter turnout, and fosters equitable representation across communities by granting jurisdictions the option to conduct elections in even-numbered years instead of odd-numbered years.
- House Bill 1998 paves the way for co-living housing, fostering community and connection, particularly crucial for young adults, seniors, and those desiring social interaction, while also encouraging efficient land use and minimizing parking requirements to promote smart and sustainable development practices.
- House Bill 2170/Senate Bill 6100 appropriates funds to address additional fire suppression costs incurred during the 2023 fire season that ravaged 165,000 acres in Washington last summer.
- House Bill 2368 aims to modernize and enhance support for immigrants and refugees in Washington by codifying the efforts of the Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance (ORIA) and establishing a comprehensive Washington State Plan for Refugee Resettlement.
We also passed notable investments in the 2024 supplemental budgets including:
- $215 million to combat the fentanyl and opioid crisis, provide education, and prevent overdoses.
- $150 million for clean energy assistance to low-income households.
- $115 million for early learning and high-quality childcare.
- $64 million for food assistance for seniors, children, and local food banks.
- $36 million to support immigrants, asylees, refugees, and undocumented Washingtonians.
Additionally, we made significant investments in various areas, including K-12 education, behavioral health, air quality improvement, and long-term care programs. These investments are vital steps toward building a stronger, more equitable future for all Washingtonians.
In our district, I’m pleased to share that we secured millions of dollars for important community projects including:
- $809,000 for Highline School District Early Learning Facilities
- $550,000 for the Kent Multicultural Village
- $5 million for Open Doors for Multicultural Families
- $500,000 for the Muslim American Youth Foundation Center in Burien
- $515,000 for the Refugee Welcoming & Healing Center in SeaTac
- $100,000 to Electrify the Des Moines Marina
- $1 million for the Arc Legacy Center
- $4.3 million for Highline College Utility Meters, Facility Repairs, Preservation, and Program Improvements
Regarding transportation projects, discussions about delaying some projects arose, but I’m pleased to inform you that we were able to avoid that, ensuring that crucial ongoing projects in our area remain on track.
State Resources
The state’s official website https://wa.gov is an excellent one-stop location for information on state services and government agencies, in addition to helpful guides.
- Health & Safety: resources for caregivers, foster parents, seniors, long-term care providers; healthcare resources like links to obtain health insurance coverage and the WA Recovery Line; plus emergency preparedness resources. https://wa.gov/health-and-safety/
- Education: information for educators, K-12 students and their families: https://wa.gov/education.
- Work: information about workers’ rights, benefits, apprenticeship programs, professional licenses, and more. https://wa.gov/work/
- Your Government: information on courts and appeals, city and county codes, tribal government, habitat conservation plans, assistance for insurance problems, reporting robocalls and telemarketing scams to the Attorney General, and information to safeguard consumers from fraud. https://wa.gov/your-government/
- Financial Aid: tools for students heading to college, an apprenticeship, or seeking career or technical training. https://wa.gov/how-to-guides/financial-aid/
- Washington Information Network: dial “211” (9am-5pm Mon-Fri) or visit https://wa211.org for the assistance you’re seeking. I’m glad we were able to secure $4 million this biennium to fund this critical resource.
- Crisis Support: If you or a loved one is in crisis, dial “988” to be connected to free, confidential support with trained crisis counselors. You can also text “988” or visit https://988lifeline.org to chat with someone online. All 988 resources are available 24/7.
- Social and Human Services (DSHS) has subdivisions to meet the needs of our communities. https://www.dshs.wa.gov
- For eligibility details and frequently asked questions on food, cash, or medical assistance: https://www.dshs.wa.gov/food-cash-medical .
- Apply online for food, cash, child care, long-term care, and Medicare Savings Programs at https://www.washingtonconnection.org/home.
- Medicaid (aka Apple Health) is low cost, or often free, health insurance for those who qualify. https://www.hca.wa.gov/free-or-low-cost-health-care
- Children, Youth & Families: https://www.dcyf.wa.gov for childcare and early learning services, information on adoption, report child abuse, youth suicide prevention, juvenile rehabilitation, and more.
- Paid Family and Medical Leave: https://paidleave.wa.gov for what to do before you apply, how to apply, and more.
- Employment Security: https://esd.wa.gov/unemployment for unemployment benefits, eligibility criteria, and how to apply.
- WorkSource: https://seeker.worksourcewa.com provides employment and training to job seekers
- Office of Civil Legal Aid: https://ocla.wa.gov/ provides civil (not criminal) legal services to low-income people.
- Washington Student Achievement Council: https://wsac.wa.gov/financial-aid has financial aid information including details on need-based programs like the Washington College Grant, merit-based programs and more.
- Weatherization Programs for qualified low-income households: https://tinyurl.com/366j36zt
- Small Business Resiliency Network: https://tinyurl.com/kfh4h7ph
- Manufactured/Mobile Home Relocation Assistance and Coordination Programs: https://tinyurl.com/bdzmnz6z
Staying In Touch
From May 6th until the certification of the 2024 election, my website and Facebook will experience an “election year activity freeze.” During this period, I won’t be sharing any new content via state resources, including email updates. However, rest assured that I remain available to support legislative inquiries. My legislative assistant, Tyra, is standing by ready to direct discussions on legislation, connect you with state agencies and services, and schedule meetings with me. For more information on election year restrictions, please refer to video above or click here.
It is an honor to serve you and our community!
Best wishes,
Representative Mia Gregerson
33rd Legislative District