Dear friends and neighbors,
There is lots of legislative activity happening this week, with Committee Assembly Days in both the House and Senate. Senate committees met on Monday and Tuesday, and House committees convene today and tomorrow.
All meetings are public and are being conducted remotely in order to adhere to local and state public health guidance. The House of Representatives website has details like dates, times, agendas and documents for these meetings, as well as links to live video. If you are unable to tune in live, the meetings will also be available for later viewing in the TVW archives.
Committee Assembly Days is when committees gather for work sessions on policies and issues likely to come before the Legislature in the next session. With the 2022 session convening on January 10, we are only a few weeks away from the start of another legislative session!
In even-numbered years, legislative sessions are 60 days, as opposed to 105 days in odd-numbered years. The 60 days go by quickly, and I know many of you are waiting to hear how the House will conduct business this year (remote? in-person? hybrid?). I expect the final session operations plan for the House to be made public before the Thanksgiving holiday, and it will be posted to the House website and linked on my legislative Facebook page.
If you have ever been to the Capitol campus, you may have been to the John L. O’Brien Building – also known as JLOB – where many House members have their legislative offices. The corridors in JLOB are tight and member offices cannot safely hold more than one person in most cases. The House also has twice as many members as the Senate, so while it is possible for our colleagues in the other chamber to gather in person on the Senate floor while maintaining proper social distancing, for the 98 members in the House this is not possible. Committee hearings also pose a social distancing challenge.
At the same time, all members of the House Democratic Caucus are fully vaccinated (I got my booster shot recently!), and there is a strong desire among legislators – myself included – to do more in person this coming session.
The final plan will most likely be some version of a hybrid session, with the goals of keeping the safety of the public, members, and staff paramount while operating transparently and safely.
It’s important to remember the unprecedented changes made last session in order to be more transparent and accessible to the public in the midst of the pandemic. More people across our state than ever were able to testify on bills and meet with their legislators without having to leave their homes and travel all the way to Olympia. Lawmakers will continue to have the opportunity to meet with constituents virtually over Zoom, or in district if they choose in compliance with local and state public health guidance. And I’m hoping we’ll see more legislators in person on the House floor – safely distanced – than last year.
Redistricting: What comes next
The Washington State Redistricting Commission reached an agreement on new legislative and congressional district maps late Monday night. Commissioner April Sims, who I appointed to represent the House Democratic Caucus in the redistricting negotiations, informed me of the agreement when it was reached. I have been incredibly proud of Commissioner Sims’ steadfast commitment to the negotiations and to this very important work for our state. There are not enough words to convey my gratitude for how she lived up to the values and duties required of a redistricting commissioner.
As the commissioners were finishing drafting maps based on their agreement, the clock ticked past midnight and for that reason the redistricting process now falls under the jurisdiction of our state Supreme Court. This is an unprecedented situation for Washington.
The Commission did submit the agreed-upon maps to the Court. Whether or not the Court considers those maps, I remain confident the legislative and congressional boundaries drawn will honor the constitutional requirements, as well as the principles of fairness and equity.
You can read my statement on the outcome of the Commission’s work here.
Ensuring our neighbors are housed and fed this holiday season and beyond
The arrival of colder weather and the holiday season is especially hard on those in our community experiencing housing or food insecurity. The pandemic created hardship for more people, and that’s why economic recovery was one of the top priorities for House Democrats last session.
Instead of cutting services for the most vulnerable in our communities, we invested in keeping people housed and fed with the Washington Recovery Budget (bolstered by funds from the American Rescue Plan Act). This budget is helping people in our district and beyond right now with:
- Rental assistance totaling nearly $1 billion between the Washington Recovery Budget and our early action bill in February
- Mortgage assistance totaling $187 million through the ARPA Homeowner Assistance Fund to help prevent foreclosures and delinquencies
- Funding for food assistance programs totaling $124 million so that families will not go hungry
- Homelessness response and permanent housing supports totaling $292 million
- A 15% increase to temporary cash assistance for the lowest income households, and extended time limits for these benefits to give people more time to get back on their feet
- An increase to the state Housing and Essential Needs Program of $26.5 million to help 1700 more people in our state who are homeless, have disabilities, and are eligible for the program
- An increase of $29 million for the Emergency Cash Assistance program for families who need one-time funds to maintain safe housing and utilities or have an unexpected emergency
Until next year…
Due to state election-year restrictions around legislative communications that kick in next month, I am prohibited from sending any e-newsletters from December 1, 2021 until the start of the 2022 legislative session. This will therefore be my last e-newsletter until the session convenes in January. However, you can continue to follow my legislative Facebook page for news and updates, and I always welcome your emails with questions, comments, or concerns.
Wishing you and those you love a healthy, safe, and happy holiday season.
Sincerely,
