Session Update: Floor Action, an Upcoming Town Hall, the Page Program, & more

March 9, 2023

Dear friends and neighbors,

This week was the House of Origin Cutoff in Olympia, which means we’ve crossed the deadline for most bills to pass out of the House (or Senate, for Senate bills) and move over to the other chamber. It’s been a remarkably productive session so far – we’ve passed 328 bills off the House floor, with nearly 200 receiving unanimous support and over 250 receiving strong bipartisan support.

We’ve had a strong focus on housing, workforce development, and reproductive health. I think that’s reflected in the bills we’ve passed so far. Some highlights include:

  • Expanding our state’s middle housing supply by allowing more diverse housing options in residential neighborhoods. (HB 1110)
  • Making it easier to build Accessory Dwelling Units (HB 1337)
  • Shielding patients who seek reproductive or gender-affirming care in Washington state, and their health care providers, from other state’s archaic laws (HB 1469)
  • Ensuring that health care providers in Washington state are protected when providing reproductive or gender-affirming care (HB 1340)
  • Protecting your sensitive health data, including data related to reproductive health (HB 1155)
  • Addressing our home care workforce shortages by updating certification requirements and reducing licensing fees for home care workers (HB 1694)
  • Growing our behavioral health workforce by supporting those studying to enter the field, reducing barriers to entering the workforce, and streamlining licensing requirements (HB 1724)

Now we’re pivoting back to committee hearings to look at the bills sent over from the Senate, and I’ll keep you posted on that work.

JinkinseSignature_Laurie

Join us for a Town Hall

I’ll be joining my seatmates for a town hall next Saturday, March 18th at 10AM. Come ask questions and get an update on our work so far. We’ll be on the Tacoma campus of the Evergreen State College (1210 6th Ave Tacoma, WA 98504).

You can even submit question in advance online: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/27thLDtownhall2023

Or by email: OfficeofSpeakerJinkins@leg.wa.gov

House Page Program

Now that we’re back in-person we’ve restarted our House Page Program! This is an opportunity for students from 14-17 years old to come to Olympia for a week and learn more about how our state legislature works. If you want to learn more about the program check out this interview I did with Viviane, who paged in the Houselast week!

WAVE Scholarship for Career and Technical Education

I also wanted to share a scholarship opportunity for high school graduates who are enrolled in a career and technical education program. This program helps support current students and grow our workforce, and I’m excited about the opportunity. You can learn more about the scholarship or apply here, the deadline to apply is March 17th.