Dear friends and neighbors,
We’ve reached the halfway point of this year’s session and we’re coming up on a big deadline – the House of Origin cutoff – next week. That means that we have until next Wednesday, March 12th, to pass House bills and send them over to the Senate (it also means the Senate has until then to pass their bills and send them our way).
We’ve been spending a lot of time on the House floor this week considering different bills, and I wanted to highlight a few. One of the priority areas for House Democrats this session is lowering costs for Washingtonians and promoting economic security. These bills fall into that category:
The Right to Repair bill (HB 1483) is a consumer-friendly bill that will make it easier for people to repair their digital electronics instead of having to buy new ones. It requires manufacturers to provide access to the parts and tools needed to repair digital electronics, so local repair shops will have the information they need to fix electronics, saving people money and preventing electronic waste. Passing the Right to Repair off the House floor was a long time coming. Rep. Gregerson (pictured) has worked hard over the last few years to make sure this bill strikes the right balance, I’m especially happy that it received near-unanimous support.- HB 1186 would allow hospitals and other emergency healthcare entities to prescribe a full course of medication instead of the current 48-hour course allowed by law. This means that when you’re discharged from care, you can focus on getting home and recovering instead of having to get to a pharmacy to fill the rest of the script. This bill also reduces costs and helps prevent disruptions of treatment if a patient can’t fill the remainder of the prescription in a timely manner.
- HB 1291 would exempt childbirth delivery services from your medical deductible. This ensures families won’t have to pay thousands of dollars out-of-pocket before their insurance coverage kicks in and can focus instead on recovering and welcoming a new member of the family. No family should have to choose between quality maternity care and financial struggle.
There’s a host of other legislation that we’re working on this week, and I’ll have more information about what it through cutoff in my next e-newsletter.
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We’ve got a town hall coming up next week in the 27th District! Join us on March 15th from 10AM-12PM at the Stadium High School Auditorium (111 N E St, Tacoma, WA 98403). If you’re taking public transit, it’s accessible from the Sound Transit Light Rail and the 11 and 16 bus route. Come ask questions and get an update on our work this session!
You can also submit your questions in advance here.
I always look forward to coming together as a community at these town halls. Hope to see you there next Saturday.
