Dear friends and neighbors,

Hello from Olympia, where the 2022 legislative session got underway on Monday!

As one of the presiding members, I am one of a small handful of lawmakers in person on the House floor at this time.  With the rapid spread of the omicron variant, the House unfortunately had to shift from its original plan of beginning the session in hybrid format to mostly remote (you can read the 2022 House COVID-19 session operations plan here).

Even though I am fully vaccinated and boosted, before entering the House chamber on floor session days, I and other legislators, staff, and members of the press are also required to take a COVID test on site. This helps protect everyone in the legislative community who is here in person.

We will reassess the situation every two weeks and adjust House operations according to the dynamics of the pandemic, and state and local public health guidance.

My priorities for this short, 60-day session remain safety, transparency, and doing the people’s work. I know we can accomplish all three of these because last year the Legislature made unprecedented changes to how we operated in order to be more transparent and accessible to the public.

And it worked: we had historic levels of public engagement in the 2021 session and passed the Washington Recovery Budget.

So what are the priority bills for this session? This year is all about focusing on policies addressing our state’s most urgent needs and making sure everyone MOVES FORWARD as we get through this pandemic. As I said in my opening day remarks, previous economic recoveries in our state haven’t always brought everyone along. We need to make sure EVERYONE recovers from this pandemic in a healthier and more
economically-resilient way.

House Democrats will be moving forward with bills strengthening economic well-being and ensuring the services Washington provides get to everyone in a way that Washingtonians can use them to better their lives.

We’ll also be championing policies advancing racial equity and justice and addressing the climate crisis, as we did last year. These are complex issues requiring ongoing commitment and work, and cannot be solved in just one session.

I’m excited to do this work on behalf of the 27th District and the people of the great state of Washington.

Be part of the legislative process

The Legislature’s web site has a helpful page that is a one-stop shop for information about how you can participate in the legislative process. Testify remotely on a bill, submit written testimony, send me your comments on a bill, and more. Public input is essential to good policymaking.

You can also follow my legislative Facebook page, as well as the House Democrats Facebook page, and the House Members of Color Caucus Facebook page for more informal but informative posts about bills under consideration and other legislative news and info.

You can also reach out to me with your comments, questions, or concerns.

It’s an honor to represent you.

Sincerely,