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Legislative Update: House of Origin Cutoff and a Town Hall March 15th
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.
Legislative Update: Children’s Day, Speaker’s Scoop podcast, & the Book 1 budget
Dear friends and neighbors,
We’re wrapping up week six of this year’s legislative session, and tomorrow marks our first big deadline for this year, policy cutoff. On Monday though we took advantage of the state holiday to celebrate Children’s Day in Olympia. This is a biennial tradition – during long session years (like this one) we invite legislators to bring their kids, nieces, nephews, grandkids or other chosen family to work with them. This job can require you to spend a lot of time away from home, and Children’s Day is a fun opportunity to show them what we do and why it’s important.
Part of Children’s Day is voting a bill off the floor. This year we passed HB 1759, which will officially recognize December 12th as “Day of the 12s,” recognizing Seahawks fans across the state. Sports can build community in really important ways. It bridges cultural divides, and – if the floor debate was any indication – it bridges age divides as well. I was grateful to have some help at the podium for a very spirited discussion and overwhelmingly supportive final vote.
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| I also wanted to let you know about a short, weekly podcast I’ve been doing this session! It’s a behind-the-scenes look at my work as Speaker of the House, recorded from my office in the Legislative Building. I’ve talked about opening ceremonies, my work with Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen, the “Book 1” budget (more on this below), and more. The episodes are five minutes or less, and it’s my hope that they’ll help demystify some of our work down in Olympia. You can listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and my website. |  |
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You may have read or heard about former Gov. Jay Inslee’s proposed budgets last fall, but there’s only one budget that the Governor is required to create, and that’s the “Book 1” budget, which doesn’t make any changes to current law or assume any new revenue.
If you’re wondering why we’re still referencing the former Governor’s budget, it’s because the budget development process happens largely in fall of the previous year. Governor Ferguson was not sworn in until January, after the governor’s budget is supposed to be released.
But why am I talking about the “Book 1” budget at all? Because it’s what an all-cuts budget looks like, and it’s truly devastating for people across the state. It cuts $12 billion from our state budget, including $3.5 billion in cuts to healthcare, over $1 billion in cuts to higher education, and $1.3 billion in cuts to human services and early learning.
What are some specific cuts behind those dollar amounts?
- The elimination of things like adult dental care, kidney dialysis, and family planning or abortion services for people on Medicaid.
- Catastrophic cuts to our state colleges and universities that hurt our ability to educate the workforce we need to keep Washington’s economy strong.
- Massive reductions to services for seniors and people with developmental disabilities.
- Deep cuts to human services and early learning programs, including elimination of some programs and significantly reduced services.
- Significant cuts to behavioral health and corrections.
It’s important for everyone to understand what an all-cuts budget looks like. Once we understand how Washingtonians will be affected by cuts, our conversations about cuts vs. new revenue will be more grounded in reality. As for me, I’ll prioritize protecting the most vulnerable. And I expect the House Democrats budget team will be taking a balanced approach when we release our budget proposal next month. It won’t be easy, but we’re working to minimize the harm and ensure we don’t go backwards on the progress we’ve made.
Legislative Update: Cora Whitley Family Center Groundbreaking, Protecting Washingtonians
Dear friends and neighbors,
Hello from Olympia, where we’re nearly a quarter of the way through this year’s legislative session. Right now, our work is focused on committee hearings. These are the first stop for nearly every single bill. Hearings give everyone a chance to ask questions, propose amendments, and hear from constituents before moving a bill to the next step in the process.
We’ll be focused on committees until the policy and fiscal cutoffs later this month. These are the deadlines for bills to pass out of committee on their path to final passage and the governor’s desk (there’s a handy cheat-sheet for these cutoffs and the bill process here).
While we’re focused on committees, we have started to pass bills off the House floor. That includes legislation to help address the housing shortage and prevent backlogs for judicial hearings. I expect that we’ll have more updates in my next newsletter.
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On January 25th I was delighted to join the groundbreaking ceremony for the Multicultural Child and Family Hope Center’s new Cora Whitley Family Center in Hilltop. Once completed, this will double their early learning and daycare spaces and will create over 100 jobs. I have heard from many of you about how hard it is to find accessible and affordable child care. I know that this is a priority for many families in our community and I’m proud that the state was able to chip in over $3 million dollars to help make this expansion happen. Construction is currently expected to finish in January 2026.
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In my last newsletter I noted that while we are focused on our work in the state legislature, we would not hesitate to protect Washingtonians from attacks at the federal level. I think it is important in this moment to be incredibly clear about what that means.
Last week I put out a statement in support of our immigrant, refugee, and undocumented community members. Earlier this week I put out a statement about protecting the LGBTQ+ community, and particularly our transgender youth.
Statements are important; so is the action to back them up.
Over the last 10 years we have passed legislation supporting vulnerable members of our community, protecting our neighbors regardless of immigration status, ensuring that transgender youth can access life-saving health care, and much more. We will continue this work, and whenever we identify gaps in those protections, we will fill them swiftly. I was asked about this at the weekly media availability on Tuesday and want to share my response here as well. I hope that, in the chaos of federal announcements over the last 17 days, you are able to find some reassurance in knowing that at the state level, we have your back.
Majority Leader Pedersen, Speaker Jinkins: Protecting Transgender Youth in Washington State
Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen and Speaker of the House Laurie Jinkins made the following statement Monday in response to multiple federal executive orders attacking transgender youth:
“As parents, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and the elected leaders of the Washington State Senate and House of Representatives, we will protect transgender youth.
“These attacks from the new federal administration are alarming, but they do not change Washington state law.
“We have established protections at the state level to ensure young people can access life-saving gender-affirming care. We have strong nondiscrimination laws that protect our young people at school, and we are working to clarify and strengthen those laws this session.
“The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction has made clear they will not comply with any federal directives that would require us to discriminate against our students, and we strongly support this position.
“We have also passed some of the strongest legal protections in the country, establishing a shield law preventing other states from enforcing cruel or archaic laws across state lines.
“We will keep working hard to make Washington a state where everyone can live a safe, dignified life, because the job of government is to create opportunity, not drive hate and fear.
“To the transgender youth and their families across the state who are scared about what these orders mean for you or your children, you are not alone. We see you, and we will fight hard for you.
“To the broader LGBTQ+ community, who know too well an attack on any of us is an attack on all of us, we will continue to protect your rights to be who you are and love who you love.
“The people of Washington have consistently demonstrated their support for the LGBTQ+ community, including through initiatives going back over 30 years. People here see through the fear mongering and scare tactics because they know us. We are your friends and family, we make your coffee and ring up your groceries, we run local businesses, and we take care of you when you’re sick. We are confident the people of our state will continue to have our back just like we have theirs, because the best way forward is together.”
Declaración de Presidenta Laurie Jinkins sobre órdenes ejecutivas federales que amenazan a residentes de Washington
La Presidenta de la Cámara de Representantes, Laurie Jinkins (Demócrata de Tacoma), publicó hoy la siguiente declaración en respuesta a las órdenes ejecutivas federales que ponen en riesgo a inmigrantes, refugiados y miembros indocumentados de la comunidad:
“El estado de Washington tiene una sólida historia de protección de nuestros miembros de la comunidad de inmigrantes, refugiados e indocumentados. Estos son nuestros familiares, vecinos, amigos, compañeros de trabajo y feligreses. Son los participantes más recientes en una larga tradición estadounidense de inmigración y oportunidades. Merecen los mismos derechos, protecciones y oportunidades que se ofrecen a otros residentes de Washington, no por cómo contribuyen a nuestras comunidades (aunque lo hacen económica, cultural y de muchas otras maneras), sino porque son seres humanos dignos de dignidad y respeto.
“Me decepciona que nuestro gobierno federal esté dedicando más tiempo a atacar la decencia básica y los derechos humanos que a arreglar nuestro fallido sistema de inmigración. Aplaudo al Fiscal General Nick Brown por desafiar estas acciones devastadoras e inconstitucionales.
“Esta no es la primera vez que estamos aquí. En los últimos 10 años hemos tomado medidas importantes para proteger a los miembros de nuestra comunidad, incluida la Ley Keep Washington Working, asistencia legal civil para trabajadores indocumentados, prohibición de centros de detención privados, protección del acceso a ayuda financiera estatal para estudiantes y más.
“Estas protecciones son ley. Nada en las órdenes ejecutivas más recientes elimina estas protecciones. Si hay brechas que pueden abordarse a nivel estatal, lo haremos. Rápidamente.
“Como Presidenta de la Cámara, estoy orgullosa de apoyar a nuestro Caucus Demócrata Latino en una fuerte oposición a estas órdenes ejecutivas y apoyar la carta que la representante Lillian Ortiz-Self y otros publicaron hoy. Estas acciones amenazan la seguridad de las personas en todo nuestro estado, dañan a nuestros niños, nuestras familias y nuestras comunidades. No permitiremos que esos ataques queden sin respuesta.”
Para quienes tengan curiosidad sobre qué recursos y protecciones están disponibles para la gente en el estado de Washington, la Comisión de Asuntos Hispanos ha creado un centro de respuesta rápida con más información.
Statement from Speaker Laurie Jinkins on Federal Executive Orders Threatening Washington Residents
Para español, ver más abajo
Speaker of the House Laurie Jinkins (D-Tacoma), released the following statement today in response to federal executive orders putting immigrants, refugees, and undocumented community members at risk:
“Washington state has a strong history of protecting our immigrant, refugee, and undocumented community members. These are our family members, neighbors, friends, coworkers, and congregants. They are the newest participants in a long American tradition of immigration and opportunity. They deserve the same rights, protections, and opportunities afforded to other Washington residents, not because of how they contribute to our communities – though they do, economically, culturally, and in many other ways – but because they are humans worthy of dignity and respect.
“I am disappointed that our federal government is spending more time attacking basic decency and human rights than fixing our broken immigration system. I applaud Attorney General Nick Brown as he challenges these devastating and unconstitutional actions.
“This is not the first time we’ve been here. In the last 10 years we have taken significant action to protect our community members, including the Keep Washington Working Act, civil legal aid for undocumented workers, banning private detention facilities, protecting access to state financial aid for students, and more.
“These protections are law. Nothing in the most recent executive orders removes these protections. If there are gaps that can be addressed at the state level, we will do so. Swiftly.
“As Speaker of the House I am proud to stand with our Latino Democratic Caucus in strong opposition to these executive orders and support the letter that Rep. Lillian Ortiz-Self and others put out earlier today. These actions threaten the safety of people across our state, they hurt our kids, our families, and our communities. We will not allow those attacks to go unchallenged.”
For those curious about what resources and protections are available for people in Washington state, the Commission on Hispanic Affairs has put together a rapid response hub with more information.
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Declaración de Presidenta Laurie Jinkins sobre órdenes ejecutivas federales que amenazan a residentes de Washington
30 de enero de 2025
La Presidenta de la Cámara de Representantes, Laurie Jinkins (Demócrata de Tacoma), publicó hoy la siguiente declaración en respuesta a las órdenes ejecutivas federales que ponen en riesgo a inmigrantes, refugiados y miembros indocumentados de la comunidad:
“El estado de Washington tiene una sólida historia de protección de nuestros miembros de la comunidad de inmigrantes, refugiados e indocumentados. Estos son nuestros familiares, vecinos, amigos, compañeros de trabajo y feligreses. Son los participantes más recientes en una larga tradición estadounidense de inmigración y oportunidades. Merecen los mismos derechos, protecciones y oportunidades que se ofrecen a otros residentes de Washington, no por cómo contribuyen a nuestras comunidades (aunque lo hacen económica, cultural y de muchas otras maneras), sino porque son seres humanos dignos de dignidad y respeto.
“Me decepciona que nuestro gobierno federal esté dedicando más tiempo a atacar la decencia básica y los derechos humanos que a arreglar nuestro fallido sistema de inmigración. Aplaudo al Fiscal General Nick Brown por desafiar estas acciones devastadoras e inconstitucionales.
“Esta no es la primera vez que estamos aquí. En los últimos 10 años hemos tomado medidas importantes para proteger a los miembros de nuestra comunidad, incluida la Ley Keep Washington Working, asistencia legal civil para trabajadores indocumentados, prohibición de centros de detención privados, protección del acceso a ayuda financiera estatal para estudiantes y más.
“Estas protecciones son ley. Nada en las órdenes ejecutivas más recientes elimina estas protecciones. Si hay brechas que pueden abordarse a nivel estatal, lo haremos. Rápidamente.
“Como Presidenta de la Cámara, estoy orgullosa de apoyar a nuestro Caucus Demócrata Latino en una fuerte oposición a estas órdenes ejecutivas y apoyar la carta que la representante Lillian Ortiz-Self y otros publicaron hoy. Estas acciones amenazan la seguridad de las personas en todo nuestro estado, dañan a nuestros niños, nuestras familias y nuestras comunidades. No permitiremos que esos ataques queden sin respuesta.”
Para quienes tengan curiosidad sobre qué recursos y protecciones están disponibles para la gente en el estado de Washington, la Comisión de Asuntos Hispanos ha creado un centro de respuesta rápida con más información.
Legislative Update: Wrapping Up Week Two
Dear friends and neighbors,
Hello from Olympia, where we’re wrapping up the second week of this year’s legislative session! Last week I was formally re-elected by my peers as Speaker of the House. I’m incredibly grateful for the confidence they’ve placed in me and for the opportunity to serve our state in this position.
As Speaker I have the privilege of giving remarks during the opening ceremonies. I talked about some of our recent successes – investing in the Housing Trust Fund, making childcare more affordable for working parents, and the new regional law enforcement training academies that have already helped train more officers. I am proud of this progress, but I know we still have a lot of work to do.
This year we’re focused on strengthening communities, creating more affordable housing, investing in education, and growing good jobs. We’re also intensely focused on our state’s budget. We’ve seen increased demand for state services, a decrease in forecasted revenue, and, like many of you, we are still feeling the impacts of inflation. We’re looking closely at every part of our state’s budget to identify savings, but like I said on opening day, we will protect the investments we’ve made to help working families. You can watch my full remarks here.
I also want to be clear, in light of some of the announcements made by the new federal administration, that we will be vigilant in protecting the people of our state. That protection is not dependent on immigration status, we have passed a number of laws in recent years that protect the undocumented members of our community and ensure their continued access to the state services they help fund. We have also advanced protections around bodily autonomy, including the right to an abortion and the right to gender affirming care. I am focused on our work at the state level, but when we need to take action to protect Washingtonians, we will do so.
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This week we also kicked off our regular Democratic leadership media availabilities, weekly gatherings with the press corps down in Olympia where the leadership of the House and Senate answer questions and talk about our work that week.
I talk with reporters from the press corps relatively often, but these weekly availabilities are also broadcast for anyone to watch. You can check out this week’s here. We talked about how we’re approaching the budget this year, funding for K-12 education, the rent stabilization bill (which has already passed out of the Housing Committee), and more.
Legislative Update: Session Starts Next Week, Legislative Preview Forum, How to Get Involved
Dear friends and neighbors,
The 2025 legislative session starts next week! Washington has a part-time legislature (as do many states), so we’re only down in Olympia for a few months of the year. Our state constitution dictates when session begins and how long it lasts, and it runs on a two-year cycle. This year is a “long” session, so we’ll be down in Olympia for 105 days starting next Monday, January 13.
Apart from length, the other big difference between a long session year and a short session year is the state budget – which is actually a combination of three different budgets (but more on that in a future e-newsletter). During long session years we write the state’s budget for the two-year cycle. It’s one of the largest and most important bills we pass, so you can expect a lot of talk about that this year, too.
Want to get involved? There are a lot of different ways to engage with your legislature. As always, you can reach out to my office by phone (360-786-7930) or email, or follow my Facebook page for regular updates.
You can also watch committee hearings on TVW, comment on a bill, or testify either remotely or in-person. You can read about how a bill becomes a law, or you can watch a video about it instead (in English or Spanish). If you have questions, please reach out!
Opening day ceremonies in the state House can be viewed online, but I also invite 27th District constituents come to Olympia and experience it in person if you are able. The House galleries are open to the public and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Opening ceremonies start at noon on Monday, and include the swearing-in of the Speaker of the House, the Speaker Pro Tempore, and the Deputy Speaker Pro Tempore (tip: to secure a seat in the public gallery, arrive by 11:00 a.m.). More information on visiting the Capitol campus can be found here.
Presuming I’m elected Speaker of the House again, I’ll be giving remarks to the full chamber laying out House Democrats’ priorities for the coming session. These will be posted to my website after the event.
Next Wednesday, January 15th, the 2025 Washington State Governor’s Inaugural Ball will take place on the Capitol campus. This ticketed event is open to all and tickets can be purchased here: https://wastategovball.org/
The last time our state held a Governor’s Inaugural Ball was in 2017. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 Inaugural Ball did not take place, so it has been eight years since the last one. This will be my first Inaugural Ball in my role as Speaker, and I hope to see many Washingtonians there enjoying the food, music, dancing, and community. All statewide officials are sworn in earlier that day, and are formally introduced to the crowd at the ball. There are also opportunities to volunteer at the event (details on the event website).
I’m here to represent you, and hearing from you on the issues you care about helps better inform my work in the Legislature. It is an immense privilege to serve you all in this role, and I’m excited to get to work. Thank you,
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Earlier today, I joined the caucus leaders of the House and Senate for the annual Legislative Session Preview. It’s a panel Q&A-style discussion about the issues that will likely be before the legislature. Joining me was Senate Majority Leader Sen. Jamie Pedersen, as well as the Republican minority leaders of the House and Senate. There were additional panels featuring the budget leads from each chamber, and the Transportation budget leads.
This longstanding event is, in many ways, the unofficial start of the session. I’ll post highlights of the event over on my legislative Facebook page in coming days.
Legislative Update: Happy Holidays, Food and Housing Assistance
Dear friends and neighbors, It’s the holiday season once again, and a time when people often gather with loved ones, friends, and community to celebrate. It can also be an especially challenging time of year for those who struggle to put food on the table or keep the utilities on. I wanted to pass along some resources that help assist our neighbors in need. There are a lot of programs that rely on federal, state, and local funds to do this work in our community. Help is available. However, I know that many families who don’t qualify for these programs are still feeling stretched this year, and that is front of mind as I prepare for our work next session. The cost of housing, child care, health care, and transportation is affecting nearly all Washingtonians. House Democrats are going to be looking at how we can help lower costs for working families and make sure our economy works for everyone. This will be my last newsletter of 2024, but as always please reach out to my office if you have questions or concerns, need help accessing state programs, or want to give input about any of the work we’re doing next year. |
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To learn more about temporary assistance for needy families (TANF) click here.
To learn more about food assistance (called Basic Food in Washington, also known as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP) click here.
To apply for either/both TANF or Basic Food, or other state assistance programs, click here.
To learn more about food banks in Pierce County click here. To find your closest food bank click here. (This includes Nourish Pierce County food banks, you can find more information about their food banks and what to expect here.)
To sign up for home delivery of food assistance click here.
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If you’re in the City of Tacoma, get support paying for your electricity bill here. If you’re a resident of Pierce County you can get support here.
If you live in Pierce County, you can learn more about eviction prevention, mortgage assistance, weatherization, and other housing programs here.
If you live in the City of Tacoma you can look at rental assistance programs here and weatherization assistance here.
A broader list of Tacoma and Pierce County housing resources is available here.
Returning to your Inbox: Legislative Updates, The Page Program, and Open Enrollment for Health Plans
Dear friends and neighbors,
The election results were certified yesterday, and with that I can resume our regular official legislative updates! You might remember from earlier this year (or, for long-time readers, previous election years) that during the election there are restrictions on our official communications — things like this e-newsletter or my official Facebook. These rules help keep elections fair by making sure that incumbents can’t use public resources for their campaign. I’m grateful for the many ways that we protect election security in Washington state, and these rules are just a small part of that.
I also want to say again what an honor it is to serve you all in the legislature. The trust you’ve placed in me is a guiding light as I make decisions down in Olympia. Thank you.
With that, I’m excited to be back in your inbox with a couple of small updates.
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The House Page Program is accepting applications for next session, and I’d love to sponsor students from our district. If you know a student who is at least 14 years of age, but has not reached their 17th birthday, we would love to have them come to Olympia for a week to learn more about how our state government works. Students page for one week at a time, attending a Page School to learn more about the legislative process. They also support the operations of the House during floor action and other daily tasks.
Pages receive a stipend for their time and can earn community service hours. This year is a long session (more on that difference in a later newsletter!), so we’ll be accepting pages from Jan. 12, 2025 – April 25, 2025.
The program is open to all and I welcome applications from students of all backgrounds who live in or attend school in the 27th District. Several years ago, a scholarship program was established to encourage any student, regardless of income level, to apply for and participate in the Page Program. The scholarship offsets the costs of traveling to and staying in Olympia.
You can learn more about the program here, and apply for the program here.
You can also check out this interview I did with Viviane, who paged in the House during the 2023 session.
I’m looking forward to meeting this year’s 27th LD pages!
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The open enrollment period for Washington Healthplanfinder has begun! If you are uninsured you can find a health care and dental plan for you and your family, now through Jan. 15, 2025.
Some households at a lower or middle income level may qualify for plans with premiums as low as $10 a month. Households that receive federal tax credits and participate through the Cascade Care Savings plan pay an average of $70 per month. You can get a more detailed estimate here.
Insurance questions can be complicated, but there are people available to help. Enrollment centers provide help for free, and there are locations available in Tacoma and broader Pierce County. The Washington Healthplanfinder is available to everyone, regardless of immigration status.
If you’ve got questions, check out their FAQ (also available in Spanish here).
I want to mention that included in these options is our public option plan. We established Cascade Care in 2019, and in 2021 we were the first state in the nation to offer a public option plan (Cascade Select). In 2024, this plan had significantly lower premium increases than other non-Cascade plans, and was the most affordable silver plan in most counties it was available. I’m proud of the fact that we’ve led the nation on this.
Strengthening our state’s safety net was one of the priorities you all identified in my survey last year, and that work will continue this session.