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Legislative Update: Cutoffs, a Town Hall, & SEAHAWKS
Dear friends and neighbors,
Earlier this week we officially crossed the halfway point for this session and we’ve also passed our first two deadlines for this year! Nearly every bill proposed in the legislature goes through a policy committee focused on topic, and if it has a financial impact, it must go through a fiscal committee, too. We set deadlines every year for bills to get through these committees to keep our work moving, last week was policy cutoff and Monday was the financial committee cutoff. That means this week we’ve been on the House floor to pass bills like:
- HB 2228, which will make it cheaper to build more housing and expand the amount of housing that can fit on a lot by allowing different stair types
- HB 1155, which will ban non-compete agreements, giving people flexibility to make the decisions that are best for them and their family instead of being governed by a previous employer
- HB 2338, which will make it easier for our state’s weatherization program to serve community-scaled projects. This will bring down costs for the state, helping us serve more people by reducing energy costs for families and ensuring safe, healthy housing for more Washingtonians
We have until next Tuesday, February 17th to pass bills off the House floor, then we’ll return to committee to hear the bills sent over from the Senate.
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Please join Sen. Trudeau, Rep. Fey, and I for a town hall on Saturday, February 21st from 10AM-12PM! We’ll be 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 line.
Come ask questions and get an update on our work this session! You can also submit your questions in advance here, and share the event on Facebook here.
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I also can’t wrap up this newsletter without a hearty “go Hawks”! The Senate Majority Leader and I made a friendly wager with the Massachusetts Speaker of the House and Senate President- looks like they’ll be sending us some lobster!
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Legislative Update: Affordability and Federal Response
Dear friends and neighbors,
We’re just wrapping up the third week of this year’s legislative session. It’s a short session this year, only 60 days, and it’s going by quickly. I’ll cover some of the work we’re doing to make our state more affordable below, but first I want to talk about what our state is doing to protect our residents in light of what’s happening in Minnesota and across our country.
Earlier this week Governor Bob Ferguson and Attorney General Nick Brown held a press conference to talk about what they’re doing to protect the residents of our state. Additionally, we’re working on a host of legislation this year to help protect Washingtonians:
- Prohibiting law enforcement officers, including all federal law enforcement, from wearing facial coverings (SB 5972)
- Regulating the use of license plate cameras that share information with immigration enforcement (SB 6002)
- Prohibiting ICE from entering schools, daycares, hospitals, and more without a warrant (SB 5906)
- Protecting workers by requiring notification of federal inspections and prohibiting voluntary information sharing (HB 2105)
There’s more than I can list here, but I’ll continue to talk about our work in coming e-newsletters. I am incredibly disturbed by the deaths of Keith Porter, Renee Nicole Good, Alex Pretti and the at least 40 other people who have died at the hands of ICE or Border Patrol agents, or in ICE custody over the last year. The House Democratic Caucus in Washington state is committed to doing everything we can to protect the people of our state.
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 Our work on affordability is another of our highest priorities this year. Families are still feeling the pressure from inflation and the Trump Administration’s tariffs are only increasing that pressure. As the most trade-dependent state in the country that is only even more true here in Washington. We’re working on a number of bills this year that I’m hopeful will help. Some highlights include:
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I also want to highlight that my podcast, The Speaker’s Scoop, is back this session. The episodes are short, almost always under 5 minutes, and talk about what’s going on that week in the legislature. You can listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or via the RSS feed here.
Legislative Update: Kicking off the 2026 Legislative Session
 Dear friends and neighbors,
This Monday marked the beginning of the 2026 Legislative Session! Representatives and Senators from across the state have gathered in Olympia and for the next 56 days we’ll be hard at work passing laws and writing the budget. Because it’s a short session, we’re off to a fast start. As Speaker of the House, on Monday I had the privilege of giving remarks during our opening ceremonies. I talked about goals for this session, how we need to be laser-focused on the job the people sent us here to do – protect the good things we have accomplished together, continue to make progress where we can, and reject bad things whether they come from this Washington or the other Washington. I talked about the impact that HR 1, the Trump Republican bill passed by Congress last July, has had on our state; how nearly 300,000 Washingtonians are seeing an immediate spike in their health insurance premiums, how around 180,000 Washingtonians will lose their Medicaid coverage over the next several months through 2027. I talked about the work we have done at the state level to make healthcare more accessible and affordable for everyone, and how that work is put at risk by these cuts. I talked about how food assistance is currently threatened for 900,000 Washingtonians. I talked about the risk that immigrants, refugees, and communities of color are facing. I talked about Renee Nicole Good and former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman. I talked about how masked ICE agents or people impersonating law enforcement are rapidly eroding public trust, and legislation that will prohibit law enforcement officers — including federal immigration agents operating in Washington — from wearing face-concealing masks while interacting with the public. Protecting Washingtonians also means protecting your personal data. Surveillance tools like FLOCK cameras, which are already in use by some cities and counties in our state, should be regulated so that people can be confident the data is not shared with federal agencies that want to use it to target and harass communities. While our work is made harder this year by a federal government that is asking states to pay more in administration costs to get less federal funding, we’re still doing everything we can to help Washingtonians. We can protect access to preventive health care services without out-of-pocket expense for patients. We can make it easier to build more housing and make housing more affordable. We can and should rebalance our tax code so that it doesn’t rest on those who can least afford it. We’ve got 56 more days; I’ll be hard at work every single one of them. |
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For those who couldn’t attend in-person, I wanted to share the video from the 2026 Legislative Preview hosted by the University of Puget Sound last week!
If you’re looking for more session preview options I was also able to join a panel last week to talk about our work this session, and on Monday I sat down with TVW to talk about our goals for this year.
Photo credit: Alex Crook / University of Puget Sound
Legislative Update: Flood Assistance
 Dear friends and neighbors,
I’m reaching out with some resources as our state faces devastating and historic levels of flooding. The Governor updated his emergency proclamation earlier this week to help ensure resources are available to our communities as we address this ongoing crisis. That said, we will need far more to recover from this natural disaster. I am working with colleagues across the aisle to request adequate funding from FEMA, and I know that disaster recovery will be a focus for our budget team this session. In the meantime, I wanted to share some important resources for Pierce County residents. First, you can sign up for emergency updates here (PCAlert allows you to identify multiple locations, like your home, school, or place of work so you can keep updated on everything with one sign-up). Pierce County-specific flood resources are available here, and you can learn more about disaster recovery for individuals and businesses here. Please stay safe, follow road closure signs, and listen to the advice of emergency personnel. We’re unfortunately not through this stretch of weather yet, but our individual actions can help ensure that emergency efforts are focused where they’re needed the most. Finally, I do want to mention that this will be my last e-newsletter of the year, and when I’m back next year we’ll be gearing up for the 2026 Legislative Session. Wishing you all a safe, healthy holiday season. |
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This is a reminder the 2026 Washington State Legislative Preview at the University of Puget Sound will be held on January 6th at 6:30PM. I’ll be joining other legislative leaders to talk about our priorities for the year, it’s a free event but you need to sign up for a ticket here.
Photo Credit: Alex Crook from the 2025 Legislative Preview
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This is also a final call to please complete my survey for the 2026 Legislative Session, these responses are front of mind for me as we get closer to the new year. Thank you so much to everyone who has already filled it out.
Legislative Update: Committee Assembly Days, Legislative Survey, 2026 Session Preview
 Dear friends and neighbors,
I’m down in Olympia today and tomorrow for Committee Assembly Days, a two-day stretch of committee meetings that help us get ready for next year. This is one of the only times that members are all together in Olympia outside of legislative session. It’s been great to see everyone and learn more about the ideas they’re bringing for next year. I’ll also be spending some time with the House Democratic Caucus over the next few days to identify our priorities for this session and will share more about that soon. While I’m having these conversations, I’m considering the early feedback I’ve received from my survey. Thank you so much to everyone who has already filled it out. Over 150 of you have responded, but I’d love to hear from more of you about the issues affecting you and your family right now. |
It’s truly helpful for me to hear from you, and your responses are front of mind as we work on the priority areas for House Democrats this session.
Thank you all again for taking time out of your day to do things like fill out the survey or read these updates. It’s truly an honor to serve you all in the legislature.
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I also wanted to pass along an invitation for the 2026 Washington State Legislative Preview at the University of Puget Sound on January 6th at 6:30PM. I’ll be joining other legislative leaders to talk about our priorities for the year, it’s a free event but you need to sign up for a ticket here.
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Legislative Update: Constituent Survey, Federal Budget Cuts, and Food Assistance
Dear friends and neighbors,
Over the last few months I’ve covered a lot of the work we did last session (if you want a refresher, you can see all my previous e-newsletters here). As we get closer to the end of the year, and the beginning of next session, I’m reaching out to hear more from you about your priorities, so that I can use that feedback to guide my work. I have a survey here where you can help me to identify key issues for next session.
It is an honor to represent you in Olympia, and these surveys help guide my work. In addition to highlighting what areas are important, there is also space to talk about why those issues rise to the top for you. I’ve heard in previous years about the cost of childcare, housing affordability, and much more.
I look forward to going over the responses to this survey and using that to inform my work next session, and as always, please reach out to my office with any questions or concerns you may have.
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On Tuesday the Tacoma News Tribune published a piece I wrote about the significant damage that HR 1, the Republican federal budget bill passed earlier this year, will have in Washington state.
I covered some of my concerns about HR 1 in an e-newsletter last month, and this piece goes into more detail about the devastation that this budget will cause. We estimate that 180,000 Washingtonians on Medicaid will lose their coverage. HR 1 also guts the Affordable Care Act subsidies that help 286,000 Washingtonians afford coverage every year, many of whom are self-employed or work in jobs that don’t provide health insurance.
As people lose coverage, the ripple effects will hit all of us. More emergency room care puts strain on our health care system. As hospitals in rural areas are forced to close, other hospitals will have to take on more patients. Put simply, HR 1 is devastating.
Over the last six years, Democrats in Olympia have increased healthcare and public health funding by $14 billion, including a $909 million increase last year to maintain Medicaid coverage. Legislative Republicans opposed those increases.
HR 1 cuts an estimated $3 billion of Medicaid funding for our state each year — a 10% cut. Republicans in the other Washington own this mess, and they could fix it if they wanted to. In the meantime, I hope that Republicans here in Washington will join us in protecting our state from these damaging impacts.
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In my last e-newsletter I passed along an update on SNAP, now that the Republican government shutdown has come to an end, SNAP benefits should be dispersed as expected (for now, until HR 1 changes go into effect next year).
To learn more about food assistance (called Basic Food in Washington, also known as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP) click here.
To learn more about temporary assistance for needy families (TANF) 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.
Legislative Update: Government Shutdown Impacts Food Assistance, Childcare; Page Applications Open
Dear friends and neighbors,
The federal government shutdown has stretched to 37 days, the longest shutdown in our nation’s history, and Washingtonians are feeling the impact. I wish we all had more clarity about how specific programs are impacted during this shutdown, but I wanted to share what we know now.
HeadStart, the early learning and childcare program funded by the federal government, is at risk. Federal funding for this program stopped as of November 1. Some childcare providers are looking at options to stay open for longer, but it’s uncertain if they’ll be reimbursed for any of those costs. In Educational Service District 121, which serves King and Pierce counties, 1,300 kids are at risk of losing services. Over 3,000 kids are at-risk statewide.
Many families in our community rely on this program for childcare. These care opportunities also help ensure that kids are getting access to nutrition they need. These childcare centers also provide jobs for people in our community; all of that is at risk now that funding has lapsed.
 You’ve probably also seen coverage about SNAP funding, the federal government’s food assistance program that has helped keep food on the table for nearly 1 million Washington residents. President Trump illegally directed the US Department of Agriculture to end funding for SNAP on November 1. It’s the first time that there has been a lapse in SNAP payments since the program began six decades ago. Governor Ferguson has directed $2.2 million a week to help cover this gap. Attorney General Nick Brown has filed a lawsuit to help restore this funding, two federal judges have agreed, and now the Trump administration is suggesting it will pay half of the normal benefits.
This choice from the Trump administration will have dire consequences. According to the Washington Department of Social and Health Services 930,000 Washingtonians are now at risk of losing food assistance — 33% are children. If you’re unsure of what this means for your family, you can learn more here, and you can find additional food assistance in Pierce County here. |
In addition to these impacts, many federal employees in our district are furloughed or working without pay while the government shutdown continues. Pierce Transit has worked with Kitsap County and Mason County to help provide free transportation to federal government employees during this period. You can learn more about that program here.
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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 short session, so we’ll be accepting pages from Jan. 11, 2026 – March 12, 2026.
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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Legislative Update: Healthcare Costs, HR 1, and the Federal Government Shutdown
 Dear friends and neighbors,
We’re on day 23 of the federal government being shut down. This is the second-longest funding lapse in modern history, and I have heard from many of you with concerns. Whether it’s being asked to work without pay, threats of mass firings, health care premiums spiking, or the 900,000 Washingtonians abruptly losing access to food assistance on November 1, we’re feeling the consequences of the dysfunction in the other Washington. While we are wrestling with the uncertainty that comes with this shutdown, what federal programs will continue to function, and for how long, we’re also dealing with the devastating impacts from the Republican Budget Spending Bill (HR 1), passed earlier this year. HR 1 is, simply put, devastating. In Washington, many low-and moderate-income families, children, people with disabilities, and elderly individuals rely on Medicaid. Many of these individuals will lose coverage directly because of HR 1. Some of these people will lose coverage because of increased administrative burdens, making the health care system costlier and less efficient. Some of these people will lose coverage because of a lapse in ACA subsidies, which will drive up the cost of plans in Washington state significantly (if this sounds familiar, it’s because Democrats in Congress are fighting to protect it right now for the 286,000 Washingtonians who rely on that subsidy). I want to be clear about the severity of these impacts. Right now, we are predicting that:
Our health care system cannot absorb these changes. The ripple effects of this many people losing coverage will hit all of us. It will overwhelm emergency rooms and community health centers when people cannot access preventative care. It will shutter facilities in rural communities that cannot bear the increased costs, driving more people to seek care in increasingly limited facilities. |
Republicans across the state and across the country are trying to deflect blame for these cuts. There is a reason they delayed implementation so significantly, because these are deeply unpopular policies. Rather than defend the devastating impact of HR 1, Republicans here in Washington are pointing to cuts made at the state level this year as the cause for all concern. I want to be incredibly clear here as well.
- This year, to help address a $15 billion budget shortfall, we made cuts equivalent to 1.5% of our total Medicaid spending. These cuts were targeted to administrative expenses that wouldn’t reduce service. In two specific cases, we delayed the expansion of new coverage, deferring to a time when we can more readily afford the increases. When you look at our total Medicaid spending at the state level, even including these cuts, we still increased Medicaid spending by $909 million this year.
- We’re currently estimating that HR 1 will cut $3 billion in Medicaid spending each year, that’s a cut of more than 10% to Medicaid funding. This cut in funding comes with increased administrative burdens, giving us less money to do more.
If you’ve seen drastic increases in your health care premiums for next year, HR 1, and the end of the ACA subsidies, are the cause. Here in Washington, we will do our best to mitigate the impact of these cuts. We have a strong history of fighting to expand access to healthcare. In 2019 we passed SB 5526, which increased the availability of quality, affordable healthcare coverage in our state. We passed HB 1087 to establish a long-term care benefit and fill a need the private market couldn’t, we did both without a single Republican voting yes. In 2024, you upheld the Long Term Care Act at the ballot box, affirming that Washingtonians care about expanding, not restricting, coverage. Since 2019, Democrats have passed $14 billion in healthcare and public health increases to maintain service and improve access. These too have been almost universally opposed by Republicans.
In the other Washington, Republicans control the House, the Senate, and the Presidency. HR 1, and the devastating impacts it will have on health care in Washington state, falls squarely on their shoulders.
I often talk about the importance of bipartisanship, and how working together for our constituents is one of the most important things we can do as state legislators. Much of the work we do in Olympia is bipartisan. I wish more of our work could be. I hope that my Republican colleagues at the state level will join me in pushing back on this impending disaster.
Legislative Update: Protecting our Environment, Community Conversations, New Asia Pacific Cultural Center Building
Dear friends and neighbors,
As we enter fall, 2025 is still on track to be one of the hottest years on record. Washington is facing drought conditions that thankfully, Tacoma was able to mitigate with advance planning. Climate change is real, it is here, and if we want to protect the natural environment in our state for future generations, we must act now.
Over the last few years, we have enacted landmark legislation to help reduce our emissions, clean up our air and water, and transition Washington to clean energy sources. Climate change is a systemic problem, and it requires systemic solutions. That’s why this year I’m particularly proud that we passed legislation to update our recycling system in Washington state. We’re making it easier for people across the state to access recycle services, easier to know what can/can’t be recycled, and easier to trust that what you put n the recycle bin won’t just go to a landfill, but will be re-used in some way. This new system will require large companies to reduce their packaging, will ensure everyone has access to curbside recycle pick-up, and will prevent recyclable material from entering landfills.
We also adjusted our clean fuels program, which helps to reduce transportation emissions over time, to ensure that our plan is aligned with neighboring states, strengthening our efforts to reduce pollution in our part of the world. We continued our work to remove superpollutants like hydrofluorocarbons, powerful greenhouse gasses used in refrigeration that can affect indoor air quality. We’re supporting the development of low-carbon thermal energy systems that will help cut both costs and emissions, making it easier to access affordable, sustainable heating options.
Climate change is real, by acting now we can ensure that Washington is a leader in developing the economy of the future. One where clean energy doesn’t just mean reducing emissions or cheaper energy, it means living-wage jobs for the next generation, clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, and beautiful places to live, work, and play.
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I also wanted to pass along a reminder for my last community conversation of this summer/fall stretch. Please join me on Monday, October 13th, from 10:30AM-12PM at Cutters Point Coffee Co. (2209 N Pearl St., Ste 104). These are intended to be smaller, community-based gatherings, so come with questions!
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Last week I was able to tour the new Asia Pacific Cultural Center. It’s a joy to see APCC in a space that matches their vibrancy and commitment to bringing together communities across our city. I was so grateful to support Lua Pritchard, Patsy Surh, and the entire APCC team with funding from our state’s Capital Budget to help with the construction, and walking through the building last week was a beautiful reminder of why this work is so important.
Just in the time I was there I saw the Tacoma-Pierce County Affordable Housing Consortium was holding a meeting, a knitting club gathered for their weekly session, and Philippine elders prepared for their lunch—all before 10 a.m. This space will be put to good use, and I’m already looking forward to celebrating Lunar New Year in this new space.
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I also wanted to pass along a reminder about the legislative internship. The priority deadline for applications is October 22nd, you can learn more about the program here.
This internship is an incredible opportunity for higher education students, who spend a session working in Olympia and learning about the legislative process. The 2026 internship begins January 6, 2026 and ends March 12, 2026. You receive academic credit for the program as well as a monthly stipend of $2,400.
Legislative Update: Lowering Costs and Increasing Economic Security, Community Conversation Today
Dear friends and neighbors,
I want to kick off this newsletter with a reminder that today’s Community Conversation will be from 10:30AM-12PM at Franklin Park in Tacoma. These are intended to be smaller, community-based gatherings, so come with questions (and a lawn chair if you have one)! If you can’t make it today, we have one more on the schedule for this fall- Monday, October 13th, from 10:30AM-12PM at Cutters Point Coffee Co. (2209 N Pearl St., Ste 104).
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One of the concerns I hear about most when talking with constituents is day-to-day costs, and how that contributes to their overall economic security. Living expenses add up. It’s why this year I was focused on what we can do at the state level to reduce expenses for the people of our state.
Passing rent stabilization gives renters more predictability around their largest monthly expense. Maintaining food assistance funding, something we were able to do this year despite a significant drop in expected revenue, helps ensure that those costs aren’t passed on to families who can’t afford to cover them (and you can find your local food bank here). We were able to fight off tuition increases at our public colleges and universities, ensuring that students and families aren’t paying more. We also changed the law to allow striking workers to access unemployment insurance for up to six weeks, because you shouldn’t have to choose between putting food on the table tonight and fair wages or safe working conditions.
For our small businesses – we know that Washington’s paid family leave program is one of the best in the country. It helps make Washington a competitive place to work, but it can be hard to balance with a small workforce. This year we passed legislation that will both help more people take advantage of Paid Family Medical Leave, and help small businesses cover that time with grant funding.
Another way we’re trying to reduce costs is with Right to Repair. It’s cheaper and better for the environment to repair what we have instead of buying something new. When your phone screen breaks, you should be able to take it to a local business for repair without voiding your warranty. Thanks to legislation we passed this year, that will be an option for more of your technology than ever.
As the most trade dependent State in the nation, I’m particularly concerned about the effect the Trump Tariffs will have on costs and employment here in Washington. There’s a lot that’s out of our control at the state level, but we’re hard at work doing what we can to make things more affordable for the people of our state.