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Session Update: bills so far, presiding over the House, and more

Dear friends and neighbors,

Today is the 96^th day of this year’s 105-day legislative session, and I have some updates!

This week was the opposite chamber cutoff, which means we crossed the deadline for most bills to pass out of the opposite chamber (so the Senate for all our House bills). We’re also closing in on Sine Die, which is legislative jargon for the last day of session. We have until next Sunday, April 23^rd, to wrap up our work.

I’m proud of what we’ve been able to do so far this session. I’ll talk about some of our most important bills later, but we’ve sent 161 bills to the Governor’s desk so far. I’m particularly proud that 115 of those bills had unanimous bipartisan support. We do a lot of important work down here, and most of it is incredibly bipartisan.

This next week is all about concurrences (looking at changes the Senate made to House bills and deciding whether we want to keep them or negotiate a different option) and finalizing our budgets for this biennium.

Legislative Update

We’ve done a lot of good work this session, and I wanted to highlight a couple particularly impactful bills.

This session we knew we needed to do more to protect reproductive rights and gender-affirming care in Washington state. We’ve done that in a couple ways – ensuring that providers can’t be punished for doing their job, protecting patients in Washington state from other states trying to impose their beliefs on us, and protecting your sensitive health care data.

We also took strong action on gun violence prevention, passing bills to ban assault weapons, hold gun manufacturers accountable, and require a 10-day waiting period and safety training to purchase a firearm.

Another important bill that stands out for me is SB 5729, which caps insulin costs at $35 a month. I’ve been diabetic since I was 12 years old, and I understand just how critical it is for insulin to be affordable. It’s the oldest prescription drug still available yet there are no generics, and costs can be extraordinarily high. This bill will help save lives.

What’s it like presiding over the House?

Last week I sat down with Rep. Tina Orwall and Rep. Dan Bronoske to talk about what it’s like to preside over the House. They both serve in leadership positions and help me run debate on the floor. If you’re curious about what that means you can learn more here.

Getting Involved in Government

I also wanted to pass along an opportunity to get more involved in your state government. The governor is in charge of appointing people to over 230 different boards and commissions, from the local community college board of trustees to the lottery commission to Puget sound restoration. These boards and commissions include identity-based groups and cover almost any interest area you can think of. You can learn more about what’s available and how to apply here.

 

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Join me this Saturday for a Town Hall

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

This is just a quick reminder about our town hall this Saturday, March 18^th from 10AM-12PM. Come ask questions and get an update on our work this session. We’ll be on the Tacoma campus of the Evergreen State College (1210 6th Ave Tacoma, WA 98504).

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

Or by email: OfficeofSpeakerJinkins@leg.wa.gov

Hope to see you there!

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

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.

Join us for a Town Hall

I’ll be joining my seatmates for a town hall next Saturday, March 18^th 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 6^th 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

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Session Update: Children’s Day, Floor Action, and Meet My Staff

Dear friends and neighbors,

We’re wrapping up week seven of this year’s legislative session, which means we’re in cutoff season (more on that below), and earlier this week we celebrated Children’s Day on the House floor. This job can require you spend a lot of time away from your family and loved ones. Children’s Day is an opportunity for legislators to bring their kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews to campus and show them what we do.

This year I was happy to have Felix and Zachary join me up at the rostrum. They helped me manage a raucous House floor debate on a bill to make the Suciasaurus Rex the Washington State Dinosaur (it passed with wide support).

More on cutoffs – Before they can become law, bills must be heard in committee (and sometimes multiple committees), voted off the House or Senate floor, and then go through the same process in the other chamber.

To organize our time in Olympia, we establish some cutoffs for bills to make it through certain steps in the process. Last Friday was Policy Cutoff, the deadline for bills to make it out of their policy committees. Tomorrow is Fiscal Cutoff, the deadline for bills with a fiscal impact to make it out of budgetary committees.

Next week we’re focused on floor action so that we can pass bills out of the House and send them to the Senate by the House of Origin Cutoff on March 8^th.

We’ve already passed a number of bills off the House floor (we’re up to 65, with 53 passed unanimously), including several bills to help address workforce shortages in sectors throughout our state, such as:

• HB 1009 to streamline licensing for military spouses to help keep workers in critical fields and support military families
• HB 1287 to streamline licensing for dental hygienists already licensed in another state or Canada
• HB 1015 to streamline the assessment and emergency certification of paraeducators

We’ve got much more on the way; my next e-newsletter will provide an update of what passed the House during floor action.

Last week I joined a celebration marking the 11^th anniversary of marriage equality in Washington state. The Secretary of State’s office is commemorating the event with a new exhibit – Love, Equally – which talks about the path to marriage equality.

It is remarkable to think about the progress we’ve made in my lifetime on this. When I first came out in my early 20s I couldn’t imagine that marriage was a possibility for me; to go from that to marriage equality by my early 40s is pretty incredible. You can watch the whole celebration here (or my remarks here) and learn more about the exhibit.

Meet the Team! Each year I like to introduce constituents to the smart, amazing folks who serve our district by supporting me in my legislative work. I could not do this job well without them. I’m supported in the Speaker’s Office this session by: Faith (she/her), who is my Executive Legislative Assistant. Faith graduated with a bachelor’s in Political Science from Eastern Washington University and is pursuing law school in the fall. She lives in Tacoma and enjoys long distance cycling in the summers, artistic endeavors, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Stefanie (she/her), our newest legislative assistant in the Speaker’s Office who is a lifelong Tacoman and a graduate of Arizona State University. Stefanie loves walking her dogs at Point Defiance Park and exploring all the art, culture, food, and nature that the 27th District has to offer. She spent over 10 years working at a coffee shop in Tacoma and has probably already served many of you. Sammi (she/her), who is my Session Aide this year. Sammi grew up in Olympia, attended college in Bellingham, and after a brief stint in Seattle is now back in Olympia. She has a background in both mathematics and fashion merchandising, but decided to dip her toes into the legislative world. Kaiden (they/he), who is my legislative intern and attends the University of Washington with a major in political science and a double minor in environmental studies and urban design & planning.

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Celebrating Black History Month and a Legislative Update

Dear friends and neighbors,

February is Black History Month, a time to celebrate our Black and African American communities, and a time to reflect on how we can fight anti-Black racism in our day-to-day lives. I’m proud to support our Legislative Black Caucus, which is larger than ever before, as they bring their voice and experience to many of the issues we’re working on this session.

I’m also thinking about the Black legislators who served throughout our state’s history. Representative Owen Bush was elected in 1889 to our state’s inaugural legislative session, we have him to thank for our state’s first civil rights legislation. Sen. John Ryan served off-and-on in the House and Senate between 1921-1942, he lived in Tacoma, and was a charter member of the Tacoma NAACP.

Some of this history feels far away, but some is pretty recent. In 1993, Sen. Rosa Franklin was the first Black woman elected to the Washington State Senate. She represented Tacoma in the legislature for 20 years and her work helped to reduce inequities across our state in health care, labor, housing, and much more. She also served in Senate leadership, and mentored many, including myself. I’m grateful to be able to call on her continuing wisdom, and it is a joy to see our community recognize her and thank her for her work.

Black History Month is about connecting the past and the present, about recognizing and honoring Black and African American communities, and working shoulder-to-shoulder with them for a more equitable future.

Passing Bills off the Floor

Over the last few weeks we’ve been working hard to pass good legislation off the floor, with a focus on housing and workforce development. That includes legislation to:

• Make it easier for children and families to access speech therapists and audiologists (HB 1001)
• Streamline licensing for counselors already certified in other states, growing our counseling workforce (HB 1069)
• Allow municipalities to waive utility connection fees when developing affordable housing, permanent supportive housing, emergency shelter, or transitional housing (HB 1326)
• Ensure that common interest communities like HOAs can’t prevent you from sharing your home (HB 1054)

We’ve sent 50 bills over to the Senate already this session, and I’m excited that 42 of them passed unanimously. A lot of the work we do down in Olympia is bipartisan, at the end of the day we’re all here to work on your behalf.

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2023 Session Update, Accessing the Working Families Tax Credit, Reproductive Health, and more

Dear friends and neighbors,  

Hello from Olympia, where we’re wrapping up the third week of this year’s legislative session! We’re in the thick of committee hearings right now but have already voted a few bills off the floor and sent them over to the Senate. This includes legislation to:  

• Expand access to low-income housing developed through public-private partnerships (HB 1046) 
• Help make childcare more accessible by ensuring licensed providers can operate in more communities (HB 1199) 
• Allow physical therapists and occupational therapists to share ownership of a practice with other health care professionals. This will increase access to care, reduce administrative barriers, and, in some cases, reduce the number of co-pays for patients. (HB 1082)  

As we keep passing bills out of committee there are a lot of ways to follow along or get involved from home. Want an overview of the legislative process? Check out this video. Want to find detailed information about bills this session? You can search by topic, by sponsor, or by bill number. Want to send me a message or testify on a bill? You can get more info about both here. After all, this is The People’s House and we want to hear from you. 

Sincerely,

Legislation taking effect this year: The Working Families Tax Credit, the Climate Commitment Act, and the Clean Fuel Standard 

During the 2021 Legislative Session we were able to pass some incredible legislation to help support working families and fight climate change here in Washington. Three of our biggest bills from that year are starting to take effect.

The Working Families Tax Credit will put money back in the pockets of low-to-moderate income people across our state. Depending on eligibility, individuals and families may get up to $1,200 back. You can learn more about the program and see if you’re eligible here. 

Washington’s cap-and-invest program, established as part of the Climate Commitment Act, starts off this year. This program will help limit greenhouse gas emissions, reduce pollution in overburdened communities, and invest in clean jobs and climate resilience. With this program we’re on track to meet our goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. The Clean Fuel Standard is also taking effect this year. It targets our single largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, the transportation sector. Over the next 12 years this program will help reduce emissions by 4.3 million metric tons a year – a 20% reduction that’s comparable to taking over 900,000 cars permanently off the road.

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Protecting reproductive freedom and gender-affirming care  

Last Sunday was the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. We should have been celebrating half a century of this longstanding legal precedent that protected reproductive rights for millions of people across the country. But that right was taken away last June with US Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision. 

This session, we’re focused on what we can do in this state to uphold the right to control one’s reproductive health and freedom and make medical decisions without government interference.  

Democrats in both chambers are considering a package of bills to protect and preserve the right to reproductive and gender-affirming care in our state. On Tuesday, the House held public hearings in several committees on bills that help ensure this care is available, accessible, and affordable. These include: 

• The My Health, My Data Act (House Bill 1155), which would protect the right to reproductive care by blocking websites and apps from collecting and sharing health data.
• The Shield Law (House Bill 1469), which would protect patients and providers of reproductive and gender-affirming care in Washington from retribution by other states, ensuring that care remains available to those who require it in Washington state.  
• A bill to protect Washington employers (House Bill 1286) who provide support for reproductive care allowed in Washington state, giving them recourse from actions allowed by anti-choice laws in other states. 
• A bill to protect Washington’s health care providers (House Bill 1340), ensuring they cannot be disciplined for providing reproductive or gender affirming care in accordance with Washington state law, regardless of where their patients reside. 

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The People’s Work

 

 

 

 

Staying Engaged this Session

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WA Cares improvements, bringing down costs for Washington families

Dear friends and neighbors,

It is Week 3 of the 2022 legislative session, which means we are already over a quarter of the way through it. That’s how quickly things move in a 60-day session!

I’m excited to share that this week the governor signed two key bills to improve the WA Cares Fund, the long-term care benefit that will help more Washingtonians access the care they need as they age so they can stay in their homes longer. The House took early action to pass those bills last week.

The two bills are:

HB 1732, sponsored by House Majority Leader Pat Sullivan, which pauses the program for 18 months to allow lawmakers to implement reforms to expand access to the program to those closer to retirement than the original legislation allowed. During this time, employers won’t have to collect premiums and any premiums already collected will be refunded.

HB 1733, sponsored by Rep. Dave Paul, which enables military spouses, disabled veterans, border state residents, and non-immigrant visa holders to voluntarily exempt themselves from the WA Cares program. Concerns were raised that these folks would pay premiums but would never receive the benefit.

I’m glad we moved quickly to make sure the WA Cares Fund is even more accessible, flexible, and works for everyone. This critical benefit provides more options, so people don’t have to first spend themselves into poverty to access long-term care, or be denied coverage due to pre-existing conditions.

This story from Crosscut highlights why it’s so important for our state to have this life-changing benefit available. Most people don’t have long-term care insurance policies or enough savings to pay for the care they will need as they age. But even those who do have private long-term care policies can find themselves struggling, as the Crosscut article shows. That’s not right, and it’s why we need WA Cares.

While I am thrilled the reforms to WA Cares passed both chambers with strong bipartisan majorities, some legislators say they’d prefer to “repeal and replace” WA Cares. We’ve heard that phrase before in our national discourse, and it isn’t associated with helping more people get the care they and their families need.

Bottom line: Democrats have led the way this session in taking steps to strengthen the WA Cares Fund and address any outstanding issues so it can do what was intended: help people access care, and bring down costs for those struggling to pay for it.

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Bringing down costs for Washington families

In my opening day of session remarks, I said this legislative session was going to be about moving EVERYONE forward.

One way to help people move forward is to bring down costs that people are paying in our state, and my colleagues in the House Democratic Caucus are championing bills that do this:

For students and families struggling to pay for college, there are proposals to expand the Washington College Grant, our state’s nation-leading financial aid program that provides free or reduced tuition for students from middle- and low-income families. By providing additional flexible dollars that can be used for housing, food, transportation, books and child care, HB 1659 would address costs that are a burden to many students but aren’t currently covered by the Washington College Grant.

For students who don’t qualify for the Washington College Grant, HB 1736 establishes a low-interest (one percent!) student loan program, to reduce borrowing costs and help those who want to avoid higher-rate federal or private loans.

When it comes to health care, it’s hard enough to pay for medical expenses you can plan for, but unexpected medical bills can totally derail a family’s finances. That’s why I’m excited about HB 1688, which protects consumers from charges for out-of-network health care services. It aligns state law and the federal No Surprises Act, addressing coverage of treatment for emergency conditions.

And one of the most costly times of the year for families is back-to-school season. Those costs can really add up, as I remember well from school shopping for my son. As we look for ways to invest one-time funds the state has by putting it back in people’s pocketbooks, a sales tax holiday a great way to do this.

HB 2018 would suspend the state sales tax this year on Sept. 3, 4, and 5 for certain items priced $1,000 or less, including clothing, school supplies, computers, durable medical goods, and energy efficient appliances.

A sales tax holiday would have an immediate impact on family budgets as they plan for purchases this fall, and would give a boost to our small and main street businesses as well.

These are just some of the ideas House Democrats are bringing forth to help bring down costs for families across our state. I hope we see every one of these bills make it to the governor’s desk.

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As always, I want to hear from you. If you have questions, comments, or concerns about anything in this newsletter or another legislative issue, don’t hesitate to reach out.

It’s an honor to represent you in the state House.

Sincerely,

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Happy holidays – we’re all in this together

Dear friends and neighbors,

As the year winds down, I’m guessing most of us are pretty ready to say goodbye to 2020. This has been a tough year for so many, including right here in our community. The struggles people are experiencing – unemployment, financial hardship, housing insecurity, health challenges, isolation from loved ones, stress around remote work and school – are very real.

This week marked the winter solstice: the shortest day of the year with the least daylight. Reaching this point means we have now turned a corner, and each new day going forward brings us a little more light.

Likewise, there is hopeful news as we look ahead. The COVID-19 vaccine is being deployed in our state right now, starting with our frontline health care workers, first responders, and those in congregate care settings. And state lawmakers are gearing up to begin the 2021 legislative session next month to address our state’s most pressing issues, including pandemic response, economic recovery, climate change, and racial equity.

As I said in my last e-newsletter, the coming session will look very different than previous ones because it will be conducted remotely. But it’s how we’ll do the people’s work safely and transparently while continuing to make progress in fighting this pandemic and reopening our economy.

I wish you and those you love a safe and healthy holiday season. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me with your questions, comments, and concerns.

Sincerely,

Coping with COVID during the holidays

Staying socially connected while remaining physically distant during this pandemic has been challenging for many of us. Some are using video chat programs to keep in touch with friends and family, but even technology can’t make up for being apart during the holidays.

Maybe you’ve had to have tough conversations with family and friends about how to celebrate while making sure everyone feels safe. Our state’s Department of Health (DOH) experts have pulled together a short podcast with some tips on how to navigate challenging COVID conversations:

1. Listen proactively by asking open-ended questions, and shifting away from giving advice or problem solving.
2. Set boundaries by being clear about what makes you feel safe and when you need to step back from the conversation.
3. Regulate your reactions by taking time to pause and resisting the natural urge to respond quickly and emotionally.
4. Own your mistakes by taking responsibility if you say something harsh and normalizing that mistakes will happen in times of intense stress.
5. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from friends, families or people trained in behavioral health. The WA Listens support line (1-833-681-0211) is free, anonymous, available in multiple languages and happy to guide you to support.

These conversations are not easy. But they’re necessary to keep each other safe while staying connected.

And if you’re feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or sad, know that you are not alone. If you need help coping during the holidays, Washington state DOH has mental health resources as does NAMI Pierce County.

Getting ready for the 2021 session

With remote session, people will have more opportunities to engage with the legislature than ever before. You can still watch committee hearings and floor action, contact your lawmakers, and testify on bills. And for the first time, you will be able to submit written testimony via an online portal that will be entered as part of the official record.

Here are five ways to get involved in the legislative process:

Learn—The whole legislative process, from start to finish, is explained at leg.wa.gov/legislature/Pages/Overview.aspx or check out this step-by-step explanation of How a Bill Becomes a Law

Watch—Go to TVW.org for broadcasts of debates, votes, committee meetings, and other events in the House and Senate. There’s also an extensive archive of past events, if you couldn’t watch it live.

Research—To look up legislation by lawmaker or topic, visit app.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/

Testify—The House will soon unveil that online portal for written testimony mentioned above. Stay tuned for more information, or contact my office we’ll help keep you informed about how to submit testimony to legislative committees.

Explore—Visit my legislative website to see what I’m working on (all my past newsletters and press releases are posted there), or like and follow my official legislative Facebook page.

 

 

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Our final update for now, and resources going forward

Dear friends and neighbors,

By staying home and practicing social distancing, we slowed the spread of COVID-19 in our state. Last week, the governor announced a four-phased approach to reopening. Phase I started this week, and includes opening up some outdoor recreation and restarting certain types of businesses, like some construction, landscaping, auto sales, and curbside retail.

We support a data-driven and public health-oriented approach as we continue to loosen restrictions and reopen our state further. It’s been said that this will be like turning a dial, not flipping a switch. No one wants infection rates to start climbing so that we have to dial things back again.

That’s why we’re asking you to continue practicing physical distancing, keep washing your hands, and follow the guidelines for the different phases of reopening.

We’re all in this together, and until the development of an effective vaccine and effective treatment for COVID-19, or herd immunity, we all have to look out for each other as we begin our economic recovery.

What House Democrats are working on right now

Currently, issue-focused teams convened after the 2020 session concluded are working on everything from economic recovery, to food security, to bridging the digital divide so that all Washingtonians have access to broadband, and more.

By determining current gaps and needs across the state, these teams will provide our federal partners with recommendations for how to structure future stimulus packages to help more Washingtonians.

Both these teams and our current House committee chairs are taking the lead on the state’s response as it pertains to the Legislature’s role. This work will inform our caucus priorities in a potential special session and in the 2021 Legislative Session, so we can best support workers, small businesses, and communities struggling all across our state.

This is our last newsletter for a while – but we’re still here for you

During an election year, there are certain restrictions on our communications to prevent the use of state resources for election purposes. These restrictions include a freeze on e-newsletters such as this one, as well as updates to our legislative websites – meaning no new content can be added beginning May 11, 2020 until after the general election in November.

However, we are still able to respond to your emails or phone calls, so please continue to reach out if you have any questions, concerns, or comments.

COVID-19 resources

As we continue navigating these challenging times, the need for accurate, up-to-date information is important. The links below are trusted sources of COVID-19-related information for our community and state:

• Washington state’s official COVID-19 website
• Washington State Department of Health
• Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department

Thank you for helping to flatten the curve, and we’re looking forward to when we can see you out in the community once again.

Sincerely,

               

Speaker Laurie Jinkins       Rep. Jake Fey

 

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