My Road Trip Across Our Great State; Net Neutrality; National Coming Out Day
My Road Trip Across Our Great State
One of my goals after my election to speaker is to visit all 49 legislative districts and all member of the House in Washington state. So far, I’ve met with just over 30 members. Earlier this month I spent over a week in Eastern Washington visiting with my fellow lawmakers in Leavenworth, Chelan, Wenatchee, Spokane, Colfax, Yakima, Pomeroy, Colville, Wauconda, and several other communities across the Cascades.
The “East/West Divide” is something that’s talked about quite a bit. Certainly, there are characteristics unique to both regions, although, as someone who grew up in rural America, I’ve found the differences to be more related to urban and rural living versus some sort of geographic divide.
There are occasions that we find ourselves on opposite ends of the spectrum on certain policy ideas. But ultimately, I firmly believe that there’s far more we have in common than what separates us.
Our communities want strong public schools, access to quality health care services, good-paying jobs, a healthy environment, and more opportunities than we had for our kids to lead fulfilling and successful lives.
But you don’t have to take my word for it. This idea is reflected in the work that we do in the Legislature. The vast majority of bills enacted into law are done so with overwhelming bipartisan support.
State lawmakers in both parties work together to solve problems on a routine basis.
Democrats and Republicans will once again come together in January to solve problems facing our communities. We’ve done that time and time again for years, and I’m looking forward to getting started on that work here again soon.
Protecting Net Neutrality in Washington State
The current federal Administration wasted no time pushing forward an anti-consumer agenda after the president’s inauguration in 2017. This list of his efforts to roll back civil and human rights and consumer protections is quite extensive.
Those include rolling back banking regulations put in place after the 2008 financial crisis, firing the entire Consumer Financial Protection Bureau advisory council, and repealing worker safety rules.
Which means now more than ever it is incumbent upon state legislatures to enact consumer protections stripped away at the federal level.
Last year, in anticipation of Trump’s Federal Communications Commission efforts to repeal net neutrality rules, Washington state became the first in the nation to enact state-level net neutrality protections. (What is net neutrality? Here’s a great 90-second explainer video from ABC News.)
Thanks to my colleague Rep. Drew Hansen of Bainbridge Island, we passed a strong bipartisan bill in 2018 to protect net neutrality for Washington consumers. Other states like California enacted similar protections, which the Trump Administration tried to block in the courts.
Those efforts failed earlier this month when a federal appeals court affirmed states’ rights to enact their own protections. Washington consumers will continue to enjoy a free and open internet. This is just one of the many efforts we’re pursuing to ensure Washington residents remain projected from harmful business practices despite what happens at the federal level.
National Coming Out Day
Last week we celebrated the 31st anniversary of National Coming Out Day. When I came out in the 80s, I never imagined the possibility of getting married to my wife, Laura. This country looked a lot different back then and still had a long journey ahead for LGBTQ rights.
Washington state took a major step in the wrong direction 21 years ago when we enacted the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) officially banning same-sex marriages. Since then, the fight for LGBTQ rights has gone into overdrive.
Within a decade, the state enacted domestic partnership laws that legally recognized same sex partnerships. And 14 years after DOMA was first enacted, it was overturned in 2012 when the Legislature enacted marriage equality, a decision upheld by voters later that year.
I’m proud to live in a progressive state like Washington that values equality for all. In large part due to our majorities in the House for the last two decades, we’ve been able to enact sexual orientation and gender identity protections for foster care youth, workplace discrimination, hate crimes, housing, and education. We also banned the dangerous and harmful practice of conversion therapy.
We’ve come a long way on protecting LGBTQ rights in the last twenty years. But there’s still more work to do. And as the first lesbian speaker of the House for Washington state, I’m eager to start writing the new chapter in our state’s history not just for LGBTQ people but for all of those who’ve been affected by discrimination, disenfranchisement, and legalized generational trauma.
Historic firsts; back-to-school update; acting on climate
State legislators aren’t supposed to be celebrities. By design, our state lawmaking body is made up of citizen legislators – teachers, small business owners, first responders, farmers, lawyers, health care providers, etc. We meet for a few months every year to work on public policy, then go back home to our everyday lives for the rest of the year.
So in my nearly ten years of public service, I generally do not expect to be recognized out in public. Which is why I was pleasantly surprised and humbled a few weeks ago when I went into Metropolitan Market to pick up dinner ingredients and a round of applause ensued. I naturally assumed it was for someone else. But I quickly realized it was a group of women applauding for me. (I shared this story with Ed Ronco at KNKX. You can listen to that interview here.)
I’m proud to call Washington state my home. This is an amazing place to live, work, raise a family, and run a business. And the fact that Democrats have controlled the state House of Representatives has played a significant role in our state’s success. While we’re making progress on electing more women to the Legislature (we’re currently at 42% – 4th in the nation!), we’ve never had a woman speaker of the House. Until now.
And that’s why those women were applauding in the market. We were long overdue for a woman speaker, but we finally got there. I am proud to be the first woman speaker. I know this will be the most challenging job I’ll ever have. But I’m excited for the opportunities ahead and am looking forward to leading the next chapter of policymaking that helps families and puts people first.
Back to School
With kids back to school, I thought I’d share a quick note about what lawmakers did last session to improve student outcomes and share what might be on the horizon for next year.
Eliminated high-stakes testing
The idea of linking the statewide high school assessment to graduation seemed like a good idea at the time. But in practice, it not only wasn’t achieving the desired outcome, but it was also crushing the hopes of far too many bright students with big dreams after high school. These tests were originally implemented to measure effectiveness of the education system as a whole, not individual student proficiency in a given subject area at a single point in time. Last session lawmakers delinked the statewide assessment from the high school graduation requirements. Students will still take the test, but passing it is not needed to receive a diploma.
Improving student safety & well-being
Students need more than just academics in school. Kids need to be safe in school and they need to feel safe in school. We passed HB 1216, which adds resources and improves coordination to support communities in their school safety efforts. I was a cosponsor of this bill. These improvements will help every school be safe, but especially those schools in rural areas where resources are more geographically dispersed.
Addressing the teacher shortage crisis
Nearly all of Washington state school principals recently surveyed said they are struggling or in “crisis mode” to find qualified teachers to fill their classrooms. And nearly three quarters said it was harder to find qualified certificated teachers and substitutes compared to the previous school year.
Last year, we passed a comprehensive bill to boost teacher recruitment, with a particular focus on recruiting teachers of color, create more financial incentive programs, and expand professional development opportunities for teachers. Hopefully with these and other new tools, we can reach our goal of having a high-quality teacher in every classroom across the state.
Other education highlights
- Increased special education funding.
- Created more pathways for paraeducators to enter into the teaching profession.
- Created a workgroup to look at language access in public schools.
- Allowed military families to pre-enroll their kids in their new schools when they get their transfer orders. I co-sponsored this bill.
- Expanded ethnic studies curriculum to more schools.
As for the 2020 legislative session, I expect the Legislature to look at issues related to improving outcomes for special education students, expanding sexual health education, increasing school counselor access, and expanding bilingual instruction to name just a few.
Acting on climate
The 2019 legislative session was by far the most productive session we’ve had for climate policy in decades. Lawmakers took much needed action on clean energy, orca protection, and waste reduction.
100% clean electricity
Washington is one of the country’s leaders in transitioning away from harmful fossil-fuels and moving toward clean energy. We are now on a clear path toward a “clean grid” with firm requirements in place to use 100-percent clean energy by 2045. This will reduce our reliance on energy sources like coal while making significant investments in renewable and zero-emission energy sources like wind, solar, and hydropower. I cosponsored the House companion bill.
Phasing out HFCs
Hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs, are used as commercial and industrial refrigerants and foam-blowing agents. There are safer and more cost-effective alternatives on the market than super-polluting HFCs. HB 1112 will phase them out over the next few years. I co-sponsored this bill.
Other climate highlights
- Increasing building efficiency standards. I co-sponsored this bill.
- Protecting our orca population through oil spill prevention, increased Chinook salmon abundance, and reduced noise disturbances from nearby vessels. I co-sponsored all of these bills.
While these were great steps in the right direction for protecting our environment, there’s still more work to do. Next session we’ll be taking a look at other proposals related to harmful pollutants that exist in the transportation sector and single-use plastics.
As always, I welcome your ideas and feedback. Please reach out anytime with your ideas and opinions on how to make Washington state an even better place to live, work, and raise a family.
Sincerely,
Laurie
A new chapter
Dear friends and neighbors,
As the back-to-school season approaches, families across Washington are getting ready for the new school year and the changes it brings. One big change in my family is that our son is off to college soon – in fact, I’m taking him to his orientation this weekend. I’m excited for what the future holds for him, and being an empty nester also feels somewhat bittersweet. As the saying goes, “The days are long, but the years are short.”
In addition to becoming an empty-nester, another big life change is my recent election to serve as the next speaker of the state House of Representatives. This is a tremendous honor, and I’ve included some information below about the process and what this means going forward.
Enjoy these final weeks of summer, and please don’t hesitate to reach out to me with your comments, questions, or concerns.
Sincerely,
Working for every family in Washington
On July 31st, my peers in the House Democratic Caucus elected me to be the next Speaker of the House. To be chosen from a slate of four incredible women candidates as Washington’s first woman speaker and the first open lesbian to serve in this role is truly an honor, and I thank my colleagues for their confidence and trust in me.
Here’s a link to my official statement released on the day of my election.
While I am still very much the state representative from the 27th Legislative District – which forever has my heart – as speaker I will work hard to make sure all families and communities in our state have the same opportunities for success, whether they live in Tacoma or Tonasket.
If you follow my official legislative Facebook page, you may have seen this Crosscut article I posted by Melissa Santos (a former TNT reporter) shortly after my election as speaker. I find it both hilarious and informative. Our hometown paper also published a feature on my election as speaker with good background info about the journey that brought me to this point.
I know this will be the most challenging job I’ll ever have, but I’m surrounded by hard-working, dedicated colleagues who care deeply about the future of this state.
Together, we’re excited about the 2020 legislative session and the work that lies ahead.
Washington leads the way with tuition-free college grants
As I prepare to send my son off to college, I feel more strongly than ever that every qualified student deserves this opportunity. Thanks to measures passed by the legislature this year, more families in our state will be able to afford higher education for their kids.
In a previous e-newsletter, I mentioned the Workforce Education and Investment Act. It provides tuition-free scholarships and apprenticeships to students whose families earn 55 percent or less of the state’s Median Family Income (about $50,000 for a family of four). Families earning up to 100 percent of the state’s Median Family Income (about $92,000 for a family of four) are eligible for partial tuition grants. For more information about it, please click here.
Lawmakers also increased capacity at our public two- and four-year colleges for high-demand degrees like computer science, engineering, and nursing. This is important in helping ensure that Washington students can train for the jobs being created right here in our own state.
Bottom line: we’ve made higher education more accessible and affordable for Washington families.
Communities standing together
Dear friends and neighbors,
In a historic first, the Pride flag was raised last week over the Tacoma Dome in celebration of Tacoma Pride – and I was one of the lucky people who helped raise it. What an exciting (and petrifying!) experience to stand on the top of the Dome and mark this milestone.
While June is officially Pride month, Tacoma Pride always takes place in July – one of the many quirky things I love about our city. This year, I am reminded more than ever that Pride isn’t just about the LGBTQ community. It’s about everyone who stands with the LGBTQ community. It’s about people standing together. Standing with me to raise the flag last week were Puyallup Tribal Councilmember Annette Bryan, Tacoma City Councilmember Ryan Mello, and Tacoma Mayor Victoria Woodards. Together, we represented state, local, and tribal governments coming together in support of Pride.
When I first came to the legislature, I was the first openly lesbian lawmaker in state history. Today, I’m part of an LGBTQ caucus. Likewise, the strong partnership of the Puyallup Tribe with this year’s Tacoma Pride is also being hailed by many as a historic partnership between a Tribe and the LGBTQ community. My hope is that this kind of interconnectedness among communities continues to grow and flourish, because we’re all stronger when we stand together and support each other.
In celebration of this connection, I’m focusing this newsletter on highlighting some of the LGBTQ and Tribal bills that passed in Olympia this year. These bills impact all of us by making our state better, safer, and more inclusive.
If you have questions about the legislation featured here, or other comments or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Also, don’t forget to follow my official legislative Facebook page, where I post regularly about the work I’m doing at the state capitol and in our district.
Sincerely,
Standing together: Safe learning environments for ALL students
Schools need to be safe learning environments, welcoming of all students in the community. Unfortunately, transgender students are disproportionately targeted for harassment in our schools. A shocking 82% of transgender youth report that they feel unsafe at school.
This year, lawmakers passed SB 5689, which sends a clear message to transgender youth that we value their safety. It implements policies in our public schools to address and prevent the bullying of trans and gender-diverse students. Click here to watch my remarks on the House floor in support of this bill.
Standing together: Native American Voting Rights Act
Native American people have experienced systematic voter suppression throughout our country’s history. Though we cannot undo these past wrongs, we can make sure our laws going forward remove barriers to the ballot box for tribal members.
That’s exactly what we did this year with passage of SB 5079, also known as the Native American Voting Rights Act. This bill ensures tribal members will now be able to use designated tribal government building addresses on reservations and tribal identification cards to register to vote, as many properties on reservations do not utilize standard mailing addresses. It also authorizes tribes to request ballot drop boxes on reservations, which is critical because in parts of our state the next closest ballot drop box can be up to 100 miles away.
Standing together: Newly formed state LGBTQ commission
Until now, the LGBTQ community has not had a formal, cabinet-level seat at the state policymaking table. Lawmakers fixed that by passing HB 2065, which creates a new Washington State LGBTQ Commission, ensuring the impacts of legislation on LGBTQ communities are proactively considered. It is only the second such cabinet-level commission in the nation.
Standing together: Ensuring tribes have a seat at the transportation planning table
Regional Transportation Planning Organizations (RTPOs) identify transportation issues and make decisions within the regions they cover, including tribal land. Yet tribes are not always guaranteed a seat at the RTPO table. Some jurisdictions include them; others do not.
With passage of HB 1584 this year, RTPOs are required to invite tribes falling within their jurisdiction to participate in decision-making if they are to receive any state funding. Bringing equal representation to our tribal communities is important for a fair planning process, and I was proud to support this bill.
Standing together: Strengthening Washington’s hate crimes statute
There’s no place for hate in our state, so it’s disturbing to read that hate crimes are on the rise in Washington. To help ensure all people feel safe, the legislature passed HB 1732, which increases the maximum civil liability for those guilty of committing hate crimes, and creates an advisory work group to take a closer look at identifying the root causes of and preventing hate crimes. It also adds “gender identity or expression” to the list of protected categories.
Standing together: Addressing missing and murdered Native American women
The problem of missing and murdered Native American women is a national one. Our state took a big step toward addressing the problem in 2018 when we passed legislation requiring our state patrol to study and report to the Legislature on ways to increase resources for reporting and identifying missing Native American women. We followed up this year with HB 1713, which creates two new state patrol positions that will work as liaisons between law enforcement and tribal communities to help solve these cases. With Seattle having the most cases of missing or murdered Native American women of any U.S. city, I’m glad state lawmakers are taking this problem seriously.
Join me at the groundbreaking ceremony for “Home at Last” project in Tacoma
In a previous e-newsletter, I mentioned the state capital budget’s funding for the YWCA Pierce County’s “Home at Last” project. A total of $1.5 million in state money is going to help build 54 affordable housing units for homeless families and people with disabilities or other barriers to housing. An additional $750,000 in funding is going specifically for space within the project site to expand the therapeutic counseling services offered to families, many of whom are victims of domestic violence.
I’m excited to be one of several elected officials delivering remarks at the groundbreaking for this project on July 20. The ceremony starts at 10:00 a.m. and I hope many people from our community will come celebrate this event with us.
Telephone town hall on July 2nd – please join us
Dear friends and neighbors,
Next week, I’ll be hosting a telephone town hall for constituents of the 27th Legislative District with Rep. Jake Fey and Sen. Jeannie Darneille. It will go from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.
This is a great opportunity for you to ask us questions about the recent legislative session or legislative topics like education, health care, the environment, transportation, public safety, etc.
We will be calling households across the district on July 2nd, but if you want to ensure you are part of the event there are a couple of ways you can opt-in.
First, starting at 6:00 p.m. on July 2nd you can call toll-free 877-229-8493 and enter PIN number 116282. You’ll automatically be connected to the town hall.
Another option is to sign up in advance to receive a call inviting you to participate. You can do this by clicking here.
Telephone town halls are not a replacement for live, in-person town halls like the one we do each year during the legislative session, but they provide a convenient opportunity for more people to participate in a town hall meeting without having to leave home. Each time we host one of these events, we get several thousand participants on the line.
A reminder: at any point during the call if you want to ask one of us a question, all you have to do is press *3 (STAR 3) on your phone keypad. In order to get through as many constituent questions as possible during the hour, we ask that you please try to keep your questions brief.
I look forward to our conversation next week, and hope you’ll be able to take part.
Sincerely,
Getting where you need to go: Tacoma-area transportation projects
Dear friends and neighbors,
There’s nothing more basic than getting where you need to go every day: to work, to school, to a medical appointment, to the gym, or to the grocery store. Our state’s transportation system is essential to helping us get around in our day-to-day lives. It’s also essential to our businesses, whether it’s a local contractor driving to different jobs, or companies sending goods around the state and across the globe via our highways and ports.
Here’s the challenge our state faces when it comes to transportation: it only take days or weeks for someone to get a great new job and move to Washington state, but it takes years to plan, design, and build highways, bridges, rail networks, and ferries to serve our growing population.
That’s why I was pleased to vote in favor of our state’s new two-year $9.8 billion transportation budget for 2019-2021, along with other key reforms to modernize and improve the state’s transportation system. This newsletter focuses on some of the local Tacoma-area projects funded by this budget – projects that will help move people and goods more efficiently throughout our community.
I would be remiss if I didn’t give a shout-out to my 27th Legislative District seatmate, Rep. Jake Fey, who chairs the House Transportation Committee and did an outstanding job working across the aisle and with his counterparts in Senate to get a final transportation budget that passed both chambers nearly unanimously.
As always, please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have questions or want more information about these projects.
Sincerely,
Big transportation win: Fast-tracking the Puget Sound Gateway project
The Puget Sound Gateway project includes the completion of state routes 167 in Pierce County and 509 in King County, and is focused on getting goods to and from the ports in Tacoma and Seattle faster and more reliably.
Completing this project is hugely important for our region’s economy, but because the legislature initially opted to fund it using a pay-as-you go method, it is not scheduled to be completed until 2031. That’s a long time for something we could really use much sooner.
Completing the corridors will ease congestion and bring more jobs to our state. Thanks to legislation (SB 5825) sponsored in the House by Rep. Fey and in the Senate by Senate Transportation Chair Sen. Steve Hobbs, funding for completion of the Puget Sound Gateway project is moved up by three years, to the tune of $265 million. Accelerated construction not only gets the job done sooner, it avoids inflationary cost increases – a win for the state and for taxpayers.
Other transportation wins:
Also included in the 2019-2021 Transportation Budget is $136.6 million for HOV lane and corridor improvements along I-5 and SR 16 in Tacoma. Like many of you, I’ve experienced frustrations with traffic congestion due to the ongoing construction on I-5 in Tacoma. This funding keeps this project moving forward and on track, so we can all have a smoother commute along this route.
Speaking of congestion, another tough spot along I-5 is through Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Many of us pass through this area daily to get to work or school. When the Legislature is in session each winter, it’s part of my daily commute between my home in Tacoma and the state capitol. The new budget allocates $165 million for expansion of the I-5 corridor through JBLM.
Our local public transit agency, Pierce Transit, also received funding in the new transportation budget to support some critical bus service improvements in the region. Through the Regional Mobility Grants program, $2.1 million is dedicated for Pacific Ave/SR 7 Corridor Bus Rapid Transit stations, to better connect these areas with downtown Tacoma. A separate $9.8 million is allocated through the Connecting Washington funding package for SR 7 Express Service from Tacoma to Parkland/Spanaway.
Finally, freight mobility gets a boost with a $1.14 million grant to Tacoma Rail, to rehab the Marine View Drive track.
Free meals during the summer for children and teens
In recent years, the Legislature has taken steps to help ensure no child is hungry during the school day.
In 2018, we passed the Washington Kids Ready to Learn Act, which expanded highly successful programs to more schools across the state that help students from families with low incomes receive nutritious meals in the morning. We also passed the Hunger-Free Students’ Bill of Rights Act, which banned “lunch shaming” by schools and required them to provide healthy, balanced meals to students, regardless of their ability to pay. I was proud to co-sponsor both of these measures.
When the school year is over, however, many students lose access to the one meal they can count on each day. The state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction recently sent my office an email announcing the Summer Food Service Program, which is federally funded. Its purpose is to ensure that free, nutritious meals are available for children and teens 18 years of age or younger during the summer break. To find locations in our community where meals are available, visit the Summer Food Service Program website. You can also text “food” or “comida” to 877-877.
Tacoma projects get boost from state construction budget
Dear friends and neighbors,
In odd-numbered years, the legislature passes not one but three separate budgets for our state.
The operating budget is the one most people think of as “the state budget.” It funds the operations of our state – everything from K-12 education, to higher education, to human services, to corrections, to natural resources and more. One of my recent newsletters covered some of the highlights of the operating budget.
The transportation budget, meanwhile, funds our roads, bridges, state patrol, and ferry operations. My next newsletter will focus on highlights from this budget.
Then there’s the capital budget, which is the construction budget. It pays for construction, renovation and maintenance of our public buildings, like schools, colleges, and state hospitals. It also funds construction of affordable housing, mental health facilities, and acquisition and maintenance of state parks and recreation lands, among other infrastructure.
Through various grants, the capital budget also funds local projects in communities each year (here’s a look at what was funded in our community in the 2017-2019 capital budget). This newsletter focuses on specific projects in the 27th Legislative District that received funding in the 2019-2021 state capital budget. Thanks to state investment, these projects are moving forward and will serve the people of Tacoma and greater Pierce County well.
If you have any questions, please reach out to me.
Sincerely,
Capital budget overview
House Democrats proposed bold investments in public schools, affordable housing, environmental sustainability and behavioral health for the capital budget. As someone who works intensely on the behavioral health budget, I am especially proud of the work we did to align the capital and operating budgets to advance behavioral health treatment in Washington.
Working across the aisle as well as with the state Senate, the final compromise budget signed by the governor on May 21st invests nearly $5 billion statewide in projects that create and sustain jobs, bolster our local economy, and serve the people in our communities.
Highlights include:
- $1.1 billion for K-12 public school construction statewide
- $973 million for higher education, including projects at UW Tacoma and Bates Technical College
- $274 million for construction and renovation of behavioral health facilities, including the design of a new forensic hospital here in Pierce County
- $585 million for orca and salmon recovery programs, including habitat protection and pollution control
- $175 million for the Housing Trust Fund, which funds affordable housing projects across the state, the majority of which serve homeless families, seniors, farmworkers, and people with developmental disabilities
Tacoma projects get boost
I’m excited about the Tacoma projects funded in the capital budget! Some of these projects include:
- $1.5 million for the YWCA Pierce County’s “Home at Last” project to help build 54 affordable housing units. Forty-one units will rent to homeless families and 13 units will rent to people with disabilities or other barriers to housing. The YWCA Pierce County operates the largest domestic violence shelter in the region and finding permanent housing for clients exiting the shelter has become increasingly difficult as rents in Tacoma continue to rise. The “Home at Last” project will help fill this deep need. Additionally, $750,000 from the capital budget is specifically for program space within the “Home at Last” project site. The space will allow an expansion of the therapeutic counseling program and add two Housing Advocates to help families access the resources they need to be successful.
- $1 million to help fund renovation of the existing Beacon Center so it can also be used as a Youth/Young Adult Drop-in Center and Young Adult Overnight Shelter while continuing its current use as a Senior Citizens Center.
- $800,000 for Tacoma Housing Authority’s Arlington Drive project, to finish construction of this facility that will serve homeless youth and young adults. The project includes 58 apartments for homeless young adults ages 18-24 years, about 30 percent of whom will be parents of babies or toddlers.
- $413,000 for Tacoma Community House, to complete construction on their new 27,000 square foot building in Tacoma’s Hilltop neighborhood. TCH provides services to refugees, immigrants, and vulnerable populations in areas like employment counseling, English language classes, citizenship courses, and advocacy for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. They have been in the same location since 1910.
- $824,000 for community radio station KNKX to build a new studio in the heart of Tacoma.
- $4 million for design of an Academic Innovation Building at the University of Washington Tacoma campus. This facility will house labs to support mechanical and civil engineering degree programs, allow for significant expansion of the Milgard School of Business, and become a hub for innovation and learning for academic programs across the campus.
- $40.8 million for construction of a facility to educate health care providers. The development of Tacoma’s “Medical Mile” between Tacoma General and St. Joseph’s Hospitals highlights the need to address health care worker shortages. With this investment, Bates will be able to bring state-of-the-art health education to a broad array of providers.
This Saturday: Pipeline Trail Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
A trail dedication and ribbon cutting event celebrating the second phase completion of the Pipeline Trail will take place this Saturday, June 8 at 10 a.m.
Location of the event is near East 43rd Street and Pipeline Road East in Tacoma.
When fully complete, this multiphase project will be a 14.5-mile trail connecting the Tacoma Dome Station with the Foothills Trail. While the project is funded with local and federal dollars, it is part of our overall transportation system, giving our community a safe and accessible walk and bike path. As someone who works in the public health arena, I love that this trail supports the health benefits of walking, biking, and enjoying the outdoors.
For further project info, click here.
For more info about the ribbon cutting event on Saturday, click here.
Signed into law: Celebrating the session’s policy wins
Dear friends and neighbors,
My previous e-newsletter highlighted the budget victories of the 2019 session, including the significant investments made in behavioral health, affordable housing, and education.
For this newsletter, I want to focus on some of the policy wins.
As Chair of one of the highest-volume policy committees – the Civil Rights & Judiciary Committee – I hear a lot of public testimony on a lot of bills each session. Many of these bills don’t make it all the way through the process, and are often revisited in future sessions. Sometimes, it can take years for a good idea to eventually be signed into law.
What impressed me about this session was the large number of good policy bills – many of which had fallen short in in previous years – that finally got to the governor’s desk. This includes several measures I have long championed. In many ways, this was a breakthrough session.
Read on about new policies that have Washington leading the nation in affordable health care, long-term care insurance, clean energy and climate actioin, consumer protection, and tuition-free higher education.
Sincerely,
Signed into law: First-in-the-nation Long-Term Care Trust Act (HB 1087)
No senior should have to spend themselves into poverty before being able to get long-term care. The Long-Term Care Trust Act, which I sponsored for multiple years, makes sure Washingtonians will be able to access care when they need it. Workers will begin paying into the trust in 2022, and benefits can be accessed beginning in 2025. Each Washington worker who is eligible for the benefit will have $36,500 that can help pay for assisted living, in-home care, and even meal delivery or wheelchair ramp installation. The Tacoma News Tribune editorialized in favor of the bill, saying,”It could provide relief for older Washingtonians seeking a modest sum for long-term care in their twilight years; for sandwich-generation family members trying to make sound decisions for elderly parents; and for taxpayers to the tune of an estimated $470 million in state Medicaid savings by 2052.”
Signed into law: First-in-the-nation public health care option (SB 5526/HB 1065/HB 1224/HB 1879)
Washingtonians deserve affordable, accessible health care, and Cascade Care – which will be available on Washington’s Health Benefit Exchange – is the first public health insurance option in the nation. It will be available to all Washingtonians, regardless of income, who are not covered by employer health plans.
This was a terrific session for health care affordability and accessibility. Patients in Washington will now also be protected from surprise billing, and will have more transparency on prescription drug costs. Additionally, patients with chronic diseases or unique health challenges will be able to get the drug they need sooner through a clear and accessible exemption process, rather than being forced to follow a “fail first” strategy by their health plan.
Signed into law: Strongest 100 percent clean energy law in the nation (SB 5116)
Here in Washington, we’re not going to wait for federal action on climate and clean energy. The time to act is now. So we’re transitioning to a clean energy future by requiring utilities to transition away from fossil fuel-generated electricity. With a preliminary “coal elimination” deadline of 2025, and a final “clean grid” deadline of 2045, we are now firmly on a path to 100-percent clean energy from renewable and zero-emission sources like wind, solar, and hydropower.
We are also phasing out super polluting greenhouse gases called hydrofluorocarbons, which are thousands of times more damaging to the climate than carbon dioxide.
Signed into law: Protecting consumers from spiraling debt (HB 1531/HB 1602/HB 1730/HB 1066)
Another bill I have sponsored in previous years concerns medical debt, and I was thrilled to see it pass both chambers nearly unanimously this year. Medical debt is the number one cause of bankruptcy in the United States. My bill lowers the interest rate that often accrues before a patient ever sees a bill, prohibits health care providers from selling medical debt to collections agencies for at least 120 days after the first billing, and requires that patients are informed about opportunities to apply for charity care. Our own community recently witnessed the consequences of charity care being withheld from patients who qualified for it. In addition, bills protecting consumers from becoming destitute due to consumer debt and from unscrupulous debt collection practices also are becoming law this year.
Signed into law: Tuition-free college and apprenticeships (HB 2158)
I mentioned this in my last e-newsletter, but it bears repeating: if you are a student whose family makes 55% of the state’s Median Family Income or less (around $55,000 for a family of four), you can attend one of Washington’s two-year, four-year, or technical colleges tuition-free. This is thanks to the Workforce Education and Investment Act. There are partial tuition grants available for students whose families earn up to 100% of the Median Family Income (around $88,000 for a family of four). As the parent of a graduating senior, I can tell you this a big deal. Every qualified student in our state deserves the opportunity to access affordable higher education.
Signed into law: Eliminating high-stakes testing as a high school graduation requirement (HB 1599)
There are now multiple pathways for high school students to prove proficiency in English language arts and mathematics in order to graduate. Those pathways include earning college credit in dual credit courses, earning high school credit in high school transition courses, or successful completion of AP, IB or Cambridge international studies courses. This is an important change that will ensure a standardized test does not stand in the way of receiving a diploma.
Legislative Youth Advisory Council now accepting applications – deadline is June 3rd
The Washington State Legislative Youth Advisory Council (LYAC) is now accepting applications for the 2019-2021 term!
Serving on LYAC is a fantastic opportunity for student leaders to engage with state government and learn about the legislative process. Established by the Legislature in 2005, the Council consists of 22 students ranging in age from 14 to 18, who serve as the official voice of Washington youth to the State Legislature. LYAC students develop a deep understanding of public policy issues by meeting with legislators, testifying on priority legislation, and organizing civic engagement days at the Capitol for their peers. Tacoma’s own Nadine Gibson, pictured above with me, is a current LYAC member.
A “putting people first” budget
Dear friends and neighbors,
The 2019 legislative session adjourned just before midnight on April 28. While the final days were a marathon of late, late nights and way too little sleep, I’m happy to report that this is the first time in a decade that a 105-day (odd year) session has adjourned on time with no special session necessary. Special sessions cost money and pose challenges for our part-time citizen legislature, with many lawmakers taking leave from other jobs in order to serve. I also hear the frustrations expressed by people who feel that many important votes (like the budget) happen in the final hours of the session, and they would like more time for debate and consideration.
The timelines for legislative sessions were set decades ago, in order to accommodate the agricultural calendar. Many lawmakers at that time were farmers. Our state, our population, and the makeup of our legislature has changed significantly since then. Maybe we should be asking, “Does the legislative calendar best serve the people of our state today?” And if not, what changes would make it better serve the people we represent?
I don’t have a quick answer for that, but it’s a topic I’d like to hear your thoughts on. You can send me an email, or maybe we can discuss it at one of the community conversations I’ll be hosting this interim (stay tuned for details on dates, times, and locations). Also, now that session is over my district office with Rep. Fey is once again open. To get in touch with me there, please call 253-593-2033.
This newsletter is a quick update on highlights from the state operating budget. I call it a budget that puts people first, because I believe the investments made will have a meaningful and positive impact on the lives of people in Tacoma and across the state.
Lastly, a word about the photo at the top of this email. On the last day of the session, the House passed a resolution honoring Speaker Frank Chopp, who stepped down after serving two decades as Speaker. Many lawmakers from both sides of the aisle shared kind words and humorous anecdotes about him, and many of us wore stick-on mustaches in his honor as the resolution was read on the House floor. It was a genuine and heartwarming moment of levity and bipartisan camaraderie during the grueling final hours of the session.
Sincerely,
Critical investments: Behavioral health, affordable housing, education, and more
Here are some of the highlights of the new two-year operating budget for our state:
Behavioral Health
We’re making significant investments in continued efforts to reform and improve the state’s behavioral health system so that people can access the treatment they need, where they need it. We are transitioning from an outdated 20th century system to a 21st century system that better serves patients and their families, mental health care workers, and the public.
- $47 million to expand community behavioral health beds and services. This is a critical investment because we know the best outcomes happen when people with mental illness get the treatment they need right in their own communities, where their family and friends are, rather than in large state hospitals that take them away from these support networks. But this infrastructure is not yet built out in our state to meet the demand. With this investment, we are making headway in this regard.
- $92 million in this biennium to ensure the stability of state hospitals and the safety of patients and staff. This will specifically help address the ongoing challenges at Western State Hospital.
Affordable Housing
Our state faces an affordable housing and homelessness crisis. We saw this in our own community last year when the sale of the Tiki Apartments caused residents, many of whom were people with low incomes or with disabilities, to scramble frantically to find housing.
- $15 million focused on permanent supportive housing and youth homelessness. Permanent supportive housing is one of the best ways to address chronic homelessness. It is low-barrier housing that includes supportive services such as case management, mental health services, and employment services.
- $14.5 million for the Housing and Essential Needs Program, which helps people with disabilities who are struggling to find or maintain housing.
- $1.25 million for operating expenses for Tacoma Housing Authority’s Arlington Drive Youth Campus.
Education
When the state Supreme Court said last year that the legislature had satisfied its duty to fully fund basic education under the McCleary lawsuit, it closed a long-running chapter. But it didn’t mean there weren’t other needs in our K-12 system that needed to be addressed. We invested in those needs this year.
- $155 million for additional special education funding ($294 million over four years).
- $61 million for additional levy assistance for areas with low property values.
- $12 million for paraeducator training.
- $2.5 million additional funding for student mental health and safety.
Higher education
This is kind of a big deal, folks. We have made a bold investment in our state’s future by making higher education more affordable, and even tuition-free for many families.
- Workforce Education Investment: Creates a new Washington College Grant to make public college (two- and four-year public colleges and technical schools) tuition-free in Washington state for families earning less than $50,000 per year, with partial scholarships for families up to state’s median income, and significantly invests in community colleges.
Other investments:
- $35 million to expand Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) slots and rate increases for ECEAP childcare providers.
- $31 million to improve habitat and protect Orcas.
- $9 million to eliminate the backlog in testing sexual assault kits.
- $24 million in state general funds to increase our wildfire response and address natural disasters.
- $4.5 million to expand rural broadband.
The budget also included funding to continue two pilot projects in Pierce County that I championed:
- $750,000 for reducing potentially preventable hospitalizations. The 27th Legislative District has nearly twice the average statewide rate of preventable hospitalizations, and that’s concerning. If we’re the epicenter of the problem, I want us to be the epicenter of the solution. This funding goes towards increasing immunization rates and implementing more health screenings, interventions and referrals by providers.
- $1.25 million for child abuse prevention. The Help Me Grow pilot project is helping ensure parents have the supports and resources they need to avoid child abuse and neglect. The goal is to keep families together and prevent crisis situations that result in children being removed from their family home and placed in foster care.
Safer communities: Firearms bills update
Dear friends and neighbors,
It’s the final days of the 2019 legislative session, and bills that have passed both the House and Senate are heading to the governor’s desk for signature. For this newsletter, I want to focus on the firearms bills that have successfully made it through the process this session. Most of my focus this year was to make the laws we have work better for people so that we keep people and communities safe.
I hear from a lot of constituents who are concerned about gun violence, and want lawmakers to take action to help minimize the risk of it happening to them or to a loved one. One of the best ways to prevent gun violence is to prevent guns from getting in the hands of those who are determined to use them to kill themselves or others. Progress in the Legislature on this front has generally been more incremental than at the ballot box, but I’m very pleased with the steps we have taken this session. Simply put, I believe these bills will help save lives in our state.
Your comments and feedback and are always welcome. It’s an honor to represent you.
Sincerely,
Firearms bills that will be signed into law this year
Protecting domestic violence victims, families, and law enforcement officers (HB 1225) – I sponsored this bill
If we’re serious about preventing gun violence, we have to address the deadly combination of domestic violence and firearms, and that’s exactly what this bill is about. It requires law enforcement to temporarily remove firearms they have probable cause to believe were threatened or used at the time of a domestic violence call. Officers must also temporarily remove firearms in plain sight and request consent to remove any firearms the alleged abuser has access to until a court hearing is held. In the U.S., an estimated 4.5 MILLION women have been threatened with a gun by an intimate partner. Domestic violence calls also lead to more police fatalities than any other type of law enforcement response. I’m so glad we were able to pass this bill.
Ensuring proper background checks for CPL transfers (HB 1465) – I co-sponsored this bill
This bill is necessary due to changes at the federal level. The FBI is discontinuing courtesy National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) checks for concealed pistol license (CPL) holders in Washington state. These checks have allowed CPL holders to walk out of the shop with a pistol the day it is purchased. Without them, there is a public safety risk because a person could present a CPL that is duplicated or forged or that should be revoked because of a disqualifying conviction. These background checks are important to protecting Washingtonians. Washington State Patrol reports that nearly 1000 people have been denied the ability to walk out of a gun store with a gun this year because f our background checks. With this bill, CPL holders will go through a local law enforcement background check.
Banning “ghost guns” (HB 1739) – I co-sponsored this bill
Untraceable and undetectable firearms are also referred to as “ghost guns” since they do not have serial numbers and may not contain enough metal components to be picked up by common metal detectors. The bill makes it illegal to manufacture, buy, sell, or possess an undetectable firearm in most circumstances.With 3D print technology becoming more widely used, this is an attempt to get out ahead of a potential major public safety concern regarding consumer production of 3D-printed guns.
Improving procedures for protection orders (HB 1786) – I sponsored this bill
For too long, our standards for firearm removals for a protective order, no contact order and restraining order, or extreme risk protection order have been inconsistent. This has made it confusing and difficult for victims, courts, and law enforcement. This bill essentially aligns the ways in which law enforcement serves and implements these orders with our approach to extreme risk protection orders (ERPOs). This makes sense since 70% of the voters in Washington voted for ERPOs.
Single point of contact background check system (HB 1949)
The discontinuation of the courtesy NICS check by the FBI (see HB 1465, above) creates an urgent need for establishment of a single point of contact firearm background check system in Washington state. This bill conducts a feasibility study to examine and make recommendations about how such a system would be established. Passed both chambers unanimously.
Extreme risk protection orders (SB 5027) – I sponsored a House version of this bill; the Senate version is being signed into law
This bill came from a recommendation of the Mass Shooting Workgroup, which met during the 2018 interim. It is meant to help keep firearms out of the hands of minors who are at a high risk of hurting themselves or others during a behavioral health crisis or through potential violent behavior. The bill allows petitions for Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs) to be applied to people under the age of 18. If the petition is approved, an order would prohibit the minor from accessing, controlling, purchasing, possessing or receiving a firearm. The minor’s parent or guardian would be notified of their legal obligation to safely secure any firearms.
Closing a loophole for safer communities (SB 5205)
This legislation gives law enforcement a critical tool to keep our communities safe. It closes a loophole in the law created by accident a few years ago. A person who is incompetent to stand trial and has a history of violence is not competent to have a firearm. Under this bill, they are prohibited from possessing a firearm unless the court restores their firearm rights.
Reducing the risk of suicide and murder-suicide (SB 5181)
There is evidence of increased risk of suicide or murder-suicide when a person is released from a 72-hour involuntary treatment hold. When someone is in crisis, giving them time to cool down and get the help they need saves lives. This bill imposes a six-month suspension on a person’s right to possess a firearm when the person is detained under the Involuntary Treatment Act.