And they are off!
The 2019 Session has begun and the legislature is full of energy! All members of the House took our oath of office on Monday and it was quite a remarkable sight. I was sworn in to begin my second term and I am excited to be back in Olympia representing all of you.
Speaker Chopp kicked things off with a speech calling for a renewed commitment to One Washington and emphasizing that by working together we can accomplish great things. Here is a copy of his full remarks.
Speaker Chopp also proudly spoke about the diversity in the House, saying that “this year, this House, will be the most representative of all our people, in state history.” We are welcoming twelve new democratic members including the first Native American woman elected to the House and the first Vietnamese refugee elected to the state legislature.
Urgent action needed on climate change
At the recent forum, there were several questions surrounding climate policy that did not get answered. I wanted to take this opportunity to update you on my climate priorities this session.
I attended a dinner on climate issues on Thursday evening featuring Dr. Amy Snover, Director of the Climate Impacts Group at the University of Washington, and former Gov. Jerry Brown of California. In her remarks, Dr. Snover highlighted conclusions from the recent special report published by the Climate Impacts Group. Of particular concern to me was the fact that our communities and economies that depend on natural resources are particularly at risk due to low summer streamflows, warmer waters, low snowpack, wild fires, warmer overall temperatures and diminished irrigation opportunities.
These impacts are not imagined, but actually occurred during the extreme climate conditions in WA in 2015. They caused a shorter ski season and about $700 million dollars of economic losses in the agricultural community due decreased yields 17 different crops. The impacts on our farmers, fishers, foresters, and recreation industry workers were real.
The time for inaction has passed, and Governor Inslee correctly opined that we have many choices to make. Choosing NOT to act is unacceptable, as the costs to make the necessary changes and deal with the impacts of climate change only increase with the passage of time and the higher levels of warming. Ideas on the table that I am supporting include electrifying our transportation sector, creating a clean fuel standard, promoting energy efficiency in new and existing buildings, and requiring energy companies to transition to 100% renewable power as well as plan for a distributed energy future.
Send us your teen for a week!
Every year, students ages 14 to 16 come from all over the state to serve as legislative pages at the House of Representatives. Pages perform a wide variety of responsibilities, from presenting the flags to distributing amendments on the House floor.
In addition to contributing to the efficient operation of the legislature, pages receive daily civics instruction, draft their own bills, and participate in mock committee hearings.
Pages are sponsored by members of the Legislature, usually from the district in which they live.
To help lower income families participate in the program, the House of Representatives created the Gina Grant Bull Scholarship; check out the FAQ page to see if you can apply.
Taking part in the page program is a great opportunity for young people to gain a unique perspective of the legislative process. If you have a teen who could benefit from this experience, I encourage you to consider sending him or her to Olympia for a week. I am still in touch with the wonderful pages who participated last year!
For more information, please visit the House Page Program website.
How can you get informed and involved in your democracy?
The House and Senate are now at work in Olympia in a session that is scheduled to last 105 days.
Here’s a quick guide on how to contact your lawmakers, learn about the issues or share your views on legislation being debated:
- Call or email your legislator.
- Read the How a Bill Becomes a Law
- Learn how to read a bill.
- Research issues important to you and understand the whole issue.
- Testify at a committee public hearing. View calendar here.
- Tune into broadcasts of hearing and floor action online on TVW.
As a constituent, your views and interests, combined with your participation, are crucial to my decision-making here in Olympia.
Our democracy is strongest when everyone has the ability to learn about the issues and share their comments, questions and ideas. I hope to hear from you soon!