The 2021 Washington State legislative session has begun and is already in full swing. Last Monday, legislators traveled to Olympia to cast a vote on a new rules package, allowing the House of Representatives to conduct the first virtual legislative session. Though the new virtual setting has come with a learning curve for all, we are determined as ever to pass necessary legislation to benefit all Washingtonians. However, temperature checks, masks and social distancing were not the only differences about the start to this session. Upon arrival to the Capitol campus, we passed through rows of National Guard soldiers to gain access to the people’s house. This was unfortunately necessary due to the political violence we witnessed on January 6^th, both at the US Capitol and even at our own Governor’s mansion. I condemn all forms of political violence and hope that my colleagues from across the aisle will join me in condemning political violence and repudiating the lies that inspire it.

I would like to extend my deepest thanks to the Washington National Guard and the Washington State Patrol for ensuring that opening day proceeded safely and smoothly. It is a sad day when soldiers are needed to ensure the smooth operation of the Legislature, but I am hopeful that this will be the last time these measures are necessary.

If you are looking to get involved this session, one benefit to the virtual setting is that testifying before a committee has never been easier. For the first time ever, all House and Senate committees are accepting remote and written testimony. Now, instead of driving to Olympia to testify, you can do so from the comfort of your living room. As a new committee chair, I can attest that the system for remote testimony works well and allows for a wider and more diverse group of people to testify on legislation.

Here are several ways that you can stay engaged with what is happening in the Legislature and participate in our democracy.

Watch—TVW.org broadcasts all of the debates and votes that happen in the House or Senate, along with committee meetings and other events in the public interest.

Research—Visit app.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/ to look up legislation by lawmaker or topic.

Learn—The whole legislative process, from start to finish, is explained at leg.wa.gov/legislature/Pages/Overview.aspx.

Testify—Visit leg.wa.gov/legislature/Pages/Testify.aspx for an overview of the process. Written testimony is also an option, and you can also email me your story.

Stay informed—Sign up for my legislative e-memo here.

Get in touch—You can reach my office by email Shelley.Kloba@leg.wa.gov.

Community Input Needed

I recently introduced two bills for the 2021 session and would love to get feedback on them from my constituents. Your perspectives and lived experience are important to me and I have found your feedback often helps improve legislation. The following bills are at the start of the legislative process and may still change. Email me at Shelley.Kloba@leg.wa.gov with any questions or comments.

HB 1303- Data Brokers Registry

We are spending more and more of our lives on our phones and devices. From this has arisen a new business model where brokers collect, analyze, and resell personal data collected from applications on our phones and other devices. Currently, this type of business is totally unregulated and untaxed, and these businesses are reselling information with no compensation to the people of Washington. My legislation would shine a light on this very active segment of our economy while also establishing a small tax on the companies that profit from selling our personal data. Brokers that make money from collecting our personal information should contribute their fair share in tax revenue, and there should be more transparency on the number of businesses engaged in this industry.

HB 1303 would:

• Impose a 1.8% B&O tax on gross income arising from the sale of personal data.
• Require companies that engage in this type of economic activity to register annually with the Department of Revenue.
• Require DOR to provide the Legislature with an annual report on this information.

HB 1035- Preserving Low Income Housing in our Communities

The lack of affordable housing options in many Puget Sound communities hurts low income residents and can result in workers in many communities being forced to commute long distances. Our communities should have space for all income levels. To help remedy this problem, I introduced HB 1035 to provide local governments with options to preserve affordable housing. The bill will authorize cities and counties to create affordable housing incentive programs which can grant  property tax exemptions to multifamily buildings at least 25 years old, accessory dwelling units to single-family homes, and rented spaces dedicated for mobile homes or manufactured homes if they house tenants earning up to 50% of area median income for multi-family and mobile/manufactured home spaces, and up to 80% of area median income for accessory dwelling units. This will be a win-win-win situation whereby we preserve various types of affordable housing in our communities, keep rents affordable in these properties, and help to decrease the property tax bill for owners who provide this housing.

Thank you all for taking to the time to read this newsletter and for taking an interest in our progress in the House of Representatives. If you have any questions, inquiries, or concerns please feel free to contact me with the info below.

Sincerely,

Shelley Kloba
Representative, 1st Legislative District
Washington State Legislature