Friends and neighbors,
After several busy weeks voting on legislation in the House, I am looking forward to the town hall on Saturday. Please see below for details and attend if you are able. Also below, you will find an update on Orca recovery efforts and legislation to promote apprenticeships in our state. Of course, I welcome you to come visit me in Olympia or in the district at other times as well.
Town Hall Reminder
Just a reminder: Rep. Christine Kilduff and I are hosting a representative town hall on Saturday, March 23 from 10:00am-12:00pm. You can join us at the DuPont Civic Center (1700 Civic Drive, DuPont) during that time to ask questions and hear back from us on the status of policies in Olympia.
Supporting Southern Resident Orca Recovery
I’ve heard from many constituents who are concerned about the plight of the southern resident orcas. After witnessing Tahlequah’s very public grief over the calf she lost last summer, the governor convened a task force this year comprised of governmental agencies and a bipartisan group of lawmakers, to act on this issue. With only 74 orcas left and a dwindling food supply my colleagues and I are working to pass recovery measures.
The following bills have passed the House and are making their way through the Senate:
- ESHB 1578 – Reducing threats to southern resident killer whales by improving the safety of oil transportation. The critical elements of this bill aim to protect southern resident orca whales, treaty fishing rights of federally recognized tribes, commercial fishing prospects, and the health and well-being of residents.
- 2SHB 1579 – Implementing recommendations of the southern resident killer whale task force related to increasing chinook abundance. This measure will empower the Department of Fish and Wildlife to better enforce the hydraulic code and establishes projects to test river management techniques.
- 2SHB 1580—Concerning the protection of southern resident orca whales from vessels. Creates a stricter buffer zone and speed limits for vessels near whales and requirements for commercial whale watching vessels to work with the Department of Fish and Wildlife for a limited-entry whale watching license for all whale species in inland waters.
The following bills have been passed out of the Senate and are being considered in the House:
- SSB 5135 – Preventing toxic pollution that affects public health or the environment. This bill sets up a regular mechanism for evaluating the chemicals that are in consumer products aimed at reducing the exposure of toxic substances to people, the environment, and the Puget Sound.
Expanding Apprenticeships in Education and Health Care
As Vice Chair of the College & Workforce Development Committee, I am focused on ways to get students into the right pathways for the career they want or for worker retraining. A great tool available to people are apprenticeship programs. Apprenticeships allow students to get real-life work experience while still learning about a specific trade—earning while they learn.
This week, I heard testimony on legislation from the Senate (SB 5236) that seeks to establish an apprenticeship program in public education and the health care industry. There are pilot projects that are starting this work and this bill expands upon that success. The Department of Labor and Industries will employ a coordinator to assist in establishing these programs and coordinate with the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Department of Health.
Having these programs available to people will help expand our education and health care workforces by providing new pathways to get students into the careers they are interested in pursuing. I am very excited about this bill and look forward to finding more ways to ensure students can pursue credentials in the fields in which they want to work.
I hope you’ll consider attending the town hall on Saturday. Please reach out to my office if you have any thoughts, ideas, or questions. It is my honor to serve you!
Sincerely,
