Dear Neighbors,
In recognition that some of us are still facing challenges, we hope this finds you well.
How can we work together to help veterans, make our tax system fair for working families, and solve our common problems?
We use these e-newsletters to keep you informed about what’s happening in the House of Representatives—but they are also part of a dialogue.
Hearing from community members is one of the most important aspects of our job, so we want to give you an early invitation to our Coffee and Conversations coming up in December and January—details are below.
Supporting our service members and families
With the new appointment of Representative Bronoske, all three lawmakers from the 28th Legislative District now serve on our state’s Joint Committee for Veterans’ and Military Affairs. Our district includes Joint-Base Lewis McChord, the Washington National Guard headquarters, and serves as home base to many of our former and active duty service members and their families. Together we hope to bring tangible solutions with a focus on supporting emergent issues unique to this community.
This is a bipartisan and bicameral committee that collects, vets, and perfects ideas to help veterans, guardsmen and women, and military service members and their families at the state level. Those concepts are then turned into recommendations for new laws and presented to the Legislature for further consideration.
The committee meets multiple times each year, and regularly hears presentations by veteran and military connected community groups: the Washington State Military Department, Department of Defense, and our State Department of Veterans Affairs. Tune in on December 9, 2021 at 1 p.m. on TVW to hear the preparations and recommendations for the 2022 Legislative Session.
If you have an idea on how to help our veterans and military families, please get in touch.
Tax reform
How should we reform our state’s tax system to make it simpler and fair?
That’s the mission of the Tax Structure Work Group, which held meetings around the state to collect feedback about tax reform.
Our state has one of the most regressive tax systems in the nation that disproportionately impacts our working-class families and small business owners.
It doesn’t have to be this way.
Representatives Bronoske and Leavitt recently attended the regional meeting and encourage more constituents in the 28th District to take a moment and speak out. How would you like to change our state’s tax system? Please click here to share your thoughts.
2021 legislative mailer
If you didn’t get a chance to read it, here’s a digital copy of our report on the last legislative session. A significant amount of work passed the House and Senate to rebuild our economy, aid small businesses, and help families in need. We also passed landmark reforms to make our state a better place to live and work.
Help with rent and utilities
COVID-19 has left many of our neighbors still struggling to keep roofs over their heads. There’s help available.
To find landlord and rental assistance, legal help, and more translated in 36 languages, click here. For utility assistance, make sure you reach out to your utility company to learn more about your options. Additionally, you may qualify for county or state resources. Here are some programs:
Disaster Cash Assistance Program
If you or someone you know has been impacted by the recent floods, help is available. People living in Pierce County or any of the 13 other eligible counties qualify for the Disaster Cash Assistance Program (DCAP) if they:
- suffered losses from the severe weather;
- are Washington state residents living in one of the counties included in the emergency declaration;
- meet household net income limits (ranging from $375 for one person up to $1,160 for eight people or more) after adjusting for income deductions, which may include any unreimbursed expenses due to damages caused by severe weather; or
- are not eligible for any other cash program that could meet their needs.
Read more to see if you are eligible for DCAP or other programs to help you find food, child care, long-term care, and more.
Prepare early for financial aid!
Even if you don’t know what college or university you’ll attend, filling out the financial aid forms now may get you more funding for a certificate, technical degree, associate degree, or four-year degree.
As of Oct. 1, students can now complete the FAFSA and the sooner you complete it and send it in, the better positioned you are to get aid. It’s best to complete it as soon as you can, with a final deadline of June 30, 2022 for the 2022-23 academic year.
Our state’s financial aid portal includes all the information you need to learn more about state and federal aid programs, including the Washington College Grant. Now, more than ever, the WA College Grant was expanded to serve more students across our state.
If you need help completing financial aid forms, you can register for a virtual financial aid event.
You’re invited: coffee & conversation!
Please join us Thursday, Dec.16 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. for a virtual coffee and conversation for our Tacoma area constituents and Tuesday, Jan. 4 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. for our eastern Pierce County constituents in Spanaway and Graham. You can register online here for December 16 or here for January 4.
After registering, you’ll get an email with information about joining the meeting. Constituents from any community in our district are encouraged to join any of our events if it works for your schedule.
It’s an honor to serve the beautiful 28th Legislative District. If we can do anything for you or your family, please do not hesitate to reach out.
