Dear friends and neighbors,
We are less than two weeks away from sine die, the time when the legislature adjourns for the 2024 legislative session. In today’s newsletter, I’m sharing vital information with you on what I’m working on or supporting how money for community and public safety is spent right here in our communities, a press conference that was held in the capitol on our state’s fentanyl crisis, and news on the “fur fighters” and an animal cruelty bill that I co-sponsored. Read on.
My Support of Community & Public Safety
Did you know I get ideas for the legislation I introduce from so many of you? When I meet with you 1:1 or at community events or town halls, I take your concerns seriously and oftentimes these turn into bills that I introduce (or I support the work of my peers in the legislature) and later become law. Thank you for your input—it truly makes a difference!
Furthermore, in addition to bills, legislators also put in budget requests for vital projects in their communities. This year, I’ve requested roughly $5.7 million to help our kids get to school more safely with the installation of a sidewalk project B Street in Spanaway from 176th St. E to 192nd St. E. as well as requesting an additional approximately $5m for additional safe pedestrian routes around the Bethel School District area. These projects are needed as so many students, families and community members walk on these is roads to get to for example, Camas Prairie Elementary and Challenger High School or beyond. There isn’t a lot of shoulder for folks to walk with any sense of safety, and the area is heavily traveled. This will be a huge improvement for all who travel on foot in this area and most importantly, keep our children safe.
My colleague, Rep. Jake Fey, D-Tacoma, Chair of the House Transportation Committee, also has an important bill in the works concerning traffic safety, House Bill 2356, which concerns the use of speed safety cameras within construction zones on our state highways. Sadly, last year 800 people lost their lives on Washington roads—the highest number of traffic fatalities since 1990. The point of using these cameras is to crack down on speeding, which is the second-most common risk factor in fatal crashes in our state. Speed contributes to traffic fatalities in two ways; first, it increases the likelihood of a crash since a driver has less time to react and has a narrower field of vision; and second, force increases exponentially with more speed, leading to more deaths.
Our state also has a shortage of law enforcement personnel, and there are several ways the legislature is working on addressing this issue. I requested, working with law enforcement partners, nearly $4.5 million ($13 million over four years) for our local law enforcement agencies to help financially support their newly hired law enforcement officers undergo training at the Criminal Justice Training Commission’s Basic Law Enforcement Academy. Local law enforcement agencies are struggling with resources, and this is an important way to ensure folks get trained and provide an assist in those training expenses to local jurisdictions. I’m thrilled my request was accepted and these agencies will now get critical relief.
I’m also proud of the work we are doing to address recruitment and retention of our Washington State Patrol. Last year we focused on bonuses to ensure a robust force, and we continue this year with House Bill 2357 to allow good benefits for those who decide to remain in WSP longer to serve the people of Washington.
Our State’s Fentanyl Crisis
Our state is facing a fentanyl crisis, and I wrote an op-ed about it recently for the News-Tribune. A bipartisan and bicameral press conference on this important topic was held yesterday at the Capitol. Click here or on the image above to hear me talk about how we are addressing the opioid and fentanyl crisis. I developed working with many over the interim, House Bill 1956 and House Bill 2112, which will provide fentanyl and opioid education to our middle and high school students, as well as students in higher education institutions, respectively. I also am supporting several other policy bills including House Bill 2447, which focuses on how we ensure children are protected from these drugs in their homes.
Animal Cruelty
In 2021, I joined a group of legislators in Olympia that call themselves “the fur fighters.” This bipartisan and bicameral group works together on animal welfare in our state. We got together to address a wide variety of issues that affect both animals and the humans that love them.
This year, one issue the “fur fighters” are working on is House Bill 1961, sponsored by Rep. Sam Low, R-Lake Stevens, and a bill I am signed onto as a co-sponsor. It passed out of the House and will soon be up for debate on the Senate floor. This bill makes animal cruelty a class C felony. Anyone who inflicts or causes pain to an animal, kills an animal by means of undue suffering or by showing extreme indifference to life, or is negligent by starving, dehydrating, suffocating, or exposing an animal to extreme heat or cold that causes physical pain that leads to suffering and/or death will be held accountable under this policy.
It’s my highest honor to serve the beautiful 28th.
Respectfully,
State Representative Mari Leavitt
28th Legislative District