Black History Month
In recognition of Black History Month I wanted to highlight some of the black men and women who have greatly affected this country.
Katherine Johnson 
Katherine was one of the first women to be taken seriously as an intelligent and skilled mathematician for NASA. Her work kept this country’s brave astronauts safe on their explorations through space.
Henrietta Lacks 
As a thirty one year old mother of five, and a cancer patient; doctors took samples of her cells without her consent. After her death in 1951 doctors began using her cells in medical studies around the globe. Her cells were special in the fact that they lasted longer than other cells that were examined at the time. These long lasting “HeLa” cells were used in developing the polio vaccine, researching AIDS, and many other medical pursuits.
Dr. Charles Drew 
Charles was a medical researcher whose life work has saved countless lives. His studies in blood transfusion and storage resulted in the creation of the American Red Cross Blood Bank.
Barack Obama 
President Obama was the first black president in American history! Some accomplishments from his two terms as president are:
- Introducing the Affordable Care Act, making healthcare accessible to all Americans.
- Winning the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.
- Repealing the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy – allowing LGBTQ personnel to serve in the military.
- And becoming the first United States president to support LGBTQ marriage.
Getting down to business
Two of my bills had their first hearing this week.
HB 1610: This is a bill I created to assist commercial and treaty fishers in getting compensation for lost or damaged gear, caused by vessel traffic. This bill also puts plans in place to study the situation closer so the legislature may have a better understanding of circumstances surrounding the events, and offer guidance to fishers on where to use equipment to lessen the likelihood of loss or damage. HB 1610 will have its executive hearing next week.
HB 1485: This bill appoints religious coordinators to our corrections system. This addition is being made to ensure inmates receive their right to practice their religion of choice with a leader from the same religion. HB 1485 will have its executive hearing next week.
Next week two of my other bills will have their first hearing.
HB 1849: This bill concerns revising the lease terms for managing first-class unplatted tidelands and shorelands.
HB 1425: This bill changes the definition of eligible pupil for the purposes of the transitional bilingual instruction program. This bill will help open the program to a much larger group of people.
Next week HB 1339 will have its executive hearing.
I created this bill, The Native American Voting Rights Act, to ensure that Native Americans living on reservations across Washington will have the same opportunities to register to vote and cast ballots as the rest of the population.
Notable Meetings
This week I met with:
Catholic Advocacy Constituents
- We discussed how we can support for the most vulnerable members of our communities through work in the legislature.
Parks and Recreation Constituents
- We discussed important park projects in the 40th LD.
Quinault Nation and Colville Tribal Members
- We discussed the impact the Native American Voting Rights Act would have on our communities.
Capitol Ideas – a behind-the-scenes peek at your Legislature
A few weeks ago I was featured on the Capitol Ideas podcast. In my episode I introduced myself and discussed my outlook on joining the House of Representatives.
You can also check out plenty of other great episodes of the Capitol Ideas podcast. Once you click the link you’ll see a list of more than two dozen Capitol Ideas interviews. When you see one that sounds interesting, click on the title and it’ll automatically begin playing on most computers.
Capitol Ideas is also available on iTunes. Just click on this link and you’ll have easy access to the whole series.
Expanding access to fruit and vegetables
“Food insecurity” means not having consistent access to enough food to live an active, healthy life, and it’s a problem for families across our state. Programs like basic food assistance – known as SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) or WIC (Women, Infants and Children program) – can help, but even with this assistance, it can be challenging to afford fresh produce.
That’s why I’m supporting House Bill 1587, which expands access to fruits and vegetables for people who qualify for food assistance. In 2014, Washington state received a large federal grant to help people on food assistance buy more produce, but that funding is set to expire this year. House Bill 1587 keeps these programs moving forward, no matter what happens at the federal level.
One innovative approach in this bill is for health care providers to offer “prescriptions” for fruit and vegetable purchases to patients who meet the criteria for food insecurity. At a time of rising obesity rates and warnings that the current generation of children could be the first not to live longer than their parents, this is the kind of action we can take as a state to provide more choices and better opportunities for health.
Thank you
Thank you all for taking to the time to read this week’s Fantastic Friday and for taking an interest in our progress at the House of Representatives. I will be sending out a Fantastic Friday letter every Friday throughout the legislative session. Please feel free to reach out to me using the information below, with any questions, inquiries, or concerns you may have. I am here for you!
Sincerely,
Debra Lekanoff