Happy Fantastic Friday!

It has been a busy week in Olympia, and here is what we have been up to.

What’s happening now in Olympia?

We recently passed two key deadlines here in the House – one for policy committees and another for fiscal committees.

Members will now spend most of the next week on the House floor debating and voting on the bills that made it out of their respective committees by these deadlines. Senators are going through the same process with their bills.

Legislation passing off the House floor will then go the Senate for their consideration, just as Senate bills will cross the rotunda for consideration by House committees.

Bills considered necessary to implement budgets are exempt from these cutoff deadlines and could be voted on up until the last day of session.

Please visit http://app.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/ if you’re interested in the status of any bill.

Religious coordinators for inmates

Washington stands proudly behind the belief that all people should be able to take part in their own religious practices.

I am so proud to sponsor HB 1485, a bill that ensures incarcerated individuals have access to the spiritual leaders they need to practice their faith. In order to accommodate different religious beliefs at a correctional facility, there is a need for someone to coordinate the religious programs and services. Currently, all correctional facilities are required to employ chaplains to serve in this capacity, which means people of non-aligned faiths often face barriers to practicing their religions. This goes against our belief in equity and the First Amendment rights of each individual. This bill removes the requirement to employ chaplains and instead creates a new position of “religious coordinator” to ensure that inmates are more comfortable reaching out for support in practicing their religion.

HB 1485 is on the House floor calendar today, which means this is my first bill to be voted on by members of the Legislature!

Thank you for birthday wishes and coming to Constituents and Coffee

Thank you to everyone who sent me birthday wishes this week, and for those who able to make it out last week to our first ever Constituents and Coffee meet and greet. We had an amazing turn out, with around 50 community members coming out to Johnny Picasso’s in Anacortes. Some even traveled all the way across the 40th Legislative District to talk about what matters most to them! It is important to me that everyone in our community feels that their voice is heard.

Notable Meetings

Rep. Lekanoff with Chairman Jeremiah Julius of the Lummi Nation (left) and Speaker Frank Chopp, D-Seattle (right) 

This week I met with:

Farm worker constituents 

• We discussed House Bill 1398, which provides support and protection for foreign and domestic workers.

Chinook Enterprises

• We chatted about the Prevailing Wage Program.

Jaques White We talked about salmon recovery projects that Long Live Kings are leading. Washington State Academy of Sciences We discussed science policies, and how we can better support engagement opportunities in STEM programs. Grandmas Against Gun Violence constituents We talked about responsible gun-ownership and ways to reduce gun violence. SEIU 775 Constituents We discussed support for Parent Providers who take care of their children with special needs. Affordable Housing and Homeless Advocates We spoke about ways we can support the most vulnerable in our communities.

An informed and engaged citizenry: Ballot return dates

Last year, the Legislature passed a slate of bills to help eliminate barriers to voting, simplify the voter registration process, and ensure ALL eligible voters have better access to democracy. This year, those efforts continue with HB 1520, which would require the date of the election to be prominently displayed on the envelope in which voters receive their ballots. This visual reminder will help voters keep track of when they need to return their ballots. It’s a small change that can make a big difference in helping to increase voter turnout. Even sweepstakes offers have a clear “return-by” date – shouldn’t our ballots have this as well?

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 each week 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!

All best wishes,

Rep. Debra Lekanoff