Happy New Year and Fantastic Friday!
Coping with COVID in the New Year
In the past ten months, we’ve learned a lot of tough lessons about staying socially connected while remaining physically distant. Many of us in our community have started using video chat programs to keep in touch with friends and family, which will likely continue into the new year. You may be having tough conversations with family and friends to figure out how to stay connected while making sure everyone feels safe. Department of Health experts have pulled together a short podcast with some tips on how to navigate challenging COVID conversations:
- Listen proactively by asking open-ended questions, and shifting away from giving advice or problem solving.
- Set boundaries by being clear about what makes you feel safe and when you need to step back from the conversation.
- Regulate your reactions by taking time to pause and resisting the natural urge to respond quickly and emotionally.
- Own your mistakes by taking responsibility if you say something harsh and normalizing that mistakes will happen in times of intense stress.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help from friends, families or people trained in behavioral health. The WA Listens support line (1-833-681-0211) is free, anonymous, available in multiple languages and happy to guide you to support.
These techniques may be familiar to some, but given the dark days, conversations may feel a little more challenging than they did in early 2020. It’s ok to feel exhausted or worried. These conversations are not easy. But they’re necessary to keep each other safe while staying connected.
I applaud you for digging deep in these difficult times, and please know that you’re not alone. Behavioral and mental health are critical to overall health. They are issues that I will track in bill and budget decisions during the upcoming session. I hope you take care of yourself in this new year!
New Year’s resolutions and COVID restrictions
With the new year, many of us make the resolution to be healthier or get in shape. This year, however, those resolutions will have to look a little different. Fitness centers are closed for indoor operations and while outdoor fitness classes are permitted, they are limited by the outdoor gathering restrictions of up to five people from outside a household.
While gyms aren’t open, there are lots of safe alternatives for physical activity that don’t increase your chances of exposure. Aerobics can be done successfully at home. Push-ups, sit-ups, jumping-jacks and more exercises are also great ways to stay fit away from the gym. Another important point to consider is that avoiding crowds does not necessarily mean avoiding nature, so going for a brisk walk or jog in uncrowded areas outdoors is a relatively safe alternative to using a treadmill at the gym.
These latest restrictions were implemented due to the dramatic increase in COVID-19 cases across the state. Along with input from health experts and stakeholders, the decision to enact these restrictions aligns with the science related to COVID-19. The science shows us that the risk for COVID transmission increases with:
- Increased numbers of interactions outside your household, the longer that contact lasts, and the closer the contact is;
- Not wearing a mask;
- Vocalizing and heavy breathing (through exercise and other activities); and
- Confined and poorly ventilated spaces.
Learn more in this two-page summary document of the new restrictions.
Notable Meetings
Beginning my work as Vice Chair of State Government and Tribal Relations Committee
It is an honor to be selected as Vice Chair of the State Government and Tribal Relations committee. I am excited to work with Chair Javier Valdez and continue our work across the local, state, federal and tribal governments. I had an opportunity to discuss my priorities with committee staff and I am excited to get the ball rolling on several exciting proposals in the new year. For example, earlier this year, I met with the Director of the Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs and representatives from the seven urban native organizations. As an Alaska native myself, I understand the challenges our communities face. One bill we have been working on will assist in establishing a relationship between these organizations and our state agencies so that we can direct additional state funding and resources to better serve our urban native citizens in culturally appropriate health care, affordable housing, and other social services.
Consulting with our Sovereign tribal nations
As co-managers, it is critical we as the state remain committed to consulting with the 29 federally recognized tribes in Washington State. This week, we continued our conversations with tribal leaders and lobbyists to discuss the Salmon GMA bill and Washington STRONG. These two bills are urgent and my top priorities for Mother Nature and the salmon cannot afford to wait any longer. These bills are my commitment to streamline local, tribal, state and federal governments to share the commitment to salmon recovery.
The Washington STRONG Act
Over the next couple weeks, our Washington STRONG team will be convening a series of industry roundtables. This week, we met with energy and EITEs and next week, we will be meeting with agriculture and timber. These roundtables are critical as we continue to collect feedback and evolve our bill into its more final version.
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