Join us for the 40th LD Virtual Town Hall on May 6!
Before I update you on the 2021 session and dive in to highlights of our final budgets, I want to invite you to join Sen. Liz Lovelett, Rep. Alex Ramel and me on Thursday, May 6 from 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. There are several ways to tune in: the event will be livestreamed to my legislative Facebook page, to the House Democrats Facebook page, and to the House Democrats YouTube channel.
You can submit questions to us ahead of time, or live during the event by entering them in the comment section.
Please note, the livestream will not appear on most of the platforms until the event begins. You also do not need a Facebook or Twitter account to view the livestream and the video will be saved on YouTube.
We’re looking forward to listening to you, answering your questions, and updating you on the results of the 2021 remote session.
The 2021 Legislative Session has come to an end
That’s a wrap! The 2021 legislative session came to an end last Sunday, April 25. It shaped up to be one for the history books – not only for being conducted remotely but also because of all that we accomplished in 105 days.
I am incredibly proud of the landmark legislation we passed to address the unprecedented public health crisis, economic recession, racial justice and climate change. I look forward to sharing with you more details in the near future but wanted to provide a quick update on the Legislature’s work this year.
My bills being signed into law!
Two more of my bills were signed by the governor this week, meaning all my bills that passed this session are now becoming law! House Bill 1326 addresses qualifications, training and accreditation for coroners and medical examiners. House Bill 1356 no longer allows the derogatory use of Native Americans as mascots in public schools.
Both bills were signed by Governor Inslee on Monday, April 26. Watch the bill signing.
Learn more about HB 1326 in this recent article by KNKX.
My bills that have already been signed include:
- House Bill 1072 eliminates a provision in current law that restricts undocumented immigrants from accessing state-funded civil legal aid, denying them equity under the law and access to justice.
- House Bill 1372 authorizes putting a statue of Billy Frank Jr. — who was a dedicated advocate for equality, justice, and environmental protections — in the National Statuary Hall collection in Washington D.C.
Investments in the 2021-23 Budgets
As the 2021 legislative session wrapped up over the weekend, the final operating, transportation, and construction (capital) budgets were approved. Your 40th District delegation had significant opportunities to weigh in to ensure our community’s needs and values were at the table. The Washington Recovery Budget makes big investments in our communities to help families and small businesses recover from the pandemic. Highlights of the budget include:
- $1.185B for COVID-19 vaccines, contact tracing and testing.
- $100M for local public health districts and regions.
- $1.07B for rental assistance in addition to the $325 million allocated in the Step One for Community and Economic Recovery bill (HB 1368) passed in February.
- $600M for unemployment insurance tax rate cuts to lessen that burden on businesses.
- $250M in small business grants to help get cash out to those businesses who kept their doors closed to protect others.
- $166.6M in mortgage assistance through the ARPA Homeowner Assistance Fund to help prevent foreclosures and delinquencies.
- $140.8M in food assistance programs so that families will not go hungry and to maintain our food security network.
- $121.6M in state housing/homelessness assistance.
- Fully funding the Working Families Tax Rebate, which puts money in the pockets of low-income Washington families.
- $340M for immigrant relief funds, specifically providing unemployment-related assistance to our undocumented neighbors who have not been included in some past federal assistance.
- $400M in childcare grants and supporting providers for language access and navigators.
I also successfully worked with my colleagues to include multiple budget provisos in the final operating budget:
- $500,000 to Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs for tribal – state relations.
- $500,000 to the Attorney General’s office for a Missing and Murdered Indigenous People taskforce (see below for more information).
- $140,000 to the Washington State Academy of Sciences via the Department of Fish and Wildlife for pinniped predation.
- $500,000 to the Puget Sounds Partnership for the Quiet Sound program (see below for more information).
Significant investments in the 40th District in the capital and transportation budgets include:
- $4.5M for supportive housing to augment the Swinomish Tribe’s Didgwalic Wellness Center for addiction recovery and treatment.
- $682M in Washington State Ferry investments including $152.5M to continue work on the state’s first hybrid-electric ferry, and money for terminal improvements on Lopez, Orcas, and San Juan islands as well as Anacortes.
- $245,000 to complete the Lopez Island Community Pool.
- $474,000 to support the Guemes Island Ferry Terminal electrification.
- $250,000 for the Ejido Community Farm project in Whatcom County.
- $2M for Mount Vernon Library capital improvements and $250,000 for on-site electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
- Over $19M in new and re-appropriated funds to the Department of Ecology for remediation and clean up grants in Bellingham, Anacortes, and Friday Harbor.
- $139,000 to update the Skagit County Morgue.
- $4.9M to design and construct a traditional Coast Salish-style longhouse for educational and cultural purposes at Western Washington University.
- $51M to design and construct a new Engineering and Computer Science building at Western Washington University.
Quiet Sounds Program
I’m proud to share that I successfully advocated for a budget proviso to fund the Quiet Sounds Program. The goal of the program is to better understand and reduce the cumulative effects of acoustic and physical disturbance from large commercial vessels on orcas in Washington state. Learn more about the program in this recent article from the experts at the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Find more information on the operating budget, transportation budget, and capital budgets.
Bringing awareness and action to the crisis of MMIWG
Yesterday began the National Week of Action for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Here in Washington, we’re taking steps to address this crisis by analyzing our current laws and policies, analyzing the root causes of this violence, and establishing a taskforce to make recommendations on critical data collection and MMIW legislation. It was an honor to work with Sen. Manka Dhingra to successfully advocate for this Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People Taskforce, paid for by a $500,000 budget proviso! The taskforce will be led by the Attorney General and comprised of representatives from tribal nations, the Legislature, the Governor’s office, law enforcement, and other critical stakeholders that hold subject matter expertise in gender-based violence. We have heard messages from across this great nation stating that we must develop better processes for data collection and management, and integrate cultural teachings to better work with and collaborate with survivors, families, tribal nations and all levels of law enforcement. Because even one girl missing is too many, and we must all heal together. |
The 2021 priorities of urban Native organizations
Thank you to the work of my friends and colleagues to help ensure the passage and funding of the priorities of urban Native organizations in Washington! Thank you to those who champion the needs of thousands of Native American citizens who live in Washington’s cities. Highlights include:
Seattle Indian Health Board Priorities
- Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) Statewide Taskforce.
- Ensuring new state cost savings from the 100% FMAP extension are reinvested into the Indian Health Improvement Reinvestment Account to support improvement projects in our Indian healthcare system.
- $309,000 to fund the Seattle Indian Health Board’s Thunderbird Treatment Center to fund a planning and feasibility study for the relocation and expansion of this 95-bed in-patient substance use disorder treatment facility.
Chief Seattle Club Priorities
- $1.4M for the Building Communities Fund.
- $900,000 for the ?ál?al “Home,” a landmark housing project featuring nine floors of housing, health care, and social services for over 2,700 people annually. A place for our urban Native relatives to connect and find stability—designed by Native people for Native people.
Salmon Recovery Conference
On Wednesday, I participated in a panel discussion at the Salmon Recovery Conference. I was on the panel, entitled Building a Movement, with David Troutt, Chair of the Salmon Recovery Council; Lt. Gov. Denny Heck; Phil Rigdon, Yakama Tribe Natural Resources Director; and Carol Evans, Spokane Tribe Chair. During the panel, we discussed the importance bringing the salmon home to our rivers and streams, and I gave and update on the ongoing legislative efforts in salmon recovery.
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. Now that we are in interim, I will still be sending regular Fantastic Friday letters, but less frequently.
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