Fantastic Friday | An Update on COVID-19

COVID-19 Update 48

Centralized Resources

News on COVID-19 is changing quickly. Stay up to date with the most recent and accurate information with the links below, including where to find public resources, including unemployment, health care, small business support and more.

Official WA state COVID-19 website

HDC COVID-19 centralized resources

Relief for businesses, workers, renters, and others struggling during COVID-19

On Wednesday, Gov. Inslee announced a handful of substantial measures intended to provide relief to Washington businesses and workers, as well as renters and other residents who may struggle financially while dealing with the negative impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Those actions include:

A statewide 30-day moratorium on residential evictions (which your 40th District legislators strongly support);
Giving the Department of Revenue authority to provide flexibility in tax collections and a variety of fees and penalties retroactive to February 29, the date the Governor initially declared a state of emergency;
Waiving a 1-week application waiting period for unemployment insurance; and
Expanding eligibility for the Family Emergency Assistance Program to now include families without children.

This is in addition to the state support for workers and businesses, and the state financial, export, insurance and unemployment assistance that has already been made available.

For Workers:

The Employment Security Department has resources on paid sick leave, paid family and medical leave, unemployment benefits, and more. Check out this easy reference chart on scenarios and benefits.
The Washington State Department of Financial Institutions has information available on mortgage payments, rent payments, student loan deferments, short term and emergency loans, utility payments, and more.
The Office of the Insurance Commissioner has a site set up to help with insurance questions, including a frequently asked questions page.
The Washington Health Benefit Exchange has opened a special enrollment period for individuals without insurance which will run through April 8th, 2020.

For Businesses:

The Employment Security Department has information on what resources are available to help businesses keep employees, and information about tax filing lenience.
Governor Inslee’s website has a list of resources on:
- How to apply for federal Small Business Administration loans.
- How to request tax filing extensions or penalty waivers from the Dept. of Revenue.
- Where to go for support from the Dept. of Commerce Export Assistance Team.

The Office of the Insurance Commissioner has a page on business insurance information, including one answering questions on event cancellation insurance.

Feeding families during the COVID-19 Crisis

The governor has closed restaurants for the next two weeks, but not because food is the risk. There are plenty of ways to continue to access safe and healthy food, and extra help is available for families that need support getting food on the table.

Grocery stores, gas stations and convenience stores remain open. As the governor stated on Monday, there is no need to stockpile. Our supply chain remains strong. Practice social distancing and use good hygiene when making essential trips for groceries.

Order takeout and delivery while practicing social distancing. Again, the governor has closed restaurants for the next two weeks to increase social distancing, not because food is the risk. You can still support small businesses by ordering takeout and delivery. Make sure to maintain good social distancing and hygiene while doing so.

Assistance with buying food. If the COVID-19 crisis is creating extra strain on your household budget, you can apply for assistance through various state programs at https://www.washingtonconnection.org/home/.

Free school meals in some school districts. School districts are stepping up to continue to provide free school breakfasts and lunches. Check with your local school district to see if they are providing free meals for kids.

Food banks remain open. Food banks continue to provide assistance to families and are instituting increased social distancing and hygiene practices. For any questions about hours or practices, please contact your local food bank directly. If you are healthy and able to give time, consider volunteering.

Cooking at home. For those cooking at home, handle food with the same care that you usually would. Wash your hands. Only handle food when healthy. People who are coughing, feverish, short of breath, or otherwise sick should stay out of the kitchen.

Finding Child Care during the COVID-19 Crisis

While the governor has closed schools statewide until April 27 at the earliest, child care facilities are currently allowed to remain open. Child care settings often have far fewer children than schools, so providers can more easily ensure social distancing and proper hygiene. The Department of Children, Youth and Families is working in lockstep with local partners to ensure child care providers have the necessary guidance to offer safe and supportive care during the COVID-19 crisis.

If you are looking for child care please see the following resources:

During the state of emergency Child Care Aware, an independent organization that provides information and support for families seeking child care, is keeping an update to date list of local community options for child care. You can call them at 1-800-446-1114 or use their online child care referral search to look for options.
Another option is to utilize the Family, Friends & Neighbor program via their website or by calling 1-866-482-4325.
Seattle Times article on child care and at-home learning during coronavirus closures

If you have a kid at home who’s too old for child care and are looking for support, please refer to this list of resources for caring for kids at home or call your local school district. OSPI has asked superintendents to provide child care to school-age children, at no cost, in families who are in professions that are directly responding to the COVID-19 crisis. Check with your local school district to see what options are available for children of parents who are in the medical field or first responders. Districts that chose to provide child care for school-age children have been advised to take every measure possible to keep students safe. These include social distancing, consistent hand washing, sending students home if they’re sick, and routinely disinfecting surfaces.

Addressing health care, insurance, long-term care needs during this crisis

During this unprecedented public health emergency, it is critical that important health care information is accessible for everyone. Many state agencies and health insurers are working to be responsive to the needs of Washingtonians.

Please use the resources below to help you make informed decisions about keeping you and your family healthy.

Health insurance

Public employee insurance and COVID-19

Travel insurance

My Legislation Signed into Law

On Wednesday morning, Governor Inslee signed into law two of my bills that passed during the 2020 legislative session.

The first, House Bill 2551 ensures students are allowed to wear tribal regalia at graduation ceremonies. Students should have the right to wear tribal regalia to show their resilience and honor their ancestors, who had to suppress their culture and heritage.

The second, House Bill 2785, adds additional public members, one of which must be a representative from a federally-recognized tribe, to the Criminal Justice Training Commission, which develops and provides training for law enforcement. This new law represents a commitment that collaborative work to improve interactions between law enforcement and the communities they serve will continue.

In accordance with safety measures during the COVID-19 outbreak, the governor signed the bills without members of the public present. However, the bill signing was broadcasted on Facebook Live.

Click on the image to watch the bill signings for March 18, 2020.

Constituent Corner: Main Stem Skagit Mitigation Program

This week, I heard from the Department of Ecology that after many years of great collaborative work with basin partners, the department is establishing a Skagit Main Stem Mitigation Program.

The mitigation program will:

Offset the consumptive water use of all 340 existing landowners in Snohomish and Skagit Counties who received a building permit and established a water use between the adoption of the Skagit Instream Flow Rule in April 2001 and the Supreme Court’s invalidation of the 2006 Amendment to the Skagit Instream Flow Rule in October 2013. Following this court decision, Ecology committed to securing a legal water source for this class of water user. The mitigation program upholds this commitment.
Make water available to a limited number of new domestic permit-exempt well users along the main stem Skagit River. The area delineated for these new users is based on groundwater modeling showing that these wells are completed in the alluvium and draw water mostly from the Skagit River rather than its tributaries.
Provide additional streamflow benefit to the Skagit River.

Water will always be priority in the 40th District as we face the need to grow our communities based on our values, culture, economies and industries. Together we address the value of salmon eggs in one hand and seeds in the other and the diverse demands of water supply and demand. I stand with the state agencies, local and tribal treaty governments, and industry for finding pathways together.

Net Ecological Gain in the News

While House Bill 2550, my bill to establish a standard of net ecological gain, didn’t make it through the Legislature this session, the supplemental operating budget included a proviso for the Department of Fish and Wildlife to study switching to a net ecological gain standard, or a “leave it better than you found it” standard for development projects. Our current standard of “no net loss” means decisions on land development are balanced with environmental impacts, leaving it no worse, but no better. By switching to a net ecological gain standard, development projects would contribute to habitat restoration and help achieve a healthier environment for current and future generations.

This is a policy issue that I will continue to work on, as salmon recovery and mitigating the impacts of climate change are vital not only to the 40th District, but to communities across Washington. Learn more about what this policy means to our communities in this recent Letter to the Editor in the Skagit Valley Herald.

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.

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,

Lekanoff sig

Rep. Debra Lekanoff