Dear friends and neighbors,
I hope you had a happy and safe Thanksgiving holiday last week! I know it’s hard right now to be away from family and friends and we are all experiencing some degree of quarantine fatigue, but it really is necessary that we try our best to follow the guidelines to beat this virus.
I’d like to start by telling you how happy I am that since the Secretary of State certified the election results earlier this week, the election year restrictions have lifted. This means the freeze is over and I can start sending you newsletters again! Likewise, my caucus website and official Facebook page are back up and running.
|
I have a bit of exciting news: a few weeks ago, my colleagues elected me to serve as Majority Caucus Chair. As you know, I joined the leadership team in 2017, when I became Caucus Vice Chair, which gave me and our 21st district a stronger voice at the table. In this new capacity, you and I will continue fighting for the issues that matter most to our communities. Click here for more information on what this new position entails. |
Now your phone can help stop the spread of COVID-19!
This morning, the Everett Herald reported that there have been over 172,400 cumulative cases in Washington (more than 15,000 of those in Snohomish County) and almost 3,000 deaths statewide.
We can do better and now there’s an app for that!
Washington recently unveiled a new COVID-19 exposure tool for iPhone and Android users called WA Notify. It’s free, anonymous, and protects your privacy.
As of today, more than one million people have installed the app on their phones, which shows that Washingtonians want to be part of the solution to end this pandemic.
So how does WA Notify help stop the spread? Check out this info-graphic:
 |
If you have not done so, please consider joining today to help stop the spread and protect yourself and your community. It’s a small step, but one that will play a big role along with mask-wearing, hand-washing, and staying home as much as possible.
State revenue snapshot: Not as bad as expected, but challenges remain
On November 18, the state Economic and Revenue Forecast Council (ERFC) released its latest revenue forecast for our state. These forecasts help us draft a new two-year budget for our state when the Legislature convenes in January.
The November report showed the state took in more revenue than the previous forecast anticipated. This has been the case since the June revenue forecast, when lawmakers were expecting the very worst in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Governor’s “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order. That forecast, like November’s, was not as bad as expected – although the state still faces a revenue shortfall of approximately $740 million for the two-year budget we will write this coming session. The news last month was less dire than initially feared, but there’s no denying the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a very heavy toll on our state’s families, small businesses, and communities. And looking forward, there’s still a good degree of uncertainty because the pandemic continues. During the Great Recession, shortfalls in the state budget led to deep cuts to our state’s safety net. These cuts hurt working families and the most vulnerable people in our communities. That’s a path we don’t want to go down again. I’m dedicated to supporting a balanced approach to our budget shortfall – one that promotes a sustainable and equitable recovery. |
Last chance for open enrollment this year!
The annual open enrollment period for health insurance ends December 15! Sign up by then to receive insurance beginning in January 2021.
 |
Visit WAHealthPlanFinder.org to browse and compare plans—including new Cascade Care plans—and sign up today. WA Health Plan Finder is your one-stop-shop for updating your information, submitting documents and finding financial assistance.
We just wrapped-up Assembly Days
Every year, generally on the first week of December, we schedule Committee Assembly Days where we all convene in Olympia to hold work sessions in every committee and get updates from agencies or discuss pressing issues. This year, due to the pandemic, we did it remotely. This process is still very new to all of us and we need to work out a few glitches but, overall, it worked out pretty well. Soon I will know if there will be changes to my committee lineup for the 2021 session. For now, though, here are the Assembly Days agendas for the committees in which I currently serve with links to the TVW video files for you to watch. Also, clicking on the committee name will take you directly to that committee’s website. EDUCATION
HUMAN SERVICES & EARLY LEARNING
TRANSPORTATION
|
Thank you for reading my newsletter. If you need more information on any of the issues discussed here, or on any other legislative matter, please don’t hesitate to contact my office.
Sincerely,
