Dear neighbors,

The 2024 legislative session began this past Monday, and I am very excited to be back in Olympia to work on the issues that you care about.

A big thanks to those of you who responded to the survey Rep. Strom Peterson and I sent you in December. We asked you to choose your top three priorities and there were ties for first and second place. Your priorities are also ours and we will work on these issues as well as on reproductive and behavioral health, expanding education, strengthening our workforce, and boosting our economy. More than ever, our legislative work should focus on finding common ground and bipartisan solutions that work for our diverse communities in every corner of the state.  And the only way we will get there is by listening to each other. I am ready.

First Video Update

This is a short session, just 60 days, so let’s start with a video update on ways for you to engage this session, as well as a bit of information on a couple of my bills. Click here or on the image below to watch it:

You can read about my House Bill 1975, which would relieve individuals from paying interest on certain unemployment insurance over-payments during the pandemic, as well as other pieces of legislation that will get particular attention this session in this Everett Herald editorial.

Supporting our Seniors

While rising costs impact everyone, our seniors, who are dependent on fixed incomes, are hit especially hard.

I am co-sponsoring legislation (House Bill 1985) to provide a cost-of-living adjustment to retired Washingtonians on Plan 1 of our state’s public employees’ retirement system (PERS1) and Plan 1 of the teacher’s retirement system (TRS1). Unlike other plans under PERS and TRS, Plan 1 members do not receive regularly scheduled benefit increases. This bill will help seniors throughout the state keep up with inflation and the rising costs of living. Washington’s elders deserve to age with dignity.

Exciting News for College-Bound Students 

The new, revised, and simplified FAFSA form for college aid is here! From a streamlined application process to increased financial assistance opportunities, here’s what you need to know for the 2024-25 academic year: 

Less is More: The redesigned FAFSA has fewer questions, making it easier than ever to apply for grants, work-study jobs, and loans. 

Student Aid Index (SAI): The SAI now calculates your ability to pay for college, with more income protected and changes benefiting students with children. 

Pell Grant Boost: Over 2.1 million more students could now qualify for a full Pell Grant, providing substantial aid for those with exceptional financial need. 

Easy Application: Create your ID on the Federal Student Aid website. The deadline is June 30, 2025. 

Soft Launch: While the form is already available online, the Education Department will monitor and fix issues until later in January.  

Check out this Seattle Times story for more information.

ASL on TVW

Here’s some more good news: Picture-in-picture American Sign Language interpretation is now available for select committee hearings during the 2024 legislative session on TVW and TVW.org!

The schedule of picture-in-picture ASL interpretation can be found at the Washington State Legislature website: https://app.leg.wa.gov/committeeschedules.

You can also find this information by visiting https://tvw.org/schedule, click on the three lines on the top left of the webpage to enable the menu. Then choose “media archives.” Set the start and end dates of your choice, under “categories” select “ASL”, and click on “submit.” All the hearings you will see listed will have ASL interpretation available.

For more information about accessibility accommodations the Washington State Legislature offers, visit https://bit.ly/AccessibilityInfo

Stay in Touch!

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. And to stay up to date on what I am working on, be sure to visit my website and my official Facebook page.

Learning about your concerns and the issues that are important to you is essential to my job as your representative, so please reach out any time.

Sincerely,