Dear Friends and Neighbors,

This past Wednesday was the final day for bills to get passed out of  their house of origin. Those that stalled are dead, or at least tabled until the beginning of the 2026 session next January. House bills that made it through this process are now in the Senate for further consideration, and, if passed by that chamber, they will eventually reach Gov. Ferguson’s desk.

If you were able to join us last night for our telephone town hall, thank you for your interest and your questions. We discussed a great variety of topics, so if you couldn’t make it, click on the image below to listen to it at your leisure.

I also want to remind you that TOMORROW, Saturday, March 15, at 10 AM, Sen. Marko Liias, Rep. Strom Peterson and I are hosting another town hall meeting, but this time in person, at Mariner High School. We’ll give you an update on the progress we’ve made so far this session and answer your questions. I hope you can join us.

LATINO LEGISLATIVE DAY

On Monday, March 10, we celebrated the 20^th Latino Legislative Day at the Capitol. Lots of young people, music, dancing and great energy!

We are living through uncertain times that generate fear and distrust, that’s clear. But what’s also very clear is that coming together in such numbers and from so many different areas of the state to support each other is precisely what makes this such a strong community. !Sí se puede! – Yes, we can!  And yes, we will get through this period in history.

Our Speaker, Rep. Laurie Jinkins received the 2025 Latino Civic Honorary Award. I was privileged to receive the Latino Legislative Day Community Visionary Award for sponsoring the House version of the Keep Washington Working Act. This legislation, enacted into law in 2019, limits the role of local law enforcement in enforcing federal immigration laws.

Jaime Mendez News covered the event, you can watch the report here. And you can also read this story in the Olympian.

BILLS IN THE SENATE

Safe & Supportive Schools – House Bill 1296

I’d like to touch base on this bill, because it’s important and also because there has been so much disinformation about it. I hope after you read this and watch the video, you have a clearer picture on what the bill does and why we need it.

Last year, the Legislature adopted I-2081, The Parental Bill of Rights Initiative. Since its adoption, we have heard from parents, families, students, teachers, and school administrators that the language in the initiative is confusing and conflicts with other aspects of state and federal law.

This year, HB 1296 was introduced to clarify and align the language, including what protections are available to students and what supports there are for parents who want to be involved in their children’s education.

The legislation brings the parental bill of rights into alignment with state law, protects student safety and privacy, and expands the parental rights established in the initiative.

On Wednesday we brought this bill to the floor at 5 pm and, after a lengthy debate, finally passed it at 2:30 AM on Thursday. We considered multiple amendments and adopted some of them. The most significant change to the bill was updating the notification timeline to establish that parents or guardians have the right to receive immediate notification when a student is the victim of sexual misconduct by a school employee.

I spoke several times on a few amendments and on final passage. This video below compiles clips from that debate. It doesn’t include my full remarks because that would have been perhaps too long, but it does a good job at highlighting the main points in my speeches. For my complete remarks and the entire debate, you can, watch all the action on TVW.

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I am excited that six of my bills passed the House and I hope they fare well in the Senate:

HB 1079 – Supporting remote testing options for students enrolled in online school programs.

My bill allows school districts to provide all students enrolled in online school programs the option to take statewide standardized tests remotely. This is a safe, secure, and effective alternative to in-person testing. It relieves the heavy travel burdens, financial costs, and other challenges that online public school families face just to participate in state testing, as well as costs to the districts. And it leads to better participation and more accurate measures of student learning.

HB 1141 – Concerning collective bargaining for agricultural cannabis workers.

This bill ensures that agricultural cannabis workers finally gain the right to unionize. This is an issue of equity and justice; by establishing a framework for collective bargaining, my legislation levels the playing field for workers who cultivate and harvest one of Washington’s fastest-growing industries. Read my press release and watch my floor remarks here.

HB 1177 – Concerning the child welfare housing assistance program.

This measure will eliminate the current waiting list for eligible families in the Child Welfare Housing Assistance program, which will help ensure that housing instability does not prevent family reunification or contribute to unnecessary foster care placements. Read my press release and watch my floor remarks here.

HB 1232 – Concerning private detention facilities.

The state has the right and responsibility to protect the general safety, health, and welfare of its residents. Currently, detainees in private detention facilities are being held for extended periods without a conviction or a fair trial, and they are experiencing violations of their fundamental rights. Whether a detention facility is public or private, it should be required to maintain basic humane standards. My legislation is about accountability, it clarifies operational standards for private detention facilities, including inspections by state agencies. Read my press release (in English & Spanish) and watch my floor remarks here.

HB 1651 – Concerning teacher residency and apprenticeship programs.

My legislation describes the requirements teacher residency and teacher apprenticeship programs must meet. It directs the Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) to establish a process to approve teacher residency programs. These programs integrate a year of collaborative hands-on classroom teaching with an experienced mentor to develop effective, community-focused teachers. This collaborative model must be offered by a public elementary or secondary school as a PESB approved teacher preparation program. Read my press release and watch my floor remarks here.

HB 1747 – Expanding protections for applicants and employees under the Washington fair chance act.

One in five adults in our state—disproportionately people of color—have a conviction or arrest record that can show up on a routine background check for employment. My legislation clarifies that a conviction record cannot be the sole reason to deny an applicant a job. It will standardize the background check process to create consistency and expand opportunities. This legislation gets us closer to meeting the goal of the original fair chance act: that millions of Washington workers are evaluated by their qualifications and work experience so they can fairly compete for job opportunities.

WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH

This month we are celebrating and honoring the trailblazing women who have shaped history and continue to break barriers! This year’s theme for Women’s History Month is “Moving Forward Together! Women Educating & Inspiring Generations.” Let’s move forward together to continue paving the way for our daughters and granddaughters.

In Washington, more women than ever before are serving in the Legislature, in fact, more than half of the House Democratic Caucus are women!

WASHINGTON BY THE NUMBERS

Ever wonder how our state compares to other states in this great nation? Or maybe you’d like to know how many wineries, breweries and craft distilleries we have? How about what our largest exporting goods are? Wonder no more! The Department of Commerce has done the legwork for us and, in its Choose Washington website, has a page adequately named Washington by the Numbers.

Thank you for reading my newsletter. I truly appreciate your interest in state government; a true democracy is only possible when we all participate and that statement is particularly true right now.

I hope you will come to the Town Hall Meeting tomorrow, I’m looking forward to seeing you and taking your questions.

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,