Dear friends and neighbors,

Here is a quick update about what we have been up to this week in the Capitol.

It takes a village: Meet my team

Everything we do in Olympia is a team effort. I work with an extraordinary group of talented public servants who help me keep my office running year round. Meet my incredible staff in this quick video update.

Meet my staff

Constituent issue: Water efficient landscaping options

One of my greatest joys as a policymaker is helping solve problems that people from our local community bring to me. A few years ago, during the statewide drought, a constituent from Kent kept running into legal barriers as she attempted to install water efficient landscaping on her property to better conserve water due to rules implemented by her condominium unit association.

Since then, we have worked hard on legislation (House Bill 1165) that strikes a balance for homeowners, homeowner’s associations and the environment. With climate change and summer wildfires not slowing down, this is a win for both our state and planet.

Read more in Kent Reporter

The City of Kent comes to visit Olympia

This week members of the Kent City Council came to visit me to advocate for community concerns, including streamlining revenue collection for local businesses and reducing airport noise and pollution for those near Sea-Tac International Airport.

Ask Tina: Housing affordability and animal cruelty

Everyday people all over our community send my office emails about what issues matter most to them. Every few weeks I answer some of those questions in a short video update. In this edition of “Ask Tina”, you can learn more about what we are addressing in housing affordability and animal cruelty this session. Watch: Ask Tina

Bill update: “Safe Harbor” for commercially sexually exploited youth

Earlier this week, legislation (House Bill 1775) to grant youth caught up in trafficking “Safe Harbor” was passed out of the House committee on Human Services and Early Learning. The legislation would create a pilot program for operating therapeutic receiving centers for sexually exploited youth to recover from complex trauma and abuse.

I am always struck by the painful personal stories of survivors we hear during public comment, including survivor turned advocate Jeri Moomaw. For two decades, Moomaw was sold across the country beginning in her youth. Later, she faced criminal charges for her own sexual exploitation. We should be supporting survivors to heal and escape from sexual abuse. Our youth can’t wait any longer.

Watch testimony on TVW

In service,

Rep. Tina Orwall