Aviation Town Hall, Insurance Rates, Foreclosure Prevention, Booster Shots and more!

Aviation Town Hall NEXT WEEK

Next Wednesday, October 13 at 6 pm, Senator Karen Keiser and I will join Congressman Adam Smith at a virtual town hall focused on Washington’s aviation system.

SEATAC AIRPORT

With SeaTac Airport in our district, communities in our area are particularly impacted by anything aviation-related, including noise mitigation and environmental effects. This will be a great opportunity for you to share your thoughts, ask questions and get an update on what is happening around this issue.

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OIC Insurance Increase Update

This session, the Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) had agency-request legislation aimed at banning the use of credit scores in setting insurance premiums (such as auto, homeowners, and renter’s insurance). The bill died and the Legislature did not take action on it. However, the OIC ended up banning credit scores through an emergency rule-making order for the next three years.

The end result of the emergency rule is problematic. Consumers with a good credit score may be able to shop for a policy with a smaller rate increase, but they may not find a similar policy with a rate comparable to what they paid before the rule was issued.  Switching insurance companies can wipe away years of accrued benefits, like accident forgiveness or lower deductibles. People who switch and are involved in a collision can see rates spiked or even their policy dropped. That is less likely to happen to longtime customers.

I understand that senior citizens are the vast majority of those seeing increases.  Ninety-two percent of Washington’s seniors have a credit-based insurance score above 700, which normally would qualify them for a credit-based rate discount.

Please know that I will work with my colleagues in the legislature to explore ways we can address this situation and attempt to find a solution that benefits all consumers – including protections for people with good credit and finding ways to help people with poor credit get better rates on insurance.


Foreclosure Prevention

Ten years ago, the Legislature passed the Foreclosure Fairness Act, which I sponsored to add housing counselors and mediation to the foreclosure process. Over the years, the program has seen some changes, but its goal remains the same: to help struggling homeowners get the chance to work out the best possible outcome when they are at risk of losing their homes.

If you experience financial hardships that may impact your ability to make any of your housing payments including your mortgage, property taxes or homeowner’s dues please call the Washington Homeownership Resource Center’s Hotline 1-877-894-4663. They will refer you to free or low-cost resources that may be able to help.

If you need information in a language other than English, the operators will connect you with a third-party interpreter. You will need to be able to tell them in English what language you need for interpretation. Please wait on the line while they get an interpreter to help. They have access to interpreters who speak over 200 languages.

Foreclosure help

The Washington Homeownership Resource Center website has a thorough list of frequently asked questions, as well as a short video explaining the process. Also, on the top right corner you’ll find a drop-down menu to display the site in 15 languages.

In addition, you can visit the Department of Commerce Foreclosure Fairness Program webpage, where you will find more information and resources.

TINA TALK PREV

Tina Talk

I have a new video series where I invite members from the community for casual conversations on legislative matters and current issues, as well as to get the word out on programs & resources, such as what to do if you are facing foreclosure (see above).

Our second episode, released last week, was about the importance of language access in public schools for parents to become involved in their children’s schoolwork and activities. I am joined by Moses and Emily from Open Doors for Multicultural Families, and we also hear the experiences of two mothers, whose first language is not English, as they navigate the school system in their quest to support their kids. Click on the image below to watch it.

Tina Talk episode 2

We’ve only done two shows so far, but I have lots of plans and ideas. Our third episode, to be released later this month, will cover behavioral health, suicide prevention and the new 988 line. Stay tuned!


Vaccine Booster Shots

A third “booster” shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine has been approved by the federal government and the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup. Check the box below to see if you are eligible and click here to find a vaccination site offering booster shots.

CDC BOOSTER SHOTS


Keep in touch!

Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter and watching the videos. I hope you found the content informative. If you want to give me feedback, or you have questions about any of these issues, please send me an email or call my office anytime.

And don’t forget to join the Aviation Town Hall next week!

Sincerely,

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