Dear friends & neighbors,
Friday marked policy cutoff. This means that any bill that did not pass its respective committee will not have a chance to be heard on the floor this session. I wanted to take the time to update you on where my bills stand at the moment.
Moving on
A bill I’m very proud of will be advancing to be possibly heard on the floor. HB 1622 which allows unions to bargain over how AI is implemented in their workplace. There are no current statewide, consistent regulations on how AI is introduced or used in the workplace, and we still don’t know what the implications are going to be, so we need to ensure that workers have a say now.
Back to the drawing board
Working with stakeholders to improve bills that didn’t make it to the floor is an important piece of the legislative process and I look forward to doing that with HB 1630 over the interim. I will continue to listen to my fellow scientists as well as those who work in the dairy industry to find a solution that helps us fight climate change without putting too many additional burdens on farmers and small business owners. This bill is about making data driven policy and we can’t do that without input from the affected industries.
Also needing work with stakeholders is my HB 1735 which bans the force feeding of poultry to make faux gras. Force feeding either by machine or hand is very harmful for the birds while creating pain, fear, and stress. These birds will become so unhealthy that the harvested liver can contain bacteria harmful to humans. So, consuming faux gras from force feed ducks and geese is potentially extremely unhealthy and bad for vital organs like your liver. Good news, for those who enjoy Pate or Foie Gra force feeding birds is not the only way to produce this delicacy. During the interim, I will continue working with stakeholders to find a compromise that helps protect restaurants and the birds.
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As always, it’s a pleasure to serve you in Olympia. Please don’t hesitate to reach out, my door is always open.
In service,
Lisa Parshley
State Representative, 22nd Legislative District