Friends,
Keeping you informed is a huge part of my job as your representative.
Here’s a quick update about the first week of the 2021 session.
A guide to the first—and hopefully last — virtual session
Every January, your citizen-lawmakers travel to Olympia to carry out the peoples’ business in our state capitol.
This year is unusual due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. It’s unsafe to have lawmakers, staff, and visitors from around the state at the capitol. In normal years, it’s normal to have 10,000 people arrive for special events.
To safeguard everyone’s health, we passed temporary rules for a remote session.
This means that every committee meeting, work session, debate, and vote on the floor of each chamber will be televised and archived by tvw.org.
It also means that we are expanding the ways you can access information, connect with lawmakers, and submit remote testimony for committee hearings.
In this remote session, the people of Washington will have more access to their Legislature than ever before. Any meetings that were public during in-person session will still be accessible remotely.
I’ve advocated for a long time that constituents should be able to testify in committee hearings remotely. This year, no one will have to travel to Olympia to participate in their democracy.
Check out the graphic below or click here for a short video by Speaker Laurie Jinkins and Senator Andy Billig, a Q&A slideshow, and more information on the many ways we encourage you to participate in the legislative process without leaving your house.
Legislative priorities in 2021
Here are my major priorities for this session.
I’m working with lawmakers from both parties on promoting economic development and recovery in rural communities, boosting access to higher education and family-wage jobs, and sustaining environmental and economic health in Washington.
Specific legislation and efforts this year include dual-credit programs in our schools, better ferry service to connect our communities and businesses, hybrid/electric vessels which save money on fuel and protect the environment, and sustainable agriculture.
I am also working with my colleagues to support local school districts and students experiencing learning loss due to remote learning.
Finally, broadband internet is an especially critical issue for all of us in the 10th District and throughout rural parts of the state.
The remote session of the legislature is just one more example of why every family, school, and business in Washington—regardless of zip code—needs affordable broadband.
This isn’t a luxury today. It’s a basic, essential service like water and electricity—and I’m fighting to have it treated that way.
Many working moms and dads are trying to work remotely, often sharing the same internet connection with their kids while they do remote school. Without broadband internet, that’s almost impossible to do.
While it’s private companies that offer broadband service, the state can do more to encourage this essential infrastructure.
Part of the work on broadband internet is being done by the Capital Budget Committee, which controls state construction spending and has invested heavily in improving access to broadband internet across the state.
You can see the two presentations lawmakers received here:
Broadband Connectivity for K-12 access
State Broadband Office – Broadband Connectivity
To help this effort, you can take the state’s annual Broadband Access and Speed Survey, which only takes a minute to test your internet and show you a statewide map of results from you and others.
https://housedemocrats.wa.gov/tmp/2020/12/State-broadband-map.png
Please keep in touch
Feel free to contact my office if you have ideas, questions, or comments.
It’s an honor to serve as your representative. Thank you, and I hope to hear from you soon!
