Friends and neighbors,
I hope this email finds you as well as can be expected during these trying times. With budget challenges and federal actions that might further amplify them, we have a lot of work to do to support and protect the people in our state. To that end, I would like to provide you with an update on some of my activities this interim.
Responding to federal action
Federal actions have put a lot of the progress we’ve made in Washington state at risk. Whether it’s immigration policy or federal budget cuts, our state is left to deal with the brunt of these policies. Where possible, we are working to push back on these actions. Attorney General Nick Brown has sued the Trump administration over Medicaid funding cuts for Planned Parenthood and conditions placed on receiving federal funding.
We passed legislation to prevent state agencies from cooperating with ICE officials. Even so, I was dismayed to see that the Department of Licensing felt compelled to share information. We are working to tighten the laws to make sure this won’t continue to happen.
I am exploring ways to backfill areas where federal funding is being cut. For instance, I am working on legislation or a budget request to fund Literacy Source, which provides free, accessible literacy programs for adults. When their federal funds were illegally withheld from our state’s adult basic education programs, I began work with our state officials to challenge the withholding of funds.
Holding government organizations accountable
Throughout my time as a legislator, I have constantly fought for government accountability and the public’s right to access government records. I am honored to be continuing this work as the Chair of the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee (JLARC), which is tasked with making sure government programs are working as intended, assessing the effectiveness of tax preferences, and reviewing whether programs should be renewed as they near their sunset date.
Basically, if it happens in state government, JLARC can review it and recommend continuation, changes, or termination. This is an incredibly important joint committee that works to improve the functions of our state government.
Important efforts I plan to lead as Chair are:
- Improving how the Legislature reviews tax exemptions and preferences to ensure that we are not sacrificing our ability to fund schools and health care for tax breaks for corporations that never end and do not serve well-thought-out policy goals.
- Continuing an effort I have led to have a strategic management plan for the Department of Employment Security so that our state no longer has over 100,000 phone calls a month dropped for people seeking help with their unemployment benefits.
- Ensuring that the Liquor and Cannabis Board tracks the cannabis and CBD produced by growers and dispensaries to make sure nothing falls into the wrong hands. A recent audit found that two to three times more CBD is produced in Washington each year than is being legally sold.
Finally, as an advocate, I want to share a recent Seattle Times article about why I do the work I do. Government transparency and record retention isn’t just about accountability; it’s also about maintaining institutional knowledge to help people manage the challenges they face. This is especially true for people with disabilities who require accommodations or therapies to thrive. Recently, a mother found out that relevant data that would have helped her child navigate school was deleted by OSPI. This is unacceptable, and we must do better. When government is transparent, government is effective and equitable.
Making Aurora Avenue Safer
Over the last few years, I have worked with my colleagues in the House and Senate to secure funding to make improvements to protect pedestrians and improve the business climate along the Aurora Avenue corridor. It was my privilege to join my seatmates, Senator Javier Valdez, Rep. Darya Farivar, and other community leaders to walk along Aurora Avenue and talk about ways to improve safety, walkability, and improve the quality of life in the adjoining neighborhoods.
Supporting Lake City
Rep. Farivar, Sen. Valdez, and I recently joined Mayor Harrel to talk to Lake City residents and small business owners to discuss challenges facing the community. One of the key issues we discussed was the need for a new community center. As a delegation, we have worked to allocate significant state resources to the construction of a new community center that will be designed with robust community input.
To add to these challenges, Fred Meyer (owned by Kroger) announced last week that it was closing its Lake City store in 60 days. This will create a “food desert” for thousands of residents who rely on Fred Meyer for groceries and basic household items. It will also eliminate the last pharmacy serving the community. The housing density for Lake City as a “hub urban village” is based in large part on this store’s presence. Leaving this six-acre site vacant will harm community safety and efforts to improve the business climate in Lake City. Like many of you, I shop there regularly.
Your 46th District legislators and County Council Member Rod Dembowski met with Fred Meyer executives two days after the announcement. City Council Member Debora Juarez is also working closely with us. We asked Fred Meyer/Kroger to delay their closure while engaging with city, county, and state officials to discuss our continued efforts to improve public safety, reduce theft, and revitalize Lake City’s neighborhood community businesses. They told us they were unwilling to delay closure while having a dialogue about policy changes to incentivize their investment in Lake City or address public safety and theft issues. Therefore, we will be developing policy proposals that include incentives for serving an underserved community, community safety improvements, as well as penalties and zoning restrictions to make it unattractive to abandon communities such as Lake City.
Please reach out with any thoughts, ideas, questions, or concerns. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Rep. Gerry Pollet