OLYMPIA- State Reps. Debra Lekanoff and Alex Ramel received new committee assignments for the upcoming legislative session. Lekanoff, D-Bow, has been chosen as the vice chair of the House State Government and Tribal Relations Committee. Lekanoff is currently the only Native American member of the Legislature and previously served as the Government Affairs Director for the Swinomish Tribe.
Lekanoff was also appointed to the Appropriations Committee and will continue to serve on the Rural Development, Agriculture, and Natural Resources Committee. Previously she served as vice chair of the Energy and Environment Committee and the Capital Budget Committee.
“I am committed to working with our 29 federally-recognized tribes to ensure that our state government works hand in hand with our tribal and local communities to serve the people of Washington in an efficient and transparent manner,” said Lekanoff. “My experience at the Legislature continues to grow as I explore new committee assignments and continue to build relationships with my fellow legislative colleagues. Serving on the budget-making Appropriations Committee will be critical in sharing the voice of the 40th District as Washington faces one of the worst economic crises in state history.”
Ramel, D-Bellingham, a graduate of Western Washington University’s Huxley College of the Environment, was appointed to the Energy & Environment Committee as well as the Finance and Transportation committees. Since his appointment to the Legislature last January he served on the Commerce & Gaming and the Housing, Community Development & Veterans committees during the 2020 legislative session.
“Washington state is poised to lead the nation in turning the tide on climate change and create thousands of living wage jobs. As we do so, we must acknowledge that the impacts of pollution have fallen more heavily on some communities than others, so that we can begin to repair those historic injustices,” said Ramel. “Building the clean energy future we want will take sustained commitment. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to join the Energy and Environment Committee and get to work on legislation to create a cleaner and brighter tomorrow.”
A complete list of committee assignments can be found here.
The 40th Legislative District covers San Juan County as well as parts of Skagit and Whatcom counties including Anacortes and a portion of Bellingham.