Dear friends and neighbors,
We are approaching the final stretch of legislative session. Ahead we have five weeks to finalize the state’s capital, operating, and transportation budgets, finish reviewing Senate bills that have come to the House, and reconcile differences between the House and Senate positions on legislation. In this issue, I’ll provide an update on our joint town hall last weekend, share a few great Senate bills to keep an eye on, and discuss the ferry system. I hope you’ll find it useful!
Town Hall Thank You
Thanks so much to everyone who showed up to our first in-person town hall in the past three years – and thanks to Rep Lekanoff and Sen Lovelett for our great teamwork, as always. It was great to see many familiar faces and meet some constituents for the first time.
A core part of this job is making sure that all our neighbors in our community can connect with their state government and help us understand how to better solve real problems. After session, I look forward to hosting more events like this in-person in our community and online.
If you had a question that we weren’t able to get to, and you filled out a comment card, someone will be in touch soon. If you weren’t able to make it, you’re always welcome to email me.
Senate Bills to Keep an Eye on
Senate Bill 5144 – It’s a great thing for the climate that we are using more battery electric vehicles and electric bikes and other electric alternatives. As a result, battery use will increase in the future for transportation and personal devices. The good news is that the lithium and rare minerals used to make most batteries are completely recyclable. My colleague, Senator Stanford, has introduced legislation to create and fund a statewide stewardship program. The program will incentivize battery producers to act with increasing responsibility to improve recycling rates, safe disposal, and waste reduction. This will help us dramatically reduce the lifecycle impacts of the energy transition. I am proud to have supported SB 5144 in passing the House Environment & Energy Committee this week with strong bipartisan support.
Senate Bill 5179 – Washington state’s death with dignity law, passed by the voters in 2009, gives terminally ill patients who are in pain a way to end their lives on their own terms. Unfortunately, we have heard over and over that there are provisions that create difficulty in accessing end of life care. Senator Pedersen has introduced a bill that would reduce waiting periods, improve accessibility to medication through home delivery, and expand care providers to nurse practitioners and physicians’ assistants. The legislation also outlines provisions individuals must meet in order to qualify for death with dignity such as mental competence and an expectation of living less than six months into the future. Washingtonians deserve great end of life care, including making death with dignity accessible. I am proud to support this legislation.
State Ferry Updates
The San Juan islands continue to face unreliable and inconsistent ferry service. Disruptions over the past two years have been a result of both workforce shortages and vessel maintenance. While we have seen significant improvements in the workforce shortages over the past few months, the challenges with vessels are still a long way from addressed. At the end of February, this was evidenced by the disappointing announcement of the prolonged suspension of the vital economic route between Anacortes and Sidney, BC until 2030.
Getting a stable and reliable number of vessels into the fleet is a necessary step to support the marine highway our community relies on. Last year, my colleagues and I worked to secure $350 million to address workforce shortages in the ferry system and over $1 billion toward new vessel construction. But having the money dedicated and getting the vessels built are not the same thing. That’s why I am supporting House Bill 1846 which can help increase the speed that Washington can procure new, more reliable, and more efficient ferries. I am hopeful these combined efforts will result in major improvements for both short- and long-term reliability.
Hospitality Grants
The Washington State Department of Commerce has a new hospitality grant, with applications opened on March 14th. This program will award one-time grants to eligible restaurants, hotels, motels, and others hospitality businesses in Washington State that were negatively impacted by COVID-19. Follow this link to learn more about program eligibility and to subscribe for updates on this opportunity.
Visit from the Tulip Festival Ambassadors
As the end of legislative session becomes more present in the horizon, the dirt softens, and tulips begin to emerge. This week, I was honored to have Tulip Festival Ambassadors join us in Olympia. They met with elected officials across the three legislative districts encompassing Skagit County, plus Governor Inslee, and the Secretary of State.
Generously, they presented framed prints of this year’s Tulip Festival Poster. Harper McCown and Carter See are the student ambassadors, a rich tradition that’s available to 4th and 5th grade students from Skagit County.
Share your thoughts with me
Connecting with you during session helps guide me in addressing the needs of our communities across the 40th district. If you come down to Olympia, please schedule a time for us to meet by emailing our office, so you can share your priorities with me. My staff and I are also happy to meet remotely.
In service,
Rep. Alex Ramel
State Representative