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Dear friends and neighbors,
I hope you and your family are healthy and staying safe this holiday season.
First, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you for the many calls and emails of support and trust I have received on being selected 2nd vice-chair of the Transportation Committee.
The committee has had about 80 listening sessions with various stakeholders over the past seven months. Everything we’ve learned from those sessions will help us develop a transportation package for the next 16 years as we write the budget for the 2021-23 cycle. I will stress the importance of looking at every decision through an equity lens to ensure nobody is left behind.
For more information on this new appointment and my other committee assignments, please read this press release.
Secondly, I want to let you know that we will carry out all our legislative work remotely next session. This is necessary because, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing so many people together in Olympia would turn the Capitol Dome into a Petri dish.
We want to make sure everyone is safe, while also ensuring everyone has access to state government activities. So here are five ways for you to stay connected to your legislature from the safety of your home:
Learn—The whole legislative process from start to finish.
Watch—Go to TVW for broadcasts of debates, votes and committee meetings in the House and Senate. If you miss watching a hearing or floor action live, no problem, TVW keeps an extensive archive of past events.
Research—The Legislative website has an entire page with different ways to look up legislation.
Testify—Holding a remote session does not mean you don’t get to have your say. The House will soon unveil new methods for remote testimony. Stay tuned for more information or contact my office. We’ll help keep you informed about how to submit testimony to legislative committees.
Explore—Visit the main House Democrats Caucus site to monitor what we’re doing, including my own website where you’ll find press releases, past newsletters and videos. You can also check out my official Facebook page.
Police Accountability and the Policing Policy Leadership Team
When someone is shot or killed by police and the law doesn’t offer a pathway to justice, it damages the community, the reputation of law enforcement, and the entire concept of justice.
After the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers, historic protests against racism and police brutality broke out across the country, including right here in Washington.
These events spurred the creation of the Policing Policy Leadership Team (PPLT) in which I, along with five other legislators of color and the chair of the Public Safety Committee, are examining current policy to develop a plan aimed at rebuilding our communities’ trust in law enforcement.
The PPLT has been meeting with families of victims of police violence, community representatives, members of law enforcement and academics, among others to craft legislation that truly holds police accountable and creates equal justice in our state.
Working closely with these stakeholders, as well as with members of the Black, Brown and Native American communities, the Governor’s Task Force on Independent Investigations on Police Use of Force, and Senate Democrats, the PPLT is developing a comprehensive package of bills to:
- Strengthen police accountability measures.
- Limit questionable police tactics and the use of deadly force.
- Increase transparency of police activity.
- Ensure truly independent investigations and prosecutions of egregious police misconduct.
Police officers are the first and often only interaction the public has with our government, so it is imperative that we rebuild our communities’ trust in law enforcement. This coming session, we will prioritize measures to ensure that preserving human life is a top priority for our police officers and that they are held to the highest standards.
Addressing racial equity in state policy
Gov. Inslee wants to invest $365 million to dismantle racist structural barriers and ensure equal opportunity for communities of color across Washington. The governor’s 2021-23 budget proposal comes after a year of racial equity protests across the country and marginalized communities disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
When the Legislature convenes next month, House Democrats will roll out our own budget proposal. Reflecting our commitment to make Washington an anti-racist state, our budget will also include:
- Establishing the Office of Independent Investigations to conduct investigations of police use of excessive force.
- Funding the Office of Equity, passed in the 2020 session, within the governor’s office to introduce equitable and inclusive practices in the state government and services.
- Extending the Washington COVID-19 Immigrant Relief Fund to help immigrant workers who can’t receive federal assistance due to their status.
This package addresses systemic issues more effectively to better serve the most vulnerable and marginalized communities in our state.
Keep in touch
As you can see, this coming session, in both policy and budget committees, we will focus on making equity, social justice and environmental justice priorities to help lift traditionally underserved communities and communities that have been negatively impacted over the years.
Thank you for reading this newsletter; if you need information on these or other legislative issues, please contact my office.
My best wishes to you and yours over the holidays, and health and prosperity for the new year.
Sincerely,
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