Friends and neighbors,
We’ve hit the half-way mark of this legislative session and we’ve been debating and voting on bills on the House Floor ’round the clock for a week. We have four more days to pass bills before we begin hearing Senate bills on Wednesday.
This is just about the perfect point in the session to meet with constituents, so we hope you’ll join us at our virtual town hall on Saturday, March 13, at 4 p.m. (Note that the original time has changed.)
Sen. Mark Mullet will be joining us and together we’ll report on where we are and what’s next in the process. We will address issues that matter to you, including economic recovery, pandemic assistance, racial equity, and policing – and answer any questions you may have.
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Click here or on the image above for all the information on how to watch and ask questions live. If you’d prefer to submit your questions in advance, you can do so by filling out this survey or responding directly to this email. Hope to see you next weekend!
Updates on the COVID-19 vaccine
We’re happy to see that Washington’s teachers and childcare providers are now being prioritized for vaccinations! Our state’s educators are essential, and ensuring they have access to the vaccine puts our schools one step closer to being able to fully re-open.
The Department of Health is working to get clarity from the federal administration on vaccine supply to support this directive, and we hope to know more about how educators can best access the vaccine very soon. You can read the governor’s statement on the new directive here.
In addition, the governor recently announced a new projected vaccine eligibility timeline. In this new timeline, critical workers in some congregate settings (including agriculture, food processing, grocery stores, public transit, and corrections) as well as first responders and other staff in congregate living settings will be able to receive the vaccine on March 22.
This graphic offers a snapshot of the timeline, but for more details here is the news release from the Department of Health outlining the plan.
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We’ve made a lot of progress lately – 1.7 million Washingtonians have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and nearly 44,000 doses are being administered every day. Increasing vaccine access and supply is key to continuing to save lives by vaccinating those with the highest health risks, keeping our essential workers safe, and getting our children back in school.
Can you believe it? 1 in 5 people in King County have received at least the first dose! Click on the image below for more information.
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An update on our bills…
…from Representative Bill Ramos
Addressing environmental justice in our cities and towns is long overdue. I’m happy my sponsored legislation, HB 1216, was passed out of the House this week with strong bipartisan support!
This legislation provides funds to the Department of Natural Resources to help our cities and communities perform urban forestry surveys and tree inventories, and establish urban forest management plans and tree conservation measures.
Community and urban forestry programs have not seen any funds for over a decade, and our state experiences tree loss each year due to issues ranging from climate change to insects and disease. This is something I’ve been working on with lots of stakeholders for multiple years, so I’m proud to see it pass and these vital programs funded.
Watch my Floor remarks below:
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This bill will help create greener neighborhoods and advance environmental justice. As cities grow, healthy tree canopies will help address pollution and climate change impacts by sequestering carbon. Trees planted in cities help shade buildings, resulting in energy conservation, and reduce temperatures to mitigate heat island effect. It’s a huge step to improve environmental sustainability, protect public health, preserve nature, and address climate equity across Washington!
…from Representative Lisa Callan
I’m happy to report that a number of my major bills have officially passed through the House with strong bipartisan support!
Last Thursday, the House passed HB 1373, the bill I sponsored at the request of the Legislative Youth Advisory Council. Working with this talented group of young people, we’ve learned that students all across the state identify mental health, well-being, and suicide prevention as top priorities.
Students in crisis don’t know who to contact, and access to information shouldn’t be a barrier to getting help. By requiring school districts to post the contact information for behavioral health organizations on their websites and social media platforms, we’ll ensure easy access to these resources and support student success.
Last Friday, we also passed HB 1325. As you may remember, this bill is the product of a diverse group of over 200 statewide stakeholders, including state agencies, healthcare providers, schools, behavioral health advocacy groups, and parents and youth with lived experience. It helps address the dramatic rise in the behavioral health needs of our children and youth by ensuring access to a provider consultation line for perinatal behavioral health needs, a referral access line for all families to add in finding behavioral health resources, and aligning Medicaid codes to best practices for assessing and diagnosing infants and toddlers.
Watch my Floor remarks below:
That same day, HB 1295, which addresses the educational needs of our youth involved in the juvenile justice system, passed unanimously with a 97-0 vote. Like I’ve said before, youth in our institutional settings deserve every opportunity to receive a basic education, just like their peers do. My colleagues and I agree the time for decisive action is now.
Our bills are now on their way to the Senate. We’ll keep you updated on their progress as they move through the committee process.
We appreciate your taking the time to read this newsletter. If you want more information on any of the topics discussed here or on any other legislative issue, please contact our offices.
We hope you’ll join us for the 5th-district virtual town hall Saturday, March 13, at 4 p.m.
It is our great honor to serve you.
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