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Dear friends and neighbors,
Last week saw the beginning of the 105-day legislative session for 2023. This session welcomed the most diverse cohort of representatives in Washington state history. When we say we are committed to the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion, we mean it, since we currently make up 43 percent of the House Democratic Caucus.
This past Monday we passed a House Resolution honoring the life and legacy of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The speech delivered in the House chamber by my colleague, Rep. David Hackney, was particularly on point and I’d like to share it with you, click here to watch his remarks.
Learning this chairmanship business
In December I was appointed chair of the State Government and Tribal Relations Committee, sometimes referred to as SGOV, which deals with issues like elections, campaign finance, tribal relations, state agency structure, and many other topics that are closely related. Serving in this capacity is a great honor and a big responsibility.
As of today, the committee has heard testimony on several pieces of legislation and has passed four bills, including an update to the Washington Voting Rights Act.
Click here for a glimpse at all the measures we are working on.
In addition to leading SGOV, this session I am also serving on the Transportation Committee, and the Community Safety, Justice, & Reentry Committee.
Bill’s bills
I have introduced four bills so far, you can read about them and follow their progress by clicking here. That same link will also take you to the list of bills I am cosponsoring.
In this newsletter I’d like to tell you a bit about HB 1333, which would establish the Domestic Violent Extremism Commission.
While home-grown extremism has always been a part of our history, there’s no denying we’re seeing a rise in extremist activity, which is putting our communities at risk. But why is it happening? I want to get to the bottom of this issue, and I believe this legislation can get us there. If we learn what is feeding this trend, we’ll be able to fight it more effectively and keep families across the state safe. Click here or on the image below to watch a 1-minute video on this legislation:
Want to learn more? HB 1333 will be heard in my committee next Tuesday afternoon and you can watch the hearing on TVW.
And if you have something to say about this bill, or any other legislation, you can also sign up to provide testimony by coming to Olympia or from your house on your computer, which brings me to the next section of this newsletter.
How to participate
Over the past two years we held virtual legislative sessions due to the high risk of contagion presented by the COVID pandemic. This meant we had to develop ways to effectively function remotely, including making it possible for constituents to continue participating in the legislative process, and we decided to maintain that ability now that we are back at the Capitol:
For all the action in both, House and Senate, go to TVW.org, to stream hearings, work sessions, floor debates and much more live, or you can access recorded content whenever you have time.
Want to do your own research on specific bills? It’s easy, you can look up legislation by lawmaker, bill number or topic.
The legislative process can be hard to follow, so here’s an overview of what we do from start to finish.
There are three ways for you to share your thoughts on any bill: sign up to testify either in person in Olympia, or through our virtual option from your computer anywhere in the world as long as you have internet access, or you can submit your testimony in writing. Here’s more information on how to testify.
Send us your kid for a week!
Our page program is back! In addition to contributing to the efficient operation of the legislature, pages receive daily civics instruction, draft bills, and participate in mock committee hearings. Pages are sponsored by members of the Legislature, usually from the district in which they live.
Taking part in the page program is a great opportunity for young people to gain a unique perspective of the legislative process. If you have a teen who could benefit from this experience, I encourage you to consider sending them to Olympia for a week.
For more information, please visit the House Page Program website.
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Stay in touch
We are wrapping up week 2 of this 15-week session and I would like to hear from you. Please keep in mind that your input is truly necessary for me to do a good job representing you. Contact my Legislative Assistant, Hunter.Cooper@leg.wa.gov to schedule a meeting either in person or remotely, and don’t hesitate to call or email with your concerns and ideas, all my contact info is below.
Sincerely,
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