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Dear friends and neighbors,
Being back in Olympia for session has been great. Working alongside my colleagues and meeting with folks who visit makes for productive and very fast-paced days. But you don’t have to come to our state capital if you want to testify in a hearing or if you want to meet with me to share your concerns. For information on testifying remotely click here. And to connect with my office send an email to my Legislative Assistant, Hunter.Cooper@leg.wa.gov.
Bill’s Bills
I have a big piece of legislation that has garnered a lot of attention, HB 1333, because it deals with a sensitive subject: violent extremism. I’m sure you’ve heard that the first step to solving a problem is acknowledging that it exists. There’s no denying that violence is a problem, that we’ve had it for a very long time, that it’s become aggravated in recent years and that it’s weaved into our daily lives, making us feel unsafe. But it doesn’t have to be that way. We can and must do something to reduce violence in all its forms, including violence that manifests itself as hatred and extremism.
My bill passed out of the committee I chair, State Government and Tribal Relations, on January 31 and has been referred to the Appropriations Committee. It would create a commission within the Attorney General’s office to study, over a period of two years, how to best address this problem.
Click here or on the image below for more information on this measure in my latest video update:
While this legislation has been misunderstood by some, most of what we have heard from the public, stakeholders and the media has been favorable. These three recent stories below do a good job at portraying why my bill could make a significant difference in our communities, check them out:
Other bills:
My legislation authorizing the state auditor to receive non-conviction data, HB 1179, passed the House on January 26 and has been referred to the Senate Law and Justice Committee.
This measure is a follow-up to a bill we passed in 2021, providing meaningful transparency about investigations (required under Initiative 940, passed by Washington voters in 2018) and charging decisions made after deadly force is used by police.
To conduct a thorough, accurate, and transparent audit, the state auditor needs access to information that has been redacted in the incident reports
received by the independent investigation teams. This year’s bill would provide more transparency by giving the state auditor the authority to receive criminal history record information, which would allow for open discussions when access is needed in order to complete an audit.
Another bill that is moving is HB 1265, which may sound familiar. Last year a version of this bill passed the House in an almost unanimous vote but stalled in the Senate. So here we are again, though slightly tweaked: it modifies the property tax exemption for property owned by a nonprofit used as an adult family home for the developmentally disabled to ensure that the exemption may be claimed whether the services are provided by a nonprofit or another licensed provider.
Protecting Reproductive Rights
Advocates and supporters from across the state came to Olympia last week to voice their concerns and make sure that Washington doesn’t follow what other states are doing: banning or restricting access to abortion and gender-affirming care. Click here or on the image below for a very short video of some of what took place at the rally.
As you saw in the video, the goal is to GET IT DONE: protecting and expanding access to reproductive freedom by keeping reproductive care available, accessible, and affordable for every resident in the state with a comprehensive package of bills:
- HB 1155 (My Health, My Data Act) blocks websites and apps from collecting and sharing health data. It also prohibits the sale of Washingtonian’s health data, the use of “geofences” to send unsolicited messages to persons at health facilities and requires companies that collect personal health data to create, maintain, and publish a privacy policy for consumer health data.
- HB 1340 ensures that Washington’s providers cannot be disciplined in our state because they provide reproductive or gender affirming care in accordance with Washington state law, regardless of where their patients reside.
- HB 1469 (Shield Law) protects patients and providers of reproductive and gender-affirming care in Washington from retribution by other states.
- HB 1286protects employers who provide support for reproductive care by allowing them to recover damages here in Washington if targeted by hostile lawsuits or judgments from other states.
- HB 1263 (Keep Our Care Act) prohibits hospitals from merging if the consolidation diminishes patients’ access to services — including reproductive, end-of-life and gender-affirming care — by creating a system of public oversight that ensures people’s needs are prioritized over corporate growth.
- HB 1115 prohibits co-pays and deductible requirements for anyone seeking an abortion.
- HJR 4201: a joint resolution amending the Constitution to address reproductive freedom.
Working Families Tax Credit
The application for the Working Families Tax Credit is now open! This new program for Washington workers will provide payments of up to $1,200 to low-to-moderate income individuals and families. The amounts are based on income level and the number of qualifying children (if any).
This program will help us stimulate local economies, promote racial equity, and provide the financial stability Washington families need right now. To find more information and see if you qualify in several available languages, visit WorkingFamiliesCredit.wa.gov
Thank you for reading my newsletter. If you need more information on any of the issues discussed here, or on any other legislative matter, please don’t hesitate to contact my office.
Sincerely,
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