Dear friends and neighbors,
We just completed the third week of session! It was a busy one for me with three of my bills being heard in their respective committees, and next week will be even busier with six bill hearings scheduled! Here are all my bills that I spoke about since my last update:
HB 1491 Transit Oriented Development
I know we talked about this last time, but it was heard in committee this week and I’m excited it’s already scheduled for an executive session. Once it passes out of committee, it will move on to the Rules committee before hopefully being heard on the floor. We’re getting closer to this becoming reality!
HB 1515 or the Sip Responsibly and Stroll Bill
This update to our current liquor laws will allow responsible consumption by giving attendees who are 21 and over at certain events at Seattle Center the option to buy a drink and then move freely within the enclosed, monitored, and secure civic campus. As we prepare for the 2026 World Cup and hosting the Seattle Center Fan Zone, this is an important time to ensure we have the regulatory and safety structure in place to support truly great events at the Seattle Center. The bill will also allow some flexibility for restaurants and other businesses that offer outdoor dining, including allowing businesses in some neighborhoods to share outdoor dining space. Our goal is to help all hospitality businesses in all cities be better prepared to provide welcoming, safe, and manageable outdoor pedestrian environments – especially during high volume summer events. I am working with the City of Seattle, the Seattle Center and other great organizations on this bill to ensure that our district is well positioned to host events around next year’s World Cup games.
HB 1499 Ending legal obligation fees
Legal Obligation Fees (LFOs) poverty fees are essentially an indigent tax that creates barriers to successful reentry for people who have served their time, an additional burden beyond restitution and fees that a convicted person may be required to pay. Poverty fees do not go to victims, they just force vulnerable families into a cycle of debt. Above all else, they are a bad public investment, with Washington state spending around a million dollars a year trying to collect money from indigent people who just don’t have it. Ending this practice is the right thing to do and sets our courts on a more fiscally responsible footing.
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Government at the Grocery Store Townhall
Excited about these bills? Want to hear more about what I’m working on? Come join myself and my seatmates at Ken’s Market in Greenwood on Saturday the 8th to hear about our legislative priorities and to share yours!
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It’s a pleasure serving you in Olympia. As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out my office door is always open!
In service,
Julia Reed, State Representative, 36th Legislative District