Creating housing accessibility, affordability and stability

Dear neighbors,

With just nine weeks left in the legislative session, we continue fighting for working families’ access to affordable childcare, fully funding K-12 special education and asking companies pay their fair share of their employee’s healthcare costs.

Here are some milestones.

Creating housing accessibility, affordability and stability

Our housing affordability and homelessness crisis needs a “systems-approach.” This is why, as an economic developer and a member of the Housing, Community Development and Veterans committee, I am tackling three key components of the housing market:

  • Accessibility – ensuring supply and demand are met through development, while addressing local permitting challenges.
  • Affordability – focusing on rental agreements, costs and lowering property tax burdens.
  • Stability – preventing homelessness by ensuring the housing market has a roof for everyone.

I will keep putting people first and fighting for a housing market that works for all families in our community.

Grieving families deserve dignity in accessing digital assets

As technology becomes more centralized in our lives, many of our most important assets are being stored online. When you or a loved one passes away, a digital footprint is left behind – a favorite song, family photographs, important financial documents.

While Washington adopted legislation in 2016 that provided pathways for designated persons to access digital assets upon one’s death, there is no mechanism to hold corporations accountable to turn over this personal data.

Over the summer, a constituent brought this to my attention after spending eight months attempting to access her late husband’s data. Eight months is too long to wait for this important personal information.

This is why I sponsored HB 1150, which would create consequences for big corporations that do not comply with the law. Grieving families should not be denied this access.

See my testimony on TVW.

Bipartisanship begets first-ever Veterans and Military Families Caucus

As a daughter, granddaughter and twin sister of combat veterans, I have spent my career championing issues for veterans, military service members and their families. This is why, along with 17 of my House colleagues, we founded the first ever Veterans and Military Families Caucus.

This bipartisan group will give our veterans, active service members and their families, a unified voice to advocate for the unique issues they face. All members have served in the military, are from a military family or represent a large defense community. Read more about our members here.

As always, please let me know what matters most to you and your family.

In Service,
Rep. Kristine Reeves