Dear Neighbors:
We are more than half way through session and fighting hard for the families in the South Puget Sound by pushing for fair funding of our K-12 system to include special education support and more school counselors, promoting property tax relief for veterans and seniors, and challenging how we make childcare more accessible and affordable for working families.
Town Hall this Saturday
One of my favorite parts of this job is getting to talk to my neighbors about what matters most you and your families. That’s why I’m excited we will be hosting a town hall this Saturday, March 23rd.
Join your 30th District legislators at Federal Way High School, 30611 16th Ave S, Federal Way, WA 98003. Sen. Claire Wilson, Rep. Mike Pellicciotti, and I will be talking about what we’ve been working on in Olympia on your behalf, and taking your questions from 2 – 4 p.m.
Who: Sen. Claire Wilson, Rep. Mike Pellicciotti, and Rep. Kristine Reeves
When: Saturday, March 23rd from 2 – 4 p.m.
Where: Federal Way High School, 30611 16th Ave S, Federal Way, WA 98003
This is a family-friendly event, so I hope to see you there!
Can’t make it? Send us a note at Kristine.Reeves@leg.wa.gov so we know what matters most to you!
Supporting Vulnerable Children
Taking a selfie with students from Valhalla Elementary School who visited me in Olympia.
As someone who grew up in and out of foster care, I know the struggles vulnerable children face on a daily basis. Of the 9,000 Washington children in foster care, fewer than 50% graduate high school on time. Of the over 40,000 homeless students in our state, fewer than 54% graduate high school. When foster youth and homeless youth fail to graduate high school, they are significantly more likely to live in poverty, require public assistance, experience continued homelessness, or become incarcerated.
We need to take care of our most vulnerable children, which is why I introduced legislation enhancing the Puget Sound Taxpayer Accountability Account (PSTAA), which was created in the 2015 transportation budget to ensure taxpayers who voted for Sound Transit, but did not use public transportation, saw a return on their investment also. The PSTAA allows areas within the Sound Transit region to use a portion of their funding for educational services that improve educational outcomes in early learning, K-12, and higher education.
HB 1791 aims to improve the educational outcomes for children living in King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties who are in foster care, are homeless, and/or living in poverty. By addressing the serious needs of at-risk students from Pre-K to college, this legislation will be a driving force for closing the opportunity gap and help kids break the cycle of poverty. HB 1791 was passed in the House on March 6th, and had a public hearing in the Senate on March 18th.
What We Are Still Working on After “Cutoff”
As we have reached the halfway point in this legislative session, we crossed a major hurdle in the process known as policy and fiscal “cutoff.” This is the point in the legislative calendar when bills must be voted out of committee, made it through their respective budget committee and been voted off the House or Senate Floor to be sent to the opposite chamber in order to still be viable.
This session I introduced 26 bills, and nearly half are still making their way through the legislative process. Here’s a look at several of my bills now being considered in the Senate:
- Washington Childcare Access Now (WaCAN): HB 1344 puts Washington on a path to affordable and accessible childcare for all working families by 2025. We need to invest in our children to ensure our workforce of tomorrow are ready for the jobs industry and employers need. Passed off the House floor with bipartisan support, WaCAN had a public hearing in the Senate on March 18th and is scheduled to be voted out of committee on March 20th.
- Consumer Debt Relief: HB 1602 protects consumers from high percentage interest rates and wage garnishments that lead people into a cycle of poverty. The bill will ensure people can pay their bills while climbing out of debt. HB 1602 was passed in the House with bipartisan support and sent to the Senate where it has already passed out of committee.
- Working Forests: HB 1011 protects working forests and farms, which include many small, family-run organizations. With a growing population, it is important that working forests and farms are able to coexist with their neighbors. I want to ensure that this iconic industry, one our state was founded on and Federal Way’s Weyerhauser built our community upon, exists for years to come.
Two other bills that I’m working to get added into this year’s budget are HB 1053 and HB 1629:
- HB 1053 will eliminate the sales tax on menstrual hygiene products, providing tax relief to working moms and families on a budget.
- HB 1629 provides property tax relief for more disabled veterans in our state, while also streamlining the process to make sure our veterans have easy access to their earned benefits.
As always, I am focused on ensuring our kids get the best start, working families get a fair shot, veterans and military families can access their earned services and that we are building an economy that works best for all families in our state.
Please do not hesitate to let me know what Daniel and I can be working on to support you and your family!
In service,
Kristine Reeves