Dear friends and neighbors, 

We’ve wrapped up the 2026 legislative session, and I want to take a moment to connect with you and share what this session means for you and your family. 

Every decision I make in Olympia is grounded in the conversations I have with you: parents working to support their kids, small business owners trying to stay afloat, students chasing their dreams, and neighbors who care deeply about the future of our community. This year, I remained focused on the priorities I hear about most: strengthening our schools, building a more resilient local economy, and protecting the environment we all share. 

While not every fight ended the way we hoped, I stayed committed to showing up for our district, advocating for fairness, and pushing for solutions that reflect our values. 

Every child deserves a strong, supportive education, no matter their ZIP code, family income, or housing situation. This session, I remained deeply focused on making sure our students here in Federal Way and Auburn have access to the opportunities they deserve. 

I want to be clear: I voted against efforts to defund education, because I believe our schools should be strengthened, not scaled back. Our students are still recovering from years of disruption, and now is the time to invest in them, not pull resources away. 

That’s why I introduced legislation to address long-standing funding inequities that impact our district. My bills, HB 2562 and HB 2580, were designed to modernize how the state supports districts like ours that rely heavily on local levies to fund essential programs like arts, STEM, and student support services. Right now, communities like ours are effectively penalized for stepping up for our students. These bills would help stabilize school budgets and ensure our kids have the same opportunities as students across Washington. 

I will continue this work because fixing these funding disparities is essential to delivering the quality education our students deserve. 

I’m also proud that we made progress this session in supporting one of the most urgent needs in our community: students experiencing homelessness. Our district has one of the highest rates of student homelessness in the state, and too many young people are trying to learn while facing housing instability. 

This year, we passed my bill, HB 2594, to strengthen protections and supports for homeless students, helping ensure they can stay connected to school, access critical resources, and have a fair shot at success. This is about meeting students where they are and making sure no child falls through the cracks. 

Because when we invest in our students, we invest in the future of our entire community. 

Caring for our environment means protecting our health, our homes, and our future. Here in our district, that means clean air and water, safer communities in the face of wildfires, and making sure every family has access to the resources they need to thrive. 

This session, I continued working on solutions that reflect both the urgency of our environmental challenges and the realities facing working families. 

One area I’ve been focused on is reducing waste and building a more sustainable future. My bill, HB 1420, takes an important first step in addressing textile waste–one of the fastest-growing contributors to our landfills. While it didn’t make it across the finish line this year, my goal is clear: better understand how clothing and textiles are managed at the end of their life so we can reduce waste, lower costs for local governments, and move toward smarter, more sustainable systems. 

In addition, I introduced HB 2170 to expand economic opportunities through what are known as “ecosystem services”–the natural benefits our lands provide, like clean air and water, carbon storage, and climate resilience. 

This legislation would authorize the Department of Natural Resources to enter into contracts for ecosystem service projects on public lands, creating new revenue streams that support schools, communities, and public services while also incentivizing environmental stewardship. It’s about recognizing that our natural resources are not just something to protect, but also something that, when managed responsibly, can deliver real economic and community benefits. 

While these bill did not pass this session, I remain committed to advancing innovative, forward-thinking solutions like this that both protect our environment and support our local economy. 

I sponsored a few other environmental bills, too:  

HB 2682 strengthens how state agencies apply environmental justice principles under the HEAL Act, helping ensure that communities, especially those historically overburdened by pollution, have a real voice in decisions that affect their health and environment.  

HB 2275 focuses on wildfire prevention and utility accountability; an issue that continues to grow in urgency across our state. This legislation improves planning, strengthens safety measures, and helps ensure communities are better protected and supported in the face of disaster. 

While there is still more work to do, I remain committed to protecting our environment in a way that centers people, supports local communities, and builds a healthier future for all of us. 

A strong economy means stability for families, opportunities for workers, and dignity for every stage of life. This session, I stayed focused on policies that support our local economy, while making sure no one is left behind. 

One area where we made meaningful progress is supporting older adults in our community. The Seniors Bill of Rights advanced farther this year than ever before: a reflection of growing recognition that our seniors deserve to age with dignity, security, and respect. While there’s still work to do to get this across the finish line, I’m encouraged by the momentum and will keep pushing to make it law. 

I also continued my work to strengthen communities through the Community Reinvestment Program (HB 2523). This effort is about investing directly in people by supporting workforce development, expanding small business opportunities, and ensuring communities have the tools and resources they need to thrive. When we invest in our communities, we create pathways to economic stability and long-term success. 

This session, we also passed my bill HB 2211, which expands access to medically tailored meals for seniors. These meals are designed to meet the specific nutritional needs of older adults, helping them manage chronic conditions and maintain their health. With recent rollbacks at the federal level threatening access to high-quality senior nutrition programs, this legislation ensures that our older adults can continue receiving the support they need to live independently, safely, and with dignity. It’s a concrete step toward making sure that aging in our community doesn’t mean compromising on health or quality of life.

And as Chair of the Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee, I’ve been deeply focused on food security, because a strong economy starts with making sure families can meet their basic needs. Through HB 2238, we are working toward a coordinated, statewide strategy to ensure families can access affordable, nutritious food while also supporting our farmers and strengthening local supply chains. This is about building a food system that is resilient, equitable, and rooted in community. 

Because at the end of the day, economic strength isn’t just about numbers, it’s about people. It’s about making sure every family in our community has the opportunity to succeed, today and for generations to come. 

As the legislative session comes to a close, my work doesn’t stop, it just shifts back home to the community I’m proud to serve. 

During the interim, I’ll be here in the district, meeting with neighbors, local leaders, small business owners, educators, and families to continue these important conversations and better understand how I can serve you in the year ahead. Your experiences, concerns, and ideas directly shape the work I bring back to Olympia. 

I’ll also be hosting coffee chats and community conversations throughout the interim, and I hope you’ll join me. These are informal, welcoming spaces to ask questions, share what’s on your mind, and stay engaged in the issues that matter most to our community. 

Thank you for the opportunity to serve you. It is truly an honor to represent you, and I remain committed to building a stronger, more equitable future for all of us. 

Please stay tuned for upcoming events, and as always, don’t hesitate to reach out. 

With gratitude,