I hope you can join my new seatmates and me for a town hall meeting this Saturday! Join us at the Lynnwood Fire Station #15 (18800 W. 44th Ave) from 2:00-3:00pm. We look forward to seeing you and discussing your questions, concerns, and comments about pending legislation, state budgets, and state government. Thanks so much to those of you who were able to join our recent 32nd District telephone town hall.
Legislative Session Update
So far this year, the House has passed over 350 bills related to every aspect of state government, including housing affordability, homelessness, and eviction reform; health care and aging; public safety and stopping people who are determined to kill; protecting our climate, environment, waterways, and Southern Resident orcas, transportation and transit; expanding democracy, and many, many others. We recently passed the halfway point of the legislative session, so I wanted to give you an update on a few key pieces of legislation.
Supporting tenants: I was proud to support HB 1453 which increases the pay-or-vacate eviction notice period to 14-days. We used to think eviction were an outcome of poverty, but we know know they can be a long-term driver of poverty since evictions are a leading cause of homelessness. Evictions have skyrocketed in the last decade, and most are due to nonpayment of rent, and often for less than $100. The bill is now in the Senate, and I look forward to doing what I can to help make sure it passes the there.
After hearing from constituents and stakeholders from all sides of housing policy, and weighing the pros and cons, I decided to vote against HB 1582. The bill makes a number of changes to the Manufactured Housing Landlord-Tenant Act, so it is specific to the relationship between tenants and landlords in mobile home parks and manufactured housing communities. As I explained in my floor speech, I am concerned that the bill could have the unintended consequence of hastening the decision for some mobile home park owners to close their parks, causing us to lose housing supply in one of the most affordable forms of housing and homeownership. The bill passed 53-42. Please take a moment to watch my floor speech here.
Protecting our climate & environment and saving our beloved orcas: This has been the most successful session for acting on climate and environmental policy since I was first elected. On the House side, we have passed a low-carbon fuel standard to protect our clean air (HB 1110), legislation to phase out hydrofluorocarbon “super pollutants” (HB 1112), and reduce food waste and fight hunger (HB 1114). We’re also making a strong effort to save our Southern Resident orca whales by passing legislation to improve the safety of oil transportation through our waterways (HB 1578), ensure orcas have quiet habitats to communicate and find food (HB 1580), and protect Chinook salmon habitat (HB 1579).
The Senate has passed legislation to address plastics pollution by banning single-use plastic bags (SB 5323) and transition our state to 100% clean electricity (SB 5116). I am excited to support these bills now that they are up for consideration in the House.
Expanding democracy: I’m very thankful that Sen. John McCoy sponsored SB 5079 to expand Native American voting rights. This legislation is vital, as most reservations do not use standard home addresses, which creates a barrier to voter registration. Native Americans will soon be able to use designated tribal building addresses and federally recognized tribal ID cards for voter registration. The bill passed 45-3 and is now in the House. I’m hopeful for an opportunity to vote in favor of the bill very soon.
Cultural competency in bar and restaurant regulations: KUOW recently reported on my bill, HB 1034, which adds an endorsement to the restaurant liquor license to allow soju to be served by the bottle. Soju is a traditional Korean alcoholic beverage, and although I personally do not drink alcohol, I believe state liquor laws should honor cultural traditions, so I was happy to sponsor this legislation. The bill passed the House unanimously, and could soon receive a vote in the Senate. Read about the traditional way to enjoy soju here.
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