Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Thank you so much for returning me to serve as your voice in Olympia. It has been wonderful getting to meet with so many of you in our community during this last interim. I am excited to get down to Olympia to do the people’s business. Since the last two legislative sessions have been held mostly remotely, this will be my first session actually in Olympia!
While I look forward to seeing some of you down here at the Capitol, the Legislature will also continue offering a remote option for testifying for bills, greatly expanding the number of people who are able to testify. Now you no longer have to take a day off of work or school and travel to Olympia. Simply sign up online here, https://app.leg.wa.gov/csi/House, and you can be called to testify on a bill you care about. You can also submit written testimony about a bill, https://app.leg.wa.gov/csi/House.
With the new legislative session comes new committee assignments. I am excited to share that I have been added to the Appropriations Committee. Having a voice in budget discussions will help me advocate for those in our society who need it most. I will be returning to the renamed Community Safety, Justice, & Reentry Committee (formerly the Public Safety Committee) as the Vice Chair. I look forward to doing the hard work of creating safety for everyone in our community. Finally, I will rejoin the Healthcare & Wellness and Rules committees. This year especially, we will look to ensure that a women’s right to choose is protected.
Hearing from you is how I can better represent you. Please continue to send me your thoughts, issues, problems, and ideas here, https://app.leg.wa.gov/pbc/memberEmail/23/1.
Real Labor, Real Wages
The 13th Amendment of the US Constitution abolished slavery and involuntary servitude except for “punishment for crime.” This is often referred to as the ‘slavery loophole. A recent report from the American Civil Liberties Union found that around 800,000 incarcerated people are forced to work for wages ranging from $0.52 per hour to nothing, generating roughly $11 billion annually in goods and services.
When I was incarcerated, I was forced to work graveyard shifts for less than $0.42 per hour. If you refused, you would be sent to solitary confinement or threatened with infractions that could lengthen your sentence or restrict your ability to participate in educational or recreational programs. No one should be coerced into providing their labor, and Washington should not profit from involuntary servitude.
That is why I have proposed the Real Labor, Real Wages Act, which would prohibit the Department of Corrections from using infractions or punitive actions to coerce incarcerated people into working. It would also require that incarcerated people are paid no less that the state minimum wage. This bill recognizes the fundamental humanity of incarcerated people, pushes Washington to live up to its ideals, and rids our state of this relic of slavery.
The bill also modifies the amounts of deductions automatically imposed on an incarcerated person’s income. These changes include doubling the amount sent to the crime victims’ compensation fund, doubling the amount that can be withheld for child support, and increasing the amount that can be deposited into a personal savings account that cannot be accessed until release. Nearly every incarcerated person will one day return to our communities. Having savings will allow them a chance to gain housing and re-establish their life without resorting to crime.
The Real Labor, Real Wages Act was heard in the House Community Safety, Justice, & Reentry Committee this Tuesday. Watch the hearing to hear how a lack of real wages hurts not just incarcerated people, but their families and communities.
Legislative Page Program is back!
With the Legislature returning to in person session in Olympia, the legislative page program is back and accepting applications! The page program gives young Washington residents the chance to learn and participate in the legislative process by attending page school, assisting offices, delivering messages and working on the House & Senate floors.
This unique opportunity is open to Washington residents who are at least 14 years old but have not reached their 17th birthday. We’re making a one-time exception this session to allow 17 & 18-year-olds to participate during two specific weeks since the program was discontinued during the COVID-19 pandemic.
For more information, visit the page program’s website by clicking here.
Meet Zach!
If you have ever called or interacted with my office, you have probably had the opportunity to speak with my Legislative Assistant, Zach Ellis. Zach’s the conductor that attempts to keep this train on the tracks! –Sometimes, there aren’t any, so we have to make our own. Zach’s a native Michigander. He’s a Poulsbo Resident in district. A graduate of Northern Michigan University, Zach enjoys studying languages, volunteering, and above all, napping. Make sure to say ‘Hallå or Goddag’ to Zach if you visit me in Olympia! (Sadly, House rules will not allow a picture of Zach!)
Thank you for reading my legislative newsletter. I will continue updating you periodically throughout the legislative session.
Sincerely,
Rep. Tarra Simmons