Dear friends and neighbors,
Thank you so much for calling in to our 47th LD telephone town hall! We sincerely appreciate everyone who took time out of their evening to listen in, ask questions, learn about our work, and engage with the legislative process. If you weren’t able to join, but would still like to connect, stay tuned—we’ll host an in-person town hall at the end of the session this spring.
As always, feel free to reach out to me at Chris.Stearns@leg.wa.gov to share your thoughts, opinions, feedback, and ideas, or reach out to my legislative assistant at Darci.Suttle@leg.wa.gov to find a time to meet virtually or face-to-face in Olympia sometime soon. Thanks again!
Ramadan Mubarak!
Ramadan Mubarak! Happy Ramadan! Ramadan is the Holy Month in the Islamic Calendar, observed by fasting from sunrise to sunset. The Holy Month began at sundown on Wednesday, March 22, and will continue through the next 30 days. The fast is one of the five pillars of Islam, but those who celebrate are also encouraged to focus on growth, acceptance, prayer, and community during this time. After sunset prayers each night, family and friends gather for “iftars,” feasts with holiday treats, and wake up for “suhoor,” a small meal before sunrise. After the final day of fasting, Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr, a festive three-day holiday for feasting, gifts, and celebration.
Happy Ramadan—have a wonderful month of rejuvenation, reflection, and celebration!
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Increasing the punishment for custodial sexual misconduct
Native American women disproportionately suffer sexual assault. According to a US Dept of Justice, more than half of all Native Women will experience sexual violence at some point in their lives. I am proud to support Senate Bill 5033, which reclassifies the offense of custodial sexual misconduct in the first degree, increasing its seriousness. A corrections officer in Washington assaulted several women confined in jail—he was the only officer on duty. His consequential sentence was only 13 months, despite assaulting multiple women, including one who ultimately ended her life after recounting to her family the trauma she had experienced while under custodial care. This officer preyed on women at their lowest and most vulnerable moments—and it seems completely inappropriate to punish him with such a light sentence. Stronger statements should be made against sexual assault in Washington.
SB 5033 passed unanimously in the House on March 22. It has successfully cleared both chambers and will advance to the Governor’s office. Watch my House floor speech here:
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Community support for problem gambling
March is Problem Gambling Awareness Month! Problem gambling and gambling disorder contribute to family disintegration, criminal activity, and financial insolvencies. People experiencing problem gambling are at significantly increased risk for other disorders, such as substances use disorder and other behavioral health concerns. I sponsored House Bill 1681, which overwhelmingly passed the House by an 80-16 vote, to double the funding for our state’s problem gambling program, create a permanent problem gambling advisory body that can track advances in research and recovery, and will lead to an increase in the availability of treatment services.
Gambling disorder is a medically diagnosable disease, yet it is still poorly understood in this country. In Washington, few treatment options are available for those suffering from this disease. We need to find ways to increase services. House Bill 1681 will do just that, doubling the funding for treating problem gambling here in our state. We need to understand this disease better and give people the help they need.
Thank you so much for reading! We’ve made it to the final stretch of my first legislative session—and I sincerely appreciate all the community support, feedback, advocacy, and engagement.
Sincerely,
State Representative Chris Stearns
47th Legislative District