Dear friends and neighbors,
It’s been a busy three weeks here in Olympia! From the swearing in of our new governor to committee meetings, bill hearings, and floor action, there’s always something happening. One of the most exciting moments for me so far was my first spin at wielding the gavel as Speaker Pro Tempore during the second week. It was a thrilling experience.
Leadership and Committees
Here’s a little bit about the committees I’m serving on this year:
- Vice Chair of the State Government & Tribal Relations Committee
This committee looks at the administrative side of how our government and state agencies function to keep processes like elections working smoothly and strengthens government-to-government relationships with Washington’s tribal nations.
- Environment & Energy Committee
Protecting Washington’s natural resources and advancing clean energy solutions are top priorities as we address the challenges of climate change.
- Capital Budget
The state capital budget is how we fund state buildings like schools and courthouses, along with dispensing grants and loans to local governments and nonprofits.
- Rules
When a committee passes a bill it typically heads straight to the Rules Committee where we look at the list of incoming bills and determine when they should be scheduled for action on the floor.
In addition to serving on these House Committees, I’m also proud to be Chair of the Members of Color Caucus and co-Chair of the Nuclear Energy Caucus.
Bills, Bills, Bills
This session I’m focused on passing bills that have an immediate, positive impact on the lives of people in our community. Here’s a few bills that are on the move:
- HB 1274 – I’m excited to reintroduce this bill that deals with juvenile sentencing. A few years ago we passed a bill that disallowed juvenile convictions to have weight in adult sentencing, but it didn’t apply retroactively. This bill changes that, and in doing so allows for resentencing of inmates who are disproportionately people of color.
- HB 1362 – Sending every person who commits a crime straight to jail sometimes does more harm than good. For someone who has committed a crime to further a gambling addiction, jail is going to exacerbate their problem. This bill allows a defendant who completes a certified treatment program and has made financial restitution to avoid jailtime.
- HB 1532 – We know that Washington has the lowest per capita number of police officers per citizen in the U.S., and the city of Kent is last in the state for officers per capita. This bill gives the city the ability to funnel more dollars into public safety, including hiring police, recruiting more public defenders, or other criminal justice solutions.
Week 3 Wrap-up
Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to come see me in Olympia this week. There are so many wonderful folks advocating for bills that will change the lives of Washingtonians, and I appreciate every visit. This week I enjoyed meeting with leaders from the Skokomish Tribe, and Chairman of the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe Ron Allen with Tribal Council Member Dana Ward. I also had a chance to meet with the wonderful Junior Achievement delegation including President Natalie Vega and VP Jason Berry.
In between meetings I found time to drop a few more bills and meet with members of the Nuclear Energy Caucus. It was a busy week!
Stay tuned for more updates. You can also follow me on Facebook for the latest news, or email me at Chris.Stearns@leg.wa.gov.
