Dear Friends and Neighbors, 
Black History Month is wrapping up and I wanted to take a moment to share with you some of the important pieces of related of legislation that I am working on and what that means for our district.
Last year, I shared why Black History Month is especially meaningful for me as a representative of the 37th District. Of the 32 Black lawmakers who have served in Washington’s legislature over the past 135 years, 12 of them have come from our district – including myself. You can read all about that legacy here.
These legislators have passed some of the most significant legislation in our state’s history, improving the lives of every Washingtonian. They led the passage of the 1957 Civil Rights Omnibus Bill outlawing housing discrimination, the Fair Housing Law of 1967, the Landlord Tenant Act of 1973, legislation to make Martin Luther King Jr. Day a state holiday, and legislation to reduce the racial disproportionality of the juvenile justice system and establish programs to reduce youth violence.
Just like those who came before me, I am committed to championing and supporting policies that make Washington a safer, more affordable, and more just place for all families who call it home. I am honored to continue in this tradition. Here are some of the ways that that legacy lives on and how we continue to move forward.
Let’s start with reparations! I am excited to bring forth a proviso to initiate a study on what reparations for slavery would look like in Washington state. It’s time that we take a deep look at the inequities stemming from slavery, how our state established policies and institutions rooted in the practice and consider what we can do repair the harm that’s been done.
I have requested a proviso that would provide money for the state’s Commission on African American Affairs to hire a qualified subject-matter expert researcher to conduct the Charles Mitchell and George Washington Bush Study on Reparative Action For Washington State’s Descendants of Victims of U.S. Chattel Slavery. As the name alludes, this study would provide recommendations for how we might repair the harm done by U.S. chattel slavery. As legislators, it would then be up to us to figure out how we might implement those recommendations.
This proviso and study would be one step forward in the fight to correct historical injustices.
Learn more about this in my latest video here:
We know that the majority of traffic fatalities are caused by speeding and driving under the influence. Encouraging patrol officers to prioritize catching these dangerous behaviors, rather than conducting traffic stops for mundane car maintenance issues like a broken taillight or expired tabs, leads to improved traffic safety. That’s why I’ve continued to fight for HB 1512 – Traffic Safety For All.
This bill would save lives on our roadways. There was a 200% increase in DUI arrests in jurisdictions where similar legislation has been enacted. An important side effect of this bill is a healthy dose of equity. Unfortunately, racial disparities in who gets pulled over by the polices persist. Focusing traffic stops on dangerous driving would cut into this disproportionality and build trust between officers and the community.
Unfortunately, this bill did not make it out of committee before policy cutoff. I remain committed working with amazing stakeholders like the Washington Coalition for Police Accountability, The ACLU, AAA, and many others to find ways to implement these policies and make Washington roadways more safe.
I have also been a strong proponent of ensuring that we have rent stabilization in Washington and think it’s critical to prevent landlords from gouging tenants for rent. HB 1217 will cap rent increases at 7% a year for existing tenants in Washington. As a landlord myself, I can attest that housing providers will be fine with this modest tenant protection. HB 1217 is common sense legislation that will help keep working families housed and take another step toward addressing the housing and homelessness crisis we are facing.
We know that our environment and health are linked. When we do not take care of our environment, it’s our marginalized communities that suffer the most. That’s why I’ve proposed legislation like HB 1550, which will create an electric vehicle battery recycling program, similar to the program I helped create in 2023 for regular batteries. Not only will this help protect our environment from old or improperly maintained EV batteries, but it will ensure that the valuable resources in those batteries are not wasted. Recycling the dangerous metals and chemicals in batteries will help us maintain clean air and water and ensure our kids live in healthy communities.
Of course, I am not alone in this work, and my colleagues continue to make Black history today. Rep. Natasha Hill (D-Spokane) became the first Black woman to represent her district with her election this year. And with Hill’s election as well as the election of Shaun Scott (D-Seattle) and the appointment of Brianna Thomas (D-West Seattle), Washington’s Legislative Black Caucus is the largest on the West Coast.
Our caucus has a new newsletter that talks more about our priorities and how we’re working to support and uplift Black communities in Washington. Learn more here.
Keep an eye out for my next legislative update!
In solidarity,
Rep. Chipalo Street