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Dear neighbors,
Things are happening fast right now, so this e-newsletter is our way of keeping you informed.
We’d also like to hear from you, so feel free to get in touch if you have ideas, questions, or comments!
Housing stability bridge extended through October 31
More than a year and a half into this crisis, far too many people still face the risk of eviction and homelessness. Gov. Inslee has extended the housing stability bridge proclamation to continue protections for certain renters struggling to recover financially from the pandemic.
If you currently need assistance or anticipate not being able to pay rent, apply now to ensure you are protected, even if your application is not processed before October 31.
Landlords who lost rent or have property damage caused by tenants can access funding through the Landlord Mitigation Program.
- Housing and other rights in multiple languages: www.walawhelp.org
- Toll Free Eviction Defense Screening line: 855-657-8387.
- Washington State Attorney General’s question/complain form: submit questions or concerns online here, or call 1-833-660-4877 to leave a message.
Have your say on how to modernize our tax code
Washington state’s tax structure places a heavier burden on working families and small businesses than those at the very top of the income bracket. This is unfair and needs to change.
Two years ago, the legislature created the Tax Structure Workgroup to engage all taxpayers—individuals and families, businesses large and small—on ways to create a more equitable, transparent, and stable tax code.
This is YOUR chance to share your input
Redistricting Maps are now online
Every 10 years, we redraw the political boundaries in our state to make sure districts have equal population–and that nobody’s vote is artificially strengthened or diluted. One person, one vote.
Washington state has a unique system, with an independent commission drawing the lines. There’s public comment and meetings around the state before commissioners start their work.
You also have access to the same data and mapping software used to create these maps. To see the four maps, go to redistricting.wa.gov/proposed-maps.
Please add your voice to the conversation. It is critical that the commission’s maps reflect your and your community’s input into our new Legislative District boundaries.
You can attend one of the two upcoming statewide virtual outreach meetings on October 5 and 9.
And you can also leave a comment to let them know what you think of their proposals at www.redistricting.wa.gov.
Better Bags
In 2020 we passed a law to phase out single-use plastic bags. Those thin, easily torn bags we’re used to getting at the grocery store are a huge pollution, litter, and waste problem. They hurt our wildlife since they often end up inside birds and fish, but also impact our health because the chemicals released into those animals and waterways can wind up in our bodies. The disposable plastic bags also clog storm drains, fill up landfills, and are generally wasteful.
There is a better way: Paper bags and tough, reusable plastic bags are a smarter choice, and that’s what our state switched to last Friday, October 1.
Visit Ecology’s plastic bag ban website for all the details, including a frequently asked questions section and information in 17 languages.
Vaccine update: booster shots
A “booster” shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine has been approved by the federal government and the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup.
If you are eligible and want to get a booster shot, for locations please check out the COVID-19 vaccine websites for Cowlitz, Grays Harbor and Pacific counties, as all three are already offering them.
The FDA has so far only authorized booster doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine and third doses of Moderna only for people who have significantly compromised immune systems, such as those receiving cancer treatments or organ transplants. Booster shots of Moderna and Johnson & Johnson for the general population have not been authorized yet.
Legislative internship applications are due soon!
The Washington legislature has one of the best undergraduate legislative internship programs out of all fifty states.
Interns are paid, earn college credit, and serve as full-time staff solving problems for Washington residents and helping run our legislative offices. They also participate in mock committee meetings and a mock floor session to pass bills.
Applications are open for the 2022 session with a priority deadline of October 15 and a final deadline of October 20.
Visit the internship program website to learn more and apply.
We hope you found this newsletter helpful. If you need more information or have comments, please get in touch!
Sincerely,
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