Dear friends and neighbors,
The 2024 Legislative Session got underway on Monday, January 8. I am excited to be back in Olympia with my legislative colleagues. This is a “short session,” lasting just 60 days, with our work here scheduled to wrap up on March 7. 
Happy to Serve You
It is an absolute honor serving the 42nd Legislative District in Olympia, and I remain committed to representing our community to the best of my ability on critical issues, including those related to housing, education and workforce development, mental and behavioral health, as well as public safety.
I serve as Vice Chair of the Transportation Committee, as well as on the Postsecondary Education & Workforce and Education committees. This year, the Transportation Committee will be working on finding solutions to keeping costs down on vital transportation projects (ferries, road maintenance, new highway projects) while meeting our obligations for delivering projects, including correcting fish passage barriers around the state that are federally mandated.
Also, today I testified on House Bill 2020, a bipartisan bill to address disaster recovery and my first bill to receive a public hearing during the 2024 Legislative Session. In November 2021, flooding along the Nooksack River devastated Whatcom County, damaging roads, uprooting families and businesses, and causing the loss of life. The floods were a wake-up call to municipal, county and state officials about the impacts of extreme weather events and the increase in their frequency. HB 2020 helps address this topic by creating a public infrastructure assistance program within the state’s emergency management division. You can view my testimony here, and you can find a press release that my colleague Rep. Peter Abbarno (R-Centralia) and I co-authored about the bill this week by clicking here.
Support For Seniors
Rising costs impact everyone, including working families, and I am especially concerned about rising costs on seniors dependent on fixed incomes. That’s why last session I introduced House Bill 1431 to remove sales tax on prepared meals for residents of senior living communities. I am proud that this bill is now signed into law; and in 2024, I am committed to building upon this tax relief for our seniors.
Before session started, I introduced House Bill 1985, a bill to provide a cost-of-living adjustment to retired Washingtonians on Plan 1 of our state’s public employees’ retirement system (commonly known as PERS1) and Plan 1 of the teachers’ retirement system (commonly known as TRS1). By providing a 3 percent increase in monthly benefits for Plan 1 recipients, HB 1985 will help seniors throughout the state keep up with inflation and the rising costs of living and be better equipped to age with dignity.
988 Crisis Hotline
Dark and gloomy weather during this time of year can be difficult for many Washingtonians. If you or your loved ones are experiencing mental or behavioral health challenges, I wanted to provide a reminder that Washington’s confidential 988 system is now up and running as a resource for those experiencing crisis. Don’t hesitate to call, text, or message 988 and get connected with experts who can help. 988 Lifeline services are available in Spanish, along with interpretation services in over 240 languages and dialects. If you have a hearing impairment or use TTY, you can use your preferred relay service. You can also find the 988 Partner Toolkit with additional resources here.
Best wishes,
