Dear Friends and Neighbors,
As I shared in my first newsletter, your opinion matters to me and I want to know what is important to you. I’m sending a short survey to learn more about your priorities. I’d love to know how we can make the 48th Legislative District the best place to live, work, and play – a place where all families can thrive.
I hope you will take a few minutes to complete this short survey. Your perspective informs my decisions and I look forward to reading your responses. Stay tuned for my next e-newsletter where I’ll report back to you about the issues you tell me are important to you.
Sincerely,
Please continue reading below for an update regarding what the legislature is working on to address two important issues in our state and district: property taxes and gun violence.
Property Tax Relief for Senior Citizens and Veterans
Did you know that there is a property tax exemption program for senior citizens and veterans? I’ve heard from many of you that the increasing cost of property taxes is one of your biggest financial burdens, and not many people are aware of this exemption. The exemption has certain income limits that are flat across the state and not adjusted based on county. In some counties, the $40,000 income threshold is realistic, whereas in other counties, the average income is much higher and the threshold does not work.
Senior citizens and veterans with disabilities need to have a reduction in their property taxes and I believe the current exemption should be adjusted by county. Democrats have proposed several bills to change the threshold from the current $40,000 to be based on average income in the county. The goal of this legislation is to allow more senior citizens and veterans to be able to reduce their property taxes and make use of this important exemption.
In the meantime, you can still apply under current law for a property tax exemption by visiting the Department of Revenue site.
Reducing Gun Violence in Our Communities
I know that owning and possessing firearms can be a controversial topic and I firmly believe that gun violence is preventable. I am a strong supporter of common-sense gun laws, and as you know it is one of the reasons I ran for State House.
In the past few weeks, several bills have been introduced to help reduce the risk of gun violence in our communities. As a member of the House Civil Rights and Judiciary Committee, I have had the opportunity to listen to testimony from family members of gun violence victims, as well as from gun rights proponents. A few of these bills have already been voted out of committee, bringing them one step closer to a vote on the House floor. The bills under consideration are:
House Bill 1010 which would bring consistency across law enforcement agencies on the issue of destruction of forfeited firearms. Currently, local law enforcement agencies already have the option to destroy forfeited firearms if they so choose; the Washington State Patrol does not have this option and has asked the Legislature to give them that same discretion.
House Bill 1068 which would ban, with certain reasonable exemptions, the manufacture, sale, transfer, purchase or ownership of high capacity magazines. The bill grandfathers in current owners of these magazines for certain activities.
House Bill 1073 which would address undetectable and untraceable firearms, also sometimes called “ghost guns.” The bill would close a loophole that currently enables a person to receive blueprints for 3-D firearms via email even though such blueprints cannot be legally downloaded.
House Bill 1203 which would require an owner or other person lawfully in possession of a firearm to report any loss or theft of the firearm to the local law enforcement agency within five days of discovering the loss or theft. Washington State ranks 10th highest in the nation in the number of lost and stolen guns.
House Bill 1225 which would enable law enforcement officers – under specific standards and requirements – to remove firearms and ammunition when responding to domestic violence calls. Any firearms seized in connection with a domestic violence call could not be returned to the owner until five business days after its removal.
Making Our Schools a Safe Place to Learn
Our nation has experienced far too many tragic school shootings in recent years: Sandy Hook Elementary, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Santa Fe High School, and more. Washington has not been free of tragedies like these, including shootings at Freeman High and at Marysville Pilchuck High School.
Students need to be safe and feel safe in school. Those are the guiding principles behind a package of bills introduced by my Democratic colleagues, which are focused on improving school safety and student well-being.
I am proud to have cosponsored several bills this session that are focused on preventing youth suicide, increasing access to school guidance counselors, building regional safety support networks, improving student mental health services and training, and reforming school resource officer policies.
Unfortunately, some lawmakers in Olympia want to address school safety issues by arming teachers. I am absolutely opposed to arming teachers. The response to ongoing school shootings is not more guns and a culture of militarization, but rather safe and sane gun laws.