Dear friends and neighbors,

This session has really gone fast. In the blink of an eye, we’re now just three weeks away from adjourning!

I want to thank all the people who took time out of their evening on March 27 to participate in our telephone town hall. It was a great experience; we had a lot of people on the call, and we took as many of your questions as the time allowed. If you missed it but are curious to hear what we discussed, click here or on the image below for the audio recording of the event.

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As we do every year, we will be holding an in-person town hall in district after session. I will keep you posted with all the information as soon as we have it.

IT’S BUDGET TIME

Earlier this week, we passed the Operating and the Transportation Budgets.

The Operating Budget is focused on making meaningful investments in housing, education, behavioral health, and public safety. Our goal is to ensure Washington families have the resources they need to thrive.

Watch this short video on my take regarding the importance of preserving essential programs and services: 

REVENUE

We have a serious budget shortfall that we must address in the budget.  In the midst of this economic uncertainty, we are facing many needs and the demand for services is increasing not only due to inflation and population growth, but also as a result of decisions made at the federal level.

As we discuss new sources of revenue we need to be open to many options. I am on board with exploring several potential avenues, but my criteria for support include:

• Continue putting people first!
• Avoid adding regressivity to our tax code.
• Preserve and improve innovations that make the most difference to people’s lives (long term care, early learning, family leave) and that grow jobs and opportunity for all Washingtonians.

These are the three main progressive revenue options under consideration:

• A Financial Intangible Assets Tax (FIT) – Applies a tax on stocks and bonds over $50 million, which will help generate $2 billion per year for K-12 education.
• School & Public Safety Funding Adjustments – Changes the cap on property tax from 1% to 3% to reflect inflation and population increases. This bill will bring in $50 million in 2026 and $150 million in 2027 for K-12 schools to ensure rural school districts receive fair funding. Click HERE to watch a short video on what this would look like for average homeowners.
• Surcharge on High-Grossing Corporations – Asks the largest corporations and financial institutions—those making over $250 million a year—to pay a modest surcharge that will generate nearly $2 billion by 2027 to help protect public services for working families.

It’s important to keep in mind that we do not do deficit spending and we anticipate four years of conditions when we pass a budget. So whatever revenue package we end up with will NOT be enacted all at once!  

The Transportation Budget prioritizes projects that can’t wait; it focuses on the most critical, safety-related and economically important infrastructure such as our very own aging I-5 bridge between Vancouver and Portland.

This bridge is a lifeline for commerce and travel, but being over 100 years old, it was not built to modern earthquake standards, so replacing it is crucial for our safety and our economy.

When we were debating it on the floor, I was proud to vote down an amendment from the other side of the aisle, that would have completely gutted this project. We have been working on this for many years and we remain committed to moving forward alongside Oregon and federal partners. Prioritizing this and other mega-projects means having to postpone other projects. To balance the budget, some highway expansions and improvements that haven’t started construction yet will be delayed. This was a tough call, but it’s better to delay these projects than to neglect essential ones like bridge safety or maintenance. We’re not canceling these projects outright – just pushing them to a later timeline when funding allows.

REMEMBERING SPEAKER FRANK CHOPP

You may have heard of the sudden and tragic passing of Speaker Frank Chopp a couple of weeks ago. A legend, an institution and a blessing for this state, Frank’s work brought actual change that made a difference in the lives of millions of families across Washington. Simply put, Frank got things done and his absence will be felt far and wide.

A few days ago, I was having a conversation with a young staffer who told me that if it hadn’t been for the Apple Health for Kids program, he wouldn’t have been able to see a doctor regularly. He was 8 years old when the program, created by Frank, passed the Legislature. There are countless stories just like this one, from people whose lives would have not drastically improved without Frank’s leadership and determination.

I love these two photos. They were taken on the House floor in 2011, and they speak volumes about Frank’s way of life and work ethic, which were often one and the same. He made it a point to spend time with new members, especially with those who, like me, were appointed to our seats mid-session.

While I had previously served four years in the Oregon House of Representatives in the mid-1990s, coming back to the political arena almost 15 years later meant that many things had changed, and I had to quickly learn the ropes of my newly acquired role. Frank was instrumental in helping me feel welcome and supported in this transition.

After so many years, we’d become friends who trusted each other. I will miss him deeply, but I find comfort in the wonderful memories that I will keep close to my heart from this point forward.

LAWMAKER TO LAWMAKER

March was Women’s History Month and several of the women legislators who serve in the House Democratic Caucus participated in a video series to honor and celebrate how far we’ve come and how much more there is still ahead.

They are my colleagues and I have worked with many of them for years. Yet, watching these videos, I learned new things about them that I find fascinating. I hope that our conversations, which were always honest and sometimes funny, will inspire women of all ages and all walks of life to take hold of their strength and reach for their goals. I was honored to sit with Rep. Mary Fosse (38th district, Everett) for a few minutes to learn a bit about each other. Click here or on the image on the left to watch the video. For other videos in the series, go to the House Democrats YouTube channel and, in the search box, type lawmaker to lawmaker.

KEEP IN TOUCH

Thank you for reading my newsletter and for your emails. Please keep telling me about your concerns and help me focus on what matters. Our communities are strong and I am proud of the people of Washington state.

Sincerely,