Dear Neighbors of the 26th,

This session is sailing by, especially as we start to vote more and more legislation out of the Senate.

Here’s just a bit of what I’ve been up to:

  • Passed my first bill off the floor – SJM 8008!
  • Welcomed another page from South Kitsap High School.
  • Introduced a proposed substitute to my bond bill (SB 5186), which will lower the vote requirement to 50%+1 of all votes and eliminate builder impact fees for schools.
  • Continued advocating for safe, accessible, and affordable child care through SB 5655!
  • Met with some amazing local leaders and discussed how to make the 26th Legislative District an even better place to live.
  • TOWN HALL ALERT – See below for details!

My first bill to pass the Senate

My first bill passed the Senate! SJM 8008 rescinds all of Washington state’s former applications calling for a constitutional convention. Washington had submitted 5 applications between 1901-1963. These requests do not represent current legislators or the people we serve today. As the national landscape changes frequently, revoking these applications ensures Washington isn’t counted among the states calling for a convention unless the Legislature submits a new application in the future.

Student Pages

Senate Page Malia Currier with Senator Deborah Krishnadasan – Feb. 14, 2025

Malia served as my page this week. Malia is a freshman at South Kitsap High School, who enjoys reading, swimming, and playing soccer. Thank you for your hard work this week, Malia!

Being a page is a great way for students aged 14-16 to learn about the Legislature, state government, and help us with our work in the Capitol. You can find more information here: https://leg.wa.gov/learn-and-participate/civic-education-programs/page-program/.

Bond bill update

Many of you have been following my school bond bill, SB 5186, which aims to lower the threshold for school bond elections from the current 60% requirement. I have a couple of important updates!

I introduced a substitute bill that lowers the threshold to a simple majority (50% +1) and eliminates school impact fees for builders. This change would make it easier for school districts to fund and build modern, safe schools while still reflecting the majority’s will.

By removing school impact fees on new construction, builders won’t have to pass those costs onto homebuyers. This could lead to more affordable housing around schools, benefiting both families and communities.

For SB 5186 to take effect, SJR 8200 must also pass the Legislature with a two-thirds vote in both chambers. If both pass, voters will decide in November whether to amend the Washington State Constitution to allow a simple majority — putting the final decision in the hands of the voters.

Child care

SB 5655, another one of my bills, aims to clarify regulations for child care centers and reduce unnecessary costs.

On the Key Peninsula, a child care provider faced extremely high operational expenses because occupancy regulations were based on the entire building’s capacity rather than just the space they actually used. This bill fixes that issue by ensuring child care centers are regulated based only on the area they occupy, not the whole building.

By lowering costs for providers, this change makes it easier for new child care centers to open while maintaining safety and reliability. At the end of the day, we want more accessible, affordable, and safe child care options — and this bill helps make that happen. SB 5655 passed out of committee, was pulled from Rules, and will be on the Senate floor for a vote this week.  There is a House companion bill sponsored by my seatmates.

Cutoff – Legislative Process

Last Friday, Feb. 21, was the policy committee cutoff — the deadline for policy bills without a fiscal impact to pass out of their Senate committees (unless they’re headed to Ways & Means or Transportation).

Next up is the fiscal committee cutoff on Friday, Feb. 28, which is the last chance for bills with a financial impact to move forward. Over the next week and a half, we’ll meet and vote on bills in the Senate through 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 12.

After that, we start the process all over again — this time with bills passed by the House!

Mayoral meetings

I have enjoyed meeting with local elected leaders from across our district. Thank you to our councilmembers and mayors from Gig Harbor, Port Orchard, and Bremerton who I’ve had the pleasure of meeting with over these past few weeks. Mayor Putaansuu, Councilmember Morrissey, and several members of the Bremerton City Council and I had wonderful discussions this past week about how I can support our cities in the 26th.

Town halls

We have four town halls coming up! I’m so excited to connect with you and discuss what I’m doing in Olympia. These are a great opportunity to ask questions and meet your neighbors.

Gig Harbor:

  • Saturday, March 22
  • 10-11 a.m.
  • Swift Water Elementary School
  • 10811 Harbor Hill Dr., Gig Harbor, WA 98332

Key Center:

  • Saturday, March 22
  • 12:30-1:30 p.m.
  • Key Peninsula Middle School
  • 5510 Key Peninsula Hwy. NW, Home, WA 98349

South Kitsap:

  • Saturday, March 22
  • 3-4 p.m.
  • South Kitsap High School
  • 425 Mitchell Ave., Port Orchard, WA 98366

Bremerton:

  • Saturday, March 22
  • 5-6 p.m.
  • Norm Dicks Building, Bremerton City Hall
  • 345 6th St., Bremerton, WA 98337

Contact

Please never hesitate to contact my office! We’re here to serve you and all our neighbors in the 26th Legislative District. I’m interested to hear what you think!

Phone: 360.786.7650

Email: Deborah.Krishnadasan@leg.wa.gov

Follow me on Facebook and Instagram

This session has flown by, and I’m so excited to keep working for you. Thanks for reading!

All the best,

Deb