Dear Neighbors of the 26th, 

Happy New Year! I’m deeply grateful to serve as your elected senator. Thank you for placing your trust in me. It is an honor to represent you all, and I do not take that responsibility lightly.   

The legislative session begins next Monday, and it will be a busy and important one. My focus will remain on listening to you, advocating for our community, and working collaboratively with colleagues to deliver meaningful results.  

As we work through the supplemental budget, challenging decisions will need to be made to ensure we can continue providing programs and services our communities value. One thing is for certain—we must remain focused on affordability.  

To kick off the year, I want to share what I’ve been working on since last session, what my priorities will be in the months ahead, and how you can get involved. Please keep reading for more information, and as always, I welcome your input and ideas.  

Life since last session 

Due to election-year restrictions beginning last May, I was unable to send legislative communications until the election results were officially certified. During that time, I still remained actively engaged in our community. I had the opportunity to meet with some remarkable community groups, local businesses, and constituents to listen, learn, and better understand the issues that matter most to you. Below is a brief recap of some of those conversations and experiences.  

  • Visited Forest Friends Childcare on the Key Peninsula. Thanks to SB 5655, this center can now offer expanded indoor childcare facilities within an existing church, allowing it to serve more families and provide care for younger children. 
  • Toured Bremerton Foodline and Food Backpacks 4 Kids to discuss the growing food insecurity in the area, which has increased by 66% compared to this time last year. Both organizations shared how grateful they are for the generosity of our community, which continues to play a critical role in supporting their efforts to address hunger and affordability for local families. 
  • Rode a Washington State Ferry to Vashon and spoke with ferry employees, who shared their appreciation for legislation we passed last session, SB 5716, to create safer working environments on our ferries.
  • Participated in IAFF Fire Ops training, a hands-on program that allows elected officials to experience time-critical, highly technical, labor-intensive work performed daily by firefighters and paramedics. During the day, I extinguished a live fire, cut training victims from a crashed vehicle, climbed a 100-foot aerial ladder, cut ventilation holes in a roof with a chainsaw, conducted search-and-rescue operations in a smoke-filled building, rode along with EMS, and performed life-saving treatment on a training mannequin. 
  • I visited many local schools and celebrated their successes. One highlight was Peninsula High School’s Unified Sports program receiving the Banner Award, a national recognition from Special Olympics. I was inspired to witness the entire school cheering on their classmates. I also spoke with a PHS civics class, toured the PHS aviation program, which we secured state funding for, participated in the Principal for a Day program at South Kitsap High School, and visited Kitsap Lake Elementary to engage in the Science on Wheels program hosted by the Pacific Science Center.  
  • Rode and drove a pilot boat out to a 1,000-foot container ship as a Puget Sound pilot boarded the vessel and prepared to expertly guide it into a local port.  
  • Toured the Sinclair Inlet on the Challacum with WSDOT Regional Administrator Steve Roark, Suquamish tribal members, including Chairman Leonard Forsman, Rep. Richards, and others to consider transportation options for the Gorst area. I’m honored to serve as co-chair of the Gorst coalition with Congresswoman Emily Randall.   
  • Joined Kitsap Building Association and Kitsap County Association of REALTORS for the first annual bus tour designed to educate elected officials about the challenges and opportunities facing the local construction and housing industries with a focus on housing supply, workforce needs, and affordability.  
  • In addition to these, I visited the Port of Tacoma, the Harbor Sanctuary at Gig Harbor’s Heron’s Key, the Washington Veterans’ Home in Port Orchard, the Bremerton Lions group, and the Bremerton Blackberry Festival. I also participated in the Armed Forces Parade, attended the ribbon cutting at the Doris Heritage Park, and joined Gig Harbor’s Veteran’s Day event among many other community engagements.  

 

Looking ahead to next Session 

There is no denying this will be a challenging short session. This year, I remain focused on maintaining and strengthening K-12 education across the state. Strong schools build strong communities, and I’ll always prioritize our students. Last session, the state invested in special education and materials, supplies, and operating costs (MSOC) funding. However, early learning and higher education programs experienced challenging cuts. Moving forward, we must work together to restore and protect this funding. Budget challenges will make this difficult, but it remains a priority for me.  

More than anything, though, I want to concentrate on affordability as we work to balance the budget. We are all feeling the affordability crisis across the district, state, and country. The cost of childcare, groceries, health care, and more are straining our families’ budgets, and are compounded by the federal government’s volatility. I will prioritize programs that directly support families. This includes initiatives to improve food security and assistance access, property tax relief for seniors and vulnerable communities, considering offsetting taxes that disproportionately impact those struggling the most, and creating more affordable housing and childcare options. 

While this session will be fast-paced and challenging, I am committed to working tirelessly for our students, our families, and our communities, ensuring that education remains strong, essential programs are protected, and affordability becomes a reality for those who need it most, including our small businesses. There will be some painful cuts ahead, but my goal is to protect these communities.  

How to participate in the legislative process 

The legislative process is here for you, and your input truly matters to me.  

Please reach out to my office at deborah.krishnadasan@leg.wa.gov with any concerns about upcoming legislation. I value hearing your stories — how you have been impacted and how you anticipate proposed policies may affect you or your family. Your experiences help me better represent the needs and priorities of our district.   

Another great way to get involved is to publicly testify on bills that impact you. Testimony can be in person, remote, or written. You can see step-by-step instructions on how to testify here.  

Contact 

Phone: 360.786.7650 

Email: Deborah.Krishnadasan@leg.wa.gov 

Follow me on Facebook and Instagram 

Thank you for reading!  

All the best,  

Deb