Dear Neighbors of the 26th,

A lot has happened! As usual, I’m working hard to represent you in Olympia and the legislature. Keep reading for updates on my bills, highlights from the week, and notes from my office.

UPDATE ON MY BILLS

This session, I have sponsored 5 bills and am working on getting committee hearings scheduled.

  • SB 5968: Improving regulatory efficiency.
  • SB 5992: Creating the youth development fund account to increase access to positive youth development programs.
  • SB 6130: Celebrating national voter registration day.
  • SB 6160: Improving government efficiency related to reports by state agencies.
  • SB 6162:  Expanding and streamlining property tax relief program for senior citizens and disabled persons.

I’m focused on making government work better for you by streamlining processes that slow it down. I’m proud to sponsor SB 5968 and SB 6160, two bills that reduce license and permit processing times and eliminate outdated, unnecessary agency reports. Government efficiency and responsible spending must always remain a focus, especially during these challenging budget times.

More about SB 5968:

It was heard today in the State Government, Tribal Affairs & Elections committee—you can watch the hearing here. This bill speeds up license and permit processing across state agencies. Too many fully qualified Washingtonians have waited weeks, or even months, to get the permits needed to work or start a project. SB 5968 puts the Governor’s executive order into state law, an effort that’s already delivering results. Over the past year, the Department of Health cut behavioral health license processing from four months to six weeks, while the Department of Licensing reduced security guard processing from 46 days to 30 days and cosmetology licenses from 40 days to 30 days.

Rep. Adison Richards, who is sponsoring the House companion bill (HB 2198), and I also received a shoutout from the Governor for this work during Tuesday’s State of the State address.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK

Swearing in: On Monday, I was officially sworn in as senator for the 26th Legislative District. It was a surreal and humbling moment to stand with Lt. Gov. Denny Heck and Washington State Supreme Court Chief Justice Debra L. Stephens and sign my oath. I don’t take those words lightly!

New senate committee role: I was also appointed as the Senate Transportation Committee vice chair. I am particularly excited to serve here given the unique transit and infrastructure needs of the 26th. I’ll continue to advocate for ferry reliability, road and bridge improvements, flexible transit options, and all the other needs our communities have. I look forward to joining Sen. John Lovick in the role and collaborating with Chair Marko Liias. You can read more about the role here.

Women’s Legislative Caucus: The Washington Women’s Commission, focused on ensuring state policies and programs respond to the needs of women and girls, recently established a Women’s Legislative Caucus. I was asked to co-chair the caucus alongside Rep. Stephanie Barnard (8th). We met this Wednesday to officially kick off the caucus and begin discussions on how best to support women and girls across our state.

NOTES FROM MY OFFICE

I am honored to sponsor the National Guard Resolution. We will recognize our Washington National Guard on January 28th, 2026 at 12:30 pm. If you are a current or retired member of the National Guard and would like to attend the resolution reading on the Senate floor, please contact my office. It would be a privilege to recognize your service in person.

Introducing my staff: There are some new faces in my office!

Ruby Nelson is my new legislative assistant. Ruby started with my office shortly after the last legislative session, and she joins us with a background in constituent services. If you want to schedule a meeting with me, you’ll likely talk with her!

Chloe D’ Cruz is my session aide. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because she was my intern last session! It’s great to have her back. She recently graduated from the University of Washington-Tacoma.

Micah Samayoa is my intern this session. Micah is currently a junior at Seattle University, majoring in Political Science and English and has hit the ground running this session. We are lucky to have them on the team!

Hannah Waterman is my public information officer. She fields press inquiries and helps out with social media and website posts. Hannah was on my team last session and is back for round two!

This team, more than anything, keeps me connected to you. I’m here to serve you and all our neighbors in the 26th, and my office and I are willing to help in any way we can. Please reach out with any comment, questions, or concerns, and we’ll be in touch!

Phone: 360.786.7650

Email: Deborah.Krishnadasan@leg.wa.gov

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Thank you for reading!

All the best,

Deb