OLYMPIA – A month and a half after the House of Representatives passed a similar measure, the state Senate passed Senate Bill 5023 just before a key deadline, delaying the so-called levy cliff and a $358 million dollar cut to Washington schools. Following passage of the bill, Sen. Rebecca Saldaña, D-Seattle, released this statement:

“The persistent voices of the people prevailed today in our state. My office and so many others received hundreds of calls and emails from teachers, students, and parents, urging legislators to fight for this bill. Democrats in the Senate never gave up. Finally, the Senate Republican majority could no longer ignore our voices and those of Washington parents, teachers and students and allowed the bill to come up for a vote.

“If this had not passed nearly every school in our state would have seen cuts. Seattle Schools stood to lose tens of millions of dollars, with kids in already struggling areas like those in the 37^th hit the hardest. This should never have been a partisan issue.

“However, I am glad that it is now resolved so schools can focus solely on the great work they do for our students, and the Legislature can focus on fully and fairly funding education throughout our state.”

OLYMPIA – Sen. Rebecca Saldaña offered a Senate Resolution on Wednesday, in honor of International Women’s Day. This year’s International Women’s Day theme was, “Be Bold for Change.” With that in mind, Saldaña and her fellow women state senators made a short video to mark the day and celebrate women in Washington and throughout the nation and world who are bold for change.

OLYMPIA – Sen. Rebecca Saldaña, D-Seattle, released this statement after voting against Senate Bill 5620, which passed the state Senate today and would create a statewide regulatory program for transportation network companies, including Uber and Lyft:

“Workers in non-traditional employment and paid as independent contractors, like drivers for Uber and Lyft, are increasingly in demand in our economy. Without careful regulation though, these workers’ economic security is going to be continuously at risk.

“Unless drivers in a shared economy have parity with other for-hire drivers, employment standards are lowered for everyone. This bill undermines the ability for drivers to have a voice when it comes to their working conditions and rights.

“While I appreciate the work done so far by my colleagues, this bill has not been worked over in a way that engages enough consumers and stakeholders that will be impacted by this legislation. It also pre-empts local governments seeking to protect the workers in their cities.

“It is critical to acknowledge and address the changing needs of workers and businesses in the new economy. But central to that discussion must be ensuring we don’t set a lower standard in the process.”

OLYMPIA – A bill by Sen. Rebecca Saldaña, D-Seattle, to expand access to HOV lanes for blood donation vehicles passed the state Senate unanimously today.

“Blood donation, as well as plasma and tissue donation, is vital to helping those who are critically ill,” Saldaña said. “My father became a blood donor as a child so he could help his sister, and has continued to be a donor in Washington state. With increased technology, better blood-type matches are possible – making the quick transport of life-saving blood ever more important. This is an issue that has touched many of us, and this bill will help ensure blood donation vehicles can continue to do their best work as we evaluate how HOV lanes can better serve Washingtonians.”

Senate Bill 5837 creates a two-year period for the Washington State Department of Transportation to reexamine its rules surrounding access to HOV lanes. This will be done through a public process, specifically looking at impacts of allowing vehicles that deliver or collect blood, tissue, or blood components to use the HOV lanes. Bloodworks Northwest testified in favor of the bill. They deliver more than 600,000 units of blood to nearly 90 hospitals throughout the Northwest and Alaska.

PARA PUBLICACIÓN INMEDIATA: 27 de febrero de 2017

Saldaña: Día Legislativo para los Latinos más importante que nunca

OLYMPIA – La Senadora Estatal Rebecca Saldaña publicó esta declaración después del anual Día Legislativo para los Latinos en el Capitolio:

“Es maravilloso ver a tantas familias, niños y trabajadores latinos reunidos hoy en su Capitolio estatal. Ahora más que nunca tenemos que seguir abogando por las políticas que afectan a las familias latinas en nuestro estado.

“También es crítico en tiempos como estos luchar por los derechos de todas las personas que están bajo ataque como nuestros hermanos y hermanas musulmanes y judíos, y mujeres, adultos y niños vulnerables. Cuando la retórica de los políticos busca dividirnos es cuando somos más vulnerable. Por eso tenemos que permanecer unidos. Como dijeron hoy los activistas: un pueblo unido, jamás será vencido.

“Tenemos que seguir luchando y elevando nuestras voces para avanzar el progreso que ya hemos logrado, y para asegurar que todos en una posición de poder recuerden a quién representan. Como dijo César Chávez: ‘Llegará el día en que los políticos hagan lo correcto por nuestro pueblo por necesidad política y no por caridad o idealismo.’”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 27, 2017

Saldaña: Latino Legislative Day at Capitol more important than ever

OLYMPIA – Sen. Rebecca Saldaña released this statement following activities on the Capitol campus marking the annual Latino Legislative Day:

“It is wonderful to see so many Latino children, families and workers gathered in their state Capitol today. Now more than ever, we need to continue to advocate for the issues most affecting Latino families in our state.

“It is also critical in times like these to advocate for the rights of all people who are targeted and oppressed, including our Muslim and Jewish brothers and sisters, women and vulnerable adults and children. When we allow bullies and the federal government to pit our communities against each other, we are all more vulnerable.

“Continuing to stand up and speak out is key to building on the progress we’ve made as a state and nation, and to ensure everyone in a position of power remembers who it is they represent. As Cesar Chavez said, ‘The day will come when the politicians do the right thing by our people out of political necessity and not out of charity or idealism.’ ”

La Senadora Estatal Rebecca Saldaña y la Representante Estatal Lillian Ortiz-Self hablan sobre las políticas del gobierno federal. También hablan sobre las acciones que están tomando como representantes del gobierno estatal para proteger a las familias latinas e inmigrantes.

OLYMPIA – A bill to help survivors of trafficking and sexual exploitation passed the state Senate on Wednesday, sponsored by Sen. Rebecca Saldaña, D-Seattle, the first bill for the new senator.

“Everyone deserves a fair chance and everyone deserves justice,” Saldaña said. “This is a simple bill that can have significant and positive impacts on the lives of girls, boys, women and men who have survived trafficking and sexual exploitation. We need to seize every chance to make sure that regardless of what may have happened to someone in the past, survivors of trafficking are able to move forward with their lives.”

Substitute Senate Bill 5272 allows a person to vacate a conviction for prostitution even if he or she has committed other crimes since the date of conviction, provided those crimes were the result of being a victim of a trafficking or a prostitution-related offense. This bill builds upon ongoing bipartisan commitments to end human trafficking in Washington state and support survivors.

SSB 5272 also clarifies the motion to vacate a conviction should be supported by sworn testimony at a hearing before the court. This was not made plain in previous legislation, and led to denials of petitions to vacate convictions. There is a companion bill in the House of Representatives, sponsored by Rep. Tina Orwall, D-Des Moines (House Bill 1112).

Criminal records, even for those who have been exploited or trafficked, can often make it difficult to find a job, rent an apartment or apply for essential services. More than a quarter of trafficking victims globally are children, and roughly 55 percent are women and girls. Data shows most individuals involved in prostitution start as teenagers, some estimates set the average age as young as 13 years old.

The bill passed the Senate unanimously and was supported by a number of advocacy groups and individuals including Seattle Against Slavery, Shared Hope International and the City of Seattle Attorney’s Office.