The Day of Remembrance marks the anniversary of the signing of Executive Order 9066, which sent 120,000 Americans of Japanese descent to internment camps. This year marks the 75th anniversary, and on this Day of Remembrance we recall a time in American history when the government failed to uphold the constitutional rights of all its people.
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Any student who is at least 14 and hasn’t yet turned 17 can be a page in the Senate for a week. You get to see government up-close, help senators and learn with other students about the process of government. For more information of if you would like to apply, please click here or contact my office at (360) 786-7688.
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Education continues to be the main focus this legislative session as we work to find ways to ensure students across Washington have access to a great education.
Republicans in the Senate finally released their proposal last week to address underfunded schools, following a plan released by Democrats on Jan. 9. Now that both parties have proposals ready, negotiations for a final bipartisan solution can hopefully get underway.
Here I am speaking with affordable housing advocates on their lobby day. If you plan to come down to advocate for a cause, please make sure to let us know. I would love to see you.
I appreciate the Republican’s recognition that our education system and funding mechanisms are not producing equitable outcomes for low-income communities and students of color. However, schools need to be funded fully and fairly through a holistic approach and targeted investments that will close the achievement and funding gaps we have now while not creating others.
Concerns I have about the Republican plan include:
• Increased reliance on property taxes, and hundreds of millions in cuts to services in order to fund schools.
• Eroding standards for those allowed to teach in classrooms.
• Dependence on a per-pupil funding model that would potentially leave special education students and English language learners with far fewer resources when funded at the level Senate Republicans have proposed.
By contrast, the Democrats’ plan:
• Reduces class sizes.
• Ensures teachers and school staff are paid as professionals.
• Revenue options include making polluters pay, closing tax loopholes for corporations and for the one percent.
There are some areas of common ground however, which can serve as the starting place for negotiations. I will continue to update you on the progress of education funding as session moves along.
In addition to education, I have also been working on legislation to help ensure immigrants working in our communities aren’t unfairly targeted, a bill to expand interpreter services in certain state agencies and a bill to streamline the process for survivors of human trafficking to get their convictions vacated.
As always, I hope you will call, write or meet with me to share your thoughts, ideas and concerns.
Regards,
For more information, or to apply to be a Senate Page, please click here.
Stay in Touch
Olympia Office
230 John A. Cherberg Building
Phone: (360) 786-7688
Email: Rebecca.Saldana@leg.wa.gov
Website: www.sdc.wastateleg.org/saldana
A significant issue facing the Legislature this year is addressing something called the levy cliff. If the Legislature fails to act by April, school districts in every county of our state will get a massive budget cut, totaling $358 million. Although the bill to avoid going over the levy cliff passed with strong bipartisan support last week in the House and had bipartisan support in the Senate last year, Senate Republicans have locked up against it this year. They say it is to keep the pressure on to fully fund schools, but in reality it only holds their own school districts hostage.
If we go over the levy cliff, it will be the largest cut to schools in our state’s history. Seattle Public Schools will lose tens of millions of dollars, while Renton will also lose millions (for an interactive map for cuts to districts statewide, please click here). This is unacceptable. Democrats are doing everything we can to get the bill through the Senate before districts have to start sending out layoff notices to teachers and cutting programs for students.
I co-sponsored Senate Bill 5312, a bill to “Ban the Box” and prohibit the inclusion of a check-box for criminal records on job applications. A public hearing will be held on the bill this Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. in Senate Hearing Room 4. Come to Olympia to testify on the bill, or follow along online by clicking here.
The City of Seattle enacted a similar measure, known as the Fair Chance Employment Ordinance, which went into effect on Nov. 1, 2013. Dozens of other cities and a number of states have also passed Ban the Box measures. More than 70 million Americans have a criminal record, and studies show individuals who have been incarcerated are much less likely to re-offend if they have steady employment. Data also shows people of color are disproportionately affected by these vetting practices.
People are suffering now. People need jobs, and employers need qualified employees. This bill gives those who have paid their debt to society a chance to get a job, support their families and rebuild their lives. Another version of the bill is working its way through the House, sponsored by Rep. Ortiz-Self, D-Mukilteo (House Bill 1298) and I am hopeful one of the bills will pass and become law this session.
The President’s Executive Orders last Friday is an affront to everyone that lives in our district. If you or someone you know has been affected by the recent executive action against immigrants and refugees, please seek support. Below is a list of local resources:
- City of Seattle has a long list of resources here
- Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
- American Civil Liberties Union-Seattle
- OneAmerica
- City of Seattle’s Immigrant and Refugee Commission
To read a statement of principle from the Senate Members of Color Caucus, please click here.
To read the Attorney General of Washington’s statement regarding his lawsuit against the Trump Administration, please click here.
Olympia – Sen. Rebecca Saldaña, D-Seattle, released the following statement after the Senate Transportation Committee moved Senate Bill 5008, regarding Real ID, out of committee:
“We already have other options for compliance, including enhanced drivers’ licenses. Marking standard licenses so citizenship is unclear leads to a number of issues, including the possibility people will simply drive without licenses or without insurance.
“I offered an amendment that would have helped ensure Department of Licensing staff were better trained and supported to deal with new policies, and data was kept secure – something more important if the bill passes. The amendment was voted down.
“I greatly appreciate the years of stakeholder engagement and our state’s long-term commitment to ensuring the safety and inclusion of all our residents. However, in light of what is coming out of the other Washington, a two-tier system may divide our residents at a time when we most need to be united.”
OLYMPIA – A bipartisan bill to prohibit employers from requiring disclosure of past arrests or convictions on job applications was introduced today in the state Senate.
“While the other Washington is gridlocked, it is more important than ever to find ways to make a positive and immediate difference in the lives of the people in our state,” said Sen. Rebecca Saldaña, D-Seattle, a co-sponsor of Senate Bill 5312. “People are suffering now. People need jobs, and employers need qualified employees. This bill gives those who have paid their debt to society a chance to get a job, support their families and rebuild their lives. This helps kids and families, and prevents recidivism. This is common-sense legislation that makes all of us better off.”
The City of Seattle enacted a similar measure, known as the Fair Chance Employment Ordinance, which went into effect on Nov. 1, 2013. Dozens of cities and a number of states have passed “Ban the Box” legislation, as it is commonly known. Many employers already opt to not include the check-box, recognizing it may limit the pool of qualified applicants.
More than 70 million Americans have a criminal record, and studies show individuals who have been incarcerated are much less likely to re-offend if they have steady employment. Data also shows people of color are disproportionately affected by these hiring practices. “Black men are six times as likely to be incarcerated as white men, and Hispanic men are more than twice as likely to be incarcerated as non-Hispanic white men,” according to The Sentencing Project. It has also been found that those who report a criminal record are 50 percent less likely to get a call back or job offer.
A stronger version of the bill is working its way through the House, sponsored by Rep. Lillian Ortiz-Self, D-Mukilteo (House Bill 1298).
OLYMPIA – A bill to help survivors of trafficking and sexual exploitation was introduced to the state Senate on Tuesday 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 you have the opportunity to make your own life better, regardless of what may have happened to you in the past.”
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 clarifies steps to vacate a conviction not made plain in previous legislation.
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 as young as 13.
The companion bill in the House was introduced by Rep. Tina Orwall, D-Des Moines (House Bill 1112).
Thank you, Mr. President.
Although I am one of the newest members of the Senate, I am already creating a tradition for this esteemed body. I am now the second incoming senator from the 37th legislative district to speak on Martin Luther King day without it counting as their first official speech. Thank you, Mr. President, and my colleagues from the 47th and 21st districts for allowing me to stand up and speak today, and my colleague from the 12th for offering the resolution.
As you know, the 37th district is one of the most diverse in the state, and is at the heart of the county named in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. My district reflects the Dr. King’s dream where people of all skin colors, religions and backgrounds live side-by-side. I am grateful to be here with you all today to honor the legacy of an incredible human being.
While Dr. King‘s legacy means a little something different to each of us, we all find inspiration and meaning from his life—whether it was his profound faith, his prophetic words, or his non-violent pursuit for racial equality. He was a father and a husband who set an example of service to others; he was selfless, patriotic and paid the ultimate sacrifice for standing up for what is right. He unapologetically called us to value all lives, by truly valuing the lives of black children, men and women.
The resolution points too, to Dr. King’s gift and skill of oratory. So many of his words ring as true today for American as they did fifty years ago. In his “I have a dream” speech, he proclaims:
“We have all come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. Now is the time to make real the promise of democracy. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.”
These are words to live by today. There is an urgent need in this nation for more understanding, more equity and more unity. And in this body, there is a fierce urgency to finally fund education fairly and fully this session.
“Now is the time to make real the promise” we have made to our students. “Now is the time to make real the promise” to uphold our paramount duty. “Now is the time to make real the promise” to fully and fairly fund education, and lift our state and our students out of the quicksands of racial injustice and economic disparities so they do not become indicators of their futures.
Currently only some children in our school system leave high school ready for career or college. Only some believe they can do anything they put their minds to. Many struggle just to make it through the day. The kids who are more likely to drop out, to not go to college or to arrive at school hungry are children of color. This is unacceptable, and I know we can do better.
There are so many bright spots in our state funded schools, including Rainier Beach High School in my district. It is a living example of what students can do when they are given chances, resources and a dream to believe in. Rainier Beach went from the school many tried to avoid to a school that offered all students the chance to take International Baccalaureate classes – some of the most rigorous academic classes in the country. Their enrollment doubled. Their attendance increased. Their drop-out rate plummeted.
Parents, teachers and principals put faith in those students. They saw them as individuals with dreams, and knowledge and drive – not as a statistic. The adults in those kids’ lives lead with love – and whenever we lead with love – whenever we legislate with love – the outcome is going to be different. It is going bring us closer to our American dream.
Martin Luther King Jr. taught us that. Our Washington families, teachers, and students visiting us today in our state capitol embody his teachings, and now we here in this chamber have an opportunity to fulfill the promise by legislating with love.
Thank you, Mr. President.
Dear Neighbors,
Greetings! Let me introduce myself. My name is Rebecca Saldaña, and I am honored to serve as your new state Senator for the 37th legislative district. I know you expect a lot from your leaders, and from me as I assume the position left vacant when Pramila Jayapal won the 7th U.S. Congressional District seat. She fought for the people of this district and our progressive values during her time in the Legislature, and I am looking forward to continuing to give you a strong voice in the state Senate.
There is no doubt we live in uncertain times – where working families, people of color, and the very safety, health and affordability of our communities is under attack. But as one of the most diverse districts in the state, both economically and racially, we have an opportunity to lead on some of today’s biggest challenges.
I have dedicated my career to standing up for black lives, immigrant and refugee rights and social and racial justice. Working alongside others in our community and through my work at Puget Sound Sage, I have fought for housing affordability, transit access, fair labor standards and environmental justice. As your state senator, I will continue working for policies and revenue so that we may have healthy, affordable and thriving communities now and into the future. I will also stand firmly against the hostilities and threatened violence coming out of Washington D.C.
While passing quality policy in the minority will be an uphill battle with a Republican majority, I understand well what it means to be in the “minority.” Being outnumbered has never stopped me from standing up for what is right.
Thank you for taking the time to read my newsletter. I hope you will e-mail, call or come visit me in Olympia to discuss your priorities, ideas and concerns. Together, we will bring the 37th Legislative District’s values of fairness, equity, multiculturalism and mutual respect to the state Capitol.
Sincerely,
A resolution honoring Dr. King will be read at noon in the Senate, and I will be delivering a speech. If you can’t make it to Olympia, watch on www.tvw.org.
OLYMPIA – Sen. Rebecca Saldaña, D-Seattle, was sworn in at the state Capitol this week. She was appointed to the office on Dec. 12 following Pramila Jayapal’s election to Congress.
“Protecting workers, their families and ensuring justice and sustainability in our transportation system are at the heart of healthy Washington communities,” Saldaña said today. “I am looking forward to serving on both fiscal and policy committees that are so vital to the needs of the 37th Legislative District.”
Saldaña is a longtime community leader and the executive director of Puget Sound Sage, an organization committed to fostering sustainable, healthy and affordable communities. She has expertise in a variety of areas including worker and immigrant advocacy, transit equity, women’s rights, social and racial justice, civic engagement, affordable housing and sustainable community development.
Saldaña has been selected for the Senate Commerce, Labor & Sports committee and the Senate Transportation committee, and was elected to serve as caucus whip. As caucus whip, Saldaña will serve on the leadership team and play a key role in promoting Democratic bills in the Senate.
For the full list of committee and leadership appointments, please click here.
