Dear friends and neighbors, I am grateful to my Senate colleagues for re-electing me as the Washington State Senate Majority Leader. Since I was first elected as Majority Leader in 2018, my focus has been on leading the Senate to pass legislation that creates opportunity and builds prosperity for everyone in our state. I have also prioritized increasing access to the ...
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I recently toured Frontier Behavior Health's 988 crisis hotline call center. I was pleased to have the two lead sponsors of the program, Sen. Manka Dhingra and Rep. Tina Orwall, join me along with 911 dispatchers, call center administrators, and other local legislators. In 2021, the Washington State Legislature passed HB 1477 to implement the national 988 crisis hotline, which ...
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Please Join Us This Wednesday, September 14th at 5PM @ Spokane Central Library
Please join me and a panel of community experts on Wednesday, September 14th at 5PM for a Community Meeting on the intersection of substance abuse disorder and the criminal justice system. This is an excellent opportunity for community dialogue, which will help inform potential solutions as the Legislature ...Read MoreSave the Date: September 14th at 5PM @ Spokane Central Library
Please join me and a panel of experts for a community meeting to explore how Washington can best navigate the intersection of substance abuse disorder and the criminal justice system. Early in 2021, the Washington State Supreme Court ruled that the state’s felony drug possession law was unconstitutional, leaving the state ...Read More
As part of our effort to keep everyone updated on the details of the very productive 2022 legislative session, we recently sent a print newsletter to most of the registered voters in our district. The newsletter highlights significant investments made throughout Spokane as well as statewide efforts in many different policy areas including education, housing, health care, public safety, transportation, and ...
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2021 Session concludes on-time with record participation and major investments for Spokane
A few minutes ago, the final gavel came down and the 2021 legislative session adjourned Sine Die. My goal at the beginning of this partially remote session was to ensure that the Legislature was transparent, inclusive of public participation, safe, and productive. I am proud that we saw record participation in the ...Read More
Intern takeover: meet Bailey White
Hello everyone! My name is Bailey White, and I have had the opportunity to work as Senator Billig’s legislative intern this session. I’m taking over the newsletter today to tell you a little bit about my experience and what I’m taking away from my time here. I did the math, and I’ve sat in on approximately 100 ...Read More
The path to Sine Die
We have just passed another major cutoff deadline: opposite house of origin cutoff. Sunday by 5 pm was the last day for House bills to pass through the Senate - except for budget related bills. While we have made significant progress in so many areas, including child care, small business support, racial justice, climate action, and ...Read More
In February, the legislature passed an early action COVID-19 relief and recovery bill that included $240 million for the fourth round of small business grants, along with rental assistance and public health funding. Starting today, March 29th, businesses can apply for grants of up to $25,000. Grants are intended to help businesses that have been negatively impacted by the pandemic to recover. ...
Read MoreYesterday, the Senate released its proposed operating and capital budgets with historic investments in early learning and childcare, public health, and support for small businesses. These budgets will help Spokane and all of Washington build back even stronger after the COVID-19 pandemic and improve quality of life for generations to come.
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