The 2021 Legislative session is approaching the half-way mark and we have just passed our committee “cutoff” date. All bills that have not passed out of committee by now are “dead” for the session, except for budget-related bills. The next step in the session is two weeks of long days on the Senate floor as we pass bills before the next ...
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This year, the legislature has been focused on bills that provide COVID-19 relief and spur economic recovery. We have acted quickly to prioritize these bills in the first few weeks of session. There is more work to do, but I am pleased with the progress we have made so far.
It is both a health and economic priority to get COVID-19 vaccines distributed and administered as soon as possible. The vaccination process will continue to be a focus for me and the rest of the Legislature. I was initially concerned with the speed of the process but after several briefings with the Department of Health, I have confidence that the initial ...
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The new year has arrived and the 2021 legislative session starts on Monday. I am always excited to represent the Spokane community in the State Senate, but this year it feels more important than ever. We have big challenges, but also the opportunity to build back a robust recovery that works for everyone. For an overview of priorities for this Legislative ...
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Due to COVID-19, the Legislature will be working mostly remotely for the 2021 session. As we work on the logistics of the legislative session and determine the best way to get our work done on behalf of the people of Washington state, we have had the following goals in mind:
- A session that is safe for legislators, staff, and the ...Read More
The health and economic challenges facing our state in the coming months are enormous, but we must be ready to rise to the challenge at every level of government. This week in the Washington State Senate, we created a bipartisan select committee to help guide the Legislature’s long-term economic response to the coronavirus pandemic. While this special committee is focused ...
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The health and economic challenges facing our state in the coming months are enormous, but we must be ready to rise to the challenge at every level of government. This week in the Washington State Senate, we created a bipartisan select committee to help guide the Legislature’s long-term economic response to the coronavirus pandemic. While this special committee is ...
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On Friday the governor released details for a phased opening of Washington state's economy. We enter Phase 1 tomorrow with the Stay Home, Stay Healthy order continuing but several additional business sectors are opening up, including landscaping, auto dealers, curbside retail and others along with construction and outdoor recreation. The governor said he will make a data-driven decision on when ...
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As a small business owner myself, I understand the significant and abrupt impact felt by so many hardworking business owners and workers throughout our state. We are continuing to work with health officials and other state leaders on the steps to allow our economy to safely reopen. In the meantime, there are tools available now to help support businesses that are ...
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We definitely have a lot of tough days still ahead of us, but there are reasons to be optimistic here in Washington state. Compared to other states, we were better prepared and took early action. The biggest reason we are starting to see positive signs is the collective action by all of us across the state. This crisis has again revealed ...
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