E-Newsletters

As Spokane and our state continues to respond to COVID-19, my thoughts are with everybody in our community and statewide who are taking on new challenges and helping save lives.

Last night I joined leaders of the Washington State Legislature in a bipartisan statement of unity and support for Gov. Inslee's Stay Home, Stay Healthy order. Here's ...

While this is a concerning and uncertain time in terms of both the health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak, I want to make sure you are aware of some of the state and local resources available to you, as well as update you on the recent actions taken by the governor and the Legislature related to the outbreak. I ...

The 2020 legislative session has adjourned sine die. The Legislature capped its session with the health and safety of our constituents at the forefront of every legislator's mind. The COVID-19 outbreak is an unprecedented challenge to our state, and we have taken definitive steps to help address the outbreak. Today, on the last day of session, we passed a bill to provide ...

The 2020 session is almost at an end. We only have one more week to finalize our budgets and pass bills. The House and the Senate each passed their respective versions of the 2020 supplemental operating budget last week. Both budgets invest in childcare, affordable housing, K-12 education, health care, and nursing homes. While the values and priorities reflected ...

As we approach the halfway point of the legislative session, I wanted to share with you some of the high-profile bills we are considering. * Sports betting: A recent Supreme Court ruling overturned a 1992 federal act that had outlawed sports betting across the country. Two bills were introduced this session that would allow sports betting in Washington state.

The pressure starts to build this week in Olympia. If bills are not passed out of their policy committee by Friday, they will not advance this year. “Cutoff week” generates a lot of added action as citizens, lobbyists and legislators all work to keep their priority bills alive for consideration. The deadlines are an important part of the refining process that filters ...

The 3rd Legislative District's delegation will hold a mobile office event at Spokane Community College’s Lair Student Center from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 25. Sen. Andy Billig, Rep. Timm Ormsby and Rep. Marcus Riccelli will give constituents a chance to comment or ask questions about state legislation that affects the community. Who: State Sen. Andy Billig, Rep. Timm ...

The Washington State Senate is looking for college juniors and seniors who are interested in gaining valuable experience and academic credit with the completion of a 60-day internship starting in January 2020. The Senate internship program is an excellent opportunity to gain insight into lawmaking and public service. Applications must be returned by 8 p.m. on Oct. 11 ...

The 3rd Legislative District's delegation will hold a mobile office event at the Downtown Spokane Library from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Thursday, July 25. Sen. Andy Billig and Reps. Timm Ormsby and Marcus Riccelli will give constituents a chance to comment or ask questions about legislation that affects the region.

Who: State Sen. Andy Billig, Rep. Timm Ormsby and Rep. ...

Earlier this month, I was honored to attend a celebration for the expansion of the WSU Elson S. Floyd Medical School. The current cohort of students are all from Washington state, over half are women, and more than one-third are people of color. This fall, the school will expand from 60 to 80 students thanks to investments made in the ...