Dear friends and neighbors,
Listen, I know most of the news out there right now is bad. It seems like every time we turn on the TV or open a web browser, some new awful bit of information is waiting to greet us.
With that in mind, we’re going to use this newsletter to focus only on the positive, the things that are happening here in Olympia that unite us all.
One of those things is our kids and our community. Recently, the Senate honored the Chimacum High School marching band and their selection as our state’s representative at the 2026 National Independence Day Parade in Washington, D.C., this summer celebrating our country’s 250th birthday.
I was honored to sponsor the resolution celebrating their achievement, and it was really cool to have the band play in the Capitol rotunda the morning they were honored by the Senate.
This is of course a very special achievement for the Cowboy marching band, but it’s even more impressive when you consider that Chimacum serves grades 7-12 and has an enrollment of less than 300 students.
I’ve said it before, but small schools are built different. They often have funding challenges, staffing shortages and other barriers that larger schools do not. Despite that, Chimacum showed us all that hard work and determination can lead to incredible things. We are all so proud and excited for them.
Another thing that unites us all is sports (unless of course you are a 49ers or Astros fan reading this.)
The Senate also recently had the opportunity to recognize and celebrate both the Mariners and Cal Raleigh as well as the Super Bowl champion Seahawks. The Mariners had arguably the most successful season in their history in 2025, coming just a few outs away from reaching the franchise’s first ever World Series. Meanwhile Cal Raleigh became the first catcher in Major League history to hit 60 homers in a season and only the seventh different player all time to reach that number.
The Seahawks, of course, won their second-ever Super Bowl in dominating fashion over the Patriots, helping every Washingtonian take another step toward recovering from the devastating loss to New England in Super Bowl XLIX in 2015. This season’s Seahawks team left little doubt, cruising to a win over the 49ers, dispatching the rival Rams and ultimately rolling past the Patriots.
Both teams were honored with resolutions (you can read the Mariners resolution here and the one honoring the Seahawks here) and sent representatives to Olympia on the day their resolutions were read. Representing the Mariners was manager Dan Wilson and longtime broadcaster Rick Rizzs, who announced in January that the 2026 season, his 41st as a broadcaster, will be his last.
The Seahawks were represented by several members of their front office and long-time broadcaster Steve Raible, who has been with the team both as a player and broadcaster since the team’s inaugural season in 1976.
It’s always nice to spend a few moments on the Senate floor talking about the things that bring us all together. But here’s the thing that you won’t read about in the news — MOST of the things we do in the Legislature have broad agreement.
We all agree that people should have access to affordable housing, that Washington students should have access to the best education, and that our communities should be safe. Now, we sometimes have different ideas of how we achieve those shared goals, but at the end of each session, it is not uncommon for 85-90% of the bills we pass to have bipartisan support.
There’s always more that connects us than separates us, both in the Legislature and outside of here.
Thanks for your help Eli!
It was great getting to spend a little time with Eli Singer, who recently served our state as a Senate page.
Eli is a freshman at Montesano Junior High, where he participates in debate club and enjoys studying U.S. history and computer programming.
Eli said he was excited to page because of the opportunity to learn about the legislative process. His favorite part of paging was being on the Senate floor and getting to see the floor session. He also got to work with security and meet many of the senators and legislative staff and said he was impressed by how friendly everyone has been.
Thanks for your hard work, Eli!
Stay in touch
Our office is always ready to help you. Please don’t hesitate to contact us and share your thoughts or concerns. This work can’t — and shouldn’t — happen without you.
Thank you for being such an essential part of our community and for your continued trust. It is an honor to serve you in Olympia.
Mike Chapman
