{"id":4249,"date":"2026-01-09T16:34:02","date_gmt":"2026-01-09T23:34:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/dhingra\/?p=4249"},"modified":"2026-02-24T10:59:21","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T17:59:21","slug":"democracy-is-team-sport","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/dhingra\/2026\/01\/09\/democracy-is-team-sport\/","title":{"rendered":"Democracy is team sport"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dear neighbors,\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The 2026 legislative session\u00a0starts on Monday.\u00a0I hope you will continue sharing\u00a0with me\u00a0the issues that matter most to you and your family. Your input guides my work on behalf of our community. Democracy is a team effort, and I so greatly value your participation. \u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We face many challenges, including federal cuts to health care, housing, education, and other essential services. These cuts have real consequences for families at a time when many people are already struggling to make ends meet. In this Washington, we will work hard to protect access to health care, food\u00a0assistance, and services people need to thrive. We will strengthen protections for all people, including our immigrant neighbors.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

My priorities<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

A sustainable\u00a0budget<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Responsible budgeting ensures Washington stays strong, even amid uncertainty coming from the federal government.\u00a0I am so proud that Washington state\u00a0has had a AAA bond rating for the last\u00a0seven\u00a0years due to our responsible fiscal management.\u00a0We must also stay focused on fixing our\u00a0nearly century-old\u00a0tax code that currently asks working and middle-income families to pay a far\u00a0greater\u00a0share of their income in taxes than the top 1%.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The governor has expressed support for\u00a0a\u00a0Millionaires\u2019 Tax<\/a>. Federal cuts to health care and education, combined with tariffs and inflation, are driving up the cost of everything while stretching family budgets. The proposal would affect fewer than 0.5% of Washingtonians and help fund schools, health care and other necessities families are struggling to afford. I look forward to considering that proposal and others this year. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Supporting public\u00a0education<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

A fully funded public education system gives every child an opportunity to succeed. In 2025, the Legislature preserved maintenance-level funding for K-12 schools while making a significant new investment of $1.4 billion over the next four years for special education and the growing daily costs districts face. In addition to direct state funding, the Legislature gave school districts greater levy authority. We must continue building on this work to meet our constitutional duty of amply funding our public schools.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Protecting the rights of all\u00a0<\/span>Washingtonians<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

We will not turn our backs on\u00a0our\u00a0immigrant communities.\u00a0Together,\u00a0we\u2019ve\u00a0advanced laws that limit\u00a0state and\u00a0local cooperation with\u00a0federal\u00a0immigration enforcement, protect private health data, push back against hate, and ensure the Attorney General\u2019s Office has the resources needed to pursue justice on behalf of all Washingtonians. From reproductive and LGBTQ+ rights to immigrant rights, we will continue fighting every day to ensure Washington\u00a0remains\u00a0a place of safety, opportunity, and dignity.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Several proposals\u00a0have been filed for introduction, including\u00a0<\/span>to\u00a0<\/span>stop law enforcement from hiding their faces<\/span><\/a>;\u00a0<\/span>prevent ICE from going inside schools, daycares, hospitals, and more without a warrant<\/span><\/a>;\u00a0<\/span>put guardrails on law enforcement\u2019s use of automated license plate readers<\/span><\/a>;\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>require employers to notify their workers when federal immigration authorities request employment-eligibility documents<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How to participate<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Learn<\/span><\/b><\/a>\u00a0how a bill becomes a law.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Find<\/span><\/b><\/a>\u00a0legislation on the issues important to you.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Watch<\/span><\/b><\/a>\u00a0your democracy in action.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Testify<\/span><\/b><\/a>\u00a0before legislative committees remotely or in person.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Reach out<\/span><\/b> at Manka.Dhingra@leg.wa.gov. You can also call the Legislative Hotline at 1-800-562-6000.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Flood\u00a0assistance<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It will take time for our state to recover from last month\u2019s devastating floods.\u00a0People whose homes were damaged can now apply for state\u00a0assistance\u00a0to help with costs related to recovery, including short-term housing, small home repairs, and food replacement.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You can apply for this limited\u00a0assistance\u00a0in three ways:\u00a0<\/span>
\n\u2022 Online at the Salvation Army website (<\/span>SAHelp.org<\/span><\/b><\/a>).\u00a0Enter your zip code to get started.<\/span>
\n\u2022 By phone at 833-719-4981.\u00a0<\/span>
\n\u2022 In person at a Disaster Assistance Center<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Learn more here<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

My office is here to help whenever you have questions or concerns. It is an honor to\u00a0represent\u00a0you.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sincerely,\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

Manka Dhingra<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>
<\/span>Senator, 45th Legislative District<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>
<\/span>Deputy Majority Leader<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dear neighbors,\u00a0\u00a0 The 2026 legislative session\u00a0starts on Monday.\u00a0I hope you will continue sharing\u00a0with me\u00a0the issues that matter most to you and your family. Your input guides my work on behalf of our community. Democracy is a team effort, and I so greatly value your participation. \u00a0\u00a0 We face many challenges, including federal cuts to health care, housing, education, and other essential services. These cuts have real consequences for families at a time when many people are already struggling to make ends meet. In this Washington, we will work hard to protect access to health care, food\u00a0assistance, and services people need…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":53,"featured_media":4252,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"disable_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4249","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-e-news"],"yoast_head":"\nDemocracy is team sport - Sen. Manka Dhingra<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/dhingra\/2026\/01\/09\/democracy-is-team-sport\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Democracy is team sport - Sen. Manka Dhingra\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Dear neighbors,\u00a0\u00a0 The 2026 legislative session\u00a0starts on Monday.\u00a0I hope you will continue sharing\u00a0with me\u00a0the issues that matter most to you and your family. Your input guides my work on behalf of our community. Democracy is a team effort, and I so greatly value your participation. \u00a0\u00a0 We face many challenges, including federal cuts to health care, housing, education, and other essential services. These cuts have real consequences for families at a time when many people are already struggling to make ends meet. In this Washington, we will work hard to protect access to health care, food\u00a0assistance, and services people need...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/dhingra\/2026\/01\/09\/democracy-is-team-sport\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Sen. 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