Dear friends and neighbors,
The legislative session is underway, and I want to update you on some of the biggest issues we’re working on this year and some of my bills. It’s so important that you be involved in our legislative process as advocates on the issues that matter most to you, our district, and our state, so I also want to share some resources on how you can stay up to date on bills of interest and testify on important legislation.
Top issues for our district
When I take a look at what our district is focused on, the biggest priorities are pretty clear:
Education — more of you email me about education than any other issue. I was very concerned, as I know many of you were, about the school closure plans discussed by Seattle Public Schools this year. I share your commitment to provide enough state funding for education to keep schools open and the resources students and teachers need to succeed.
Housing affordability — did you know 52% of the residents of the 36th district are renters? We have more renters than homeowners in this district, which might not be a surprise when the average home price here is more than $1 million. That’s why I’m so committed to housing affordability — both taking immediate action, like passing a rent stabilization bill, and having the state directly build more affordable housing units, as well as long-term reforms to help build the 1.1 million new homes Washington needs in the next 20 years.
Revenue — fixing our upside-down tax code is essential to providing the education funding our schools and students need. More than 84% of the voters of the 36th district voted against the initiative to repeal our capital gains tax last November — that shows you support having the wealthiest few pay what they owe, so we have the revenue necessary to invest in K-12 schools, early learning, childcare and affordable housing. Working on this will be one of my most important responsibilities this session as vice chair for Finance on the Senate Ways & Means Committee.
A few other bills
Dropping a bill in ‘the hopper’ to formally introduce a new piece of legislation.
In addition to these big issues, I’m also sponsoring several bills I’m excited about.
Clergy mandatory reporting of abuse — Washington is just one of five states where clergy members aren’t mandatory reporters of child abuse and neglect, like teachers and nurses are. I’ve introduced a bill to close this loophole. This can be a sensitive issue, especially considerations of whether there should be an exemption for information learned during confession, but I know far too many children have been victims of abuse, and the Legislature has a duty to act.
Helping to support fertility care — I know so many families who’ve had trouble conceiving a child, including my own. I’ve introduced a bill to ensure health insurance covers fertility care like in vitro fertilization and protect the fertility of patients going through care for conditions and illnesses like cancer and sickle cell anemia, many of whom can lose their fertility. Everyone who wants to build their family should be able to count on getting the medical care necessary to do so.
Coal divestment — this bill was brought to me by former state Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson and many other people from our district. It’s pretty simple — it directs our state investment board to divest our pensions for teachers and state employees from coal companies. Our state’s investment strategy should match our values, and divesting from dirty coal companies is the right thing to do.
How you can get involved
Everything I do at the Legislature benefits from your input. The Legislature’s website was updated this year with some helpful new guides on how you can get involved, learn about bills, and more:
- Learn how a bill becomes a law.
- Find legislation on the issues important to you.
- Watch live committee hearings, floor debates, and archived videos of your democracy in action.
- Testify before legislative committees remotely or in person.
My job is to represent you in the Legislature, and knowing what you want me to focus on is critical to this work. If you ever want to reach me, my email address is Noel.Frame@leg.wa.gov — it’s always good to hear from you.
Thank you so much for reading!
Sen. Noel Frame