Dear friends and neighbors,
I’m so honored and fortunate to work for you each and every day in the Senate. Although the work will continue, the way I’m able to communicate with you for the next several months will be changing.
Election year restrictions on official legislative communications begin on May 4, meaning that until around Thanksgiving, I won’t be able to reach out to you via my e-newsletter or provide updates through my official Senate website or social media.
The work will continue though, and my office will remain open and ready to assist you. If you need to reach me to ask a question or seek assistance with a state agency, send an email any time to Noel.Frame@leg.wa.gov. Thank you so much!
A few things to keep an eye on ahead of next legislative session –
Applications for the 2027 page program open on November 1st!
Even though November is a long way off, this exciting opportunity allows Washingtonians aged 14-16 to spend a week immersing themselves in the legislative process and meeting other students from across the state. It’s a great way to learn about state government, the legislative process, and the issues we grapple with. Many elected officials even got their start as pages! Legislators can only sponsor a limited number of pages, so I encourage folks to put a reminder on their calendar to apply – you can learn more about the program here.
Student/teacher involvement on the state shark
I know a lot of teachers are on this email list, and I am always excited for ways to get young people interested and involved in our legislative process. In 2027, I plan to reintroduce the bill making the bluntnose sixgill shark the official shark of Washington state. This is a fun, non-controversial bill that students could track the introduction, hearings, debate, and hopefully passage of. But it’s not just a fun bill – making the sixgill shark an official animal of our state would help us raise awareness of its deep connection to our state and the conservation needs here in the Puget Sound and generate attention just like we have for orca and salmon. My son has developed a near-obsession with sharks since reading Lily Williams’ “If Sharks Disappeared” and it’s great to have young people learning about the importance of sharks to retain a balanced ecosystem. If you are a teacher and this sounds like it might be interesting for a class to engage in next year, please send me an email at Noel.Frame@leg.wa.gov so we can alert you to developments for the bill’s introduction next year. Teachers and others interested in the issue are also encouraged to join this Facebook group led by the advocates who will support the legislation next year!
In the news!
National action on taxing the very wealthy
I’m tremendously proud that we passed the Millionaires Tax to fix our upside-down tax code and make the investments in schools, health care, and services that we all know Washington needs. But Washington isn’t alone in taking action – states across the country recognize that growing inequality and federal cuts from the Trump Administration mean we need to step up and enact progressive tax reform. I talked with reporters at Stateline about the work we’re doing here in Washington and how it fits into the broader and growing movement across our country – read more here: https://stateline.org/2026/04/29/millionaire-taxes-gain-steam-as-states-face-budget-crunches/
Supporting families with children with significant disabilities
I sponsored SB 5211, legislation to pay parental caregivers of children with disabilities, and I’m going to continue fighting to do the right thing for these families – I will reintroduce this legislation next year. These parents, who are taking on deeply complex care work that many of us can’t imagine providing, are doing so to help their child live their best life, and their stories absolutely break my heart. The Washington State Standard has a recent story up covering developments on the issue that I hope you’ll read: https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/04/22/why-families-caring-for-children-with-disabilities-a…
Online town hall
If you missed the online town hall I held on Monday with my seatmates, Representatives Liz Berry and Julia Reed, the video is on YouTube here. Feel free to watch, and if you have a question that we didn’t cover, send me an email!
Thank you for reading!
Again, this will be the last you hear from me in this format until November. But I am still your state senator, and don’t hesitate to reach out at any time with questions or ideas over email at Noel.Frame@leg.wa.gov. Thank you!
Sen. Noel Frame