E-Newsletters

Dear friends and neighbors,  I hope to see you at one of our town halls tomorrow (Saturday, April 18)!  Reps. Tarra Simmons and Greg Nance and I will discuss what we accomplished this session and take your questions.    

• 9:30-10:30 a.m. at Poulsbo First Lutheran Church (18920 4th Ave. NE, Poulsbo)  

• 1:30-2:30 p.m. at Bainbridge Island City Hall (280 Madison Ave. N, Bainbridge Island) 

Dear friends and neighbors,  This week, the governor finished signing bills from this session. Below, I’ll share an update on some specific items: how our transportation budget helps ferries, some of the community projects I’m pleased the Legislature could support, and an update on my bills.   Save the Date: Town Halls April 18  First of all, I want to invite you to our Town Halls: April 18, one in Poulsbo, one on Bainbridge.  Reps. Tarra Simmons, Greg Nance, and I will discuss what we accomplished this session and take your questions.   

• 9:30-10:30 a.m. at Poulsbo First Lutheran Church (Read More

Dear friends and neighbors,   The Senate passed our transportation budget proposal on Friday. Now budget writers in the House and Senate will negotiate the differences between the two proposals before the final version reaches the governor’s desk for his signature. I want to share what the Senate’s bipartisan transportation budget has in store for my personal #1 transportation priority: our ferry system.   The Senate’s proposal fulfills our commitment to build three new ferry vessels scheduled for delivery between 2030 and 2032. This gets us closer to a fully-operational fleet level of 26 boats (up from ...

Dear friends and neighbors,   Washington state needs to be more affordable for families to live here. I’ve done a lot of work keeping college tuitions low and increasing financial aid; this session, I’ve continued that work and supported bills to reduce property taxes, control the costs of medical debt, and make it easier to build housing so we can drive down housing prices. Here are some highlights:   Keeping College Affordable  College tuition is one of the largest expenses for many families. I was happy to support the bipartisan bill that cut tuition at our public colleges and universities in 2015; since then, we have ...

Dear friends and neighbors,   A bill I’m working on this session at the request of the Suquamish Tribe would ban the retail sale of nitrous oxide (sometimes known as Galaxy Gas or whippets). Similar to tactics seen in the tobacco industry, colorful and flashy marketing and packaging of the product are resulting in a surge in popularity among younger users.   The number of annual deaths associated with nitrous oxide misuse has skyrocketed in the U.S. nearly 600% from 2010 to 2023, according to a 2025 study. Another analysis found emergency medical visits for nitrous oxide misuse in Michigan jumped four to five times from 2019 to 2023.    I had ...

Dear friends and neighbors,   Our state faces another tough budget year, and we are again focused on finding ways to save money where we can. I have three proposals this session that will help us do just that.  Fraud Prevention Act  The people of Washington state expect that we are careful, frugal, and deliberate when we spend public money and that we have safeguards against fraud. That’s why I introduced the bipartisan Fraud Prevention Act to improve oversight and make sure we have adequate anti-fraud measures in place.  Washington state already has several bodies charged with preventing fraud, including the Washington State Auditor’s Office, ...

Dear friends and neighbors,   One of my top priorities in the Legislature has been helping improve access to college and career training so people can get good jobs to support their families. Today, I want to tell you about an exciting new bill I’m working on with Rep. Julia Reed: the ...

Dear friends and neighbors,   We just finished week one of the 2026 legislative session. I hope you will continue sharing the issues that matter most to you and your family.   Protecting our communities from ICE  We’ve seen disturbing reports about ICE activity in Washington state and across the country. I recently filed the Secure and Accountable Federal Enforcement (SAFE) Act (SB 5906) to prevent ICE from going inside schools, daycares, hospitals, and more without a judicial warrant. We already have strong protections in this state thanks to the Keep Washington Working Act. The SAFE Act expands these protections because we ...