Dear Neighbors,

We are officially one-third of the way through session, and a lot has happened. Keep reading to learn more about my bills and what I’ve been up to in Olympia.

My bills

SB 5784—The Senate State Government, Tribal Affairs & Elections Committee heard SB 5784 last Tuesday. The bill would require agencies to collect voluntary self-reported demographic data. This would help agencies better understand whether appropriations are accomplishing their intended purpose and how their work impacts different folks, including subcommunities within larger ethnic and racial categories. We know these categories (ex. Asian, Black, Latino, Native American) are not single monolithic groups, and this would help agencies make more informed decisions and policies. Every subethnicity has its own unique experiences and stories to tell, distinct from those of others within its larger category. At its core, this is a government accountability bill to ensure we understand our communities, make good decisions for them, and spend our resources wisely.

Last Thursday, I testified on two bills in the Senate Health & Long-Term Care Committee:

SJR 8206 would amend the state Constitution to recognize the state’s obligation to ensure every Washington resident has access to cost-effective, clinically appropriate, and affordable health care as a fundamental right.

The bill must be passed by two-thirds of both the Senate and House, then would be subject to voter approval during the next general election, where it would need a simple majority to pass.

With rising premiums and the high cost of care, it’s our job as a state to step up and protect our residents. Too many Washingtonians are choosing between health care and other necessities.

The second bill, SB 5947, would establish a Washington Health Care Board. The board would design and implement a state-based universal health care plan once the federal government passes legislation permitting the program. The board would be in charge of all steps of actually establishing a universal health care program. This puts us in a great position to immediately implement universal health care if the federal government takes certain steps. SB 5947 is a follow-up to my SJM 8004 (passed last year) outlining exactly the steps we’d like the Federal Government to take.

Furthermore:

On Wednesday, the Senate passed my bill SJM 8002, petitioning Congress to make Medicare programs more just. The joint memorial requests the federal government level the playing field between Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans to ensure a true choice between programs. It also asks Congress to eliminate the original Medicare 20% copays, set an out-of-pocket cap on medical expenses, add dental, vision, and hearing benefits, eliminate excessive costs in the Medicare Advantage Program, and recoup some funds for the Medicare Trust Fund.

I’m very proud of SJM 8002 and the message it will send — Congress must act on seniors’ excessive health care costs.

This is inspiring movement! These bills will help transition our state toward a more just and sustainable health care model, where people can access timely, appropriate, and affordable care.

You can see the rest of my bills for this session here.

Floor action

We passed SB 5855, a bill by Sen. Javier Valdez, banning law enforcement from wearing face coverings. It’s no secret we’re in frightening times, and I want to be clear that I am committed to protecting our community above all else. This bill ensures law enforcement officials are identifiable and accountable to their actions. This wouldn’t impede the normal operations of our state and local law enforcement agencies, as no law enforcement in our state (or any self-respecting law enforcement agency) would act like secret police terrorizing whole communities. While we cannot ban federal agents from our cities, we can hold them accountable.

Meetings

I’ve met with a lot of great groups in the past two weeks, including:

  • The Renton City Council and Mayor Armondo Pavone
  • Tukwila City Council members and Mayor Thomas McLeod
  • The ACLU of Washington
  • The Washington Education Association
  • And so many more!

City of Renton (L-R): Mayor Pavone, Councilmembers Pérez, Rivera, Sen. Hasegawa, McIrvin, Văn

City of Tukwila (L-R): Rep. Hackney, Councilmember Hedrick, Rep. Bergquist, Mayor McLeod, Sen. Hasegawa, Brandon Miles, Councilmember Papyan

Events

The Senate observed Martin Luther King Jr. Day in January. As usual, it was a beautiful tribute to Dr. King’s eternal mission of justice, equity, and peace and it was encouraging to hear so many resonate with his message.

In the coming weeks, Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos and I will again observe Day of Remembrance, which is in Remembrance of the day Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt unconstitutionally signed Executive Order 9066, which incarcerated all Americans of Japanese descent during WWII, without due process.

Contact

Next time you hear from me, it will be after some major cutoffs. All Senate bills must be out of their respective policy committees by Feb. 4, so it’s important to voice your opinion on any bills you may be following in the coming days.

Below are some great ways to contact and keep in touch with my office.

Phone: 360-786-7616 (during regular business hours; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.)

Email me!

Sign up for my introduction sheet distribution list to see the new legislation introduced every day.

If you’d like to schedule me to speak with your organization to talk about my important initiatives on public banking, social housing, universal health care, or other issues, please schedule something with my executive legislative office manager and scheduler, Sarah Ellerbrock, at sarah.ellerbrock@leg.wa.gov.

Thank you for reading and following along this session and trusting me in this role to represent our 11th District.

Talk to you soon.
Bob