E-Newsletters

Dear neighbors, The legislative session wrapped up on April 23 and it's great to be back in district. This is a great time to give you an update on our work in Olympia, as well as to hear from you and answer your questions. So my seatmates and I will be hosting ...

Dear neighbors, On Thursday, the governor signed into law a number of bills I have been working on this session — and some I have been working on for several years. One was my bill banning female genital mutilation, SB 5453. Forty other U.S. states have already outlawed this cruel practice, ...

Dear neighbors, Housing costs in our communities are unaffordable for too many folks. One of our top legislative priorities is growing the housing stock in our state so that families can find more affordable places to live. As we know, our district has the county’s most affordable housing, and we have ...

Dear neighbors, Perhaps the most joyous part of the work we do here at the Legislature is learning about and honoring the achievements of the many brilliant, selfless, and accomplished people of Washington. Every year, we hear dozens of resolutions on the floor of the Senate recognizing individuals and groups who have ...

Dear neighbors, It’s been a very busy week in Olympia. Our operating budget is the biggest bill we pass, and usually the one you hear about the most. It pays for all our ongoing investments – schools, health care, higher education, corrections, state parks and forests and the operations of state ...

Dear neighbors, I am excited to share with you that the Senate’s proposed state capital construction budget this year funds a number of outstanding projects around our district that will increase affordable housing, revitalize the waterfront, improve the environment, build community, and more. The budget just passed the Senate unanimously this ...

Dear neighbors, This halfway point in the 2023 legislative session means that we are spending hour after hour on the floor of the Senate this week debating and voting on bills. Yesterday we spent more than 3 hours debating more than a dozen amendments to the Workplace Safety Act (SB ...

Dear neighbors, Do you have questions about what the Legislature is doing about health care, housing, the environment, or education this year? You’re invited to join your 33rd District lawmakers for an in-person town hall at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 18. Rep. Tina Orwall, Rep. Mia Gregerson, and I will ...

Dear neighbors, Today the legislative session arrived at our first major deadline, the policy committee cutoff. Bills that were not passed on by the committee considering them are now dead for the session — with an exception for bills necessary to implement the budget. Bills that were passed out of committee ...

Dear neighbors, Some issues are controversial but simple. Others can be controversial because they are so complex. Many of the second type fall under the purview of the Labor & Commerce Committee, which I chair: alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, and other controlled substances. That part of our jurisdiction has sometimes been called ...