Friends and neighbors,

It’s hard to believe we’re already a quarter of the way through the 2024 legislative session!

Short, 60-day sessions are always fast-paced, and means there’s less time to accomplish all of our work on behalf of all of you.

I’m continuing to work on issues like transportation, housing and health care, but I also wanted to share with you details about a couple of bills that are moving through the process that I hope will become law.

Inclusive learning 

Washington’s history is filled with contributions from people of all walks of life, but often many of those stories go untold.  

I sponsored SB 5462 to make sure those stories are told. 

This bill passed the Senate last week and requires school districts to adopt curriculum that covers inclusive, age-appropriate materials that tell the histories, contributions and perspectives of LGBTQ+ Washingtonians.  

Growing up, it was so rare to hear anything about the contributions of the LGBTQ+ community in any setting, let alone in the classroom. According to the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, LGBTQ+ inclusive curriculum benefits all students, regardless of identity, and helps teach them about diverse experiences.  

I’m proud to be able to play a small part in bringing these stories to Washington classrooms. 

Let’s help the bees! 

Climate change, chemicals and other factors have caused our state’s bee population to decline at a rate faster than the national average, with colonies decreasing 9% from April 2022 to April 2023. 

One major contributor to the shrinking bee population is pesticides. That’s why I sponsored SB 5972 to end the domestic outdoor use of pesticides that contain neonicotinoids, an insecticide that can be deadly to bees. 

This bill had a hearing last week, and I was honored to have First Spouse Trudi Inslee testify in favor of the bill! 

Bees are such an important part of a healthy ecosystem and an absolutely critical component to food production. Fewer bees will have a devastating effect on our state’s agricultural community and economy.  

The bill now moves to the Senate Ways & Means Committee, and I hope will soon receive a vote of the full Senate. 

Stay in touch 

Your feedback and input are such an important part of the democratic process. Please do not hesitate to reach out to my office at Marko.Liias@leg.wa.gov, and we will be more than happy to get in touch with you! You can also stay up to date by following my official legislative social media accounts on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. 

Talk soon! 

Marko