Friends and neighbors,

We are three weeks into this year’s 60-day session in Olympia and it’s a flurry of activity! It is an honor to serve the 40th Legislative District, and I’m here continuing to fight for policies that will improve lives, protect clean air and water, support quality schools, fund reliable transportation, and create safe communities. Read on to find out what bills I’m working on, how to get involved, and more.

My 2026 Team

I am lucky to have a strong team supporting me again this session. From left: My intern Aja Amendola is a junior at UW studying international studies. My Session Aide Fiona Murphy recently graduated from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities with a degree in political science and history and is happy to be back home in Washington. Many of you already know my Legislative Assistant Ivy Ndambuki. She is a WSU graduate and has been working in my office for the past four years helping facilitate meetings and assisting me with constituent casework.

WAVE Act

This year I’m extremely excited to introduce the WAVE Act – the Washington Access and Venue Equity bill. This policy is about protecting consumers from unfair and deceptive practices when they purchase tickets for events in our state. SB 6175 would ensure Washington fans, artists, and venues get the benefit of their ticket price, not the third-party sellers. People deserve to know what the full cost of a ticket will be, and this new law would restore transparency, protect people from predatory market practices, and safeguard Washington’s creative economy by requiring:

  • “All-In” Pricing: Resellers must prominently display the total ticket cost, including all mandatory fees, before a consumer selects a ticket. The “all-in” price must be the most prominent price shown.
  • Resale Price Cap: For non-sporting events, the total resale price (including fees) cannot exceed 110% of the original total price.
  • Ban on Speculative Tickets: Prohibits listing or advertising tickets that the reseller does not actually possess or have a contract to receive.
  • Bot & Fraud Crackdown: Outlaws the use or sale of software intended to bypass security measures or access control systems on ticketing websites.
  • Guaranteed Refunds: Resellers must provide full refunds within two weeks if an event is canceled or if the ticket is determined to be illegitimate.

The bill had a public hearing this week and you can watch my testimony here and the full hearing here. I will be sure to provide updates as we work to get these important protections into law!

Addressing textile waste

Fast fashion is having a significant impact on our environment as cheaply produced and priced garments pile up in landfills. I am sponsoring SB 6174 this session to create an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program for textiles, replicating our successful programs for batteries, paint, and most recently household recycling. It would make apparel and textile producers financially responsible for managing their products’ end-of-life. The program would encourage repair and reuse while reducing hazardous waste, greenhouse gases, and other environmental impacts.

Flood recovery resources

As people continue to recover from last month’s historic floods, I want to be sure you have access to information and resources. The event will have a lasting impact on many of our neighbors, and I know people are still working to put their lives back together. Click here for information on cash, food, and housing assistance, as well as links to county resources and flood cleanup tips.

The state has activated the Disaster Cash Assistance Program and Gov. Ferguson has allocated $2.5 million for Individual Assistance Needs Grants to help residents in Skagit and Whatcom counties. People can apply for this limited assistance online at the Salvation Army website (SAHelp.org). If you need help filling out the application for state financial assistance, the Washington Emergency Management Division disaster recovery call center (833-719-4981) is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.

Protecting WA from federal overreach

Many of you have reached out to hear how we’re standing up to safeguard our communities as the federal government continues its cruel and chaotic retribution against states that did not support the president in the last election. I will continue to work on efforts to push back and protect Washingtonians. On Wednesday, the Senate passed SB 5855 to prohibit law enforcement officers from wearing masks or other face coverings while interacting with the public, except when they are undercover or using protective gear for safety. The proposed law would allow people harmed by violations to sue for damages. You can watch my remarks on the bill from the Senate floor debate here.

Here are a few other bills being considered in the Legislature this session:

SB 5852 would require Washington employers to notify workers about federal immigration audits, protect them from retaliation, and ensure the state provides guidance to employers on their responsibilities during these audits.

SB 5967 is a bipartisan bill that would ensure Washingtonians have access to life-saving vaccines and other medical services they need based on science and evidence.

SB 6002 would adopt Flock camera regulations that balance public safety and community surveillance concerns. The bipartisan bill would put clear rules on how their data is stored and accessed to prevent misuse by bad actors.

SB 5892 would protect sensitive voter information by designating certain information like full birthdates, social security numbers, and driver’s license numbers as confidential.

Additionally, we are in regular contact with the Attorney General and his office and in frequent discussions about ways the Legislature can be helpful in his work. Please also continue to contact Washington state’s federal leaders and make your voice heard.

Get involved

The 40th District Dream Team (myself and Representatives Alex Ramel and Debra Lekanoff) will be holding an in-person town hall on Saturday, Feb. 21 at the Mount Vernon Library Commons and telephone town hall on Feb. 25. I’ll share more details on these two events in the coming weeks. It’s easier than ever to participate in the legislative session with remote testimony available all around the state. I look forward to hearing from and meeting many of you in person and virtually this year.

Stay in touch

As always – email, call, testify, and visit – I can’t do it without you! Contact me at Liz.Lovelett@leg.wa.gov and follow along on my Instagram and Facebook pages.

I look forward to working with you again this year!

Best,