FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Dec. 7, 2021 Sen. Emily Randall (D-Bremerton) announced she will be sponsoring legislation to remove all tolls from the Tacoma Narrows Bridge in under two years. The bill would transfer $772 million from the state’s general fund to pay off remaining debts on the bridge. “This proposal is bold but the demand is simple: our community here on the peninsula should get the infrastructure investments we need and deserve,” Randall said. “We have long raised our voices together about the problems with the way this bridge was financed, and the inequity of leaving toll payers responsible ...
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Nobles named Hunt-Kean Leadership Fellow
Olympia– State Sen. T’wina Nobles (D-Fircrest) was named one of 27 elected officials around the country in the newest cohort of the Hunt-Kean Leadership fellows program. The program vision is to help political leaders develop, improve and reform a vision for educational improvement by partnering with experts and connecting with bipartisan elected officials around the country. “As vice-chair on both the Senate Early Learning & K-12 and the College & Workforce Development committees, I continue focus strongly on education,” said Nobles. “The pandemic has highlighted where our students, families and communities need ...Read More
Olympia– State Sen. T’wina Nobles (D-Fircrest) has been selected as a 2022 NCSL Maternal and Child Health Fellow in a program designed to support legislators who are experienced or emerging leaders in maternal and child health. “I look forward to joining this program in hopes of re-examining health care models to find how we can improve our health care systems to better serve historically disenfranchised communities,” said Nobles. “Approximately 700 women die annually in the United States as a result of pregnancy or complications during pregnancy. By investing in healthy children and families, we strengthen communities and avoid ...
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In 2021, Sen. Claire Wilson (D-Auburn) was recognized with numerous awards her work on policies in early learning and childcare, as well as comprehensive sexual health education. Below is a brief description of each award. Golden Crayon Award from the Early Learning Action Alliance for Wilson’s outstanding leadership in early learning and her commitment to advancing early learning policies and funding over the last year, which has been crucial for Washington’s children and families. Crayon Awards acknowledge achievements policymakers who support investments critical to supporting children and families. The award credited Wilson as a steadfast advocate of championing critical ...
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Sen. Steve Hobbs, longtime chair of the Senate Transportation Committee and the second longest-tenured member of the Senate Democratic Caucus, officially resigned from the Senate on Monday, Nov. 22 and will assume his duties as Washington’s 16th Secretary of State on Tuesday. “Being elected to the Senate was the greatest honor and thrill of my life,” Hobbs said. “I can say without hesitation that I gave this job everything I have and I hope I left my district and this institution in a better place than when I arrived.” Hobbs, 51, was first elected to the Senate in 2006. ...
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Olympia– State Sen. T’wina Nobles (D-Tacoma) joined U.S. Rep. Marilyn Strickland (WA-10) and the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute in a virtual roundtable discussion with Amara, a Pacific Northwest based nonprofit that serves children in foster care, their families, and adoptees earlier last week. “We know children who experience foster care face higher risks of poverty, homelessness, incarceration, early parenthood and substance use disorders after exiting the foster care system,” Nobles said. “As someone who went through this system, I know how important it is to receive intervention and support.” The roundtable discussion focused on the impacts of the ...
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Statement by Senate Majority Leader Andy Billig (D-Spokane) on the appointment of Sen. Steve Hobbs (D-Lake Stevens) to serve as Washington State Secretary of State.
“I want to congratulate Sen. Hobbs on his appointment today and thank him for his long service in the state Senate. He has always been a strong voice in the Legislature and a steadfast champion for our state’s transportation infrastructure, voting rights, reproductive rights, healthcare, and the needs of his district. I look forward to seeing him guide the Secretary of State’s office with the same passion and integrity he ...
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Nov. 2, 2021 The Senate Democratic Caucus today welcomed Yasmin Trudeau as the next senator of the 27th Legislative District following the retirement of Sen. Jeannie Darneille (D-Tacoma). The Pierce County Council voted to appoint her on a 7-0 vote, and she was sworn in by Washington Chief Justice Steven González. “Yasmin will have an immediate and positive impact on the Senate and the state as a whole,” said Senate Majority Leader Andy Billig (D-Spokane). “She will hit the ground as one of the most prepared new senators this body has ever seen. Her advocacy, empathy ...
Read MoreToday, Senate Democratic Caucus appointee Commissioner Brady Piñero Walkinshaw released an updated proposal for Washington’s new legislative district map. This new map follows definitive analysis released last week that the final adopted map must include a majority-Hispanic district in the Yakima Valley or face a likely successful lawsuit in federal court for non-compliance with the federal Voting Rights Act (VRA). Commissioner Walkinshaw’s new map includes a VRA-compliant 14th Legislative District centered in the Yakima Valley in accordance with analysis provided by Dr. Matt A. Barreto, Faculty Director of the UCLA Voting Rights Project. In addition to ...
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The Senate Democratic Caucus today released analysis from Dr. Matt A. Barreto, Political Science & Chicana/o Studies and Faculty Director of the UCLA Voting Rights Project, that demonstrates a requirement under the federal Voting Rights Act to draw a majority-Hispanic/Latino district in the Yakima Valley. Section 2 of the federal Voting Rights Act specifically prohibits vote dilution for historically underrepresented racial, ethnic, and language minority groups. This protection was the foundation of successful lawsuits brought against the City of Yakima in 2012 and Pasco in 2016. Dr. Barreto’s analysis found that to comply with federal law, the ...
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