2022 Legislative Session Kicks off Quick

The first few weeks of my second legislative session are complete! And they mean it when they say that short sessions go by quickly. We have already moved to floor action to pass bills on to the House and we anticipate House bills coming to the Senate side. There are a few important bills that I have sponsored and supported, which I’m excited to share with you. They are highlighted in the three following categories:

EDUCATION

I’m continuing a focus on education. Due to the pandemic, we saw many gaps highlighted, specifically in education. We’ve noticed that there are some areas that still need improvement, such as access to education for students and support for schools. Therefore, I have developed two bills that are focused around those aspects.

 

SB 5874 would increase college affordability for our military veterans, military members, and their families by allowing for spouses, domestic partners, and child dependents to be considered Washington resident students, no matter where the active-duty military service member is stationed. Our military families face specific financial challenges, whether it is food insecurity, housing concerns, or other financial barriers. This bill eliminates one of those challenges and provides a path forward to education. Education is a powerful, sustainable tool that grants not only skills but opens the door to new career paths, jobs, income, and much more.  SB 5824 catalyzes the development of a program to provide eligible youth, at the age of 14, the ability to establish a self-controlled bank account with a financial institution. It would also convene a group of stakeholders to develop a plan to ensure our youth have access to high quality, developmentally and culturally appropriate financial education. I’ve shared before that I experienced foster care and while in that system, I had the opportunity to participate in transitional and independent living programs. Those programs taught me how to budget, instilled responsibility in me, and encouraged my growth in financial independence. Essentially, this bill will give others experiencing foster care the opportunity to have a similar system of learning. This incredible idea was actually created by youth currently experiencing foster care. At an annual forum, youth compiled ideas for ways to improve the system and are now working on turning those ideas into legislation.

 

JUST ECONOMY FOR ALL

We’re building on momentum from last year toward a just economy for all.

SB 5838, also known as the Diaper Need Act, would distribute a monthly diaper subsidy to parents, or other caregivers, who receive TANF and have children under three years old to help pay for diapers. The cost of diapers has outpaced inflation. According to the Wall Street Journal, prices rose over 12% in under 2 years—from the end of 2019 to June of 2021. This means that low-income families spend nearly 14% of their monthly income on diapers. The cost of diapers has continued to be a massive barrier for families. This bill brings a more sustainable approach to supporting families, especially during a time where they are experiencing the highest need. You can read more details about the bill here.

In a just economy for all, there is equitable representation. One of the bills I am cosponsoring this session, along with my colleague, Sen. Liz Lovelett, hopes to work towards just that. SB 5855 would provide clarity on use of campaign funds for childcare. As a mother of four, I know firsthand the challenges of getting elected to office while having to coordinate childcare. It is an institutional barrier that has kept some community members out of office. Therefore, it is important that we break it down so we can build the kind of representative democracy that will allow our state to flourish. You can read more about the bill here.

 

HEALTHY COMMUNITIES

Finally, and unfortunately, we are still in the midst of a pandemic. While we’ll continue to work on recovery, I’m eager to share some of the legislation that we have coming up, which prioritize healthy communities.

HB 1881, the Doulas for All bill, will create a voluntary certification process for birth doulas ensuring that Medicaid-eligible families can be matched with doulas who are from their community and who can provide culturally congruent care. A doula is a nonmedical birth coach trained to provide physical, emotional, and informational support during labor, birth, and the postpartum period. They also help birthing people and families to know their rights and make informed decisions. There are disparities in our healthcare system and those disparities disproportionately affect Black and Indigenous folks. Therefore, the bill will work towards lowering the health disparity issues that we see in our current system. I commend my colleague in the House, Rep. Kirsten Harris-Talley, for championing this legislation and I look forward to carrying the baton through the Senate once it comes to this chamber. Check out the video above for comments I had this week when it was heard in the House.

 

How you can participate this session

Even with the speed of a short session, we want to make sure that our community is being heard so we can accurately represent you at the Legislature. Here is how you can participate:

  • Remote Testimony: Last year we saw public participation increase in the committee process by 300%! If there is a bill you’d like to testify on, check out the Legislature’s website for more information. For committee hearings, floor debates, and more, visit org.
  • Contact my office: Although it isn’t as long of a drive as some other parts of the state, we were able to meet with constituents who didn’t have to expend the time and resources to (theoretically) meet with us in Olympia. As always, you are welcome to reach out to my office for any comments or questions. You can also follow me on Facebook or Twitter to check out what’s happening at the Legislature.

 

Meet Team Nobles 2022

I have a great team assembled for this short session. Though we are—once again—remote, these folks work behind the scenes to make sure that all your calls, emails, letters, and more, are being heard by the legislature. They also provide me any necessary legislative research or support so I can adequately serve the 28th District. To find more information on how to contact my office, visit the link here.