Dear friends and neighbors,

The 2025 legislative session in Olympia is well underway.  There has been an unusually large turnover in state leaders, with a new governor and many new members of the state legislature, including my new House seatmate, Rep. Shaun Scott.  Among the 30 members of the Senate Democratic caucus alone, we have nine new members.  We also have new chairs for seven of our 12 policy committees.  We have already had dozens of public hearings on legislation addressing pressing issues facing our state, from affordable housing and public schools to behavioral health and gun violence prevention. I am eager to pass legislation to improve lives in the 43rd District and across the state and I am honored to continue representing you in this work.

In November, I was elected by my colleagues to serve as the Senate Majority Leader. I am humbled and honored to lead the 30 members of the Senate Democratic Caucus. In my new role, I am busy meeting with fellow legislators, advocates, and our new Governor Bob Ferguson to ensure we advance high priority legislation this year.

I continue to serve on the Ways & Means Committee and the Rules Committee. In addition, I serve on the Senate Facilities & Operations Committee, the Legislative Ethics Board, the Interbranch Advisory Committee, and the Statute Law Committee; as one of Washington’s commissioners on the Uniform Law Commission; and as a board member of the Washington State Historical Society.

My top priorities:  public schools and housing

Special education funding (SB 5263): My top priority this session is increasing financial support for public schools here in Seattle and across the state. Over the past year, I’ve spoken with countless families, educators, and school district leaders who are frustrated and concerned about potential cuts to the critical services our 1.1 million students in Washington rely on. I’m especially focused on boosting support for special education services for students with disabilities. Last week, the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee heard testimony on my proposal as well as bills to improve funding for transportation (SB 5187) and materials, supplies and operating costs (SB 5192). You can watch the hearing on TVW.

Tenant protections (SB 5313): SB 5313 would expand the list of prohibited provisions in rental agreements, including banning nondisclosure agreements about lease terms; banning lease provisions that would prevent tenants from joining class action lawsuits; and preventing landlords from requiring payment for nonessential services such like “valet trash”, a practice where tenants in apartment buildings are required to pay someone to carry their garbage from their front door to the garbage chute down the hall The bill had a public hearing on January 29 in the Senate Housing Committee. I’m hopeful that we can pass this common-sense measure to protect tenants from unfair rental agreement terms while ensuring clearer rights for both tenants and landlords.

Reducing gun violence

Reducing gun violence has been one of my top priorities in the Legislature since the Sandy Hook shooting more than a decade ago. We’ve made steady progress over the years and I’m proud to support new bills this session as we continue to work to make our state a place where people are free from the threat of gun violence. I joined legislators and advocates last week (pictured above) to introduce several new measures:

Requiring a permit to purchase firearms (HB 1163, SB 5140): This legislation would adopt a permit-to-purchase system in Washington, ensuring that background checks occur before a firearm purchase rather than at the point of sale.

Holding firearm dealers accountable (SB 5099): This bill would ensure firearm retailers are taking reasonable precautions regarding safe storage, preventing straw purchases, and maintaining accurate records.

Requiring the safe storage of firearms (HB 1152): This bill would create specific regulations for gun owners to store firearms properly and safely in homes and vehicles.

Restricting firearms in sensitive places (SB 5098): The bill would place restrictions on carrying guns in places such as public buildings, parks and playgrounds, and county fairs.

Restricting bulk firearm and ammunition purchases (HB 1132): The bill would limit the number of firearms and ammunition an individual can purchase at a given time.

Town Hall on March 15

I hope you will save the date for our 43rd District Town Hall on Saturday, March 15 from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Bloedel Hall at Saint Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral, 1245 10th Ave E Seattle, WA 98102. Rep. Nicole Macri, Rep. Shaun Scott and I will answer questions and provide an update on the 2025 session. I hope to see you there!

Calling all pages

The Washington State Senate has one of the best page programs in the country, and applications for 2025 are open now. Pages are students aged 14 through 16 who serve for one week during the legislative session. They spend time in Page School learning about the legislative process while also distributing materials throughout the Capitol campus, assisting legislators, working on the Senate floor, and presenting the colors at the opening of each day’s legislative session. Pages receive pay during their week in Olympia. Scholarships are also available for pages from families with financial need, and housing is available with host families in Olympia. Applications close March 27, 2025.

Learn more and get instructions for applying here.

Thanks for taking the time to read this newsletter.  Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at Jamie.pedersen@leg.wa.gov.

Best wishes,

Jamie