Author Archives: westc

Dear friends and neighbors, All people deserve to be safe and feel safe in their community. The Legislature made meaningful progress this year that will help prevent crimes, strengthen our support for survivors, and improve law enforcement training and recruitment. ...

A decade ago, while our state was struggling to recover from the Great Recession, the Legislature was hamstrung by voter initiatives that blocked tax increases. I was proud to work with Reps. Laurie Jinkins and David Frockt to bring a ...

Dear friends and neighbors, Voting is the foundation of our democracy. As we celebrate Independence Day this week, I want to share good news about voting access here in Washington. Since 2018, Washington has led the country in legislation that ...

Dear friends and neighbors, Like many other states, Washington has struggled to meet the needs of people with mental health or substance use disorders, now often referred to as behavioral health. These issues touch nearly every family in one way ...

Dear friends and neighbors, Each year the state makes hundreds of new investments to improve public spaces around the state. Thanks to persistent and effective advocacy by community members and nonprofits, many projects in the neighborhoods of the 43rd district ...

Dear friends and neighbors, We have learned much since voters in our state approved the Death with Dignity Act by initiative in 2008. The law allows terminally ill adults with less than six months to live to request lethal doses ...

Dear friends and neighbors, Our state’s long journey to abolish the death penalty has been difficult and emotional. For decades, advocates and a growing number of lawmakers fought to end the practice because it was expensive, morally problematic, and inconsistently ...

Dear friends and neighbors, From heat waves and flooding to catastrophic wildfires and drought, climate change is affecting our state’s communities, economy, and natural systems. This session, the Legislature passed several new bills and made historic investments to reduce greenhouse ...

Dear friends and neighbors, Pride Month starts next week, and I’m delighted to report that this year’s legislative session produced several significant new laws to celebrate. We focused on policies to promote greater health, safety, and dignity for members of ...

Dear friends and neighbors, The lack of affordable housing and homelessness are two of the primary challenges facing our state. In the last decade, roughly one million people moved to Washington, but only about 250,000 homes have been built. Our ...