News Releases

Dear friends and neighbors, Many of us are still trying to process the sudden passing of Frank Chopp. Frank was one of a kind: a community organizer, strategist, and statesman who cared deeply for our community in the 43^rd Legislative District and for people across the state. I had the good fortune to work closely with Frank for the last ...

Dear friends and neighbors: We are now more than halfway through the 2025 legislative session.  As we have done for many years, your legislative team will be holding a town hall this weekend to meet with you and answer your questions about our work in Olympia. I hope you can join me and Reps. Nicole Macri and Shaun Scott for our ...

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 ...

Dear friends and neighbors, When Rep. Frank Chopp retires from the Legislature at the end of the year, he will leave a legacy of transformational change for the 43^rd Legislative District and our entire state. Frank’s remarkable 30-year career in Olympia has helped improve countless lives. I am incredibly grateful for his service, partnership, and friendship over the years. Frank was a ...

Dear friends and neighbors, Our legislative district includes some of the most complex transportation challenges in the entire state. During this year’s legislative session, I worked to secure funding to keep the SR 520 project moving forward and make several other investments in transportation infrastructure to improve safety, mobility, economic vitality and sustainability.

SR 520 project moving forward

Dear friends and neighbors, This year’s legislative session produced several laws to improve life for our state’s LGBTQ+ community. As the senior member of our Legislature’s LGBTQ+ Caucus, I coordinate with my colleagues well before the session to ensure we prioritize legislation that will advance fair and equal civil rights protections for everyone. In the photo above, I’m with fellow LGBTQ+ Caucus ...

Dear friends and neighbors, This year’s legislative session gave us another opportunity to address the lack of affordable housing and the persistent homelessness we see in cities across our state. Building on historic investments made last year, the Legislature passed bills to increase the supply of housing, to prevent homelessness, and to remove barriers to housing construction.   In November, I celebrated as ...

Dear friends and neighbors, As climate change continues to threaten our health and natural environment in Washington, we must adapt, mitigate, and be better prepared for heat waves, flooding, wildfires, and drought that scientists warn are inevitable. And we must continue to lead other states and countries toward a clean energy future that will avoid the worst damage.  This session, the ...

Dear friends and neighbors, As the father of four students and the husband of a special education teacher in Seattle Public Schools, I have great appreciation for the importance of supporting quality public schools. I recognize the challenges that our schools are facing, especially stemming from enrollment and funding decreases. As a member of the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education ...

Dear friends and neighbors, The 2024 legislative session officially adjourned for the year last week. During the 60-day session, legislators introduced 1,615 bills, and we expect that Governor Inslee will sign about 380 into law over the next few weeks. We made important progress this year on a wide range of issues, including new investments in housing, transportation, special education, behavioral ...