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 ...
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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 ...
Read MoreFriends and neighbors, The first few weeks of the 2024 legislative session in Olympia have been busy, with dozens of public hearings and floor votes on legislation addressing critical issues facing our state. From affordable housing and public education to behavioral health and climate action, this year’s 60-day session is another opportunity to improve lives in the 43rd District and across ...
Read MoreDear friends and neighbors, Last night, we officially adjourned the 2023 legislative session in Olympia. During the 105-day session, legislators introduced 2,306 bills, and we expect that Governor Inslee will sign roughly 500 of those into law. We made remarkable progress on many fronts, including historic investments in housing, special education, behavioral health, and climate action. We took important steps to ...
Read MoreDear friends and neighbors: We are nearing the halfway mark of the 2023 legislative session in Olympia. Over the next two weeks, the full Senate will debate and vote on dozens of new policies before the March 8thdeadline to pass bills out of the Senate for consideration in the House. You can watch all the floor action live at TVW.org.
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Dear friends and neighbors, For the first time since 2020, legislators have gathered from around the state for an in-person session. The pent-up energy is obvious, with over 500 bills having been introduced in the Senate in just the first 12 days. I am thrilled to be back at work tackling the challenges that face our state and people in the 43rd ...
Read MoreDear friends and neighbors, In my final e-newsletter for this year, I would like to highlight some of the investments that the state will be making in neighborhood projects around our district. Many are the result of persistent and effective advocacy by individuals and nonprofits who are working hard to solve problems and help our communities thrive.
Local community investments
The ...Read MoreDear friends and neighbors, This week’s release of a draft U.S. Supreme Court opinion suggesting the Court may be poised to overturn Roe v. Wade represents a radical and dangerous attack on the right to privacy under the federal constitution, potentially calling into question rights from access to contraceptives to marriage equality. Here in Washington, our state constitution has provided explicit ...
Read MoreAs we celebrate Earth Day this week, I want to share more details on the passage of the Move Ahead Washington transportation package. The package is the most environmentally friendly set of investments in state history and one of the most exciting achievements of the 2022 legislative session. I was proud to support a major boost in funding for bike ...
Read MoreAs a state legislator and as a parent, I feel responsible to protect our environment for generations to come. The global climate crisis caused by runaway carbon emissions has caused our state to experience unprecedented heat waves, catastrophic wildfires, and severe flooding. We know we must take bold action now to avoid even worse damage. I am proud that our ...
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