Friends, neighbors—
Across the country, our health care is endangered by recklessness and greed. But here in Washington, we can — and we will — continue leading the country in expanding access to the care that folks need.
This year, we took historic steps to expand access to health care—to address the urgent problems with our system now and to make our system better in the long term.
- The Reproductive Health Access for All Act, which I sponsored, prohibited health care discrimination based on gender identity, expanded reproductive health access for our transgender neighbors, extended care to college students who have suffered sexual assault, and put more muscle behind HIV education outreach.
- The new Cascade Care program will provide the nation’s first public option. It will be available to all Washingtonians who aren’t covered by an employer, and it will decrease the cost of premiums, copays, and out-of-pocket expenses on the individual insurance market.
- The Universal Healthcare Workgroup we funded this session will form a plan to ensure that every Washingtonian has the care they need. We have a strong history in our state of leading the nation on health care expansion. And I’m excited about where we’re headed together.
- The Long-Term Care Trust Act is the first statewide long-term care insurance system in the nation. It will help prevent thousands of working and middle-class families from having to spend down their savings to pay for their care. This is all about building a safe and stable future for all Washingtonians!
Our work is not done, but I’m in it for the long haul. We won’t go back.
Calling all college students!
Applications for the 2020 session intern program are open! It’s a great opportunity to learn about our government at work and get hands-on experience with the legislative process. Junior and senior students in any major can apply, and interns receive a cost-of-living stipend to help make this more accessible. You can read more and find the application here.
I hope you can join me at one of my coffee hours around the district: 1st Mondays in Port Orchard (moved to the 5th Monday this month due to Labor Day), 2nd Mondays in Gig Harbor, 3rd Mondays on the Key Peninsula, and 4th Mondays in Bremerton. You can see the details about the upcoming schedule on my website or Facebook.
On September 9, the Gig Harbor coffee hour will be one hour shorter than usual so that we can attend the groundbreaking for the new Splash Pad at Gateway Park! See more info here.
My week in service
I believe in transparency, and I want to keep you all informed about what I’m doing on behalf of the 26th District in Olympia. That’s why I’m making a practice of posting my legislative calendar each week on Facebook. You can see this week’s here.
Keep in touch
I’m eager to hear from you about your priorities. I hope you’ll follow me on Facebook so you can see what my team and I are up to. And please feel free to reach out anytime at (360) 627-7610 or Emily.Randall@leg.wa.gov. The more we hear from you, the better our work in Olympia can reflect our shared values and goals.
All my best,
