OLYMPIA – Legislation to protect sensitive personal data in the statewide voter database passed by a 29-19 vote on Thursday in the Washington State Senate. Senate Bill 5892, sponsored by Sen. Marcus Riccelli (D-Spokane), would ensure that confidential information like drivers’ license numbers, social security numbers, and full birth dates are not disclosed by county election officials. The bill ...
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OLYMPIA – Two key housing bills sponsored by Sen. Marcus Riccelli (D-Spokane) will receive public hearings on Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. in the Senate Housing Committee. Senate Bill 5884, the ‘Pavement to People’ bill, expands the sales and use tax deferral program to encourage redevelopment of vacant and underutilized urban property such as surface parking lots into housing. It would ...
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Dear friends and neighbors, In my time spent outside of the state legislative sessions, I work hard to stay connected with our community and listen intentionally. We held ‘mobile offices’ again this year, and I am grateful for the conversations I had at the Emerson-Garfield Farmer's Market and at Shadle Park Library. They help me better understand the ...
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OLYMPIA – Sen. Marcus Riccelli (D-Spokane) received the 2025 ‘Legislator of the Year’ award this week from the Washington Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) for his work in the Legislature to secure $8 million for the purchase of land to replace the Spokane Veterans Home.
“Our local veterans deserve quality health care and a stable, ...
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Dear friends and neighbors, I have been working for more than decade in the Legislature to end hunger and increase access to nutritious food in our community. That’s why I am so concerned that SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits are now disrupted due to the federal government shutdown. The roughly one in ten Washingtonians who rely ...
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Dear friends and neighbors, This month, I had the opportunity to speak at the State of Washington Tourism Summit, which took place right here in Spokane. I’ve been working on boosting our local tourism industry for many years and this event was an excellent chance to connect with tourism professionals, community leaders and outdoor advocates. Earlier ...
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Dear friends and neighbors, During my time in the legislature, I have worked to address Washington’s ongoing housing challenges by supporting practical solutions and securing funding to expand access to shelter and affordable housing. I'm proud to share a few recent highlights from this year’s legislative session. In this year’s capital budget, I helped secure $1.5 ...
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Dear friends and neighbors, Ensuring every child has access to nutritious food is a priority I have championed for years, particularly around free breakfast and lunch in schools. Because of the legislation I have passed, every student in Spokane Public Schools has access to free school meals during the school year. However, when school’s out, we know that for some, that ...
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Dear friends and neighbors, Since the legislative session ended on April 27, I have been back in Spokane engaging with the community, drafting policy for the upcoming session, attending statutory committees, and working at my non-legislative job. As a citizen legislature, most legislators have other jobs that they work during the interim (the time between sessions), in addition to their legislative duties. ...
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Dear friends and neighbors, Join us at the Emerson-Garfield Farmers’ Market on Friday, June 13th, from 3:00-7:00 p.m. at Emerson Park, 1116 W. Alice Ave. I’ll be there alongside Representatives Timm Ormsby and Natasha Hill to listen to your concerns and answer any questions you may have. I hope you can stop by, say hello, and learn more about how ...
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