{"id":2961,"date":"2024-02-02T16:48:23","date_gmt":"2024-02-02T23:48:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/robinson\/?p=2961"},"modified":"2024-02-02T17:08:44","modified_gmt":"2024-02-03T00:08:44","slug":"updates-from-olympia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/robinson\/2024\/02\/02\/updates-from-olympia\/","title":{"rendered":"Updates from Olympia"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dear friends and neighbors,<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We\u2019re almost at the halfway mark in the 2024 legislative session! As we embark on our fifth week, I\u2019m eager to share some updates and helpful information with you.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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FISCAL CUTOFF<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Monday is what\u2019s known as \u201cfiscal cutoff\u201d in the Legislature. This means all bills with a significant fiscal note must move out of the Senate Ways & Means Committee by the end of the day in order to continue moving through the process. It also means we will start spending more of our time on the Senate floor passing the bills still in play. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Ways & Means Committee has spent the last several days, including today, hearing dozens of bills and deciding which ones to move forward. You can watch the action at <\/span>TVW.org<\/span><\/b><\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

ADDRESSING THE OPIOID CRISIS<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I joined Attorney General Bob Ferguson and other state leaders for a news conference<\/span><\/b><\/a> about the recent $149.5 million settlement with Johnson & Johnson for the company\u2019s role in fueling the opioid crisis. As part of the agreement, we are required to ensure $123.3 million of it is used to combat the opioid epidemic, including the fentanyl crisis that is devastating Washington communities, especially tribes. Funds will be awarded by the end of this fiscal year, which means the Legislature can earmark the money during our current legislative session. This will enable us to continue to invest in ways that help people recover and focus on prevention.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, who represents part of Snohomish County, recently commissioned <\/span>a report on the opioid crisis in the 2nd Congressional District<\/span><\/b><\/a>. Here are a few of the findings:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n